"The lines that we draw on maps are not like a big hole and then there's something completely new after that. It's all one thing and it's difficult for me to understand music divided. I can't divide music" - flamenco innovator Raül Refree told the Quietus about 'Names of North End Women', his collaborative album with Sonic Youth's guitarist Lee Ranaldo. Both are fantastic guitarists, yet their first co-release displays almost zero guitars. Ranaldo explains - "I don't think we even thought about it much or realised it, until we had the group of songs going well, that this was not a rock record. It was something different. It dealt with landscape". Although it may seem so, it's not a minimalist or ambient music, it's just special and easy to listen to.

Irish singer Hilary Woods (some might remember her from the band JJ72) released 'Orange Tree', a lovely and gentle song, from her upcoming sophomore LP 'Birthmarks'. Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo releases 'Names of North End Women', his collaborative album with Spanish musician and producer Raül Refree, next week and he’s just shared 'Words Out of the Haze' producing plenty with just chimes and electronic percussion. German-Iraqi producer Boys Noize has released single 'Crush' featuring Rico Nasty. Czech electronic musician and queer activist has released 'Gossip' from her debut 'Fountain', produced using only her voice. Laura Veirs usually records songs after a process of editing and fussing, whereas with 'I Was A Fool' she grabbed her phone and "recorded this song as it wrote itself - it came out this way, completely formed and realized. I’ve released 11 albums, and this is the first song I’ve released that I recorded myself, in the moment, on my own"; it's about breakup.