In many ways, Slowdive’s self-titled reunion album was their most successful statement yet, a reclamation of their legacy that managed to retain and invigorate the timeless magic of their music. Six years later, it’s easier to appreciate the qualities of the LP outside the significance it held in that particular moment; given the time – nearly two decades – that Neil Halstead, Rachel Goswell, Christian Savill, and Nick Chaplin had spent apart, the pure fact that they were able to make something so naturally familiar felt remarkable. Now, the album’s maximalist tendencies don’t just seem joyously triumphant, but a means of amplifying the hazy, sensual logic their songs always had, adding depth and density to their evocative soundscapes. On their new album everything is alive, they employ a similar approach to a sound that’s more uniformly intimate and sparse. Compared to the frayed minimalism of an album like Pygmalion, it’s attuned to the ambient blur of grief, melancholy, and wonder but refines it intο a light-filled and, true to its name, vital record.
Originally, everything is alive was shaping up to be a “more minimal electronic record.” After touring heavily throughout the mid-2010s, Slowdive decided to take 2019 off; it was then that Halstead found himself experimenting with modular synths, which you can hear at the very beginning of opener ‘shanty’. You can also hear the way Halstead’s demos took life through a process of expansion – the addition of an aqueous, distorted stab of guitar gives way to a steady pulse, and less than a minute in, you know it’s Slowdive. At the same time, despite being made during a period of profound transition and loss for the band (the album is dedicated to Goswell’s mother and Scott’s father, both of whom passed away in 2020) and the world at large, it maintains a cohesive, strikingly hopeful mood that suggests the group was selective not just in terms of the songs’ quality or sonic identity, but the feelings that wash through and linger in the end.
Darkness permeates everything is alive, but it’s not the thing that prevails. It also isn’t as unsettling as it once might have been. As it progresses, ‘shanty’ feels like the wide expanse of night lifting its blanket on you, when dreams manifest but its subjects remain oblique; it’s intricately rendered but leaves space for your own projection. The rich shimmer of the instrumental ‘prayer remembered’, which benefits from Shawn Everett’s clear, immersive mixing, speaks a language all its own, but its title connects it to a line from one of the most lyric-driven and memorable songs on the album, ‘andalucia plays’. Referencing John Cale’s ‘Andalucia’, the six-minute track showcases the subtle emotionality and drama that distinguishes Slowdive from their imitators. The way Halstead’s memory drifts between a pervasive atmosphere (“the dark heart of everything”) and the tactile sensation of a loved one’s French cloth polka dot shirt, it somehow doesn’t feel like a sorrowful echo, but one holding the door to a kind of spiritual awakening. “I dream like a butterfly/ Perfect and temporary,” he sings, Goswell’s harmonies rising like a ghostly embrace.
The air shifts around that halfway point, as Slowdive follow the album’s most contemplative moment with ‘kisses’, one of their most compact and infectious pop songs. Swirling with the warmth of a new connection, Halstead and Goswell’s entwining voices convey the romantic euphoria of getting lost in each other’s daydreams instead of spiraling down your own, driven by the want to take each other’s ghosts away. Of course, that’s never entirely possible. They still creep around the hypnotic fuzz and repetition of songs like ‘the slab’ and ‘skin in the game’, which maintains its lo-fi origins to eerie and disorienting effect. They float through the spectral wanderings of ‘chained to a cloud’, which gives shape and body, but not any particular meaning, to another elusive lyric from ‘andalucia plays’. What’s ultimately most astounding about everything is alive is that it feels like a journey as fantastic, but not necessarily tied to, that of the band itself, ringing with truth and intensity even – or especially – as the details begin to fade, turning to ghosts. In those final, heavy stretches, that aliveness is both haunting and unassailable.
Barbie marketing is everywhere; nearly all printed or digital media and social media platforms are full of Barbie content. Unsurprisingly, the blockbuster Barbie claims to be the biggest movie of the year, with its box office already grossing over $1.3 billion worldwide.
You name it: pink outfits, pink shoes, pink cars, pink villas, and, of course, pink watches. Yes, Barbie and Ken have ruled the fashion and watch industry since the film opened in July.
So, slowly but surely, I began loving pink watches, so I have compiled a list of my favourite ones as the first entry for the Mr. Watches’ Picks series.
Tag Heuer Carrera Pink
Mr. Ken, aka Ryan Gosling, has been spotted wearing this Tag Heuer timepiece on the red carpet in London and New York. This pink dial Carrera is – in my opinion – the first pink dial watch that comes to my mind when I hear the words Barbie’s watch. Its 36 mm diameter makes it wearable for men and women. It features a date display at 6 o’clock, automatic movement, and a highly polished steel strap. It’s a catchy dress watch, and yes, this Ryan Gosling’s Carrera gives me the feeling that indeed “I am Ken!”
Maurice de Mauriac Cherry Blossom
“Love at first sight” – I fell in love with this Cherry Blossom when I saw it at the “Time To Watches” in Geneva in April 2023 – before the Barbie Movie hype even existed. With its diameter of 40.5 mm, its shiny pink dial and pink leather strap, I can assure you that people will come to you and ask, “Wow, what is THAT?”
Nomos Club Campus Deep Pink
The founder of Nomos, Roland Schwertner, first met me at the BaselWorld 2019 with my very first watch jacket. He was speechless as he spotted 4 Nomos watches sewn into my jacket! And yes, I am a big fan of this German brand. One of my favourite pieces is the Nomos Club Campus Deep Pink, which was unveiled in February 2022. Why? Not only because of its minimalist design and reasonable price but also its unique dial colour: it’s not pink or pale pink, it’s a deep pink!
Blockchain technology, once primarily associated with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, is extending its reach into various industries, including interactive entertainment. This revolutionary technology transforms how people experience and engage with entertainment content, from video games and virtual reality experiences to live events and digital collectibles. As blockchain continues to gain traction, its impact on interactive entertainment is becoming increasingly evident. This article explores how blockchain technology revolutionized the world of interactive entertainment, reshaping how people consume and participate in these experiences.
Understanding Blockchain Technology
Before diving into how blockchain transforms interactive entertainment, understanding blockchain technology is a good idea. At its core, a blockchain is a decentralized and distributed digital ledger, recording transactions across a network of computers. This ledger is immutable, meaning that once information is recorded, it cannot be altered or deleted without consensus from the network participants. This technology ensures transparency, security, and trust in digital transactions. Reputable unconditional casinos, ora casino without wagering, now also operate on the principles of blockchain technology. They leverage the decentralized nature of the blockchain to provide a transparent and fair gaming experience, even in giving bonuses without wagers, eliminating the need for players to trust a central authority.
Enhancing Ownership and Digital Assets
One of the most significant contributions of blockchain to interactive entertainment is the concept of actual ownership of digital assets. In traditional video games, players spend money on in-game items and characters. However, game developers often own and control these items, and players have limited rights over them. Blockchain technology introduces the concept of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), unique digital tokens representing ownership of specific assets. NFTs enable players to own and trade in-game items and characters honestly. This ownership is recorded on the blockchain, providing a transparent and secure way for players to buy, sell, and exchange digital assets.
Beyond video games, NFTs have extended to other forms of interactive entertainment. Artists and creators can tokenize their digital artwork, music, and videos as NFTs, allowing them to retain ownership and earn royalties when their creations are sold or used. This shift towards actual rights can reshape the relationship between content creators and consumers, granting artists more control and autonomy over their work.
When it comes to betting, blockchain’s impact continues to be felt. Betting and gambling platforms have been among the early adopters of blockchain technology due to its potential to provide transparency, fairness, and security in these industries. Blockchain-based betting platforms offer provably fair systems where the outcome of bets can be independently verified by participants, ensuring that the odds are not manipulated.
Enabling Play-to-Earn Models
Blockchain technology is also introducing innovative play-to-earn models in the gaming industry. Traditional video games often require players to invest time and money without offering tangible rewards. However, blockchain-powered games are changing this dynamic by enabling players to earn cryptocurrency or other digital assets through their in-game activities.
Players can collect, trade, and sell in-game items or currencies as NFTs in play-to-earn games, translating their virtual achievements into real-world value. This economic incentive has led to the rise of blockchain-based games where players can generate income by participating in the virtual world. This shift from a pure entertainment experience to a potentially profitable endeavor has attracted a new wave of players and investors to the gaming industry.
Enhancing Digital Identity and Interactions
Blockchain technology is also enhancing the concept of digital identity and interactions within interactive entertainment. Players often spend time and effort customizing their avatars and profiles in online games and virtual reality experiences. Blockchain allows players to create and manage a unified digital identity that can be used across multiple platforms and games.
This concept of a portable digital identity gives players more control over their online presence and data. It also enables seamless interactions between virtual environments, creating a more cohesive and immersive experience. For example, a character customized in one game could be seamlessly transferred to another, maintaining the player’s identity and achievements.
Revolutionizing Live Events and Experiences
Beyond digital content, blockchain technology is making its mark on live events and experiences. Blockchain-based platforms can facilitate the sale of event tickets as NFTs, ensuring authenticity and preventing scalping. Attendees can also have a transparent view of ticket ownership and transfer history. Moreover, blockchain enables new forms of interactive engagement during live events. Audiences can participate in real-time polls, challenges, and interactions using blockchain-powered tokens or NFTs. This engagement enhances the attendee experience and provides event organizers with valuable insights into audience preferences and behaviors.
Challenges and Considerations
While blockchain technology offers numerous benefits to interactive entertainment, it’s essential to acknowledge the challenges and considerations associated with its adoption. Scalability, energy consumption, and user experience are among the key areas that need to be addressed for blockchain-powered solutions to achieve widespread adoption. Scalability remains a challenge as blockchain networks need to handle significant transactions without compromising speed and efficiency. Solutions such as layer-two scaling and blockchain interoperability are being explored to address this issue.
The energy consumption of blockchain networks, particularly proof-of-work-based networks like Bitcoin, has raised environmental concerns. However, the industry is actively exploring more energy-efficient consensus mechanisms, such as proof-of-stake, to mitigate these concerns. Lastly, creating user-friendly experiences is essential for blockchain technology to be embraced by a broader audience. Complexities associated with wallets, private keys, and transaction fees can intimidate newcomers. User interfaces and educational resources must be developed to ensure a seamless onboarding process.
Blockchain technology is ushering in a new era of interactive entertainment, where actual ownership, play-to-earn models, and enhanced digital interactions are becoming the norm. From video games and virtual reality experiences to live events and digital collectibles, blockchain is reshaping how we engage with and experience entertainment content.
As the technology continues evolving and overcoming its challenges, more innovative use cases will emerge within the interactive entertainment landscape. The convergence of blockchain, virtual, and augmented reality can create new immersive experiences that blur the lines between the digital and physical worlds. With blockchain leading the way, the future of interactive entertainment is undoubtedly exciting and full of possibilities.
Taylor Swift has announced that an Eras Tour concert film will hit theaters on October 13. In the US, AMC is scheduling a minimum of four showtimes per day between Thursdays and Sundays upon opening. The movie is directed by Sam Wrench, who has worked on concert films for BTS, Brandi Carlile, Pentatonix, Lizzo, and Billie Eilish. Watch a trailer for Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour below.
“The Eras Tour has been the most meaningful, electric experience of my life so far and I’m overjoyed to tell you that it’ll be coming to the big screen soon,” Swift wrote on social media. “Starting Oct 13th you’ll be able to experience the concert film in theaters in North America! Tickets are on sale now at amctheatres.com. Eras attire, friendship bracelets, singing and dancing encouraged 1, 2, 3 LGB!!!! (iykyk).”
The Eras Tour picks up in November with a run of South American dates. Swift will be releasing her next re-recorded album, 1989 (Taylor’s Version), on October 27.
Crooks & Nannies is the duo of Sam Huntington and Max Rafter, who became friends as high schoolers in upstate New York and decided to move to Philadelphia together after graduation. They released two records, Soup for My Girlfriend in 2015 and Ugly Laugh in 2016, putting the project on hold for five years as they continued to make music independently and in different bands. After opening for Lucy Dacus in the fall of 2022, they returned with a new EP, No Fun, in January of this year, and have now come through with their latest full-length and Grand Jury debut, Real Life. Visceral and dynamic, the album was recorded at the partially finished cabin Huntington’s father was building before his terminal cancer diagnosis, which led to the pair spending a significant amount of time back in their hometown beginning in December 2020. Though writing separately has suffused their songs with a different kind of nuance and vulnerability, being together in this space lends the record a strange, haunting intimacy, as if carrying around vestiges of childhood while seeking a place for the grief, pain, and love unraveling in the present – complicated, real, and inexplicably shared.
We caught up with Crooks & Nannies for the latest edition of our Artist Spotlight series to talk about their friendship, the evolution of Crooks & Nannies, making Real Life, and more.
What are some of your favorite memories from the early days of your friendship?
Max Rafter: When we first started hanging out, we were both in the pit band for a school musical. We’d pass a notebook back and forth with lyric ideas and little weird drawings and stuff like that. There was always an exchange of ideas and being creative. Now, looking back at some of those, it’s like, that’s a little cringe, a little goofy [laughs].
Sam Huntington: A lot of this stuff we did I feel like was weirding people out on purpose, or being strange intentionally, like when we made those “Cool and Friendly” shirts. They’re small things designed to confuse people, like being weird for the sake of being weird [laughs].But maybe there’s some substance in weirdness. I feel like we were always in one of our parents’ basements – we were always in someone’s basement or garage or in the woods.
MR: I think part of that is growing up in a small town and having to make your own fun. There’s not so much going on or not a huge group of people you can connect with. It was like, “Yo, what do you think people would do if we did this?”
SH: Me and one of my friends in high school dressed up in these frog and raven outfits that we found in my mom’s attic and went downtown, just to see how people would react. And then I remember going on either Myspace or Facebook not long after that and seeing photos of you, Max, wearing a horse mask playing banjo walking around main street. I think this is before I knew you, but we were doing the same genre of activity [laughs]. I do think it’s the small town thing. It’s also more fun to fuck with people in a small town because things are more predictable and it’s more out of nowhere.
Do you remember your first impressions of each other?
MR: Sam was in one of the only bands in our high school, Shasta Flock. I thought, “They play in the band’s only cool band, so that person is cool.”
SH: In that band, we all saw Max play at one of the cafes, and we are always talking about how you were the best musician. There was a show where you were opening for us doing your solo thing, and we were like, “Why is it this way? We’re never gonna be able to follow that.” [laughs] Which is so funny because it was totally a different thing; you were covering Sufjan Stevens and we were playing 20-minute meandering jam songs.
MR: The only thing in common is that we were in the same town.
SH: That’s a cool thing, honestly, about a small little scene or town, is you end up playing these weird bills that are just like “everybody who makes music around here.”
When did you realize you had enough in common to start making music together?
SH: My band was playing a lot of shows, and I feel like we’d done some shows together, and then we were in pit band. We were just talking more. I was about to graduate, and I was like, “I’m gonna try to move to New York and make music.” And you were like, “I’m doing that, too.” I was trying to play it cool, but I was like terribly afraid of doing that alone. But also, I thought you were a great musician. I feel like we were both planning on doing the same thing, we’re like, “Well, maybe we should do it together.” I think we hung out to make music, we wrote a song or two really quickly and it was really fun. I do remember you, Max, being like, “If this continues to go well, maybe we should move to New York together.” And I think that was the first time we got together to write songs.
MR: I feel like we wrote stuff pretty fast once we started doing that. Our album has 13 songs on it, and we had to cut a bunch.
SH: Yeah, that’s true, we did cut so many [laughs]. And a lot of them were like fives minutes long, or there’s one that’s seven minutes that has no right being seven minutes.
MR: My official stance on our old music is everything goes for 30 seconds to two minutes too long.
SH: I just remember Max telling me somewhat early on, “Your music? Really good. Your lyrics? Bad.” [Max laughs] No, that’s not what you said. You said, “Your music’s really good, but I feel like with a lot of your songs, I don’t even know what they’re about.” I was like, “Oh, fuck! They aren’t about anything.” But that was cool, because I feel like when I ask people for feedback, I want them to say what they really think, and a lot of the time, people are just like, “Yeah, it’s good.” So I really appreciated it, that you were like, “It could be better, I think, and here’s what you could do to make it better, I think.”
Max, what did you appreciate about Sam’s approach when you started collaborating that was different from what you already knew?
MR: I think Sam brought a lot to the table playing with other people so much that I just hadn’t had experience doing, and thought about whole pictures of a song. I had always focused on just the guitar part and melody and lyrics, and there’s so much more that goes into it. Sam would have visions for what that could look like in a way that was really exciting and make it happen.
SH: I feel like we both seeped into each other’s territory in that way. But I also feel like there’s a way in which sometimes still, I feel like I can get too big picture, and simultaneously get lost in the weeds and lose track of why the weeds matter. Sometimes I’ll overlook things and you’re like, “Hey, this lyric isn’t working,” or “This song structure is weird,” because I was focusing on adding the right amount of cricket noises in the background of the second verse or something. I feel like we do have similar approaches in a certain way, but also kind of opposite approaches, still, which I really value about working with you.
Do you tend to write separately before bringing things together or talking about a song? How did that collaborative process develop through Real Life?
SH: For this record, it was writing separately. When we started talking about making it, we already had the well of songs that we were pulling from that we had both written separately over the years.And then within that, there was collaboration and giving feedback over specific parts of things. There would be a line in one of either of our songs that we would break down and talk about, figure out if that was effective. So there was still some collaboration within it, but the the bulk of everything songwriting-wise was already built separately for this one.
SH: We couldn’t be in the same place also for a lot of it because of COVID. It’s been pretty different for the different albums for us in terms of songwriting.
MR: Some of the older stuff, especially the first album, we sat down and wrote it all together.
SH: In the second album, there’s a lot of lines that I’m singing that you wrote and vice versa, which is not the case on the new one.
Do you feel like that bit of separation was necessary for you to really dig into what you’re each exploring in these songs?
SH: It definitely would have been a very different album. It feels like if we had continued making music together through from the last album all the way until this one, and hadn’t stopped making music together in this band, that would just be some alternate reality that I have no idea what it would have been like.
MR: I feel like we both matured as songwriters over that long break from the band, and I think that writing the bulk of the songs on our own made them a little more vulnerable and more focused and deeper, maybe. Writing from the beginning together, we would write interesting and emotional stuff, but there’s a also an element of goofiness to a lot of them. It’s not gone, but that goofiness is not at the front anymore for this.
SH: It does feel like we both withdrew into ourselves, and there was a lot of figuring out of what we wanted to say, or self-interrogation that maybe wouldn’t have been there if we wrote it together.
One line from ‘Temper’ – “I don’t even know what I’m angry for/ Some bullshit about not feeling powerful” – made me wonder, going into a song, how defined your feelings are, and how much of the songwriting process is about unpacking that emotion.
MR: I think for me, I usually have a good idea of what I’m trying to say after I have like three or four lines written. I’ll start writing something that just sounds interesting to me, and then I’m like, okay, what could this be saying? And then I’m like, let me draw from my experiences and build on it. But when I first get started, I don’t have a great sense of what I’m trying to say.
SH: Yeah, I think similar. I sing to myself a lot and it’ll just be a thing that I’m like singing to myself, and then that’ll be like a line or something, and it’ll find its identity as it is written. But somewhere along the line I’ll be like, “Oh, this is what it is.” And from that point, it feels more like solving a little puzzle than it does spilling emotions out.
Is it important for you that that puzzle gets at least halfway solved by the time the song is done?
SH: I feel like we might have very different answers to this.
MR: I don’t think that it solves a puzzle for me. I don’t know. There’s some songs that I’ve written on this album that I listen back to and it’s about a lesson that I learned at the time, and I’m like, “Oh, shit! That happened again.”
SH: Oh my god, yes.
MR: It’s about patterns. And then I’m like, “Oh, I still have that neurosis.” Nothing is solved. I figured out a way to talk about it in the song.
SH: That’s so funny. I also have been listening to stuff and that’s happened to me as well. It’s weird, like, “Wow, I didn’t really learn anything from that! [laughs] But I really clearly articulated it.” Or not didn’t learn anything, that’s maybe an oversimplification.
Going back to upstate New York to record the album must have been a strange experience. Did you have conversations about what it meant to be there?
SH: It felt like, not a coming full circle, but regrouping in the place that it started, maybe. There’s a lot about that time, because we were we’re spending more time together around that time and leading up to making the album, which I feel like is part of why we ended up making the album, too. We had more time together than we really had at any point since first starting the band, and being back in the place where we first started the band, there was a weird – not deja vu, but it’s like hearing a song you haven’t heard for a long time, or a familiar smell. But because so much was similar, it called a lot of attention to the differences for me. I was just very aware of how much time had passed and how different we were as people and how many things had changed – in the literal place we were in, and in ourselves, and in just the world. I remember crying when that bowling alley burnt down in our town – it didn’t really have that much to do with the bowling alley, but it just felt representative of something.
MR: I feel like part of recording at the cabin was: here’s a space that we can be in safely for a month. It’s peak COVID times, it’s a place where we can both go and we can gather all this gear and we don’t have to pay to be there. I was thinking of it a little as convenience, but it is a really specific and significant place that we ended up doing it in, our hometown. It’s a space Sam’s family, that you went growing up and has a lot of meaning to you and to me.
SH: As it was being built, too. I was also thinking of it as a convenient place to do the thing, but once we were here, it felt like a lot more than that.
I’m sure it was a mix of things, but do you have a strong memory of how it felt?
MR: I feel like it’s a mix of, “This is home, and this feels warm and inviting and comfortable.” And then also, because it was our hometown and we’re going back years later, it was a little bit uncanny valley of like, “Why are we here? What’s going on? Are we supposed to be here?” I remember one night we were just wandering around the Walmart in the middle of the night, and that felt very teenager-y again. I think being aimless in the place you grew up, that makes you feel like a teenager, and that’s the part that feels kind of uncanny valley – or feels wrong, but not bad, I guess.
SH: Neither of us were working because of COVID, and I feel like that also contributed to feeling like a restless teenager with a whole lot of time and nothing to do, just shooting cans out in the field. It did feel kind of like home in a certain way, but then also, really isolated in a weird way because so many people we grew up with had moved away and stuff. Also, we got snowed in for like three days and couldn’t leave the house at all, because the driveway is a winding dirt road through the woods. It felt like a little tiny safe location in the middle of a large and frightening world, and then all this weird nostalgia stuff tied into it. It was a very strange time.
Did being there bring the ideas behind the songs into light in a way that wasn’t so clear before?
SH: The threads that tied them together, I think, became clear to me. Because they had been written not in the same place and over time, but the fact that we recorded them in the same space, and in the same space where we were mostly just spending all of our time together, did do a lot to unify them. I started noticing a lot of parallels in the experiences that we’d been singing about, and also the differences in how we are approaching those things.
Max, do you remember talking about that, or did the parallels feel more unspoken?
MR: I feel like it was more unspoken. There’s always gonna be parallels with it being recorded by the two of us in the same space, so our the songs get tied together through just the environment and the style.
SH: I mean, we both quit drinking at the same exact time. I hope that’s okay for me to say, Max, but I feel like it’s in the songs. I think we talked about that, and then talked about a lot of gender stuff around that time. I think everything else was not stuff that we talked about directly, but those things I think we did talk about a lot and are in both of our songs.
MR: Yeah, that’s true.
SH: I feel like we have talked about things that do come up in the songs, but I don’t know that talk much about anything in the context of the song. Most of the time, I don’t want to ask Max to explain the lyrics to me, because I want to take them the way that you present them, and it feels like it would ruin something to make you say it in a more direct way. Both because I feel like I know, and because the things that I don’t totally know feel kind of precious.
Max, do you feel the same way?
MR: Yeah, I agree with that. You want some of this mystery still, or to have your own relationship with someone else’s song.
SH: And if I’m going to respond, I feel like I want to do it in a song, almost. If you say something in a song that I feel like I have something to say about, it feels like I want to respond with the same mode of communication as the thing that I’m responding to.
Are the loudest moments on the album, on songs like ‘Country Bar’, ‘A Gift’, and ‘Weather’, the ones that were also the most cathartic to make?
SH: ‘Country Bar’ definitely, the middle of it to me feels like that kind of catharsis. And then also the middle of ‘A Gift’. This is something that I feel like, even from the very beginning of our music, we’ve always had these little parts where it’s just: what if after this verse we just make a shit ton of noise or a really unpleasant sound for a few seconds and then go back to the song? It’s almost like burning off the extra energy so that you can settle back down and collect yourself.
MR: I do feel like I love to play the loud stuff live, and it does feel like a release in some ways. But playing some of the quieter songs – I think about playing ‘Nice Night’ and singing that short verse with the saxophone part in it – almost feels like a bigger release to me, where it’s so sparse and zoomed in on this one little thing, it’s all about this little performance and getting into it and giving it all. There’s so little going on that you can really focus in on what’s happening.
Could you share one thing that inspires you about each other?
MR: One thing I really appreciate about Sam is that she doesn’t ever call something before it’s done, or let an idea stay a half-idea. I think I have a tendency to call things too early before they reach their full potential, and I think that Sam sees things through in a way that is admirable.
SH: Max really has their priorities in line when it comes to a song. You have a really incredible ability to focus on what matters in a song and not get caught up in a detail that isn’t as consequential as something else. Sometimes I won’t know what parts of something are the most important, and you have a really amazing ability to tell if something’s working. If we’re creating a universe with the album, I’ll be painting little patterns on a rock or something, and you’re like, “Yeah, but Sam, there’s no water in this universe. Everyone’s going to get so dehydrated.” You know what matters, and they’re all subjective things, but I really trust your judgment on those things.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
The Kills have announced a new LP, God Games. The follow-up to 2016’s Ash & Ice will arrive on October 27 via Domino. Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince recorded the album in an old church with Grammy-winning producer Paul Epworth, who happened to be their first soundman back in 2002. They’ve also shared a new track from the album, ‘103’, which follows previous offerings ‘New York’ and ‘LA Hex’. The visuals for the song were shot in rock and fashion photographer Steven Sebring’s 3D film studio in New York City. Check it out below, and scroll down for the album cover and tracklist.
God Games Cover Artwork:
God Games Tracklist:
1. New York
2. Going to Heaven
3. LA Hex
4. Love and Tenderness
5. 103
6. My Girls My Girls
7. Wasterpiece
8. Kingdom Come
9. God Games
10. Blank
11. Bullet Sound
12. Better Days
In the pursuit of a chiseled physique and enhanced performance, fitness enthusiasts often explore various supplements to complement their workout routines. Among these options, CrazyBulk Clenbutrol stands out as a popular choice.
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Exploring Stylish Alternatives to Clenbutrol
For individuals seeking alternative ways to enhance their workout routines and achieve their fitness goals, several options are worth exploring. These alternatives focus on sustainable, holistic approaches that prioritize health and well-being alongside performance.
Holistic Nutrition and Training Plans
One of the most effective alternatives to supplements like Clenbutrol is a comprehensive nutrition and training plan. A well-balanced diet rich in nutrients, combined with a tailored workout routine, can naturally boost metabolism and promote fat loss. Collaborating with a certified nutritionist and personal trainer ensures that the approach is tailored to individual needs and goals.
Cardiovascular Conditioning
Improving cardiovascular health through regular cardio workouts is another stylish alternative to consider. Engaging in activities such as running, cycling, or swimming not only burns calories but also enhances endurance and overall fitness. Cardiovascular conditioning contributes to a healthy metabolism and complements strength training efforts.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
HIIT workouts have gained popularity for their ability to deliver efficient results in a shorter amount of time. These workouts involve alternating between high-intensity bursts and periods of active recovery. HIIT is known to boost metabolism, improve cardiovascular fitness, and support fat loss, all while requiring minimal equipment.
Prioritizing Safety and Sustainability
When selecting a path to enhance fitness and performance, safety and sustainability should remain at the forefront. While supplements like Clenbutrol might promise quick results, they may come with potential risks. Embracing natural and well-rounded approaches ensures that progress is achieved without compromising long-term health.
Consulting Professionals
Before incorporating any supplement or workout routine, it’s wise to consult with healthcare professionals, including doctors, nutritionists, and trainers. These experts can provide personalized guidance based on individual health status, goals, and preferences.
Mindful Progression
Rushing into extreme changes or relying solely on supplements may yield short-term results but can be detrimental in the long run. A mindful approach that emphasizes gradual progress, balanced nutrition, and sustainable workouts sets the foundation for lasting success.
Elevating Fitness with Mindful Choices
In the realm of fitness, the allure of quick fixes and supplements like Clenbutrol can be tempting. However, the true essence of a successful fitness journey lies in making mindful choices that prioritize health, safety, and long-term sustainability. Exploring stylish alternatives that encompass holistic nutrition, targeted training, and expert guidance empowers individuals to achieve their fitness goals while embracing a well-rounded and responsible approach.
Final Thought: Striking a Balance in Fitness Enhancement
As the pursuit of peak fitness and performance continues, individuals are presented with a plethora of options, including supplements like Clenbutrol and alternative approaches. While it’s enticing to seek quick results, the journey toward a healthier and stronger self demands a balanced perspective.
Prioritizing safety, sustainability, and long-term well-being ensures that the path taken is not just about achieving physical transformation but also cultivating a positive and lasting relationship with one’s body. By making informed choices and embracing comprehensive strategies, individuals can embark on a fitness journey that not only elevates their physical capabilities but also enriches their overall quality of life.
When it comes to casino culture, New Zealand offers a distinct and captivating experience that sets it apart from other countries.
From its breathtaking landscapes to its vibrant indigenous heritage, New Zealand has cultivated a casino scene that combines entertainment, luxury, and cultural uniqueness. In this article, we will explore the key elements that make New Zealand’s casino culture so unique and how it differs from other nations around the world.
The Integration of Maori Culture
One of the most striking aspects of New Zealand’s casino culture is the seamless integration of Maori culture. The indigenous Maori people have a rich heritage that is deeply interwoven with the country’s identity.
Many casinos in New Zealand make a conscious effort to showcase Maori art, music, and traditions, providing visitors with an immersive cultural experience.
From intricately carved wooden sculptures to traditional Maori performances, these casinos create an ambiance that is truly unique. Visitors can witness the mesmerizing haka dance, listen to the melodious sounds of the taonga puoro (traditional Maori musical instruments), and learn about the Maori’s ancient customs and legends.
This integration of Maori culture into the casino experience sets New Zealand apart, offering a deeper understanding of the country’s heritage.To know more about the heritage and culture of casino in New Zealand you can click here.
The Exquisite Casino Resorts
New Zealand is renowned for its stunning landscapes, and its casino resorts are no exception. The country boasts a handful of luxurious casino resorts nestled amidst breathtaking natural beauty. These resorts offer a complete package, combining world-class gambling facilities with top-notch accommodation, fine dining, and various entertainment options.
One such example is the SkyCity Auckland Casino, situated in the heart of New Zealand’s largest city. With its iconic Sky Tower dominating the city skyline, this resort offers a wide range of casino games, including poker, blackjack, and roulette.
Additionally, visitors can enjoy gourmet cuisine at award-winning restaurants, watch live shows, or indulge in rejuvenating spa treatments. The fusion of opulent gambling facilities and New Zealand’s scenic beauty creates an unmatched experience for casino enthusiasts.
Community Focus and Responsible Gambling
New Zealand takes a unique approach to gambling by prioritizing community well-being and responsible gambling.
The country’s Gambling Act, established in 2003, aims to minimize harm caused by gambling while ensuring the industry’s integrity. This act mandates that a significant portion of gambling revenue be directed toward community projects, such as sports, arts, and health initiatives.
Moreover, New Zealand’s casinos actively promote responsible gambling practices. They provide resources and support for individuals struggling with gambling addiction and implement strict policies to prevent underage gambling.
These initiatives set New Zealand apart from many other countries, highlighting the nation’s commitment to fostering a safe and responsible gambling environment.
Online Gambling in New Zealand
In recent years, online gambling has gained significant popularity worldwide, and New Zealand is no exception.
While online casinos based outside the country have been accessible to New Zealanders, the government introduced the Gambling Act 2003 Amendment in 2019 to regulate and legalize online gambling within the country.
The amendment allows New Zealanders to enjoy online casino games offered by domestic operators, subject to regulatory oversight. This move ensures consumer protection, responsible gambling measures, and the reinvestment of gambling revenue back into the community.
Unique Casino Games and Innovations
New Zealand’s casino culture also stands out with its unique casino games and innovative offerings. One example is “Sic Bo,” a popular dice game of Chinese origin that has found a dedicated following in New Zealand.
The game involves players betting on the outcome of three dice rolled by the dealer, offering an exciting alternative to traditional casino games.
Furthermore, New Zealand has embraced technological advancements and incorporated them into the casino experience.
One notable innovation is the use of electronic gaming machines (EGMs), commonly known as pokies. These machines allow players to enjoy a wide variety of games, ranging from traditional slot machines to modern video poker and interactive electronic table games.
The introduction of pokies has not only enhanced the gaming options but has also increased accessibility for players. These machines can be found in various locations across the country, including bars, clubs, and dedicated gambling venues.
The convenience and diversity offered by New Zealand’s electronic gaming machines have contributed to the unique casino culture in the country.
The Social Aspect of Casino Culture
While gambling is the primary focus of any casino, New Zealand’s casino culture places a strong emphasis on the social aspect of the experience.
Casinos in New Zealand are not just places to play games; they also serve as gathering spots for friends, families, and even business meetings.
Many casinos offer vibrant entertainment options, including live music, comedy shows, and theater performances, creating a lively and inclusive atmosphere.
Moreover, the presence of restaurants, bars, and lounges within the casino premises allows visitors to socialize, enjoy a meal, or relax with a drink while taking a break from the gaming floor.
The social aspect of New Zealand’s casino culture is further enhanced by various events and promotions hosted by casinos throughout the year.
From themed parties to tournaments and special celebrations, these activities bring people together, fostering a sense of community and camaraderie among casino-goers.
Conclusion
New Zealand’s casino culture offers a unique and captivating experience that sets it apart from other countries around the world.
The integration of Maori culture, the presence of exquisite casino resorts amidst stunning natural landscapes, and the emphasis on community well-being and responsible gambling all contribute to the distinctiveness of New Zealand’s casino scene.
The country’s embrace of online gambling, introduction of unique casino games, and incorporation of innovative technologies further enhance the overall casino experience. Moreover, the social aspect of New Zealand’s casinos, with their focus on entertainment, dining, and community events, adds a vibrant and inclusive dimension to the casino culture.
Whether it’s immersing oneself in Maori traditions, indulging in luxurious accommodations, or enjoying a night of gaming and entertainment, New Zealand’s casino culture offers something for everyone.
Its distinctiveness and the country’s commitment to responsible gambling make it an attractive destination for both domestic and international casino enthusiasts seeking a one-of-a-kind experience.
Maya Binyam’s debut novel Hangman was born from its first sentence. “In the morning, I received a phone call and was told to board a flight,” the narrator notes, unsure of why he’s returning to his home country in sub-Saharan Africa after 26 years in America.
The slim novel that follows is a hazy, dreamlike recollection of his journey (first starting on the plane, where his seatmate dies in her sleep and he has to remain next to him for the duration of the flight). Binyam’s narrator, with simple yet funny narration, encounters people who tell him their stories, diving in and out between policy, culture, news, and psychology. And by the time the narrator figures out where he’s headed, he might already be too immersed to get out of it.
Our Culture talked to Maya Binyam about narration style, liminality, and refuge.
Congrats on your debut novel! How does it feel for it to finally be out?
It feels good. I would say that the months leading up to it entering the world were not great, jubilant months. But now that it is out and now that I’m having conversations with people about it, it feels good.
I’m curious to know what the first jolt of inspiration of the book was — it seems as though it could have been born from its first line and taken from there.
No, that’s exactly what it was.
Wait, really?
Yeah! I really didn’t know what the book was going to be about. I mean, I knew certain things. I had a really strong grasp on the voice before I started writing the book. And before I had a plot in mind, the voice was something that was intensely familiar to me. And so it felt like, through the writing, I could follow the voice. It sounds strange to say that. It’s something that’s very difficult to chart out when writing where intention and happenstance meet, because it did feel like I was following the voice, even though I was obviously, as the writer, putting the narrator in various situations. But it did really begin with that first line. I had the idea of him being on a plane, and I had some sense for where he was going. But beyond that, the movement of the book was something that came about mystifyingly to me. At a certain point, I think halfway through writing the first draft, I knew where it was going to end up. But I did a lot of rewriting and edits because the thing didn’t become itself until I had written it.
The thing that struck me first about the novel was the dissonance between the narrator’s lack of knowledge of where he was going vs the feeling that the writer, you, did. It led him and us down a mysterious path, but it always seemed like you had control over it. Was this a conscious choice?
I do think that was a conscious choice. I knew from the beginning that he would come to believe at a certain point that he was going to a funeral. I knew that he would believe eventually that it was his brother’s funeral. But I wasn’t sure exactly whose funeral it was. But I did know that the people that he encountered, many of them would have some sense of the journey that he was on, and would hold knowledge about his final destination, knowledge that they were obscuring from him or knowledge that was only palpable to him in these bits and pieces. And that structure is gleaned from these morning rituals that I was raised with, in which someone who has lost another person may not be told that that person is dead until they can be surrounded by friends and family members. And I’ve watched that ritual play out throughout my life, and often it becomes very protracted, especially when someone is living in diaspora and the person who has died is, in this case, in Ethiopia. And there’s a lot of care work and deception involved in that process. And that was something that I knew I wanted to replicate in the text.
The narrator is observational and even pretty funny in his narration, almost coming across like he’s in a video game. ‘This door’s closed, so I’m going through another.’ How was it writing in this simplified and odd style?
It was so pleasurable for me. It’s really hard for me to dissect where exactly the voice came from. It’s based in part on some people I know and how they self-describe. But also, of course, it’s based on a million things that I’ve read and my own experiences of the world and my own sense of humor or my projected sense of humor that I’ve observed. But it was totally pleasurable to be in his head, and also kind of alluring. I wrote the bulk of the first draft when I was at a residency, and while I was there, I was in this group of ten strangers who I had no meaningful connection to. And I found that my mode of observing them began to mimic the way that the narrator observes the various strangers that he encounters on his journey. And that confluence of things was a little bit crazy making, but it was also very fun.
Something that was interesting to me is that our narrator didn’t seem to be comfortable in his country. Even when he’s with his family, he’s put off by customs like eating everything you’re given and regarding his family with a sort of distance. What do you think caused this?
I think he’s been conditioned by the process of leaving his home country. We find out at a certain point that he fled the country and found new life as a refugee. And I think generally, the process of seeking refuge is a kind of individuating process. It requires leaving collective life behind. It’s predicated on that collective life. People need to prove that they belong to some collective that is facing persecution, but then ultimately saving one’s own life requires leaving that life behind. And I think he’s been conditioned by that and also subsequently by life in the country where he’s found refuge, which is a place where individualism and consumerism reigns supreme. And he feels attached to that conditioning and at the same time, when he goes home, he wants again to belong to collective life. And he has some sense that the story that he’s meant to be producing, an immigrant returning home for the first time in many years, is meant to be a happy one. He says that at one point, explicitly in the text, it’s meant to be a story where he’s sort of, like, returned to the land of the familiar and welcomed with open arms, and he wants that for himself. And at the same time, he’s been somewhat irrevocably changed by the way his life has gone. And so I think that disjuncture between what he wants to experience and what he is experiencing produces the kind of alienation that you’re describing. He wants very badly to enjoy the food that he hasn’t been able to enjoy in many years, and yet his body rejects it at every point.
Something I also think contributes to that is how the novel is set up — there’s these long stretches of pages that are composed of single conversations. So he has these snapshots of the country, but never the full picture.
That’s interesting. Now that you’re saying that, I’m realizing that those kind of snapshot moments in which he’s receiving some information or information about his home country is made palpable through these instantaneous interactions. I think that combined with the namelessness produces something that I was trying to get at, which is the ways in which these various places are produced not just by their geography and their national borders, but by the interactions that happen between people who live within them or people who exist outside of them, but nevertheless talk about them and so conjure them, through that process of kind of applying language to them. And I was more interested in that process than I was in referencing any place in particular. Although, of course, many places are referenced in the text through allusion and projection and also just firsthand experience. But, yeah, I think if proper nouns were being evoked, like if he was saying that he had come from America and was traveling back to a particular country, I think that would evoke the kind of wholeness that you’re describing as not really existing within the text. And at the same time, I think that using those proper nouns could strangely produce a kind of vagueness. I found it easier to be psychologically specific through writing about these interactions that you’re describing.
Speaking of, I loved the intangibility of the novel, how you distort our sense of place. We know it’s a sub-saharan country, but really no other clues are given. Often, our narrator will say, ‘I walked somewhere.” Was it difficult to work inside of a less-defined space?
It wasn’t difficult. And I think it’s because the book is pretty simple. The structure of it, I mean, it takes place over the course of four days. Each of those days is narrated from the beginning of the day till night, chronologically. And he is often moving through spaces that are meant to guide movement in a particular way. Like, he goes to an airport, he goes to a bank, he goes to a church. There are all these conventions of behavior that I think we’re all familiar with and that we all experience when we move through those various institutions. And I think, given that kind of concrete structure, I found that I could play a lot within it and play with his own sense of placelessness. And also, I could allow his idiosyncrasies to develop because it’s interesting when someone goes to a bank and deposits money without having an account. That is a very clear way of signifying that something unconventional is happening and that the narrator is experiencing some trouble.
Something I really enjoyed is that apparently, the narrator is friendly-looking enough for everyone to spill their secrets to. He learns of so many life stories, when the reader isn’t totally sure of his own. Why did you want to write a narrator that mostly collects stories as opposed to having his be the forefront of the book?
I mean, it’s something that I did kind of impulsively. It’s not something that I necessarily intended to do. But as I wrote, it certainly became true of the narrator, and that truth had meaning to me. I think, like I said before, he’s really attached to his own sovereignty. And as you said, too, he’s nice enough that people want to tell him stories. He’s a very polite person, and he’s very attuned to the conventions of respectable behavior, but he’s almost so attuned to those conventions that they become empty of meaning. They no longer facilitate direct and mutual communication. Instead, they facilitate this kind of unidirectional communication in which, like you said, he’s collecting stories, but not necessarily producing them. And I wanted to do that in part because I felt like it heightened the boundaries between him and other people. And I wanted to call attention to that because I think that he’s fixated on that. He really wants to belong to other people. And at the same time, he doesn’t want to be made vulnerable to any of the bad things that have happened in their life because they may remind him of the bad things that have happened in his life, which he’s very actively trying to not necessarily suppress.
But he’s trying to convince himself and convince the people that he encounters that those experiences don’t have meaning. They no longer have any relation to the person that he’s become. And that’s in part because he’s bought so thoroughly into the narrative of having found new life in another place.
It’s a deeply political novel, and with many conversations, our narrator learns about policy, organization, and class, and his internet searches dig up a continued kidnapping story back in America, as well as other news. What was your goal in merging seemingly nonfiction elements with this character?
It’s an interesting way of framing it, these nonfiction elements interacting with the narrator’s fictional journey into the world, because it’s all fictional even if it has some grounding, in at least in my experience of the world, it gets warped through re-presentation. Part of it is who he is. He is somewhat fixated on the idea of current events as this collection of things that are happening in the world that have very little to do with an individual, in this case, him, moving through it. That distinction is very important to him and he likes to seek out stories about a kind of objective politics. Politics that are at work in the world but which have no bearing on him — he seeks that out kind of compulsively. And that isn’t because he’s not a political person, we learn that, in fact, he was a political revolutionary in his country and had a very intimate understanding on how politics acted on individual psyches and on the shape peoples’ daily lives take. He’s very resistant to that view of things in his life at the moment in which we’re encountering him. I think I brought in those elements to dramatize and hyperbolize what I feel to be a common mistake in understanding the world, which is that there are things that happen on a political level and then there are things that happen on an individual level, and those two things don’t have to do with each other. That’s kind of the myth that’s operating throughout the novel, that I think by the end, is revealed to not be true. All of the people he encounters are basically telling him that that’s not true, they’re describing the ways their lives have been thoroughly transformed by forces that seem unpeopled, cold, or intangible.
I think I thought of these elements as nonfiction because there’s these stretches of vagueness in narration, where he’s like, “I went somewhere,” next to these really concrete examples of immediate politics in these citizens’ lives.
Right, well sometimes also there are things, for example, the news stories that appear in the book are based on news stories I’ve encountered throughout my life. There’s one about a couple who trained their house cats to go and steal jewelry and cash from their neighbors’ homes, and I probably saw that on the morning news, or a dumb news clip one of my family members sent me years ago. But those things read like fiction, they have a fantastical element to them or it feels like they’re communicating — not necessarily in that case — some kind of moral or ethical lesson, like the kind you’d encounter in The Canterbury Tales or something like that. So I think, in my experience of life, those two things are constantly being mixed.
Do you also think that your journalism work influenced the novel, in a subconscious or even explicit way?
Definitely. I think when I’m writing fiction, I’m in a different mode than I am when I’m writing journalism. It feels like the subconscious is more at work when I’m writing fiction, for this book too, and of course it’s at work when I’m writing journalism too, but I often in that case, especially with reporting, I have some sense of the story I’m trying to tell. And also I have things and people I’m bound to. But the fundamental questions I’m interested in asking and attempting to answer are the same.
Finally, what’s next? Do you have any more fiction projects coming up, or a second novel?
That’s a very good question and it’s still somewhat mysterious to me. I hope to work on another novel, but… we’ll see!
Slowdive have shared ‘alife’, the final single from their new LP everything is alive, ahead of its release on Friday (September 1). It follows previous offerings ‘the slab’, ‘kisses’, and ‘skin in the game’. Check it out via the accompanying video below.
“‘alife’ is one of the first tunes we finished for the record,” the band’s Neil Halstead explained in a statement. “Shawn Everett did a really nice job with the mix. We tried so many times to figure out a good mix by ourselves and couldn’t do it . . . it sort of had us beaten until Shawn stepped in. We decided if he could handle that one he could probably do the whole record. Our friend Jake Nelson did a really nice animation for this song; it takes some of the imagery from the artwork and digs a little deeper into that.”
