Jon Hopkins

100 Unheralded Albums from 2010

Among the thousands of under-appreciated or under-publicized albums that were released in 2010, hundreds became our favorites and were presented in ALARM and on AlarmPress.com. Of those, we pared down to 100 outstanding releases, leaving no genre unexplored in our list of this year’s overlooked gems.

MoogFest 2010

MoogFest 2010: A look at the electronic festival’s move to Asheville

Despite its history and charm, Asheville, North Carolina isn’t widely known as a destination for music and culture.  Many associate the town with the Blue Ridge Parkway, hippie drumming, and maybe Black Mountain College, a progressive institution that closed in 1957 but once was a center for artists like Merce Cunningham and John Cage.  But look deeper and you’ll also find a contemporary music scene, classy bars, and a population of locals that are culturally aware and proud of their town.

And they’re nice — like deep-South nice.  Maybe that’s why Robert Moog decided to spend the last 25 years of his life there.

Jónsi

Matthew Dear

Concert Photos: Four Tet & Matthew Dear @ Metro

Four Tet, Matthew Dear, and Jon Hopkins played to a packed house recently at the Metro in Chicago. Dear and his band warmed up the crowd with a thumping set of avant-electro jams before Kieran Hebden, a.k.a. Four Tet, took the stage with nothing more than a table full of laptops and gadgets. Hebden never spoke a word, simply nodding a “hello” before launching into an hour-and-a-half DJ set.

Matthew Dear

Contest: Win passes to Moogfest 2010 in Asheville, NC

Another week, another contest from ALARM. This time, we’re giving one reader a chance to win a pair of weekend passes to Moogfest, a major three-day electronic festival that has moved from New York to Asheville, North Carolina. Total retail value of these babies is $369. Moogfest 2010 is taking place in venues all over Asheville during Halloween weekend, Oct. 29, 30, and 31.

Brian Eno teams with Jon Hopkins, Leo Abrahams for Warp debut

English ambient pioneer Brian Eno has partnered with fellow crossover artists Jon Hopkins and Leo Abrahams to release his next album, Small Craft on a Milk Sea, out November 2 on Warp Records. The album, available as CD and high-quality download, will also be available in a limited-edition or collectors’-edition box set, both designed by Eno.

We don’t know how Small Craft on a Milk Sea will sound yet, but Hopkins and Abrahams are excellent picks for collaboration.  Hopkins’ 2009 album Insides made our list of 50 unheralded albums from last year.

Moogfest 2010 unveils big names and hidden gems

The beloved, yearly music festival known as Moogfest is back. Usually held in New York City, Moogfest 2010 will be in Asheville, North Carolina, Robert Moog’s former home, to honor the late legend’s contributions to modern music. AC Entertainment has released its ever-expanding lineup, featuring artists carving out their own places in history as creative pioneers.

Taking place over Halloween weekend, from October 29-31, Moogfest 2010 will host performances in venues all over the historical city. Our favorites include El-P, Matmos, Jon Hopkins, Dan Deacon, DJ Spooky, Massive Attack, Four Tet, Jónsi, and RJD2.