Gorillaz have recruited London rapper Octavian for a new single titled ‘Friday 13th’. The track marks the fourth installment of the group’s Song Machine series. Listen to it below.
After teasing the collaboration online, the cartoon band also shared an official music video featuring Octavian as well as a host of Gorillaz members in their animated form. At the end of the video, we’re shown a quote by US activist James Baldwin: “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.”
Speaking of the track, drummer Russel Hobbs said: “Every day starts in the dark, and ends in the dark, but in the middle there is light.”
The Song Machine series kicked off in January with a track titled ‘Momentary Bliss’ featuring slowthai and Slaves. Since then, the group has unveiled ‘Désolé’, ‘Aries’, and ‘How Far?’, a collaboration with the late Tony Allen and Skepta.
Last month, Gorillaz announced the Gorillaz Almanac, to be published by Z2 Comics, in celebration of their 20-year history.
Lollapalooza, an annual four-day music festival taking place in Chicago, has been cancelled due to COVID-19. The city’s mayor, Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, announced the decision yesterday (June 9) at the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE). The festival will instead host “a weekend-long livestream event” from July 30 to August 2 in “honour its annual summer tradition”, according to the announcement. The livestream will also live music as well as never-before-seen archival footage.
Lollapalooza organizers also released a statement on their website and social media pages, writing: “We wish we could bring Lollapalooza again to Grant Park this year, but we understand why things can’t move forward as planned. The health and safety of our fans, artists, partners, staff, and community is always our highest priority.”
They added: “Rest assured, we will be working hard behind the scenes to deliver Chicago a spectacular celebration of Lollapalooza’s 30th anniversary in the summer of 2021, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you.”
Lollapalooza South America has been postponed from March to late November/early December, with The Strokes, Guns N’ Roses and Travis Scott set to headline.
Denim clothing is mass-produced and seen in most if not all of the retail stores; in fact, 70 million pairs of jeans are sold in the UK, every year. Yet, much as we love to wear denim, we don’t realise how harmful it can be for the environment and the people who deal with producing denim. The purpose of this article is solely to inform how denim affects the environment and the workers. Hopefully, this may encourage you to try out different types of clothes and seemingly will give you a reason to talk to the brands that abuse this system.
Denim production takes a lot of water and creates heaps of pollution. Growing cotton consumes at least 68% of water alone, while to produce one pair of jeans it takes 998.8 gallons of water. Moreover, different looks on jeans such as the distressed style cause the manufacturers to use chemicals and intensive washing, further adding to water consumption and pollution. In Xintang, China, cases of unsafe amounts of mercury, lead and copper were all found in the river near the place which produces around the third of the world’s jeans. The same river which residents use for bathing and drinking water. This pollution has caused some serious health issues for the residents.
Denim waste can also be toxic to both land animals, and aquatic life, when the wastewater is washed down the stream and flown into the rivers. It has been also found that the dangerous Manganese, a hard metal, has been found in rivers. Mangese can cause lung and liver disturbances, possible declines in blood pressure, and even brain damage. Many animals with even a small exposure to Mangese can have a very small chance of survival.
Manganese Production based on the numbers of USGS Comodity report 2007
Alternatives
It’s great to point out problems, but there is no point doing so if we bring no solutions. While a lot of old, unfriendly methods used from years ago are still present, some reliable alternatives are available. For example, companies such as Jeanologia bring highly advanced eco-technologies for fabric and garment finishing. Their methods eliminate the painful process which impacts the health of the environment and the worker.
We can also reduce our spending on denim by using ethical and sustainable alternatives. For example, denim brands like Agolde use regenerative and recyclable cotton for their clothing line, helping reduce the overall stability. If you want to check them out, you can explore Agolde jeans at Maplestore. Before shopping, make sure that the brand you are buying is transparent on the process and check if they re-invest into the working conditions of their workers and the farmers from which they get the cotton.
To conclude, our environment must not suffer from something that we can change. We must stand up and show to brands that denim can be produced more ethically and sustainably. By being smart with our shopping and letting brands know that they can be more sustainable, we can help shift the movement one step forward.
‘Thieves! (Screamed the Ghost)’, a mid-album highlight from 2016’s RTJ3, closes off with a quote from Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘The Other America’ speech that has recently been making rounds on social media: “A riot is the language of unheard.” The track itself imagines a dystopian sci-fi future that serves as an allegory of racism in America, confronting of the harsh realities of police brutality and systemic violence that have plagued the country for decades. The incomparable duo of Killer Mike and El-P paint a grimly vivid scene of a riot – “burning, looting, shooting, taking, thieving” – images we’ve become all too familiar with during the last few days. It’s so frighteningly prescient one could easily mistake it for a protest song recorded in direct response to the uprising over the killing of George Floyd.
But of course, that’s exactly the point – much like that track, Run the Jewels’ latest full-length effort, released on June 3rd (two days before its actual release date), doesn’t feel so much like a reflection on the current political moment as much as a pertinent reminder of a long-standing pattern of abuse at the hands of a racist state. Even RTJ4’s most memorable lyric, which arrives once again at the midpoint of the album, isn’t in reference to George Floyd but to Eric Garner, a black man who was killed in horrifically similar circumstances six years ago: “You so numb you watch the cops choke out a man like me,” Mike raps, “Until my voice goes from a shriek to whisper—‘I can’t breathe’.” It would have been potent enough if it was written about George Floyd, but showing how it’s also about every black person whose life has unjustly been taken away really drives home the point that Mike and El-P have been making for years, be it through their music or through Mike’s activism.
But despite RTJ2’s success, RTJ3 was itself a musical riot that went largely unheard, though it had less to do with structural inequality than with the fact that it was released at the tail end of the year – even if it was the year that ushered in the era of Trump. The show Mike and El-P put on here isn’t that different – it’s still raucously fun, virulent, and bombastic all at the same time – but the stage has certainly changed, with more people watching than ever. Chances are, if you’ve heard a Run the Jewels album before, you don’t need to be told that RTJ4 is good – not as punchy as RTJ2 or as diverse as RTJ3, but it certainly doesn’t disappoint. The chemistry between the duo is more naturally effortless than ever, the production is blisteringly boisterous, and the lyrics can be both boastful and sobering. Even El-P, who’s often the less politically outspoken of the two, frequently steps out of his comfort zone to take aim at systemic oppression: “Funny fact about a cage, they’re never built for just one group/ So when that cage is done with them and you’re still poor/ It come for you,” he spits out on ‘walking in the snow’.
But there’s more to the album than just that chilling highlight, both in terms of sound and subject matter. RTJ4 is framed as an action comedy set in a world of chaos, with fiery opener ‘yankee and the brave’ introducing the rappers’ comedic alter egos as they run away from a swarm of police offers. There’s a sense of joyful frenetic energy that propels the album forward, from the catchy hooks of the classicist ‘ooh la la’ featuring Greg Nice and DJ Premier to the wildly infectious and enthralling ‘holy calamafuck’, whose thunderous production hints at RTJ4’s heightened dramatic flare. The propulsive synths and haunting backing vocals of ‘never look back’ sound like they’re coming straight from a horror movie, while ‘the ground below’ pulses with rock n’ roll dynamism. The grievous atmosphere of ‘pulling the pin’, featuring Mavis Staples Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme, is eerily reminiscent of Nick Cave’s latest work, and there’s nothing quite as evocative as Staples’ chorus as she sings: “It hurts, I’m bein’ torn apart/ There’s a grenade in my heart and the pin is in their palm.”
As is to be expected, RTJ4 is filled with ruthless attacks on capitalism and its relation to various forms of injustice, but none is as biting and witty as ‘JU$T’, co-produced by Pharrell Williams and featuring Zach De La Rocha (who also made a noteworthy appearance on RTJ2), which includes one of the album’s most memorable punchlines: “The Thirteenth Amendment says that slavery’s abolished/ Look at all these slave masters posin’ on yo’ dollar.” But what makes the album stand out from the rest of the duo’s discography is not so much its barbed political commentary as the surprising amount of self-reflection that’s on display here, from ‘never look back’ to the closer ‘a few words for the firing squad (radiation)’. The latter is a 6-minute epic that builds and builds as Mike and El-P deliver knock-out performances; El-P looks inwards to offer some poignant truths about life (“I used to wanna get the chance to show the world I’m smart/ Isn’t that dumb?/ I should’ve focused mostly on the heart/ ‘Cause I seen smarter people trample life like it’s an art”), while Mike ruminates on his own image and legacy (“Friends tell her, ‘He could be another Malcolm, he could be another Martin’/ She told her partner, ‘I need a husband more than the world need another martyr’”).
The album’s tongue-in-cheek outro serves as a reminder that this is all just a work of fiction, and a darkly comedic one at that – but it’s a framing device that actually amplifies the truths that have been laid out throughout its tense 40-minute runtime. RTJ4 is as consistently rapturous as it is fierce, managing to stay true to its playful spirit without minimising the impact of its powerful message. That MLK quote is not the only sample from that RTJ3 track that has now taken on a new resonance – a snippet from the opening monologue to a 1961 episode of The Twilight Zone perfectly distills what’s at the core of the album’s thesis: “This is not a new world, it is simply an extension of what began in the old one.”
Limón Limón, an LA-based duo, have released their new single Barcelona Night which they state recalls the memories of days spent wandering a vibrant city by the sea. The single comes after the release of their song Routine.
Barcelona Night is the perfect song for the summer, featuring euphonious vocals, catchy lyrics and warm, energy-filled production. If you’re looking for a refreshing track, then you’ll love Barcelona Night.
Bonnie Pointer, one of the founding members of the Grammy Award-winning vocal group The Pointer Sisters, has died at the age of 69.
Anita Pointer confirmed her sister’s passing in a statement to TMZ. “It is with great sadness that I have to announce to the fans of The Pointer Sisters that my sister, Bonnie died this morning,” she said. “Our family is devastated, on behalf of my siblings and I and the entire Pointer family, we ask for your prayers at this time.”
Born in Oakland, California, Bonnie and her sister June started performing as a duo in 1969 before the group expanded into a quartet including their other sisters, Anita and Ruth. After signing to Blue Thumb Records in 1972, the group found success with the release of their debut self-titled album, released the following year, which featured their first hit single ‘Yes We Can’. A year later, the group won a Grammy for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group for their second hit, ‘Fairytale’, off their album That’s a Plenty, which was later covered by Elvis Presley. This led them to become the first African American group to perform at the Grand Ole Opry.
The band’s success continued with 1975’s Steppin’, but in 1977, Bonnie left the group to pursue a solo career before the band’s commercial peak. She made her self-titled debut for Motown Records in 1997 and went on to release four albums, with her most popular single ‘Heaven Must Have Sent You’ reaching No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 1994, The Pointer Sisters reunited in celebration of their Hollywood Walk of Fame star. In 2010, she played herself in Monte Hellman’s 2010 romantic thriller Road to Nowhere, and released her final album, Like A Picasso, in 2011.
We are all stuck with a lot of time on our hands at the moment. Some people are embracing it such as decluttering their homes and making some positive changes in their lives, whereas others are finding that boredom has started to creep in. Are you finding lockdown hard right now? If so now might be the time to try out a new hobby. Here are some suggestions to help you get started.
Collecting
Collecting is a great hobby, and it can be quite time-consuming which makes it ideal to start in January when you really don’t want to be overdoing it with spending a lot of money. Collecting things could range from anything like stamps and first day covers to rare stones. Some people like to collect china or mugs, the options are endless, and you can spend your time hunting out bargains to add to your collection. Be that online at specialist websites or even on auction sites like eBay.
Exercise
So I guess that exercise might be a hot topic of conversation for some as people tend to place a lot of focus with their new year’s resolutions around being healthy. So why not seize the opportunity and really focus on it by turning it into a hobby. You may find that you want to take up a new sport like tennis or football, or simply join a gym or go out for a run. Whatever you decide to do, exercise not only gives you something to do but after a few weeks, you will start to see the benefit of it.
Maybe you want to learn music and try something different, and now with some extra time, you could finally learn that musical instrument. You may want to start playing the guitar, or even the piano. You could try out things such as learn to play the Piano in 21 Days and see how you get on. It could be a great thing to focus your mind and energy, especially during difficult times we all find ourselves in.
Start a blog or journal
Blogging and journaling have become somewhat trendy of late, but that doesn’t mean you can seize the opportunity and start one yourself. Blogging is a great way to share your knowledge and tips on any subject you feel passionate about, or simply document your life as an online diary. Journaling might be taken differently as you can choose to write in a diary your thoughts and hopes, but you could also be specific with things like a happiness or gratitude journal where you place some focus on your mental well-being.
Learn a language
Maybe you want to do something a little out of your comfort zone or just something completely different, then learning a language could be the ideal option for you. Whether you choose something obscure, or something a little more mainstream, the added attention to something could help you in other areas of your life as well as enabling you to feel more confident if you do visit that country in the future.
Let’s hope that this has inspired you to consider some of the hobbies you could try this month.
Petra Leary, an award-winning New Zealand born photographer, has released a superb aerial series named Daily Geometry. In this eye-pleasing series, Leary explores different basketball courts that showcase various colours, shapes and textures. This is a wonderful series that brings us a new view from above.
Sometimes when you think of switching towards sustainable fashion, it can feel overwhelming as to where to start. While one of the most obvious ways to keep your fashion sustainable is to maintain what you own, and consider to recycle, repair, and alter your existing clothes, unfortunately, sometimes you just need a handful of new t-shirts and a fresh pair of jeans. Even with high-quality sustainable clothing, things are likely to still wear out over long periods of time.
So, how do you go about finding online brands that are sustainable, and what are red flags to avoid?
Red flag: cheap prices
The reason that fast fashion is so affordable is that it isn’t sustainable. If a price seems too good to be true, it unfortunately likely is. When you sit down and think about it, garments that are priced as fast fashion reflect the reality that someone down the manufacturing line is not being rewarded for the work that they are doing.
That doesn’t automatically mean that each item you buy has to cost an arm and a leg, but it does mean you need to be honest with yourself about whether a price seems too good to be true. Sustainability in fashion can not be simply looked at from an environmental perspective only but needs to take in the socio-economic repercussions of sustainability as well.
Fabric choices
Since you can’t feel how high-quality a product is when you are shopping online, you have to take into consideration the details provided online. Look for natural fibers, which tend to be more environmentally sustainable. Avoid things like polyester that are considered incredibly harmful to the environment. However, you can aim to use “recycled polyester” in your fabric choices. Recycled polyester uses approximately 50% less energy to be created than virgin polyester, and uses old plastic bottles that are turned into a form of yarn which is made into fashion garments.
Natural fibers are often more ecologically sustainable than other options, especially items such as hemp and linen. Natural fibers are biodegradable so they won’t have such a negative impact if or when the item is discarded or eventually wears out.
Take your time looking over websites, and make sure when you are purchasing an item that it states directly the type of fabric that is being used, and avoid things like nylon or typical polyester.
Made in the UK
When you’re searching for great options online, look for fashion brands that are produced and manufactured in the UK or European countries. Local manufacturing means there is less environmental impact from shipping. Additionally, the UK has stricter manufacturing regulations on fashion than other less sustainable companies based outside of Europe.
When in doubt, avoid clothing that is manufactured in Asia, Africa, and Latin America since they often are countries that employ children and do not have a good working environment for their employees, forcing them to work long hours, often without adequate pay.
Other countries that typically have good work environments are Canada and the USA, so you can look for those as potential good signs when you are looking for sustainable fashion from outside the UK.
When it comes to body art there are plenty of new designs and new ideas coming to the forefront in recent times. With the rise of the hotly debated white highlight option and the hyper-realistic options that people have come up with now are becoming more popular by the day. If you are looking for a specific style then more often than not you will find somebody within your local area to match you. Artists that work on body art and piercings are now much more commonplace and can be found via social media in most scenarios. Everybody is different and whether you’re looking for a large custom piece of artwork or a commemorative piece, do you have many options in 2020. Here are some of the things that you may see this year, and reasons why research is as important as ever.
Technology
Technology is playing a wonderful role in the world of tattooing and body art. Being able to manipulate artwork via software, and print out easily onto stencils with a stencil printer tattoo, means that the process is speeded up significantly. Artists are now able to get their designs on paper and start work within hours rather than spending more time on the unnecessary time spent on traditional methods. Even when it comes down to the cleanliness of equipment, you can purchase high-quality cleaning equipment, and especially during this year it is more important than ever before.
Quality
Years ago you would need to have asked around to find details of a local tattoo artist, and relied on word-of-mouth. However, with the rise of the Internet and social media, you can now find and check out an artist before you even meet them. It’s great that you can see a tattoo artists work before you even need to consider booking an appointment and looking at the quality and consistency that they are putting out, can mean the world of difference. The ability to purchase high-quality materials is also a game-changer for tattoo artists who may have had to work with lower quality products before as well.
Long-term
Tattoos used to generally spread and reduce in quality and clarity over time, and they still due to an extent, but the quality of the ink that is used on the technology being accessed to create much cleaner lines and quicker healing, means that you should be able to gain a level of longevity from your tattoos that was never accessible before. It is important to ensure that you are speaking to professionals and only receiving artwork from people who know exactly what they are doing, You will experience a much better and higher quality tattoo that lasts for a longer time then if you don’t do your research.
The overall message is to ensure that the business is registered, and follows the highest possible quality and hygiene processes, it’s not something that you want to regret doing further down the line, and tattoos are a long-term commitment of course.
