FEATURES On the cover: Wilco: Edwin Pouncey hears how Chicago's alt.Country stars cracked the cocoon of success to release the free spirits within. Plus: Phil Minton, Asian Dub Foundation, An abuser's guide to Noise, Hang On The Box, Beth Anderson, Margareth Kammerer and more

REVIEWS SOUNDCHECK: Oren Ambarchi, Mark Applebaum, Bark Psychosis, Biosphere, Ian Breakwell, Dave Burrell, Danny Cohen, Dustbreeders And Junko, Ostad Elahi, Mongezi Feza/Bernt Rosengren Quartet, Jeff Fuccillo, Nick Grey And The Random Orchestra, Brent GutzeiT, CM Von Hausswolff, Lars Horntveth, Percy Howard's Meridiem, Jason Kahn, Jason Kahn & Jon Mueller, Giya Kancheli, Mike Ladd, The Memory Band, Mephista, Merzbow, Mouthus, Max Nagl/Otto Lechner/Bradley Jones, Conlon Nancarrow, The Necks, Jim O'Rourke, OCS, Organum, Pan American, Zeena Parkins & Ikue Mori, Passage, Lee Perry, Der Plan, Horatiu Radulescu, Jack Rose, Kurt Schwitters/Jaap Blonk, Trio Solotarev, Sonic Liberation Front, DJ Spooky, Sunn O))), Susanna And The Magical Orchestra, Akio Suzuki & David Toop, Cecil Taylor & Mat Maneri, Terror At The Opera, David Toop & Max Eastley, Pau Torres, Various: Table Of The Elements Guitar Series, Michael Wertmüller, Wilco, Yulduz and more

PRINT RUN: Minute Particulars by Edwin Prévost; 100 Modern Soundtracks by Philip Brophy; Sounding Art by Kathleen Norman

CROSS PLATFORM: Mark Bain: Rahma Khazam meets the artist who demolishes buildings with sound and makes architectural structures into giant musical instruments. Reviews: Iggy & The Stooges DVD; Chronophotic art from John Oswald; Sounds In Spaces at London's V&A; Sonic Youth videos on DVD. The Inner Sleeve: The Designers Republic's Ian Anderson on Fairport Convention's Unhalfbricking. Go To Our monthly trawl for music on the Net

ON LOCATION: Sonar 2004, Barcelona, Spain; Le Weekend, Stirling, UK; MUTEK Montréal, Canada; Feedback: Order From Noise, London, UK