This is the first installment in a new regular column devoted to the 7" single format from Mike Pollard (of Arbor Records). As oftentimes 7"s seem to overlooked or neglected (never!) here at Foxy Digitalis (and many other publications, too), Mike's taken it upon himself to help remedy that problem. .. feature :: by Mike Pollard

On first glance the 7” seems to be the antithesis of noise. It is only possible to fit a seven minute song on each side and maintain some level of listenable volume. In the 50s and beyond it was used by record companies to send the single to radio station before the album was released and then it was in jukeboxes across the nation. I cannot think of more than 5 experimental music 7”s that were merely a ‘single’ and I’ve for sure never come across a Merzbow jam in a jukebox(but then again I don’t see many operable jukeboxes around either). It is a truly interesting experiment for a modern noise musician normally crafting 15-infinity minute long tracks to be confined to 2 sides of 7” vinyl, one that when done correctly provides a succinct and truly wonderful piece of music. .. feature :: by Mike Pollard

Over the past few years, Sir Richard Bishop has been mesmerizing audiences across North America, Europe and Australia, with his raga/jazz/rock-infused work for solo acoustic guitar. He has also released a string of magnificent solo recordings for both acoustic guitar and electronic experimentations. In the very near future the Locust label will be unleashing his latest effort entitled “While My Guitar Gently Bleeds” along with the DVD premier of his film “God Damn Religion.” He is currently on tour in North America with Animal Collective; catch him if you can... feature :: by Cory Card

According to their website, Seattle’s Sublime Frequencies “is a collective of explorers dedicated to acquiring and exposing obscure sights and sounds from modern and traditional urban and rural frontiers via…field recordings, radio and short wave transmissions, international folk and pop music, sound anomalies, and other forms of human and natural expression not documented sufficiently through all channels of academic research, the modern recording industry, media, or corporate foundations.” A laudatory mouthful to be sure, but a perfect description of the hidden treasures that the adventurous listener will discover throughout this series... feature :: by Jeff Penczak