United States
Contributing editor at The FADER: raphaelhelfand@thefader.com
Writer/reporter/editor/producer at large: raphael@raphaelhelfand.me
Personal website: raphaelhelfand.me
Previously: Laid Off NYC (Editor-in-Chief), ANTIGRAVITY Magazine, WNYC.
Selected features, essays, interviews, reviews, surveys, and more below.
FADER features
Father, ILoveMakonnen, KEY!, and 019dexter tell the story of the song that defined a golden era of underground Atlanta rap.
We glimpse inside the life of LUCY in the weeks surrounding the release of his new project, 'Cooper B. Handy's Album, Vol. 9.'
Read our profile of OOH-sounds and its founder Pardo, an experimental music lover with a refreshing vision for the future of noise.
Thou, Louisiana's heaviest band in a generation, discuss the compromises and reckonings behind their latest album, Umbilical.
Read our scene report of Damian Lazarus' Day Zero festival in Tulum, complete with a swimmable cenote and sets from Fatboy Slim, Major League Djz, and more.
On the final evening of the Nobel Laureate Assembly for the Prevention of Nuclear War, Kronos Quartet played a stirring performance that cried out for peace and disarmament.
Machine Girl discuss their new album MG Ultra, an LP full of obsessive, paranoid anthems for the end of world.
An interview with Japanese artist Ichiko Aoba about studying with Anmi Yamada, diving, and the inspiration behind her album 'Luminescent Creatures.'
Following a legendary skatepark show, POLO PERKS <3 <3 <3, FearDorian, and AyooLii dropped by the FADER office to discuss their zany masterpiece, A Dog's Chance.
21-year-old rapper-producer-visionary Dani Kiyoko is much more than SoundCloud's best curator.
Flagboy Giz tracks the entire history "We Outside," a song that began as a Mardi Gras hit and turned into a New Orleans anthem.
Read our GEN F profile of Baby Osama, whose sophomore EP kicked off a whirlwind "sexc summer" for the Bronx rapper.
From her early EPs to her debut album, YIAN, Lucinda Chua has always preferred to let the spaces between notes speak for themselves.
In this week's Apollo Frequencies, we review the full three days of Woodstockhausen East, an experimental music festival in rural New York.
Master promoter Ashley Capps tells the story of his one-of-a-kind experimental music festival, Big Ears.
As Decisive Pink, Kate NV and Angel Deradoorian embrace their differences to achieve a sparkling vision of 21st-century krautrock.
MIZU's new album, initially conceived as the score for a dance piece, finds the experimental cellist exploring her strangest textures and darkest colors yet.
New Orleans band BRAT are blasting through punk pieties on the path to something much more fun.
Rock legend and Basilica co-founder Melissa Auf der Maur discusses the significance of this year's premiere marathon music event.
Read our interview with 20-year-old London rapper-producer Black Fondu, who's building buzz with only one official track on the books.
Ryuichi Sakamoto's final project, the feature film/full-length album Opus, is a bittersweet last waltz.
Agriculture bassist and screamer Leah B. Levinson builds an organic world of synthetic sounds on Ciao Bella, her new album as Cali Bellow.
21-year-old painter-singer-songwriter Anastasia Coope discusses her unconventional path to the strange songs on her debut album, Darning Woman.
Mei Semones, The FADER's newest GEN F star, talks her debut album Animaru, singing in Japanese, and her bossa nova and jazz influences.
The Super Bowl famously does not pay its marquee artists, a move they justify by pointing to the amount of exposure these acts receive by performing. ( 96 million viewers tuned in to watch the Weeknd's performance last year.) But while this year's headliners - Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and Mary J.
Breaking down the first arrest directly tied to the 1996 murder of rap legend Tupac Shakur.
The FADER: What's your initial reaction to Eric Adams' recent statements on drill? Jack Lerner: To me, this is just one incident in a long line of policy makers, the media, and law enforcement scapegoating the artistic expression of young Black men to stoke fear and redirect attention away from the bigger problem.
Everything you need to know about Young Thug and YSL's RICO case.
Breaking down the legend of Lil Tay, the "youngest flexer of the century," whose August "death" turned out to be a hoax.
The FADER breaks down the full timeline of Young Thug and Gunna's involvement in a RICO case that's on pace to be the longest trial in Georgia history.
Other Features
[AUDIO] I followed Queens Community Board 4's complete count committee as they fought for census representation. Then COVID hit, and everything changed.
I used the story of a beloved Bushwick DIY Venue to ask larger questions about the past, present and future of underground music in New York City.
I spoke to landlords, lobbyists, civil servants and tenant advocates to get a broad view of the COVID-19 rent crisis.
I explored The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival's byzantine economy, one interview at a time.
I interviewed Gianluca Tramontana and Steve Rosenthal, who released a massive box set compiling a previously under-documented style of regional music from Cuba's Guantánamo province.
I talked to New Orleans culture bearers and service workers to compare different suruvival methods for New Orleans' summer slump, and investigated the lack of infrastrucure the city has for the people who power its $8 billion-a-year hospitality industry.
I compiled an oral history of the New Orleans independent music industry during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
[PHOTOS] I followed the many hustles of an Orisha dancer during the fall of 2020, photographing her as she performed and taught, in person and online.
I profiled one of the most interesting musicians in New Orleans, who'd previously never been interviewed.
Essays
Michael Hurley passed away last week at 83, leaving behind a legacy of untethered folk. Read our appreciation of his beloved album 'Armchair Boogie.'
An accelerated listening guide through Scott Walker's expansive discovraphy.
In the first edition of Apollo Frequencies, Raphael Helfand reviews avant-garde ensemble Talujon's performance of Gerard Grisey's Le Noir de l'Etoile at the 2025 Long Play festival.
A personal guide to grappling with the work of drone luminary Phill Niblock, who died at 90 this week.
"Like Like the the the Death," the Silver Jews' strangest song, exists between the indoors and the outdoors of David Berman's mind.
Travis Scott celebrated the milestone of his breakout tape with its first wide release. He's right to return to his strongest material.
Five years ago today, Drain Gang's breakout collab album Trash Album introduced them to a world beyond their cult following.
In which I selfishly re-direct the narrative from MF DOOM's tragic death to my experience growing up with his music as a suburban white kid.
Wayne Shorter died Thursday at 89, leaving the world a lonelier place for the few geniuses who still walk the earth.
In which I hit the road with the New Orleans experimenal rock band Primpce and documented the journey.
by Raphael Helfand As many of you may have noticed, we haven't posted our usual Favorite Music round-ups these past two months. These lists are massive projects for us, and everyone at LaidOff has been busy and stressed. To lighten our load and switch things up a bit, we'
20 years after its initial release, MM..Food is still the brightest star in MF DOOM's universe.
Reviews
Listen to "Something About Shirley," an unclassifiable creation from the minds of Fatboi Sharif and Roper Williams.
David Grubbs, Wendy Eisenberg, and Kramer-under a tongue-in-cheek alias borrowed from one of Grubbs' books-meet for a spontaneous, exploratory improv session on dual guitars and electric bass.
Read our Discover Blogly review of Nadah El Shazly and Elvin Brandhi's self-titled debut as Pollution Opera.
Chuquimamani-Condori's 2023 album DJ E sounds unlike anything else. At UNSOUND last week, they conjured the same strange magic behind the decks.
Emma Ruth Rundle lives on a gloomy planet. Drop a needle on one of her records and imagine her shuffling down an otherwise sunny street beneath her own personal raincloud, shivering in an oversized trench coat. The clouds gather as you listen, and before long, darkness has fallen.
Portuguese guitarist/sound artist Rafael Toral brought his unassumingly gorgeous new album, 'Spectral Revolution,' to UNSOUND this week.
A collection of 17 tracks by sexagenarian artist-theologian John R. Brusseau is a snapshot of a an earnest snapshot of a soul in search of truth.
The 20-year-old rapper and producer smushes Top 40 samples, idiosyncratic bars, and cartoonish quirks into a blend that's alternately razor sharp and deep fried.
Read our Discover Blogly review of East African/Italian duo Plethor X's debut EP, What You Mean, out now on OOH-sounds.
On 'End of the Middle,' English singer-songwriter Richard Dawson chooses domestic drama over the fantastical sagas of his earlier work.
The Tennessee rapper’s latest four-song EP is a concentrated burst of energy with perfectly paced flows and a vibe that's always ready for the dancefloor.
New York rapper MIKE's new album 'Showbiz' is a tale about touring and the stark realities of life as a working artist. Read The FADER's review here.
The new album from Lucy Liyou, Every Video Without Your Face, Every Sound Without Your Name, responds to cascading heartbreak with resilience.
New Zealand psych rocker Connan Mockasin’s collaborative album with his dad, Ade, has bad jokes, stream-of-consciousness poetry, and an odd, undeniable appeal.
Kali Malone, William Basinski, Stephen O'Malley, and six more experimental music titans played Pioneer Works in the space of 30 hours last week.
On her return to songwriting, Eiko Ishibashi provides an elusive soundtrack to the end of the world as we know it on 'Antigone.'
The third album from the duo of Juliette Pearl Davis and Joachim Polack takes on the soft psychedelic hues of Stereolab and Wendy Carlos, shot through with malaise and a curious sense of overstimulation.
Read out Discover Blogly review of FUJI||||||||||TA's 'MMM,' an album that operates under its own set of rules.
Read The FADER's review of Going Home by The Children's Hour for today's Discover Blogly.
In which I marvel at Bill Callahan and Bonnie "Prince" Billy's remarkable collaborative run and extol its final insallment, a cover of Silver Jews' "The Wild Kindness"
LAFANDAR, the debut collab from Heems and Lapgan, is a return to form for the former Das Racist rapper and a breakout moment for his new producer.
Read our Discover Blogly review of London-based Chinese sound artist Li Yilei's new album, NONAGE.
ALBUM OF THE DAY The age of "I actually wrote this album pre-Covid, but it feels prescient now; I guess I was channeling something..." is finally coming to a merciful close.
Read our Discover Blogly review of New Monuments, a musical tour de force with a revolutionary spirit from Amirtha Kidambi's Elder Ones.
Interviews
On this week's FADER Interview, ANOHNI advocates for the abolition of opposites in advance of her new album, My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross.
Seth Graham, more eaze, and recovery girl discuss Night of Fire, their new album under the unpronounceable moniker -__-___.
Weyes Blood discusses the heavy themes of her fifth album, And In the Darkness, Hearts Aglow, on the latest episode of The FADER Interview.
Japanese composer Eiko Ishibashi discusses the circuitous path to her score for Ryusuke Hamaguchi's Evil Does Not Exist, out now in album form.
Fire-Toolz talk explains how her peaceful new life in the Chicago suburbs led to her chaotic new album, Breeze.
esperanza spalding tells the story of her new joint album with legendary Brazilian singer Milton Nascimento.
John Cale shares wisdom on the avant garde's past and future on the new episode of The FADER Interview podcast.
DJ Premier talks about his new project, a five-track tape to kick off hip-hop's 50th anniversary celebration, on the latest episode of The FADER Interview.
The FADER Interview (AUDIO): billy woods and Preservation.
Amen Dunes discusses the silver-lined tragedies, happy accidents, and personal revelations that led to 'Death Jokes,' his first new album in six years.
Read an interview with the Detroit duo Slum Village on their new album F.U.N. and enduring legacy.
Zsela discusses unlikely dualities, fire escape reveries, and Ween in the context of her brand new debut album, Big For You.
An interview with Welsh author and historian Richard King on his new book, 'Travels Over Feeling: Arthur Russell - A Life.'
Singer, actor, and longtime David Lynch collaborator Chrystabell discusses the mind meld that inspired the duo's new album Cellophane Memories.
An interview with Mexico City rock band Diles que no me maten, who make improvisational, jazz-tinged rock in a bubbling local scene.
An interview with Kate NV about 'Room for the Moon Live,' her new live album that captures the only full-band performance of her 2020 album of the same name.
Gregg Turkington discusses Neil Hamburger Presents: Seasonal Depression Suite, a hybrid celebrity-record parody and bona fide musical revue.
DJ K's new album 'Radio Libertadora!' finds the Brazilian buxaria pioneer adding new urgency to his piercing sound. Read The FADER's interview here.
An interview with Lucía Nimcová & Sholto Dobie + our Writers Panel on Jana Rush's 'Dark Humor', Dan Gilmore's 'Dutched at Swan Cleaners', and 7FO's 'Ran-Bouten'
James Massiah chats about his new album 'Bounty Law,' self-imposed limitations, and working with Dean Blunt in this week's Apollo Frequencies.
An interview with Youth Lagoon, whose new album 'Rarely Do I Dream' looks for the truth behind childhood memories.
The FADER spoke with Atlanta-based artists quinn and FearDorian about the new scene they're building with the help of a nascent "multimedia collective."
Blake Mills and Pino Palladino discuss their unique collaboration and stepping into thje spotlight ahead of their new album, 'That Wasn't A Dream' out August 22.
The FADER Interview (AUDIO): Mary Lattimore & Paul Sukeena
Arooj Aftab discusses the far-flung foundations of her new album, Night Reign.
Brittney Parks breaks down her newly announced sophomore LP as Sudan Archives. on the latest episode of The FADER Interview.
Sarah Midori Perry and Jennifer Walton dig into Icarus, their debut joint EP as Cryalot, on the new episode of The FADER Interview.
Guatemalan experimental cellist Mabe Fratti talks paranoia, elastic thoughts, FOMO, and the rockstar moves of her new album, Sentir que no sabes.
Danish violist, producer, and singer-songwriter Astrid Sonne discusses performing the songs from her 2024 album 'Great Doubt' at a church at Big Ears 2025.
Geneva Jacuzzi discusses her new album 'Triple Fire,' a tight collection of campy bangers fit for the dance floor and the walls of the Getty.
On The FADER Interview, Protomartyr's Joe Casey discusses the warily hopeful philosophy behind the band's new album, Formal Growth in the Desert.
Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet, essayist, podcaster, and curator of worlds. His ability to find parity in the disparate, along with his exquisite command of the English language, has made him one of the 21st century's most celebrated cultural critics.
Jae Matthews and Augustus Muller of Boy Harsher talk to The FADER about their new horror film, 'The Runner,' and its soundtrack, out today via Nude Club.
"In 2022 / Yeah we've got cellular / Yeah, we've got driving cars / They move like cartoon vampires," Nick Corson sings on "2022," a late-album cut from The Convenience's second LP, Like Cartoon Vampires. Cue the detuned violins. On the forthcoming record (due out April 18 via Winspear), Corson and the duo's other half, [...]
Ravenna Hunt-Hendrix breaks down Liturgy's visionary new album, 93696, on The FADER Interview podcast.
Lupe Fiasco discusses the deep intention behind his new album Samurai, a portrait of Amy Winehouse as a mythic battle rapper.
SQÜRL's Jim Jarmusch and Carter Logan discuss their inspirations and assembly process on The FADER Interview.
Oscar Rossignoli is the musician New Orleans' downtown scene didn't know it needed. No other pianist in the city can currently boast the level of chops or the improvisational acumen that have become the keyboard phenom's calling cards. Trained at conservatories in San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Rossignoli started to dabble in non-classical forms [...]
Amahl Abdul-Khaliq (AF THE NAYSAYER) is a driving force in Louisiana's often overlooked electronic music community. In the late '00s, he waded into a scene dominated by dubstep and helped steer the ship toward deeper waters. He founded Dolo Jazz Suite, a loose collective of like-minded producers across coastal Louisiana who burst the sonic barrier [...]
Guts Club is not your granddad's folk singer. Lindsey Baker has only been writing and playing music seriously for a few years, but she's already dropped three albums' worth of sinister, violent folk country. She began her career in earnest during a brief stint in Brooklyn, putting out Guts Club's first LP, The Arm Wrestling [...]
The chameleonic Sasami Ashworth joins The FADER's Raphael Helfand to discuss her sophomore album, 'Squeeze,' out Friday via Domino.
The FADER Interview: Jenny Hval
Animal Collective's Panda Bear and Deakin are the latest guests on The FADER Interview.
Surveys
Krakow's UNSOUND festival starts today. In honor of its theme, we asked Bill Callahan, Chuquimamani-Condori, DJ Anderson do Paraiso, and more a deceptively simple question: What is noise?
Thurston Moore, Angel Bat Dawid, Ira Kaplan, and more pay homage to the late jaimie branch in honor of her final Fly or Die project's release last Friday.
24-HOUR DRONE co-curator Sarah Van Buren breaks down her programming process, and the festival's featured artists discuss the meaning and power of drone.
The Brian Lehrer Show clips (uncredited)
The latest on the new eviction moratorium and how renters and landlords can apply for the state rent relief program.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tracked a recent increase in deaths involving cocaine and synthetic opioids
As hurricane season begins, the commissioner of NYC's Emergency Management Department talks about how to prepare, and how to decipher warnings ahead of future storms.
Discussing the high cost of air conditioning and the moral quandary presented by ACs in a warming world.
Ross Barkan discusses his new book on Cuomo, and why he feels praise for the governor's pandemic leadership was undeserved.