Jamie xx of The xx and Georgia Ellery of Jockstrap have shared a new two-hour live session they recorded for BBC Radio 3’s Late Junction while in quarantine together. Listen to it in full here.
Recently, Jamie xx also collaborated with the Avalanches for a b2b DJ set, which he described as an “actual dream come true,” as well as with Headie One x Fred again for the song ‘Smoke’. Earlier this year, Jamie also put out ‘Idontknow’, his first solo single since releasing his debut album In Colour back in 2015. Check out the video for the track below.
Jockstrap are set to release their new EP, Wicked City, on June 5 via Warp.
Fiona Apple has written new songs for the first season of Bob’s Burgers’ creators’ Apple TV+ musical comedy series Central Park. Among the songwriters who also contribute are Cyndi Lauper, Meghan Trainor, Sara Bareilles, Aimee Mann, and Anthony Hamilton. Created by Loren Bouchard, Josh Gad, and Nora Smith, Central Park made its debut yesterday (May 29th) with the first two episodes.
Each episode will feature three to six original songs, which will also be available via streaming services every week. Apple co-wrote the song ‘New York Doesn’t Like Your Face’, which will be featured in episode 10.
Check out the songs from the first two episodes below.
In April, Apple released her first album in eight years, Fetch the Bolt Cutters, which received widespread critical acclaim.
Magnus Bechmann, a rising artist from Norway, has released his five-track EP Uneasy, Pt.1 — today. In his new EP, Bechmann takes inspiration and indie-pop direction from the superb Two Door Cinema Club and The 1975, while still maintaining his view and sound that encapsulates a style of his own, bringing authenticity and originality to the world of music. The EP marks quite an achievement for Bechmann, who is becoming to be considered a name with mountains of talent.
Whilst talking about the project and taking a decision to release it in this format, Bechmann stated: “Discussing his decision to release the new project in this format, Magnus says: “viewing it as a writer listening from the outside, it can seem a bit overwhelming to take in everything at once. After all I don’t want the listener to feel too disillusioned… but there is really no way around the fact some situations in life are unpleasant. In a way, you can look at the lyrics as the bitter pill and the accompanying music as the spoonful of honey to make it all go down smoother”.
Saint Raymond, is one of the rising stars in the world of music, having released his album Young Blood in 2015, which moved him into a new sphere. After a few releases in 2019, the 25-year old came back with a new euphonious song Right Way Round. The song marks a preview for his upcoming album, which is seemingly going to be released next year.
Talking about the song Saint Rayomond stated: “Right Way Round is about feeling like you’re on the outside, like you’re floating through life and it’s making you feel alone. But the more you scratch the surface and look around you, realise that there’s a load of us who feel like we’re different, on the outside and unsure of the future and that there’s beauty in that,”
Duckwrth, an LA-based artist, has released a beautiful feel-good anthem named Find a Way featuring the brilliant Alex Mali and Radio Ahlee. Talking about the song Duckwrth stated: “In this journey we call life, us as humans will inevitably fall off the path. Sometimes due to forces outside of our control. But we always find our way. This is the theme song to Our Comeback. Let’s Find A Way.”
The song itself is a terrific piece of music that oozes pulsating energy, catchy lyrics, and authenticity. Find a Way is one of our favourite releases by Duckwrth, yet
With numerous succesful tracks already released including Start a Riot and I’M DEAD, Duckwrth will be the name to follow in 2020.
From the success of Narrated For You, which came out in 2018, there is a lot to be excited about the new album by Alec Benjamin named These Two Windows. The album includes the beloved songs Oh My God and Mind is a Prison, both of which present the Pop sound we have to come love from Benjamin. Vocally the album is still as terrific and ear-warming as the previous discography entries by the US singer-songwriter.
If Pop with a touch of deep emotions favours your taste, then you’ll love These Two Windows.
Tom Ashbrook Oaktrees
Next on our Sound Selection we have an emotion-filled, mellow piece name Oaktrees by the amazing Tom Ashbrook. In his latest creation, Ashbrook delivers an ambience-filled, piano piece that thrives on its dynamics and textures. Oaktrees comes before the release of Ashbrook’s forthcoming EP Sensibus, which is due to be released on the 19th of June.
Robert Luo is the founder of Mi Terro, a biotechnology company which launched in 2018. Robert has joined us to discuss his company and the future of sustainability in fashion.
Hi, how are you and how did your journey into sustainable fashion start?
It all started visited my uncle’s dairy farm in China in 2018 and saw buckets and buckets of spoiled milk on his farm, which led me to investigate food waste in agriculture and then in all industries. I realized it’s a huge problem that we just don’t talk about enough.
After returning to the US, I spoke with my childhood Daniel, who has material science and chemistry background, about the problem. We then started researching what’s inside milk waste and how we can give it a new life. After 3 months of researching, we started to work a solution that can extract the casein protein from the milk and spin it into fiber. We later knitted the fiber into the Mi Terro milk shirt.
Mi Terro sells fashion products, what have you taken into consideration for it to be sustainable and ethical?
We have taken a strict measurement of the process of creating our fiber. Our process requires 60% less water than organic cotton does. Our fiber is 100% biodegradable, which means there is zero petroleum chemical involved.
For every 100 shirts we create, we provide one additional job for a female employee in China. Also, we plant 15 trees and donate 20 free meals for every purchase.
Transparency between companies and their consumers is becoming more valued, how do you approach this at Mi Terro?
We are working with third-party agencies to provide the life cycle analysis of our products. We are also open to sharing information on our supply chain, from food waste sources to production.
Have you come across any difficulties with being a sustainable company, and if so how have you overcome those issues?
There are many difficulties with being a sustainable company. People would often question how sustainable or ecofriendly our products are. Some people would question why are we using milk?
First, we are not advocating for more dairy consumption. Our mission is to end food waste. We want to show people that food waste can be re-engineered into useful and eco-friendly products instead of being dumped in landfills or burned to create methane. We began with milk waste because I wanted to help my uncle. We have plans to expand our technology to plant-based food.
Do you feel the recession will be a big challenge for your company?
I understand that recession will force many companies to layoff employees or cut operation budgets. For Mi Terro, we see this critical time as an opportunity to develop our technology. We want to make sure that our technology can help other companies to save their material cost and to make their products for sustainable.
You state that you produce t-shirts from milk waste, can you tell us more about the technology of how food waste can be turned into fibres and how the process works?
We developed a patent-pending technology called “Pro-Act”(Protein Activation), which extracts casein protein molecules from the stinky, rot, bacterial grown expired and spoiled milk.
In order to guarantee a high-quality casein protein, we need to remove the bacteria from the milk waste. Once we extract the “bad” casein protein from the expired and spoiled milk, we use “Sea-Re” (self-assembly purification) to purify the “bad” casein protein into “good” casein protein. This process is very important yet difficult because casein protein can vanish if not done right. Think about it as turning “bad” food into “good” food.
Once we have the purified casein protein, we then integrate a new technique called DFS (Dynamic flow shear spinning). This technique spins the casein protein into fibers which can be used for fashion, medical, and packaging industries. With this technique, we can ensure the uniformity and quality of our fibers.
Are you considering other types of food waste other than milk to be turned into fibres?
We are experimenting with new possibilities with vegan milk. The first type of vegan milk that we are researching is soy milk. We understand that soy waste products are abundant and have excellent properties for fibers.
Moreover, are there any new developments you are carrying out to tackle food waste?
We are developing a world-changing technology that re-engineers whey into food packaging film to replace plastic packaging. Whey is the byproduct of yogurt, cheese, and ice cream production. We are replacing petroleum-based materials with protein-based materials made from food waste.
Finally, as a fashion label, what do hope your cultural impact will be and what is next for Mi Terro?
We are positioning ourselves as a biotechnology company that rescues food waste and re-engineers it into sustainable fibers replacing plastic in fashion, medical and packaging industries. We are redefining the circular economy in which everything begins with food waste and ends as recyclable or biodegradable.
We have two plans ahead. First, we will develop a variety of fibers from different types of protein-based food waste, not just excess milk. Second, we will continue to experiment with milk polymer; we already know that milk protein can be made into packaging film, bed sheets, medical appliances, and tissue.
For a third week in a row, Our Culture’s contributors are back with another selection of titles for viewing at home. From a vengeful Keanu Reeves to intelligent ants, we offer another wide breadth of styles and stories. Let’s begin!
John Wick (2014) – as selected by Elias Michael
Keanu Reeves stars as the titular John Wick.
After the murder of his dog (you read that right), John Wick (Keanu Reeves) tracks down the men behind the killing, leaving a trail of bloodshed and violence. You might think, “a killing spree over a dog?”, but the film justifies it convincingly and John Wick is bloody brilliant because of it. The film’s director, Chad Stahelski (a veteran of stunt work), aimed to create a film showcasing more realistic gunfights and stunt work, resulting in adrenaline-filled fights and badass scenes. John Wick has only grown in popularity over the years, with multiple sequels and an upcoming spin-off. Take a look at John Wick and start where it all began, with the murder of a dog.
John Wick can currently be seen on Amazon Prime.
Phase IV (1974) – as selected by Christopher Stewardson
The strange structures of the intelligent ants.
Legendary title and graphics designer Saul Bass offers his first and only feature film as a director. Phase IV begins with strange structures that have appeared in an Arizona desert, not far from an abandoned suburb. Two scientists establish an isolated research base to investigate the culprits: intelligent ants. Not only have the ants in the area exploded in population, but the usual animosity between colonies has also broken down. A united front, the ants have driven away the local human population, but their campaign is far from complete. While Saul Bass was unhappy with the final, theatrical cut (which had been altered by Paramount following negative test screenings), Phase IV still has much to offer. On top of an already-rich examination of mankind’s hubris, the film also asks questions about communication and choice. The ants present a new phase in Earth’s ecological history, but mankind’s response is neither as certain or as unified as our arthropod invaders.
Phase IV can now be seen in the UK thanks to a recent Blu-Ray release by 101 Films. Complete with the film’s original ending, this new edition is worth purchasing.
Attack the Block (2011) – as selected by Elias Michael
John Boyega’s unmatched acting skill is at the forefront of why ‘Attack the Block’ works so well.
Stars John Boyega (Star Wars) and Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who) had their beginnings with this now-classic British science-fiction thriller. Centred on a trainee nurse and a street gang, the film follows them as they attempt to defend themselves from alien invaders on a council estate. Attack the Block is a terrific film with a great mix of scares, humour, a quintessential British feeling, impressive direction, and striking social commentary. At under 90 minutes, if you’re looking for an action/sci-fi (and proudly British) film then Attack the Block is right up your alley.
Attack the Block can currently be seen on 4oD.
Moneyball (2011) – as selected by Modestas Mankus
Brad Pitt stars in ‘Moneyball’
When it comes to team sports, money is a crucial player that orchestrates how teams do during a season. Bennett Miller’s Moneyball focuses on the real-life story of Billy Beane, a general manager of Oakland Athletics. Together with Peter Brand (Real name: Paul DePodesta), Billy remodelled the influence of money in baseball by creating a new system that didn’t rely on it. With two superb performances by Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill, this film arguably stands as one of the greatest sports films ever made.
Moneyball is currently available on Netflix.
Stay tuned for more recommendations from Our Culture in the coming weeks. Let us know your thoughts on our choices!
The Flaming Lips have shared a new surprise new song called ‘Flowers of Nepture 6’ alongside a video featuring frontman Wayne Coyne strolling around a burning prairie in a giant plastic bubble. Check it out below.
The single appears to be a one-off release, with no album announcement attached to it.
In March, the band released Deap Lips, a collaborative effort with Deap Vally. Their most recent studio album was 2019’s King’s Mouth. Earlier this year, the band also covered George Jones’ ‘He Stopped Loving Her Today’ as part of the soundtrack for the upcoming film Arkansas, directed by Clark Duke and starring Liam Hemsworth and Vince Vaughn.
Rosalía and Travis Scott have released a new song and video called ‘TKN’. The video was directed by Nicolás Méndez aka CANADA. Check it out below.
This isn’t the first collaboration between the Spanish pop singer and Houston rapper; last year, Rosalía appeared in a remix of Travis Scott’s ‘HIGHEST IN THE ROOM’ with Lil Baby.
“Travis is an artist who I’ve admired a lot since the beginning of his career and I can’t imagine a better artist to collaborate with on this song,” Rosalía said in a statement announcing the track on Thursday. “I hope ‘TKN’ gives you energy, makes you dance, and gives you strength if you’re going through difficult times,” she added.
Rosalía further discussed the collaboaration in an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe:
“You know that there artists that when they come into the room, everybody like gets smaller. But with Travis, it’s not like that. It’s not like that,” she said. “Everybody flows with him, he’s flowing and it’s beautiful like that. And I think that he’s very special and that we had a lot of fun. And also I think that he has lots of layers . . . Like, I think as an artist, what makes his art and his work so good, I think it’s because he has so much layers in his personality, not just as an artist.”
Rosalía’s last album was 2018’s EL MAL QUERER, while Scott’s most recent album was ASTROWORLD, also released in 2018.
