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Month: May 2016

Festival review: Dot to Dot 2016

Various venues across Manchester on 27th May

6/10

Excitable flocks of eccentrically dressed music fans migrate from venue to venue, all dotted about the trendy environs of the Northern Quarter for this year’s Manchester stretch of Dot to Dot. The pressure is on for bands to dazzle the punters as soon as they arrive. As a rule, first impressions are rather misleading. Traditional gigs rely on the casual ebb and flow of old and new material, so you can forgive some of the acts for seeming a little high-maintenance. Such anxieties aren’t a problem for the larger acts, guaranteed to draw in the masses and the under-18s: the number of Sundara Karma fans can easily be identified by the many appearances of t-shirts emblazoned with their name throughout the day.

It explains the wealth of self-assurance that rising star Ratboy exudes from the Manchester Cathedral stage. He has plenty of chutzpah, if not charm, unloading upon the young, enthusiastic crowd a rambunctious squall of Home Counties hip-hop—let’s call it ruffian rap-rock—with Blur-sized pop hooks and corrosive riffs. Often labelled 2016’s answer to Jamie T, albeit without the wit or pathos, he comes closer to being Johnny Rotten’s annoying kid brother. You can’t deny its power, however, and he is clearly adept at what he does, with the adolescent audience eating out of his palm: only he can get folks lobbing beer cans in a cathedral. It sets the tone for much of the festival; regardless of what the critics say, guitar music appears to be in rude health, at least according to DtD.

That said, there are minor delights on offer, usually hidden away in the smaller venues, secret enclaves where the magic happens. Bleeding Heart Pigeons’ peculiar and enchanting alt-rock manages to overcome the asphyxiating heat of the Castle Hotel, transcending its cramped space with its capacious drama. Despite the intense intimacy of the gig – Mícheál Keating receives his second guitar from someone in the audience – the trio translate something fraught and epic, Echo & the Bunnymen as covered by three shy Irishmen. After a couple of false starts in the form of bass amp problems, the genesis of some mild antagonism directed at the sound guys (“Is that a thumbs-up or a middle finger?”), Blaenavon start off like a wonky Editors, morph into an angstier Jaws, and end up sounding like neglected post-punk understudies Dif Juz. Their applause over at the Ruby Lounge is thoroughly well-deserved.

Not everything is as thrilling as that. Tucked away at Mint Lounge are Girl Friend, who specialise in flat, unashamedly 80s synthpop and tinny guitar solos. Watching them is like watching a low-rent Summer Camp: siblings Amory and Eleanor sing passionately if slightly apart, like two lead singers in two different bands. Behind them, two quiet men (one keyboardist, one guitarist, both duty-bound to their laptops) steer their cheap, chintzy racket. Elsewhere, there’s Diet Cig, purveyors of enormously charming punk-pop, the trebly ying to Japandroids’ beefy yang. Frontwoman Alex Luciano is tirelessly exuberant (sometimes to a fault), a far better energy source than fossil fuel. Yet the onslaught of distorted guitar and brisk, crashing drums gets marginally wearying, especially since that’s what the bedrock of DtD appears to be. Northeast Party House’s ferocious Nirvana-esque grunge-disco is more fun and rowdy than Funeral Party (yeah, remember them?) They have the cowbells, if only they had the tunes: the lack of subtlety thuds away like a blunt instrument.

Thank heavens for Soup Kitchen, where two festival highlights threaten to steal the show. First up are West London’s Babeheaven, whose sound imagines Sade reincarnated as Mac DeMarco; it’s R&B that’s woken up from the night before, still drowsy and dreamy. They play both singles (great) and b-sides (even better). It helps that they’re blessed with some self-effacing humour. Lead singer Nancy (sans surname), having difficulties with her mic stand, opts to hold the mic instead, an undertaking she claims never to have done before: “I feel a bit vulnerable,” she quips.

Just as good are Denmark’s Liss: in short, they are a revelation. There’s more slap bass here than the Seinfeld theme. Søren Holm’s vocals unmistakably recall that of Prince, somewhat cheering in the wake of his recent death. Not only that, but the quartet (plus a mysterious fellow on a set of drum pads) evoke the period of Prince’s career when he drifted away from his taut machine-funk towards smouldering, soulful pop. This isn’t the last 2016 will hear of these sublime Scandinavians: labelmates Jungle will be anxiously looking over their shoulders.

The evening ends, more or less, with Spring King, a dated, guitar-heavy offering whose most obvious reference points are the Damned and hoary garage rock. It is the deafening, anaesthetised sound of guitar music’s death. Presumptuous? Perhaps: we still have Field Music and Tame Impala, ostensibly guitar bands. DtD, for all its flaws, succeeds in unveiling new exciting talent; though, absences from the Japanese House and Cigarettes After Sex are sorely felt, and it will have to dig deeper for more compelling acts if it is to fly the flag for alternative music in coming years. Maybe, with bands like Babeheaven and Liss, a sea change is on its way.

EP: The Strokes – Future Present Past

The Strokes have always been hampered by their past exploits, and the problem has always been the same: if they continued making music like their debut, they were called safe, and if they deviated, people complained because it wasn’t Is This It. But in recent years, the band has diversified massively, with Albert Hammond Jr’s solo project, Julian Casablancas’ album with The Voidz, and Nikolai starting up Summer Moon. This could mean that finally, people will stop expecting The Strokes to recreate their past glory, and let them just do what they do best.

And it seems that, after 3 years of musical silence, they’ve decided to return with a concept EP, as Future Present Past’s track list seems to mirror its content. If the sinister 80s synth grumble of ‘Drag Queen’ represents the band’s future, then ‘OBLIVIUS’ is the band’s transitional present, and ‘Threat Of Joy’ is a nostalgic flashback to the glory days.

‘Drag Queen’, a song that’s strangely evasive despite its relative simplicity, kicks off the EP. Although the sound of this track is very sinister and interesting, it feels weirdly uncertain, as if the band weren’t quite sure what sort of song they wanted to make. There’s a noticeable influence from Julian Casablancas’ extra-curricular activities too; in fact, this track feels like it could’ve slotted neatly into the tracklist for Tyranny with its odd jazzy guitar stabs and tense chorus soaked bassline.

By contrast, ‘OBLIVIUS’ is a flawless meld of every version of the band’s sonic blueprint. The low-fi feel of Room On Fire (a production style that encompasses the whole EP) teems with slower moody touches reminiscent of First Impressions Of Earth. The vocal melody darts about during the verses, settling on a fantastic hook in the choruses. “What side are you standing on?” howls Julian, as the track explodes with pent-up energy. It’s a great new addition for the band, although it feels as if it could’ve benefited from more solid backing vocals.

‘Threat Of Joy’, with its spoken word opening, feels especially tongue and cheek. Julian Casablancas seems to be actively engaging with the band’s critics, asking why they won’t play with him anymore. But the song itself, with its laid back vibe and woozy delivery, is itself very playful. But, like ‘OBLIVIUS’, the song is crying out for committed backing vocals. We get some attempt, little bits here and there, but the choruses of both songs would benefit massively from a really strong harmony, and would take these songs to the next level.

What’s reassuring about this EP is that it shows that The Strokes are still capable of working together and cranking out some really delightful tracks. The band sound largely cohesive throughout, though less so on ‘Drag Queen’. Future Present Past, as its title suggests, is very aware of the band’s heritage and history, and although it’s something of a safe release, it sounds like The Strokes are having fun playing together again, and when it comes down to it, isn’t that all that really matters? Despite its shortcomings, Future Present Past is a lot of fun, and a cheerful reminder that, for The Strokes, this isn’t it yet.

7/10

Festival Preview – Parklife

Last year’s Parklife was a huge success, and this year’s lineup does not disappoint. As per usual there is a mix of music genres, so there’s something for everyone from the indie Wolf Alice to rapper Lethal Bizzle. No one can accuse the lineup of not being diverse. This year’s iteration includes a massive representation of the UK grime scene. As this is no doubt a golden year for grime, Parklife has celebrated this by recruiting some of the best to perform, including Stormzy, Skepta, Kano and ‘the man who’s putting Manny on the map’, Bugzy Malone.

What’s more, Parklife day festival set up is better in comparison to the rest of the big hitting festivals. The no camping aspect means the weekend isn’t nearly as grim as other camping festivals, as everyone can go home and shower. Furthermore, it means house parties to follow the day’s action. The no doubt numerous house parties in Fallowfield between the Saturday and the Sunday means the weekender will be one long party.

More importantly the festival is held here in Heaton Park, Manchester, so you don’t have to pay for expensive train tickets or car journeys. If you’re still not convinced that Parklife weekender is not to be missed, here are just some of the huge acts set to perform: The Chemical Brothers, Jess Glynne, Years and Years, Stigma and Major Lazer to name but a few. Of course, Annie Mac will be delivering an unmissable set, and it wouldn’t be Parklife without her. The legend that is Ice Cube will also be performing.

Parklife will be held in Heaton Park, Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th June—tickets and full line-up are available at parklife.uk.com.

Manchester drops out of top 30 in Guardian rankings

The Guardian has released its yearly University Guide which sees the University of Manchester slip from last year’s position at number 29 to number 31.

This year sees Cambridge take the top spot for another year, with Oxford and St. Andrews coming in second and third. The Universities of Lougborough and Surrey were tied for fourth place, both receiving a ‘Guardian score’ of 85/100. This sees Loughborough jumping seven whole places from its previous position at number 11.

Manchester’s overall score has dropped from 70.8 last year to 69.2 this year. All rankings of satisfaction, which tends to have a strong influence on The Guardian‘s ratings, have on the other hand gone up this year at Manchester. ‘Satisfied with course’ has risen 1.6 points to 86.3, ‘Satisfied with teaching’ has risen 1.8 points to 87.8, and ‘Satisfied with feedback’ has risen 2.4 to 70.1.

Unfortunately, the ‘Value added’ score, which ranks universities on their ability to take students with lower entry qualifications and have them leave with a first or 2:1, demonstrating good teaching, has dropped from 5/10 to 4.5.

The Guardian University Guide does not take into account research, which tends to be an area in which Manchester is world-leading. Instead it aims to represent the information that is relevant to students, especially prospective students comparing institutions.

Justine Greening speaks to staff & students at Global Development Institute

The Secretary of State for International Development, Justine Greening MP, spoke to invited guests last Thursday at the Global Development Institute at the University of Manchester to seek their feedback and input for the UN High Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment.

Greening is a founding member of the new Panel, which looks to create tangible progress across the globe to address the disparity between genders that persists. It is based on research that shows that the world’s GDP could rise by one quarter if women were on the same level as men economically.

“Despite important progress in promoting gender equality, there remains an urgent need to address structural barriers to women’s economic empowerment and full inclusion in economic activity,” said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon back in January. “If the world is to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we need a quantum leap in women’s economic empowerment.”

Thursday’s panel was chaired by David Hulme, Professor of Development Studies at the university, and alongside the Secretary of State were Professor Stephanie Barrientos; Martin de la Harpe, Head of Sustainability at Flamingo Holdings; and Ph.D. student Gabriella Zapata.

The Secretary of State outlined the concrete motivations behind the foundation of the UN Panel and her reasons for coming to the university, namely to learn from those whose lives’ work it is to investigate global gender inequality and provide recommendations for its improvement.

She explained it is still the case in 17 countries that women need permission from their husbands to leave the house, and in 34 countries they are not allowed to inherit wealth. This means a large proportion of potential workers and entrepreneurs are simply held back by the illiberal practices of where they live.

Equality is progressing, but far too slowly, she said, citing a World Economic Forum Report from 2015 which said at this rate it would be 117 years before we achieved total gender equality in the workplace.

Her speech was followed by short contributions from the rest of the panel. Zapata emphasised that we shouldn’t only tackle economic inequality of women for reasons of progress but on the basis of fairness; this should be a question of justice and not just more growth.

Martin de la Harpe explained how his company, which grows and imports flowers from Kenya wholesale, has worked hard in recent years to instil anti-discrimination policies and a positive working environment for women within the company.

And Stephanie Barrientos explained the benefits of focusing on value chains, agreeing that our progress is coming far too slowly and that men need to be brought on-side to achieve the goal of gender parity.

The Secretary of State then accepted questions and contributions from the audience, who included staff and research students from the Global Development Institute, and charity workers from Women Working Worldwide, among others. She managed to collect four full pages of notes from the session.

Review: Jessy Lanza – Oh No

8/10 | Released 13th May on Hyperdub

There must be something in the water over in Canada. No sooner have Ontario’s Junior Boys released Big Black Coat—already one of 2016’s best records, a gorgeous ode to soul and 80s R&B via sleek, chattering synths and Chicago house—Jessy Lanza, also an Ontario native, comes out with the curiously titled Oh No. Lanza’s modus operandi is contorting in vogue outsider pop styles (elements of the kind of chilly synthpop favoured by the alt-R&B crowd, including Empress Of and Nite Jewel) to the point of unfamiliarity until it resembles no one else except herself, last seen on her debut, 2013’s incredible Pull My Hair Back.

Oh No’s predecessor was restrained, minimal and subtly brooding, never reliant on showboating sonic effects. Here, Lanza sounds audibly more confident, her breathy vocals now counterbalanced by effusive yelps, evidenced by her spirited performance on ‘VV Violence’ and ‘Going Somewhere’. You wouldn’t call the production in-your-face necessarily; nevertheless, everything sparkles and glistens increasingly much so than the elegant diffidence of Pull My Hair Back.

In a past life Lanza must’ve surely been an anonymous vocalist on a glut of 80s electro records, jubilant and natural as if she’s singing blithely to herself with earphones in. ‘I Talk BB’ bathes in smooching 80s R&B excesses—pitch-shifted, woozy keyboards and LinnDrum percussion, generous with the reverb—a little too self-referentially, though the tune is nothing less than spectacular and appealingly strange: however indebted the song is to that era of R&B, it is far more capacious and languid than its source material. That strangeness continues on ‘Vivica’, particularly in the way Lanza laces its weird, undulating ghostly synths with snapping trap-friendly beats, low-slung bass and crisp, distorted handclaps; the result is equal parts Mariah Carey, Aaliyah and a rather sluggish, narcotised interpretation of 90s ghetto house.

It’s not the only time Lanza leans towards the sounds of the club for inspiration. Set to a nagging 4/4 thump and decorated with icy analogue synthesisers, the outstanding album centrepiece ‘It Means I Love You’ takes its cues from noises associated with underground dance music: beneath its indisputably fantastic tune are traces of the sorts of sounds usually found on Chicago juke and footwork records; sly hints of the kind of fleet-footed, elasticated house that New York’s 80s voguing dance scene would greatly appreciate. Above it all, Lanza’s vocal capers around the slinky, compelling rhythms. It is perhaps too demure and restrained to be an outright festival-sized banger, although that’s no reason why it shouldn’t be; the introverted production is enticing rather than withdrawn. After all, Lanza isn’t concerned with being ostentatious. Her songs are alluring, meticulous earworms that invite you in, pop music that softly beckons you towards the dancefloor.

She is also discernibly informed by post-disco, brilliantly deconstructing the sparse pop template covered on Madonna’s 1983 self-titled debut: ‘New Ogi’, built upon airy synths and fidgeting arpeggios, the delightfully retro bounce of ‘Never Enough’, and ‘VV Violence’ (a juddering, exhilarating burst of euphoria custom-made for the discotheque) are all distant relatives of that album’s ‘Think Of Me’ or ‘Physical Attraction’. The second half occasionally comes under threat of vanishing into a tasteful vapour, heavy on slow-burning and sensitive electronic pop, but repeat listens betray a generous helping of taut, cunning melodies and absorbing songs. ‘Begins’ continues the lovesick, slow-motion pop of ‘I Talk BB’, although is far superior, allowing the swells of lush electronic backing to overwhelm Lanza’s beguiling, gossamer vocals. Oh No never outstays its welcome, instead working economically across ten immaculate tracks, seemingly an anomaly in 2016 given the bloated runtimes of albums by James Blake, Drake and Kanye West. Whatever the tastemakers think about those albums—and you do hope that at least one of those artists gets their due praise—Oh No is sure to be considered for space in all the annual end-of-year lists.

United victorious in the FA Cup Final

It is unbelievable that Manchester United have reached the FA Cup final, considering the style of football that has become their norm this season. After the ‘fake bomb’ malarkey of last Sunday, United finished their Premier League season with an enjoyable 3-1 home win against Bournemouth. With Manchester City already assured of Champions League football having actually played their final game of the season on Sunday, the match against the Cherries had no importance. The Reds were seemingly given freedom to express themselves, and after a dire first 40 minutes, United opened the scoring with a beautiful move, capped off with Rooney passing the ball into the net. Rashford and Young rounded off the scoring, ending the disappointing season with a convincing win. Things could be somewhat savoured with a FA Cup victory against Palace, who had had a very poor second half to the league season.

Things did not look promising when fans heard that Marcos Rojo was with the travelling squad, and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson was not. The Argentine has had his worst month in a United shirt, yet Louis van Gaal has seemingly ignored his poor performances and kept him in the starting eleven. The rest of the line-up was the same as against Bournemouth, apart from the formally suspended Marouane Fellaini re-joining the first team in place of Jesse Lingard, with Juan Mata being shifted onto the wing.

The FA Cup final had been built up as one of the best cups in the world. However, the game did not exactly live up to the billing. Scrappy, disjointed and unimpressive are adjectives that could describe both teams for the majority of the game. United hit the woodwork twice in the second half before conceding to a fantastic Jason Puncheon volley. Only after conceding did the Reds really put the impetus into their game. Three minutes after conceding, Mata scored a crucial equaliser after an impressive Rooney burst from midfield. It took until the 110th minute, in extra time, for Lingard, who came off the bench, to crash home a spectacular volley. The game finished 2-1, and United claimed their 12th FA Cup trophy, matching Arsenal’s record. The performance was not a stellar one, but the cup will mean that van Gaal can leave the club on a high, with rumours stating the Mourinho will take the hot seat as early as next week.

Player Ratings

De Gea: 7

Had a solid game in between the sticks. Made a competent five saves, one of which was a crucial stop with his feet from a Dwight Gayle, second half of extra time, shot when the score was still level. The very critical would say that the Spaniard should have covered the near post more sufficiently for Puncheon’s goal, however, that would be very harsh. The Palace man caught the volley so sweetly that, even if De Gea got a hand to it, the ball would have still ended up in the back of the net.

Rojo: 6

Better than many United fans would have expected, considering his most recent performances. Pretty wasteful going forward and failed to link up with Anthony Martial on the right hand side. Did well at marshalling the dangerous Zaha but picked up a yellow for his troubles. Was substituted for Matteo Darmian on the 66th minute.

Blind: 7

Back to his more stable self in the centre of defence. Had a terrible game against West Ham and wasn’t his best against Bournemouth. Controlled the back line against an unpredictable Palace strike force. His clever reading of the game allowed him to intercept dangerous passes, clean up and propel passes forward to his team mates.

Smalling: 5

Not a good day for the Player’s Player of the season. Won a fantastic eight aerials against the bullish Conor Wickham, but massively let himself and the team down with some very poor decision making. Pulled down Wickham early on, which referee Mark Clattenburg ridiculously failed to play a beneficial advantage for. That earned him a first silly yellow before doing the exact same thing at the midpoint of extra time. Smalling cynically pulled down Yannick Bolasie after having lost out in a one-on-one and left his team mates fending for the cup with ten men on the pitch. Roy Hodgson will hope the English international can pick up his game in time for the Euros.

Valencia: 6

Typically industrial and safe as usual. Had the highest pass success rate of the back line (85%) but was often caught high up the pitch leaving Smalling and Blind to fend off the pace of Zaha/Bolasie by themselves, leading to both of Smalling’s yellows. While, obviously, not to blame for Smalling’s decision making, Valencia left his flank rather exposed for many fans’ liking. That being said, he provided a fantastic cross for Martial to head onto the post and subdued Bolasie effectively in the second half. His powerful ball into the box was deflected out to Lingard for the winner.

Carrick: 6

A pretty atypical Michael Carrick performance of late; slow at recycling possession and not defensively capable enough to provide an adequate ‘lone’ shield in front of the back four. Dictated the tempo well and kept United from rushing plays in attack. Came close with a header after a rare scurry forward when pushing for a winner in extra time. Probably his final game at the club after a fantastic ten years with the Red Devils. Good to go out with a trophy.

Martial: 7

Impressive throughout the game. Looks dangerous every time the boy gets his foot on the ball. Didn’t complete any dribbles against his opposition, which he will be unhappy about, but provided almost all of United’s attacking impetus. Took six shots, more than any other player on the pitch, but didn’t force the keeper into a single save (all of his shots were off target (1) or blocked (5)). Came agonisingly close by hitting the woodwork with a fantastic header in the second half.

Rooney: 8

The personification of work horse. Got up and down the pitch all day. Made a fantastic challenge in the first half when his defence was all but beaten and, when the team was struggling to find a breakthrough following Palace’s goal, he charged at the opposition’s defence on a magnificent run and teed up the ball for Fellaini to assist Mata’s equaliser. His passing was poor in the first half but got impressively better as the game wore on. A first FA Cup trophy for Rooney’s already sparkling career.

Fellaini: 7

Many a United fan groaned when the team sheet popped up and the Belgian’s name was read out, but the big bully of a man was actually very effective throughout the game. Was a constant threat from corners and the ball always seemed to end up on his noggin, though often bouncing wildly off it in the wrong direction. Linked up fantastically with Rashford in the second half which led to the scapegoated midfielder crashing his shot against the bar. Nodded the ball, smartly, to Mata for the equaliser and gave Mile Jedinak and run for his money in the elbowing statistical chart (don’t worry, that’s not actually a thing).

Mata: 7

If there ever was a game which you would point to and say, “Look! That is why you don’t play Mata as a winger”, this would be the one. Very isolated over on the right; spent most of his time either playing through Valencia for an overlap or passing the ball back to Rooney/Carrick in midfield. However, being the little genius that he is, Mata always ends up being in the right place at the right time. In the first half he forced Hennessey into a tricky save when the ball bounced back to his left peg. In the second half, Mata popped up in the box to drive home Fellaini’s knock down for the equaliser. Picked up a yellow and was substituted shortly after his goal for the energetic Lingard.

Rashford: 7

A tricky afternoon for the youngster. Had to go searching deep into the channels for the ball, but whenever the Mancunian got in possession with space he looked dangerous. Went on a good run in the first half and nicely set up Martial for a shot. Stretched the Palace back line and harried them whenever they had the ball. His afternoon was unfortunately brought to a close early after Cabaye stepped on his knee, hopefully not causing any lasting damage.

Subs

Darmian: 7

Was more composed at left back than Rojo and, after Smalling’s dismissal, showed that he can prove quite the utility centre back. Nothing to rely on but certainly useful to know.

Young: 6

Brought into the fray on the 72nd minute as a striker, but was hopelessly isolated. Smalling’s sending off pushing Young to left back, allowing Lingard and Martial to play as the attacking two (a much better option than a solo Young).

Lingard: 8

Boy oh boy. What a way to do it. The Mancunian has been getting stick from a lot of fans on social media stating that he does not have enough quality to succeed at the club. I say to you, firstly, take a look at the FA Cup final winning goal and his goal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, and tell me that those volleys are not top class. Secondly, this is the boy’s breakthrough season. Yes, at 23 years old he seems to be a late bloomer, but the boy can certainly do a useful job for any United side, as back-up or starting.

Papering over the Cracks

While it is fantastic that Manchester United beat Crystal Palace to lift the FA Cup, there is an air of disappointment around the club. Firstly, the Reds have had an awful season in the league. Secondly, the journey to the cup final have been littered with favourable draws, not a single opponent has been odds on favourites in any tie. And finally, the football was still horrendously poor. Even against Palace, United were arguably lucky to win, against a team which finished 15th in the league… not very promising stuff.

However, on the bright side, Louis van Gaal has won a trophy with the Red Devils in what seems to be his last game as a United manager. The way the season has gone, there could have been no better result than letting the Dutchman leave on a high. He has had an undoubtedly incredible career, but he will not leave Old Trafford branded as a ‘failure’. As for Mourinho, supposedly taking charge as soon as next week, there is not a huge amount to say about the Portuguese manager which has not already been said, other than it will be a very interesting season next year…

Results of Royall anti-Semitism inquiry released

Baroness Royall has released her recommendations following an internal inquiry into anti-Semitism in the Labour Party launched after the resignation of the Oxford University Labour Club’s (OULC) co-Chair and resulting accusations of institutional anti-Semitism within the group.

The youth wing of the Party was shaken by allegations of anti-Semitism after Alex Chalmers stepped down as co-Chair, citing OULC’s decision to support Israeli Apartheid Week and claiming members had “some kind of problem with Jews”.

Royall was tasked by the NEC of the Labour Party to investigate the claims and make recommendations to both the club and the wider party based on her findings. These were released earlier today.

“My recommendations will have a positive impact, not only on OULC, but on Labour clubs and the Labour Party more generally”, states Royall in her introduction, explaining that many reports of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party that followed Chalmers’ resignation, many of which were nationally reported, had to be taken into account during the investigation to inform her findings.

“I do not believe that that there is institutional antisemitism within OULC”, she explains. “Difficulties however, face OULC which must be addressed to ensure a safe space for all Labour students to debate and campaign around the great ideas of our movement.

“It is not possible to simply make recommendations about the OULC without considering how our Party itself responds to these events. I am therefore, today making recommendations about how Labour tackles antisemitism to minimise the chance of any repetition of incidents such as those described at OULC.” She also has issued recommendations to the wider ongoing inquiry being led by Shami Chakrabarti, within which she will serve as a deputy chair.

The recommendations include the provision of training by Labour Students in collaboration with the Jewish Labour Movement in dealing with anti-Semitism, proper resourcing of the national complaints procedure so as to effectively deal with reports, and enabling individuals to report incidents to the Executive Director of Governance of the Labour Party directly. The full list can be read in full here.

The final point is that it “is not recommended that where a person is excluded from membership for antisemitism this should automatically be a life ban.” She explains her belief that opinions may change and where this can be demonstrated, individuals should be able to seek approval to re-join the Party. This is especially important following public comments made by former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone regarding Hitler’s links with Zionism. Livingstone has been suspended and his future within the party is yet to be decided.

Her recommendations to the Chakrabarti inquiry follow. She recommends considering creating a definition of anti-Semitism, introducing rules for dealing with anti-Semitism quicker, extending the eight-week probationary period to one year when anti-Semitism is involved, and addressing the conduct of online discussion which is often the source of some of the most extreme comments.

Her final point: “No form of antisemitism or racism is acceptable, including being used as a factional political tool.”

Academics to walk out over “insulting” pay levels

In an ongoing dispute between the University and College Union (UCU) and British universities, academic staff across the country will strike on the 25th and 26th of May after a proposed pay increase of only 1.1 per cent.

The Universities and Colleges Employers’ Association (UCEA) offered the increase, only 0.1 per cent above the previous offer, prompting the decision amongst union members after a vote for industrial action last week.

The pay increase has been described as “an insult” by the union, especially placed alongside a 14.5 per cent pay cut in real terms in the last six years. Staff members will walk out next Thursday and Friday as well as only working “to contract” from the 25th onwards—not working overtime, setting added work, or voluntarily giving time to cover classes, for example.

Students, most of whom have finished teaching for the academic year, have been warned of disruption to their timetables as well as possibly to administrative and library services, though were told that exams will proceed as normal.

UMUCU President, Adam Ozanne, in his introduction to the union branch’s Spring newsletter, wrote: “HE pay has fallen 14.5% in real terms over the past six years. The gender pay gap persists, with female academics earning on average £6103 less than their male colleagues. Staff costs as a percentage of total costs have declined as more and more is spent on new buildings and the salaries of a few top managers.

“Many VCs have awarded themselves generous pay increases: their average pay rose 3% between 2013/14 and 2014/15. It is time to both narrow the gender pay gap and make up some of the losses of the past six years. The HE sector, which generated a total surplus of £1.85bn in 2014-15, can afford more than 1.1% but our employers will not agree unless we insist on a fairer deal.

“Despite [the university’s] supposed commitment to Social Responsibility, there is evidence that pay inequality is increasing: the number of high-earning staff paid over £100k increased by 50% from 81 to 122 between 2013 and 2015 while much lower paid catering staff in UMC Ltd are losing their jobs and having their hours cut.”

General Secretary of UCU Sally Hunt said: “Members in higher education have sent a clear message to employers that, after six years of real-terms pay cuts amounting to 14.5%, they will not tolerate a continued squeeze on their income. Industrial action which impacts on students is never taken lightly, but staff feel that they have been left with no alternative.

“A 1.1% offer is an insult to the hard work and dedication of higher education staff, particularly in light of the 3% average pay rise enjoyed by vice-chancellors this year. The ball is now in UCEA’s court, but the employers need to come back to the table with a much improved offer if they wish to avoid significant disruption to students in the coming months.”

A University of Manchester spokesperson said: “The University has been formally notified that one of the campus trades unions (UCU) intends to commence industrial action in relation to a trade dispute over the 2016 pay claim with a two-day strike and continuous action short of a strike on Wednesday, 25 May and Thursday, 26 May.

“While recognising the rights of individual members of staff to take industrial action, it is the University’s intention to endeavour to maintain normal operations during industrial action to safeguard the interests of our students and also of our staff and other stakeholders.”

Deal reached in Junior Doctors dispute subject to membership ballot

A compromise has finally been reached in the long-running dispute regarding contract changes for junior doctors, it has been reported.

The bitter argument between the Health Secretary and the British Medical Association has run since late 2015 and seen the first walkout of Junior Doctors in history, in protest of what was seen as “dangerous” behaviour from Jeremy Hunt, who wants to see the NHS move to a “seven-day” model.

The last bout of industrial action saw emergency care withdrawn by Junior Doctors as well, though public support has remained strong for the medics throughout the debate.

Talks have been supervised by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) over the past 10 days, and today it was announced that a compromise settlement for the contract has been reached.

It cannot be implemented, however, until it is approved by the membership of the BMA, which numbers 45,000.

UEA bans mortarboard throwing at graduation

Students at the University of East Anglia have been instructed to mime the traditional cap-throwing at graduation ceremonies following “a number of injuries” by falling hats.

Soon-to-be-graduates received guidance from a photography company about miming the throw, letting them know the hats could be digitally added later—for an extra cost of £8.

Health and safety concerns prompted UEA to issue the ban on throwing hats, though the guidance also gave encouragement that “this will have the added advantage that even more of the students’ faces will be seen in this photograph.”

A university spokesperson described that falling hats posed an “unacceptable risk”.

“The decision to not have the traditional ‘hat throwing’ photo opportunity for all students this year follows a number of injuries over recent years to graduates hurt by falling mortarboards,” she said.

“This is an unacceptable risk, and we want to ensure no student’s graduation day is ruined by the potential for avoidable injury.

“This has been agreed by our academic dress suppliers who often receive back damaged mortarboards, and our photographers.”

After law students were originally contacted by letting them know that hurling their caps was banned, the university confirmed that it would apply to all graduands this year.

United Player Ratings: Manchester United vs Bournemouth

It had been an odd couple of days leading up to Manchester United’s final league game of the season. The kerfuffle on Sunday meant that the Reds would have to play on Tuesday evening; Old Trafford was evacuated and the match abandoned because of a ‘training device’ (dummy bomb) left in one of the toilets. The club was once again a laughing stock, although praise must go to the staff at Old Trafford who carried out the evacuation and handled the tricky situation as well as they could have.

Sunday also featured Manchester City’s final game of the season. United were desperate for a Swansea victory over the ‘noisy neighbours’ in the hope that the Reds could still realistically nab Champions League qualification. Unfortunately, the Sky Blues held out for a 1-1 draw at the Etihad, meaning that United would have to scored 19 goals and concede none against Bournemouth to steal 4th place… As you may have predicted, United didn’t succeed in that feat.

Louis van Gaal, in what might have been his final game at Old Trafford, made a statement of attacking intent with his line-up. The Dutchman has either been following United fans on Twitter or had a revelation; Rojo was finally dropped, after weeks of poor performances, with the young Cameron Borthwick-Jackson reintroduced at left back. Mata and Lingard were finally switched from their uncomfortable roles to their natural positions, the former playing behind Rashford, the latter out on the right wing. The rest of the team was as you might have expected. Rooney played as a midfield driving force next to the deep lying Carrick. Young stars Rashford and Martial played up front and on the left respectively with the defence made up by Valencia, Blind and Smalling with De Gea in net.

The game did not start positively. As has been the case for much of the season, the opposition sat deep and looked dangerous on the counter. United were laborious in attack, unable to break down Bournemouth’s defence until the 43rd minute. Martial played a quick one-two with Mata before firing the ball across the box (through Rashford’s dummy) to pick out Rooney who slotted home before half time. It took until the 74th minute to grab the second, Rooney’s ‘Hollywood’ cross-field pass picked out Valencia, who pulled the ball back to Rashford to slot home. Young scored a late goal but Bournemouth got a consolation through a Smalling own-goal at the death, ending the game at 3-1 to the hosts.

 

De Gea: 6

Heart-breaking to concede a deflected goal in the 92nd minute and lose his clean sheet which would have awarded the Spaniard with the Golden Glove, joint with Petr Čech. Had literally nothing to do for the entirety of the match. Hopefully not his final game in a United shirt.

Borthwick-Jackson: 6

Another solid appearance for the Reds. Wasn’t challenged too often but when he was called into action the youngster did not disappoint. Playing in practically a left wing role, he interchanged clever passes with Martial on the left and his whipped crosses really do look similar to the likes of Beckham, as United fans haven’t failed to point out. Pass success rate of 93%, 2 dribbles, 2 tackles. Should have got closer to Grabban for his cross which led to the Bournemouth goal. A reasonably smooth night for the Mancunian.

Blind: 7

Like Borthwick-Jackson, and the rest of the United defence, had a very quiet night. Looked a bit shaky whenever he tried to dribble the ball out of the back but he did the job effectively tonight. He harried the Bournemouth strikers whenever they got possession of the ball. Completed 93% of his passes, 1 tackle and 2 dribbles. Was left in no-mans-land for the consolation goal.

Smalling: 6

Dominated in the air winning 5 aerial duals. Had a pass success rate of 95% and, like Blind, closed down the speedy Wilson and King with ease. Was very unlucky to deflect Wilson’s shot past De Gea, the English international did not have time to react and cannot be blamed for it either. His powerful performance summed up his season and was rightly awarded the Players’ Player of the Year award.

Valencia: 8

Combined well with Lingard to make a very industrious right hand side. Won the second most tackles on the pitch (4) and got forward well too, providing Rashford with a well-weighted cut back to fire home. Really does look like a useful player and is probably worth holding on to over the summer, not something many United fans would have said two months ago.

Carrick: 6

An unfortunately quite game for the man who may not be playing in a United shirt next season. Had an un-Carrick-like long range strike deflected onto the woodwork (any type of Carrick strike is normally unusual). Shielded the back four effectively and distributed play with lots of sideways passes and lay-offs. Not the best, but nowhere near the worst we have seen of Carrick. Hopefully, he’ll stick around next season. He is a good player to have in the dressing room.

Martial: 8

As is the norm now, looked dangerous every time he picked up the ball with space to run into. Played a fantastic one-two with Mata before setting up Rooney for the opener. Like Mata, if given room to roam, can be lethal in picking up areas of space to play quick passes or run at the opposition. The boy-wonder has been rightfully picked in the French squad for this summer’s Euros, and will probably start in an attacking trio alongside Giroud and Griezmann, frightening for any defence.

Rooney: 9

Much the scape-goat for United’s season, the Captain seems to be warming to his new position in the centre of the park. Although yet to come up against really tough opposition, Rooney has excelled at driving at defences from deep and arriving late into the penalty area in a Lampard-esc fashion, exactly how he scored against Bournemouth. His fantastic ball out to Valencia on the right hand side was the assist of the assist of Rashford’s goal, so to speak. He also dinked a lovely ball over the Cherry’s defence to Young, who slotted away the third.

Mata: 7

Looks much more dangerous in a central position rather than on the wing. Played some nice interchanges with both Martial and Rooney in advanced positions and should have been awarded a penalty after being brought down in the area. Was substituted in the 75th minute for Herrera. Not his most influential game, but if United want to play attractive football in the future, Mata needs to be given the freedom to create like his did on Tuesday night.

Lingard: 6

Industrious as ever on the right, but as the stats suggest (2 tackles, 0 dribbles), the Mancunian is not the Red Devil’s most influential player in an attacking sense. Conservative in possession and never really managed to make an impact on the game. Some United fans on twitter have taken to slating the 23 year old for ‘not being good enough’. While I do not disagree, Lingard definitely has things to offer this team, his work rate being a big one. Hopefully he will be included in a squad role for next season.

Rashford: 8

Showed all of those doubters why the 18 year old Mancunian has been included in Hodgson’s conditional 26-man squad for the Euros. His burst onto the scene has been phenomenal. Like Martial, his statistics do not do him justice, his dribbling and runs off the ball are so intelligent and mature for a forward of his age. Scored the finest finish of the night from Valencia’s lay-off, an exquisitely executed half-volley into the far corner of the net. Lots more exciting things to come from the youngster.

Substitutes

Herrera: 6

Replaced Mata with fifteen minutes to play. Didn’t get involved enough.

Memphis: N/A

Made a few good runs but lost possession too many times. Next year is a new year. Memphis is going to need to forget about this season and starting
thinking about what kind of player he wants to be,

Young: N/A

Came on for the final few minutes as a striker and made a very intelligent run which was picked out by Rooney. Slotted the ball past Federici to score his first goal of the season in his last game of the season.

 

Because of the fiasco on Sunday at Old Trafford, United now only have four days to prepare for the FA Cup final at Wembley in comparison with Crystal Palace’s six. However, the Eagles seem to have been resting for even longer than that: they did not put in much of a performance against Southampton on Sunday, losing 4-1, showing that their sights were firmly set on the Cup. While United are favourites for the game, nothing, especially in this dramatic season of football, is certain. It would be a fantastic way to send off Louis van Gaal. The Dutchman has received huge amounts of criticism this season, most of it justified, however, the man deserves massive respect for his career and has fundamentally improved the team since the days of Moyes. Winning the FA Cup would make a poor stint with the Red Devils a little less poor.

Q&A: Bontan

In a short space of time, North West UK-based Bontan has notched up an impressive set of achievements that’d leave most old school acts green with envy. With headline supporters including Pete Tong, Annie Mac and Carl Cox his music is talking loud and helping him to develop a reputation that’ll be the foundation for many years to come.

This, of course, started off with…

Manchester seems to be a special place to play for you, what is it about the crowds here that keeps you coming back?

I just love the crowds in the North. They have a unique energy about them like nowhere ​I’ve​ experienced in the world.

​​Of course you’ve been coming over here quite a bit recently for your Sankeys residency. What’s it been like to be a resident there, has it allowed you to play a bit differently than the sets that you are usually booked for at clubs?

I get to take a few more risks in my DJ set ​I​ think. The crowd is really open in Sankeys so you can take them on a journey and play some music you wouldn’t usually.

​Summer will be upon us soon, which means Ibiza and festival season, is there anywhere you are looking forward to playing in particular?

I’ve got a run of five dates in Sankeys ​Ibiza which ​I’m really looking forward to. They have managed to capture the same vibe as ​S​ankeys Manchester. The sound system kicks ass as well!

​Can you tell us about any particular tracks that you have been playing in a lot of your sets that have been going down a treat there and in other clubs?

I’ve done a new track called ‘Visions’ which ​I​ constantly play out. It​’​s got a creepy vocal and it​’​s a solid groover. It​’​s a personal favourite of my own!

​There have been some murmurs and worries about the state of Tech House and house music at the moment, in the form of some think pieces. What do you think about how the scene is looking at the moment, do you share any of those concerns at all?

I think people need to worry less and dance more. Where’s the fun in stressing all the time?

​It was only just over ​three​ years ago that you put out your breakout remix of Josh Butler’s ‘Got A Feeling’, to now supporting the biggest names in not only house music but dance music in general (in reference to the legend that is Nile Rodgers), how does it feel to look back to where you started compared to how things are now?

I never imagined when ​I​ started producing music that ​I​ would win an award for my music or share the stage with someone like Nile Rodgers. It​’​s totally mindblowing for me. All from making beats in my mum and dad​’​s loft!

​When I think of Tech House music, Chic isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. How did it come about that you and your friend Josh Butler became their supporting acts on their tour last year and how did the crowds respond to it? Did you guys have to cater your set at all to the audiences who came to hear ‘Le Freak’?

Nile had heard the track Josh​ and I​ did with Vula and he loved it. He loves ​h​ouse music and asked could​ Josh​ and I​ support them on the tour. I thought my manager was winding me up when he told me! We played deep ​S​oulful ​H​​ouse on the tour. It was incredible!

​What do you listen to when you aren’t looking for tracks to play in your sets?

I actually listen to a lot of classical music. Also a lot of funk and soul.

Manchester medical students travel to Madagascar to study and treat infectious disease

On the 20th May, the Manchester-based MadEx2016 team will be flying out to Madagascar. Their aim is to study and treat parasitic disease schistosomiasis in infected children living in one of the most remote areas of the world.

Globally, 243 million people are infected with schistosomiasis. The long-term consequences of this disease can be devastating, leading to severe anaemia and cancer.

The team is made up of recent Manchester graduate Dr. Stephen Spencer, James Penney, Corty Linder and Hannah Russell—all medical students at the University of Manchester. Stephen founded this project back in 2013, and it has taken Stephen and the team, including original team member Anthony Howe, and also Kate Millichamp and Mark Lewis, over two years to organise.

Last summer, the team visited the Marolambo region in Madagascar for the first MadEx expedition. The team sat in the back of huge camions and hiked through stunning scenery with heavy research kit before being welcomed into Malagasy communities. They took urine and faecal samples from children and used microscopes in the field to look for the presence of parasitic eggs. The team trekked between villages fuelled by rice and beans, before heading back to the capital, Antananarivo, to collate their data.

The expedition was a huge success and results showed that 94 per cent of children were infected with schistosomiasis.

The expedition was a fantastic experience and opened the team’s eyes to the world of research and the possibilities of medical work in remote, unknown places. They found that being entirely responsible for a project and coming away with useful data was extremely rewarding.

Since the first expedition, the team has been busy planning the follow-up research trip, which has official approval and support from The Royal Geographical Society, Madagascar Ministry of Health, the University of Manchester, the University of Antananarivo and the World Health Organisation.

This year’s main aims are to assess the impact that this potentially deadly infection is having on the communities. The team will use ultrasound to monitor effects of the disease on the livers of the children, fitness tests, and finger-prick tests for anaemia. Education programmes will be delivered to teach basic hygiene and infection control, and to improve local understanding of schistosomiasis. Finally, they will be taking the medicine Praziquantel with them in order to treat those infected.

The team hopes to return each year to reassess the impact of schistosomiasis. The long-term aim is to liaise with both governmental and non-governmental organisations to control schistosomiasis in this part of Madagascar.

Follow the team’s progress on their blog or donate to their crowdfunding page.

Album: The Last Shadow Puppets – Everything You’ve Come To Expect

A lot has changed for these two Indie heroes since their last release of ‘The Age of the Understatement’ in 2008. Miles Kane is no longer a shy stranger to the Indie music scene or being seen as Alex Turners protégée puppy. With his own successes such as ‘Come Closer’ and ‘Don’t Forget Who You Are’ since TLSP’s first release, and with Alex Turner growing ever larger with the Arctic Monkeys, this project was set up to be a spectacular pairing.

The album opens with ‘Aviation’, which feels somewhat familiar to that of a track that you’d hear from AM. ‘Miracle Aligner’ is up next, and again I’m taken back to the soundtrack of Submarine, at this moment in time I’m feeling like Alex Turner is just using up songs that didn’t quite make the cut of his other work.

The next few songs do start to take form on their own; mellow 60’s vibes come through especially in Everything You’ve Come To Expect. This song reminds me of something you’d hear at a fairground in an old film.  These similar 60’s/70’s strings and breathy vocals continue for the majority of the tracks, no future shout-your-heart-out-hits quite yet.

‘Bad Habits’ is next on the list, and probably their best from the album, it’s their most recent single from the album. It only took half the album to get a song that sounds exciting and has some back-bone to it. It’s at this point in the album where the tracks sound less of a whisper and more of a shout.

The next tracks are what I was hoping for from these two.Used To Be My Girl’ sounds so much less melancholy and has a lot more oomph, and this then melts into tThe Dream Synopsist, which is the most relaxed and psychedelic on the album (but again sounds like something from Submarine).

It’s got to be questioned really, what does Kane really bring to this? Other than being a support singer and shouting a few random words here and there? (Sorry Miles.) You’d have thought after eight years of growing as musicians and having that much more experience under their belts that this album would have just a bit more substance.

But I guess if you had enough free time and such a dedicated following like Turner does, you have enough resources to release any crock of crap and it will still sell.

So is this everything I’ve come to expect?… I mean kind of, but I was hoping for a little more.

The Thermals – We Disappear

Released 25th March by Saddle Creek

4/10

Is there an emerging 90s emo revival on the horizon? No sooner has Yuck’s disappointing Stranger Things come along, the Thermals’ seventh album We Disappear yields ‘The Great Dying’, strongly recalling Jawbreaker: groaning, overdriven guitars, epic slow-mo drums, heavy on the cymbals, and a palpable sense of angst at its core. It is gloriously self-involved and forthright, still managing to squeeze out earworms from hulking great rock riffs. But then, solid pop songwriting is what we’ve come to expect from Portland, Oregon’s finest.

Squalling, amplified feedback and a beefy bassline set the tone for ‘Into the Code’; like torrential rain on a grey afternoon, its dense slabs of hefty grunge-pop rain over you without respite. It sums up the rest of an album that’s heavy-handed and weirdly characterless. ‘Hey You’, while certainly rousing, is raucous without any grit, loud and angst-ridden without feeling. It’s not that early-90s alt-rock isn’t necessarily an infertile area to mine for musical inspiration, but you’ve heard it all before and much, much better. Pinkerton this isn’t. Despite the decaying relationship explored on ‘My Heart Went Cold’ (“I couldn’t keep you warm, my heart went cold”), the tune is unfortunately very pedestrian.

There are some fleeting highlights. ‘In Every Way’ gets it right, predictable but fun. As does ‘Thinking of You’: memorable, economical and undemanding in the best possible way. Of course, it’s breezy stuff, though unlike other songs, its melody sticks. ‘If We Don’t Die Today’ channels late period Dinosaur Jr. with aplomb, a slice of power pop perfection and a few notches better than previous tracks; never mind that it’s so retrograde you envision it coming at you on a skateboard with washed-out, knee-cut jeans and long hair. However, the rest borders on the soporific, pithy punk rock that leaves without a trace. The listless, exhaling swoon of ‘Years in a Day’ simply evaporates into empty swathes of ambient textures and lazily strummed guitars. As it disappears and recedes into nothingness, a sudden, usual sensation takes hold of you: the song has completely slipped your mind.

Worse still is ‘The Walls’, a profoundly boring example of Gaslight Anthem-by-numbers—and the Gaslight Anthem aren’t a band anybody wants to attract comparisons with. That said, nothing here stays longer than necessary. Its brevity is a blessing and a curse: concise and punchy so as not to bore you, short enough to be entirely forgettable. Trite as it sounds, the Thermals are wearing their influences and their hearts on their sleeves like never before. We Disappear comes fed through a Big Muff distortion pedal—no subtleties in sight and scant variation. Perhaps that emo revival will have to hold off a while longer.

University cut Counselling course which “doesn’t bring in enough money”

The University of Manchester has announced its MA Counselling course is closing, with students saying they have been told it did not make enough money.

Staff and students were let know it will be replaced with research-led teaching in the next academic year, after the final cohort of students finished on Wednesday the 11th of May. It came just days before 2016’s Mental Health Awareness Week, which begins today.

An anonymous student told the MEN: “We were told that our course doesn’t bring in enough money through research.

“It’s really sad that it has all come down to money rather than providing something positive to the community.”

Photo: Time To Change

51-year-old student Sarah Ellenbogen also talked to the MEN, expressing her concern that the closure would damage mental health provision even further. “This course has given over 100,000 counselling hours all over Manchester for free.

“To rob a city of all those voluntary hours is a travesty. It’s a brilliant and inspirational course. To close it in the current climate is shameful.”

A University of Manchester spokesperson said: “After careful consideration the decision was made in September 2014 to stop admitting new students to the MA Counselling programme.

“This was linked to the Manchester Institute of Education’s commitment to focus upon research-led teaching and an associated consolidation of its contribution to the counselling profession around its doctoral programme in Counselling Psychology.

“Students remaining on the programme have continued to receive the same high level of teaching as their fellow students in previous years and we value the contribution that our counselling students make to the community through their work on a large range of projects and placements, many in healthcare settings.”

Fish Out Of Water: Radiohead Relay

So here I am, a fish out of water, ready to tackle the nostalgia, love and hype that is Radiohead. My peers leap in surprise when I mention I’ve only listened to one song on an old Top Gear driving album, and to be honest, I didn’t really enjoy it. Join me on this eight-album odyssey, ending just before their latest, for the full, unaltered first impressions.

Pablo Honey (1993) kicks off with ‘You’ and ‘Creep’. First impression, is they don’t really have a different sound. Their sound seems “generic rock band”, but the variation comes from the composition and songwriting, not the sound. Especially visible in ‘Creep’, there is a loathing to be admired from Yorke’s vocals, and the lyrics protrude with poetry. As the album continues, I come to recognise their early sound, and can see why it took off, they’re the perfect festival band to whine along with in the warm dusk. However, it is really one sound across the album; there’s nothing ground-breaking here.

The Bends (1995) is a slightly different fish to fry. Each riff is more confident, more energetic and more positive, but the vocals seem weaker compared to the previous album. Actually, they’re not weaker, they’re just less powerful as they hit you. ‘High and Dry’ is a breath of fresh air in the album, drawing on the more lyrical and personal nature of the previous album. Despite this, a song will occasionally creep out of the mix that is completely original and inspired, and a completely different sound, in this case ‘Just’ and ‘My Iron Lung’. I’m getting near the hype, not quite there.

We’ve arrived at OK Computer (1997), known for its critical acclaim, and it’s fair to say I’m looking forward to something excellent. I’m thrown into a different world that I just wasn’t expecting. It’s confident where The Bends wasn’t, and grown from what Pablo Honey was attempting to do—it’s an entirely new sound, separate from the previous albums but more importantly from the rest of the genre. I got lost in the world of the ‘Subterranean Homesick Alien’, attention arrested by ‘Karma Police’, and was completely taken aback by the subtlety of ‘No Surprise’. I’m in the hype.

The next question is if they can follow with an album maintaining the excitement and skill put forward by OK Computer. Kid A (2000) begins with the track ‘Everything In Its Right Place’, aptly named, as this record clicks everything into place. This record is vastly more experimental with its vocoder-esque ‘Kid A’ lulling you into a background or the ‘National Anthem’ which follows as a windy-synth big band experience. ‘How To Disappear Completely’ and ‘In Limbo’ continues and indulges in the surreal noise atmosphere. I must say this is my favourite album yet.

Amnesia (2001) pushes the experimentation further than any of the previous albums. Standalone, I don’t feel it would have worked, but with the preceding discography, it flows beautifully. ‘Packt Like Sardines In A Crushed Tin Box’ is a strong opener, following the experimental sound environment of the previous albums. ‘I Might Be Wrong’ lulls me into some kind of stupor, which I then get thrown out of by the lounge-jazz extraordinaire ‘Dollars & Cents’.

My experience is somewhat similar of Hail To The Thief (2003) which is another impressive creative masterpiece. I see 2000 – 2003 as their most creative years; this is where you can see Radiohead settled in their own noise and they know exactly what to deliver and how to deliver it. They hit their stride in an expertly crafted wall of texture that won’t relent. ‘Sit Down. Stand Up’ and ‘There, There’ are both favourites for me here, as the vocals throw you in and out of the bulging structure. Yet, despite my admiration for this album, I can’t help but feel there’s a loss of momentum towards the end, the riffs and vocals feeling lacklustre to comparison of previous releases.

I begin In Rainbows (2007) cautiously. The sound has energy, that can’t be argued, but for me it’s lost the attention which it so demanded before. ‘Nude’ sparks my interest as an intimate and haunting and sparse vocal number, followed later by ‘All I Need’, which has a heavy omniscience about it that I start to enjoy, before ‘Reckoner’ takes me in for a sweeping ride. ‘House Of Cards’ and ‘Jigsaw’ rope me back in, fumbling around with a memory of their previous energy. This album is confusing for me, as some songs are fantastical, whilst others fall below par. I’m careful to listen for what made the reaction to this album so overwhelmingly positive, yet sadly, I fail to find it.

At last, the end of our journey is here with The King Of Limbs (2011). I’m thrown straight into a murmur of sound, very much at home amongst the Kid A noise with ‘Bloom’. Damn, I’m happy they brought this sound back. ‘Lotus Flower’ sets me free, and ‘Codex’ lulls me to rest. This album is a celebration of their subtleties juxtaposed with their experimental environment from early on, and frankly up there with my favourites.

Thank you for the journey, but what is the overall verdict? I’m not going to claim to be the biggest Radiohead fan—who would be after this almighty binge?—however, I now appreciate their style, their charisma and their damn good music. Kid A came out top for me with the beautiful experimentation of texture.

When they hit their stride, it was fucking awesome. I’m in the hype, honey.

Festival Preview – Parklife Festival

The inevitability of attending Parklife is fairly inescapable at this point for us students, even for those who are entering their final years at Manchester, it is somewhat of a no-brainer. While owed partly to being an entirely convenient end-of-the-year post-exams celebration, the festival has fulfilled on its reputation and has kept us coming back with stellar line-ups each year.

From what can be gauged from this year’s line-up there is plenty to indicate that it will do just that, what with being a line-up curated by The Warehouse Project, the expected cast of top DJs is enough to suggest as such. With the usual suspects of the likes of Eats Everything, Jamie xx, Dixon, DJ EZ, Jamie Jones, MK, Andy C, Hannah Wants, as well as many others who have rightfully earned permanent spots on most Parklife, WHP and other UK festival line-ups.

Of course there are those returning who, in relation to the aforementioned acts we have become accustomed to on the British circuit, will be welcomed back as somewhat unfamiliar faces, such as Kaytranada, Todd Terje and DJ Koze. However chances are the most anticipated sets, for those who have already ventured to the Heaton Park grounds before, will be from the interesting back-to backers and first-timers. Notably back-to-back sets from Armand Van Helden and Jackmaster (other Jackmaster sets are available), Four Tet and Floating Points, Seth Troxler and The Martinez Brothers and Mele & Monki’s NRG Flash, as well as the notable first appearances of the likes of Flume, Diplo, Major Lazer, Mura Masa, Black Coffee, and Jasper James.

Yet the weekend will also serve to fulfil the recurring trend of DJs ditching the decks for live performances, a trend set by the absent Disclosure and Rudimental whom have taken leave of their usual headline slots to stand watch over sister festival Wildlife, but whose shoes have been filled by Gorgon City, Sigma, Wilkinson and Maribou State. That being said, those seeking a truly ‘live’ electronic experience would do well to make it to what will probably be an unmissable set from KiNK. This is of course not to mention the homecoming Manchester alumni, The Chemical Brothers, for what has the potential to be a stirring headlining set considering their humble beginnings, playing in the hall above the Owens Park Tower canteen.

While electronic music unashamedly makes up a substantial portion of the acts over the weekend, Parklife has each year continuously sought to bring out even more interesting non-electronic headliners and acts than the year before. With the impressive showing of legendary hip-hop artists last year, the appearances of Ice Cube, Busta Rhymes and De La Soul helps to raise that bar this year. Which is not to say that Skepta and Stormzy’s main stage billings, along with the slew of stellar grime artists on the Radio 1Xtra stage don’t have the UK rap scene locked down as well. A sufficient selection of pop, rock and indie artists are present in the form of Years & Years, Wolf Alice, Circa Waves and Bastille as well as others, yet these feel relatively safe and do not stand out as much as previous bookings of the likes of Grace Jones or The Roots.

The overall line up remains formidable and the festival as whole could seem to surpass previous events if it improves in other areas. With this being the first time a specific theme and aesthetic has been showcased, in the form of the outer-space promotional imagery, it may serve to give the festival some much needed distinctive imagery for ravers to take in beyond the usual Temple and Colonnade stages, where certainly the Elrow stage will most-likely feature some colourful and densely decorated stage design, if the Spanish club brand’s stand-alone parties are anything to go by. Though logistically speaking, the kinks of travelling to and from the grounds with the Travel Pass will hopefully not be as arduous as years past, where trams broke down on the way and buses back to town were delayed to the point where people did not get back in time to gain entry to the Afterlife parties. Either way there is plenty in store here that could see this being the best Parklife to date, let’s just hope it doesn’t bloody rain!

Album: Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool

Released 8th May via XL

Now listen here everyone, you can just take your socio-political complacency, romantic contentment and existential comfort and shove ’em, cus Radiohead are back, and this time they mean business. As summer once again rears its sweat-basted head, Abingdon’s finest have slung into our jort-clad laps what might just be the dourest album they’ve ever made, just in case anyone was planning on letting the promise of three months of beer and ice cream buoy them to a vague level of benighted happiness. Because in case you were about to forget, society’s still a moral toilet, the earth is still being choked to carcinomic death, and love is still a sadistic, chimerical fucking lie, and if you won’t take it from Comrade Yorke then who will you take it from? Maybe you all just love Big Brother after all.

But, despite having rambled thus, I actually have nothing against proselytizing and doom-mongering in popular music in principle; indeed, a sense of moral concern in any artist is to be commended (which isn’t to say that the absence of it is to be condemned). And when it’s made to sound as good as, say, Kid A did, then by all means hand me my standard-issue copy of Manufacturing Consent and point me to the nearest Green Party Conference. Judging by how A Moon Shaped Pool sounds, however, I sense that Radiohead are less energetic—if no less sure—in their convictions. With the exception of the choppy, anti-reactionary opener ‘Burn The Witch’ and the muttered, mantric anxiety-relapse ‘Full Stop’, everything moves slowly on this album, like a slightly portly middle-aged runner who sprints the first lap to prove a point and then jogs the rest. They are, I guess, getting on after all.

‘Burn The Witch’ is the least tacitly political song on A Moon Shaped Pool, in much the same way that the closer, ‘True Love Waits’ (a dull song carried by its strong lyrics but best iterated in its (at last) recorded form here on the album), is the least tacitly romantic; both are songs which have languished in the Radiohead laboratory for some time and have only now been reified on record. As such, their lyrical directness is incongruous with the meandering, free-associated, often repetitive lyrics of the other songs—younger songs written by older men.

Generally speaking, Yorke’s lyrics have never marked him as a potential candidate for Poet Laureate, but what considerable lyrical power the best Radiohead songs have had in the past has invariably derived from the adroit mobilisation of what are essentially catchphrases and often clichés. These unambiguous phrases sit in the middle of a musical context which is anything but, drawing attention with their familiarity and signifying by their redefining interplay with the rest of the lyrics and the sonic strangeness enveloping them—think ‘Little By Little’ or ‘Climbing Up The Walls’. What I’m trying to get at with all this meandering, free-associating repetition is that on A Moon Shaped Pool, the approach is far more subtle.

Which isn’t to say Radiohead have hitherto eschewed subtlety. But their best songs have never given you a choice but to listen—you can’t ignore the cosmic motion of the main motif of ‘Everything In Its Right Place’ any more than you can misunderstand its title. But on A Moon Shaped Pool, the songs let you come to them, and make you want to stay. And it’s important to do so, because their unhurried, diffuse sound-worlds’ power lies in their detail, most grippingly so on the shivering, string-borne ‘Glass Eyes’ (Johnny Greenwood you’re my hero), the ghost-jig ‘Identikit’ and the half-speed, half-finished, might-have-been trance-classic ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Thief’. While the aggregated nuances of the songs here may not be quite so seismically affecting as, say, the cosmic motion of the main motif of ‘Everything In Its Right Place’, they satisfy in a more long-range kind of way, incubating moods rather than charging emotions.

This album may be work to listen to, at least at first; but it sure ain’t hard work.

8/10