Yesterday (June 27), a number of musicians and actors including Miley Cyrus, Shakira, Christine and the Queens, Billy Porter, Charlize Theron, Chris Rock, and more performed at Global Citizen’s ‘Global Goal: Unite for Our Future’ concert, which aims “to combat the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has on marginalized communities by committing funds to develop and deliver tests, treatments, and therapeutics.” Coldplay were one of the bands who joined from Los Angeles, and you can watch their perfomance of hit single ‘Paradise’ below.
Filmed and produced by Impossible Brief, the colourful video kicks off with an inspirational quote by Nelson Mandela that reads: “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” The animated video also features clips of a young black girl drawing a butterfly which then flies away. The video ends with the words “in memory of Elijah McClain”, in reference to the 23-year-old black man who died after he was restrained with a chokehold and injected with ketamineby Colorado police officers in 2019.
The kyodai hero is a keystone of Japanese pop-culture. Transforming giants prone to wrestling monsters and fighting the good fight have been a staple on Japan’s television screens and beyond since the mid-‘60s. They have, however, largely struggled to find footing in Western territories and cultural consciousness. Some – like Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot – may fan faint flames of nostalgia in older viewers, but it’s a fairly safe bet to assume most film and television fans in the West are largely unfamiliar with titles like Zone Fighter, Iron King, Jumborg Ace, and Mirrorman. And no – Power Rangers doesn’t count.
Despite this, kyodai media is regularly referenced, parodied, and paid homage to in Western popular culture, perhaps without audiences (and content creators) even being aware of it. What’s especially surprising – and disappointing – about this sub-genre’s failure to entice international attention is the not-so-subtle yet unassuming mark it’s made on worldwide pop-culture. In particular, we as viewers, fans, creators, and critics owe a considerable debt to one show: Return of Ultraman, the fourth entry in the long-running Ultra Series, the show that launched the franchise as we know it today, and cemented its place in popular imagination and culture forever.
Let’s rewind a bit. When considering an “original trilogy”, you’re probably inclined to ponder a certain saga set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Let’s appropriate the phrase and instead attach it to a fairly remarkable trinity of television shows produced by Tsuburaya Productions in the mid-to-late ‘60s: Ultra Q, Ultraman, and Ultra Seven. Ultra Q was a happy marriage of The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits-style supernatural mystery and intrigue to Toho’s kaiju spectacles, while Ultraman and UltraSeven represented Tsuburaya’s first forays in the giant hero genre. Sadly, Eiji Tsuburaya – special effects magician, company president, and franchise originator – passed away in early 1970, and it looked as though the Ultra Series would depart with him.
Enter Hajime Tsuburaya, Eiji’s son, who revived the franchise in 1971 with Return of Ultraman. The series is similar in concept to Ultraman and, to a lesser extent, Ultra Seven, with a member of an anti-monster defence team imbued with the God-like ability to transform into a towering giant of justice, and fend off any untoward colossal creatures. So far, so familiar.
Return of Ultraman
Return of Ultraman really sets itself apart from Ultraman and Ultra Seven in a considerably darker (and sometimes whiplash-inducing) tone, including the introduction of extreme, sometimes graphic violence to what is ostensibly a children’s series. The violence isn’t restricted to Ultraman’s fights against giant monsters either – as always in kaiju media, humans (and those appearing human) are every bit as monstrous. This is indicative of the decade the show was produced; the same that would go on to see the release of The French Connection, Apocalypse Now, Taxi Driver, Dirty Harry, Alien, and the first two Godfathers. Culturally and socially, the optimistic, socially-revolutionary ‘60s had been replaced with pessimism, mistrust, anger, and darkness. Welcome to the ‘70s, Ultraman.
Return of Ultraman is darker than Tsuburaya’s original trilogy, featuring episodes that depict and explore child violence, social and mental ineptitude, prideful folly, personal and professional jealously, suspicion of authority and, on occasion, murder. What’s important about the show in this regard, however, is that it isn’t afraid to counter its own gloom and cynicism with what remains the beating heart of the Ultra Series to this day: sincere, unashamed positivity and hope. Even on its bleakest days, Return of Ultraman ends on a very necessary note of optimism, believing that tomorrow will be better.
Return of Ultraman was the first new Ultra show to air on Japanese TV since Ultra Seven concluded three years prior, and it was successful and popular enough to ensure new Ultra content appeared on screens – both theatrical and at home – for years to come. Return concluded in March 1972, and the following month (!) saw the debut of Ultraman Ace. In 1973, Ultraman Taro followed, with Ultraman Leo arriving the next year. The original run of televised Ultra shows concluded with Ultraman 80 in – you guessed it – 1980. While the franchise began with Ultra Q back in ’66, Return of Ultraman proved the series had legs, and provided a template – both narratively and practically – for Ultraman to return time and again.
Godzilla vs. Biollante
Return of Ultraman also merged the formerly-standalone original trilogy into a shared narrative universe, allowing heroes and monsters from previous shows to make guest appearances, as well as dozens of films and TV shows in the decades to follow (while also anticipating modern media’s fascination with “shared universes”). The show’s longevity and influence isn’t just confined to its own franchise, however. The thirty-fourth episode, “An Unforgiven Life”, features a genetically-engineered plant monster created by a reclusive, lonely scientist. The episode was written by then 16-year old Shinichiro Kobayashi who, after winning a public story contest, would later pen the treatment for what became the similarly-themed Godzilla vs. Biollante in 1989.
In 1983, 23 year-old Hideaki Anno directed and starred in Daicon Film’s Return of Ultraman, a fan-made, affectionately parodical tribute to the series. Anno himself portrays Ultraman, sporting blue jeans, white sneakers, and a snazzy red and silver jacket in place of the iconic full-body costumes used in Tsuburaya’s shows. With an oeuvre containing the likes of Gunbuster, Nadia, Love & Pop, and Shin Godzilla, Anno’s career represents one of the most interesting of any living filmmaker, but he is best known – domestically and internationally – as the creator of the trailblazing anime mega-hit Neon Genesis Evangelion.
In its many iterations, the Evangelion franchise is crammed with Ultra-influence and references beyond the notion of humans merging with giants to battle invading monsters. The initial television series’ often jarring tone is reminiscent of Return ofUltraman’s, and Evangelion also borrows character dynamics, relationships, and visual aesthetics from Return. Preceding a televised re-broadcast of Return in 2013, Anno paid tribute to his favourite Ultra-show by hosting a half-hour retrospective tribute to the series, featuring series lead Jiro Dan and rakugo artist Takataro Yanagiya.
After the runaway success of Shin Godzilla, Anno’s career is set to come full circle: 2021 will see the release of Shin Ultraman, from a script by Anno himself, and directed by his long-term creative partner, Shinji Higuchi.
Shin Ultraman
Who knows what popular culture would look like today had Return of Ultraman never been produced? Like the best kyodai media, the show is simultaneously comfortable and unpredictable, and Tsuburaya Productions embraced a fondness for what came before while pushing onward, safeguarding the future of the Ultra Series for generations to come. Uncompromising on its darker days but charmingly earnest and heartfelt in its sincerity, Return of Ultraman remains among the best of all kyodai TV. Its influence and popularity in the years following its debut is a fitting tribute to a very special show, as well as a genre that hopefully – one day – will receive the worldwide recognition and acclaim it has earned.
Björk has announced three shows in August – complete with an actual audience – in her hometown of Reykjavík, Iceland, which has nearly eliminated the coronavirus from the country. The trio of shows will also be livestreamed to raise money for Kvennaathvarfið, a women’s shelter in Reykjavík, as well as for domestic women’s charities worldwide. The shows, dubbed Björk Orkestral, will take place on August 9, 15, and 23. Tickets will be available for pre-order on July 2 via Iceland Airwaves , with the general sale beginning July 3.
“I feel we are going through extraordinary times, horrifying but also an opportunity to truly change,” she wrote in a statement. “It is demanded of us that we finally confront all racism that we learn that lives are more important that profit and look inside us and finecomb out all our hidden prejudices and privileges.”
The performances will take place at Harpa Hall in Reykjavík. For the first show, Björk will be accompanied by the Hamrahlíð Choir, while the other two performances will feature musicians from the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, as well as flute septet Viibra. The concerts will be “unplugged… performed without beats and electronics,” according to Björk. Each show will feature a unique setlist.
Read Björk’s full announcement below.
kæru íslendingarmig langar til að bjóða ykkur upp á tónleika mig langar til að fagna þess að við erum komin út úr…
With people slowly coming back to work, some of you may get a call to go back into work, to meet clients or even to just work in the office. Looking superb and professional is vital when it comes to making a good impression on your coworkers and clients. To help out, we have selected some high-quality silk ties from some of our favourite brands to help you choose the perfect tie for the day you come back to work.
George Silk Medallion Tie Brown by Reiss
George Silk Medallion Tie Brown by Reiss
This medallion design tie by Reiss is not just silk but also made in Italy, currently priced at a very reasonable price of £20. If you’re looking for something classic and sophisticated, you’ll love this tie.
Green with Brown Square Dots Pattern Silk Tie by Sera Fine Silk
Green with Brown Square Dots Pattern Silk Tie by Sera Fine Silk
Sera Fine Silk are known for very high-quality products, and respectively the price reflects that. This Green silk tie with a stunning pattern is made in Italy and is currently priced at €110.00.
Navy Blue with Burgundy Dots Pattern Silk Tie by Sera Fine Silk
Navy Blue with Burgundy Dots Pattern Silk Tie by Sera Fine Silk
This tie is another superb addition to your wardrobe by Sera Fine silk that utilises more of a subtle pattern without being too plain. Like the tie above, it is made in Italy and priced at €110.00.
Richard James’ first store opened in 1992 in Savile Row, and has gone from strength to strength in the world of men’s fashion. This pink tie is a beautifully made and designed piece that will have you looking top-notch at any top-level presentation or business meeting. It is currently priced at £55.
This honeycomb tie by Alexander McQueen is a little different from our other options but remains highly professional and suitable for the workplace. It’s priced at £120.
Yesterday (June 27), a number of musicians and actors including Coldplay, Shakira, Christine and the Queens, Billy Porter, Charlize Theron, Chris Rock, and more performed at Global Citizen’s ‘Global Goal: Unite for Our Future’ concert, which aims “to combat the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has on marginalized communities by committing funds to develop and deliver tests, treatments, and therapeutics.” One of the performers was Miley Cyrus, who delivered a rendition of The Beatles’ classic ‘Help!’ in the middle of an empty Rose Bowl Stadium in Los Angeles. Watch the full performance below.
The singer dedicated her cover to “those who are tirelessly working on testing, treatment, and vaccines so all of us can come together in places like empty stadiums again.”
Aside from her performance, the singer also discussed how the young generation is speaking up to demand change in this time of crisis. “My generation is hungry for change and is leading that charge in many ways,” she told Global Citizen. “I’ve just been a student, over the last few months and especially over the few weeks in my home country. I’ve been a student of these organizers and being able to learn and educate myself. That’s kind of what my time is filled with at this moment, even through Global Citizen, just educating myself. I think that’s the first step to making change.”
She added: “Young people are using their voices every day to demand that change, and especially now in this activism, even though change is taking time, we want it to lead to lasting change. Something that has been kind of in my mind was wanting to go back to normal, but this ‘new’ normal of we don’t want to go back to the way things were before. We want to go to a more improved, inspired way of life.”
Recently, Cyrus has performed her fair share of covers, including Pink Floyd’s ‘Wish You Were Here’ for SNL, as well as Metallica’s ‘Nothing Else Matters’ and Nine Inch Nails’ ‘Head Like a Hole’ at Glastonbury.
Yesterday, James Blake performed an improvisational piano concert on Instagram Live. During the livestream, viewers had the option to donate to Rachel Cargle’s Loveland Foundation, which helps provide opportunities, access, and therapy for Black women and girls. A total of $6400 was raised. Check out the hour-long performance below.
During the livestream, Blake revealed that his piano was sold to him by Brian Eno six years ago. “I flew it over from London to LA,” he said, “which was actually a terrible idea because I think it got a little bit f*cked up on its way.” Before playing, the songwriter also spoke about the role improvisation has played in his writing process and revealed that he will be “putting out new music soon.” One of the highlights of the improvised session was a stunning cover of Nirvana’s ‘Come As You Are’ around the 10-minute mark. His dog, Barold, also makes a surprise appearance.
James Blake’s last album was 2019’s Assume Form. Last month, Blake covered Joni Mitchell’s classic ballad ‘A Case of You‘ for a remote edition of The Late Late Show With James Corden.
Sam Mendes’ critically acclaimed 1917 stars George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman as Lance Corporals Schofield and Blake, respectively. The film also features guest performances from Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin Firth, Richard Madden, Andrew Scott, and Daniel Mays. But the American Beauty director’s newest film is most noted for its Academy Award-winning cinematography.
1917 is filmed to look like it’s shot in a single continuous take, though a few cuts are hidden throughout the film. The film follows Blake and Schofield as they face an impossible task: they must cross enemy territory to deliver a message to a troop of 1600 men – including Blake’s brother – not to attack the next day.
BTS have shared a new music video for their latest Japanese-language single ‘Stay Gold’. Directed by Ko Yoo Jeong, the video shows each member of the seven-piece K-pop group wandering around dark locations, combined with scenes of them hanging out together in lighter spaces as they dream of being reunited. Check it out below.
The single is taken from the band’s upcoming Japanese-language album MAP OF THE SOUL : 7, which is set for release on July 14. The LP marks the group’s fourth Japanese full-length release and their first since 2018’s FaceYourself. It will feature Japanese versions of songs from this year’s massively successful MAP OF THE SOUL : 7, as well new originals including ‘Stay Gold’ and the yet-unreleased ‘Your Eyes Tell’, which was written by singer Jungkook.
In the months before the pandemic hit, Welsh singer-songwriter Chloé Davis aka twst promoted her new songs in a series of intimate but dynamic live shows, with a small but passionate crowd of fans screaming her lyrics back at her. Of course, she couldn’t have predicted that when the time would come for her to release her debut EP, she would have to promote it by staging virtual shows from her bedroom, within the same four walls where she recorded these songs about our fractured relationship with the digital world.
Yet another layer of irony arises when you consider that the EP is out through her own label, ‘hikikomori baby’ – which, in her own words, is a reference to “the Japanese word [that] describes both the condition of acute isolation and those suffering from it.” Drawing from her own experience of living a reclusive life after leaving school and home, the EP delves into our overreliance on technology in a way that doesn’t feel trite or insipid but rather refreshing, treating it as a potential antidote to loneliness that, much like any other drug, can also be highly corrosive. In a somewhat metamodern way, it actively critiques the very same thing it sincerely embraces: “HD shows me imperfection/ But it fucks with your perception/ In your fantasy I reach to change,” she intones on the transcendent ‘Girl on Your TV’, in which she constructs the character of a sexualised girl yearning for emotional connection through her screen. “And I wish that you could talk to me/ I am more than what you see,” she belts out as the track builds to its soaring chorus.
Follow-up ‘sad girls club but u gotta be cute’ is another brilliantly post-ironic moment that deals with how perceptions of gender are distorted through the internet, this time specifically tackling the fetishization of mental illness while also serving as a depressive anthem of sorts. The EP’s most paradoxically upbeat moment, it also includes many of its most quotable lines, including “can’t write but I can type”, “heart is like a little cactus”, and the opening couplet, which twst delivers in one AutoTuned breath: “I’m just a little fishy in my room without a roomie/ Posting pictures like a cutie but embarrassed that I’m lonely.” It’s both incredibly catchy (as is practically every track here) yet also affecting, thanks to its potent evocation of a kind of generational anxiety as experienced by what she calls the “children of the web.”
The EP peaks with ‘Always’, a cleverly constructed duet with a Siri-like personal assistant in which twst explores not just how technology affects our real-life relationships, but quite literally our relationship with technology. The track, which features another one of twst’s most impassioned vocal performances, starts with her calling out for the digital voice assistant, who presents herself as “your BFF”, before seeking validation from her about her looks (When asked how it (she?) feels about her, though, the voice simply responds, “I’m sorry, twst, I’m afraid I can’t answer that.”) Unlike a lot of songs about our addiction to technology, though, ‘Always’ presents a subject that is self-aware rather than blissfully ignorant, because it’s conceived through the lens of a young artist who understands the nuances of that relationship rather than someone commenting from the outside. “I don’t feel complete without you/ And it’s probably unhealthy,” she admits, and yet she can’t help but give in.
When we covered twst’s first two singles, we described her sound as a cross between Billie Eilish and Charli XCX, and to an extent, that characterisation still stands. In fact, twst herself acknowledges the obvious Eilish comparison in her latest video for ‘Are You Filming Me?’, in which she performs a ‘livestream’ with tongue-in-cheek comments like “Billie???” and “Walmart version of Billie Eilish” appearing in the chat, though a fairer critique reads, “If this is the Billie Eilish and Finneas O’ Connell legacy, I’m absolutely living for it.” There’s also the fact that Rob Kinelski, who handled the mixing on Eilish’s debut album, also worked on this project, lending it a similar edge.
But as a whole, TWST0001 allows the artist’s unique approach to songwriting to shine through, thus carving out her own space in the alternative pop landscape. It’s an incredibly immersive listen from start to finish, one that draws you into rather than merely describing its hyperdigital world. By bookending the EP with ‘Are You Listening?’ and ‘Are You Filming Me?’, twst not only addresses the listener directly, but also traces a compelling narrative that begins with the singer craving to be heard and ends with feeling suffocated by all the attention that has come her way. “If flowers need remotes to grow/ Then is that you with the button?” she sings on the ominous closer, which is also the only previously unreleased track here.
While the EP’s overarching themes of isolation and anxiety are more pertinent than ever, opener ‘Are You Listening?’, which just happens to be the record’s most hard-hitting banger, has taken on a new resonance. With lines like “end of the world on my playlist”, the track seems to be a biting indictment of a society more comfortable with performative allyship than actually paying attention. She even responded to the state of things in an alternative video for the song, which sees her playing a live session with footage relating to COVID-19, fake news, climate change, and more appearing in the background. “All these things have been prevalent for longer than I’ve been alive but the access to technology that we have has brought it all so much closer to our immediate experience,” she explained. Twst doesn’t just reflect on the participatory culture of the internet – she very much engages with it through her online presence. We may not know exactly what the next few months are going to look like, but rest assured: twst? She’ll be there (always).
Kid Cudi has shared a teaser for a new CGI animated series based upon Kids See Ghosts, his 2018 collaborative project with Kanye West. Directed by Takashi Murakami, who also provided the cover artwork for Kanye West’s Graduation, the new trailer features the iconic Kanye West bear used by the rapper to promote his first three LPs – The College Dropout, Late Registration, and Graduation. Check it out below.
The bear is voiced by West, while Cudi is voicing a new character called Kid Fox. According to the credits, sound design was done by Cudi and William J. Sullivan. No release date for the series has been announced as of yet, but Cudi said that it is “coming soon” in a tweet.
Last year, Cudi revealed in a cover story for Complex that “there will definitely be more” Kids See Ghosts albums in the future, adding that “Kanye already told me he wants to start working on the second one. It’s kinda weird, ’cause with the first album, I didn’t know how serious he was about making a collab album with me.”
KIDS SEE GHOSTS ANIMATED SHOW TEASER!!
DIRECTED BY TAKASHI MURAKAMI KANYE BEAR VOICED BY KANYE WEST KID FOX VOICED BY SCOTT MESCUDI SOUND DESIGN BY WILLIAM J. SULLIVAN AND SCOTT MESCUDI
YZY GAP BEGINS MOWALOLA JOINS AS YZY GAP DESIGN DIRECTOR KSG CARTOON MURAKAMI CUDI JESUS IS KING FILM ON APPLE JAMES TURRELL YZY SPLY DOC NICK KNIGHT FOAM RUNNER RELEASE MADE IN USA JESUS IS KING DR. DRE VERSION WASH US IN THE BLOOD VIDEO ARTHUR JAFA#WESTDAYEVER
