Miles From Kinshasa, a Congo-born, London-based artist, alongside Murkage Dave have released their new single ear-pleasing single Motionz. The single comes after Miles from Kinshasa’s two singles Lookin’ 4 U and Wearing Smiles, both of which were released earlier this year. All of the three singles are bound to feature on the forthcoming EP Beloved.
Motionz is now available to be streamed via Spotify.
Travis Scott has shared a new song called ‘The Plan’. It’s taken from the soundtrack to Christopher Nolan’s new film Tenet. Check it out below.
In an interview with GQ’s Gerrick D. Kennedy, Scott said of the film: “I can’t even explain it. You literally just have to watch it. It’s very fire.” In that same article, Nolan talked about Scott’s involvement in the film, saying: “His voice became the final piece of a yearlong puzzle. His insights into the musical and narrative mechanism [composer] Ludwig Göransson and I were building were immediate, insightful, and profound.”
Starring Robert Pattinson, John David Washington, and Elizabeth Debicki, Tenet will open in select theaters worldwide on August 26. Travis Scott recently collaborated with Kanye West for his single ‘Wash Us in the Blood’ and Rosalía for the track ‘TKN’. His most recent studio album was 2018’s ASTROWORLD.
One of the main television hits of 2019, of course, was the fifth season of Peaky Blinders. And it ended with a shameless cliffhanger – with a bunch of questions and possible answers, indicated only by a couple of vague hints. Managed to shock – including someone absolutely illogical (and indeed pleasant) return. And most importantly – even more clearly than the previous, fourth, season – outlined the development path of the cult series.
True, at first glance, everything is pretty standard. The same Nick Cave sings an amazing Red Right Hand in credits. The same color scheme: a hazy gray industrial background – plus red bloodstains, yellow headlights, juicy brown mud, and orange cigar light, blue cocaine ampules, black pistols, piercing blue eyes of Cillian Murphy. In the end, the same plot twists and turns – which allows you to combine the real historical context with the fictional – even “based on real events” – dramatic story of a single criminal clan.
And here, perhaps, it’s finally worth noting that the mentioned “separate taking” – both in terms of form and in terms of content – finally finished off the permanent showrunner Stephen Knight with tightness. Moreover, this can be seen from the very first shots: the start of the first episode – and to a large extent the plot of all six – determines Black Tuesday of 1929. A grand American stock market crash, on the one hand, is forcing the Shelby clan to abandon plans to legalize the business and return to the old paths. On the other hand, it intensifies the struggle for power, fuels ambition, splashes gasoline into the already decently so bonfire of family discord.
The latter is indicated by especially thick, broad strokes – first, in the context of the confrontation between the young “progressive” guys and the carriers of “traditional values”. The ranks of the former are replenished with the archetypal thin-boned American blonde (the usual wonderful Anya Taylor-Joy) staring at old people in caps with poorly concealed contempt. The second – in fact, old men in caps – fiercely dismiss changes, not having the slightest opportunity to ignore them. In general, again – the theme of “fathers and children.” Eternal, not to say – hackneyed.
When talking about Peaky Blinders and the atmosphere in the movie, we cannot skip mentioning that “casino-environment” haunting and existing in the bleak streets of Great Britain. While the series is not centered around gambling, we can immediately feel the nature of it throughout the whole series. Even if it is not shown we are sure that people indeed are engaged in this activity. What’s more the main thing in the series is the fact that the group owns a horse racing system, which in fact was the first thing people placed their bets on. Because of that and due to the high popularity of the TV show, Peaky Blinders has become a basis for online casino slots for real money where Tom Shelby and other characters, with their feature caps, could be seen as playable characters.
However, you don’t have to yawn and get bored, because the semitones and dull reflection here – even more actively than before – prefer noise, din, and extreme passions, and even loud music – of course, matched with manic thoroughness exactly to a particular scene. Accordingly, Peaky Blinders’ signature clip style is nowadays screwed up to deliberately straightforward associativity: the one who is overcast and ill paces along the pavement under Joy Division; another incendiary conflict announced by Black Sabbath; Anna Calvi sings about the “last dying wish” – and so on.
And even further – down to the mass of colorful explosions, indiscriminate firing from a machine gun in the spirit of Predator, an unfolded duel of UFC looks, a high concentration of cruel reprisals…The toolkit beats in the forehead, promptly leading away from the “Peaks” from their original, purely Birmingham locality in the direction of the Hollywood sweeping movie comic strip. Here, by the way, is the appearance of Oswald Mosley, the founder of the British Union of Fascists: he zealously rants, intrigues, destroys everyone and everything – and, in general, is indicated by a sort of caricatured black and red vicious blot. Or – entering the stage of the equally lurid Scottish Billy Boys, which, in fact, is needed mainly so that we can admire the play of Brian Gleeson – and we saw several more spectacular scenes.
The season itself is also aimed at spectacular scenes. A minimum of chewing motivation – with a maximum of short, stylish pieces, shot, probably, specifically to applause. Here, for example, Aidan Gillen’s Aberama Gold recklessly, with the help of a red-hot tar, takes revenge for the crucifixion of his son – and charmingly glances at the camera. And here you have Arthur – old Arthur, whose bloody tantrums are now redundant beyond any measure imaginable – and beyond measure are delightful. Well, even there – even the performer of the title role does not shy from a frantic replay, so Tommy Shelby heart-rending yells and pounds the walls: they say that no one ever listens.
Moreover – in some places, Knight and his comrades are no longer embarrassed by outright theatricality. They are mixing a dynamic ballet number with the frantic escalation of suspense as if they had seen enough of the third John Wick. They set on the protagonist the ghosts of the past in the person of Annabelle Wallis, literally pacing out of the fog – in the manner of American psychological thrillers. Here and there, ringing pauses are inserted into the story – forcing the audience to squeeze into chairs. After a minute, on the contrary, the pace up the tempo with a ragged installation. They easily justify dashing scenario twists with unimaginable coincidences.
In short, they are approaching a dangerous border with dramatic vulgarity. But still, they don’t cross the line, masterfully balancing between a noticeable simplification of ideas and the highest mastery of implementation. Yes, Peaky Blinders have become more frivolous and lightweight. However, this was more than compensated for by increased dynamism, an increase in the entertainment component and blockbuster entertainment – to the displeasure of perhaps the primmest conservatives.
Over the years, Norway has proved that it has what it takes to become a top destination for fashion-enthusiast, it is a home to many award-winning designers who have a completely new and different vision, which is very important in the world of fashion.
Designers in Norway are doing their best to address current challenges that the world has and be as diverse as possible. It has never been more important for every field to come together to create a better future for everyone, and Norwegian designers are a huge part of this change.
In general, Scandinavians have always been known for their chic and beautiful wardrobes like nowhere else, designers in the region have used everything for their influence, starting to global warming, to politics and even gambling. Norway is one of those countries where gambling is very polarized and only government-owned companies have the right to offer gambling services to the citizens of Norway, this is something that is very actively used by designers in the country.
One of the biggest parts of the Norwegian fashion in the recent years has been a Norwegian word casinobonuser, which is being used by fashion designers who are in turn, getting a lot of promotions and deals from local casinos to raise the awareness about their brands. Casinos are not the only companies that are working with local designers very actively, however. The whole country is working very hard to make fashion in the country a new trend.
Kristian Aadnevik is one of the names that you should be looking out for. Being born in Bergen, Aadnevik is the most acclaimed designer of the country who became hugely popular after the Milan Fashion Week of 2008, when she collaborated with one and only, Donatella Versace. Versace named Kristian as the “Protégé of Versace”, which is a huge achievement for any designer around the world.
During his career, Aadnevik worked with huge names on the market, including Alexander McQueen, Roberto Cavalli, and many others. She is best-known for creating signature couture women clothing that are very soft, feminine, and out of the box.
Lisbeth Løvbak Berg is another top name in the Norwegian fashion, who brings freshness and the world of fashion. Berg is known for being very environmentally friendly, and she tries to use her beliefs in her designs as much as she can. Berg still is very much a new name on the market, as she debuted her first collection ‘Decay in Beauty’ in London in 2010. After a huge success, she established her own brand, called L-L-B, which offers ethical clothing that goes beyond today’s fashion.
Fam Irvoll debuted her first ever collection in 2006, she is known for having very quirky and colorful designs. Many famous fashion icons follow her trends, names such as Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and many others have worn Irvoll’s clothes, and she has been featured in magazines like Vogue Italia, Dazed and Confused, and a number of others. She takes a very active part in London Fashion Week, and collaborates with UK’s top fashion brands like TopShop and many others.
Veronica B Vallenes might be based in Copenhagen, but she was born in Norway. Vallenes is known to be a favorite of several ward shows, she is best known for her use of Nordic minimalism and chic Parisian elegance. International fashion world is very actively watching Vallenes, as she is being published by magazines such as Elle, Vogue and many others. She is very political with her lines and recently, she focused on ecology and featured natural materials like tencel, bamboo, and many others in her works.
There are many reasons why Norwegian fashion is attracting the whole world, one of the main reasons being the fact that the fashion designers in the country try to focus on things that make them different from others.
In today’s world, it is very hard to come up with something new and create something that has never been done before, but Norway’s top designers somehow managed to do so by including local culture in their works. Norway has a huge future in terms of fashion, and it seems like the process of Norway becoming one of the top destinations for fashion lovers is just starting.
Earlier this year, musician and composer Aaron Kiely released his debut album, Long Nights in Dark Rooms.
Aaron’s portfolio is an eclectic mix, including the soundtrack to the sci-fi comedy short Man-tis!, as well as the new melodies on his recent album. In Long Nights in Dark Rooms, each track flows into the next with a melancholic and contemplative tone.
Our Culture sat down with Aaron to talk about his album, his inspirations, and what’s next for the composer.
Hello Aaron, thanks so much for speaking with us. Please introduce yourself for our readers.
Hey, it’s a pleasure to speak with you and thank you for having me. Hello to all the lovely Our Culture readers out there. I’m Aaron! I’m a musician and composer from the north east of England. My main focus is creating music for film but I occasionally dabble in my own work as well. I just really enjoy the creative process, especially when it’s a collaborative one, as I find working with other creative people really fuels my own creativity. I love a good story and I’ve probably watched The Lord of the Rings more than any other human on the planet.
How does it feel to have released your new album?
It’s a strange mix of excitement and anxiety. This album has been mine and mine alone for so long. To have other people listen to it and make their own judgements is a little nerve-wracking. I’m looking forward to hearing what people have to say.
In your words, what is this album about?
For me, this album is about having somewhere else to go, an escape. The title, Long Nights In Dark Rooms, has quite a literal meaning; the job I was in at the time had me starting work at early AM hours, I’m talking one or three o’clock in the morning. This meant I would be awake and alone at night, every night, until I had to leave for work which can be quite an isolating feeling. The music was kind of born from that isolation and that’s what I tried to portray when writing. The simplicity of the music I was creating meant I didn’t necessarily have to concentrate too hard on the technical or theoretical aspects of the writing process but focus more on feeling and where the music was taking me, the natural ebbs and flows of emotion.
The tracks beautifully blend and flow into one another. What made you choose this form?
I think, to follow on from the last question, this album is an amplification of how I felt at that one specific moment in time. It felt quite organic for me to be able to sit down and play the album through in its entirety, almost like one 14 minute piece, so the first 3 tracks are written in the same key signature, starting and ending in ways which I could naturally carry on into the next. After the third track, House of Blue, I wanted to change the tone to feel more uplifting and hopeful so instead of all the melodies falling, the next two tracks, Breath and Sunrise, move up a key and have melodies that rise to end on a more positive note.
How long were you working on the tracks?
I think the whole process took around six to eight months. It wouldn’t be unfair however to say it took me three months to write the tracks and then five months to meticulously go over every note and decide whether it should be there or whether it should be a different note entirely… I’m terrible for that.
What would you like to explore in your music next?
I get very inspired by small things, whether it’s a sound, a conversation or something I’ve read and I tend to throw myself into it with both feet. It can get quite experimental and it’s always a different experience. I think each release will reflect a moment in time and whatever I am experiencing or going through at that particular moment, so we’ll have to see where I’m at in my life the next time inspiration strikes. Let’s hope for something a bit more upbeat for my next venture.
Where can people find your music?
iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube… basically any and all music stores or streaming services. Just search Aaron Kiely or Long Nights In Dark Rooms and look for my face or that beautiful album art by the extremely talented Karl Jones and Sam Prentice.
Finally, how do you define ‘culture’?
‘Culture’ to me can be defined as the way individual styles, thoughts and ways of being collaborate with each other to build a richer, more diverse and more collective society.
We can’t thank Aaron enough for talking with us. We recommend our readers listen to Long Nights in Dark Rooms, and we can’t wait to listen to what Aaron produces next.
19-year-old singer-songwrter PHOEBE ΔXΔ has unveiled her debut single, ‘Wisdom Teeth (Pressure)’. Written, recorded, and produced by Phoebe herself, the emotive coming-of-age single comes with an accompanying music video directed by Ariana Xeno. Check it out below.
“This single is my very reluctant response to growing up,” Phoebe said in a statement. “It explores the melancholy feeling you get when you enter a new phase of your life. I suppose it’s me having a bit of a tantrum about having to be an adult and feeling under pressure.”
“Making people love me like the poster girl that I should be/ Forcing feelings out of me/ These teeth are out to get me/ Bite my head off/ where’s the wisdom?” Phoebe sings on the track.
‘Wisdom Teeth (Pressure)’ is out now via AWAL.
Hinds and CHAI have joined forces for a new collaborative single titled ‘UNITED GIRLS ROCK’N’ROLL CLUB’. After teasing their latest collaboration for the past few weeks, the Spanish and Japanese groups have also unveiled an accompanying music video directed by Mariano Schoendorff. Check it out below.
“‘UNITED GIRLS ROCK’N’ROLL CLUB’ is a song that screams GIRL POWER!” both bands said in a press release. “You might be from different countries, different languages, but at the end of the day, the music speaks for itself. You can hear it, you can feel it! It’s that type of song! Take a listen!”
Hinds’ latest album, The Prettiest Curse, came out in June. More recently, they shared their take on The Clash’s ‘Spanish Bombs’. CHAI released their sophomore LP PUNK last year, and recently unveiled the songs ‘NO MORE CAKE’ and ‘Ready Cheeky Pretty’.
The Dawlder, the project of singer-songwriter John Edgar, has shared a new song called ‘Lava Lamps’. The heartfelt new single is taken from his upcoming EP Sign of Growth and arrives with an accompanying music video created by Wolfgang Paradisio and Kevin Brown. Watch it below.
‘Lava Lamps’ was written as a tribute to Edgar’s friend, Ewan, who took his own life in 2015. “If I had known it was the last time / I might have said something much more like / You were my dream,” he sings over a handpicked guitar arpeggios and haunting strings.
“For me, the song is about my friend, Ewan,” Edgar said in a statement. “But, more broadly it’s about the last time you ever see someone. You’ve got no idea it’s the last time and only realise after they’re gone. It’s mad how you can pinpoint that moment and go over and over it. What could I have said or done to alter events? Did I miss signals?”
All proceeds from sales of the track, both via Bandcamp as well as limited edition t-shirt run, will be donated to mental health charities Mind and Breathing Space. Sign of Growth is set to come out this winter via Akira Records.
If you're having suicidal thoughts, it's important to tell someone. Call a crisis line
There’s something wonderfully refreshing about the soothing, reflective indie/folk music of singer-songwriter Jennifer Kamikazi. The homely, earthy nature of folk means that the genre isn’t typically associated with subverting expectations or deviating from the norm. However, in many ways, that’s exactly what the London based artist has done. Growing up on a Barking council estate after moving from Rwanda to the UK, Kamikazi (which means ‘little queen’ in Kinyarwanda) embraced the sounds of her new city immersing herself in the exciting sounds of hip-hop, R&B, and grime. Even with her interest in music, as a child she would have never imagined that she would end up pursuing her passion for her work, and certainly not as a folk musician. However, skip forward to today and Kamikazi has made a name for herself as a folk-pop artist on the rise. Releasing two EPs, Wildflower and Wander in Wonder, her ethereal vocals and thoughtful songwriting have garnered her over a million streams. So, what did Jennifer Kamikazi’s musical journey into folk look like, and what’s next on the horizon for the artist?
We caught up with Jennifer Kamikazi for this edition of our Artist Spotlight series, where we showcase up-and-coming artists and give them a chance to talk about their music.
Soothing, thought-provoking, story-telling, refreshing, captivating.
I would say I have a very unconventional start into singing and songwriting. Before moving to the UK, the only music I knew of was traditional Rwandese folk music (which I still love). When I moved to the UK at the age of 7, I grew up on an estate in Barking and predominantly listened to grime, R&B and Hip Hop. I loved listening to music but would never in a million years have considered a career in the music industry, let alone folk!
In my late teens I became a Christian (long story), and this made me really conscious of the music I was listening to. Not to say R&B/Hip Hop are bad, I still listen to it, but I cut out a-lot of music which I felt was not positive or enriching. Subsequently, I found myself gravitating towards folk music, something that felt familiar to me because of my roots in African folk. In my late teens, my sister (who has a tendency of buying things she never uses) bought a guitar. As the inquisitive nerd of the family, I ended up “borrowing” it and taught myself to play. I was about to start university at the time to study Biochemistry and become a scientist, but after graduating I released my first EP and the rest was history (The guitar is still in our house and she still hasn’t touched it by the way).
I’m inspired by people and real life. I always want to speak about things that I have experienced first-hand or observed from the people around me. I’m one of those nosey people who will ask you about your life story on first meeting you. Everyone has a reason why they feel how they feel and are the way they are – this fascinates me tremendously.
Alongside the joys that life has to bring there are things that shape us, things that we are proud of, and things we are not so quick to share about ourselves. We all have a thorn in our side and I like to write about that. I write a lot about loneliness and desire for love and intimacy. Loneliness is such a huge issue in this big city of London. So many people are looking for fulfilling and meaningful relationships far beyond what Tinder can offer (no offence to Tinder lol). I hope my music will bring comfort to people to know that they are not the only ones feeling how they feel.
If I’m not listening to Nina Simone on replay, you’ll catch me listening to indie-folk artists such as Ben Howard and Laura Marling. I also listen to a lot of gospel music. I’d say English bands such as Mumford and Sons, Florence and the Machine and Daughter have shaped my music. When I shifted to folk music they were really popular at the time, so I found myself bingeing on that kind of vibe which hasn’t left me since. There is a poetic and spiritual beauty of modern English folk that appeals to me.
I do feel like by background gives me a unique approach to music, not because of what I know, but rather what I don’t know. I’m not tamed in any way by a deep understanding of how music works or should work. As a self-taught guitarist and songwriter, music is a little bit like a playground for me and I write what sounds nice to me. My only desire is that people would be able to relate to my story. I’m jealous of artists that are so knowledgeable about their craft. I tend to shy away from deep conversations about musical history and artists I don’t have a clue about (but have to pretend I know). With that being said, I do believe the simplicity of my expression is mainly a blessing and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Yes, I think this is something that resonates with me and I’m sure a lot of women in folk. I’m very lucky because I grew up around powerful women making things happen in various spheres of influence. I’ve grown up around female creatives, e.g. authors, designers and musicians and this made me not question myself before starting a career in music. This is why role-models and diverse representation is very important in any field. It helps young people, or anyone that wants to take a first step into anything new, not to feel like they are doing anything out of the ordinary.
Doing what we love should be normal, it is through this that we will begin to see the extraordinary expression of creativity enriched by diversity. For this reason, I am very passionate about mentoring young people and instilling self-confidence in youth. Particularly disadvantaged youth who are less likely to have positive role-models. I do hope to see change in the indie-folk world and the rest of the music industry. It is beginning to change slowly, but we have quite a long way to go and need to create room for people who don’t fit the mould of traditional ‘indie folk artists’.
I would love to see myself touring my first album around Europe; I have quite a few materials I hope to release before then, but this is something I’ve wanted to do before COVID. I just have a desire to be on the road, as I’m sure everyone does after this pandemic, and would love to support other artists on tour and travel like there’s no tomorrow.
On the 18th of September 2020, I’ll be releasing my new single called ‘Black Skin’. I am really excited about the song because it’s very different from the music I normally make – it’s a lot more soulful and sassy.
Yesterday, it was announced that Deftones would be returning with a new album called Ohms, out September 25th via Warner Records. Now, the band have officially unearthed the first single from the album, which also serves as the title track. Check it out below, alongside a music video directed by rafatoon.
“We’re surrounded by debris of the past,” Chino Moreno sings on the track. “And it’s too late to cause a change in the tides/So we slip into our hopeless sea of regret.”
Made alongside producer/engineer Terry Date, Ohms marks the band’s first album in four years, following 2016’s Gore. Back in June, the group celebrated the 20th anniversary of their landmark LP White Pony with the announcement of a forthcoming remix album called Black Stallion.
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