Oliver Wang
Oliver Wang is an culture writer, scholar, and DJ based in Los Angeles. He's the author of Legions of Boom: Filipino American Mobile DJ Crews of the San Francisco Bay Areaand a professor of sociology at CSU-Long Beach. He's the creator of the audioblog soul-sides.com and co-host of the album appreciation podcast, Heat Rocks.
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After months of speculation, West's latest album reveals itself as a trim, 10-song, 40-minute effort that's heavy on electronic and industrial influences. It's also another piece of the puzzle to one of pop music's most compelling — and frustrating — figures. -
A generation ago, the reclusive soul singer and guitarist released what would become his most acclaimed album, Inspiration Information. A new reissue brings the classic LP together with 25 years' worth of unreleased material. -
Mvula's debut is ambitiously distinct and confident, as if she and her band had perfected their sound years ago but only now decided to share it with everyone else. -
New York's Charles Bradley and London's James Hunter Six both mix inspiration and replication. -
R&B singers Nicole Wray and Terri Walker both had promising starts to their careers more than a decade ago, but neither became a household name. Now they've teamed up and traded in slick, hip-hop influenced styles for a decidedly throwback feel. -
Since the singer's first single became a breakout hit in 1971, he's recorded nine albums, and all of them are now available on a new box set. -
Carly Rae Jepsen and Kanye West both released albums today that double down on their summer success. -
A 1970s explosion in affordable music gear, particularly synthesizers and drum machines, yielded fascinating experiments by amateur artists. A new compilation collects electronic soul gems from that era. -
Producer Robert Williams and his studio Red, Black and Green Productions were behind some of Washington's biggest R&B hits in the 1970s. -
Toronto-based philosopher Marshall McLuhan's 1967 musique-concrete LP gets a second look.
