The Taiwanese-Danish percussionist Ying-Hsueh Chen explores the world’s smallest sounds – from red deer bones to roof tiles – in her pursuit of a music that is both ancient, courageous, and radically simple.

Ostrava Days transformed the old mining town into a laboratory of sound, where contemporary music pressed its way out between dust, drones, and Dadaist madness.<br />

An anti-anthem for those who fall asleep at concerts and wake up with Cage talking nonsense.

At the Bergen International Festival, William Kentridge and Ryoji Ikeda let art capture what can no longer be said – only felt.

At Geneva’s Archipel Festival, lost instruments and occult soundscapes are brought to life in a journey through speculative rituals and experimental music.

Chaotic times call for chaotic music. But also soft techno, flutists and yoga balls. Jennifer Gersten and Andreo Michaelo Mielczarek wrap up the musical year in a conversation between New York and Aarhus.