Having read Schnipper since his days at the FADER many, many years ago, it was a real pleasure to have him contribute a guest recommendation – and one that somehow mentions both Suicide and Pearl Jam, no less – in today's First Floor digest.

Very happy to feature a guest recommendation from Drum & Lace in today's newsletter. As someone who makes beautiful music herself, it's no surprise that she'd share something alluring with First Floor readers.

Before his 'Through Lines' compilation drops tomorrow, MARTYN3024 has allowed First Floor to exclusively shared one of the essays he wrote to accompany the record. This one highlights how the genre descriptors we use sometimes say a lot more than just what the music sounds like.

Today's newsletter features a special guest recommendation from Kaitlyn Davies, one of those invaluable, behind-the-scenes jane-of-all-trades who quietly knows way more about music and the industry than pretty much everyone you know.

I've half-jokingly referred to progressive house as 'the good trance' for years now, but the genre has always had some glaring flaws of its own.

Even so, I still love some of this stuff, so I looked at both its history and its recent resurgence in a new column for Nina.

Does anyone more effectively connect the dots between Indian classical music and modular synthesis than Arushi Jain (Arushi Jain)? Her debut album was great, she's got another one out soon and she contributed a special guest recommendation to today's First Floor digest.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the way MJ pushed the flute to its limits on her recent 'Youth and Beauty' EP, it's a real pleasure to have her contribute a guest recommendation to today's First Floor.

p.s. Her two albums on krankyltd are also real good.

Delighted to have brian foote making a guest recommendation in today's newsletter. Between his work with Peak Oil, krankyltd and many, many other projects, Brian is one of those behind-the-scenes heroes who quietly helps people and makes experimental music happen.

No hype, no bullshit and no real boundaries.

That's a good way to describe DC's music scene, and as a longtime admirer of the city (and someone whose entire worldview was shaped by Dischord Records and its DIY ethos), it was real pleasure to put this together for Nina.