Suffering Jukebox

This week's show features an interview with Maddy & Ethan from Kings Currency. Black Sludge & Distant Illusion are Kings Currency's latest singles and their debut album War From What is due out via Team Glasses Records on Friday November 20th. Find out more about Kings Currency (and purchase their music) here: https://teamglasses.bandcamp.com/

Nick's Pick of the Week is William Basinski's Passing The Cup Of Sorrows, you can hear it in all the usual places, or purchase it here: https://williambasinski.bandcamp.com/album/passing-the-cup-of-sorrows and my review can be read below.

William Basinski: Passing The Cup Of Sorrows (Temporary Residence)

Released October 23rd 2026

Passing The Cup Of Sorrows is William Basinski’s his first solo album in six years. A single 37 minute track, influenced by a theory held within past-life regression hypnotherapy circles and composed using piano and subtle electronics.

In the world of past-life regression, passing the cup of sorrows refers to a transfer that occurs in the spirit world, when an individual transitions from one life to another. This transfer is said to assist the spirit in forgiving those who have wronged it in past lives. Whilst composing Passing The Cup Of Sorrows, Basinski immersed himself in video testimonials of individuals discussing past-life regression hypnotherapy and (specifically) the theory of passing the cup. This, coupled with a tendency for doomscrolling in a world gone mad, directly informed the tone of the piece/album.

What drives Passing The Cup Of Sorrows sonically is the juxtaposition of attack and decay, the hammering of the piano key and the slow fade of the note, alongside an immensity of space. It makes for a beautiful, if haunting, and slightly tense listen, but one that is immensely powerful and deeply rewarding. Anyone with an interest in ambient, drone and the avant-garde will recognise Basinski as the master that he is, for he is nothing short of a titan within said genres. Passing The Cup Of Sorrows serves to further cement his status as a legendary figure in experimental music.

Nick Stephan