In honour of the 50th anniversary reissue of All Things Must Pass, George Harrison‘s debut single has received an official music video featuring dozens of stars from the entertainment world. Directed by Lance Bangs, the clip stars Fred Armisen and Vanessa Bayer as “metaphysical special agents tasked by the head of a clandestine agency, played by Mark Hamill, to search for that which can’t be seen.” It also features appearances from Ringo Starr, Jeff Lynne, Dhani and Olivia Harrison, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Jon Hamm, Tim & Eric, Patton Oswalt, Taika Waititi, Reggie Watts, Darren Criss, Tom Scharpling, Paul Scheer, Garfunkel and Oates, Shepard Fairey, and more. Watch it below.
Ela Minus Unveils New Video for ‘N19 5NF’
Ela Minus has shared a new video for ‘N19 5NF’, the opening track to her 2020 LP acts of rebellion. The clip, directed by Losmose, was shot in Mexico City. In the video’s opening club scene, she also previews the opening section of a brand new track. Check it out below.
‘N19 5NF’ is named after the London zip code of a hospital where Minus gained consciousness after being in the ICU for two days. “It’s where I believe my life before this album ended and a new life began,” she explained in a press release. Of the video, she added: “I found that through the making of this song and video, reality was transfigured. It illuminated it and revealed its true grinning monstrous teeth. Through this transfiguration I was able to find a voice, not a discourse, but a personal voice looking for an ear or an eye to meet. This video is important because of my own story and the empowerment it can give to others through my way of telling it.”
The Evolution of Gaming Culture
When you look back to the early days of gaming, i.e., the early 1980s, gaming was a casual pastime for a minority. Most gamers would play their favorite games at arcades, with video games regarded as a novelty. 30 years later, and gaming has taken over the world. The rate of the cultural and technological changes taking place in the gaming world is accelerating. Today, gamers fill stadiums to cheer on their favorite League of Legends of Fortnite players. So, how did gaming culture evolve from the days of the arcade to the modern era?
From a Simple Part Time Hobby to a Social Nuisance
The gaming culture did not change a lot in the 1980s because it was still a niche activity, although many of the gaming franchises we love today were started in this era. Things started to change in the 1990s as the content of video games became more realistic and graphic. The mental health effects of video games were questioned – and are still being questioned to this day – with many people seeing games as a public safety issue. Fortunately, numerous studies have debunked these myths and ways of thinking.
LAN Gaming
LAN gaming became quite prominent in the 2000s as more people began understanding the power of networking and how to connect more than one computer together to form a Local Area Network. There was no shortage of games that players could play with each other, and the concept of LAN gaming was the first glimpse that people had of what e-sports and video game tournaments could look like.
Although many people have since switched to online gaming through online multiplayer games, smaller LAM gaming parties are still a viable option, especially in cases where the owner of the main computer only wants to invite a select number of people to the party. For this, they would need a VPN that allows them total control over their network.
Although built for business environments, a service like Barracuda VPN is a great option for LAN gaming, with much of the setup and usage being comparable to that of a business environment. Administrators can decide who to let into their gaming sessions, while privacy and security are assured because of the client-less nature of such a VPN connection. To see how the Barracuda VPN can benefit your LAN gaming and business use cases, you can read a detailed Barracuda review on the product’s review page via the Top10 site.
Explosion of Online Gaming
At the time LAN gaming was gaining popularity, the internet was too. The problem is that a lot of people still had slow internet connections, and so many still played alone or in a LAN setting. However, as the internet evolved and internet speeds improved, online gaming started taking off. Instead of gaming worlds built on computers, games like World of Warcraft and EverQuest built their gaming worlds online. Millions of players joined in on the fun as internet speeds, and computer capabilities increased.
In addition to this, we saw many classic games, typically played in person, develop online. Microsoft Solitaire is the most notable example, but other games were also introduced online like Cribbage and Hearts. Now these games are played more online than they were in person, and you can play and connect with people around the world.
Even with this increase in internet speeds, precise play was still challenging due to the lack of high-speed internet. Competitive and online gaming would explode again in the 2010s as new internet speed milestones were hit and more game developers embraced online gaming. At the same time, gaming communities on forums such as Reddit and 4Chan were up and coming. People would come together in these spaces to discuss their favorite games and find information on new games or games in the pipeline.
The Rise of Esports and Social Issues
Gaming went mainstream in the 2010s, with esports tournaments arranged for top professional players. A career in gaming became a viable option, but this brought some issues. A glaring issue is that over 60% of all gamers and gaming professionals are male. This statistic is not surprising, considering that male players have dominated gaming for more than 30 years. However, the perceived toxic nature of gaming as a whole and provocative marketing that uses female characters are going away, with issues of female players and those in the LGBTQIA community being addressed.
Massive Online Superstars
Once gaming went online, gamers started posting their gameplay online and streaming live. Both these options helped them build massive audiences. Platforms like Twitch took advantage of this, offering players an audience and a way to make some money from gaming. These online gaming superstars are a critical part of the gaming world as they are the bridge between players and game developers. Many of these gamers have millions of adoring fans, with many seeing great success in their streaming and gaming endeavors.
Gaming has come a long way, evolving from the days of simple 2D sprites to allowing people to make money streaming gameplay online. There is no telling where the gaming culture will go next, but it is bound to go somewhere exciting.
Pom Pom Squad Reimagines Nada Surf’s ‘Popular’ With Matthew Caws
Earlier this year, Pom Pom Squad‘s Mia Berrin tweeted her admiration for Nada Surf’s ‘Popular’, writing: “I’m gonna recreate the video for popular by Nada Surf but I’m gonna play every character.” Berrin has now followed through on her promise, enlisting Nada Surf’s own Matthew Caws for a cover of the 1996 track and entirely remaking its music video. The clip, directed by Aysia Marotta, was filmed at the same high school as the original video. Check it out below.
“Working with Nada Surf was such a dream,” Berrin said in a statement. “They’re such an incredible group of individuals and were so kind to everyone in PPS during our time out on tour together. It’s hard not to be inspired by their career, so to intersect with their legacy even a little bit is really special.”
“I think the video is amazing! I love how it feels like a shot-for-shot recreation at the start but quickly takes on its own totally new character,” Caws added. “The original was shot in 1996, looking back at previous decades, while this one feels set in the present day, looking inwards and towards the future… another really cool aspect of the video is that the cheerleader character feels more and more sincere and human as the story develops. By the end, she’s much more than a player in a high school creation, she’s a person in the world and the singer of the song. To me there’s a “closed film” sense about Pom Pom Squad. Meaning that even if you could trace influences in their music, it feels as if they’ve invented it all themselves. They are their own world. That’s a trait I’ve felt in all my favorite bands: they’ve created their own reality.”
Pom Pom Squad released their debut album, Death of a Cheerleader, earlier this year. Check out where it landed on our 50 Best Albums of 2021 list, and read our Artist Spotlight interview with Pom Pom Squad.
Watch the Trailer for Charli XCX’s ‘Alone Together’ Documentary
Charli XCX has shared the trailer for her forthcoming documentary Alone Together. Bradley & Pablo directed the film, which chronicles the making of the singer’s quarantine album, how i’m feeling now. Check it out below.
Alone Together arrives in select theaters and on-demand on January 28. Charli XCX is set to release her fifth album, CRASH, next March. This weekend, she will be the musical guest on Saturday Night Live.
Tangerine Dream Announce New Album ‘Raum’, Share New Song
Tangerine Dream have announced a new album: Raum is out February 25 via Kscope/Eastgate Music. The album features compositions from Thorsten Quaeschning, Hoshiko Yamane, and Paul Frick, produced with access to the archives of the group’s founder, the late Edgar Froese, and directly inspired by his Cubase arrangements and Otari tapes. Below, listen to a single edit of ‘Raum’, check out the album’s cover artwork and tracklist, and find the group’s 2022 tour dates below.
Raum Cover Artwork:
Raum Tracklist:
1. In 256 Zeichen
2. You’re Always on Time
3. Along the Canal
4. Continuum
5. Portico C3
6. What You Should Know About Endings
7. Raum
Tangerine Dream 2022 UK Tour Dates:
Mar 2 – Belfast, Northern Ireland – Limelight 1
Mar 3 – Dublin, Ireland – Liberty Hall
Mar 5 – Manchester, England – RNCM Theatre
Mar 6 – Edinburgh, Scotland – Assembly Rooms
Mar 7 – Glasgow, Scotland – Saint Luke’s
Mar 9 – Newcastle Upon Tyne, England – Riverside Newcastle
Mar 10 – Liverpool, England – Grand Central
Mar 11 – Coventry, England – Coventry Cathedral
Mar 12 – Cambridge, England – Corn Exchange
Mar 13 – Birmingham, England – Town Hall
Mar 15 – Leeds, England – Brudenell Social Club
Mar 16 – Bristol, England – Trinity Centre
Mar 17 – Exeter, England – Phoenix
Mar 18 – London, England – Roundhouse
Mar 19 – Great Yarmouth, England – HRH Prog XII
Mar 21 – Southampton, England – Engine Rooms
Mar 23 – Brighton, England – Chalk
Mar 25 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Q-Factory
Aug 19 – Neuberinhaus Reichenbach, Germany – Artrock Festival X
Gaspard Augé Remixes Parcels’ ‘Somethinggreater’
Parcels‘ ‘Somethinggreater’ has received the remix treatment from Justice’s Gaspard Augé and Victor Le Masne, his production partner on recent solo releases. Check it out below.
‘Somethinggreater’ appears on Parcels’ latest album Day/Night, which arrived earlier this year. Gaspard Augé released his debut solo album, Escapades, back in June.
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis Share New Song ‘Les Cerfs’
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis have shared a new song from their soundtrack to the documentary Les Panthère Des Neiges. It’s called ‘Les Cerfs’, and you can listen to it below.
The La Panthère Des Neiges soundtrack is due out December 17 via Invada Records and Lakeshore Records. Cave and Ellis previously shared the track ‘We Are Not Alone’, an edit not found on the album. Earlier this year, they released the collaborative LP Carnage, which landed on our 50 Best Albums of 2021 list.
Burna Boy and Wizkid Team Up on New Song ‘B. d’Or’
Burna Boy and Wizkid have teamed up for a new song called ‘B. d’Or’. Produced by P2J, the song is inspired by the Ballon d’Or, the award annually presented the year’s best men’s football player. Listen to it below.
Since releasing his Grammy-winning album Twice as Tall in 2020, Burna Boy has dropped a string of singles, including ‘Kilometre’, ‘Question’, and ‘Want It All’, which featured Polo G. He’s set to perform a concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City next spring, making him the first Nigerian artist to headline the arena.
The Examples of How Banks Can Beat Problem Gambling
As the popularity of online gambling increases, practising responsible gambling has to be an area of emphasis for the entire world especially in places that are traditionally known for their well-regulated gambling activities. But unfortunately, not every one of the gamblers practices responsible gambling for which social support schemes is absolutely necessary.
Punters are mostly prone to turning a blind eye towards practising safe gambling for which gambling is associated with a very misunderstood notion of being negatively addictive. Several organizations took it upon themselves to look into the cause and come up with policies that help punters from going out of track with their gambling habits. The banks in the UK have been of amazing support to the cause with the United Kingdom Gambling Commission.
Banks Directly Blocking Gambling Transactions
The UK is one of those countries where the gambling system has been heavily regulated for the sake of the people. The banks in the UK took a drastic step in safeguarding the citizens from overindulging in gambling. These banks are now interested in the added responsibility of monitoring all the transactions taking place through single or multiple accounts of every single account holder. If any sign of compulsive gambling at any credit card online casino for UK players is detected by the bank authorities, a customer can be subjected to inquisition and he has to undergo a session of consultation which can often lead to blockage of the card.
Additionally, the bank can also take a step towards banning all gambling-related transactions from the same account. However, acceptable proof of change can reverse this ban. If the reversal of the ban is followed by further similar activities, the ban will be re-initiated. The most popular banks in the UK like Halifax, Santander, Lloyds Bank, Barclays, NatWest, Starling, HSBC, Bank of Scotland practices the mentioned.
Banks Standing by the GamStop Scheme
GamStop is an independently operating self-exclusion scheme powered by the UKGC to address the gambling-related problems associated with addiction. Players are expected to have a voluntary selection of the exclusion span. The motto of Gamstop is to create an environment safe for online gaming in the UK hence it is available for free within the boundaries of Great Britain. GamStop is associated with major organizations as partners that fuel their initiatives within the UK and far beyond. Some of these partnerships are with various well-known banks within the UK and they work as a team to eradicate problematic gambling.
Apart from the traditional banking system e-wallet brands like PayPal also have associated themselves with GamStop to fight for the cause. Since GamStop is a free service, it is easier for banks to interfere. As mentioned before banks do interfere with the transactions made by the users to make sure of their safe gambling habits. In this case, there is no particular card to be blocked, but they make sure the transactions made to gambling sites are made unavailable for them. GamStop is hence the best and the easiest possible way to keep oneself from indulging when a serious problem is detected.
Free Promotions of Gamban
Similar to GamStop, Gamban is another verified software to combat gambling problems. To get the most out of the services one has to buy a subscription to the software where it works as a blocking service in restricting the player from entering any gambling site. As all other self-exclusion programs work, once subscribed, a player is held from accessing the banned sites which continues till the period of self-exclusion gets over. Banks have steadily shown their dedication towards the cause by promoting
Gamban for free and this partnership works in a way where a customer can get hold of Gamban yet escape the subscription fee by using promotions provided by the major bank collaborators. These promotional offers have no limit in their duration and can never be reversed similar to all other exclusion programs. The UKGC websites along with Gamcare website as well as the bank websites feature these promotions. Lloyd bank, Halifax, HSBC, NatWest, etc. are the ones featuring these promotions for Gamban.
Conclusion
Banks have significantly shown their participation in the welfare of the citizens in the UK. This not only reflected their professionalism but also their commitment towards social responsibility together with the government to meet certain social causes. The banks all over the UK have shown a great deal of dedication towards problematic gambling and played their part in collectively fighting against the cause.
