Dummy

Listening post: 21st May 2012 Albums of the week The best records of this week, featuring our take on the Laurel Halo record (spoiler: it’s wonderful).

The xx live review [Battersea Arts Centre, London] South London trio showcase sophisticated evolution at triumphant homecoming show.

XOYO Vs. Planet Mu [XOYO, London] A night of intensity and off-kilter creativity from one of Britain’s most exciting labels.

Listening post: 14th May 2012 Albums of the week Girl Unit’s ecstatic return to form, Niki & The Dove’s booming drums and Zulu Winter’s nearly terrific indie-pop all listened to and linked.

Listening post: 30th April 2012 Albums of the week Big week of great electronic music, from the rave rush of Lone to the shy techno of Claro Intelecto.

Actress album launch [Plastic People] The enigmatic producer unleashed a beatless fog into the black-box basement.

Listening post: 23rd April 2012 Albums of the week A big week for albums, with Actress, Jack White, Death Grips and Santigold all sticking out career highs.

Showtime The History of UK Dancehall Live on Stage A year on from the death of Smiley Culture, this moving film captures the spirit and passion at the heart of UK music from dancehall to jungle to grime.

Listening post: 16th April 2012 Albums of the week The very good albums (which are all, coincidentally enough, reflections on psyche) released this week.

Listening post: 2nd April 2012 Albums of the week Reality-bending techno, wonky electro and industrial melody rush for your attention this week.

Listening post: 26th March 2012 Albums of the week Carter Tutti Void’s blistering industrial live recording and more albums worth hearing.

The-Dream live at SXSW 2012 [Fader Fort, SXSW, Austin, Texas] The king of R&B pop puts in a blinding performance with his live band but falls short of stellar.

Thousand Foot Whale Claw live at SXSW 2012 [Slow Pump party, Austin, Texas] Cosmic drone from Austin supergroup intent on taking over your brain.

Sleep ∞ Over live at SXSW [Slow Pump party, Austin, Texas] A giant saw and bubble wrap helped create one of the most magically unexpected sets of SXSW.

Rick Ross live at SXSW 2012 [Fader Fort, SXSW, Austin, Texas] Miami rapper is larger than life at the Fader Fort’s closing party in Austin, Texas.

Listening post: 19th March 2012 Albums of the week Kindness, Tanlines, Stroboscopic Artefacts and Odd Future in our records you really should be on top of this week.

Spaceghostpurrp at SXSW 2012 [Ad Hoc/True Panther party, Austin, Texas] “Real Miami funk” and Mortal Kombat shadiness from underground rapper ready to blow up.

Sun Araw live at SXSW [Slow Pump party, Austin, Texas] Sensual synchronicity from LA dub odyssey artist’s incredible new live band.

Dummy XO [Barbarella, SXSW, Texas] Bold and true performances from Blondes, Pure X, Korallreven and more at our official SXSW showcase.

Bodytronix live at SXSW [Emo's, Austin, Texas] Acid techno from another dimension from the Texan “ultra jammers”.

Listening post: 12th March 2012 Albums of the week An exceptional week of albums, with Julia Holter, Grimes, VCMG and Nedry.

Listening post: 5th March 2012 Albums of the week Nite Jewel, Shangaan Shake and Nina Kraviz in our roundup of the week’s listenings.

Listening post: 27th February 2012 Albums of the week New textures for new times, across five of the week’s hot-hot-hottest listens.

Listening post: 20th February 2012 Albums of the week The reissues, mixtapes and albums you need to hear this week, from glowering techno to cloud rap to hyper-personal folk.

Listening post: 13th February 2012 Albums of the week The albums you need to hear this week, from Ital to Loops Of My Heart.

Listening post: 6th February 2012 Albums of the week The records you should own, hear or know about this week.

Listening post: 30th January 2012 Albums of the week Lana Del Rey – the final verdict in 250 words, plus Raf Daddy and Joe Goddard’s bear-y nice house music and We Have Band’s return evaluated.

Music & Politics John Street The politics of apolitical music and its power to provoke social change are the subject of interesting but flawed new book.

Listening post: 23rd January 2012 Albums of the week Chairlift’s nods to 80s pop, Porcelain Raft’s improv folk, Francois & The Atlas Mountain’s Moroccan pop and TI’s attempt to assert his authority over trap rap’s new generation.

Listening post: 16th January 2012 Albums of the week Porter Ricks, The Big Pink and The Caretaker star in our round-up of the week’s albums.

Drexciya 'Journey Of The Deep Dweller' [Clone] Sea-obsessed techno band, one of the all time best, opened up on essential new compilation.

The Weeknd Echoes of Silence [Self-release] A confident summation of a fantastic year for the Canadian bedroom R&B star, a great start for music fans in 2012.

Oneohtrix Point Never Replica [Software] Daniel Lopatin’s standout album is a deeply moving work on memory, media and mortality.

Kuedo Severant [Planet Mu] Kuedo’s mesmerising sonic science fiction combines Vangelis, Vivaldi and footwork with filmic vision, writes Adam Harper.

Justice Audio, Video, Disco [Ed Banger] The French electro band fall flat with a impression of stadium prog that veers towards self-parody.

A$AP Rocky LiveLoveA$AP Harlem rapper A$AP Rocky’s eagerly anticipated debut mixtape, despite occasional weak lines, is a slow, weird and honest rap classic.

VIA Festival [Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA] Pittsburgh new music and media festival thrills with FRKWYS 7 Ensemble, Light Asylum, Blondes, Araabmuzik and Underground Resistance.

Rustie Glass Swords [Warp] Chal Ravens salutes the no-holds-barred maximalism and biting clarity of Glaswegian producer Rustie’s first album.

Slava [Death By Audio, Brooklyn, New York] Moody footwork blues and tripped out bass from Brooklyn-via-Chicago producer.

Autre Ne Veut [Death By Audio, Brooklyn, New York] Vivid and visceral performance from one of Brooklyn’s freest.