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Day: 1 March 2018

Stardew Valley developer confirms another game is in the works

Written by Jeremy Bijl on . Posted in Games.

The developer of Stardew Valley, Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, has confirmed that he is working on a new game.

Barone, who developed the entirety of Stardew Valley alone in his bedroom, broadcasted a tweet saying:

“Today is the 2 year anniversary of Stardew Valley. I’ve got that strange sensation of both the shortest and longest 2 years of my life. Thanks for joining me on this journey everyone. With MP close, my next (secret) game in the works,  and more… there’s lots to look forward to.”

MP (multiplayer) is the last facet of indie hit Stardew Valley, one of the most successful alumnis of Steam’s much-maligned ‘greenlight’ programme, which was scrapped in 2017.

Whilst Barone seems adamant on keeping his next game an enigma, there may be several things we can assume about it based on the development of Stardew Valley.

The bad news is that it may take a while. Stardew Valley was a solo project which took Barone four and a half years, even whilst he spent 8-15 hours a day ,with precious few holidays, on the project.

Barone is a perfectionist who refused to put Stardew Valley into early access or accept pre-orders as he wanted the game the game to be a complete product.

Judging on the use of the word ‘my’ in his tweet and a lack of any information to the contrary, allied with the eventual critical and commercial success of Stardew Valley, this preference for solo development and perfectionism is likely continue.

However, Barone will now be a vastly more experienced and confident developer, wise to the technical, financial and personal challenges of solo development.

Whilst developing Stardew Valley, he was having to work part-time as an usher at a theatre on minimum wage, and went through periods of self-acknowledged “extreme unproductivity” and burn out.

Despite these challenges, Stardew Valley ended up a being a hugely popular game, with critics praising its breadth, its intertwined stylistic and mechanical polish, and its immense playability.

With the millions earned from Stardew Valley ready to be reinvested and a heightened insight on how to develop games without running himself into the ground, Barone’s next project will doubtless be something to keep a very close eye on.

 

Tony Hawk puts final nail in Pro Skater’s coffin

Written by Jeremy Bijl on . Posted in Games.

The figurehead of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series, Tony Hawk, has delivered a final blow to lasting fans of the series, confirming that he is no longer working with the series’ publishers, Activision.

Speaking on Twitter, Hawk said of the series:

“To anyone asking me to ‘remaster” old games, or complaining about THPS servers being down: Activision owns the THPS license but I am no longer working with them. If I had the skills / authority to reboot servers or code games for newer systems on my own, I would be happy to…”

This may not come as a surprise to long-standing fans: a spell of metacritic mediocrity saw Neversoft (the original studio behind the Tony Hawk series) shut down in 2014, and there followed a marked perceived drop off in quality, with metacritic scores falling with each release.

photo:Mancunion

EA’s Skate series did further damage: skateboarding games tended to attract a modest but dedicated audience, and Skate, the mechanics of which were considered more realistic, divided the player base.

The fact that Tony Hawk is no longer working with Activision seems a pretty clear statement of intent (or lack thereof) from both parties: Activision own the license, preventing Hawk from working on a project with someone else but seem unlikely to work on a game without his blessing, given the influence of the skater of the audience.

Moreover, whilst Hawk seems open to working with other studios, the fact that he cannot use the iconic Tony Hawk name may deter prospective studios, and Hawk himself.

The once divided player base of skating games seems scattered to the wind. The morsel of good news for fans is that, with the niche uncontested, a studio may see an opportunity to capitalise on an audience hungry for a quality skateboarding game.

Photo: Allocine.fr

Review: Lady Bird

Written by Esther Hamilton-Ivory on . Posted in Film.

Lady Bird has been the film at the forefront of award show discussion with it being nominated for multiple Oscars, not least including best original screenplay and best director for the film’s creator Greta Gerwig. It is an impressive feat for Gerwig as only five women have ever been nominated for the best director category in the entire 90 years of the Academy Awards history and it is one which is seemingly deserved.

The film is a beautiful coming of age tale which opens with a scene all too familiar amongst teenagers world over in which seventeen-year-old Christine (Saoirse Ronan) — who insists on being called Lady Bird — is desperately trying to portray to her mother (Laurie Metcalf) her despair with their small Californian town of Sacramento and her intense desire to pursue a better life in a city far away where “culture is, like New York… or at least Connecticut.” It is this universality of these shared experiences of young people no matter where they are from which is so appealing and which the audience can connect to.

As the film progresses, Christine becomes more and more frustrated with those around her, specifically adults, who do not share in her enthusiasm for wanting to better herself in moving away to a reputable university in an east-coast city. As such, Christine and her mother have a very strained relationship.

But as Christine becomes more and more frustrated it becomes clear that it is not that her mother does not want to see her daughter succeed, rather it is that she is a realist, as many other of the lower-middle class parents of families in Sacramento had to be in a post 9/11 America. Perhaps a little envious of Christine’s naivety in thinking that everything will work out for the best, her mother takes on the role of being cruel-to-be-kind with the hope that the sooner Christine figures out that things often don’t fall into place as hoped in life, the easier her journey will be.

Lady Bird is not all heavy, hard-learned life lessons; however, it is also a film which is tremendously funny and jovial. Ronan and her co-stars, Beanie Feldstein who plays her on-screen best friend, Timothée Chalamet who plays the seemingly dark and mysterious but ultimately shallow and vacuous object of Christine’s teenage affection and Lucas Hedges who plays her confused, musical-theatre boyfriend from the rich part of town, all create characters such that when watching them interact, one is transported to the intense yet playful world of teenage-hood.

Despite its brilliant beginning, however, as the film progresses, it seems to lose its way as the tone becomes confused which ultimately results in the conclusion of the film feeling awkward and unsubstantiated. However, this is not to say that Lady Bird is not worth a watch, far from it in fact. It is a beautiful coming of age tale, indeed, but it is also a film more generally about people simply trying their best to navigate through life and the humility or lack of with which they do it.

4/5

Photo: Homemcr.org

Review: You Were Never Really Here

Written by James Gill on . Posted in Film.

Director Lynne Ramsay proves there is still life in the revenge thriller yet with her latest project You Were Never Really Here. Based on the novella by Jonathan Ames, the plot follows Joe (Joaquin Phoenix), a former Marine and FBI agent who is tortured by the violence he has witnessed. When he returns from duty he becomes a contract killer who focusses on breaking down paedophile rings and rescuing the young girls who are helplessly trapped within them.

In preparation for the role Phoenix puts of a staggering amount of weight in both fat and muscle and when combined with the mass of facial hair he is almost unrecognisable. Joe has very few lines of dialogue in the film and he instead conveys emotion through body language, facial expression and an intent to his movement that is terrifying. The nature of this role suits Phoenix, who has mastered the skill of evoking so much by doing very little.

Even in the lighter scenes where he is singing a song with his elderly mother, his massive frame and haunting expression keeps me unsettled, always expecting something to be waiting around the corner. In the dark lurks disturbing flashbacks to Joe’s past. Unlike traditional flashbacks that only serve to throw exposition at the audience, the ones here are sliced into fragments and are spattered chaotically to reflect on the character whose memory they depict. We see a hammer-wielding father who beat his wife and son, and the monstrosities he witnessed in the Middle East.

When he picks up a new contract, it turns out that the man ordering the hit is a Senator whose daughter Nina was kidnapped to be a part of a Manhattan-based brothel. “They say that you’re brutal,” the Senator says, after a brooding-filled pause Joe replies “I can be”. The ring that Joe begins to shatter turns out to have far bigger political ties than just the Senator who’s daughter has been taken. It’s sad that such a twisted and evil story can mirror similar events in real life as high profile arrests and accusations of paedophilic activities are not a rarity, even with politicians.

The fantastic editing work done by Ramsay and Joe Bini lays at the core of the film’s success. It keeps the plot ticking over whilst also weaving the nightmarish flashbacks. The effect is almost hallucinatory and exacerbates the metaphorical punch packed. Johnny Greenwood, who composed a sumptuous score for Paul Thomas Anderson’ Phantom Thread, steps in again here but he produces a something very different. Similar to Hans Zimmer’s work for Blade Runner 2049, Greenwood builds a brutalist soundscape that feeds into this hallucinatory feeling. Nothing in this world feels real. Even a simple photograph becomes a horrific reminder of a mass murder.

At a touch under 90 minutes in length, You Were Never Really Here does not overstay its welcome. In fact, you could argue it is too short. There’s so much left unexplored in the character of Joe that the film could double in size and still not drag, a testament to the powerful performance by Phoenix and the deeply visceral viewing experience that Ramsay creates. If you saw Joaquin Phoenix bounding down a corridor wielding a hammer you would truly wish you were never here.

Photo: SelfMadeHero

Review: Klimowski Poster Book

Written by James Gill on . Posted in Books.

Andrzej Klimowski is an artist and designer who, during the 1970s, created some of the period’s most iconic poster designs. Among his extensive catalogue of posters made are those for films such as Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Part II, Alfred Hitchcock’s Family Plot, and Roman Polanski’s Chinatown.

Having studied at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Art, Klimowski developed an international reputation as a poster and book jacket designer while also experimenting with other forms of media such as film. His work is heavily and clearly influenced by folk art, Surrealism and the work of Henryk Tomaszewski, his mentor at the Warsaw Academy, but he has also developed his own personal style which keeps his works from being simply imitation. Using techniques such as photomontage and linocuts, he has been able to produce works that stand the test of time.

When creating the film posters, Klimowski was often given just a synopsis or script to work with instead of a viewing of the film and so they offer different interpretations of the narrative than what the director himself gives. This beautifully embellished book contains over one hundred of his poster designs from 1975 to 2017 along with a detailed introduction written by academic David Crowley about his life and work. Each piece printed is a complex work of art that enthusiasts of both art and film will find a lot of value in.

Klimowski is currently Emeritus Professor of Illustration at the Royal College of Art in addition to his work as a graphic designer and illustrator. If you are interested in getting a more hands-on look at his artistic process he will be at the Institute of Contemporary Art in London on 24th March for a poster making workshop as part of Playback Festival 2018. Tickets are £1 each and can be purchased here.

Photo: SelfMadeHero

Review: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: An Art Book

Written by James Gill on . Posted in Books.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: An Art book is the second collaboration between the band and the award-winning graphic novelist Reinhard Kleist. Their first, Nick Cave: Mercy on Me, is an unconventional biography, his journey to become the novelist, poet, and actor he is today through expressive portraits rather than extended prose. Nick Cave himself called it “a complex, chilling and completely bizarre journey into Cave World.”

This second entry delves into the band’s live performances, writing and recording. Each turn of the page brings more visual delights in a kaleidoscopic fashion, with the spectrum of colours evoking memories and emotions of his songs and concerts.

The range of artistic style causes the book to be enchanting from the first page to the last from brush pen sketches to full-colour portraits, to re-imaginings of the band’s songs in comic book fashion. The last of those is perhaps what sets this book apart from other art books with the songs ‘Deanna’, ‘The Good Son’, and ‘Stagger Lee’ depicted, all set in a gorgeous imaginative world.

This LP-sized art book is a beautifully designed and produced portrait of Nick Cave’s wide-ranging career that would appeal to those with interests in graphic novels, music and Nick Cave specifically. The graphic designer behind the book, Reinhard Kleist has also created other books similar to this including artists such as Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds go on tour later this year and will be performing in London on Sunday 3rd June.

Animated Shorts Oscar Nominees

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Film.

Negative Space

In a moment of reflection, the protagonist of Negative Space recounts the way he bonded with his late father whilst growing up, through the art of packing.

Adapted from Ron Koertge’s poem of the same name (2014), film students Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata carefully created a masterpiece worthy of the sorrow and nostalgia that the story carries. The narrator takes us through the steps of perfectly packing his father taught him, each item laying itself out, folding itself up and making its own way into the suitcase, as if animated by a life of their own.

Remembering, the narrator revisits his memories of these times he felt close to his father, together and apart, now forever in the past. The short concentrates on just using Koertge’s short poem for narration, the rest of its message coming through the beauty and attention to detail it possesses. His father now gone, all that is truly left of him is this inherited special knack for making good use of any nooks and crannies, or negative space. Can you blame him for only being able to wish there was not so much wasted space in his father’s coffin?

Negative Space is not only a technical marvel, but also a strikingly moving story of lost parents, the characteristics we pick up on as children that make them our parents. The loss of a parent is one almost too painful to bear, yet it is through our memories of them, the traits we inherit from them (good or bad) that allow us to keep hold of something from them.

Revolting Rhymes 

Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes is here brought to life in a two-part animated film co-directed by Jan Lachauer, Jakob Schuh, and Bin-Han To with breath-taking detail and care that gives the entire viewing experience magic. It takes some of our internationally canonical fairy-tales, such as Snow White or Jack and the Beanstalk, and provides a number of delightfully unexpected twists and turns to the original plots.

The first episode of the two opens one rainy evening in a small café, where a middle-aged woman settles in the window booth with her cup of hot tea. A lone, tall wolf dressed in a trench coat and hat follows in tow, asking the woman if he may join her as he waits “for an old friend”. We are as suspicious as the sweet lady, who, perhaps to her own detriment, is too polite and frightened to refuse.

The Wolf notices her book of fairy-tales on the table and, opening it, voices his dislike of Little Red Riding Hood, and pointing out the book’s error in Snow-White’s hair colour. Hence begins a small exchange which gives the premise to the wonderful story-telling we are about to behold.

In this version, the lives of Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood intertwine so imperceptibly that one wonders how this is not how the story originally goes. Other fairy tales are merged together throughout the two episodes, and much like a Russian doll, a story seems to naturally come out of another.

With each episode being 28 minutes long, only the first episode was able to be nominated for Best Animated Short, which rules out the second from being taken into consideration. As much of a delight as the first part is, the pure brilliance of the animation comes through when watching both parts as there is a continuity within this special universe where one is not quite sure what is make believe or not.

Revolting Rhymes ends with the unexpected, and was an incredibly emotional experience. Its beauty and eloquence were truly astonishing, communicating some truths that may have escaped its predecessors, bringing a perfect balance to the old and the new. Therefore, I am afraid that part one was not intended to be a stand-alone episode, and may suffer from that when it comes to selecting a victor amongst the 5 nominees for the Best Animated Short Oscar.

Dear Basketball

On November 29th, 2015 Kobe Bryant wrote a letter for the Player’s Tribune, a media platform for professional sportsmen. It detailed his love for basketball, a love which brought him five NBA Championships and 18 NBA All-Star appearances.

Narrating the film himself, Bryant talks about his upbringing, his determination and his challenges. About how his work ethic made him become the legendary player we admire today. Accompanying these powerful words is an awe-inspiring animation painstakingly drawn frame by frame with pencil and then filmed in sequence. Glen Keane, a 2013 Disney Legend, directs the short and is joined by fellow cinema great John Williams who composes a subtle yet powerful score.

The short ends with Bryant saying how, although his heart and mind could play until the day he dies, his body cannot take any more, and this season will be his last. In his final game, against the Utah Jazz, he scored a season-high 60 points. A special end to a special career.

Perhaps the only disappointing aspect of this film is its length, only five minutes 21 seconds. Three greats of their respective fields came together to make something beautiful, with such purity and heartfelt sincerity that when the credits appeared I wished for more.

Lou

Disney-Pixar have a long history of showing a short animated films immediately before one of their major releases and Lou is no different. It was released in June 2017 alongside Cars 3 and follows the guardian of a children’s playground.

Lou, who gets his name from a ‘Lost and Found’ box with the missing letters L, O, and U, is an anthropomorphised collection of random toys and clothing children have forgotten on the playground. When the bell rings and the kids go back inside, he collects everything left behind to return later. One playtime Lou spots a bully taking away the toys from others. With each stolen toy he gets angrier and angrier until he decides to give the bully a taste of his own medicine.

As is the case with all Pixar films, the level of quality and polish is second to none, a neat lesson for children about bullying without being overt. That said, in comparison to shorts that have won the Best Animated Short category in the past for Pixar, such as Geri’s Game or For The Birds, Lou is a tier below. While enjoyable, it lacks that same innovation, that something special that separates the good from the great.

Garden Party

Garden Party is a sumptuously animated, if strange short by a group of French students as their graduation project. It follows a group of frogs as they explore a mansion and it’s surroundings.

The film opens to a small frog leaping into an unkempt pool and immediately we notice the incredibly photorealistic CGI. The attention to detail is exquisite with even the little ripples of the water shown. As we become introduced to more frogs we are given clues as to why the mansion is abandoned; food left to rot, bullet holes in the security camera’s and doors — there has evidently been a shootout.

Nevertheless the frogs roam around without a care, gorging on the food and generally exploring. One frog jumps onto a control board, buttons that switch on lights, pool jets and music. With the pool lit up an army of frogs go over, in all shapes and sizes. Suddenly and concluding the short, we see a body size to the surface, animated in gorey detail.

The short is a magnificent display of the possibilities of modern animation yet the peculiar story they chose takes away from that slightly. That final shocking moment seems unnecessary and could have perhaps been presented in a manner more in line with the rest of the short.

Photo: Pxhere

How should we approach gender within the realm of fashion retail?

Written by Rona McCann on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

In recent years we have seen a rise in awareness and understanding of gender as a spectrum. More non-binary celebrities are in influential positions and social media has allowed others to share their experiences. However, walk into most high street clothing stores and you’ll find it unclear where this significant number of the world’s population should shop.

Many high street brands have attempted to launch unisex lines. H&M’s ‘Uni’ range hosts a limited amount of denim designed for all. In a similar vein, Levi’s sells unisex jeans under its ‘Line 8’ label.

It may be past its heyday of success in the UK, but American Apparel was one of the first major brands to model itself on gender-neutrality. Despite this positive step in the right direction, as with many attempts of its kind, its unisex collection seems to just contain attire you would find in the men’s section.

This highlights a key problem with gender-neutral lines on the market currently. They tend to only contain basic hoodies, t-shirts and joggers, which have long been socially acceptable for everyone to wear anyway. It perpetuates the idea that to be non-binary is to be bland and to be non-binary is to aim to be confirmative. But this shouldn’t be the case. To mark real change we should also be seeing items expressing femininity as well.

It’s not just people who identify with neither male nor female who are negatively affected. Whilst it is acceptable, even celebrated, for women to dress in a masculine manner, for men to wear traditionally female clothes, say dresses or skirts, is for them to be put at risk of ridicule. The existing divide between men’s and women’s sections in stores further promotes the idea that men should not dress beyond a narrow scope of clothing types when in fact there seems no reason for there to be this forced limit. An expansive gender-neutral range in stores alongside the men’s and women’s sections shows customers, and society as a whole, that everyone is free to wear whatever they desire.

We can go further than just clothing. Make-up companies could consider hiring more than just female models for their campaigns and perfumers could easily release more uni-sex fragrances.

So how would these gender-neutral ranges work? Whilst accepting fluidity of gender it cannot be ignored that body shapes often still conform to those of assigned sexes, and clothing still needs to fit these. The solution is simple: clothing size ranges should be expanded so that shoppers are able to select both size as well as body shape for each item, like how when buying jeans waist size and leg length can be chosen separately. This option is already being used by Brighton-based stockist GenderFree World. The company was set up to cater for non-binary people who were struggling with the issue of correct fit, but it seems unjust that they have to be dealing with this issue in the first place. High street stores should be offering this all-accommodating approach too.

Photo: After Twilight

After Twilight: A Youth take over of the Whitworth

Written by Bella Jewell on . Posted in Arts.

On the 22nd of February, the Whitworth opened its doors for an evening of art, music, film and workshops organised by Whitworth Young Contemporaries (WYC) in collaboration with Raqs Media Collective and Band on the Wall.

The event presented an artistic response to the current Raqs Media Collective Twilight Language exhibition at the Whitworth, which makes up part of Manchester’s New North South programme.

According to the Whitworth’s Youth Engagement Coordinator, Sally Thelwell, the event “came out of a project to engage more young people from the South Asian community”, an aim which is particularly relevant given the gallery’s position amidst Rusholme, Moss Side and Hulme – areas of Manchester which are renowned for their richly diverse populations.

Thelwell admitted that the Whitworth often “struggles to get young people from these communities to come to our events or to visit the gallery” therefore changing this reality was central to the stimulating evening of empowering drama, music, workshops and installations. To spark this change, Thelwell recounted how the WYC “employed two young artists [as curators]: Lubna Ali and Matilda Glen” who the Whitworth supported “to deliver outreach workshops in the community with local youth groups Youth on Solid Ground in Whalley Range and Hideaway in Moss Side.”

Young people were put firmly in the centre of the evening with the opening performance of Meerut by members of the WYC group. They read a script created by the young Manchester activist group, the Red Megaphones, in 1932. The performance called for public attention to the cruelty perpetuated by British Colonialism in the case of the Meerut Conspiracy Case whereby trade unionists were arrested for organising an Indian railway strike.

The members of the cast claimed that the play continues to be relevant eight decades on, as “human struggle has not ended.” Cast member, Ruby Sherwood Martin, claimed that “the exploitation that continues to occur in sweatshops as a result of capitalism’s dominance” is a modern issue highlighted by the performance. The group performed the piece standing on the steps leading to the Mezzanine gallery space to replicate how the Red Megaphones performed standing on steps in public spaces to render the message accessible to all, so “working class people could hear the message”’ being portrayed.

The theme of youth empowerment continued in the breath-taking performances of young talents from KYSO of the Hideaway group, who put together a series of acts ranging from singing, to dancing, to beatboxing. In an interview with the group, young dancer Asal Roostaei informed me that “everyone has a talent and KYSO helps you find it”. The founder of KYSO, Kemoy Walker told me how he established the group “in 2012 in response to the Government cuts in Manchester which left nothing for young people.” Through providing a support network for nearly 100 young people in Moss Side, the group “represents a diversion away from negativity” and an opportunity for self-expression to young people who often “get told they’re not worth anything.”

The young musical talent continued with performances from Manchester-based poet-rapper Haleemah X, who announced to the audience with a heavily ironic undertone: “I listen to people’s stories and make them my own, as my life is kind of dry!” Her songs bring to light the often taboo subjects of abusive relationships and their impact, body shaming and the issue of weird ex partners, which resulted in an unusual yet powerful combination of pathos and empowerment. Fellow up-and-coming Manchester musician, Sangy, followed Haleemah’s performance with a selection of his “underground rap” which presents an intimate insight into his coping mechanisms in life.

Thelwell described how whilst “music is always really important, it is also really important to [the WYC] to have a wide spectrum of arts, and of course not forget about the exhibition that is the basis of the event”, in this way in the background to the musical performances there were opportunities to interact in light writing and mask-making workshops.

The evening also included the interactive installation If the world is a fair place then… curated by Lubna Ali and Matilda Glen, which gave visitors the opportunity to leave a message in a time capsule to be opened in ten years’ time, and a film-montage of artwork from the WYC outreach programme with youth clubs Hideaway and Youth on Solid Ground.

Overall the WYC event, After Twilight put a spotlight on the young South Asian talent that often does not receive the recognition it deserves. Both young and old, new and regular visitors came together in the Whitworth for a night of activism and celebration of diversity presented through the lens of art, music and performance.

The Whitworth Young Contemporaries’ next event shall be ‘Lament’: a film produced by Thirty Pound Gentleman in response to Steve McQueen’s Ashes. 15th March 7-9pm.

For more info about WYC find them on Instagram: @WhitworthYC

Make sure to check out Haleemah X and Sangy who can be found on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

Review: Superorganism Debut Album

Written by Hannah Brierley on . Posted in Music.

Superorganism is about to drop one of the most highly anticipated albums of 2018. The group, who have shot to fame with such force, will release their debut album, Superorganism on March 2nd, 2018.

The album features previously released singles such as, ‘It’s All Good’, ‘Everybody Wants To Be Famous’, ‘Something for your M.I.N.D’ and ‘Nobody Cares’. These all clearly display the groups vibrant, psychedelic elements to their music, as well demonstrating the obvious innovative musical talent that Superorganism possesses. Cleverly layering different sound recordings, instruments make the tracks fun to listen to over and over again, each time hearing something different, and finding those ‘ easter eggs’ that you missed before.

‘Reflections on Screen’ takes a more relaxed and melancholy tone. In contrast to previously released work from Superorganism, this track shows off Oronos flawless and floaty vocal talent. It works nicely with the gentleness of the lyrics, vocals and sounds of birds chirping during the verses, against the moody, rumbling roars of thunder during the choruses.

‘SPRORGNSM’ switches us back to the familiar bubbly dystopian surroundings, followed by ‘Nai’s March’ which is probably the most unusual on the album. The combination of video game sounds, water trickling and an audience cheering halfway through the song before breaking down to absolute chaos… (there’s even a frog ribbit in there a few times).

I’ve got to say ‘The Prawn Song’ is a stand-out track. The lyrics which at the beginning feel like nonsense, over the course of the song begin to make sense and almost relatable, as the band explain how they’re happy just to relax and chill…like a prawn.

“Have you ever seen a prawn cause a world war? Have you ever kissed a prawn and got a cold sore, Have you ever seen a prawn kick off?”

The album begins to wind down with ‘Relax’, flowing nicely into their final track ‘Night Time’. The concluding track becomes hypnotic and lulling and a very clean way to finish the album.  My favourite part,  if you were to listen to this album on loop it would almost feel like its narrating the day, finishing the album with a yawn and talking about going to sleep, then to go back to the first line of the first song of ‘It’s All Good’.

“Good Morning Orono, you are awake, the weather today is dark”. 

This album is clever and calculated the whole way through, designed to take you on a journey with them, and transport you audibly through the use of their soundscapes and smart layering of not just instruments, but recordings of the things they see and hear on a daily basis. They use their undeniable talent to mash all these different elements, resulting in a beautiful, chaotic mind fuck. But it creates an absolute gem of an album.

There is honestly nothing like Superorganism at all right now. They are exciting and somewhat confusing and chaotic, but you can’t help but love it.

9/10

Superorganism is released on the 2nd March.

Photo: Jaytaix @ Pixabay

£4.7m collaborative Zika vaccine project launches

Written by Fiona Batchelor on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

A new initiative to create a viable vaccine against the Zika virus has been launched, with a fund of £4.7 million provided by the UK Department of Health and Social Care. The project is a collaborative effort led by the University of Liverpool, alongside the University of Manchester and Public Health England.

The project’s goal is to develop two new vaccines in the next three years, taking them through to clinical trials in human volunteers. They will use a ‘twin track’ approach, where both antibodies and killer T-cells will be activated. The hope is this will create a vaccine that has effective, long-lasting immunity to Zika.

Another key aim of the project is to develop a product that will be suitable for use in pregnant women, as this group are amongst the most at-risk of the effects of Zika virus.

Zika virus is a mosquito-bourne tropical disease, and although symptoms are usually mild in adults, Zika virus can cause severe foetal birth defects in the children of infected mothers. This includes microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome, with other possible neurological consequences still under investigation.

Despite the severe effects on foetuses, there is no approved vaccine or treatment currently available for Zika virus. Control of the disease largely relies on protection against mosquito bites, and the use of contraceptives to prevent sexual transmission.

Professor Neil French, of The University of Liverpool, reiterates the danger the disease still poses:

“Although the current Zika outbreak has slowed, there remains a significant risk of foetal abnormality when pregnant mothers become infected, and the changing climate raises the possibility of major epidemics occurring in previously unaffected parts of the world. A ready to use vaccine would dramatically reduce the threat that we face from Zika.”

The candidate vaccines for the new project are based on a derivative of a pre-existing smallpox vaccine. They have already demonstrated beneficial effects when used in combination and are likely to be adaptable for use against other diseases in the future.

Dr Tom Blanchard, one of the project’s lead researchers from The University of Manchester, spoke of the importance of achieving a viable Zika vaccine:

“Making an effective, affordable and safe vaccine for Zika is a priority. I’m delighted to have brought about this collaboration of the Universities of Manchester and Liverpool, The Royal Liverpool Hospital and Porton Down to maximise the chances of success”

The new vaccine project, and its significant funding, will provide great hope for the people and areas who still fear the effects of Zika in their community. However, the virus has so far evaded any previous attempts at developing a successful vaccine, which could cast doubts over the ambitious three-year goal.

Photo: album artwork

Live review: Wiley

Written by Megan Matthews on . Posted in Music.

Wednesday 21st February, Manchester Academy

After his badly-received appearance at Pangea Festival back in September 2017, the difference between Wednesday’s performance and that was stark. Instead of spitting out four songs with minimal energy and multiple breaks, his performance at the Academy seemed to remind the people of Manchester of his true talent.

However, it must be said that upon arrival, the energy in the room was strange. The in-house DJ was playing a contorted remix of Spice Girls hits and S Club 7 and the room was less than receptive of it. The mix of people also added to the originality of the night. Most were indeed young people that came for the mosh pits and the drink throwing, and yet a large percentage were the over 40s who came in couples or groups to see the man that had exposed the UK to the originality of grime music.

It can be said that this extended period of terribly remixed songs and the strange dynamic between the generations created a collective sense of disappointment within the crowd before Wiley had even come on. His supporting act, a young female rapper from South London was a happy break from the pop songs of before, and yet she seemed to only do 60 second segments of each song and her energy only did so much to elevate her otherwise generic performance.

Nonetheless, the appearance of Wiley seemed to makeup for all that had come before, and whilst he walked on to the backdrop of Lynyrd Skynyrd, which in itself made the crowd erupt in boos as well as cheers, he immediately went into ‘Been A While’ from his new album Godfather II which stimulated the crowd into a sudden frenzy.

From then on the crowd became a constant mosh-pit with security running in and out literally every three minutes. The speakers created a heavy bass that vibrated your whole body and this, coupled with Wiley’s Gucci backpack, set the scene for a naughty night. His chart bangers like ‘Wearing My Rolex’ and ‘Heatwave’ created a near immovable crowd, with 18 year olds and 38 year olds alike pushing and shoving against one another to show their excitement at Wiley’s voice.

The ‘special guests’ Wiley introduced lived up to their ‘special’ title, and local MC Kay Rico’s performance of his new song ‘Blitzed’, with its heavy bass and young-Wiley-esque feel, further energised the crowd and set Wiley up nicely for the next part of his set. As he’s known as an artist who pushes the careers of other grime performers, such as Dizzee Rascal, Tinchy Stryder and Chip, Wiley’s introduction of Kay Rico and Cody was well received from the crowd, and their individual grime styles placed Wiley back in the position of the ‘Godfather of Grime’.

That same night saw Stormzy dominate the Brit Awards in a passionate performance that will go down in music history. Whilst Wiley was not Stormzy’s mentor, his push of young grime artists, and his own music history that helped create and sustain the grime industry, exposes Wiley as the true ‘king of grime.’ His performance last Wednesday did nothing to question this, and instead reinforced and cemented this image. The range of generations that came to see him, and the reception that each individual person gave him showcases the sheer talent that this mentor and founder has.

Credit: Pixabay

United win a vital clash with Chelsea thanks to their Lin-guardian angel

Written by James Gill on . Posted in Sport.

Chelsea are the visitors to the Theatre of Dreams in perhaps the most important game of the season for both teams. If Manchester United lose they’ll fall to third place in the table and into the middle of the pack. If Chelsea lose they’ll fall out of the top four altogether.

Knowing this Jose Mourinho puts out a very strong if defensive team lining up in the 4-3-3 formation. De Gea starts in between the sticks with Valencia, Smalling, Lindelöf and Young helping to guard the goal.

United’s break-out player of the season so far McTominay joins Matic and Pogba in a three-man midfield. Sanchez, Lukaku, and Martial lead the line.

It looks like McTominay’s role today will be simply to mark Hazard and try to keep the Belgian quiet. If the youngster can manage this it could be extremely beneficial for United. All of Chelsea’s moves have tended to flow through Hazard and their losses have come when he has failed to create.

Morata comes very close to opening the scoring in the opening exchanges of the game. Marco Alonso crosses the ball into the box just out of the reach of Smalling but perfectly weight for Morata. His effort ricochets back off the crossbar and the danger is neutralised. He may regret smashing his shot so hard come the end of the game.

In the opening quarter of an hour, Chelsea have had 61% of the possession. This hardly unexpected though and United have defended well only conceding the one chance. Smalling and Young so far have made some great blocks and challenges, continuing where they left off against Sevilla.

After a sustained period of United pressure that Chelsea defends well, it was surprising to see Anthony Martial not attempting any dribbles in the several opportunities he had to do so. He looks downtrodden and lacking in confidence.

United keep on applying pressure and very nearly get a goal to show for it. The ball is driven in low and Sánchez gets onto the end of it around seven yards out. Instead of taking it first time he choosing to take a touch and by that point, the window had closed, poor decision making there from the number seven.

Pogba is having a blinder of a game so far and Kante is having a big problem in dealing with him in the midfield area. As United break, Pogba is cynically taken down and Kante receives the first yellow card of the game.

Eight players get forward for the free-kick but it is quickly broken down and Chelsea break. A massive defensive positioning blunder puts Willian through and the Brazilian beats de Gea at his near post. McTominay stops tracking Willian but it is Smalling who should be in a position to stop the pass. De Gea too will feel angered that he conceded at his near post.

A series of errors there by a side that had dominated the ball beforehand. Chelsea has won all 15 games so far in the league when they score first so United will have to produce something excellent in what remains of this game to break that record.

Manchester United needed to reply quickly and they have done so. Lukaku does well to muscle Christiansen off the ball on the edge of the area and after a series of passes, he gets the ball back five yards out from Chelsea’s goal. He stabs the ball home to make it 22 goals this season and 1-1 here at Old Trafford.

At halftime the result is a fair one, both teams have squandered a couple of good chances each. Chelsea seems to be caught out with the physicality of the game with the United players tackling with some force, Willian is walking a little bit gingerly after a shunt from Matic early on.

The second half begins and it’s a cagey affair. Both teams are trying to commit players forward quickly and both are finding it difficult to complete key passes.

A draw would not be the worst result for Manchester United as they would keep their second-placed position. Chelsea, on the other hand, need to win to stay in the top four.

United seem to lack energy in the second half and Mourinho has chosen to take Martial off in favour of Lingard. The Frenchman walks off incredibly slowly which angers the home fans.

Lingard’s arrival on the pitch initiates a pick up in the tempo. His presence invigorates his teammates and they immediately go on the attack. It culminates in a Lukaku acrobatic shot that goes just over, similar to the goal Rooney scored against Manchester City.

Valencia becomes the first United player to go into the referee’s book, getting a yellow card for a bad foul on Hazard. It is in line with the way they have been playing today, with a level of physicality that is just on the cusp of a foul almost every time.

If there is a winner in this game it looks almost certain to be in favour of Manchester United. Chelsea are unable to deal with the extra gear United have found. Conte’s reaction is to bring Hazard off and replace him with Pedro.

Lukaku gets the ball on the right-hand side and bends an inch-perfect cross over Christiansen and onto the head of Jesse Lingard. Lingard’s goal is his 13th, yes 13th, of the season and means that United have scored ten goals from substitutes this season, the most in the league.

Chelsea need a goal from somewhere and Conte is bringing on Giroud for Moses to try and get one. This may be the first time Morata and Giroud have played together this season. It will be interesting to see their play style in the closing ten minutes.

In reaction to this cha, ge Mourinho brings on Bailly for Sánchez. Bailly brings on a handwritten notes and passes it to Matic, presumably with the tactics for the rest of the game. Willian chases Matic in an humorous attempt to read the note. Fabregas also comes on for Drinkwater

The Manchester United of the last quarter of this game is the swashbuckling style that the fans want to see. McTominay and Matic are winning the midfield battle allowing Pogba to move freely around the pitch and the high press allows United to win the ball back quickly to attack. Matic tries a little too physically to win the ball back and gets a yellow card.

A series of delicate one touch passes gives Morata a good shooting which he buries thanks to the post, sadly for him the flag is up though. The replay shows that he was just onside, if only we had VAR…Morata then gets a yellow card for hacking down Smalling, it’s not his day.

His opposing number, Romelu Lukaku, gets the ball with four blue shirts in from of him and no company. That doesn’t stop him though and he runs straight through them all showing a turn of pace that I don’t think anybody knew he had.

The four minutes extra time become five but it isn’t enough for Conte’s side to get an equaliser and the game ends 2-1. In the end it was a deserving win for Manchester United.

The midfield three of Pogba, Matic and McTominay deserve praise for their outstanding partnership in this must win game. McTominay especially who also played fantastically against Sevilla the week before, he is certainly proving himself as a serious contender for the midfield places now.

Live review: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

Written by Olivia White on . Posted in Music.

Thursday 22nd February, Manchester Academy

Melbourne made, seven-piece psychedelic, acid and experimental rock band King Gizz summoned every mystical creature and black magic practitioner you could think of at their sold-out Manchester Academy gig last Thursday.  Upon first listening to King Gizz, I was instantly plummeted into a world of mysticism, dark corners and psychedelia – something I have not felt so intensely since my days of obsessing over the Grandfathers of such rock including Black Sabbath and Rainbow.

Frontman Stu Mackenzie undoubtedly embodies the role of the Wizard. A feverish wizard who is leading his 6 other musical virtuosos through the bizarre and mysterious lands of King Gizzards. Stu’s stage presence was second to none with his tendency to throw and bend his upper half completely over during his face-melting guitar solos. His impulsive movements across the stage are coupled with his ability to play over 3 instruments, all of which were exhibited to the fervent crowd during their 2-hour set.

However, Stu is certainly not alone in his talents. Each of the 7 members are clearly multi-instrumentalist gurus who play a pivotal role in defining King Gizzard’s sound, unsurprising given their admirable ability to have written five albums in 2017 alone.

However, what really struck me with awe was the tight timing and slickness of Michael Cavanagh and Eric Moore on drums. The decision to position both drummers facing each other was incredible as it not only highlighted that they were effortlessly mirroring each other but also added far more intensity to their presence, creating a powerhouse of noise at the centre which resonated outwards.

King Gizz put on a 2-set show that transported its 2,600-capacity crowd to a different land with the highlights being ‘Crumbling Castle’, ‘Open Water’, ‘Lord of Lightening’ and ‘Gamma Knife’. The musical range of King Gizzard is outstanding and was displayed throughout the array of songs they played from each album, influences clearly deriving from progressive and garage rock to folk and even hints of a middle Eastern origin, all while paying homage to the lyrical thematic style of Ronnie James Dio embellished with riffs to the complexity of Tony Iommi.

There is nothing superficial about King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. Their entire image as 7 eccentric male Aussies with a burning passion for music comes as a package. You get the trippy vision tapes, you get the perfectly executed performance and you get to lose all your possessions in the mosh pits. A sign of a good gig, am I right?

10/10

Live Review: Rex Orange County

Written by Tobias Soar on . Posted in Music.

Saturday 24th February, Gorilla

Having 2 self-released albums under your belt, collaborating with Tyler, The Creator’s 2017 project Flower Boy and, most recently, coming in second in the BBC Sound of 2018 Awards, being able to claim all of that at 19 is one hell of a feat. Rex Orange County – aka Alex O’Connor from Haslemere – can claim this title.

His sold-out, untitled 2018 tour is, quite like his tracks and discography, short and sweet. 13 venues are hosting him, Gorilla being the Manchester venue after being upgraded from The Deaf Institute due to popular demand.

I had the pleasure of seeing Rex open for BadBadNotGood last November and I could not wait for his headline show. At that gig he seemed distant, maybe even humbled by the opportunity to tour the UK with the jazzy hip-hop band. His solo show, however, was completely different – and for the better.

There was no opener and Rex took the stage at 20.45 to a huge cheer from the audience – I’m sure many attendees had been at the venue since doors opened, quite unnecessary considering the size of the venue. It was almost as if he was performing for his classmates due to the average age of the audience falling into the late teens age range.

Simplicity is key in Rex’s persona. His lyrics are simple and all about the ups and downs of teenage love. The stage was bare aside from a banner with his name behind him. A drummer, a saxophone player, a trumpet player, a bass player and guitarists were the backing to his keyboard, string and vocal combinations.

Unlike in November, his shy yet charming personality shone through when he addressed the crowd. He asked us if we were doing ok and then asked us a couple more times throughout the show. That goes to show to what extent Alex is a simple guy, in the best of terms.

His performance of ‘Corduroy Dreams’ was absolutely perfect with his band leaving him alone with his guitar. “We’re going to slow this down even further,” he said, as he played a couple of slow tracks in a row.

Of course, Manchester will always find an excuse to mosh and ‘Best Friend’ was the victim this time. Despite the emphasis on the slow jams, the audience was energetic, only going to show how buzzed people are about Rex and his music.

To my disappointment, the set barely lasted longer than 40 minutes and, staying true to Rex’s simplicity, he had no encore – to be fair, encores are pretty overrated.

At the end of the night, it felt great to see Rex again. His style is unique, blending singing with something that toes the line between light rapping and spoken word. His musical CV is already stellar and 2018 will certainly bring a lot more for both Rex and his fans, new and old.

8/10

Album review: Car Seat Headrest – Twin Fantasy

Written by Will Baldwin-Pask on . Posted in Music.

Half way through ‘Nervous Young Inhumans’, the stand-out track from new Car Seat Headrest album Twin Fantasy, Will Toledo descends into a moody monologue, beginning “I am a good person / I am a powerful person / I don’t believe in evil / I believe that evil is an idea created by others to avoid dealing with their own nature / I understand my own nature.”

It’s the kind of anxious expression that Toledo loves to show off in his music. It is both the structural breakdown of the song and the internal breakdown of the singer. As song writing goes, it’s undeniably smart. If you think this soppy soliloquising comes across as desperate or pretentious, that’s because it is. And it’s what makes Car Seat Headrest so hard to turn a deaf ear to.

The band’s recent album is another train-of-thought from Toledo, the young founder/frontman who’s been making increasingly impressive, personal music for the past eight years. In 2015, Toledo abandoned his bedroom-based Bandcamp status to sign for Matador Records. Ensuing releases of Teens of Style and Teens of Denial brought the band the critical recognition they deserved.

On Twin Fantasy, they confirm themselves as one of the best working in indie right now. The ten tracks on the album are re-workings of old ones, but the exciting melodrama that Toledo thrusts throughout all his work still feels refreshing.

Toledo is the ultimate coming-of-age character, imperfect and inspiring. He muses relentlessly on modern masculinity, tackling friendship, drugs, depression, and sexuality in frank and touching fashion. He opens the album with an address to an old friend of “My boy / we don’t see each other much”, then follows this up on ‘Beach Life-in-Death’ with a confession that “I pretended I was drunk when I came out to my friends.” He sets an excitingly melodramatic tone, one he’ll likely sustain throughout his career.

The singer seasons everything with wit and melancholy. In some ways he resembles Morrissey; like The Smiths’ frontman, Toledo constructs an insecure figure with such arrogance it’s hard to imagine everyone warming to him. But with lines like “Give me Frank Ocean’s voice/ And James Brown’s stage presence” on ‘Bodys’, or on the demanding ‘Stop Smoking (We Love You)’ when he reassures his audience that “we don’t want you to die”, it’s hard not to find his honesty endearing. (The urgency in the voice and guitars in the latter song have done more to make me rethink my own habits than a hundred pictures of cancer patients on baccy pouches have ever done.)

It’s easy to get distracted by Will’s lyrics and ignore how good the music is. The band can be as tight as Vampire Weekend’s shoelaces or create the hedonistic garage rock sounds of Sonic Youth. Most of the songs embellish your usual verse-chorus structure with little ideas and long diversions, constantly changing the pace, squeezing and stretching the album ambitiously.

This is best done on ‘Beach Life-in-death’. As Toledo channels Julian Casablancas, the track spends half of its 13 minutes in a dumbed down plod, but alternates with passages of frantic instrument playing. It comes in and out of the periphery like a person you fancy at a party, and lingers long after it’s gone.

There are multiple moments that grab the listener, like the wonderfully heartfelt acoustic guitar interlude ‘Bodys’, or on ‘High to Death’, when a glistening synth sequence breaks through an especially inaudible, reverbed Toledo.

Most enjoyable though is ‘Nervous Young Inhumans’. The falsettos and flurries of synth echo the catchiness of peak 00’s indie, whilst Will’s warning that “You’ll get what you want and you’ll get what you deserve” transports you straight to the front of a crazed Car Seat gig whether you want to be there or not.

The album still has its boring bits, like penultimate track ‘Famous Prophets’. It’s 16 minutes, but after the 5th it covers no new ground. After the long, grungy, self-love of ‘Beach Life in-Death’, an even longer, grungier, self-loving song seems unnecessary and is a lot less successful.

Twin Fantasy is still a marvel to listen to. It’s every bit as engaging as 2016’s Teens of Denial and adds another chapter to the darkly comic document of Will Toledo’s life. With eccentric lyricism and experienced song writing, it’s an accomplished indie-rock album that may well move you physically and emotionally, and will make you revisit it for weeks.