As he releases new Magnetic Fields album 50 Song Memoir, Stephin Merritt doesn't delve into the past for his Baker's Dozen list but instead gives tQ an A-Z of some contemporary favourites, from Japan to Marc Almond, bawdy cockney songs and the BBC Radiophonic Workship. Pic by Marcelo Krasilcic
In the first of a new series of essays on non European cultural influences on experimental music, Seymour Wright of improvisational group أحمد [Ahmed] writes on the constant inspiration of Ahmed Abdul-Malik
Using field recordings as inspiration and sound source, Lawrence English assembles music of rare beauty and tectonic power. His latest album, last year's frosty The Peregrine, was inspired an encounter with an obscure English writer. Greg Neate met up with him at home in Brisbane to talk about sound, nature and his career so far