UNDER CITY LIGHTS

[undercitylightsmagazine]

‘There’s no time to live your life for people that don’t care about you.’ Notes On An Interview with NUUXS

Words by: Nikou Jahanshahi Alemi ‘We had no contact with the outside world.’ ‘We weren’t allowed to listen to music.’ ‘When I eventually left at the age of fifteen, I didn’t really know anything about anything’. Words from NUUXS, an up-and-coming artist, on her experience growing up in a cult. I spoke to NUUXS this week ahead of the release of her new mixtape Red Tape Vol.2. We discussed her early life, music as a healing process, her aims, and her recently released mixtape and single.

In her own words: ‘Where do I start?’. To begin, NUUXS laid out that she had grown up in Hackney with her single mum, her brother and her sister, describing it as ‘as tough as it can be when you’re sort of struggling with life.’ Her mum then moved them to the rural north and remarried a very religious guy who bound them into a Christian cult when she was ten years old.

NUUXS told me that growing up in a cult was weird because she had previously known a ‘normal’ childhood. She was not allowed to stay in contact with any friends or family, not even her dad. NUUXS explained that her new stepdad changed all their numbers and they had moved to lots of different places so no one could find them. She was home-schooled for a while and then eventually was allowed to go to school, but even then, she had to do bible study alone in the library instead of playtime. When asked to describe her life in the cult she explained that because it was a very small community her stepdad was able to take control of everything. Being cut off from the outside world meant that when NUUXS finally left the cult she felt she didn’t know anything about pop-culture and she told me that ‘I always thought in the back of my head that the devil was going to get me’.

I asked if this experience had left any long-lasting effects on her life, she responded that she used to be really anti-Christian, but that this has changed with time and healing. She thought that she never wanted to step into a church ever again but says that she has grown. Now she sees it as ‘just all about people and who you are as an individual.’ She came to the conclusion that if she had carried on blaming a certain ‘thing’ rather than a person she would become just like her stepdad.

On the topic of her stepdad, she said it was ‘weird’ as he sometimes he would be really nice and so there’s a part of her that still loves him as a father. ‘You look up to an adult as someone you trust and care about and obviously there were times that he cared about us and loved us and then other times...’ She told me  it was tough to get out of it, as there was a lot of mental abuse and difficulty, but that eventually she started asking questions and then finally ran away. She concludes that growing up in a cult was an experience. ‘It’s just my story I guess it’s made me who I am today’.

We discussed whether she had a reactionary response to the years of musical absence in her life. She explains that before the cult she used to listen to a lot of J. Lo and Gwen Stefani and movie soundtracks. She revealed that Tarantino was a big influence. ‘I was just inspired by everything really and then when I got back into music when I left the cult I learnt from a lot of session players so I got into bands and they’d teach me all about jazz and funk and I was just like oh my god I can’t believe I don’t know any of this. You know a lot of people thought I was joking when I didn’t know who, I don’t know, Aretha Franklin was. And I’m like I’m serious I don’t know who she is. In a way it’s been fun learning at a later stage I guess.’

When asked about what genre she would place her own music into she replied ‘I’d definitely place my stuff into pop for sure. My earlier stuff is more piano and dark base. I think I was going through a healing process through those songs.’ She went on to note that ‘because I learnt about music a bit later in life, I’ve just got a different quirk to the way I do things, I guess.’

Touching on music as a means of healing, she said that ‘a lot of my songs are based on my own experiences some of them are based on friends’ experiences, so I try to write from the heart as much as possible. When I felt like I couldn’t speak about things I’d find myself understanding what the artist meant by listening to their lyrics and I thought if I can give that to someone else then that’d be my job done.’

Her new mixtape Red Tape Vol.2 launched on Friday, August 31st, and her single last Wednesday. ‘I was up until just after midnight waiting for the single to come out. I’m really so excited about this song and for everyone to hear the whole of the mixtape together. I didn’t want it to be an album because I felt I was still experimenting with my sound but, it’s definitely the lead up to my first album so I’m really excited.’

She broke down where she was physically and mentally while writing her singles. ‘The first single No Good For Me is basically about me cutting toxic people out of my life and I think that’s how the rest of Red Tape Vol.2 came about. So many times, you just put up with things and you just think what am I putting up with all this rubbish for? The anthem of Red Tape Vol.2 is about just having fun, being you and doing what you need to do. Not just me personally but everyone in general.’ On her single Options she explained that it’s about having options no matter what. ‘There’s been times that I couldn’t get out of bed feeling so down you just think you’re never gonna get out of that place, and then you do.’ Lastly, Alive ‘is about celebrating yourself’ thus concluding a process of struggle and healing with a message of hope.

To the reader and listener, she wanted to convey, without sounding preachy, that ‘the only person who’s actually gonna make you feel the best is yourself so you’ve got to be willing to change certain aspects of your life to get to that point. I still do that every single day.’ ‘When you love yourself the rest of the world will love you too, and even if they don’t at least you have yourself.’

So, what’s next for NUUXS? ‘I wanna get back into the studio and finish this album project I’ve had in my mind for a while which I’m really excited about. But I also have lots of gigs coming up and I wanna do some more shows up and around the country and in Europe for now, and then see where it goes from there really.’ Stay tuned for more music on the way from this absolutely delightful artist! NUUXS’ mixtape Red Tape Vol.2 is out now. Listen here: https://listnin.co/RedTapeVol2.

[undercitylightsmagazine]

Julia Jacklin @ Electric Brixton, 04.04.19

Joe Bell catches Julia Jacklin add further life to her sophomore album Crushing, with a fantastic live performance in front of a sold-out crowd at Electric Brixton, alongside support from Georgia Mulligan and Olympia. 

Crushing, the new album from Julia Jacklin, follows on from the success of the Sydney singer-songwriter’s 2016 debut, Don’t Let the Kids Win. Mixing jangly guitars with impactful lyrics and Jacklin’s distinctive vocals, Crushing is an empowering post-break-up album, with themes throughout of claiming back one’s body and identity following the end of a relationship.

Opening the night was fellow Sydney songwriter Georgia Mulligan, who showed her talent later playing keys, guitar and singing backing vocals in Julia’s band. Whilst performing a relatively short set early on, she was calm and composed on stage, captivating the crowd with her dreamy folk songwriting and stage presence, alone with a guitar. Despite her early stage time the audience remained silent and hooked to the music.

Next on was Olympia, who strode confidently onto the stage dressed all in pink and instantly commanded attention. She performed her first song alone, and her vocal range was instantly impressive. Joined by a bassist and drummer afterwards, Olympia’s showmanship was fantastic as she owned the stage and flipped effortlessly from rhythm to lead guitar, mixing indie rock progressions with showy solos and soaring vocals. Her chat with the audience was engaging as well, as she introduced ‘Smoke Signals’ – a song about her parents teaching her to shoplift. Olympia’s contrast of raging guitar solos and pop-inspired vocals made her appear as the lovechild of Jimi Hendrix and Lady Gaga. She finished with a single from her upcoming album, ‘Star City’, a song waxing poetic about youth – keep an eye on her upcoming releases this year.

Julia herself opened with ‘Body’, the lead single from her new album – a powerful and slow-burning song about reclaiming her body after the end of a relationship. Despite the often downbeat nature of her material, each song sparkled live and captivated the audience. Her band never overplayed, and the sparse arrangements in every song allowed Jacklin’s powerful lyrics and brilliant songwriting to shine through. The most memorable moments in the show were when Jacklin was able to stand alone with her guitar, on songs such as ‘Don’t Let the Kids Win’. In a live environment, a few of the songs I hadn’t paid enough attention to from her debut really came to life, and the full emotional depth of Julia’s songwriting was palpable throughout. Jacklin’s anecdotes broke up the show well, and she appeared completely at ease on stage as she told stories of past live performances, songs and lightly discussed the problems faced when choosing what drinks to bring on stage. Songs from the old and new album were blended seamlessly, and despite leaving the two most upbeat songs from Crushing to the end of the show - ‘Head Alone’ and ‘Pressure to Party’ - the performances were never devoid of energy and the audience at no point lost interest or engagement. It was a fantastic performance which really showcased the maturity and talent of her songwriting.

Words by Joe Bell.

[undercitylightsmagazine]

An Interview with Samm Henshaw

Samm Henshaw is a tease. The album was ‘coming’ 2017, ‘this year’ in 2018 and yet by our very own late March, longform Henshaw remains an unknown to the massing fanbase and world at large. When I mention this collective expectation and ask whether or not we can be treated to a release date he breaks into a creased smile, leaning forward to deliver an ‘Honestly no - because I don’t know yet.’ It’s the kind of honestly, no you’d expect from a soul-popster of his calibre: slightly hoarse and curled in billowing clouds of gramophone warmth. It’s the honestly, no of an assured musician charting a steady rise and making stops only to shower in winning praise along the way.

And what a series of stops it has been - the jab, cross, hook and uppercut of ‘How Does it Feel’, ‘Broke’, ‘Doubt’ and ‘Church’ each landing to a loud fanfare played on horns of both critical acclaim and audience adulation. It’s ‘honestly just a story,’ he opines of the messaging of his latest Church, a gospel-charged stamper and ostensible Christian anthem. ‘For me it was just trying to tell the story of a situation that happened in my life... but obviously I’m Christian and from my perspective it is a pro-Christian thing’. His mother, lyrical catalyst for the song, and father, pastor / Nollywood actor (Youtube holds the delights of ‘Mirror in the Sun… a sort of Nigerian Eastenders’.) are ‘loving it’ and it is hardly difficult to tell why. Any who might decide to write this track or Samm’s music off wholesale into the folder marked “Christian Music” would be erring on the wrong side of history, however - for as much as anything else Samm’s religious thematics serve as entry points deeper into the personal pool these singles suggest the upcoming album will draw on. Indeed, when the new single hit shelves ‘a mate came out and was just like - this song is so you, it’s so you.’

The kind of folded-collar discipline ‘Church’ turns into gospel pleasure certainly seems to have laced itself around Henshaw’s character. Before even his third year of Popular Music Performance at Solent, he ‘was getting deals coming through and loads of interest from labels,’ and had signed a record deal while graduation was but a tint of rose on the horizon. With little mirth he recalls ‘I remember I got my publishing deal - and that on top of my student loan… I was like, I have a lot of money.’ Yet he remained to don the cap and carry away his certificate, victorious. Asking what kept him from pushing open the campus doors and never looking back, he shot back that his ‘Nigerian parents… are very much “listen, if you’re gonna start something, you’re gonna finish it”’. On a moment’s readjustment, though, his flawless humility allows for a single instance of applying due credit to himself. ‘Based on the stories I’d seen within the industry, it can be very fickle and you don’t know what could happen in the space of a week… in the space of a year, or two years. So I just wanted to be able to say I’ve got something that I can fall back on.’ Some people, he reflects, tell you to never make a Plan B, but ‘no, I don’t think having a Plan B is bad. It just means you can have a plan even after Plan A is done. Even if it doesn’t go how you want it to.’ He makes of himself self-fulfilling prophecy in closing: ‘I don’t just wanna be the guy that dropped out because he got a record deal.’

Youthful success has been cattle bolt to the heads of so many musicians over the years and I wondered how Samm views the cushioning of Record Company-urbia proffered so early in his career. He leans back in the loft-cum-studio housing our interview and sets his apple down on the table. ‘I graduated and everything was going so well…’ he begins, trailing off. ‘So you almost can’t see anything wrong in what you’re doing… all this stuff is going so well that it’s almost as though you can’t lose at this point. Then you have moments where it’s pretty crap so it humbles you… you’ll have great moments and in your mind you’re going oh you’re great, you’re untouchable and then you get hit pretty hard by the reality that no this doesn’t last forever.’ Picking the apple back up, he becomes philosopher-poet: ‘I think everyone has to go through that grinding period, no matter how it comes. So I started off great and then I had to… grind, to work to get to that place.’ It’s a question of catching up with success already earned. ‘I think it was growth and development and maturity that helped me write the music better.’

All that growth and development and maturity have hardly gone amiss. In the last year he’s put out a track with Wretch 32 - ‘I feel like people don’t really understand the level of genius of that man’ - and fulfilled his comic-book dream of ‘just want[ing] to be a cartoon’. First arriving at the label he put to them his love of animation, buy they weren’t ‘“going to start off with that, you’re a new artist blah-di-blah.’” So to finally get the ‘music video where ‘I’m a cartoon - nothing tops that. And I’m a dorito in it and… it doesn’t get better than that.’ So where does Samm Henshaw see all this mad buildup leading? In an awed whisper he ‘would love to do a world tour’ and there’s more of that shimmery gramophone cloud in his eyes as he sees the possibilities held in the gospel of Samm. ‘I’d love to go to China… do a tour in China… anywhere in Asia,’ he opines. ‘There’s so many things I want to do’ and he remains ‘overwhelmed and just grateful’ for all the comment section enthusiasm and soundcloud sharing. Nor is there’s any question an early career will end in early retirement. He’s got his ‘faith… family… people…’ to keep him going. ‘There’s some days where you feel like you give up on the world because everyone’s annoying, everyone’s saying stupid things… but then there will be those few people that you meet that just give you hope and remind you we live in a world that is flawed but there are still a lot of… really lovely, great, caring people. That’s exciting and that’s inspiring for me. That’s what it’s about, really?’

He ends with a question and it’s enough to provoke me riposte:

Alex: Can we get a release date? Can we get an approximate release date!

Sam: Honestly, no - because I don’t know yet! We’re still churning out the music.

Alex: It’s all up in the air!

Sam: It is! It’s all up in the air. It is really up in the air.

We await its descent.

Church is available now.

Words By Alex Rednaxela

[undercitylightsmagazine]

Review: Bad Suns – Mystic Truth

After “Disappearing Here”, Bad Suns triumphantly return with their third studio effort, Mystic Truth.

Three years after the release of their sophomore album, Disappear Here, Los Angeles indie rock quartet Bad Suns has finally returned with their third album, just when it was starting to seem like they had decided to act on the title of their previous album.

Much like how they quickly dispelled any concerns about sophomore slump back in 2016, their recent release, Mystic Truth, certainly does not disappoint. While the characteristically groovy, upbeat melodies accompanied by a darker lyricism remain plentiful in the album, the band have definitely returned with a more mature sound. The angst and defiant spirit of their first and second albums has been stripped down – now, they channel these sentiments with sophistication; a definitive statement of how far they have come.

Experimenting with their instrumentals, a robust pop piano and rock guitar combo is a strong theme across tracks on this album (‘Away We Go’, ‘One Magic Moment’). A noticeable change of pace after a slew of indie pop-infused tracks over the years, the release of these tracks ahead of the rest of the album had fans wondering what was to come. Unlike much of their previous work, the lyrics in these numbers were also notably (and, one might even say, unexpectedly) optimistic and self-assured; suggesting that the Valley’s beloved indie rocker boys are really growing up. Nonetheless, these tracks are clear evidence of the band’s ability to effortlessly maintain their character across different musical styles. It should also be noted that almost every track on the album makes for great road-trip playlist fodder, and is perfect for a sunset drive through Los Angeles – a sly nod to the band’s San Fernando Valley heritage?

Upon the release of the full album, it became apparent that frontman Christo Bowman certainly meant what he said when he explained the album as one about finding the extraordinary in the everyday. The tracks aren’t coy about the theme, featuring introspective but resiliently hopeful lyrics layered over sparkling indie pop melodies. It must be said that ‘A Miracle, A Mile Away’ is objectively the strongest track on the album. The bittersweet rock-infused anthem about (you guessed it) everyday miracles features steady, pounding bass and guitar that builds up to a soaring chorus, keeping the momentum going as the third track on the album.

‘The World And I’, on the other hand is a throwback to the earlier work of the band. Its undeniably catchy chorus add hints of pop-punk to what is otherwise a, as Bowman himself would say, “rocking track”. But the real time machine tracks are ‘Love By Mistake’ and ‘Howling At The Sun’, two tracks that fully exhibit the band’s signature funky, percussive take on effortlessly smooth indie melodies. It is no secret that the band has a knack for writing short, repetitive and oh-so-catchy phrases into their music, making every album a straight ride to earworm heaven. The interpolation of some of the verses from ‘A Miracle, A Mile Away’ in ‘Howling At The Sun’ was both a demonstration of impressive nuance in their writing, as well as proof that these infectiously catchy hooks are not going anywhere.

Never one to pigeonhole their musical versatility, the band offers a host of slower, mellowed tracks with equal polish. ‘Hold Your Fire’ and ‘Separate Seas’ pair soft, ambient openings and instrumentals before fantastically rich choruses take over. As the final track on the album, ‘Star Jumper’ starts with an uncharacteristically gentle piano riff that does not fade throughout the first few verses. The build up to the chorus is subtle and sophisticated, relying on ambient electronics and well-placed guitar work to bulk up the track. The sudden cut to the chorus is signalled by Bowman’s powerful, belting vocals, backed by triumphant rock instrumentals that are cut by some funky guitar and bass licks just when you feared that it might get too cheesy. The track is ultimately an extremely ceremonious end to yet another solid album from the band.

As Bad Suns enters their seventh year of touring, it’s clear that these valley boys are continuing to make headway with their music, and don't intend to stop anytime soon. Following the success of their first two albums, Mystic Truth builds on the successes of their discography, going further to distill the essence of their sound with great nuance and finesse. It’s the start of a new journey for the band, and ‘Away We Go’ indeed.

Words by Isabel Foo

Photo by Rowan Daly

[undercitylightsmagazine]

Post Malone @ The O2, 13.03.19

Karen Chen travelled to the gleaming steel and glass wharfs of the Docklands to catch none other than Mr Rockstar himself, Post Malone, in concert.

Esteemed readers, I have failed you, for I cannot confirm whether the rumours of a Post Malone Musk are true. Otherwise, my journey to the O2 on this mild March evening did not disappoint. Walking through the stadium and seeing a scary amount of tweens, as well as the fact Post wasn’t on stage even as 22:30 was approaching, made my initial impression of this gig daunting. But, once the lights dimmed we were all in for a ride – starting with some downs, and eventually onwards and upwards.

The set was slow-going, but once Post got to ‘Better Now’ (the fourth song of the night, showing how slow the going really was), the crowd went wild and the O2 lit up. Literally, via the light of mobile phones recording him. For me, the real turning point of the night was when ‘Candy Paint’ and ‘Psycho’ came on back to back – with well-timed lighting and, to really treat us, fireworks. As the bass thrummed, I felt the concert in my very core. And from there onwards emerged a more varied and stronger set – with less rap and more pop. ‘I Fall Apart’ brought out the crowd, their phones (again), and a nice sing-along. Then came ‘Stay’. Armed with just a guitar and his iconic, guttural voice, his departure from rap was probably where he shone the most, his unique voice was on show now and it was honestly a powerful performance. The NME reported that in that moment he felt closer to the crowd – and with his solitary figure sat by the edge of the stage, under the spotlight, eyes closed and feeling the music, you might even believe them.

Otherwise, high-energy and more hip-hop-oriented songs like ‘Paranoid’, ‘Go Flex’ and ‘White Iverson’ brought out that High Baller-Cool Rapper vibe, although whether these were convincing performances is debatable. The lack of guest artists at the show meant these performances didn’t feel all that complete, but Post certainly seemed more comfortable when he was singing rather than rapping. This is a common criticism against Post, that he’s mashing up so many genres and that he isn’t a True Rapper – but that’s not for me to decide nor talk about right now – what this concert showed me is that Post has a good sense of musicality, throws himself into performances, and has a very emotive voice, which transcends genre and he knows how to use.

Moving on to the end of the show – and they really do save the best ‘til last. ‘Go Flex’ gave way to ‘White Iverson’. ‘Sunflower’ was a wholesome interlude, but then the opening bars of ‘rockstar’ creeped in, accompanied with fire and some Big Bass. As the arena turned red and the smoke machine worked for its dear life, Post launched into both the song and across the jetty. I knew it, I thought, this is the end. Wavy video effects and haggard, perhaps laborious, movements made him seem like a proper Rockstar™, being messy and carefree – maybe even ‘cool’. Sadly, 21 Savage hadn’t yet been repatriated, but Post was a good sport and kept it going even through his verse. As the song neared its end, he brought out a guitar and did the old razzle dazzle – smashing it on the floor and curb-stomping it just for good measure.

What I didn’t expect was him launching into a soliloquy, right there, on stage, about how he was an underdog in the industry. He came from nothing (he claims), and y’know, good for him. I might even say I was inspired when he told us all to ‘do whatever the fuck you want’ – and it was glimpses of Post like these throughout the show that made it not just a concert but a show. He’s got a low-key sort of charm, and ‘fuck it’ attitude which I think his audience really resonates with, and the screams and cheers serve as good evidence. Finally, and this time it was the real deal, ‘Congratulations’ played to end the show on a high. Who was he congratulating? Perhaps himself, on an alright show.

An obvious note is that there were no guests, no Swae Lee or Ty Dolla $ign, and so songs like ‘Sunflower’ and ‘Psycho’ ended up a little lacklustre. Yet in the same vein, it meant the show was distinctively his. That is to say, when he sang emotionally charged songs like ‘I Fall Apart’ and ‘rockstar’, it was a very “Post Malone” experience – interpret that how you will. Half-shouting and half-singing, you could hear – maybe even feel – his vocal chords straining, and that raw emotion spilling out. Or at least, as raw and emotional as a voice can get when you’ve sipped on, what I presume to be, beer the entire evening and even bringing out a cheeky cigarette before ‘Up There’. He really put on that relaxed persona, maybe milked it a little, but I think that made the concert enjoyable – it was like a chillout with good ol’ ‘Posty’, just swaying along to some chill ones and then some not-so-chill ones.

One criticism I do have is for the crowd, whose recording – with flash(?!) – at the big hits was a little off-putting, but more so was their eerie stillness and lack of energy in the other songs, which did bring down the performance a little. Post tried, he really did, but these 16 year-olds weren’t having it. Let’s also not forget the Cringe of The Night, which goes to when Post asked if anyone smoked weed, and of course, to the disdain of the parents sitting next to them, you’ll bet the crowd went crazy and shouted ‘me!’ in the most convincing way possible! Absolute madness!

Regardless, Post himself was a delightful presence, his relaxed and laid-back demeanour in-between songs easily caught you off-guard after intense, high-energy tunes. The show’s effects, too, were understated, further adding to that relaxed disposition, but extremely effective nonetheless. Simplicity was the watchword. That night, Austin Post was but a small man in a massive arena – but the constant focus on him, on elevating him whether it be through training the camera on him at all times or accentuating his figure amongst the smoke… the show was a true celebration of Post Malone.

[undercitylightsmagazine]

Methyl Ethel @ Heaven, 14/3/19

After the release of their latest album Triage in February this year, Methyl Ethel had set the scene for their new era of melancholic, yet euphoric, music. The band is named after the colourless chemical used as an industrial solvent, and, if you’ll excuse the pun, they’ve certainly put more than one element into their new album. It’s an album rich in spirit, meaning and a decent amount of toe-tapping melodies. So when I saw Methyl Ethel at Heaven I was excited to see how they would convey the message of the album on stage.

The trio’s entrance on stage revealed them to be as every bit of an indie-rock band as their Spotify bio suggested. Long hair, oversized shirts, forlorn faces. I was definitely in the right place. Their first song, Scream Whole, is what I can only describe as ‘noir-pop’: an eerie number that nonetheless has you humming along. The rest of the set transported the audience to the misty heat of the band’s hometown in Perth. Towards the end of the gig a solid red backlight silhouetted the band to cement the image of a land far away from the drizzly weather of London.

Ubu was played last, a song superficially about a haircut, but which clearly has a much deeper meaning. It has to be said, however, in the moment this deeper meaning was lost on me. Perhaps it was the squished position between two large men I was in far away from the stage, or the quiet sound system that failed to convey the band’s emotion – a frequent problem we’ve had with Heaven - or perhaps it was the placid engagement the band had with the audience. Either way I feel I didn’t fully engage with what Methyl Ethel has to offer. That being said I thoroughly enjoyed the gig and eagerly await for their return to London, hopefully at a venue more capable of getting across their dark tones.

Words by Caitlin Norris-Grey

[undercitylightsmagazine]

A Review of Solange’s ‘When I Get Home’

When I Get Home begins with the title track, ‘Things I Imagined’, where Solange repeats the phrase ‘I saw things… I imagined/Things… I imagined’ over a mutating cosmic jazz/neo-soul beat – the album is defined by this juxtaposition of repeated mantras against constantly evolving musical structures. Solange abandons the structure of verse-chorus-verse, opting instead for a more abstract form of expression where she combines sung mantras with spoken-word excerpts and rap verses across songs which seem to blend into each other without any defined beginning or end.

Solange’s new album is significantly more obscure in meaning compared to her previous album, A Seat At The Table, in which she employed more traditional song structures and clearly set out her ideas in densely-packed and purpose-oriented lyrics on standout tracks such as ‘Don’t Touch My Hair’. Nevertheless, When I Get Home features the same poetic exploration of black identity, history, culture and Black femininity as its predecessor.

For example on ‘Almeda’, Solange sings a negro-spiritual-esque chant, ‘Black skin/black braids/Black waves/Black days/These are black owned things,’ before bringing in guest feature Playboi Carti who speaks on traditional Southern trap themes of materialism and drug culture (‘All of my diamonds, big lumps/I get that cash, got a bunch.’) Although neither Solange’s nor Carti’s verses are particularly dense in lyrical content, they combine to form a uniquely poetic representation of the black American experience with phrases such as ‘They takin' me in, what I done?’ which prompt the listener to explore and develop their own concepts of black-ness as opposed to being explicitly informed by the artists.

When I Get Home is Solange’s exploration of herself on her own terms; she explores her blackness, her femininity, and her history through abstract lyrics which make the album feel more like a musical retreat than a body of social commentary. Solange adds particularly personal touches on the interludes between songs, blending together samples from her personal audio recordings (‘Fuck these hoe-ass niggas/They all be talking/They all be sayin’ shit’) with social messages intended to resonate across black and female society: ‘Do you realize how magnificent you are? We are not only sexual beings, we are the walking embodiment of god consciousness.’ These samples are used to project the entire nature of Solange’s black, female experience, ranging from overt social messages to unique experiences of her daily life.

The music video for When I Get Home similarly explores the nature of the black American experience, with Solange juxtaposing black dancers against traditionally white spaces in order to challenge the viewer’s concepts of what it means to be a black individual in America. These spaces range from Houston’s business districts, to old-fashioned cowboy rodeos, to futuristic space technology and extra-terrestrial planets, as Solange uses the aesthetics of the past, present and (imagined) future. According to Solange herself, the film is ‘an exploration of origin, asking the question how much of ourselves do we bring with us versus leave behind in our evolution.’

Solange also branches out from the primarily neo-soul and jazz inspired nature of A Seat At The Table, blending in elements of hip-hop, trap and soul in her use of bass rhythms and drum patterns. Trap producer Metro Boomin receives a partial credit for the production of ‘Stay Flo’, a song which combines Metro’s signature drum style and use of loops with a more experimental neo-soul/R&B chord progression. Odd Future members Tyler The Creator and Steve Lacy also come together on ‘My Skin My Logo’ to produce a soulful jazz song which begins as a simple bass guitar riff to which layers of synthesisers and electronic drums are gradually added for a sense of building intensity.

The final track on When I Get Home, ‘I’m a Witness’, is based around the repeated mantra of ‘Taking on the/Taking on the light,’ invoking the same uncertain, dream-like state as the title track. At the same time, Solange offers reassurance and comfort in this ending. She toys with the idea of ‘home’ in relation to the theme of repetition, creating ambiguity for the listener at the same time as capturing an artistic journey away from home and back within the length of the album.

Words By Nilo Adarve-Counts

[undercitylightsmagazine]

Little Simz @ The Courtyard Theatre, 6.3.19

Simbi Ajikawo makes music at a rate faster than most of us consume it. 25 years into life, our prodigal Simz fields a catalogue Little neither in size nor lyrical verve: a vast oeuvre of spike and grunge to shame many artists twice her age. I found myself stuck in 2017’s Stillness in Wonderland despite the sometimes palpable strains of its conceit and 2014’s Blank Canvas was a Kilburn roundabout of murky energy - emotive, but worn and only functioning half as intended. When our eponymous lyrical prodigy burst from behind a sheet of muslin bearing only a taped-up megaphone and implied midweek murder at the Courtyard Theatre last Wednesday, though, she did so with all the bearing and confidence of a genius album in her gait. For the latest Simz outing in GREY Area is a simmered work of cumulative mastery, staying for only the brightest of brief flashes and departing with the assurance that Kendrick was not misguided in dubbing its author ‘the illest doing it right now’.

A hundred capacity hole in Hoxton, then, might not seem the kind of high-end heaven to stage the launch of such a work upon the world. Certainly the pair of white beams more suited to the front of a volvo than illuminating a world-class performer seemed to clash with Simz’ rising star and one might equally question the distinct lack of decoration for a musician poised to sell out Coachella. Save for a mess of wires and a concerned pair of jerry-riggers, the stage was naked. The second Simz and loose white blouse, dark trousers presence burst forth to clothe it, however, not a single one of the assembled superfans could have mistaken why. Launching without introduction into the grunged spitting of ‘Boss’ she wielded the megaphone like an instrument of exquisite violence to immediately fill the entire space. The distractions of a lightshow or conventional stage design would have been entirely extraneous to the ‘boss in a fuckin’ dress’ commanding absolute attention from the entire audience. Moving through some self-styled ‘old shit,’ the show maintained its thematic promise of unassuming brilliance and found renewed momentum with the surprise introduction of Cleo Soul to perform on ‘Selfish’. As elsewhere, the crowd melted to every suggestion from the stage - screaming lyrics only five days old when prompted and falling over itself to demonstrate adulation when given the cue to ‘move’.

By the midway point, Simz had settled into her role as pied-piper by election and cued ‘Venom’s’ beat drop almost as an aside. Delivered in complete nonchalance, half an eyebrow raised and a grin restrained, the single title lyric ‘venom’ erupted the Courtyard into whoops and the kind of collective elation generally ascribed to the occult. Having firmly established that particular crowd’s ability to ‘give credit where credit’s due,’ the radiant ‘pussy in power’ dimmed her shine somewhat to point out the band on ‘keys,’ ‘cans’ and ‘laptop’ respectively. Credit is undoubtedly due to each, with ‘cans’ solo drawing the greatest rush and smoothing overall pace into a semi-improvised jam of self-referential lyricism. She’s ‘here to relax’; she’s ‘out here to chill’. It took this poke at the fourth wall to allow me the thought I’d been kept from all evening. Little Simz was there to play the least indulgent show I’ve ever had the fortune to attend. Doing her level best to pluck out the spiteful melody to ‘Sherbet Sunset’ on guitar only to end with a tut and the promise that she’s ‘trying. Not there yet, but...trying,’ I realised she had remained grinning throughout. The highly-strung Simz I saw in 2015 is wrapped far into the past and it’s clear the ‘confusion’ she claims to have written Grey Area from has served as vortex for nothing but her insecurity. In the Courtyard Theatre Wednesday night I realised how much both of us had grown up. Like Simbi and her closing number, I can ‘say this with my chest, and I don’t care who I offend. (Ah-hah, ahhhh)’

[undercitylightsmagazine]

Bonobo Album Launch @ Fabric 24.2.19

My relationship with fabric is of a blossoming nature, having only attended one event there in the past (other than the esteemed fresher’s raves). However, with a little bit of knowledge on its history, Bonobo seemed to be an edgy, yet understandable pick to perform for fabric. A little bit different to their typical tech house to bassy artists, Bonobo brings sounds for all ages, people and music listeners. So yes, I was slightly weary, but the 8 hours I spent there celebrating fabric’s entry into its twenties, solidified its position in my raving scrapbook as a unique, familial electronic basement.

I didn’t expect anything less than earthy, beautiful and emotive sounds from Bonobo’s return to Fabric on the 24th of February. Simon Green had a lot to live up to in terms of record release after his 2017 album Migration was Grammy nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album and critically acclaimed across platforms as one of the best albums of the year. However, in terms of performance, as a fabric newbie, Green had plenty of room to experiment and enchant us with his refined skills in DJing.

Being a 4-hour DJ set, Bonobo had plenty of time to surprise. Not only could he show off his new tunes, but he could also showcase his top records along with the mixing people he is globally known for. It was completely ambiguous as to what he was going to play, and the question of the night was always, what next? Lucky for me, I was given more than I hoped for with the display of his new DJ mix ‘fabric presents Bonobo’.

The night began with artists TSHA and Throwing Snow, both of which have collaborated with him on his new collective project. TSHA brought in the evening with her intricate soft dance beats, following Bonobo’s influence yet mixing it up with hints of Berlin style, hard techno. Successful in blending these eclectic textures together, she programmed the night into a creative mix of urban and spiritual sounds, slowly drawing the crowd in for the night.

2 hours later, Throwing Snow was introduced as he mixed his well-known dubstep/house feel into the folklore infused techno TSHA had set up. The mood quickly carried on heightening and the somber yet dynamic room soon became a venue for excitement and readiness for the cosmic sounds Bonobo was to bring. Throwing Sounds, who’s set was very much a similar sound to what I expected out of Bonobo’s, was the perfect transition from the delicate to the emotional. Bonobo arrived into the booth and was embraced by the artist as he continued the night, transitioning into his 4-hour set. It was a lovely show of companionship in artistry and even more enjoyable when Bonobo mixed himself in smoothly, as always.   

There was no time to grab a drink during this set. You didn’t want to miss a classic, a new track or anything in between. I was fixated and energised. And clearly everyone around me was also. Bonobo perfectly understands his audience but maintains the individuality of his music and leaves you wanting more every time. With songs like ‘Bambro Koyo Ganda’ and ‘Kerala’ from his previous record hyping up fans in the crowd, his aura was infectious and his music brought a feeling unlike many other artists. Music with such sharp percussion, world varied sounds and richness meant Bonobo was immune to dislike and the mood was consistently heightened.

I enjoyed the introduction of his new songs such as ‘Roach’ and ‘Nia’, which showed off the changing landscape of Bonobos music – high in energy, fluctuating in style and perfect to dance to. However, I was pleased to see that within all the grandeur, he kept a hold of his soulful roots, and appreciated the global sounds which make his artistry so popular, even if showing off a little with how much is going on.

So it’s fair to say, he presented just what we wanted from his new record in this set. His naturalistic hues maintain the same full electronic dance style, whilst evolving through the collaborative aspect of the mix. Songs like ‘Focus’ being thrown in show that though Bonobo is capable of doing more and more for the texture of his music, he can keep a crowd calm and happy with the vocals and personality of his songs. Nevertheless, I was a little upset not to hear the Bonobo I was used to, with his melancholic, ethereal classic tunes, but the old isn’t to be expected with the launch of a new album.

It’s now easy for me to see why Bonobo is a household name in the electronic music world. He has proved that he is dedicated to developing his technical skills as DJ and producer whilst also experimenting in feel good, dance music. When half-way through his set, his lead single ‘Ibrik’ was thrown into the mix, causing an eruption of cheers, Bonobo was cemented as not only a great mood-maker but an incredible DJ. And even from then until the set finished, he continued to bring out the big, broad tunes which left everyone dancing until the end of the night. 

Bonobo did well and so naturally I felt every emotion I had hoped for by midnight. Simon Green understands the humane aspect of his music and displayed it perfectly with an energetic, soulful mix to some of his biggest fans, happily cramped into fabrics main room. As for the venue, with a change of sounds from migration, his less thematic, environmental music made fabric perfect location as it brings techno-lovers from all across the world into a base to connect in hypersocial London. Overall, the night was a success, even if I am a little biased to my love for Bonobo as an artist. And so I’m glad my otherwise calm Sunday evening was perfectly disrupted by Bonobo’s wonderful extended set, and I am excited to see what fabrics new mix series brings us.

Words by Seeham Rahman

[undercitylightsmagazine]

Ben UFO and Craig Richards @ Fabric 23.2.19

It would feel strange writing a review of a Fabric night without acknowledging its current problems. Since re-opening back in 2017 there has been a palpable change of vibe at London’s best-known club. While the club once stood among most prestigious and authentic underground venues in the world, the increase in profile that closure brought (as well as the heightening of restrictions) coupled with the opening of a host of newer, more intimate, and more relaxed venues (Grow, The Cause, and FOLD to name a few) has meant that Fabric no longer tops the list of places to head for many of London’s electronic music devotees. It feels wrong to judge a club on its crowd, but it is undeniably the case that the crowd that you get at fabric these days – large groups of middle-aged men in suits, tank-topped, ray-banned lads glaring across the dancefloor – is a bit of a vibe-killer. These are problems that founder Cameron Leslie addressed in a recent interview with The Guardian; Fabric, now in its third decade as a club, risks turning into one of the very ‘superclubs’ it was set up to counteract.

Yet despite this, the night I had last Saturday – thanks in large part to a lengthy session in room one from Craig Richards and Ben UFO - was probably the best I’ve had at Fabric since it re-opened. The two of them did what they do best – they played to the crowd. While the crowd at Fabric may no longer be the most receptive or musically engaged, Craig and Ben took this into their stride, getting the room moving but gradually pushing boundaries – challenging them while maintaining a definite playfulness through the night. The way they did this was through keeping a strong base in 4/4, mid-tempo groovers throughout their six or so hours in the booth. This is the kind of restraint and flexibility that sets these two apart as genuine DJs first and foremost. Edgier, chin-strokey bleeps and breaks would no doubt have impressed the heads in the crowd, but Craig and Ben were able to recognise a room that needed warming up, and there’s still nothing better than a smooth-but-lethal house roller to do the trick. ‘Tech-house’ has become a dirty word in the eyes of many heads, and perhaps rightly so. But it’s easy to forget that the first wave of the much-maligned genre - the scene that emerged in the late nineties and revolved around Wiggle records and artists like Pure Science and Silverlining – was also the scene that gave birth to Fabric, where Wiggle founder Terry Francis and UK tech-house savant Craig Richards (the very same) were the first residents. Room one’s famous sound system was built for tech-house, in other words, and Craig and Ben seemed to respect this heritage in their set.

Another benefit of keeping things 4/4 in the set was that when they did start to move into breaksier territory it felt really fresh and sharp. At about 4, having been rolling through house grooves, they eased us into the inimitable opening breaks of Objekt’s ‘Theme From Q’. Hardly a deep cut, for sure, but the perfect track to transition into faster and harder territory, and one that properly thunders on a system as powerful as this. From there the sounds shifted towards darker territory recalling early Hessle Audio days and Richards’ more recent electro productions. A particular highlight, which I’m yet to properly ID (knowing these two it probably won’t be released for months) was a bassy remix of SOPHIE’s ‘Faceshopping’, featuring heavy, clunky drums of the kind you’d find in early Blawan releases. Richards was also whipping out some vintage acid and electro cuts at exactly the right moments, pushing the crowd past their boundaries as the night wore on.

One of my favourite things about Fabric is that from about 4 onwards there is a really noticeable change of atmosphere. The tourists head home and everyone gets a bit more space to do their thing. The vibe changes from intense and crowded to spacious and receptive – suddenly people start smiling and chatting to the person dancing next to them. Craig Richards took on sole control of the booth from 5.30 onwards, and responded well to this mellowing of the mood.  Tempos were slowed down again, and he moved into blissful left-field house cuts of the kind that are perfect for a thinner crowd. He carried this mood through right up until closing at 7. It’s one of the most unique experiences in clubbing to see Craig Richards work a crowd in room one at Fabric. Perhaps no other DJ in the world has a more intimate connection with a single space and sound system, a fact that is obvious when you see how perfectly he is able to read the room and create an atmosphere within his sets there. While it’s a shame that this is no longer a weekly occurrence, Richards still seems to return quite a lot – he and Ricardo Villalobos completed another marathon b2b last month. Seeing him here with Ben UFO was a joy – and exactly the kind of programming that I think Fabric should be aiming for.

Words by Hughie Rogers-Coltman

[undercitylightsmagazine]

Scotch Bonnet @ Fabric 8.3.19

This night truly captured Fabric’s efforts to reinforce their roots in the underground music scene. Since its closure Fabric has lost some of its edge in championing the music for those committed few who drive to stay at the forefront of new music. While the night could not completely shake the superclub feel there was the welcomed presence of people who really were just there for the music. I spotted a few who got a good spot near the front, by a speaker and did not move for hours on end. It was great to see them skanking in the corner of your eye all night and really helped to maintain a good level of atmosphere. Overall this homage to UK Soundsystem bass culture was a great success and I would not question returning to Fabric for similar nights in the future.

The Scotch Bonnet takeover, as organised by the brilliant Mungos Hi-Fi duo, provided a great range of musical styles spanning most of the underground reggae/dub scene. While I personally don’t give huge credit to Parly B, for the lack of meaning in his lyrics more than anything, he did well to get the crowd warmed up from midnight. Next Iration Steppas, a personal favourite of mine, ensured that those there to hear some true bass were not disappointed. Although there single ethos of ground shaking bass could not quite be replicated in the space. For me, Eva Lazarus and Charlie P, who came on around 3am with Mungos Hi-Fi, served a winning combination with their powerful words given out in a style that encourages all attempts to sing along and get into the music. Although I wouldn’t recommend trying to keep up with Charlie P’s bars. Mungos Hi-Fi provided something to really get into, aimed at both the music heads and those just there for a fun Friday night. 

There were few points when I felt I need to leave Room one, but I forced myself to go explore as Room 2 also provided a huge host of big names. Congo Natty can always depend on a few of his tunes to get the crowd really going. The infamous ‘Police in helicopter’ remix centres on Top Cats unique voice and was really special to hear him sing in person. As is common with Congo Natty’s sets there were no predetermined set times and a rolling rota of people on the mic which ensures you never get bored of one voice. There were some issues with space, forcing you to jump with the crowd for many of their more well-known songs but this was to be expected.

Room 3 provided something wholly different. Brunswick Sound were new to me which is always a pleasure. Their selection appeared to be aimed at providing people with an essential breather between the other rooms. I spent the least amount of time here, but this is not be taken as any indication against them. They provided simple break beats with pleasing vocals and an overall pleasant feeling that felt strongly inspired by the current London scene.

Overall the night was even better than I had anticipated and gave me a much-needed time to skank at the end of a long week. This was magnified by the obvious excitement of the artists themselves, especially within Room 1. Mungos Hi-Fi had discussed their appreciation for the takeover on social media beforehand and this really showed.

Words By Max Beesley 

[undercitylightsmagazine]

Jungle @ Alexandra Palace, 21.02.19

During the unusually mild late February days, giving you almost a glimpse of summer, Fiona Mahlmann caught Jungle bringing a midsummer night’s dream to where it all began.

Before heading off on a world tour for their most recent album For Ever, the 7-member English soul collective founded by Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland played their last UK gig at London’s Alexandra Palace.

Jungle started off strong and upbeat with the new album’s first track ‘Smile’, following up with my personal favourite summer song of last year, ‘Heavy, California’. The band’s neo-soul, funk and disco sounds remind you of the most wonderful cheesy parts of the 70s. Jungle’s charm lies in making these sounds modern and cool, seemingly without trying.

The stage design is rich and feels somewhat old-school, with warm and golden colours reminiscent of sunsets and ‘better times’. Their name, ‘JUNGLE’, in its unique lettering is up in lights; bulbs flash behind the seven band members and the biggest disco ball I have ever seen is lowered for that extra bit of fancy as they play the fan favourite, ‘Beat 54 (All Good Now)’, and the audience laps up every single bit of it.

With groovy riffs, their massed high-pitched vocals and bass-heavy bounce, Jungle are inviting you to dance. Almost automatically the audience starts to move and never seems to stop, enjoying the happy-sounding compositions. And while the dancing is fairly not as good as what you would see in Jungle’s music videos, it is very apparent that this band writes song to make people move to.

In the second half of the show, they play a number of less popular songs from their self-titled debut album, which sadly fall a little flat and feel almost too homogenous compared to the rest of the set; and the dancing gets a little less enthusiastic in turn. The songs merge into each other to create one big mid-tempo picture, which might have been a bit too foreign for the average 3-5 minute song listener.

The light-hearted and funky ‘Casio’, however, recharges the spirits and includes a much-celebrated solo by Rudi Salmon, one of the two backing singers who occasionally do a light bit of choreography at their position on either side of the frontmen for some of the songs. This is followed by the first single off For Ever, ‘House in LA’, a song similar in ambience to the tracks from the first album, but with a heavy bass and laidback atmosphere superior to any of the band’s other attempts at this style.

The main set finishes off with the mystical ‘Drops’, which mimics a lo-fi aesthetic and is full of little details, but it feels almost anticlimactic. The encore of ‘Busy Earnin’’ with its celebratory horn-section-imitating intro and motif, and the upbeat and positively repetitive verse of ‘time and time again / time and time again / time and time and time and time and time again’ in, you guessed it, ‘Time’, feel like a much more appropriate note to finish the night on.

“Time and time again” feels like a promise on the part of the band. They seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves, beaming at the massive audience of the sold-out Alexandra Palace and basking in the applause and enthusiasm of their 10,000-membered audience. With a last thank you for coming out to dance with them, they leave the stage and leave you to exit into a chilly night, hoping you get to enjoy their summery tunes again soon.

Words by Fiona Mählmann.

[undercitylightsmagazine]

The Paper Kites @ Dingwalls, 19.02.19

Tom Edwards catches Australia’s indie-folk darlings The Paper Kites mesmerising a Camden crowd on a temperate February night.

The iconic Camden Town landmark, Dingwalls, lurks unassumingly beneath Camden Lock market – it is no stranger to straying outside its traditional genre of punk rock, previously hosting such acts Etta James, Noel Gallagher and The Drifters. Despite the eclectic booking policy, I was initially unsure of how The Paper Kites would fit into such an environment given their folk roots. On arrival, I was surprised to hear the throbbing bass from the support act – Chartreuse, whose infectious songs are certainly one to watch out for in the near future and hinted at what was to come later in the evening. 3 pedal boards and a change of drums later, the five-piece from Australia rocked up on stage with smiles on their faces, looking out onto their eager, sold-out crowd.

Opening with crisp drums, washy synths and reverb-soaked guitars, the crowd were relieved to listen to highlights from the two records they released last year – On the Train Ride Home and On the Corner Where You Live, the former a quiet, introspective piano driven record, the latter, multi-layered with delay-stricken guitars and soft vocals. Highlights for me included the song ‘Give Me Your Fire, Give Me Your Rain’ with its hypnotic drum pattern and unexpected chord changes. On the softer side, ‘Arms’, which was played in the dark, was powerfully sad. Similarly, the song ‘Nothing More Than That’, in which the whole band gathered around a single omnidirectional microphone, was quaint and brought out the simple lyrics which were sometimes lost under Sam’s diction.

The band came across as charismatic and comfortable; Sam’s stage chat, commenting on his fans who decidedly came into the ‘couple in love’ or ‘sad lonely singleton’ categories, was funny and accurate. Looking around, the crowd was of all ages which was again, someone what surprising - melody must appeal to all ages. The set list was mature; the song ‘which made them famous’, ‘Bloom’, was played to the delight of some fans, but they didn’t make it the focus. It actually emphasised the quality of some of their more developed songs, ‘Electric Indigo’ and ‘Revelator Eyes’, which were perhaps received the most applause. The stand out song for me was their cover of ‘Will Ye Go Lassie Go’, the classic Scottish folk song, which cemented the timeless appeal of simple lyrics composed by lovelorn musicians describing their surrounding landscapes.

The Paper Kites are back in December playing Islington Assembly, so if you require some late-night music for a dark winter’s night, look no further. An all-round excellent gig.

Words and photography by Tom Edwards.

[undercitylightsmagazine]

Fabric Spring 2019 Shows: Highlights

Another term, another banging lineup at Fabric. It’s not quite deadline szn yet, so worm your way out the new student centre (just because it’s 24 hours doesn’t mean you should sleep there, Charlotte x), skip a week of Loop and head down to Farringdon for these three shows chosen by our writers not to be missed.

Saturday 23rd February, Craig Richards b2b Ben UFO

Two of the most important figures in the recent history of UK electronic music go head to head in fabric’s room one this Friday. Richards’ relationship with fabric is legendary. Initially rising to prominence alongside Terry Francis as part of the UK house and tech-house movement in the late nineties, Richards went on to hold an astonishing 18-year residency in fabric’s room one, a period that saw him bring his own edge to just about every shift in electronic music – be it bass, dubstep or techno – that occurred in that time. Though he has now moved on to other projects (he founded Houghton festival in 2017), Richards will be returning to his spiritual home on Saturday. Joining him will be Ben UFO. Ben stands as perhaps the single most influential figure in the past decade of UK electronic music. Alongside Pearson Sound and Pangaea, he founded Hessle Audio in 2007, a label which pushed the nascent dubstep sound into an era of incredible creativity, with a sound that defined the early 2010s. Since then Ben has established himself as a selector capable of balancing an almost unbelievable dedication to digging with a serious love for the craft of DJing itself. His sets play out like an encyclopaedia of the past thirty years of dance music, and he is just as at home spinning old school jungle as he is pushing minimal and ambient sounds. These are two true masters, who share an eclectic sound palette, and an unparalleled ability to get crowds moving. 8 hours of them on one of the world’s most renowned sound systems will be serious entertainment.

Sunday 24th February, Bonobo

Simon Green, more widely known as Bonobo, is returning to fabric XX not long after his debut there, to tease us with new earthy, tranquil sounds. The critical acclaim of his seminal ‘Migration’ from 2017 leads us to believe we can expect nothing but the most vibrant atmosphere in this event celebrating the launch of his new album. Bonobo will be treating us to a 4 hour DJ set on the 24th, with fellow UK artists Throwing Snow and TSHA and all we can say is, it’s not going to be like any other Sunday afternoon you’ve ever had.

Friday 8th March, Scotch Bonnet Takeover

If there’s ever a night where you can pack in some the highest quality and varied UK Soundsystem culture, then it is the Fabriclive: Scotch Bonnet Reggae/Dub Takeover on the 8th March. Mungo’s Hi Fi’s label welcomes the infamous Kenny Knots, the Leeds dub legends, Iration Steppas and Danny T & Tradesman, along with a whole host of top-class MCs. Charlie P has shot to fame with his impressive bars, Parly B for his dominating lyrics and Eva Lazarus, who has released singles with the likes of Gentlemen’s Dub Club, for her truly amazing vocals. While Congo Natty continues the Soundsystem education with his Room 2 Jungle music takeover. These dons of the UK scene will surely put on a night to remember.

Words by Hughie Rogers-Coltman, Seeham Rahman & Max Beesley

[undercitylightsmagazine]

An Interview with Miya Folick

Katie Beaton rang up Miya Folick, the upcoming singer-songwriter from LA to discuss her new album Premonition, after the opening night of her first European tour supporting Sunflower Bean. One of the main new faces on the indie scene, her powerful voice combined with astute observational lyrics means she’s one to watch in 2019.

So you’re in the UK at the moment on your first European tour, how’s that been?

We’ve just been touring in Cardiff and we’re on our way to Leeds right now. It was good, it was our first day of tour, which is always a bit hectic. Everyone's renting gear and making sure it works and flying in from all over the world so it was a bit mad, but it's working out. We’ve only played one show, and it’s been great supporting Sunflower Bean.

How did you find your first ever gig - were you nervous?

Yes I was extremely nervous. There’s a venue in LA called the Lakes Theatre and I met somebody who booked a venue when I was out with some friends. I mentioned that I wrote a song but I had never really shown my songs to anyone. It was very very private. I don’t really know why I told her because I hadn’t really told anybody, and later she reached out to me and said she got an opening on Friday which I think was in like 3 or 4 days. I couldn’t eat for the entire week I was so nervous. I’d never performed in front of anyone and especially solo. It’s a different thing when you’re not playing with a band, you’ve got no support from anyone around you.

That’s so impressive, to jump from performing for no-one to a whole venue.

Yeah but the show was really Willy Watson’s, he used to be in a band called Ultra Medicine Show and it was one of his first shows as a solo artist. It was so funny, because he was so nervous. I think he was more nervous than I was going on there and I thought I was so nervous. Made me feel a lot more better that someone a lot more experienced than I was still getting nervous, that it was normal. I remember it very well because Gillian Welch (kind of a legend in certain circles) is friends with him. I remember I had two songs left and I saw Gillian walk in the room wearing this long black dress with this big black hat, and she looked like a witch. And i just thought I was going to die and I didn’t think I was going to be able to finish - but I did and it was fine. It was a memorable show, I don’t know how well I played and I don’t even remember what songs I played. I don’t think any of those songs I ever ended up releasing, I think they just disappeared.

What’s the first song you ever wrote?

I was taking this class in college about Greek mythology and I wrote a song about that, I can’t remember at all. But, I feel like it was about some Greek god; I can only remember that I wrote it because I showed it to my parents, which is really weird because I don’t usually do that. I have like a distinct memory of writing this song and playing it for my parents in the holiday break.

 How do you usually go about the songwriting process?

For me, honestly, it’s just showing up and trying. I write differently every time, whether it’s ideas about lyrics, melodies or chord progressions - I like to start with one piece of the puzzle and then keep building it. There’s no method that works best for me, it just depends on the song.

 Which artists do you recognise as an influence? Do you think you have a stand-out one?

Yeah, I think I listened to a lot of Joni Mitchell growing up so I feel like she definitely had a major influence on my early songs. I remember when I first started, I listened to a lot of Laura Marling, who I was obsessed with. She’s so cool. I saw her once at a bookstore looking at poetry in LA. She still lives there!

That’s such a Laura Marling thing to do!

I know, I know! Of course you’re looking at poetry! I really wanted to say something to her but I didn’t want to bother her. When it’s someone who you respect a lot, it’s way more nerve wracking to approach them than if they were just a celebrity. 

What’s the first thing you want people to think when they’re listening to your music?

I hope Premonitions makes people feel hopeful or excited to be alive. That’s really it.

That’s so lovely, what songs do you think do that the most on the album?

I think it’s probably different for everyone, but the most blatantly hopeful songs are ‘Stock Image’, ‘What We’ve Made’ and ‘Babygirl’. For me, these are the songs that are meant to make everything feel okay, not being afraid to get older, and understanding age is also a beautiful thing.

Yes, age is such a weird thing to be scared of, as it happens to us all.

Yeah I think everywhere, people are obsessed with youth and I think it’s interesting because most media and popular music are destined for young people, but these aren’t the only people in the world. I think it’s weird that we expect old people to only listen to the music that they liked when they were younger. It’s generational.

But isn’t it to an extent stuck in some people’s mindset? There’s quite a few people who aren’t narrow minded, but I think there’s quite a lot of older people who look down on the change in new music.

Right, I think that part of that is probably the closed mindedness of the older generation, but I also think that it’s partly the fault of the pop media machine which ignores older people. It’s not meant to appeal to them. I think it’s an interesting argument when people say that new music sucks, but you’ve also got to understand that it’s not speaking to them at all. They don’t know what a lot of it means or have no interest in talking about partying and going to clubs. I don’t think it’s very dynamic in its discussion of human experience, I think it’s very limited. I was trying to not do that but that said I love pop, but I’m sure my parents hate a lot of pop!

 Was that your inspiration for the Premonition album?

I set some intentions, and one of them was to make the album feel timeless in that it didn’t feel nostalgic or overly futuristic. I hope that you could also listen to it as a 13 year old or a 65 year old, and that both the sound and the lyrics are relatable. I also wanted to make an album that wasn’t just about romantic love, but all the different relationships that people have in their lives that are just as important.

Where did the Premonition album title come from?

When trying to figure out a title for the whole album, the word Premonition kept coming out. I think because the word evokes a sense of time and the sense of the future and a sense of the past, and we wanted the title to sound like it existed on this time space continuum. Also it’s my first album and I think the title gives this sort of energy towards the future and what’s coming next

Do you think the album has changed from your original aims? Do you think you found other things you wanted to achieve as you were creating it?

Yes and no. There’s a lot going on and a lot of different types of songs. I think there’s a song on the album for every kind of person - I’m also sure there’s many people who don’t like a lot of songs on the album and some who don’t like the whole thing. But I do think there’s certain songs that speak to every age. But there are parts that I maybe would have done differently, or will change in the future.

Like what?

Like I don’t think it’s anything specific I just think there are parts of the process and certain arrangements that we didn’t quite get right. Maybe I shouldn’t say that (laughs) but I do think a lot of artists would agree.

Do you think you’re always going to make albums with lots of different sounds? Or do you think over time you’re going to define your sound more?

I think I will always do what I want to do or what I feel like doing for the next album. I think it will be a little more homogenous, I don’t think I’m going to be including so many different sonic elements; I might want to make an album like this, or I might make an acoustic album. I don’t know.

What sort of sonic elements do you think you’re going to focus on?

I think I want to make an album that’s a bit more... I don’t know, we’ll see. I have ideas I’m just not ready to share them yet. (laughs)

Fair enough, any upcoming announcements we should be aware of? Dates to put in the diary?

I’m sure I’ll have new music out in 2019, I have some songs almost ready to go, probably release them some time in the new year, I can’t say when. Probably one or two new music videos, a US tour and probably another European tour. I’ll probably pick one of the more upbeat songs for the music video, ‘Leave the Party’ or ‘Freak Out’.

[undercitylightsmagazine]

FIDLAR @ Heaven, 31/1/19

FIDLAR, the skate-punk American band who had to give up the drugs, were back in London. While the band seems to have evolved into something more mature, the energy from these California party animals is still clearly here!

The band released their most recent studio effort, Almost Free, on January 21st, and to promote its release, the band is back on tour. Surprisingly, throughout the entire tour, the band reserves only two dates for Europe and the two dates are in… London! It would not be correct for a skate-punk band to tour in London without stopping at the House of Vans – but that gig turned out to be completely free, and the second date at the Heaven nightclub held no such luck for fans with tickets costing £27, unlike the name of the album suggests.

It is Thursday, after a long day having my head buried in textbooks, studying, I head back home and try my best to be quick – I need to be early enough under the arches to see the support playing! According to the website, the doors are opening at 7PM, and as a naïve person trying to be well-organised for once in his life, I expect the support to play at around 7:45, but I instead have a lengthy wait until 20:30 when three silhouettes come out onstage and grab their instruments. SPILT, the band from Liverpool, or should I say from Runcorn, start to play. I have to confess, I’ve rarely seen a crowd mosh pitting in this way for a support! The self-taught band describing their music as “psychedelic grunge” warmed up the room by a few degrees. It is funny to notice the way the lead guitarist (Morgan) and the drummer (Josh) were playing wildly in contrast with the bassist Ron, staying focused on his play. It is only when Morgan decides to take off his shirt that he unleashes his energy fully, and they have prepared something for the crowd to feel as they feel – ‘Catnip’ is a punky song filled with heavy guitar riffs, and there isn’t a single moment during the song where you can rest. This was a perfect fit for a support for FIDLAR, with a sound halfway between Shame and Nirvana.

I head back to the bar to fill my glass as I anticipate this horde of people going to supply themselves, but I only have the time to take a few sips of my beer before the long-awaited band FIDLAR arrives on stage just fifteen minutes later! The set they play not only shows off how good the tracks on Almost Free sound live: they also play a few songs from their first and second record too. Instead of playing their set in a gradual crescendo, FIDLAR decides to give the crowd what they are begging for: madness… and ‘Alcohol’! This song sounds like The Vines – it is loud and touches a topic very familiar to the band. I don’t even have the time to calm down before they start their second song, nothing other than ‘No Waves’! It’s FIDLAR’s most popular hit, and it’s no surprise that the crowd just goes crazy. Sweating and smiling like a child, I am ready for the next song, when Carper sings on his own, “Well I’m cracking one open with the boys by myself…” lets a laugh out and shouts to the crowd “This song was clearly made for the UK” – tell me about it! Even if the song had some bad reviews, I personally really like the funky vibes of it. However, for this live performance, they increased the tempo for the song, and it just didn’t sound as great as its studio version. Then followed a back-and-forth between tracks from Almost Free and their older albums – ‘40oz. On Repeat’, ‘Too Real’, ‘West Coast’, ‘5 to 9’…

The performance involved a nice mix of moshpit anthems and more relaxed songs. And when, towards the end of their set, I think FIDLAR couldn’t do better, they go further and play a Beastie Boys cover – “This is a SABOTAAAAAAGE!” They finish the set, keeping the crowd awake by telling them to ‘Wake, Bake, Skate’. And the show doesn’t even end there – the band come back on stage and play Cheap Beer for the encore. At the end of the night, even if the band gets older, you get the sense that FIDLAR will be playing music for a long time more.

Words by Antoine Beraud

[undercitylightsmagazine]

Ben Howard @ O2 Academy Brixton, 18.01.19

In this series of four sold-out shows at the Brixton Academy, Ben Howard takes the already highly conceptual and atmospheric album, Noonday Dream (his most recent release), and creates an even more immersive audio-visual experience. 

Starting with his new single ‘Heave Ho’, Howard plays essentially all the songs from the new album (with a few more in the encore), which is, by now, common practice at a Noonday Dream concert. One wouldn’t generally think this is unusual or irritating, but some audience members are always frustrated by the fact that he doesn’t play any songs from his first album, Every Kingdom. During the concert, someone repeatedly shouts “play some old ones!” and, as I walk out of the concert, I overhear two friends complaining about the setlist and the lack of Every Kingdom songs. However, even though some of the audience is bordering on disrespectful, it is important to keep two things in mind. First, there will always be idiots at a concert, no matter who’s playing, and, second, there were also audience members who shared my exasperation at the Every Kingdom obsession (one of whom said she had been to 16 Ben Howard concerts!).

In addition, it is almost definitely Howard’s intention to only perform songs from the most recent album, and to expand on them, both musically and visually. Musically, it is interesting to see that he adds extensive intros and outros to almost every song. For example, ‘Nica Libres at Dusk’, a 6-minute song on the record, becomes a 10-minute rendition, with an intro of the sound of pebble-treading (reminiscent of the music video), and, of course, the large band adding its own musical artistry – with a nine-piece band. Accompanying Howard’s guitar and vocals, the most notable performances being the two cellists, and Mickey Smith passionately playing the guitar and managing the sounds effects. Visually, the experience is stunning. There are short videos being projected either onto the background behind the band, or onto the sides of the stage. These videos are short, sometimes looping clips of, for example, a field of daisies, or an abstract composition of psychedelic colours. Some of them are from the music video for ‘Nica Libres’, and some of them are blurry projections from a live camera shooting Howard’s silhouette or that of a band member. In the encore, an exception: he plays ‘Black Flies’, from Every Kingdom, but with a darker, more atmospheric twist. The 2nd chorus and 3rd verse are expanded to make it sound as musically expanded as a Noonday Dream song. The visuals are an alternating darkness and blue colours, which then turn into a looping projection of heavy rain, appropriate to the theme of water of the song. (I also, personally, always mishear the “Maybe you were the ocean and I was just a stone” lyric as “…I was just a storm”, so that made the rain doubly appropriate).

I’ve tried to argue that the possible criticisms of Howard’s shows are actually their strengths, but, if, perhaps, you have less patience, it is difficult to see that. The intense focus on creating a unique, atmospheric performance, along with Howard’s close attention to the music and resulting shyness onstage, is refreshing, as opposed to boring. Maybe he doesn’t connect with the audience by speaking to them directly, but with his music he is certainly bringing a connection that transcends conversational words.

A closing note on the support, Ex:Re – the solo project of Elena Tonra (the singer from Daughter): There could not be a more appropriate opener for Ben Howard than Elena Tonra. She is as contemplative and introspective as he is, so she set the mood perfectly. The misty blue background added to this feeling, as did the echoing effects of many of the songs that she played from her new album Ex:Re. Read our interview with Ex:Re here.

Words by Isabelle Jakobsen.