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Discogs, RateYourMusic, Wikipedia, occasionally online publications.

New music is not limited to contemporary releases; at this point we have a vast wealth of musical history available to us, with detailed primary and secondary information constantly being added to online indices.

It can be overwhelming. Streaming services provide a convenient solution to this problem, but lack context (and often content).

The growing archive demands we build a narrative. Think of your favourite artists; who were their influences, contemporaries, collaborators? All of this information is readily accessible. Look for side projects, collaborations, interviews, and retrospective articles. Context provides innumerable clues for where to go next. A few clicks and you can find yourself in new worlds, but also understand something of how you arrived there. A small selection of well-researched artists can blossom into a constellation given time, and new music will appear in multitudes.