Inside this issue:

Run The Jewels: The all-conquering partnership of Brooklyn rapper/producer El-P and Atlanta MC Killer Mike has birthed a third album whose aggressive optimism offers a tonic for troubled times. By Joseph Stannard

Edward Artemiev: The celebrated Russian composer – whose electronic tones graced film maker Andrei Tarkovsky’s finest moments – has shifted focus towards a Dostoyevsky rock opera. By Nikita Velichko

Lisbon: Centred around the Clean Feed and Creative Sources labels, the Portuguese capital’s new jazz vanguard are reaping the benefits of their relative isolation. By Stewart Smith

Bites:

Obadikah: Lagos has spawned a monster in the form of the brassy Yoruba influenced septet. By Francis Gooding

Mind Over Mirrors: It’s a gradual process of accumulation for Jamie Fennelly’s swelling hand-pumped harmonium project. By Marc Masters

Olivia Louvel: The multimedia artist’s latest project pits queen against queen. By Abi Bliss

Swivelized Sounds: The Taipei based Quantum Natives signing strikes a blow against the grid. By Emily Bick

Global Ear – Palermo: The Sicilian capital’s avant garde practitioners think globally and act locally. By Robin McGinley

Invisible Jukebox - Rashad Becker: The Berlin musician and go-to mastering engineer pumps up the volume on The Wire’s mystery record selection. Tested by Alexander Samuels