7th Level Music

Making Time Festival announces its 2025 lineup…with over 100 DJs in it.

Making Time ∞ — also known as Making Time Forever — proudly returns to Philadelphia’s Fort Mifflin this fall, Friday, September 19 – Sunday, September 21. Today, the most ambitious DIY event in America announces the lineup for its fifth and most transcendental year yet. Founded 25 years ago by legendary Philadelphia promoter Dave Pianka, this year sees the beloved event series Making Time celebrating its silver anniversary (MTMXXV) and five years of Making Time ∞ at Revolutionary War-era Fort Mifflin.

This year’s lineup is jaw-dropping in its quality and enormity, launching with over 120 acts. Headliners include Four Tet, ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U, Boy Harsher, Panda Bear, and Moodymann. Accompanying them are some of the best DJs in the world, including Avalon Emerson, Ben UFO, DJ Nobu, Donato Dozzy, Interplanetary Criminal, Optimo (Espacio), Gerd Janson, D. Dan, Paurro,Lena Willikens, Powder, Badsista, and VTSS, to name just a few.

Live acts encompass a greater margin of this year’s lineup. Full Body2, Maria Sommerville and Milan W. display diverse approaches to dream pop, post-punk, shoegaze, while Moin and YHWH Nailgun bring a more aggressive palette to the fore. Electronic live acts include Aya, James K., Crash Course in Science, Fcukers, Ghost Dubs, and Holy Tongue. On the experimental side are Moor Mother, Voice Actor, and Disiniblud (Rachika Nayar & Nina Keith). Making Time ∞ also boasts a superior ambient offering including live performances from Suzanne Ciani, Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, Windy & Carl, and Suzanne Kraft.

Some festival favorites are playing bespoke sets: John Talabot will play two sets—a DJ set and a disco set, while Jubilee will throw down a freestyle extravaganza. In addition to the Optimo (Espacio) set, JD Twitch will host a “beatless rave” while Kuniyuki plays both dance and ambient live sets. Loidis and DJ Python team-up for a rare back-to-back DJ session, following the former’s ambient live show under his beloved Huerco S. alias.

The unique geography of Revolutionary War-era Fort Mifflin has allowed each zone, or stage, to develop its own personality. There’s the RA Majestic Zone, a wide-open space perfect for dancing or hanging with friends by the river. The Transcendental Zone, situated on a straightaway in front of former soldiers’ barracks, begins with live acts in the afternoon and ends with peak-time DJ sets. The Lot Radio livestreams from a stage that takes on infectious “free party” energy. The casemates, which have been used over centuries as munitions storage and a jail, are now an indoor club and chill-out room. This year, a new zone called Option + 5 launches in a canopy of trees next to the Delaware River, promising a transcendental forest rave. Returning once again are longtime Making Time collaborators Klip Collective who will project visuals on various structures all weekend.

The motto for MTMXXV is “choose transcendence.” For over 25 years, Making Time has been about partying your ass off and transcending the mundanity of the everyday, the average, the mediocre. If that means laughing with Laraaji during a meditation session, zoning out to plaintive folk songs of Joanne Robertson, or head banging to Blawan, it’s all here at Fort Mifflin this fall. Anyone looking for an overview of the best in underground dance, ambient, guitar, and experimental music should have Making Time ∞ on their calendar.

Three-day passes for Making Time ∞ 2025 are available to purchase now for $235 (plus taxes and fees). Tickets with no service fees are available at the following locations: The Lot Radio in Brooklyn, Middle Child & Middle Child Clubhouse in Philadelphia.

PURCHASE TICKETS FOR MAKING TIME ∞ 2025

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Ahmad at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Swordes embraces manic love on her new single – “Boyfriend La La La.”

In the Summer of 2021, Swordes made her debut playing at the many warehouse raves and parties of Brooklyn, New York’s underground scene. Fearless, pop leaning, and addicted to melody, her live set is hardware synths, drum machines, and an emotive, operatic vocal. There’s no computer in sight.

Swordes is a multimedia artist and producer beginning to forge a singular path through Brooklyn’s underground with brooding, poetic lyricism and hypnotic, hardware-driven electronic music. Hailing from Honolulu and now based in NYC, she emerged from Parsons’ fine art program only to reject academia and carve her own sonic language. Since her 2021, she has captivated crowds with visceral, computer-free live sets that embrace experimental electronic, alt-pop, glitchy club, hyperpop and forward-thinking femme energy.

Her new single “Boyfriend La La La” is a chaotic power play—equal parts baby talk, club weapon and surrealist performance art. Playing a character of a stereotypical manic pixie dream girl/crazy girlfriend, Swordes chants obsessive mantras over infectious basslines and cartoonish 808 beats with a chorus that feels like a cursed nursery rhyme. It’s part pop fantasy, part manic delusion—and totally addictive.

“I love being a crazy girlfriend. There’s nothing wrong with that,” she says in character. “Here’s a quote from my boyfriend: ‘I’m her muse. Who wouldn’t be crazy about me?’”

Check out the new single here.

It’s the first taste of her upcoming debut album out later this year—an eclectic, cinematic body of work blending pop vocals with the club inspired sounds of late 90s dance music — written, produced, and mixed entirely by Swordes. Known for her raw, hardware synth live sets and bold visual world, she’s already caught the attention of Versace (SS25 runway sync), PAPER, and FLAUNT. Viral on TikTok (25k followers + 575k likes), with a growing cult fanbase, Swordes is building something that lives between fashion, noise, pop, and performance.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to George at Terrorbird Media.]

WSND DJ set list: Manic Monday – July 21, 2025

It was another fun all-80s music show on WSND. Thanks for the ears and the requests, everyone. Here’s the set list:

Agent Orange – Miserlou (1982)
Motörhead – Speedfreak (1982)
Motley Crue – Shout at the Devil (1983)
Madonna – Holiday (full-length version) (1983)
The Rolling Stones – Hang Fire (1981) (requested)
The Rolling Stones – Continental Drift (1989) (requested)
Bauhaus – St. Vitus Dance (1981)
Love and Rockets – No New Tale to Tell (1987)
A-ha – The Sun Always Shines on TV (1985) (requested)
Peter Gabriel – Sledgehammer (1986)
Laura Branigan – Touch (1987)
Jody Watley – Looking for a New Love (1987)
Tracy Chapman – Baby Can I Hold You (1988)
Public Image Ltd. – The Order of Death (1984)
Ian Dury and The Blockheads – I Want to Be Straight (1980)
Elton John – Sacrifice (1989)
Cherelle – I Didn’t Mean to Turn You On (album version) (1984)
The System – Coming to America (1988)
Keith Sweat w/ Jacci McGhee – Make It Last Forever (1988)
Freddie Jackson – Nice ‘n’ Slow (1988)
Tony Terry – Forever Yours (1988)
Teddy Pendergrass – Joy (1988)
Basia – Time and Tide (1988)
Ice-T – Colors (1988)
Van Halen – Black and Blue (1988)
Bros – When Will I Be Famous? (1988)
S-Express – Theme from S-Express (1988)
Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) (1983)
The GAP Band – You Dropped a Bomb on Me (original 12″ mix) (1982)
Earth, Wind & Fire – Let’s Groove (1981)
The Ocean Blue – Drifting, Falling (1989)
Chicago – Thunder and Lightning (1980)
Neil Young – Hard Luck Stories (1981)
Guns ‘n’ Roses – Mr. Brownstone (1987)
Shonen Knife – Twist Barbie (1983)
Shizuka – Fu-Ji-Tsu (1988)
Animotion – Obsession (1984)

Be sure to tune in next week for more 80s classics and forgotten cuts!

Keep your mind open.

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WSND DJ set list: Deep Dive of Carlos Santana

Thanks to all who listened to my deep dive of Carlos Santana on WSND to celebrate his birthday. Here’s the set list:

Santana – Smooth
B.B. King – Chains n Things
John Lee Hooker w/ Carlos Santana – Stripped Me Naked (requested)
T-Bone Walker – T-Bone Shuffle
Muddy Waters – Mississippi Delta Blues
Gabor Szabo – Gypsy Woman
Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper, and Steve Stills – Blues for Nothing
The Shadows – Apache
Fleetwood Mac – Oh Well
Santana – Persuasion (live)
Willie Bobo – Evil Ways
Santana – Jingo
Gabor Szabo – Gypsy Queen
Santana – Black Magic Woman
Tito Puente – Oye Como Va
Santana – Hope You’re Feeling Better (live)
Santana – No One to Depend On
Steve Winwood and Sheila E – Everybody’s Everything (live)
Santana – Batuka (live)
Carlos Santana and Buddy Miles – Marbles (live)
Santana – Waves Within
Journey – To Play Some Music
Santana – Just in Time to See the Sun
The Mahavishnu Orchestra – You Know You Know
Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin – Naima
Santana – Yours Is the Light (live)
Santana – Love, Devotion & Surrender
Alice Coltrane and Carlos Santana – Illuminations
Santana – Life Is Anew
Santana – Europa (live)
The Zombies – She’s Not There
Carlos Santana – Free As the Morning Sun
Santana – Winning
Carlos Santana and The Fabulous Thunderbirds – Who Do You Love?
Santana – Before We Go
Carlos Santana – I’m Gone

Be sure to tune in next week for another Deep Dive!

Keep your mind open.

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Chicago’s Constellation Performing Arts organization announces its first Sound & Gravity festival September 10-14, 2025.

Today, Constellation Performing Arts announces the inaugural Sound & Gravity, taking place September 10-14, 2025 at beloved Chicago venues Constellation, Hungry Brain, Judson & Moore, Beat Kitchen, Guild Row, and Rockwell on the River. Sound & Gravity is a new and ambitious event that promises to be a unique adventure for music enthusiasts. Featuring 48 acts, this immersive experience showcases a diverse range of musical genres, including jazz, experimental, contemporary classical, and indie music, reflecting the eclectic programming ethos of Constellation Performing Arts, its organizing entity.

Performers include Bill Callahan, Mdou Moctar, Body/Head, Helado Negro, Mary Lattimore, Irreversible Entanglements, Jeff Parker Expansion Trio, ganavya, Tarbaby, The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis, Julianna Barwick, Mary Halvorson, Steve Gunn, Olivia Block&Lea Bertucci, William Tyler, Elias Rønnenfelt, Glenn Kotche, and more, plus additional surprise sets curated by ElectricalAudio.

The 2025 inaugural edition takes place in the vibrant Bricktown/Avondale area of Chicago, known for its burgeoning creative industries. Capitalizing on the neighborhood’s walkability with all venues a 5-15 minute walk from each other, Sound & Gravity offers attendees the opportunity to experience the local culture during five days of cutting-edge performances.

Sound & Gravity also serves as a fundraiser for Constellation Performing Arts, a not-for-profit organization that has become a cornerstone of Chicago’s forward-thinking music scene. Founded in 2013 by musician and presenter Mike Reed, who also launched and produced the PitchforkMusicFestival until its final iteration in 2024, the venue has filled a crucial void in Chicago’s cultural landscape by providing a reliable, high-end platform for avant-garde and experimental music. Of the festival, Reed says: “Sound & Gravity extends Constellation’s mission, offering a concentrated dose of the venue’s innovative spirit across multiple locations in one of the city’s most creative neighborhoods.”

Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, May 7 at 11am CT, and can be purchased here. Ticket options include an all-eventfour-day pass at $240, a single-day pass at $95, and a Wednesday opening night pass at $45.

Sound & Gravity 2025 Lineup:
Bill Callahan • Mdou Moctar • Body/Head • Helado Negro • Mary Lattimore • Irreversible Entanglements • Jeff Parker Expansion Trio • Tarbaby • The Messthetics & James Brandon Lewis • Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore • Mary Halvorson: Amaryllis • Steve Gunn • William Tyler • Elias Rønnenfelt • Glenn Kotche • Rafiq Bhatia • Saccata Quartet • Third Coast Percussion • Chicago Underground Duo • Darius Jones Trio • Sam Prekop • Eucademix • ganavya • Geologist • Nabihah Iqbal • Hannah Cohen • Jeremiah Chiu • Ken Vandermark Edition Redux • Anna Webber’s Simple Trio • Cooper Moore • Fred Moten & Brandon Lopez • Glyders • Maria Somerville • Olivia Block & Lea Bertucci • Zoh Amba Sun Ensemble • JJJJJerome Ellis • Lia Kohl/Macie Stewart/Whitney Johnson • Luke Stewart’s Chicago Quartet • Magic Tuber Stringband • Nadah El Shazly • James Elkington & Nathan Salsburg • Edsel Axle • Ana Everling • Hanging Hearts • Michael Zerang’s Puzzle House • Mute Duo • sinonó • Andreas Røysum Ensemble w/ Marvin Tate

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Karassimeon – Aethernova EP

Apart from having a cool cover that looks like it could’ve been an Asia album, Karassimeon‘s Aethernova EP is loaded with hot beats, killer cyborg synths, and dance floor jams that combine his homeland’s French disco with Italo disco, synthwave, and a touch of industrial edge.

“Panique Synthétique” is a track you’ll want played whenever you walk into either a nightclub, a gym, or a haunted house…or a haunted gym below a nightclub. The horror movie scream and police siren samples, the spooky synths, and the classic rave sounds bring back a lot of memories for this original raver. It’s sibling track, “Analog Anxiety,” is, somehow, a bit creepier and the edge sharper…like a giallo film maniac lurking around the fringes of the dance floor with a straight razor in his or her black gloved hand.

The title track is a sizzling breakbeat cut that will have you stomping the pedal in your real car or the one you’re driving in the latest edition of Mario Cart. “Final Flash” closes the EP with bumping techno tailor-made to launch you out of your seat or off your spot on the wall and shove you onto the dance floor. This is a perfect track to get over that “Why am I doing this?” moment during a cardio workout.

It’s four tracks of floor-fillers. Get on it.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Eclectica!]

Wrecka Stow: O’CD – Toulouse, France

Located at 17 Rue des Filatiers in Toulouse, O’CD is a treasure trove of not only new and used music, but also new and used DVDs. The second you walk into the place, you’re almost overwhelmed by the selection of music and films in multiple genres.

I could’ve spent hours in here just browsing through their selection of films, let alone the music. They even had a small section just for peplums.

The music consists of vinyl and CDs, with genres that are all over the place.

I walked out of there with DVD copies of OSS 117, You Can’t Win ‘Em All, and Baron Vampire. I was lucky to escape with just that.

Keep your mind open.

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Levitation France 2025 recap

Levitation France moved to a new venue in 2025. It was still in Angers, France, but no longer at the La Chabada location. It was now at the Lac De Maine park on the lovely lake in Angers, right by this massive pyramid structure that appears to be a reception center, restaurant, or maybe some kind of New Age retreat. The stage was placed in front of it, and it was off-limits to festival attendees, but that was fine. We were there for the music.

We weren’t sure we were there at first, as we got off at the wrong bus stop and had to walk through a dried-up park to get to the main path leading to the festival. Angers, and the rest of France, was in the middle of a heatwave. The grass throughout the park and the stage area looked and often felt like shredded wheat.

Once there on the first day, we arrived about halfway through New Candys‘ set. I’d seen them in France a couple years earlier, and looked forward to catching them again. Their newest record, The Uncanny Extravaganza, is impressive, and their 2025 Levitation France set matched it with strong hooks and solid rock to power everyone through the heat and relentless sun.

Up next was DITZ, who wasted no time in crushing eardrums. The mosh pit was wild, kicking up a massive cloud of dust sometimes as thick as the stuff coming out of the stage’s fog machine. They had one of the wildest, strongest sets of the festival, and the one-two punch of New Candys and DITZ was great. Their lead singer led the crowd to the lake, dove in, and came back covered in lake weeds to finish the set.

We took a much-needed break, scored some merch, water, and pizza (Pickles on pizza? It kind of works.), and found a small sliver of shade for a little while. My neck got sunburned as many others stood either in the shade of the two trees nearby or in the shadow of the tall sound booth at the back of the venue.

We came back for Kadavar. I hadn’t seen the German rock giants since the second Austin Psych Fest I attended in 2014. The lead singer mentioned it was their first time playing a Levitation festival since then. I yelled, “I was there!”, much to the amusement of a guy next to me. They blasted our faces off, of course, playing everything from doom metal to near-prog riffs.

A great return for Kadavar to Levitation.

We made sure to take more breaks on the second day to avoid further sunburn and dehydration. The first set we caught was by Heartworms, who put on a neat show of goth rock, psychedelic guitar work, dark wave (Theremin!), and a bit of performance art. They were my girlfriend’s favorite set of the festival.

We caught part of bdrmm‘s set, but had to get out of the sun for a little while. We enjoyed some chicken tikka masala, booze, and lemonade, and came back to check out Bryan’s Magic Tears – another band I last saw at Levitation France. They’ve only gotten better, creating snappy shoegaze and dream pop for an appreciative crowd.

Bryan’s Magic Tears mixed with audience sweat.

The big set of the night, and the festival, for me was from The Limiñanas. I’d wanted to see them for quite a while and they rarely, if ever, get across the Atlantic Ocean. The French psych-rock legends didn’t disappoint us. They played a great set complete with classics, tracks from their new album, Faded, and even a cover of The Cramps‘ “TV Set.”

When you get a chance to see The Limiñanas in France, you go see them.

We stuck around for the first half of Boy Harsher‘s set. They dropped heavy dance beats, dark bass, and sultry sounds across the night and the water. We would’ve stayed for the whole thing, but we had an early train to catch the next day and public transportation back from the venue was minimal that late at night.

It was another fun year in Angers, despite the heat. I hope they’ll bring in some man-made shade next year if they keep it on the lake. One of the best parts about Levitation France is the opportunity to see so many bands who don’t get to tour outside of Europe much, if at all. All Levitation festivals are great ways to discover your new favorite band. We already plan to go back next year to discover more if the dates work out for us. See you there?

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Keep – Almost Static

The press release I received about Keep‘s new album, Almost Static, reads, “This is an album built for long hours spent in the car which is frequently reflected in the lyrics. Almost Static explores many of thoughts that might cross one’s mind on such expansive journeys. It’s a driving and anthemic record that navigates the meandering nature of a world that won’t slow down. It’s a soundtrack for hurtling further and further into oblivion.”

That’s accurate. The opening guitars of “Fun Facts” pretty much toss you over the cliff with a small paraglider and hope for the best. The echoing vocals help you float, but also might be luring you toward the cliff on the other side of the valley. The drums and bass on “Smile Down” are crisp and yet crushing. “Decoy” continues the sonic assault, and then “Bermuda” comes in like a lost darkwave track from the early 1980s. Keep’s love of The Cure is evident on the track in the way the instruments seem to creep around the back of the room while a dance party happens on the other side of the wall.

“New Jewelry” and the title track remind me a bit of some mellower Failure tracks with its hooky beats and space orbit vocals. The bass on “No Pulse” is thick and almost palpable. The guitars nearly wander into prog-rock jams at some points.

“Sodawater” chugs along with a bit of gloom, but you can’t help noticing some sunlight (Those guitar chords!) through the dark clouds now and then. “Gasoline” reminds me of late 80s / early 90s goth tracks when shoegaze was emerging from its cocoon. Closing track “Hurt a Fly” feels like the rush you’d get from landing on the ground in the valley over which you’ve been floating this whole time, and running along the soft earth as the wind almost picks you back up again.

It’s a solid record of fuzz, force, and finesse that is indeed perfect for late nights in the car or on an airplane. Check it out.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Alex at Terrorbird Media.]

Shrunken Elvis presents new single – “An Odd Outlet.”

Shrunken Elvis is a Nashville-based trio born from long European drives, cold winter jam sessions, and a mutual love of genre-defying sound exploration. The group unites three seasoned musicians—Spencer Cullum, Sean Thompson, and Rich Ruth—each bringing a distinct musical background to a shared creative space that prizes intuition over ambition.

Cullum, a pedal steel guitarist originally from East London, has recorded with artists like Angel Olsen, Lambchop, Miranda Lambert, and Billy Strings, while also releasing two solo LPs of folk-psych compositions on UK label Full Time Hobby. Thompson, a Nashville native, emerged from the city’s DIY scene playing in his first band Gnarwhal, and later helping to form other bands including Promised Land Sound. He’s toured and recorded with Margo Price, Skyway Man, Erin Rae, and others. Known for his immersive solo project Rich Ruth (Third Man Records), Michael Ruth blends spiritual jazz, ambient, and synth-infused post-rock into meditative and expansive compositions.

Now all based in Nashville, the trio thrives within the city’s supportive and exploratory music community. That environment has allowed them to forge a path that veers from Music City’s more traditional output, offering space to experiment and innovate freely. You can hear the fruits beared from this path on the upcoming self-titled album Shrunken Elvis, announced today for a September 5th release via Western Vinyl. Pre-order the albumhere.

The stunning first single “An Old Outlet”is a track that zeros in on the junction point between genres such as kosmische, jazz fusion, electronic, and ambient — collective loves of the three members. Check it out on YouTube.

Recording their debut album presented a unique challenge: to preserve the energy of their live three-piece dynamic without over-cluttering the arrangements. Their goal wasn’t to make an instrumental album that highlights individual prowess on pedal steel or guitar—but rather to construct a musical terrain where all elements coexist, each voice contributing to something entirely new. Embracing a philosophy of “no goals, just ideas,” the group let the music unfold naturally.

Mixed by Jake Davis (William Tyler) and featuring cover art by UK psych-folk artist Max Kinghorn-Mills (Hollow Hand), the debut Shrunken Elvis record is music made without expectation—but full of purpose. It’s the music they’ve always wanted to make: immersive, intuitive, and deeply alive.

Shrunken Elvis’s music exists in a naive, open-ended state—unconcerned with outcome but guided by deeply honed instincts. Having spent much of their careers as side musicians, this project represents a rare opportunity to create purely for the sake of collaboration and curiosity. Influences range from Alice Coltrane, Michael Rother, and Pat Metheny to KLF, Ashra, and Can—along with visual and cinematic touchstones like ECM album art, Kurosawa, and Bergman. Ideas often emerged in old English pubs on tour and were carried into the studio with quiet urgency.

The group’s origins trace back to a 2022 European tour behind Cullum’s solo record. Long drives crammed into a VW Passat—traversing Germany, Belgium, Denmark, the UK, and Ireland—fostered a kind of creative incubator. With no fixed plans or agenda, the trio began crafting compositions using their compact tour setup of two guitars, pedal steel, and synths.

Their shared listening experiences on those journeys helped shape a collective sonic language, one that transitioned seamlessly into winter recording sessions back in Nashville. Gathered around a small fire heater in a shed studio, they captured that same spirit of spontaneity and collaboration in sound.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to George at Terrorbird Media.]