The best lesser-sung sounds of 2026 so far

It’s time for a sonic refill. David Abravanel is here with a full supply of lush arps, washes of sound, rapid-fire grooves — everything Appleblim to Posthuman to Vladislav Delay Quintet, Suzanne Ciani and a bunch more. Your mission: buy some downloads if you can spare the change, and load up some full-album listens in a player of your choice. And maybe turn off the world for a while. -Ed.

A year in music: don’t-miss releases, unsung gems, unhyped breakthroughs

In difficult times, paying attention to music can be an act of humanity. We turn to music not because it attracts attention, but because we want to fill our ears and souls. From Indonesia-to-Mexico collaborations to resurfacing legends, Mongolian hip hop to rethought AI, David Abravanel is back with a personal set of selections to round out the year.

David Abravanel - December 29, 2023

The power plant, back at full power: Berlin Atonal shows a resurgent scene

We’ve heard lots of promises of a revitalized post-pandemic scene, lots of talk about adapting to change, but that masks real suffering for so many artists. At last, Berlin’s upcoming Atonal promises to be something different: expanded scale, greater diversity, and energetic new ideas, just when electronic music needs it most.

Peter Kirn - September 5, 2023