AMN Reviews: Chuck Roth – Texture Songs (2026; Palilalia)

The typical first impression of Chuck Roth is awe of his guitar wizardry. That's on full display on Texture Songs, his second outing on Bill Orcutt's Palilalia label. Next comes the realization that he really means songs--as "downtown" as he is, I suspect that if he worked with a pop producer, he could easily write tunes destined for mega radio play.

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AMN Reviews: Ināra Quartet – Minutiae (2026; Black Truffle)

On the continuum between precise polyrhythms and complete chaos, Ināra Quartet occupies a place all their own. On their new album Minutiae, the Ināras often play four separate parts that overlap, interlock, or complement each other--eventually, at least. If you were to clip 10 or 15 seconds out of the middle of one of these pieces, you might not be so sure.

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Avant-Garde & Creative Music in Portland, Oregon: November 8–18, 2026

Creative Music Guild Presents: Logan Hone Ensemble + Isabella FebbrorielloWednesday, November 11 | 4:00 PM · Swan Dive, 727 SE Grand Ave, Portland, OR 97214. Rain or Shows. Logan Hone Ensemble Isabella FebbrorielloWednesday, November 11 | 7pm · Swan Dive, 727 SE Grand Ave. Portland, OR 97214. Creative Music Guild. Logan Hone Mike GambleWednesday, November 11 | 8pm…

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All About Jazz Reviews – November 2–November 8, 2026

Recent reviews from All About Jazz covering experimental and exploratory music. Kirk Knuffke / Marilyn Crispell / Thommy Andersson: Paintbrush — “A true trio work of equals, Paintbrush enters the consciousness solemnly with the first of a four-part suite of trio improvisations, ‘Castilleja Miniata.’” (11/8/2026) Blumer-Dell-Geisser-Morgenthaler: Live at Loft Köln — “Free improvisation can be a demanding proposition, particularly when four musicians dispense with familiar melodies, predictable rhythms and conventional solo structures.” (11/7/2026)

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A Closer Listen Reviews – November 2–November 8, 2026

Recent reviews from A Closer Listen covering experimental and exploratory music. 500 Goats ~ Unstructured tunes — “Unstructured tunes is their fourth album and their first released on the relatively new Tokyo-based ambient/experimental label ato.archives.” (11/7/2026) Giovanni Lami ~ Fantarombo — “At times, rapid repetitions blur into continuous textures, while pitched sounds acquire a percussive character, dissolving the distinctions between rhythm, melody and timbre.” (11/6/2026)

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Bandcamp’s Jazz Picks for October 2026

Dave Sumner’s October jazz roundup for Bandcamp Daily includes James Brandon Lewis and Red Lily’s Calling Antonín, drawing on the music of Antonín Dvořák, and Allen Lowe’s I Should’ve Stayed Dead, a documentary soundtrack bringing together decades of recordings and collaborators. Other selections include Brandon Seabrook’s Utility Modern, with Bill Frisell, Rashaan Carter, and Marcus Gilmore; Ghost Rhythms’ rhythmically intricate jazz-rock album…

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JazzTrail Reviews – October 26–November 8, 2026

Recent reviews from JazzTrail covering experimental and exploratory music. Exhaust - All The Beauties And Disasters — “Label: Intakt Records, 2026 Personnel - Camila Nebbia: tenor saxophone; Kit Downes: piano, cello, Hammond organ; Andrew Lisle: drums.” (11/4/2026) Fumi Tomita - Yokai: Songs of the Japanese Supernatural — “Label: OA2 Records, 2026 Personnel - Carl Clements: tenor and soprano saxophones, flute; Jason Ennis: guitars; Fumi Tomita: bass; Gary Fieldman: drums.” (11/3/2026)

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AMN Reviews: Gianluca Becuzzi and Vrna – After The Fall (2026; St.An.Da. / Silentes)

After The Fall, released November 6, 2026 on the St.An.Da. sub-label of Silentes, pairs two veterans of Italy’s experimental underground. Rome-based sound artist Gianluca Becuzzi, who has been active since the early 1980s, is joined by Gianluca Martucci, who records as Vrna. For those accustomed to Becuzzi's chants and monolithic chords, his contributions to the album will not be surprising.

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Avant-Garde & Creative Music in Chicago: November 8–15, 2026

AACM Sanctuary SeriesSunday, November 8 | 3:30PM · First Presbyterian Church of Chicago 6400 S Kimbark 773.363.0505. Now Is. Bridge Percussion featuring Sachi KeikoSunday, November 8 | 8:30PM · Constellation 3111 N Western. Now Is. Extraordinary Popular DelusionsMonday, November 9 | 8:00PM · Beat Kitchen 2100 W Belmont 773.281.4444. Now Is. The BridgeTuesday, November 10 | 6:00PM…

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Newsbits: Alpha State, Other Minds, Merzbow, Aki Onda, and Fire! Orchestra

November 2, 2026: JG Thirlwell and Keith Fullerton Whitman joined forces for a two-hour edition of Alpha State on The Lot Radio. The archived session surveys contemporary sounds across experimental electronics and related territory. November 5, 2026: Other Minds announced Brian Baumbusch as its next executive director, effective January 1, 2027. Associated with the organization since 2019 as a composer, performer, recording artist, and board member, Baumbusch brings experience in education, instrument building, and music technology to the role.

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John Luther Adams Profiled

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Soft Machine’s Live History on Bandcamp

Jim Allen traces Soft Machine’s evolution through its live recordings in Prog Is a State of Mind #4 at Bandcamp Daily. Marking the band’s sixtieth anniversary, the column draws on conversations with Cuneiform’s Steve Feigenbaum and MoonJune’s Leonardo Pavkovic, whose labels have documented its changing lineups and musical directions. The survey moves from the psychedelic trio heard on Middle Earth Masters…

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Mary Halvorson’s Canis Major Returns to Europe in November

Guitarist Mary Halvorson takes Canis Major to Europe this month, joined by Dave Adewumi on trumpet, Henry Fraser on bass, and Tomas Fujiwara on drums. The quartet will premiere new music alongside material recorded for its forthcoming Nonesuch debut, expected in spring 2027. November 18: Victoria Eugenia Theater, San Sebastián, SpainNovember 19: Barcelona Jazz Festival, Barcelona, SpainNovember 20:

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Relative Pitch Announces Four November Releases

Relative Pitch Records has announced four albums for November 20, 2026, all available for preorder digitally and on limited edition CD. Jordina Millà, Mats Gustafsson, Barry Guy – Poetics of Frø pairs Millà’s piano with Guy’s double bass and Gustafsson’s baritone saxophone, slide flute, fluteophone, and harmonica. Recorded at L’Auditori de Barcelona in January 2024, the six-part session explores resonance, tension, and restraint through collective improvisation.

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Avant-Garde & Creative Music in the San Francisco Bay Area: November 7–14, 2026

Nat Evans performs his new album What Are Days For. Written over the course of…Saturday, November 7 | 7:30 PM · Center for New Music, Center for New Music, . Nat Evans performs his new album What Are Days For. Written over the course of three years, this new album by Nat Evans considers the grief of losing loved ones, relationships with plants, surfing, home, and the light of the west coast; earlier on, the Electric Guitar Ensemble opens with a set of music by Catherine Lamb, Rodrigo Barriga , and others.

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Rodrigo Amado’s New Orbit Announces Live in Shenzhen

Tenor saxophonist Rodrigo Amado’s New Orbit trio, with double bassist Joel Grip and drummer Michael Griener, will release its debut album, Live in Shenzhen, on December 4, 2026, through European Echoes. Available for preorder on CD and digitally, the album documents the group’s October 26, 2025 performance at B10 Live during China’s Oct-Loft Jazz Festival. The trio played several preparatory concerts in Berlin the previous month before recording these three collective improvisations: “Cracked Whip,” “Days of Freedom,” and “Protest, Peace.” Amado describes the recording as a piece of “sonic resistance.” …

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Jazzword Reviews – October 31–November 6, 2026

Recent reviews from Jazzword covering experimental and exploratory music. KontraSax & Friends II — “‘YallaYalla’ for instance combines a double-timed tarantella-like melody from the clarinet and accordion with the pianist and bassist creating a responsive modern Jazz-like groove.” (11/2/2026) Bondini/Godard/Niggli — “‘YallaYalla’ for instance combines a double-timed tarantella-like melody from the clarinet and accordion with the pianist and bassist creating a responsive modern Jazz-like groove.” (11/2/2026)

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Cryptogramophone Becomes Gramophonic Records

Cryptogramophone, the label founded in 1998 by violinist and producer Jeff Gauthier, is changing its name to Gramophonic Records. Gauthier says the change reflects his opposition to cryptocurrency’s political and commercial associations, which have overtaken the original name’s wordplay on Deutsche Grammophon. To mark the transition, the label is adding ten catalog albums to its Bandcamp site for Bandcamp Friday.

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The Squid’s Ear Reviews – October 24–November 6, 2026

Recent reviews from The Squid’s Ear covering experimental and exploratory music. Lazro / Leandre / Lovens - For Baritone Sax, Double Bass and Drumset (Relative Pitch) — “Rather, these three musicians have proven themselves over the last half-century as masters of improvisation, and they lean into that mastery.” (11/5/2026) Sandy Ewen / Damon Smith / Weasel Walter - Untitled (2) (Balance Point Acoustics)

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Bandcamp’s Field Recording Picks for October 2026

Matthew Blackwell’s October field recording roundup for Bandcamp Daily surveys releases that turn environmental sounds into material for composition, improvisation, and sonic investigation. The selections range from abandoned buildings and laboratory equipment to Antarctic storms, seal calls, and volcanic activity. Among the highlights are crys cole’s Testing the Waters, which combines recordings of water in different states with drones and electronics, and Anna McMichael and Helen Svoboda’s…

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Sonologyst, Rapoon, and Eighth Tower: New and Forthcoming Releases

New projects from Sonologyst, Rapoon, and Eighth Tower Records range from underwater electroacoustics to dark ambient interpretations of horror cinema, alongside recordings and a publication documenting Italy’s post-industrial underground. Sonologyst – Deep Sea. Studies on Hydroacoustic Recordings from Oceanic Depths draws on underwater monitoring archives, treating scientific hydrophone recordings as compositional material. Spectral analysis, transformation, morphing, and synthesis reshape marine vocalizations, seismic activity, pressure waves, and underwater noise into an electroacoustic work.

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Treble Surveys Ten Experimental Albums from Summer 2026

Brad Cohan’s latest Without a Net column for Treble, “10 Great Experimental Albums from Summer 2026,” ranges across free improvisation, electronic composition, experimental folk, and politically charged rock. Selections include Thollem’s DoReMiAntiFa Symphony, combining synthesizer improvisation with spoken political commentary; The Pure Products of America Go Crazy, a first meeting of T.J. Borden, Vinny Golia, James McKain, and James Paul Nadien; and Henry Fraser’s…

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Durations Brings Experimental Music to New York, November 9–15

Durations takes place November 9–15, 2026, with performances, talks, club nights, and audiovisual presentations across Public Records, Pioneer Works, Roulette, and the Whitney Museum. Presented by Public Records with the three partner venues, the festival brings together ambient music, electronics, improvisation, and discussions of music, philosophy, and art. Selected music events include: November 9–11: William Basinski performs three consecutive evenings at Public Records, with Cholla, muein, and Chantal Michelle appearing on the respective nights.

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Avant-Garde & Creative Music in New York City: November 6–13, 2026

M3 Festival 2026: Terri Lyne Carrington, William Parker, Theo Bleckmann, Martha…Saturday, November 7 | 7:00 pm · Roulette, 509 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217. M3 Festival 2026: Terri Lyne Carrington, William Parker, Theo Bleckmann, Martha Redbone, and More. The 5th annual M³ festival celebrates some of the most innovative composer-performers in the jazz and creative music scene. Roulette.

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Bandcamp’s Best Field Recordings – October 2026

Matthew Blackwell’s October field recordings roundup for Bandcamp Daily surveys nine releases spanning environmental sound, electroacoustic composition, and instrumental improvisation. Among them are crys cole’s Testing the Waters, which combines recordings of water in changing states with drones and electronics; Anna McMichael and Helen Svoboda’s The Weddell Seal, pairing violin and double bass with Antarctic seal calls; and Philip Samartzis and Michael Vorfeld’s…

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Acousmatic Crossings: The Disappearance of the Familiar

The Disappearance of the Familiar, the latest installment of Metapsychosis’s Acousmatic Crossings series, presents two electroacoustic works with commentary by curator Michael Eisenberg. Anna Vassiliadis’s Afanismos (2024) addresses the sudden rupture of everyday life by war, moving through calmness, chaos, and silence. Berk Yağli’s Ideological Distortion (2021) examines media manipulation and ideological confusion while exploring connections between metal and electroacoustic music. The feature includes both compositions, statements from the artists, and Eisenberg’s reflections on how unfamiliar sounds and sustained listening can alter perception.

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Chain D.L.K. Reviews – October 30–November 5, 2026

Recent reviews from Chain D.L.K. covering experimental and exploratory music. Mats Erlandsson & Gus Loxbo: Minnets Långa Kedjor — “The result is neither a straightforward document of improvisation nor a conventional studio composition.” (11/5/2026) Billy Gomberg: capacity — “Gomberg has spent more than two decades developing a practice that brings together synthesis, digital processing, acoustic recordings and improvisation.” (11/5/2026) Superføkk!: s/t…

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Bandcamp’s Contemporary Classical Picks for October 2026

Peter Margasak’s October contemporary classical roundup for Bandcamp Daily covers recent chamber music, solo instrumental recordings, and archival electronics. Among the selections are Ed Cooper’s Mutism, whose subdued ensemble writing incorporates unstable textures and cycling patterns, and Alyssa Weinberg’s Pieces of Light, a collaboration with cellist Gabriel Cabezas that explores harmonics, bow pressure, and shifting timbres. Other highlights include David Tudor’s…

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The Quietus Marks Daphne Oram’s Centenary

Claire Biddles speaks with nine artists about Daphne Oram’s influence in a new feature for The Quietus. Annea Lockwood recalls hearing Oram demonstrate Oramics, her system for turning markings on film into electronic sound. Hannah Peel describes hearing the 2018 BBC Proms premiere of Still Point, a work Oram composed in 1949 for double orchestra, turntables, and live electronics.

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North Star Sounds – November 3, 2026

The November 3 edition of North Star Sounds is available on Mixcloud. The three-hour program spans avant-garde jazz, free improvisation, and post-bop, with music from John Surman, Mike Osborne and Alan Skidmore; Jane Ira Bloom; Mike Reed’s Separatist Party; Last Exit; Don Cherry; Sonny Simmons; Jimmy Lyons; Myra Melford’s Fire and Water Quintet; Joëlle Léandre; Sam Rivers; and others.

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