Minneapolis
2 artists
Local Scene
Max Devereaux
What is happening in your local music scene right now?
The Twin Cities scene is weaponizing sound for mutual aid against the ICE occupation.
I joined local artists on the 'thaw' compilation, contributing a track to fund our neighborhood defense networks.
I joined local artists on the 'thaw' compilation, contributing a track to fund our neighborhood defense networks.
What local spots would you recommend?
Listening Bar
Racer Tea Bar— Redondo Beach, CA
Although it's not in Minneapolis, it's a tiny beachside hideaway operating on a completely anti-corporate, anti-establishment wavelength. Stepping inside feels like entering an archive with zero rules.
It has an intense personality, incredible tea blends, and deeply curated music, all just steps from the ocean.
It has an intense personality, incredible tea blends, and deeply curated music, all just steps from the ocean.
Record Shop
Track City Records— Escondido, CA
Although it's not in Minneapolis, it's an exceptional, independent, women-owned community hub in a historic downtown district.
They carry a beautifully curated selection of new and used vinyl, cassettes, 45s, and CDs, actively championing the preservation of physical media culture.
They carry a beautifully curated selection of new and used vinyl, cassettes, 45s, and CDs, actively championing the preservation of physical media culture.
Café
Cafe FLYING TEAPOT— 東京・江古田 / Ekoda, Tokyo
Although it's not in Minneapolis, it's an absolutely legendary nexus connecting the international avant-garde with Tokyo's underground scene.
Operating as both an intimate café and a performance gallery, it is a deeply focused space where experimental sound, noise documentation, and visual art completely merge.
Operating as both an intimate café and a performance gallery, it is a deeply focused space where experimental sound, noise documentation, and visual art completely merge.
Label / Series
Antenna Non Grata
Although it's not in Minneapolis, it's a brilliant Polish operation documenting the rawest edges of electroacoustic experimentation, providing an intensely fitting home for my release, Modelli Frammentati.
Plus Timbre
Although it's not in Minneapolis, it's an exceptional platform dedicated to microtonal textures and deep spatial acoustic exploration, a territory we also explored on our trio release, Lomita.
Nocturnal Technology
Although it's not in Minneapolis, it's an uncompromising cassette label focused on heavy, dark, and challenging experimental electronics, making it a perfect match for the tactile weight of Chasm.
DJ Blue Funk
What is happening in your local music scene right now?
After COVID reduced the number of venues, Minnesota's signature spirit of independence has really been shining. People are building DIY venues and even bringing in their own sound systems to create spaces, and you can feel how serious and loving they are about music. With the vinyl boom of the past few years, I've also noticed more DJs playing records.
Minneapolis has a long history of a vibrant jazz scene, and highly talented, young musicians have been very active at pushing the music forward. Because the scene is smaller than in big cities, you see a lot of cross-genre collaborations, and it's a place where you can feel a strong love of music from musicians who play widely and absorb all kinds of influences.
Minneapolis has a long history of a vibrant jazz scene, and highly talented, young musicians have been very active at pushing the music forward. Because the scene is smaller than in big cities, you see a lot of cross-genre collaborations, and it's a place where you can feel a strong love of music from musicians who play widely and absorb all kinds of influences.
What local spots would you recommend?
Listening Bar
Berlin— North Loop, Minneapolis
A jazz club that opened in 2024. You can enjoy a wide range of programming, from world-class artists to jam sessions that support young jazz musicians, plus late-night DJ sets. Kavyesh Kaviraj, who's featured in the mix, plays there often.
White Squirrel— West 7th, Saint Paul
Cross the Mississippi River from Minneapolis and you reach Saint Paul. Together, the two are called the Twin Cities. It's a small bar, but it books a wide range, from local musicians to rock, punk, prog, psych, and funk. It's a neighborhood hangout where you can enjoy great music with no cover charge.
Cedar Cultural Center— West Bank, Minneapolis
You can't talk about Minneapolis music without the West Bank. At its peak in the '70s, it was packed with bars and rock clubs, a kind of artists' village in Minnesota for college students and people living bohemian lives. While many venues closed because of COVID, the Cedar Cultural Center, which mainly presents international music from around the world, plays an important role in passing Minnesota's history on to the next generation.
Record Shop
Barely Brothers Records— Saint Paul
A neighborhood record shop run by Mike Elias, aka DJ Fathertime, and his friends. Its strengths are a great selection of used records at great prices and strong support for local musicians. I'm a regular and go a few times a month, and I still haven't finished digging through the floor-to-ceiling wall of 7-inches.
Cheapo Records— Multiple locations, Minnesota
A small chain with several stores in Minnesota. It's been around a long time, so there may still be hidden gems waiting to be found. They've always put effort into buying up Minnesota records, so the selection is deep. There are a few stores in the suburbs too, so I recommend a "Cheapo Tour" to friends visiting from out of state.
Label / Series
Hifi Pop Up
A party series run by my fellow DJs and close friends Mike Pifer, QJ, Phriz B, and Grady (Not Grady). It's held every month at Moto-i, a ramen restaurant & America's first sake brewpub. It's a wonderful party that really cares about sound, playing all vinyl on Klipsch Speakers and a Condesa Mixer.
Artists
Artist Interviews
What are your musical roots?
Shaped by country, jazz, and punk bands, then electronic pop, before stripping it all down to free improvisation and contemporary composition.
Which artists or labels are you most excited about right now?
- 1.A New Wave Of JazzAn elite European institution pushing hyper-focused spatial improvisation, which made capturing our live set at environment 0g in Osaka such a profound experience.
- 2.UFO CreationsA brilliant archive documenting the heavy, legendary collisions of international free jazz and Japanese psych, an energy I was honored to tap into for our 'Collapse on the Horizon' release.
- 3.Kirigirisu RecordingsA stellar, Tokyo-anchored outsider label whose uncompromising dedication to micro-run physical editions made them the perfect home for my raw, solo acoustic explorations.
What are your musical roots?
My mom listened to a lot of gospel, so I was familiar with soul music from a young age. At 14 I heard Daft Punk and it blew me away, which led me to the UK's Tru Thoughts and Ninja Tune and their style of combining live instruments with samples. Then I got so into Herbie Hancock that I couldn't sleep... and from there jazz funk and live sounds became my main focus.
Which artists or labels are you most excited about right now?
- 1.Sound 80 StudioOne of Minneapolis's top recording studios, where many self-released records were cut. Even without a label, if this studio is credited, the sound quality is good and the content is often interesting, so I always check it out.
- 2.Celebration RecordsA wonderful, small but legendary label that distills Minnesota's indie jazz spirit. It released records by Natural Life, Mike Elliott, Robert Rockwell, and Bobby Lyle, with pencil-drawn covers by the drummer.
- 3.Fun One RecordsA new Minnesota label my friend Charlie Bruber launched in 2020. I featured two tracks in the mix, from Society of Chemists' debut LP released last month and Charlie Bruber's solo LP from last year. Their releases capture the current Minnesota music scene's energy, so they're well worth checking out.