self-titled

14/03/2025

We haven’t been to SXSW in years, so here’s the next best thing: a look back at the "Disposable Icons" series we ran back in 2011-2013, including exclusive candids from , , , , , , , , , x , , and .

Tap the Substack 🔗 in our bio for a look!

03/12/2024

say 👋 to self-titled 2.0:
https://selftitledmag.substack.com

21/11/2024

"Meditation is the best gateway for humans to understand they’re more than just matter. It gives them hope." — Aisha Devi

"This invisible force empowers us to live in another dimension"

15/11/2024

Don’t tell anyone, but we’ve soft-launched self-titled 2.0 on Substack as a way to celebrate our first 16 years and publish new pieces that are a little more insightful than a seemingly endless death cycle of song premieres, hot takes, and half-baked reviews.

Phase one of our rollout focuses on stories you may have missed or forgotten. Case in point: 's thoughtful response to Pitchfork’s roundup of the 50 ‘best’ ambient records. More than a mere playlist, it finds the / / alum decoding the very definition of background music.

Or as one of our new Bluesky followers put it, “Find myself often recycling the same ambient LPs because I want ambient often, and because searching ‘best ambient’ usually reveals those same LPs or and/or cheese…. This is a very welcome find from RAI, should keep me busy for months .”

10/11/2024

The calm before the chaos at last night’s Godspeed You! Black Emperor show, which leaned heavily on the band’s lovely new LP but also managed to work in walloping sections from ‘Lift Your Skinny Fists like Antennas to Heaven’, ‘Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress’, and ‘G_d’s P*e at State’s End!’. Nearly two hours long, it started with one of their signature “Hope Drone” sketches and ended with just two members onstage, teasing the last bit of lingering power out of the collective’s tightly wound set pieces.

What a way to end a rough week…. This is just the beginning of a long run that includes a second round of stateside dates, too, so 🏃‍♂️ don’t 🚶‍♂️if you’re interested in experiencing all of Godspeed’s extremes in person.

Doubly so if you’re lucky enough to have Alan Sparhawk of opening with his son Cyrus. Seeing his solo material split into two distinct halves — the paranoid android passages of ‘White Roses, My God’ and the stark poetry of a looming collab with — is like watching someone workshop the next stage of their life in realtime. And like Godspeed, it’s not just cathartic. It feels like a full-on, collective form of spiritual cleansing.

In other words, I’m not crying; YOU’RE crying!

09/11/2024

Heal yourself with hardcore on our new Substack

May the Reagan era revival begin

15/10/2024

We've seen a bunch of times, but nothing could have prepared us for the raw, peak-of-their-powers racket that reverberated through last week. To be honest, our ears are STILL ringing.

More than just a mere retread of their breakthrough record 'Amplifier Worship', the performance was a powerful reminder of the trio's roots and all the avant-garde shades of punk, metal, drone and psych they've dabbled in over the past three decades.

While she stood off to the side for most of the show, lead guitarist Wata was in command of the band's chaos the entire time. (The tour's called 'Amplifier Worship Service' for a reason.) Her longtime partner in life and creativity, Atsuo, was happy to seize the spotlight and trade lumbering drum lines with guest percussionist Muchio as bassist/singer Takeshi brought things home beautifully off to the right of the stage.

Quite possibly the best set we've ever seen Boris play, the night was a not-so-gentle reminder to wear protection at 💯 decibel shows like this and never underestimate a power trio named after a tune.