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Artist Spotlight: Hachiku

Konstantinos Pappis
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Artist Spotlight: Hachiku

Hachiku is the project of 26-year-old Melbourne-based artist Anika Ostendorf, who writes whimsical, dreamy bedroom pop with an experimental twist. Originally from Germany, she moved to Australia from London as a biology exchange student and found both a job and a musical home at Milk! Records, an independent label founded by Courtney Barnett and Jen Cloher in 2012. She issued her enchanting self-titled debut EP in 2017, and has been slowly expanding her musical palette ever since, turning Hachiku into a full-band project consisting of Georgia Smith, Jessie L. Warren, and Simon Reynolds. Following a mini covers EP this year, which featured lovely renditions of songs by The Cranberries, Sia, and the German classic ’99 Luftballons’ while also doubling as an exercise in music production, Ostendorf is now gearing up for the release of her debut full-length, I’ll Probably Be Asleep. Out November 13, it includes the early single ‘Shark Attack’, a lusciously hypnotic tribute to her family dog Lexus, as well as the recently unveiled ‘Bridging Visa B’, a commentary on the intrusiveness of the visa application process. The title track, which also serves as the album’s opener, is a startling embodiment of Hachiku’s artistic growth: harsh waves of distortion cut through a mesmerzing groove overlaid with punchy drums and ethereal guitar melodies, all swirling around Ostendorf’s evocative vocals. Whether big and disorienting or intimate and inviting, Hachiku’s otherworldly music pulls you in like a spell.

We caught up with Hachiku’s Anika Ostendorf 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.

What drove you to pursue songwriting?

I actually think my biggest inspiration as a child was ‘Deutschland sucht den Superstar’, which is Germany’s equivalent to American Idol type TV shows. I always dreamt of myself as entering that stage as a 16-year-old and wowing people with my soulful ballads and tragic life story (not lol). I must have quickly realised that the pursuit of such dreams did not align with my developing teenage interests so well and I switched over to (temporarily) admiring songwriters like Regina Spektor and The Moldy Peaches.

Who is an artist that changed the way you think about music?

Probably my all-time favourite band Beach House and the way their music has a certain transcendental aspect to it. It really isn’t just music – it’s otherworldly perfection. Could you could call it magic? I think so, I like music that feels like it is magic.

You recently released your 99 Dreams covers EP. What did you hope to achieve with the project, and why did you choose these particular songs?

The main intention behind the covers project actually was for me to learn the recording software program Ableton. It’s used a lot in electronic music and I had never really played around with it before, so I figured ‘forcing’ myself to do a mini EP in a short amount of time would be a good motivation to get going. The song choice is based on songs that I had previously played as part of my solo live performance (in particular ‘Dreams’ by The Cranberries and ’99 Luftballons’ by Nena). ’99 Luftballons’ actually was a real hassle to clear the rights for and we almost didn’t release it, but it worked out last minute!

Could you talk about your latest single, ‘I’ll Probably Be Asleep’? What was the inspiration for it?

For this song I wanted it to sound like a chainsaw playing the lead melody in an organ ensemble – lots of feedback, lots of loud guitars (there are probably 5 or so overlapping guitar parts in there), while also maintaining a sort of gentle aspect to the song. I’m never quite sure where a particular lyrical inspiration comes from, it kind of just manifests itself in my head spontaneously. I quite liked the visual that ’l’ll Probably Be Asleep’ brings to mind – sleeping your life away while the world keeps spinning around, like in the moment of sleeping you put a pause on everything.

How does it fit into your upcoming album as a whole? Could you talk us through the process of making the record?

It’s definitely the most guitar heavy, rock-y and loudest song on the album. Each song sits in its own musical world a little – there’s nothing that ties them together other than that I recorded them all. Every song has quite fundamentally different instrumentation and energy where sometimes I wonder if it’s a bit too hectic and distracting but maybe that randomness is what unites them after all.

What’s your favourite song from the album, and why?

I think it has to be ‘Shark Attack’ because it’s about my dog and I love my dog. That one was the last song I wrote for the album and I had a 1-week deadline and it just happened and I didn’t have time to overthink it and it just had to be what it was. When you have unlimited time to finish something – that is probably a bit dangerous for me. I don’t know when and where to stop.

The release date is inching closer! How do you feel?

Nervous but excited but nervous but excited. Mainly actually excited for it to be out there, nervous because I now have to start working on the next album!!

I’ll Probably Be Asleep is out November 13 via Milk! Records. 

José Padilla, Iconic Ibiza DJ, Dies at 64

Konstantinos Pappis
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José Padilla, Iconic Ibiza DJ, Dies at 64

José Padilla, the highly influential Ibiza DJ who helped define chillout with his Café del Mar compilations, has died aged 64 from colon cancer. The news was confirmed by his family on social media.

“His family and friends would like to say thank you to everybody who sent donations and messages of support to help make his last few months easier, and to all the staff of Can Misses Hospital for taking care of him until the end,” a message on his Instagram reads. “Now he has gone and the sunset in Ibiza will never be the same without him, but the beautiful music of José Padilla will stay with us forever. Adiós maestro.”

Padilla was born in Barcelona in 1955 but moved to Ibiza in 1976, where he made his name as resident DJ at Café del Mar, the San Antonio bar that became synonymous with playing chillout music while patrons enjoyed the island’s beautiful sunsets. He created the widely successful Café del Mar compilation series in 1993, which went on to sell thousands of copies around the world. In addition to being an active DJ for over four decades, he also made his own music, releasing his first album Souvenir in 1998 via Mercury Records. His final album, So Many Colours, came out in 2015.

“José Padilla chilled a generation of clubbers and his art touched the lives of millions,” Café del Mar wrote in a statement on Twitter. “He will always be remembered as the Godfather of Chillout, creator of Café del Mar compilations, and true Ibiza Legend.”

View this post on Instagram

Hola amigos . It is with great sadness that we bring you the news that José passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sunday night here on his beloved island of Ibiza. His family and friends would like to say thank you to everybody who sent donations and messages of support to help make his last few months easier, and to all the staff of Can Misses Hospital for taking care of him until the end. Now he has gone and the sunset in Ibiza will never be the same without him , but the beautiful music of Jose Padilla will stay with us forever. Adiós maestro … x Hola Amigos…con infinita tristeza os comunicamos la noticia que José Padilla falleció en paz mientras dormía este Domingo en su querida isla de Ibiza. Su familia y amigos queremos dar las gracias a todo el mundo que apoyó con mensajes y donaciones para ayudar a hacer un poco más fáciles sus últimos meses, y a todo el stuff en el hospital Can Misses cuidando de él hasta el final. Ahora que se ha ido el sunset en Ibiza no volverá a ser igual sin el, pero la maravillosa música de José Padilla estará con nosotros para siempre. Adiós Maestro…

A post shared by Jose Padilla (@josepadillaibz) on

Backxwash Wins 2020 Polaris Music Prize

Konstantinos Pappis
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Backxwash Wins 2020 Polaris Music Prize

Backxwash has been awarded the 2020 Polaris Music Prize for her latest album God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It. Each year, the award goes to the best Canadian album of the year, and this year’s competition included Caribou’s Suddenly, Lido Pimienta’s Miss Colombia, U.S. Girls’ Heavy Light, and Kaytranada’s Bubba.

This marks the Montreal-based, Zambia-born artist’s first Polaris Music Prize nomination and win. At the end of the livestreamed awards show, which featured short films inspired by the artists who had been nominated, last year’s winner Haviah Mighty tuned in to present the award to Backxwash, who thanked Black Dresses (“the greatest band to have ever lived in the entire existence of the Earth”) and “all the queers who listen to me on Twitter.” With her win, Backxwash made history as the first Black transgender artist to win the prize. Prize winners receive $50,000 CAD, with those on the short list receiving $3,000 CAD.

Watch the full event below, including a Q&A with Backxwash.

 

The Staves Announce New Album ‘Good Woman’, Share Title Track

Konstantinos Pappis
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The Staves Announce New Album ‘Good Woman’, Share Title Track

The Staves have announced their third album, Good Woman. It’s set for release on February 5, 2021 via Atlantic Records. Below, check out the album’s title track, and scroll down for the cover artwork and tracklist.

The Staves – the indie folk trio of sisters Emily, Jessica, and Camilla Staveley-Taylor – wrote and recorded Good Woman during a time of personal turmoil, seeing the ending of relationships, the death of their beloved mother, and the birth of Emily’s first child. They mostly self-produced the album with help from John Congleton.

“We have been working on this for a long time and are thrilled to share the title track with you,” the group said in a press release. “When we think about making this album we think about moments and snapshots of all the different contexts we were in as it was made. Living in each other’s pockets and then living with oceans between us. On voice notes and field recordings and ideas in emails sent across continents. We think of homesickness and family. Of being an outsider. Of endless notebooks and scraps of paper. Of studios in the winter and recordings under the summer sun. Of rainy London days and long American night with coffees and beers, dogs and cats. We think of love. Big, big love. Our Mum. Our Dad, Our friends. And of loss. Death and birth. Womanhood, motherhood. Sisterhood.”

“And coming home.”

Good Woman will mark the trio’s first album in six years, following their acclaimed second album, If I Was. Earlier this year, they released two new songs, non-album track ‘Nazareth’ and ‘Trying’. They recently relaunched their podcast, ‘Dial-A-Stave’, on Spotify.

Good Woman Cover Artwork:

Good Woman Tracklist:

1. Good Woman
2. Best Friend
3. Careful, Kid
4. Next Year, Next Time
5. Nothing’s Gonna Happen
6. Sparks
7. Paralysed
8. Devotion
9. Failure
10. Satisfied
11. Trying
12. Waiting On Me To Change

Boris and Merzbow Announce New Collaborative Album ‘2R0I2P0’, Share New Song ‘Away from You’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Boris and Merzbow Announce New Collaborative Album ‘2R0I2P0’, Share New Song ‘Away from You’

Japanese fuzz-metal outfit Boris and harsh noise auteur Merzbow have announced a new collaborative album: 2R0I2P0 arrives December 11 via Relapse. The two acts have also unveiled the first preview from the album, ‘Away From You’. Check it out below, and scroll down for the album’s cover artwork and tracklist.

“This year was a period of trial for everyone in the world,” Boris said in a press release about the album, whose title roughly translates to ‘2020 R.I.P’. “This work becomes a monument to the requiem of the previous era. From here, a new world begins again.”

This is not the first time the two Japanese acts have crossed paths. They joined forces for the first time on the 2002 LP Megatone, and have recorded multiple collaborative albums since then, including 2016’s Gencho. Earlier this year, Boris put out their most recent album NO via Bandcamp.

2R0I2P0 Cover Artwork:

2R0I2P0 Tracklist:
1. Away From You
2. To The Beach
3. Coma
4. Love
5. Absolutego
6. Journey
7. Uzume
8. Evol
9. Boris
10. Shadow Of Skull

Caroline Polachek Shares New Version of ‘The Gate’ Featuring Oneohtrix Point Never

Konstantinos Pappis
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Caroline Polachek Shares New Version of ‘The Gate’ Featuring Oneohtrix Point Never

Caroline Polachek has released an extended mix of ‘The Gate’, the opening track of her debut solo album, Pang, via her Orchard imprint Perpetual Novice.  Clocking in at 10 minutes, the new version features additional “textural contributions” from producers Oneohtrix Point Never and PC Music’s Danny Harle. ‘The Gate (Extended Mix)’ comes with a music video directed by by Ezra Miller and made by “combining 3D landscapes with AI programming trained on Yves Tanguy and J.M.W. paintings.” Check it out below.

“In the original version of the song, the closing lyric (‘Finally, there’s a way/To be both free and safe’) are the words I’m waiting to hear, but never do,” Caroline Polachek said in a statement. “The extended version of the song then is a sort of parallel universe or alternate ending, where those words not only arrive, but ring true.”

Since releasing Pang last year, the art pop musician and former Chairlift singer has appeared on A.G. Cook’s debut album as well as Christine and the Queens’ La Vita Nuova EP. She also contributed to Oneohtrix Point Never’s Magic Oneohtrix Point Never track ‘Long Road Home’.

Watch Chadwick Boseman in Netflix’s First ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ Trailer

Konstantinos Pappis
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Watch Chadwick Boseman in Netflix’s First ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ Trailer

Netflix has unveiled the first trailer for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, the forthcoming adaptation of August Wilson’s 1982 play about the exploitation of Black recording artists by white producers as seen through the eyes of Chicago blues titan Ma Rainey. The film was directed by Tony Award winner George C. Wolfe and stars Viola Davis, Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo, Michael Potts, and Chadwick Boseman, in a posthumous performance that also marks his final on-screen role.

Netflix’s official plot synopsis reads: “Late to the session, the fearless, fiery Ma engages in a battle of wills with her white manager and producer over control of her music. As the band waits in the studio’s claustrophobic rehearsal room, ambitious trumpeter Levee — who has an eye for Ma’s girlfriend and is determined to stake his own claim on the music industry — spurs his fellow musicians into an eruption of stories revealing truths that will forever change the course of their lives.”

Production on Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom wrapped in early August, just weeks before Boseman would pass away of colon cancer at age 43.

Check out the trailer below.

Watch Jarvis Cocker Cover the Velvet Underground and the Fall for New Barbican Exhibition

Konstantinos Pappis
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Watch Jarvis Cocker Cover the Velvet Underground and the Fall for New Barbican Exhibition

Jarvis Cocker’s band JARV IS… covered the Velvet Underground and the Fall in a new exhibition about Scottish avant-garde dancer and choreographer Michael Clark at the Barbican in London. They performed the Velvet Underground’s ‘Venus in Furs’, the Fall’s ‘Big New Prinz,” as well as Cocker’s solo track ‘Further Complications’ and ‘House Music All Night Long’, from the band’s debut album, Beyond the Pale. Watch the performance, filmed by Andy Hui, below.

In a statement about Michael Clark: Cosmic Dancer, Jarvis Cocker said: “Take a look for yourself. Walk around, and slowly it will start to dawn on you, as it did on me: Dance is the language of the human body. And nobody speaks it better than Michael Clark.”

Beyond the Pale arrived back in July. In addition to the Barbican performance, JARV IS… have also announced UK screenings of their film BEYOND THE PALE… LIVE FROM THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH, which captures the band’s only full live performance of the album. Check out the trailer below, along with the screening schedule and the group’s tour schedule.

JARV IS… Live Film Screening Tour:

11-19 Stowmarket, England – John Peel Centre for Creative Arts
11-20 Ramsgate, England – Ramsgate Music Hall
11-21 Margate, England – BAR Nothing
11-22 Brighton, England – The Hope & Ruin
11-23 Dalston, England – Rio Cinema
11-24 Stockton-on-Tees, England – Georgian Theatre
11-25 Dundee, Scotland – DCA
11-26 Glawsgow, Scotland – SWG3
11-27 Manchester, England – YES (The Pink Room)
11-28 Leeds, England – Brudenell Social Club
11-29 Sheffield, England – The Leadmill
11-30 York, England – Everyman Screen 2
12-01 Birmingham, England – Everyman Mailbox
12-02 Liverpool, England – Everyman Screen 2
12-03 Bristol, England – Everyman Screen 2
12-04 Cardiff, Wales – Everyman Screen 2

JARV IS… Tour Dates:

05-31-21 Bristol, England – Marble Factory
06-01-21 Birmingham, England – O2 Institute
06-03-21 Glasgow, Scotland – Barrowlands
06-05-21 London, England – The Roundhouse
05-07-21 Liverpool, England – Invisible Wind Factory
05-08-21 Manchester, England – Albert Hall

Skullcrusher Covers Radiohead’s ‘Lift’, Shares New Song ‘Farm’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Skullcrusher Covers Radiohead’s ‘Lift’, Shares New Song ‘Farm’

Helen Ballentine, also known as Skullcrusher, has shared a cover of Radiohead‘s OK Computer outtake ‘Lift’, as well as a new original song called ‘Farm’. She recorded and co-produced the tracks with Noah Weinman, who also collaborated with Ballentine on her debut Skullcrusher EP. Below, listen to ‘Lift’ and watch the video for ‘Farm’, directed by Silken Weinberg, Angela Ricciardi, and Jeremy Reynoso.

““Farm” was created out of time I spent reflecting on my childhood and family,” Ballentine said in a statement. “The process of developing it to its current version ended up being really tied to these reflections. Noah and I were visiting my family on the East Coast when the decision was made to release it in the coming months. We went up to a studio in Woodstock, a couple hours from where I grew up, and recorded the song in a day. I was able to gather a lot of really nostalgic sounds from the area: crickets, cicadas, the beach in Connecticut, and the creaking of old homes. I had the ability to really talk through the memories and emotions of the song and how they could be manifested sonically.”

 

5 Best Character Arcs in Stranger Things So Far

Svetlana Sterlin
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5 Best Character Arcs in Stranger Things So Far

After three seasons, Stranger Things has firmly cemented its place in the ’80s-inspired sci-fi zeitgeist. The show’s first season thrust its stars to instant fame and rocketed up Netflix’s rankings to claim the top spot.

Set in a small town called Hawkins in Indiana, the story begins with the abduction of Will Byers. His friends Mike, Lucas, and Dustin embark on a search while local authorities are convinced he’s dead. At the same time, a young girl escapes from the Hawkins National Laboratory with nothing but the gown she wears. She hardly ever speaks and is intent on running away.

Other residents start disappearing and it soon becomes clear that something supernatural is going on. Eleven, the escapee, has accidentally opened the Gate to the Upside-Down, an alternate dimension where creatures lurk and suck the life out of everything – and everyone. Eleven herself possesses supernatural abilities such as telekinesis.

Eleven

When we first meet Eleven, she’s a shy, flighty thing who can barely utter a word. This is largely a result of the trauma and abuse she’s suffered growing up in Hawkins Laboratory. When she meets Mike, Dustin, and Lucas, she struggles to open up to them and trust that they have her best interests at heart. However, over time, she allows herself to be curious about Mike and the lives these people lead. She even puts herself in danger to help her new friends, knowing that she has the skills that they don’t.

At the end of the first season, Eleven realizes that her presence only attracts danger to her friends. So, she kills the Demogorgon and disappears with it. Season 2 finds her living in the woods alone before being discovered and taken in by Hopper, the Chief of Police in Hawkins. He prevents her from leaving the cabin, so the only way she can check in on her friends is by using her powers. Of course, this doesn’t last forever, so she escapes while Hopper isn’t home and finds Mike with another girl without understanding the context.

Later in the season, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery as she follows a trail to find her birth mother and learns a little more about her past. She also finds a group of other teenagers like her, and the entire seventh episode is dedicated to their time together. She realizes that this adventurous but violent lifestyle isn’t for her, and she returns to Hawkins with her newfound knowledge.

In season 3, she is even more committed to helping her friends and is willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good. She drains herself of her powers and loses Hopper (or so she thinks), but the Mind Flayer is no longer an imminent threat to Hawkins. After taking some time to find out who she really is without Mike or Hopper, Eleven feels more confident. She also has new friends in Max and Will and understands her worth as a person.

Lucas Sinclair

Lucas is the only colored main character, and this isn’t something the boys ignore. He often makes jokes that make his friends feel awkward, but it’s all in good fun. Like the others, he’s a nerd who enjoys D&D and Ghostbusters. He’s also the first to get suspicious and distrustful, but he usually has good reason to do so. In the first season, he’s quite mean to Eleven, who he keeps blaming for Will’s disappearance. He believes that she’s putting the Party in danger.

By the end of season 1, Lucas realizes his mistake in judging Eleven too early, and he apologizes. After splitting up with the Party and going his own way, he comes back to warn his friends that the Lab scientists are after them. He continues to stay loyal to the Party in season 2, though he’s definitely more worried about what Max, the new girl who has beaten their arcade records, thinks of him. Unlike Dustin, Lucas is honest with Max and tells her why he likes her.

In season 3, their relationship is a little strained but still enjoyable to watch. Lucas spends most of his time making fun of Max and being silly with Mike. Dustin now hangs out with Steve, while Will, having spent the end of his childhood in the Upside-Down, just wants to roleplay D&D.

Steve Harrington

Steve “the Hair” Harrington is Hawkins High’s popular boy. He seems like a typical jerk for much of season 1, though he truly does care about Nancy, Mike’s sister. He helps her study for chemistry, even though she’s already a straight-A student. But when she starts slipping away, he realizes his mistakes and tries to help her.

At first, he pushes her away, angry that he can’t have something that he wants. He even offers to scrub off “Nancy Wheeler Is A Slut” from the cinema’s list of movies showing, though it was either him or his friends who spraypainted it on there in the first place. The two get back together at the end of the season when it’s revealed that Steve has (through Nancy) gifted Jonathan a new camera for Christmas after breaking his old one (his most prized possession) earlier.

In season 2, Nancy realizes she doesn’t love Steve, and they break up. At first, he tries to get her back but is soon distracted by Dustin, who needs his help with something. The two become unlikely buddies, and Steve spends the rest of the season helping the children with their adventures and making sure they don’t die. Even after dropping Tommy and Carol, his status at school is further challenged by the arrival of Max’s brother Billy.

By the third season, Steve has graduated and now works at Scoops Ahoy in the new Starcourt Mall. There, he makes a new friend in Robin, who helps her and Dustin crack a secret Russian code. The trio, along with Lucas’s sister Erica, embarks on a journey underneath the mall, where Steve and Robin are captured by evil Russians. Dustin encourages Steve to be honest about his feelings towards Robin (having unlearned the lessons Steve taught him), but Steve learns that Robin is a lesbian. He accepts the confession without question, even teasing her about the girl she has a crush on.

Jim Hopper

Jim Hopper is the chief of police at Hawkins, which means he spends most of his time drinking beer or coffee, watching television, or smoking. He says the worst thing that’s ever happened in Hawkins is that a bird tried to make a nest of a lady’s hair. Of course, that all changes with the disappearance of Will, which he doesn’t take seriously at first. It gives him the opportunity to catch up with Will’s mom Joyce, with whom he seems to share a complicated past.

Hopper and Joyce become friends again, reconnecting over their shared trauma. Hopper’s young daughter died of cancer some years before the events of the show take place, and he struggles to talk about it for a long time, even pretending that his daughter still goes to school. Taking Eleven in helps him mature, even though he struggles with the responsibility for a long time.

In season 3, Hopper asks Joyce for advice on how to deal with Eleven and Mike, which drives the father-daughter duo apart. Of course, Hopper faces a grim fate at the end of season 3, but not before writing a letter to Eleven where he reveals all of his feelings. Another key part of his growth in season 3 is his relationship with Joyce, which seems to be heading towards something romantic. Throughout the season, he tries to convince her to stay in Hawkins, but his assumed death cements her decision in moving away.

Nancy Wheeler

Nancy is the straight-A student and bossy sister of Mike. She has a good heart, though, and refuses to end up like her parents. This – along with the disappearance of her best friend – is why she connects with the unusual Jonathan. She forgives him for taking stalkerish photos of her and comes to feel safe in his presence. When she’s with Steve, Nancy feels judged by his friends, Tommy and Carol, and after the abduction of her best friend Barb, she becomes too distracted to spend time with him. Instead, she teams up with Jonathan to search for both Barb and Will.

In season 2, after learning Barb’s fate, she continues to fight for her justice along with Jonathan. Together, they uncover the truth about the lab and shut it down, bringing media attention to Hawkins. Nancy continues fighting for what she believes in throughout the third season, where she and Jonathan intern at The Hawkins Post. There, Nancy is the subject of sexist discrimination and humiliation, but she doesn’t let this stop her from writing the story she wants to.

She goes rogue with Jonathan and learns that the Mind Flayer has greater plans than any of them had imagined. But the most significant part of her arc might her relationship with her mother, Karen. In season 1, she’s afraid to tell Karen anything, keeping her relationship with Steve – and her knowledge about Barb and the Upside-Down – a secret. In season 3, she goes to Karen for advice about the Post, and Karen inspires her, telling Nancy that she’s worth more than that. Nancy tells Karen that she gets her strength from her.

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