Robert Barry
@monsterbobby.bsky.social
Freelance writer (The Wire, Tribune, Art Review, Mubi Notebook, &c.). Musicker (Far Rainbow, The Pipettes). Reviews Editor at The Quietus. Author of The Music of the Future (Repeater, 2017), Object Lessons: Compact Disc (Bloomsbury, 2020). Idiot.
Truly the worst xmas song hot take. I would take Wonderful Christmastime over most Beatles songs. If you took out the vocals it would be revered by synth heads amongst the very cream of private press Japanese ambient. And the vocals aren't even bad.
I put it to you that Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” is not merely the worst Christmas song but is also in fact the worst song in the history of recorded sound.
December 4, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Truly the worst xmas song hot take. I would take Wonderful Christmastime over most Beatles songs. If you took out the vocals it would be revered by synth heads amongst the very cream of private press Japanese ambient. And the vocals aren't even bad.
feel like i’ve spent a great deal of 2025 going, huh, so the new season of that show i used to like kinda sucks.
December 2, 2025 at 10:45 PM
feel like i’ve spent a great deal of 2025 going, huh, so the new season of that show i used to like kinda sucks.
I reviewed Rupert Hine's brilliantly weird electronic soundtrack for Skolimowski's (1978) film, The Shout in the new issue of @thewiremagazine.bsky.social
www.thewire.co.uk/home/
www.thewire.co.uk/home/
The Wire Magazine - Adventures in Sound and Music
The world's greatest print and online music magazine. Independent since 1982. News, features, audio, video, shop and subscribe.
www.thewire.co.uk
December 2, 2025 at 4:46 PM
I reviewed Rupert Hine's brilliantly weird electronic soundtrack for Skolimowski's (1978) film, The Shout in the new issue of @thewiremagazine.bsky.social
www.thewire.co.uk/home/
www.thewire.co.uk/home/
Reposted by Robert Barry
Hark! The Quietus Albums of 2025 chart is here! Prepare to be astounded, thrilled and (potentially) perplexed. tQ subscribers can also dive into selections from all 100 albums in our bumper 9-hour playlist. #tQCharts
What have been your top picks of the year?
buff.ly/sltLcA7
What have been your top picks of the year?
buff.ly/sltLcA7
December 1, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Hark! The Quietus Albums of 2025 chart is here! Prepare to be astounded, thrilled and (potentially) perplexed. tQ subscribers can also dive into selections from all 100 albums in our bumper 9-hour playlist. #tQCharts
What have been your top picks of the year?
buff.ly/sltLcA7
What have been your top picks of the year?
buff.ly/sltLcA7
Reposted by Robert Barry
2025 music format ranking:
1 Bootleg cassettes
2 Radio
3 Supermarket
4 Person with loud phone on bus
5 Illegal downloads
6 Tapes
7 Passing car blasting music
8 CDr
9 Vinyls
10 Talented bird
11 VHS
12 MP3
13 Minidisc
14 LPs
15 CDs
16 Hold music
17 The gym
18 FLAC
19 Records
20 Streaming
1 Bootleg cassettes
2 Radio
3 Supermarket
4 Person with loud phone on bus
5 Illegal downloads
6 Tapes
7 Passing car blasting music
8 CDr
9 Vinyls
10 Talented bird
11 VHS
12 MP3
13 Minidisc
14 LPs
15 CDs
16 Hold music
17 The gym
18 FLAC
19 Records
20 Streaming
November 29, 2025 at 5:20 PM
2025 music format ranking:
1 Bootleg cassettes
2 Radio
3 Supermarket
4 Person with loud phone on bus
5 Illegal downloads
6 Tapes
7 Passing car blasting music
8 CDr
9 Vinyls
10 Talented bird
11 VHS
12 MP3
13 Minidisc
14 LPs
15 CDs
16 Hold music
17 The gym
18 FLAC
19 Records
20 Streaming
1 Bootleg cassettes
2 Radio
3 Supermarket
4 Person with loud phone on bus
5 Illegal downloads
6 Tapes
7 Passing car blasting music
8 CDr
9 Vinyls
10 Talented bird
11 VHS
12 MP3
13 Minidisc
14 LPs
15 CDs
16 Hold music
17 The gym
18 FLAC
19 Records
20 Streaming
At school, I played the theatre critic Moon in a production of Stoppard's The Real Inspector Hound. Notably, on opening night, the girl playing Magnus Muldoon got to the climax of the play then said, "I am… er…" She had forgotten her line. The line in question was "I am The Real Inspector Hound."
November 30, 2025 at 3:45 PM
At school, I played the theatre critic Moon in a production of Stoppard's The Real Inspector Hound. Notably, on opening night, the girl playing Magnus Muldoon got to the climax of the play then said, "I am… er…" She had forgotten her line. The line in question was "I am The Real Inspector Hound."
The first season of Star Trek: Discovery was genuinely interesting, probably the best 21st C. Trek. From the 2nd season on, as the producers started actually paying attention to the show's idiot fans, it became worse and worse, and ultimately unwatchable.
while I am posting trivia, which TV show do you think showed the sharpest fall in quality from first to last seasons? I ask because the answer is obviously The Morning Show, the last series of which was garbage
November 25, 2025 at 3:49 PM
The first season of Star Trek: Discovery was genuinely interesting, probably the best 21st C. Trek. From the 2nd season on, as the producers started actually paying attention to the show's idiot fans, it became worse and worse, and ultimately unwatchable.
someone has grafittied the word ‘honte’ (shame) on the wall text in the Palais de Tokyo’s current Echo Delay Reverb exhibition where they explain why they felt they had to remove Cameron Rowland‘s artwork Replacement from the show
November 23, 2025 at 4:29 PM
someone has grafittied the word ‘honte’ (shame) on the wall text in the Palais de Tokyo’s current Echo Delay Reverb exhibition where they explain why they felt they had to remove Cameron Rowland‘s artwork Replacement from the show
what is the function of chapter titles (in a single author book)? what *should* a good chapter title *do*?
November 20, 2025 at 12:42 PM
what is the function of chapter titles (in a single author book)? what *should* a good chapter title *do*?
this album has such a specific vibe. i don’t feel like listening to it all that often these days, but nights when i do want to, there’s nothing else quite hits the spot.
November 19, 2025 at 6:48 PM
this album has such a specific vibe. i don’t feel like listening to it all that often these days, but nights when i do want to, there’s nothing else quite hits the spot.
omigod was not prepared for how good the combination of melted raclette and laoganma crispy chilli oil would be. life changing. i shit you not.
November 18, 2025 at 9:01 PM
omigod was not prepared for how good the combination of melted raclette and laoganma crispy chilli oil would be. life changing. i shit you not.
Reposted by Robert Barry
I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
The British library is in crisis: why does nobody care?
The widespread indifference to the British Library's crippling cyberattack demonstrates a perilous failure to value the knowledge infrastructure vital for national prosperity
www.cityam.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:27 AM
I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
beautiful set from rafael toral @cafeotodalston.bsky.social tonight
November 16, 2025 at 11:33 PM
beautiful set from rafael toral @cafeotodalston.bsky.social tonight
wait. are the Griffin Mill played by Bryan Cranston in The Studio and the Griffin Mill played by Tim Robbins in The Player supposed to be the same person?
November 13, 2025 at 1:44 PM
wait. are the Griffin Mill played by Bryan Cranston in The Studio and the Griffin Mill played by Tim Robbins in The Player supposed to be the same person?
Reposted by Robert Barry
Inside The Wire 502: Konrad Smoleński
The Polish artist’s installation works conjure the resonance of Alpine bells, his sculptural instruments include mock missiles and hacked electronics, while post-pandemic he strives to connect art and activism
www.thewire.co.uk/shop/
The Polish artist’s installation works conjure the resonance of Alpine bells, his sculptural instruments include mock missiles and hacked electronics, while post-pandemic he strives to connect art and activism
www.thewire.co.uk/shop/
November 13, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Inside The Wire 502: Konrad Smoleński
The Polish artist’s installation works conjure the resonance of Alpine bells, his sculptural instruments include mock missiles and hacked electronics, while post-pandemic he strives to connect art and activism
www.thewire.co.uk/shop/
The Polish artist’s installation works conjure the resonance of Alpine bells, his sculptural instruments include mock missiles and hacked electronics, while post-pandemic he strives to connect art and activism
www.thewire.co.uk/shop/
would be cool if all these leadership coup rumours resulted in Streeting getting sacked and fucked off to the backbenches, never to be seen or heard of again though, right?
November 12, 2025 at 9:31 AM
would be cool if all these leadership coup rumours resulted in Streeting getting sacked and fucked off to the backbenches, never to be seen or heard of again though, right?
any time you see one of these machines at the hotel breakfast you know you’re going to spend your morning in a series of endless queues.
November 8, 2025 at 7:46 AM
any time you see one of these machines at the hotel breakfast you know you’re going to spend your morning in a series of endless queues.
so who's heading to krakow for sacrum profanum festival?
November 5, 2025 at 6:16 PM
so who's heading to krakow for sacrum profanum festival?
does anyone know a non-flaky, non-racist plumber in south-east london?
November 5, 2025 at 2:34 PM
does anyone know a non-flaky, non-racist plumber in south-east london?
I Interviewed Polish sound artist Konrad Smolenski for the new issue of The Wire www.thewire.co.uk/issues/502
The Wire 502
On the cover: Mulatu Astatke : Deep into his latest tour, the pioneering 81 year old Ethio jazz vibraphonist is finding new ways to be himself. By Francis Gooding; Griot Galaxy : Faruq Z Bey’s enigma...
www.thewire.co.uk
November 4, 2025 at 3:26 PM
I Interviewed Polish sound artist Konrad Smolenski for the new issue of The Wire www.thewire.co.uk/issues/502
Reposted by Robert Barry
RIP Alison Knowles…
She made everyday activities both serious & funny in equal measure.
The world would be a different place without her work…
www.artnews.com/art-news/new...
She made everyday activities both serious & funny in equal measure.
The world would be a different place without her work…
www.artnews.com/art-news/new...
Alison Knowles, Fluxus Artist Who Spun Art from the Everyday, Dies at 92
Alison Knowles, the Fluxus artist behind 'Make a Salad,' has died at 92.
www.artnews.com
October 30, 2025 at 11:09 PM
RIP Alison Knowles…
She made everyday activities both serious & funny in equal measure.
The world would be a different place without her work…
www.artnews.com/art-news/new...
She made everyday activities both serious & funny in equal measure.
The world would be a different place without her work…
www.artnews.com/art-news/new...
Top tip if you work in book PR: don't email a critic on the day they were due to hand in a review of a book you're working on to say, oh by the way, you can't quote anything from the book.
October 29, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Top tip if you work in book PR: don't email a critic on the day they were due to hand in a review of a book you're working on to say, oh by the way, you can't quote anything from the book.
Would be great to see a version of Jonathan Glazer's excellent Rabbit in Your Headlights video without the horrible whiny music.
October 29, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Would be great to see a version of Jonathan Glazer's excellent Rabbit in Your Headlights video without the horrible whiny music.
what
The Slovak parliament yesterday adopted an amendment to the traffic law that sets a maximum permitted speed on sidewalks in urban areas at 6 kph.
Slovakia adopts speed limit for pedestrians
Power walking will soon be illegal in Slovakia as law changes to prevent sidewalk accidents.
www.politico.eu
October 29, 2025 at 10:40 AM
what
I went to the Venice Music Biennale and watched a lot of very loud, noisy music (and also some pretty quiet music, too) that made me feel buoyant and oddly weightless and it got me wondering whether "heavy" is really the right word… thequietus.com/quietus-revi...
Light Music: Sunn O))), Catherine Christer Hennix & More at Venice Biennale Musica | The Quietus
At the 69th annual International Festival of Contemporary Music in Venice, performances by the Kamigaku Ensemble, Jasmine Morris and Sunn O))) leave Robert Barry pondering what we mean when we call mu...
thequietus.com
October 29, 2025 at 9:00 AM
I went to the Venice Music Biennale and watched a lot of very loud, noisy music (and also some pretty quiet music, too) that made me feel buoyant and oddly weightless and it got me wondering whether "heavy" is really the right word… thequietus.com/quietus-revi...