Oscar nominated short film ‘The Bigger Picture’ by Daisy Jacobs tells the story of two brothers struggling with the care of their elderly mother. ‘The Bigger Picture’ has an attractive style that uses walls as the canvas of the film, it is a style that is not fearful of displaying dynamics between characters and movements that expand on the 2D visual by adding another dimension, something that is not done by many filmmakers. The textures of the film are truly raw and stunning, this film has become a classic short film that will be looked up to for many years to come as innovative and unique. Unsurprisingly, it went onto win the Best British Short Animation at the BAFTA’s and received an Oscar nomination. With this film, Jacobs has made a name for herself in the world of film, a name that we will hear more of in the years to come.
The full short film is now available to be viewed here on Vimeo.
Chance the Rapper and Young Thug has joined teams to help and save SoundCloud by releasing an exclusive song on their platform.
Both musicians have decided to release a single exclusively on Soundcloud for the purpose of helping the platform in times of difficulty. The song is named ‘Big B’s’ it is 4:05 in length and has surfaced on SoundCloud yesterday on the 15th of July.
Before the release of the song Chance the Rapper has said that he thinks SoundCloud is an important platform for artists to grow and even went on to say “@ an artist who you wouldn’t know if not for @SoundCloud”. He also tweeted saying “Just had a very fruitful call with Alex Ljung. @SoundCloud is here to stay.”.
SoundCloud has been headlining news in the music world as of recent they have shut down two of their offices which were a total of 40% of their work force. In response to the rumours that their platform is shutting down, Soundcloud tweeted saying “*airhorn* Spread the word: your music isn’t going anywhere. Neither are we.”
Soundcloud, as a platform surfaced the web in 2007 and as of now, has an Alexa rank of 109. Rumours surfaced the web that their competitors Deezer and Spotify might be interested in buying the platform, however, this has not been officially confirmed by Soundcloud as of recent.
Netflix proves once again that their views are in tune with that of a new generation.
Okja (2017)follows main characters Mija (Seo-Hyun Ahn) and Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton) as they face each other in a gruelling battle of personal morals over the fate of the genetically produced wonder that is Okja.
Mija, a small girl living in the mountains of South Korea with her grandfather, has spent 10 years of her life caring for a genetically modified ‘Superpig’ named Okja, supplied to her by the Mirando Corporation. Lucy Mirando, the head of this company has been using Mija and other traditional farmers around the world to hide her revolutionary plan to use these new ‘Superpigs’ to fuel the world’s food industry, as a cleaner, more efficient source of meat. After Okja is stolen, Mija begins the long journey to reclaim her, running into a gang of animal rights activists (the Animal Liberation Front) led by the kind-hearted Jay (Paul Dano), along the way. She is forced to give up Okja after being captured and the horrors that ensue really open the eyes of anyone ignorant to the mistreatment of corporate farmed animals in the real world. Eventually, the A.L.F help Mija to reclaim Okja and show the world the cruel acts forced upon her; force-breeding, live meat extraction and disgusting living conditions. Once revealed, Lucy’s sister Nancy (also Tilda Swinton) takes over and continues running what is seen to be an already huge slaughtering operation for the rest of the ‘Superpigs’. Mija purchases Okja back from Nancy and the both of them, along with a rescued ‘Superpiglet’ return home.
Bong Joon Ho has proven himself to be an incredibly effective director previously with films like Snowpiercer and Mother, but this particular film expands beyond simple creativity with character and forces the audience to understand the real world through fantasy.
The story of Okja displays the lengths that can be taken to either prevent or secure the mistreatment of animals bred for consumption. I can easily see this film dramatically boosting the already rising numbers of vegetarians and vegans within the new generation.
You’re taken on a rollercoaster of comedic, dramatic and fantasy elements and through, what can only be described as some stomach-churning scenes, you are subjected to the unfortunately cruel reality of the world of meat production.
Besides the story, we see some fantastic performances from a truly fantastic cast. Tilda Swinton plays the Mirando sisters with a greed and lack of morals that is rarely seen in a lot of antagonists these days. Paul Dano inherits the purity and innocence that drastically contrasts from some of the previous characters in films like 12 Years A Slave, Prisoners and There Will Be Blood. Seo-Hyun Ahn, while young, still manages to prove herself amongst these giants of the acting world, presenting a bond between a young girl and her pet that can rival that of some stories based on siblings.
Overall, Okja earns the higher age rating with its controversial topic and themes but it also displays some fresh material for its wonderful cast and proves to be one of the most relevant and influential pieces of film to be seen in a long time.
We are proud to premiere the latest single ‘Illusions of Love’ by the wonderful Afrodile Trane.
Trane as a vocalist is beyond great she offers true pureness through her music whilst also keeping the music raw. Artists that sound similar to Trane are the late Amy Winehouse, Leon Bridges, and Lana Del Ray.
As a singer-songwriter, she has climbed for the past couple of years the ladders of the music world and is continuing to do so with the pure talent of her voice. Still being a fresh face in the music world, her consistent improvement as an artist gives us no doubt that she will be the name you will be hearing for years to come.
The single ‘Illusions of Love’ showcases the great composure and maturity she has an artist, making her a name to add to your playlists. Yet, even though the song is a big stepping stone for Trane it definitely brings her out to a bigger audience. We can only hope it makes her reach the audience she deserves.
“Raw & pure Soul that will keep you listening for years to come”
You can stream ‘Illusions of Love’ here on Spotify and if you would like to find out more about Afrodile Trane follow her here.
Wang Ruilin a Beijing-based sculptor creates exquisite meditative sculptures.
Wangs works sometimes take on a surreal nature with his combination of animal and landscape themes. Consequently creating a different perspective on scale and opening the door to other possibilities. Furthermore, this is all enhanced by the tranquil nature of his subjects and their serene presentation.
Coldplay’s thirteenth EP ‘Kaleidoscope’ has been officially released today.
British rock band Coldplay have officially released their latest EP ‘Kaleidoscope’. The band has been present in the music world since they began in 1996, the band has had success on the charts and festivals during their vibrant running and are looking to continue to do so with their latest EP.
According to Coldplay, this EP plays a side part to their album ‘A Head Full of Dreams‘ which was released in 2015. The EP has been released via Parlophone and includes a total of five songs.
“Eyes bigger than your stomach” is a phrase consistently used to describe too much of a good thing but with this particular show, I believe it is a perfect fit.
The Netflix series ‘Chef’s Table’ focuses around extraordinary culinary masters (6 per season) and the background that has inspired both them and their food.
Directed by David Gelb, Chef’s Table is to be considered one of the most beautifully striking pieces of television to date, competing with the likes of Game of Thrones and Planet Earth. Each episode is a perfect blend of personal insight into a world-renowned chef’s history, as well as gorgeous, high-quality footage of both the food and the environment that is shown to be so precious to them.
In its first season in 2015, we begin with the triple Michelin-star winning Massimo Bottura, chef patron of the infamous Osteria Francescana, Modena. We see Massimo’s Italian background being retold through his modern and innovative cooking style. Through stories of his childhood and early experiences as a chef, we discover much more than simply an ingenious cook, we see an artist that has taken the events of his life and used them to create some of his most famous dishes. In a tradition normally referred to as “Mama’s cooking”, Massimo went against the grain and innovated where is was seen as slander to change an “Old family recipe”. If you still don’t believe how influential Massimo Bottura is, look up the story behind risotto cacao e pepe; Massimo single-handedly saved Parmigiano-Reggiano named after the 2012 earthquake in Modena, simply by creating one dish that exploded around the world.
Although “Good Food” might seem like the whole selling point of this series, that is completely wrong. Chef’s Table shows its audience the wide variety of fields that a chef can excel in during these modern times, a perfect example of this would be Dan Barber, the genius behind Blue Hill at Stone Barns. Dan’s philosophy is based on revolutionising the farming industry for the better; blending unique dining experiences with natural, cutting edge farming knowledge. This man is the personification of the phrase “Farm to table”. To think that someone chosen by Barack Obama to be a part of the president’s Council could literally serve “Bread and Butter” is astonishing but it is the thought, the preparation that goes into creating the most delicious food from the most scientifically organic source that has ever existed.
These two chefs are simply a tasting compared to the now 3 seasons of food inspired and chef-driven simplicity of Chef’s Table. To say that this series succeeds in shedding a new light onto a previously over-looked art form would be a gross understatement.
LAOISEis one of the most exciting up–and–coming musicians in the music world today.
With her latest single ‘Shooting’ out now she joined us for an interview to talk about music and culture.
Hi, how are you?
I’m doing so well thank you!
So, how did you get into music?
I started playing the violin and piano and a young age until I ended up teaching myself guitar at around 12. My family are very musical so it makes sense that I’ve chosen the path I’m on today.
How did your latest song ‘Shooting’ come about?
I wrote Shooting with a friend of mine after we were sort of fed up with things not going our way in life and we felt we had no control or say in some situations that affected us a lot. We spent a day at the piano and Shooting came out of it. It’s my favourite track off the EP.
What are the challenges of making a song like ‘Shooting’?
I guess building up such a bare and raw song is the most challenging part. I wanted to add the electronic sound found in the other tracks off the EP, but I didn’t want to take away from the feeling we had when writing with just piano. Seán (A Place Called Kai Studios) did such a fantastic job and I’m so happy to have worked with him on the EP.
What are your goals for the rest of 2017?
I’m really excited to get out and play as many shows as I can this year. I love playing to new fans and meeting new people. Playing the EP live is always so much fun.
Describe yourself in one word.
Driven.
Describe your music in one word.
Ethereal.
So, what is your definition of culture?
I think culture is what defines us as humans. Different places bring completely different feelings and emotions. Culture is what can separate us all while bringing us together at the same time.
To find out more about LAOISE follow her here on Facebook.
Music producer Aphex Twin interviewed ex-Korg engineer Tatsuya Takahashi to find out more about him and synthesizers.
The interview covered topics mostly surrounding synthesizers but also had some personal questions such as “What is your worst fear?”. Aphex Twin and Tatsuya Takahashi went into more depth about his love for Korg and other less known synthesizers and his exclusive work with Korg instruments.
Things that also got mentioned in the interview were: microtuning, sample rates, pitch.
For our third Sound Selection, we once again have selected a great mix of music, ranging in styles and vibes.
Cazzette ‘Run The World’ feat. Nadia Gattas
Latest song by the exciting electronic project Cazzette ‘Run The World’ features stunning and smooth vocals by the wonderful up and coming musician Nadia Gattas. The song is a true summer hit for those that are looking for music to escape the doom and gloom of everyday reality.
Mahalia ‘Sober’
Mahalia’s latest single ‘Sober’ is honest, smooth and simply wonderful to listen to. Mahalia showcases her mature and composed vocals in the song, combining them with a neat beat that will make you listen to it for days and days to come.
Sonny Step and TyC ‘Still Believe In Love’
If you are looking for something with a commercial but emotional vibe, this latest song by Sonny Step and TyC will be perfect for you. It features a dynamic production that will teleport you into the world of a romantic.
jy & tribes. ‘release me’
This lovely electronic track features two contrasting vocals that combine to make a song that will get stuck in your head for years to come. This one is for the playlists.
Deelanz ‘Fire Starter’
To contrast our electronic selection, we have selected some band music. ‘Fire Starter’ is a rebellious-like song that combines raw vocals and production that will get you hooked like some sort of drug. This one is great if you are looking for something raw!
Hearty Har ‘Creation Frustration’
Additionally, this is another band song that will get you hooked. It is driven by catchy, raw and simply great vocals. If you like the sound of bands such as The Black Keys, this one will be for you! Hearty Har is definitely one of the bands to look out for in the years to come.
re:tract ‘Bendy’
Contrastingly, ‘Bendy’ by the experimental and exciting re:tract is a song that gives out vibes of chill and mystery as it combines ambient vocals and deep, sci-fi-like production to give you the sound that you need for those moments of concentration.
Kaosic ‘Candy Shop’
This future bass track by the Kaosic drops you into the ocean with its vibrant and always moving synths that move beyond the normality of the commercial sounds we hear today. This one is for the playlists.
jackLNDN ‘Higher’ feat. Millie Go Lightly
If you like something electronic and groovy this latest single by jackLNDN featuring Millie Go Lightly will be perfect for you. It features smooth, groovy and simply deep sounding production for those that love a song that is dynamic.
Anthony Harm ‘Should’ve Been Me’ feat. D-Velro
To finalise our selection, we have selected a classic summer-vibe song by Anthony Harm that will make the summer last that much longer. This one is for the summer playlists!
