One of Squidco's most listened ears, Carl Kruger lists his Top 24 for 2024
 Agnel / Camps / Rieussec / Lazro: Quartet Un Peu Tendre (Fou Records)
The duo of French sound artists J-Kristoff Camps and Carole Rieussec, whose long-running duo project Kristoff K.Roll creates sound labyrinths of electroacoustic and acousmatic sources, meets with pianist Sophie Agnel and saxophonist Daunik Lazro for two extended works of sonic twists and turns, acoustic improvisation infiltrated with mysterious and startling sound; fascinating.
 Almeida, Goncalo (Almedia / Silva / Costa): States of Restraint (Clean Feed)
Recorded at Sonoscopia, the Porto, Portugal experimental music and sound art hub under the direction of percussionist Gustavo Costa, double bassist Gonçalo Almeida leads a trio with trumpeter Susana Santos Silva and Gustavo Costa performing the five-part Almeida composition "Restraint", fulfilling the title through commanding cliff's-edge control.
 Alva Noto: HYbr:ID III (Noton)
The third part of the HYbr:ID series from electronic composer Alva Noto, aka Carsten Nicolai, investigating new approaches to composition through unique systems of musical notation and graphic scores, rendered in beautifully paced multi-spacial sound, this part influenced by the movement and subtle gestures of the traditional Japanese theater form, Noh.
 Ambarchi, Oren / Johan Berthling / Andreas Werliin: Ghosted II [VINYL] (Drag City)
Driven by compelling rhythms and subtle interactions that wind around them, the trio of guitarist Oren Ambarchi, bassist Johan Berthling and drummer Andreas Werliin expand their Ghosted concept in this second album, four diverse pieces fusing "funk-jazz heads, polyrhythmic skeletons, ambient pastorals, post-kraut drones and shimmering soundtrack reveries".
 Bramnk, Falter: Music for Luminous Background (Sublime Retreat)
A new solo project from French composer and improviser Falter Bramnk, exploring glass and crystal as exclusive sound sources, following his "Glassical Music" series; originally conceived for six Muzzix collective musicians, Bramnk reworked and expanded the compositions featuring glass struck, rubbed, blown, and shaken, on select tracks with contributions from Sam Bodart on Crystal Baschet.
 Chabala, Barry / Clara Byom / David Forlano: Morning Music (Roeba)
The second studio session for the freely improvising electroacoustic trio of Clara Byom, a contemporary classical and improvising clarinetist and accordionist, improvising guitarist Barry Chabala on acoustic, and multi-disciplinary artist David Forlano on electronics, in 11 succinct works to accompany a beautifully unconventional morning of open-ended conversations.
 Deschepper, Philippe / Noel Akchote: MMXXIV AD (Ayler)
Having worked together as sidemen in various bands but never together as a duo, Ayler Records brought electric guitarists Noel Akchote and Philippe Deschepper together to record in the studio in Zurich, choosing an informed selection of jazz repertoire that includes works by each performer, and compositions from Paul Motian, Henri Texier, Steve Swallow and Ornette Coleman.
 Elephant9 with Terje Rypdal: Catching Fire (Rune Grammofon)
Recorded live in Oslo, the Norwegian jazz-rock trio Elephant9 of Torstein Lofthus (drums), Nikolai Haengsle (bass) and Stale Storlokken (keys) join with legendary guitarist Terje Rypdal, channeling the intensity of bands like King Crimson and Mahavishnu Orchestra as they blend and evolve layered psychedelia with angular improvisation for a raw, electric fusion experience.
 Futterman, Joel / William Parker: Why (Soul City Sounds)
Having worked together as members of the Kidd Jordan Quartet, pianist Joel Futterman and bassist William Parker recorded these collective duo improvisations in the studio in New York City in 2020, a perfect match of technical mastery pushing the boundaries of free playing through creative use of tonality, rhythm, and harmony from two extraordinarily compatibile improvisers.
 Gleaming Shard (Wang / Bryerton): Mirrors in Light Diamonds (Balance Point Acoustics)
Sculpted sonics through prepared guitars, electronics, synthetics, drums, gongs, metal and percussion, the Chicago duo Gleaming Shards of guitarist Da Wei Wang and drummer Jerome Bryerton, both veterans of improvisation, experimental and avant rock groups, evoke the album title and group name through shimmering and subtly shifting expanses of sound and punctuated movement.
 Gunnarson, Rosanna / Karin Johansson: I grunda vikar ar bottnarna mjuka (OUTERDISK)
Inspired by August Strindberg's short story about a fortepiano being dropped into deep waters off an archipelago island, Stora grusharpan, and using composer Rosanna Gunnarson's underwater recordings including a piano being lowered into water, Swedish pianist Karin Johansson performs Gunnarson's graphic score and compositions on a prepared grand piano.
 Hirt, Erhard / Richard Scott / Klaus Kurvers / Willi Kellers: Trails (Creative Sources)
Recording at Kuhlspot Social Club in Berlin, the quartet of Erhard Hirt (e-guitar & electronics), Richard Scott (live electronics), Klaus Kurvers (double bass), and Willi Kellers (drums & percussion) perform assertive and exploratory electroacoustic improvisations, taking listeners on 7 journeys that flow through dense forests, deep into watery worlds or traverse unearthly trails.
 Houtkamp / Tramontana / Beresford / Blume: Frush (FMR)
Expanding the enduring free improvising trio of Netherlands tenor saxophonist and clarinetist Luc Houtkamp, British pianist and player of electronics and objects Steve Beresford, and German drummer and percussionist Martin Blume, with Italian trombonist Sebi Tramontana for this exceptional concert captured live in 2023 at LOFT, in Cologne, Germany.
 Ironing & Juice Machine: S/T (Hymns)
The Ironing project of Gainesville, Florida turntable and electronic artist joins with the Virginia-based Juice Machine duo of Roger Smith and late experimental musician Heather Chessman, both on electronics, tapes & sampler, for six unusual constructions of strange grooves over which concrete and obscure sounds swim about with a sense of wonder and humor.
 Mayas, Magda Filamental (Mayas / Abdelnour / Caddy / Davies / Davies / Mayaas / Parks / Theriot-Ramos / Thieke): Ritual Mechanics (Relative Pitch)
The 2nd release from Magda Mayas' Filamental octet of Mayas, Zeena Parkins, Michel Thieke, Christine Abdelnour, Angharad Davies, Rhodri Davies, Aimée Theriot and Anthea Caddy, is a fascinating studio composition developed from individual recordings provided by each musician, assembled into two detailed and cohesive works of impressive contours and almost ceremonial beauty.
 Mitchell, Roscoe: One Head Four People (Wide Hive)
"Following his 2024 grant from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Chicago saxophonist, percussionist, composer, and AACM legend Roscoe Mitchell recorded this quartet with bassist Damon Smith, guitarist Sandy Ewen, and drummer Weasel Walter, delivering nine uniquely fascinatingly approaches to free improv, bringing "Ruckus," "Ripples," "Shivers," and "The Final Bell."
 Northwoods Improvisers: Kuhtuhlpa [CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOAD] (Copy This!)
Active since 1976, the Northwoods Improviser collective founded by percussionist and drummer Mike Gilmore and bassist Mike Johnston, with drummer Nick Ashton joining in 1986, working with saxophonist Faruq Z. Bey after the 2000s; this live-in-the-studio recording is of the rhythmic trio captured joyfully jamming on the music they would record with Bey later that day.
 Olsson, Henrik / Aviva Endean: Split Series Vol. 2 (FRIM Records)
Part of the split series from Swedish label FRIM (Association For Free Improvised Music), this album presents the two solo concerts from an evening at Rönnells Antikvariat during the 2022 Sound of Stockholm festival, first from drummer Henrik Olsson performing on turntables & objects; then from Aviva Endean on clarinets, electronics, voice & plastic pipes.
 Phantom Orchard (Ikue Mori / Zeena Parkins): Hit Parade of Tears (Tzadik)
Distilling their ensemble to its original duo configuration, New York improvisers Zeena Parkins and Ikue Mori reflect on the stories of Japanese author Izumi Suzuki through ten mysteriously eclectic and beautifully developed compositions of harp (acoustic and electric), electronics, percussion, harmonium, ondes martenot, and much more; wonderful, imaginative and evocative work.
 Salter Ensemble (Belorukov / Harnik / Kocher / Grom / Beiner / Klammer / Kutin / Lang / Tomazin / Badrutt): Tri Dela (Bruit Editions / Zavod Sploh)
Operating on the border between free improvisation and composition, the international electro-acoustic ensemble Šalter Ensemble present three incredible works composed by members of the ensemble -- Tomaž Grom; Jonas Kocher & Gaudenz Badrutt; and Elisabeth Harnik -- developed with the full ensemble, incorporating jazz, free improvisation, electronics & sound art.
 Vaggione, Horacio: Schall / Rechant [VINYL] (Recollection GRM)
Specializing in micromontage, granular synthesis, and microsound, Argentinian-born and Paris-based electroacoustic composer Horacio Vaggione recorded these four compositions at at INA GRM in Paris between 1994 and 2002, each a fascinatingly detailed work illustrating his research into sound and compositions, with a stunning aesthetic for dramatically unfolding concepts.
 Weathers, Andrew: AW Walks to the West Bank of the French Broad Every Day (Editions Glomar )
A 2-part work leveraging binaural recordings made in daily walks in Asheville, NC to different points of the French Broad River: Part 1 "Interior" is collaged as a room resonance study using hydrophone recordings of the French Broad, microtonal instruments by Ben Hjertmann plus piano & synth recordings; Part 2 "Exterior" is a layered alignment of the recordings from his walks.
 Weirs and Magic Tuber Stringband : The Crozet Tunnel [CASSETTE + DOWNLOAD] (Notice Recordings)
Recorded live in Virginia's Crozet Tunnel, Magic Tuber Stringband (Evan Morgan and Courtney Werner) and Weirs (Justin Morris and Oliver Child-Lanning) present a captivating collaboration blending Appalachian traditions with contemporary drone and song forms, exploring vocal harmonies, resonant acoustics, and the profound interplay between music and place.
 Zajc, Rebeka Rusjan : Prelude (Clean Feed)
The debut for young Slovenian pianist Rebeka Rusjan Zajc, living and working in Amsterdam, brings forward a new voice in lyrically elegant and virtuosically confident solo piano improvisation, her extended piece "Illusion" divided in natural segments that allow her progressions to develop through accomplished, lively runs and moments of suspended beauty.
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