Nostr notes by The Tonearm

"In the midst of the ruinous Thatcher era, Manchester’s ...

2026-08-21T04:15:51Z

"In the midst of the ruinous Thatcher era, Manchester’s Hulme Crescents estate became a haven for squatters, anarchists and acid house ravers, who converged in the hedonistic flat-turned-studio and after-hours club, The Kitchen. Kemi Alemoru speaks to former residents, DJs and familiar guests from the Madchester scene about the lasting impact this space had on the city’s cultural landscape"

24-hour party people — raving and rebelling in Manchester’s Hulme Crescents:

https://djmag.com/features/24-hour-party-people-raving-and-rebelling-manchesters-hulme-crescents

“What’s the greatest British disco album? The troubling ...

2026-08-11T23:45:45Z

“What’s the greatest British disco album? The troubling answer might be 'Metal Box,' Public Image Ltd.’s second album, a record of apocalyptic grooves that is twisted, darkened, metallic and despairing, like 1970s Britain reflected through a rotted disco ball.”

Disco for funerals — PiL’s Metal Box and the grim power of freedom:

https://linenoise.substack.com/p/disco-for-funerals-pils-metal-box?ref=thetonearm.com

“At the festival, Jo Jones asked a question about McKinney’s ...

2026-07-29T12:15:37Z

“At the festival, Jo Jones asked a question about McKinney’s Cotton Pickers, a group that had formed 25 years before Schaap was born. When the tyke answered correctly, Jones turned to Schaap’s mother and told her, ‘Madam, you just got another babysitter.’”

Phil Schaap — A Life in Jazz:

https://www.allaboutjazz.com/phil-schaap-a-life-in-jazz?ref=thetonearm.com

Today's new episode of The Tonearm Podcast features ...

2026-07-19T13:30:45Z

Today's new episode of The Tonearm Podcast features electronic music pioneer Suzanne Ciani. For five decades, Suzanne Ciani built her music alone, one pair of hands on a Buchla synthesizer.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Ciani talks with Lawrence Peryer about why she calls the Buchla a compositional instrument rather than an orchestral one, the renaissance bringing analog modular back into conservatories, and why, at eighty, in what she calls her last hurrah, she is finally saying yes: to the orchestra, to a collaboration with Actress, and to scoring John Wilson's documentary 'The History of Concrete'.

We are so honored to have Suzanne Ciani on the podcast. Listen in: https://podcast.thetonearm.com/suzanne-ciani-the-buchlas-orchestral-homecoming/

“Just feet away from where NPR Music staffers write and edit ...

2026-07-17T18:00:26Z

“Just feet away from where NPR Music staffers write and edit stories, a swirl of black t-shirts and battle jackets opened up a small circle pit.”

Napalm Death — Tiny Desk Concert:
https://www.npr.org/2026/07/15/g-s1-133336/napalm-death-tiny-desk-concert?ref=thetonearm.com

"The algorithms are built upon decades of research that asked ...

2026-06-02T12:30:50Z

"The algorithms are built upon decades of research that asked not what music is, nor what it means to listen to music, but how a human might be measured based on their musical preferences. Like IQ tests, this research has a dark history."

The Measured Listener:

https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/music-algorithm-spotify-eugenics-measure-talent-raymond-cattell/?ref=thetonearm.com

";There’s not even a piano player on this whole damn ...

2026-05-11T16:30:35Z

";There’s not even a piano player on this whole damn record,' [pianist Jason] Moran said with a laugh. He described the music as indie pop, saying: 'It wasn’t even remotely close to anything I would make.' He set out to get the fake album taken down."

How AI is impersonating musicians on Spotify:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/11/ai-impersonating-musicians-spotify?ref=thetonearm.com