Brandon Wilner ……… music writing

Robert Ashley, eL/Aficionado preview

for the new york times, i wrote about the revival of robert ashley's espionage-centric opera el/aficionado, as well as his widow mimi johnson's ongoing archival project whose aim is to ensure that ashley's works can continue to be performed by others beyond his close circle of collaborators.

The Believer, Don Pullen's Evidence of Things Unseen

i made a second contribution to the believer's distancing series, this time writing about don pullen's evidence of things unseen, my brother's and my nascent effort to memorialize pullen in the hometown we share with him, and understanding contemporary americanness as a process of learning to settle for less.

The Believer, Federico Mompou's Complete Piano Works

i contributed to daniel levin becker's quarantine-themed column, distancing, in the believer, which he describes as "A HOMEBOUND REGISTRY OF OTHER PLACES AND TIMES AND THE ALBUMS THAT TAKE US THERE." i wrote about my experience quarantining in florida while listening to federico mompou's complete piano works, the act of staring at the ocean, and the difficulty of contemplating personal and general history at the same time.

New York Times, Wackie's

for the new york times, i had the immense privilege of writing about one of the true greats of new york reggae, lloyd "bullwackie" barnes, and his label wackie's. in the time i spent with him, i learned about his childhood in trench town, the early days of reggae in the bronx, and how he kept his art true to his own spirit for over four decades. this article appeared digitally on january 5th 2020, and in the new york times print edition on january 6th.

i reviewed the dope jams 14th anniversary party at public records. as dope jams was priced out of west brooklyn in 2013, i thought this was an occasion suitable for examining some of the issues surrounding the new gowanus club.

i attended detroit's movement festival and wrote up my five favorite acts.

for resident advisor, i wrote about the mark ernestus' ndagga rhythm force performance put on by blank forms and pioneer works.

for resident advisor's breaking through series, i wrote about inês coutinho, aka violet, who through her record label, party and radio station has emerged as a crucial voice in lisbon's music landscape

i had a conversation with jacky sommer and kat smith, the twin sisters who make up analog soul, or resident advisor's art of djing series. we chatted about club setups, adaptability, playing classics, and more.

i wrote up the first night of the interference a/v event in times square, featuring performances by safad and jlin, for resident advisor.

i wrote about the blank forms concert that featured lawalrée's first performance in the united states, resident advisor.

my review of this collaboration in the tradition of amiri baraka's work with the new york art quartet and those guys' "an american poem."

i wrote up hanna's first new ep in eight years.

ryuichi sakamoto debuted his album async at the park avenue armory. i covered the event for resident advisor.

review of the second installment in toshi moriguchi's excellent disco edits series.

theo parrish's collaboration with two other prominent detroiters.

in late 2014, willy smart and i started a reissue arm for his label fake music. it's since been an ongoing project in which we acknowledge our inability to release the works of silent and nonexistent music that fall into our purview. we periodically issue press releases that describe the music that we will not be reissuing.