ISSUE 545 JANUARY 2013

CUB ISSUE 545

ISSUE 545 JANUARY

MUSIC

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From Here to There Two creative explorations of London

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The Architects This Term in Arts The best of what is going on this semester Happy N-U Year From London to Liverpool...

The Best Albums of 2012 Do We Really Listen to Music Anymore?

The Evolution of Novelty Pop: From the Wombles to the £1 Fish Man; a guide in creating your own novelty pop song

ARTS

FILM 10 2013: Film Predictions: A

cover photo by Keith Parker, contents photo by Tom Wyke

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round up of the best films out this year HFR: The Definition of a Bad Idea?

Apocalypse Now!

FEATURES 16 TECHNOLOGY: Space: The Final Frontier?

17 TECHNOLOGY: Return of the A.I 18 TECHNOLOGY: Welcome To the Future: ‘Print- Your- OwnAnything’ A look into the development of 3D Printing

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FASHION 26 OMG. So Excited about Wang for Balenciaga 28 Fashion SOS: Save our Style 30 New Term Essentials Key 31

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pieces to keep your wardrobe up to date CUB Creates: Holographic Clutch

TRAVEL Destination: Oman

QUPID 34 Couple Five: Tamsin GeorgeGilbert and Ben Appleton

TWITTER: @cubmagazine GET INVOLVED: editorcub@gmail.com

“Please, no matter how we advance technologically, please don’t abandon the book. There is nothing in our material world more beautiful than the book.” Patti Smith

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LONDON

FROM HERE TO THERE...

Two creative writing excerpts exploring London from the street, and the driver’s seat...

ALIYE ARIF: 6.30pm. The engine starts up with a low rumble that vibrates from the depths of the car’s metallic chest. Pressing down on the accelerator, I urge my loyal steed to stir from its slumber so that we can begin our journey.

Tonight we are destined for the concrete jungle of Angel Edmonton, a North London suburb which refuses to be simply that. Grasping the reigns, I steer towards the junction where the steady foxtrot of the traffic lights guides me in to a sharp right-turn towards the pounding breakdance of Fore Street. Confined within the car, I am protected from this sudden change in tempo. Soft leather, chrome handles, switches and headlights, all reassuring and familiar.

With the doors locked I am safe behind the protective windshield of my companion, the only one brave enough to withstand the pulse of the streets of London which I insist on steering through each evening. However, Fore Street is different. This street has a beat of its own, a fierce rhythm which insists on steering me instead. If I wind down the window – even just a crack – the chaotic symphony of the street fills the empty car, thirsty for my attention.

Driving down Fore Street uninterrupted is almost always impossible. Pedestrians write the rules here, casually walking out in front of moving cars and buses to get to the shops on the other side of this wild terrain, interrupting the beat of the traffic with their own unsynchronised rhythm every so often. These lively alternating rhythms of Fore Street keep you on your toes, repeating themselves alongside the less intense cyclical rhythms of the mosque-goers and the schoolchildren. END.

LONDON

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NICK KIPLEY: Fingerprintless impressions upon the pliable dough of sanity are a walk. The offering that to each—the very way of being—becomes his own in fretless perambulation.

So you wander Thameswise from Waterloo and ponder your hangover or joy or nothing and think in terms that the wakes of passing ferries illumens the metronomic lurch of moored skiffs’ feeble masts. You seek answers to questions yet unformed.

Skyward, you examine the shale of clouds shielding and disseminating light evenly upon faces and brickwork and the bodies of those who pass holding faces containing similar thoughts, possibly, walking dogs or jogging. The structureless skyline jumble shall appear then, to you, clearly and without reason. You’ll snatch at the treacle of poetry oozing from nearby mortar as though some desperate, hungry bear. You will wish you could learn how to paint, or another language.

The Tate appears with its monolithic defunct chimney and you enter. The paintings are all the same still, yet this time though you realize things in them you didn’t know you’d been capable of seeing before. The last time you were here you saw the undertones you now are awash in viewing. A layer has been thinly scalped away by the cool surgeon of experience. Below the layer—seen yet not, in more of a sensed opacity—the next layer lies in promise of a return visit. So you exit as your powers of appreciation wilt. The men selling peanuts offer the air around them caramelized nostalgia.

You cross the footbridge, hook up around St. Paul’s and venture East again to watch the Orwellian brutalist concrete of Barbican give the sliding sky a slow paper cut.’ END. photos by Pippa Kahn

THE ARCHITECTS If you are not familiar with the Shunt Theatre’s work then perhaps you should take a journey of a lifetime and immerse yourself in their world. Take a walk through the labyrinth and find yourself aboard a ship for adults only. The hosts will ensure your time is filled with entertaining and educational activities ranging from mud wrestling to shark gutting lessons (poolside to the synchronised diving displays). The joy is in the experience so I will attempt to carry on without revealing too many of the jokes.

Shunt Theatre has always performed their shows in unique and interesting locations, and this piece at the Biscuit Factory, Bermondsey, is no different. The space gives the company the opportunity to create a multi-location piece and manipulate the space to maximise their performance style. The audience find themselves becoming explorers, passengers and victims all within two hours. As awe inspiring as the custom built performance space is, one is advised to dress up warm as the warehouse remains largely empty and the winter air permeates the walls that have been created.

Taking inspiration from the ancient Greek legend of the minotaur, The Architects loosely follows the themes in its surreal

narrative. A hedonistic quartet of architects check up on the voyage as things slowly progress from wildly funny to quite dirturbing. You will not be the only one leaving through the eerie labyrinth feeling a little bit lost and wondering what just happened. For the most part the show is utterly enjoyable if you are willing to leave behind your thinking hat and sense of normality. The characters and shenanigans on board the ship will make you chuckle, the live band help create a casual atmosphere as you ‘holiday’ amongst strangers, all the while the visual side of the performance is something to behold. Puzzle too long over a deeper meaning and you run the risk of only finding disappointment, but if you can enjoy the spectacle for its entertainment side then you will have had a bizarre and exciting night.

Unlike their previous show Money, that last year extended its dates continuously, the restrictions on how long the venue will remain in their hands suggest that the show will be a shorter run than people may be used to. The Shunt collective have vaguely discussed going on a tour in the future, it will be interesting to see how each venue affects their work. For the time being The Architects is running until February the 2nd so hop on over if you feel like losing your mind for a little while. END.

words by Bryony Orr photo by scarygami

ARTS

THIS TERM IN ARTS...

JANUARY

Manet: Portraying Life @ The Royal Academy - Opening at the end of January, the RA’s winter blockbuster takes a look at the portraiture of the great modern artist Edouard Manet (as well as contemporaries like Monet and Morisot). The collection features works from major galleries across Europe and the Americas and is a must see for Art lovers.

FEBRUARY

The Book of Mormon @ The Prince of Wales Theatre - The eagerly anticipated musical satire from Southpark creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, is finally coming to London on 25th February after it’s fantastic sell-out run on Broadway. Tickets will set you back a pretty penny but it is set to be well worth it (9 Tony awards can’t be wrong) but is probably not advised for the easily offended/overly-religious.

MARCH

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time @ The Apollo Theatre - After critical acclaim during it’s summer run at the National Theatre, Simon Stephen’s adaptation of Mark Haddon’s bestseller is returning to the stage on March 1st. The story of a young autistic boy’s struggle to solve the murder of his neighbour’s dog and unravel the mysteries within his own family.

APRIL

David Bowie Is @ The V&A - The first international retrospective on the life and cultural influence of the star, opening on 28th March, the V&A has been granted exclusive and unprecedented access to the David Bowie archive. Featuring over 300 original artefacts, from Ziggy Stardust costumes to handwritten lyrics to set designs David Bowie Is promises to be one of the biggest exhibitions of the year, and at only 9 pounds for full-time students there is no excuse to miss it.

words by Millie Jefferies

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New Year, New You? We’ve all been there.

‘This year I’m going to drink less, I’m going to see more of London, I’m going to get involved.’ Not always as easy as it sounds on that groggy New Year’s morning. Now that term has started back up again it’s time to grab the bull by the horns, so here are a few of my picks for the biggest events of the term:

HAPPY N-U YEAR

The label ‘game-changing’ (excuse the obvious pun) is an oft-used cliché, but that’s exactly what Nintendo’s DS and Wii systems proved to be. They effectively created a brand new ‘family friendly’ ideology that attracted non-gamers to their systems: everyone from Penelope Cruz to your dear old nan. Fast-forward six years (eight if we go by the original DS’ release date) and the undisputed rise of tablet and smartphone ‘gaming’ presents a new challenge to the field. Move over, Cruz and pals: make way for the businessman swiping his way through Angry Birds after a hard day at work, the dolled-up partygoer having one last round of Bejewelled before the next Tube stop. Mobile ‘gaming’ (I use those inverted commas deliberately) undoubtedly presents a challenge to the consoles.

Whilst the Wii U sorely wishes it could claim that ‘game-changing’ moniker all

to itself, the somewhat mediocre critical response to its release (poor graphical upgrade from XBox/PS3, awkward interaction between controller and TV screen) and the shamelessly iPad-esque nature of the aforementioned controller at first appear to present, to use another cliché, imitation as opposed to innovation. With the PS4 and XBox 720 consoles rumoured to be released, at the very earliest, ‘autumn 2014’ for the former and somewhere around 2015 for the latter, the Wii U has to compete all on its own with the i-crowd of gamers - as well as the killer releases of the perennially successful PS3 and XBox 360. Increasingly-desperate flogging of Nintendo mascots (look, it’s another port of a Mario game!) and forceful attempts to market themselves towards the lucrative ‘mature’ market (zombies are cool!) further dampens Nintendo’s pioneering status in the industry. The future looks bleak.

Or does it?

ARTS Worryingly, the gaming industry seems to have responded to this trend with a combination of unoriginal emulation and shameless corporate greed. Consider my horror when, having paid a solid £30 for my copy of Final Fantasy: Theatrhythm for the 3DS - you may have noticed I’m an FF fan - the game constantly torments me with a tab on the title screen, no less, that allows me to purchase extra songs for the game at 99p each... Bear in mind that there are around 30 extra songs available to purchase, with more becoming available at a steady rate, and the completist in me has to fight the urge to whip out my credit card every time I load it up and pay £60+ just to say I have the ‘full’ game.

Interestingly, this goes both ways, too.

History was made last month with The Pokémon Company’s Pokédex Pro being released on iOS: an almost identical port to the version released via the 3DS’ own online store. But again, there’s a twist. After paying an initial sum, the game tempts you with no less than four additional content packs at almost a fiver each! Furthermore, this uncanny, multi-platform existence seems hardly designed to entice new gamers to a more ‘hardcore’ (read: in-

telligent, in-depth and engaging) gaming experience, rather an increasingly cynical ploy to milk the loyal fans of established games series for everything they’re worth.

Final Fantasy: Theathrhythm - a repeat offender, it would seem - costs around £100 to purchase, with all available content, on the App Store: an even more shameless rip-off than the 3DS iteration.

Let’s hope, then, that the Wii U finally wins people over with its potentially interesting multiplayer, and multi-screen, format, and that console games in general will continue to provide cinematic, artistic, intelligent and richly immersive experiences that stuff like The Simpsons: Tapped Out just doesn’t give you (I won’t start on the whole wait-for-stuff-to-happen-unlessyou-pay mechanic). With some killer titles coming out in 2013 - the Dead Space, Metal Gear Solid and Bioshock franchises looking particularly exciting - gaming (no inverted commas, see!) looks stronger than ever - providing it can steer clear of those dreaded IAP’s.

The future looks bright, but expensive: start saving those pennies and game on, people. END. words by Phoenix Alexander photo by cremeglace

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About those inverted commas. As a selfprofessed video-game nerd, I am all for mobile technologies but - and here’s the caveat - they are in no way equivalent to console gaming. Comparing the lush visuals, sweeping score and OCD mechanics of say, Final Fantasy: 13-2 with the (admittedly decent) SquareEnix ports available as apps hardly seems fair. Sure, apps may be graphically impressive, and they may mimic the same basic gameplay forms (FPS/RPG etc) but, arguably, depth and longevity are bought either through the cheap form of ‘achievements’ (do the same stuff over and over again to complete the game!) or the far more expensive, and infuriating, form of IAPs (in-app purchases).

FROM LONDON TO LIVERPOOL...

CUB’s Alice Harry explores the world of contemporary art outside our capital of creativity.

I moved to London about 3 years ago for an art foundation course at Central St. Martins - it seemed to be the only, or at least the best, option for an aspiring artist.

I made only the one application - deciding that if I didn’t get into CSM and become a part of London’s art scene, well then it just wouldn’t be worth it anywhere else.

Packed with what can only be described as ‘characters’, CSM was... an experience.

To be frank, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations and whilst I don’t regret my decision to study there I definitely won’t be running back any time soon.

So, I didn’t exactly fall in love the famous art school, but I did fall in love with London. When I wasn’t making art I was looking at it. When things were just too crazy in the studio at CSM, I could skip out into London and let it feed me with its art. The city is simply heaving with creativity; from street graffiti to the National Portrait gallery, art is everywhere. Having moved from my little northern city to the big smoke, I was blinded by all the art on offer and suddenly I’d forgotten that art even existed anywhere else. Of course, there is no denying that London is an incredible

The Liverpool Biennial began in 1999 and is the UK’s largest international contemporary art festival and, held over 10 weeks around Sep-Nov, every year hosts a different theme. The festival takes place all around the city and everything from films to tours is entirely free. This years Biennial included a total of 242 artists in 72 different locations with the theme ‘hospitality’: ‘Hospitality is the welcome we extend to strangers, an attitude and a code of conduct fundamental to civilisation, as well as a metaphor whose conditions and energy inspires artists’.

This festival is not only a unique way to see tonnes of great art but also a way to explore the city; in fact I think this is what makes the festival so special. You pick up a little guide with a marked out map and you head off, into the city, in search of art.

You’ll find art in places like the Bluecoat Gallery, the Cunard Building, FACT cinema but you’ll also find it in parks, on the street and in old dilapidated warehouses or terraced housing.

The Biennial forces you out of the comfortable white gallery space, and into the real, gritty streets of Liverpool. It forces you to engage with the place in which the art is exhibited and these strange exhibition spaces can really give a whole new meaning to the work. Not only does it affect the art, it affects the viewer. Here you don’t feel as though you have to whisper an intelligent critique about the piece but instead you can loudly declare your honest opinion – this isn’t a gallery, it’s the real world. What is more, this kind of nongallery space allows humour to be brought into the work; a film about drag queens

The Liverpool Biennial strips back any kind of snobbery around contemporary art; instead it involves the entire city and anybody else that wants to visit. Finding the scattered jigsaw pieces around the city makes art a fun game that involves those who wouldn’t normally care for contemporary art. Even better, is that as you’re having fun searching the city you can unexpectedly come across a piece of art that really moves you. This massive juxtaposition, this stumbling upon beauty or emotion when you were unprepared for it, can make a work all the more powerful.

London will always be thriving with contemporary art, always ready to push your morals to the limits with the latest and most ‘shocking’ Saatchi exhibition but when you’ve had enough of galleries and the London art scene feels a little tired (if it’s ever possible), consider a trip up North. Consider visiting a city in stark contrast to the big smoke, where dark humour, a sense of naivety and a lot of grit reality are injected into experiencing art.

In fact, even if it’s not up North you go or it’s not The Liverpool Biennial you visit, keep a look out for art outside of London because apparently… it does exist. END.

words by Alice Harry photo by Psycho Deila

ARTS

need not require a scrutinising eye into a downtrodden culture but can instead encourage laughter at ridiculous costumes and foul language on screen. Finally, the simple act of ‘finding’ the art gives it a new value to the viewer. Surprised when you turn the corner you exclaim ‘There it is!

We’ve found it!’ in some way the artwork seems to belong to you and isn’t that what art should feel like? Art belongs no more to the gallery curator than it does to everybody else.

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catalyst for the ever evolving monster that is contemporary art... but recently I’ve found my taste buds tingling for something different. And how ironic that a visit back to my humble hometown of Liverpool should satisfy my craving and answer the question: what lies beyond the shiny art world of Charles Saatchi and Central St. Martins?

MAN OF STEEL

2013: FILM PREDICTIONS

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Superman is the original superhero.

Conceived in 1938, he has been portrayed in many TV and film adaptations, yet shows no sign of wavering in popularity. We love admiring his toned, latex-clad body while he’s saving lives, or wooing Lois Lane, or standing with his arms crossed while mere mortals attempt to shoot him - the bullets pinging straight off. So, understandably, I’m pretty excited about the upcoming Man of Steel. The chiselled Henry Cavill (Stardust, The Count of Monte Cristo) is on Superman duty, a man considered for roles such as Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins and James Bond in Casino Royale but lost out to better known actors.

His square jaw and piercing stare are perfect for the role and I’m convinced he’ll be even grittier and more emotionally engaging than Brandon Routh in 2006’s Superman Returns. Man of Steel also has the untouchable Christopher Nolan (Inception, The Dark Knight, Memento) as producer, a bonus for any film. The man’s a genius!

So, a young and highly promising lead, an experienced master as producer, I wonder what fantastically talented and well-known director they’ve got to top it off? Oh, it’s Zack Snyder. Sigh.

Don’t get me wrong, Zack Snyder isn’t the worst director in the world, I’ve seen much worse. But 300 was a silly film with a paper-thin plot (only worth watching for the visuals) and I still believe Watchmen is one of the top three worst films I’ve ever seen in the cinema (again, only worth watching for the visuals).

However, there’s no denying that Snyder has his own particular style and I’m interested to see what he will do with our beloved Clark Kent. I am hopeful that he’ll pull it out the bag and win me over. This is your chance Zack, don’t let me down. words by Saad Akhtar

OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL

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Disney is doing it again – making a debatably unnecessary and unwanted spin-off of a classic film. This time The Wizard of Oz is in the firing line. Oz the Great and Powerful, which is set for release in March 2013, is a prequel to the 1939 classic feel-good film. It follows Oscar Diggs (James Franco) who finds himself in Oz and meets three witches – The Wicked Witches of East and West, and The Good Witch of the North. He must figure out who is good and who is evil, before he loses himself and loses the wonder of land of Oz.

photo courtersy of press images

The trailer and adverts already give most of the information away, and there is a very strong Tim Burtonesque feel to the advertising and prerelease hype. The film does seem as dark and gritty as Disney will go, even though the story comes across a little simplistic. With so many Oz episodes like the fantastic musical Wicked and the shockingly creepy failure of The Wizard of Oz II, it will be quite a challenge for director Sam Raimi to emerge with his head held high after The Great and Powerful’s release.

On the positive side, Mila Kunis - playing Theodora, aka Elphaba aka Wicked Witch of the West – will be very interesting, especially considering that most of her films recently have been cheesy Rom-Coms and, in fact, the cast is very good on the whole. Oz the Great and Powerful promises to be an adventurous, if slightly try-hard, experience and I’ll be queuing up for my ticket with the rest of the movie-goers who want to follow that yellow brick road just one more time. words by Heulwen Williams

But it is also one of the greatest problems - the fact that it such a momentous piece of writing that Luhrmann has got his hands on. We all feel very protective of our favourites and ‘well, in the book…’ will undoubtedly become a catchphrase when the film comes out.

On top of this is the aggravating 6-month delay from the original release date, along with the fact that Luhrmann has jumped on the 3D bandwagon. Most likely it will not live up to the legacy that Fitzgerald has left us, but even so, I can’t wait for it to come out. The Great Gatsby will hit UK Cinemas on May 17th. words by Frida Runnkvist

FILM

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With Shakespeare done with, it’s the turn of F. Scott Fitzgerald to step up to Baz Luhrmann’s directional prowess; he sure isn’t shy when choosing his projects. Even though Australia was quite weak, the trailer for The Great Gatsby does suggest that the Baz Luhrmann of Moulin Rouge and Romeo + Juliet is back. The source material is great (pun intended) and with a wellestablished cast, headed by Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan, this heavy, fast-paced adaptation of Gatsby does look exciting. Luhrmann’s energetic style should work very well together with Fitzgerald’s depiction of the obnoxiously extravagant American upper class of the roaring 20’s.

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THE GREAT GATSBY

HFR: THE DEFINITION OF A BAD IDEA? The recent release of The Hobbit along with its high frame rate (HFR) visuals has reignited a long running debate about whether or not new technologies improve the cinematic experience or simply distract. Avatar (2009) ushered in a new era for 3D after the effect had been mostly relegated to special IMAX screenings of documentaries about dinosaurs, space or fish. Whilst the use of 3D can be poorly implemented (Alice in Wonderland, I’m looking at you) it undeniably can add to the immersive experience as Avatar, and more recently Life of Pi, has proven. However, the reaction to The Hobbit’s use of HFR has been somewhat more tepid with many critics finding it distracting, that it makes the film look ‘too real’, the extra level of detail making flaws all the more obvious. The solution to this problem though, I think, is not to revert to older technologies that we are used to just for the sake of ease, but to refine the new ones.

The main criticism of HFR has been that it makes a film look cheap and takes away from the immersion and that this is for two reasons: 1. The extra frames reveal details that make sets look like sets and poorly made CGI look like poorly made CGI and 2. Many daytime television, low budget soap operas have used HFR in the past and so when some see the effects in a hugely expensive blockbuster like The Hobbit it brings with it these negative associations.

Neither of these problems something inherent to HFR, the first should encourage

film-makers to create better sets and CGI not mask it with a lower frame rate. I admit, some aspects of The Hobbit in HFR did look shoddy, but they did not have to, for example Rivendell (where the elves live) and Gollum (the creepy one that you feel a bit sorry for) both looked incredible and if a similar level of craftsmanship had been applied to the rest of the film the higher frame rate would have been much less controversial. The second problem is even less of an issue, if enough film makers embrace HFR then the associations with daytime television will begin to fade, just as they fade after watching The Hobbit for a while.

In the next few years Ultra High Definition televisions will begin to become affordable to more than the super rich film lover (at the moment they cost upwards of about £15,000) and will show content at either four or sixteen times the level of detail of a normal high-definition television. In my life so far we have gone from Video Tapes, to DVDs, to Blu-Ray discs and I do not expect that will be the end. Film, like videogames and photography is an art-form tied, for better or worse, to technology and that should be embraced. The Hobbit’s use of HFR may have been a mixed bag, but it showed a new style that has the potential to fundamentally alter, in a positive way, the cinematic experience. Smell-o-vision on the other hand, well, nobody needs that crap. END. words by Harry Foster

Images courtesy of Waner Brothers Inc.

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FILM

APOCALYSPE NOW!

...oh wait

Well luckily for you, the great, the average and the down-right strange of the filmmaking world have all tried their hand at predicting what form a post-apocalyptic world may take, and it is from this well of knowledge that I suggest you now drink.

The Mad Max films are definitely a worthy first port of call. They cover pretty much all of what you are likely to expect: the isolation, the danger posed by gangs in a lawless society, the scarcity of resources we take for granted such as oil and also quite crucially a comprehensive look at dystopian fashion – after all, if nothing else ,the apocalypse is a great chance to reinvent yourself.

A typically French contribution to the genre is Luc Besson’s Le Dernier Combat, which highlights the ‘ennui’ you will be faced with but does also reassuringly suggest that boys will still be boys by opening with a scene of passionate love-making

Images courtesy of New World Pictures and Universal Pictures

Uh Oh! It happened. A meteor hit earth or an atomic bomb exploded or maybe an ancient calendar ended. Whatever happened it was bad but somehow you survived, although quite clearly the majority of other people and society as you once knew it weren’t quite so fortunate. What on earth is going to happen now then?

FILM If you are currently feeling at all optimistic about your prospects then Michael Haneke’s The Time of the Wolf and John Hillcoat’s The Road are perhaps best avoided for the sake of morale. I am not denying the quality of these films, but there is a time and a place for a gritty realistic approach that depicts an endless wait for a train or an equally endless walk, although perhaps watching a depiction of a depressing vacuous dystopia may make your reality seem slightly better in comparison?

If trashy low budget American cinema is anything to go by then the future is going to be violent, mutated and strangely sexy. Deathsport and Deathrun both see violence being made into differing forms of sport-cum-human sacrifice by strange neo-nazi rulers. The former promises a world full of destructo-cycles and a quasiphilosophical David Carradine, while the latter reminds you to make sure that your

hosts are not in fact mutants serving you human flesh and also predicts that kids will still be very keen on Coca-Cola, keen enough to kill. Hell Comes To Frogtown speculates that the industrial wastelands will be overrun with strange anthropomorphic frogs who have stolen North America’s surviving fertile women. It’s not all bad for women, as they now run the human population of the USA, however the film presents something far from a feminist utopia and is in fact actually pretty close to being porn.

Slightly more high-brow if no less bizarre is Terry Gilliam’s Twelve Monkeys, which speculates there may still be hope so long as some scientists survived in which case they will definitely buck up their ideas and achieve time travel. The film however also notes that it is perhaps not the best idea to fully trust a group of scientists who somehow miraculously survived as they definitely had something to do with the original disaster.

All in all, even if everyone you ever cared for is now dead and even if the ground may never again grow natural life, at least you still have films to watch… hopefully. END. words by Oliver Westlake

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between the protagonist and an inflatable sex doll. The whole film is basically a glorified attempt by our loveable hero ‘the man’ to get laid and Jean Reno’s film debut as ‘The Brute’ is a timely reminder that even mindless violence can be high in comedic value if ultimately horrifying.

SPACE: THE FINAL FRONTIER?

Frank Sinatra once crooned, ‘Fly me to the moon / Let me play among the stars,’ and now, thanks to Virgin Galactic, that could very soon be a possibility. Eight years after Virgin’s original imaginatively-named spaceship, SpaceShipOne, first took flight, the airline is now accepting bookings for its extraterrestrial voyages aboard its flagship, SpaceShipTwo, with seats available for a deposit of a mere $20,000.

great strides towards their goal ‘to end the exclusivity attached to manned space travel’, they will not be arranging journeys to galaxies far, far away any time soon – the flights are currently only ‘sub-orbital’. It looks as though Mr Sinatra will have to wait a little longer, after all.

If you were to pay the full amount – $200,000 – up front, you could become one of the first thousand human beings to exit earth’s atmosphere. If that’s not exclusive enough, however, a cool million dollars will secure a spaceship charter for you and up to five lucky friends.

Virgin claims that there will be very few medical restrictions for prospective passengers, so, for most people, the sky is no longer the limit – provided you’ve got the money.

Still, the dedication of the Virgin team is admirable, and it is reassuring to know that they do not view their project as merely an exciting day out for the rich and famous, but rather as an important industrial and environmental venture, working towards eliminating the ‘old, dirty and dangerous’ method of space travel with which we are all familiar. They certainly seem to be doing a decent job on the environmental front, with emissions for a jaunt into space aboard SpaceShipTwo estimated to be lower than a one-way flight from London to New York.

Then again, $200,000 – approximately £125,000, to you and me – seems a fair price to be powered at 2,500mph into the ‘awe inspiring’ silence of space, and to float, weightless, above our humble blue marble, privy to an image both familiar and alien, only ever experienced by a few hundred other people. Perhaps I can see the appeal. But while Richard Branson and his company have clearly made

All of this sounds very good on paper, and no doubt Virgin’s customer base of aspiring weekend astronauts will consider the $200,000 money well spent, but much of Virgin’s talk is just speculation, and it remains to be seen whether the reality will match the dream, or whether Mr Branson has had his head in the clouds with his blue-sky-thinking approach to space travel. END. words by Matt Ward photo by jurvetson

Certain degrees will always attract unwarranted, and possibly unjustified, negative attention –Business Studies, Media Studies and my own subject: Film. Others who share my pain will all be used to the dreaded lull in a conversation that is broken with a ‘oh…and what can you do with that degree?’, but now a new study has been created that even we can look down upon. I introduce to you the University of Cambridge’s ‘Terminator Centre’, which exists to further the studies of artificial intelligence. If you thought the threat of Arnie was more laughable than his acting, then think again!

The risk posed by robots to humanity has long been the sustenance of every respectable/lowbudget/low-quality sci-fi films and now scientists and philosophers at Cambridge think fiction could become reality; looking at their work it’s clear to see why. Like in all good plot lines, technology on Earth has been allowed to evolve and grow unabated and those over at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) think it’s time to take heed of the warning signs before we find ourselves in a Blade Runner situation. Okay, so they’re not solely concerned with killer Furby’s or an off the wall Wall-E, but are also looking at the potential for climate change, nuclear war or even rogue biotechnology.

The boffins over at Cambridge acknowledge that it’s fairly doubtful we will ever succumb

FEATURES

to the fate of HAL in Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey but slightly alarmingly they do think it’s a reasonable prediction that some time in this century or the next that artificial intelligence will escape from the constraints of biology.

This may sound a bit far-fetched, but if you take a few seconds to think that already in existence are machines that have trumped human performance in chess, flying, driving, financial trading and face, speech and handwriting recognition then maybe it’s not as wild as it sounds and in fact it could be time that we take A.I a little more seriously than are, especially if the price of ignoring it is that one day Siri could be asking us to locate her nearest library. Goodness knows I don’t fancy tackling the Robots Will Smith was up against!

So here’s to the brainiacs at Cambridge for keeping us safe (hopefully) and in the mean time I will be throwing away my childhood Textas and Game Boys just in case they lead the rebellion! END.

words by Stevie Christian photo by by enigmabadger

TECHNOLOGY: space and artificial intelligence.

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RETURN OF THE A.I.

WELCOME TO THE FUTURE: ‘PRINT-YOUR-OWN-ANYTHING’ In my opinion, 3D printing (also known as ‘additive manufacture’) is the weirdest and most fascinating piece of technology to come out in the last few years. There are many types of 3D printing but they all work in very similar ways, following the same key principles. However all the different methods have different positive and negative outcomes; whilst one method may produce a stronger model another may create a better surface finish. The key with all new technologies is to do your research, making sure you are fully informed about what’s out there, what you want, and how much you are willing to pay, that way you can choose the method and there will be no surprises at the end!

When having a look at how this mesmerising system works it is easy to get confused and overwhelmed by the complicated intricacies of how it works. Therefore I think the key concept to keep in mind when trying to understand this new technology is the idea of layering. As essentially that is what 3D printing is; it is a form of rapid prototyping where mechanisms are made by a process of layering, eliminating the use for moulds. To create this the

printing machine reads your required design and lays down layers of liquid, power or sheet material in order to create your model from a series of cross sections. This innovative technology can be used in jewellery, engineering, foot ware, medicine… the list is endless.

There are some terrifying possibilities however, as there always is with new technology, there are people how will attempt to use it for benevolent purposes. Recently, there have been concerns that people will try to use the three-dimensional technology to print their own guns. A group called ‘Defense Distributed’ in America have claimed to have be able to print key parts of a semi-automatic AR-rifle just last month. Their goal – to create a fully downloadable weapon – is a very real harrowing prospect which must be addressed, with many people suggesting that American gun laws be altered to tackle the issue. In theory, anyone with access to a 3D printer could download their own gun. However it is important to point out that the specialised printer needed to print a gun would cost around £10,000, meaning that this threat of downloadable guns is not as serious or accessible

as first believed. Yet responsibility and action will still need to be taken by the 3D printing companies and governments of countries the selling them in order to keep this technology as safe and legal as possible.

There are also many peaceful, wonderfully fun possibilities with this technology. Recently in London there was an exhibition displaying the best of 3D printing in all its wonder, from 3D printed guitars to intricate 3D fashion items, and in Japan you can create life-sized toys – even a miniature doll of yourself!

If you are interested about using this technology you’ll be happy to hear that 3D printing is capable of creating fully workable mechanisms without any assembly required, meaning the hardest bit is coming up with your

idea and sending it to print. Also, one of the most convenient things about it is no matter how complicated your print is, the cost is unaffected, as the print is always printed onto one piece. Unfortunately, even with the prices lowering all the time, you are still looking at around £400 for the cheapest printer.

Maybe one day the 3D printer will be able to fill that particular 21st Century need for instant gratification, potentially instantly printing out our online purchases for immediate use. It is impossible to foresee the impact this technology will have upon the world, but I can ensure that as it grows and improves it will have a profoundly important impact upon modern technology and industry. END. words by Zoë Cantley photos by Creative Tools

TECHNOLOGY: print.

THE BEST ALBUMS OF 2012...

With a new year of music ahead, CUB Music looks back at the best albums of the last 12 months...

DANM VANDALS - DONE FOR DESIRE Without a doubt the best British band not to make it big in a long time, debut record Done For Desire from London’s Damn Vandals is the year’s most criminally overlooked release. With airplay from 6Music’s Shaun Keaveny and not a bad review to be found in all of internet land, it’s beyond most human understanding why the band haven’t drawn greater attention. Tracks such as ‘Revolution/ Rehearsal’ and ‘As Seen On TV’ provide an sense of urgency urgency, lyrical prowess and wry sense of humour that is sorely lacking in current guitar music. It’s an album packed full of good old-fashioned tunes, rock and roll and an attitude that cares little for what’s in this year. EDWARD CLIBBENS

The follow up to the excellent Cosmogramma takes a different tack – instead of the fidgety, anxious synth and drum lines that characterised Ellison’s previous effort, a more streamlined and ambient approach to his trademark hybrid of Jazz and Electronica appears. Each track is exquisitely crafted; highlights include the blissful ‘Getting There’ which fuses airy vocals with stripped down hip-hop beats and the trippy ‘Electric Candyman’, with Thom Yorke adding some hypnotic vocals to a track that seems to be the antithesis of ‘Getting There’ – it’s claustrophobic and dark with some rather unexpected sub bass thrown in, adding to the unease. FlyLo described this album as an exploration of dreams – the way songs gracefully move in unexpected ways is very much dream-like. LLOYD RAMOS

photos by Dale Harvey, Edward Clibbens & thecomeupshow

FLYING LOTUS - UNTIL THE QUIET COMES

KENDRICK LAMAR - GOOD KID M.A.A.D CITY

DEVIN TOWNSEND - PROJECT’S EPICLOUD

Many of the responses to Good Kid M.A.A.D City have focussed upon the change of perspective that Kendrick Lamar has brought to the album. While he doesn’t shy away from lines about girls, drugs and violence, Lamar explores the victim’s mindset and not the now all too commonplace attitude of the wannabe gangster. But it’s not just intelligent writing that makes Lamar’s debut so good; it’s the combination of these lyrics with beats harking back to hip-hop’s early days. Good Kid M.A.A.D City is a genuine 21st century hiphop album, and it’s hands down one of the best of 2012. HARRY THORNE

Gospel choirs and progressive metal are not a likely combination, but thanks to the combined genius and focused insanity of Devin Townsend the result is one of the finest releases of the year. ‘Grace’ is without a doubt the centrepiece here, alternating between gentle acoustic verses complemented by ethereal vocals and manic shredding given monumental scale by the chant of the backing choir. Even if you aren’t into metal you’ll still find plenty to like, such as the Pendulum inspired ‘Save Our Now’ or the pure spectacle of ‘Angel’ which closes the album with the grandiose style of a classic Bond soundtrack. NICHOLAS CLEEVE

THE SKINTS - PART AND PARCEL The second album from the reggae-punk outfit hailing from East London. The band enjoys a growing reputation after performing on the ‘BBC Introducing Stage’ at Hackney Weekender in the summer. Part & Parcel is a mix between high-tempo ska anthems like ‘Ratatat’ and chiller vibes found on tracks like ‘Ring Ring’. Granted, the lyrics aren’t the most impressive, for instance: ‘dumbfounded like a brick trying to float on the water’ on ‘You Better’. Instead, the velvety-smooth vocals provided by Marcia Richards and Jamie Kyriakides with instruments ranging from a bass guitar to flutes and a melodica makes this album notable. The combination produces a flawless sound which is a joy to listen to.

RYAN RAMGOBIN

GRIMES - VISIONS High pitched and compared to Enya, Grimes’ Visions expertly dodged being intensely irritating and facile by offering addictive, ethereal, self described ‘ADD music’. Gracing the cover of every magazine this side of Vancouver, wearing culturally dubious bindis and duetting with the sorry story that is Kreayshawn, Clair Boucher was saved from gimmickry by her second album. The quality is undeniable, bravely teaming Industrial punch under an army of layers and influences, the tracks are always interesting and often beautiful. The expertly crafted multitude of noise makes Visions a record which dares to be both dark, perfect to dance to but also quietly intellectual. KASHMIRA GANDER

WILEY - EVOLVE OR BE EXTINCT This album marked the beginning of a very exciting year for Wiley. He found chart success with his first Number One ‘Heatwave’, relaunched grime rave Eskimo Dance and managed to release an album and two mixtapes.

The album opens with two strong grime tracks both of which showcase Wiley’s arguably unsurpassable talent for the genre he pioneered.

Moving through the album, Boom Blast nods towards future pop success while Weirdo and Customs demonstrate Wiley’s eccentric sense of humour. The closing song features a tight, minimalistic grime beat on which Wiley maintains that we are yet to hear the best of him and, with albums like this, many will be listening out for whatever Eskiboy has in store for 2013. SAM DOHERTY

NEW RELEASES IN 2013

A few of the upcoming releass CUB is most excited about...

NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS Push The Sky Away, Feb 18th DAVID BOWIE The Next Day, March ARCADE FIRE to be confirmed QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE to be confirmed ACTION BRONSON Mr Wonderful/Saab Stores - to be confirmed BEYONCÉ to be confirmed

DO WE REALLY LISTEN TO MUSIC ANYMORE?

In an age of constant technological distraction and fragmented attention, do we ever sit down and listen to music anymore? Do we only have music on in the background whilst frantically scrutinizing a news feed? Does the downloaded song, rather than the physical artefact, necessitate a half arsed listen? The answers to these questions are so obvious that it can go without saying. The real question that really needs answering is: is it a lost cause?

We all suffer from the ‘digital twitch’. We can be working on something unutterably important, and yet it seems impossible to stifle the impulse to click on that large white ‘F’ in the blue box. This single click will immediately bring you to virtual incarnations of your friends, whose status updates are much more important than your work.

But what does this do to music? It has a hugely damaging effect. If people are constantly distracted, then applying your undivided attention to music is increasingly difficult. People don’t listen to music anymore; they merely hear it.

Different formats of music have a massive effect on the listening experience. If you can frivolously download a song for free in seconds, or listen instantly on Spotify then, naturally, the music is more disposable. People can no longer claim to have a physical music collection, and this does much to belittle the listening experience. We play music in the background, download music for little to no reason, and may not even listen to it all. Yes, you may have 12,000 songs on your iTunes, but do you know them?

To listen to an album on vinyl, you place it carefully on the turntable, adjust the speed, and place the needle tentatively on the groove of the record (that’s where the word groovy comes from by the way). You shiver in anticipation, as the crackles of the record announce the beginning through the speakers, and then the first notes, which you have never heard before, reverberate out and fill the room. That is truly listening to a record; you will sit and listen to the nuances, savour the idiosyncrasies and indulge in the music itself.

Artists take the time to craft music, put their thought, heart, soul and creativity into their art. Do we not owe it to them to listen? Listening to an impassioned piece can, and often does, induce a vicarious listening pleasure, as you can relate to and even feel the emotions being poured onto the track. Music, the most important art form, has inspired generations; not only sparked social trends but whole movements, created identities, and yet can be so individual to a single person. It is being trivialized; compressed into an inherently disposable mp3 file that forsakes this essence. Music has become less important to people. The fact that you can delete an album is a frightening concept.

Of course there are clear reasons for the changes in format – increased accessibility and portability, cost effectiveness and sharing with more ease. However, whilst I understand the natural progression from taping songs off the radio with cassettes in the 80s, burning CDs in the 90s to downloading in 21st century, it is clear that the ubiquity of recordings has shaped a recession of the perceptions of their importance.

MUSIC Does music have meaning? To people who listen to music that question doesn’t even deserve an answer. To people that only hear music, they might have to pause and make their mind up, frantically trying to think of a song that has had meaning to them. If you are reading this and do not think the answer to this question is obvious then perhaps you ought to listen to music a bit more.

The sad thing is, in an age of disposable music and the dematerialization of recorded sound, people who only hear music are on the rise, and those who really listen to music are becoming evermore marginalized. The attentive listener is becoming as rare as the vinyl they so cherish. What’s more, as our attention becomes more fragmented, does sincere listening stand a chance?

The cause is not lost. Whilst I am not trying to halt the advance in technology - believe me I’ve tried - there is still room for musical indulgence. There is so much pleasure to be had from music, regardless of genre, and deep down, people know this. I’m not saying you shouldn’t download music, but give it the appreciation it deserves. A disposable format does not have to mean more disposable listening experience. END.

words by Bradley Smith photo by Wave Galleries

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Consider the situation in the past, before the internet, before instant downloads, when music was physical (hard to imagine I know, but just try). A new album would be announced, a release date confirmed and the anticipation was set to rise and rise until the date arrived.

There were no leaked tracks, illegal pirated material only a click away, no, you would go to a record shop (yes these places did exist) and buy a never-before-listened-to copy of an album on vinyl or CD. You would then go home, put it on, sit down, with no other distractions and listen to the music. It was an activity in itself.

THE EVOLUTION OF NOVELTY POP

The £1 Fish Song has slithered into popular culture as the latest one-hit-wonder novelty pop sensation; the song written by the clearly imaginative ‘One Pound Fish Man’ is set to take the internet and airwaves by storm. The fact that this comes so soon after the last phenomenon of PSY’s ‘Gangnam Style’ begs the question - is the novelty song becoming more and more a staple of popular music? It has undeniably been a feature in the history of popular music but is it becoming more common and, if so, why?

Shahid Nazir (AKA One Pound Fish Man) has become a viral superstar. Originally the song was his market stall shanty, to compel customers towards his fishy products in Queen’s Market, Upton Park. The new properly produced version and video sees the one pound fish man dancing with some female companions but no alteration of the song’s deep meaning and intricate lyricism - namely :‘come on ladies, come on ladies. One pound-fish!’ This follows

hot on the heels of PSY, and suggests that the novelty song is here to stay.

These novelty pop songs are by definition incredibly silly and, yet, they will get feet moving and their signature dances attempted on every dance floor. This is why the novelty song is so infectious, especially after a few drinks why not do the ‘Gangnam Style’ trotting dance or the ‘Macarena’? After all it’s only a laugh – right?

Everyone initially dances and sings along ironically, fully aware of the cheapness of the track. Except after a while this casual, ironic embrace of the novelty song crosses over into seemingly mass enjoyment. This adds to the hysteria and facilitates its buoyancy on the airwaves and viral forums. The irony is lost, and the song becomes fixed alongside more genuine artists.

Of course the novelty and (let’s be honest

MUSIC In 1965 Marcello Minerbi’s ‘Zorba’s Dance’ outsold Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys and The Beatles to reach number one. Since then, the novelty song has been a regular feature travelling from ‘The Disco Duck’ in 1976, through ‘The Birdie Song’ in 1981, ‘Mr Blobby’ in 1993 (which reached number 1) ‘Barbie Girl’ in 1997 to land squarely on the quiffs of Jedward in the present day. (The Wombles kept coming back at different intervals to add another novelty song throughout the 70’s and 80’s, though remarkably the band members never seemed to age.)

So it’s clear, they have always existed, but they are becoming more and more common. With the onset of dance music and the high tempo tunes that define the charts today, it seems to be easier to lay novelty themes over a tried and tested back beat that will be sure to get people moving.

Internet sensations have also made it easier for a song to become viral and take social media by storm. A great early example of this is how ‘Crazy Frog’ burst onto the viral scene in 2003, and in a relatively short space of time had a number one hit. Originally known as ‘The Annoying Thing’ - Crazy Frog went on to release 3 albums!

Youtube’s importance in the music industry grew exponentially in 2012. According to Google, consumers watch 4 billion hours of video per month. Also studies show that Youtube is the number one place teens visit to

listen to new music. This is shown by ‘Gangnam Style’ being the most watched video of all time. At the time of writing the video is nearing an unprecedented 1 billion views mark.

This means the internet is primed for more and more novelty songs with a surer chance of success, perhaps demeaning and surpassing more musically artistic endeavours.

Maybe we can halt the novelty song monopolizing the airwaves. Perhaps if it was no longer called the novelty song, if it was called something less comically appealing we could dent its influence. I propose, in light of the latest one-hit wonder, we should from now on call a novelty song a ‘Fish Song’. That seems to sum up the fact that it’s not to be taken too seriously, it reeks of cheapness and sourness, will go off or out of fashion if left out in the open for too long, and can leave a distasteful resonance. Indeed the novelty song is always a bit fishy, something not quite right about why it’s so popular, or how it swims in the mainstream so easily. END.

THE PERFECT NOVELTY POP SONG FORMULA The CUB Music guide to creating your own novelty pop sensation. Simply include...

1. A simple almost catchphrase like chorus 2. A signature dance that is impossible not to try 3. A ridiculously cheap comedy element 4. A silliness that really means it is enjoyed with tongue firmly in cheek 5. Meaningless or joke lyrics 6. A repetitive ‘tune’, that after a few listens is gratingly annoying 7. A hilarious YouTube video.

words by Bradley Smith photo by Geoffery Kehrig

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here) crap pop song is not a new phenomenon. Indeed, its origins can be traced back to the 1952 number 1 single ‘How Much is that Doggie in the Window’. The fact that you are now singing that song in your head, shows how these cheap catchy choruses were there right from the very start. David Seville added ‘The Witchdoctor’ in 1958 with its particularly annoying chorus of meaningless onomatopoeias. This song was revived in 1998 by the band ‘The Cartoons’ to reach number 2 in the UK charts.

‘OMG, SO EXCITED ABOUT WANG FOR BALENCIAGA...’

For this isn’t just another appointment in 2012’s series of fashion switch ups, it’s Balenciaga changing hands after fifteen elegant years by Nicolas Ghesquière. It should signal the beginning of a new exciting chapter for one of Paris’ most splendid houses; it should conjure up the embarrassingly childish anticipation that was felt towards Raf Simons’ ascent to Dior’s high throne. But it’s not. I was more excited about Hedi Slimane at Yves Saint Laurent than this, and look how that turned out.

A gentle recap. Master of French fantasy Nicolas Ghesquière announced his departure from Balenciaga on 5th November, unleashing hoards of sad face tweets across the internet. Those with Balenciaga’s interests at heart might have spotted it coming, but to the fashion-minded public, it was an unwanted surprise. Ghesquière, the man named by American Vogue as ‘fashion’s most sought-after and influential figure’, the most ‘avant-garde’ designer of the year 2000 and a year later the CFDA’s Womenswear Designer of the Year, was to step down, leaving the hot seat open to someone with enormous shoes to fill. Or perhaps, a different kind of shoe altogether.

Brit golden boy Christopher Kane was rumoured, tweets flew around the fashion press in excitement at such speed that it appeared to be unofficially confirmed. His resignation from Versace’s diffusion line Versus to concentration on his own line confirmed that he would not be taking the reigns at Balenciaga.

Cue very sad faces. Speculation could only continue so far until it was strongly rumoured a few days later by a certain PR that Alexander Wang would in fact join the ranks of Cristobal Balenciaga’s most elegant ship. Thoughts have turned to where Nicholas would go next, would he collaborate with Balenciaga owners

FASHION

PPR and set up his own line, or just take some time out. Fingers crossed it’s not the latter.

So to Alexander Wang, and his new gig. What a contract to be signing at 28, just two years older than Ghesquière was when he took up the position in 1997. Some have tactfully mused whether Wang possesses the technical skill to maintain Balenciaga’s current standard, while some are concerned about the up-market comparison of the two lines. Mutterings of a couture line have surfaced with varied responses, not all favourable.

While Ghesquière might have been a firm fashion favourite as we sat cooing over his eternal Spring ruffles in September, sales at the big B are reported lacking. While an unstable correlation exists between sales and Ghesquière’s own popularity, PPR have got the change they sought. It has been suggested that Ghesquiere’s frustration at the mothership’s attempt to re-establish the brand through commercialisation is a central part of the move; Wang is without a doubt the bringer of a less-elitist aesthetic. His own brand is paired back, cool, streety. And that’s definitely not what Ghesquière has been channelling. There is a concern that Wang will mould into the second Marc Jacobs, leader of New York Fashion Week but the man whose own line has folded seamlessly into Louis Vuitton.

We’re not criticising, but let’s hope Wang can keep his own label alive. Street-edge Balenciaga it may be, but the loss of Wang by Wang would be a crying shame. It’s more than safe to say that Wang’s French fancy will be a roaring commercial success, and when it’s all about the money, does any of it even matter?

PPR has voted Euros over style, so perhaps it’s not so fashionable anymore.

As fashion month approaches, is Cristobal Balenciaga turning in his grave? Probably.

Call me a snob, but I’m not fussed about fashion elitism. It goes hand in hand with the gentle coveting that fashion’s commercialisation is slowly stamping out. That’s something we ought to remember. END. words by Eleanor Doughty photo by Cotourture

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...said no one, ever. The it’s-gonna-be-Christopher Kane rumours were just too much to handle, and now we’re left with Wang, the ‘best man for the job’ according to Karl Lagerfeld. Which, under any other circumstance would be amazing. But I’m a little deflated.

FASHION SOS: SAVE OUR STYLE

Isabel Maranrt S/S 2009 Collection photo by Ammar Abd Rabbo

FASHION I realize that we are students and that to spend the vast amounts of money kindly given to us by the government on extortionate designer pieces would be wrong. There is absolutely no way I could afford a wardrobe full of Acne, Stella McCartney and Celine (as much as I might like one). However, what is starting to get to me is the fact that the high street no longer makes any attempt to alter designer creations for a low budget audience; it has simply become outright plagiarism.

The biannual catwalk shows of New York, London, Milan and Paris have always had a great influence over the high street trends of the following season. In the 90s, if Chanel, Chloe and Christian Dior were showing cobalt skirts in Paris in September then your local C&A would be stocking them in March. They would not be exactly the same, but the colour of the cheap polyester skirt in C&A would have been influenced in some way by the fashion shows six-month earlier. That is how the industry has always worked. Catwalk trends influence the high street and there is nothing wrong with that. Well, there was nothing wrong with that.

Now you can pick up a pair of Prada geometric print trousers from Next, a Christopher Kane galaxy print t-shirt from Topshop or a pair of black and gold studded Chloe boots from Office mere weeks after they’ve been seen on the catwalk. Before the originals have even gone into production, an exact replica, albeit in a cheap fabric, can be seen wandering down Oxford Street. Even smaller British designers such as Eudon Choi are seeing copycat skirts being stocked in Zara prior to finding buyers for their own line. We all want to keep up to date with the latest trends but is the copying craze leading the fashion industry down a dangerous rabbit hole?

Whilst it’s great to feel like you’re ahead of the curve when it comes to fashion, I’m not entirely certain that feeling should come at the expense 6 months of creative talent being ripped off. If I had the money, I would love to buy the real thing, but until then I’ll settle for avoiding the exact knock-offs at all costs.

Well, apart from the trainers… END. words by Lucinda Turner

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Today I bought a pair of trainers. Not just any pair of trainers, but the pair of black hidden wedge trainers I’d been coveting for months.

But in actual fact they weren’t the trainers, not the £370 Isabel Marant beauties I’d had my eye on ever since they sold out on Net-a-Porter in mere minutes; they were £20 in the Dorothy Perkins sale. The more I wander around in my brand new shoes, the sadder I become that they are not the trainers. Not because I have such a great desire to own designer footwear, but because these trainers represent the intellectual property theft of Isabel Marant’s months and years of inventing, designing and creating the wedge trainer I so desired. We can all make like Gok Wan and sing the praises of ‘The Great British High Street’ until the cows come home, but I’m starting to wonder if the rip-off industry of fast fashion is actually ok.

must have: NEW TERM ESSENTIALS New term, new season, new loan, new you? 8 failsafe pieces to put the Spring into your new term wardrobe.

TOPSHOP £x www.topshop.com

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PRIMARK £12.00

RIVER ISLAND £30.00 www.riverisland.com

RIVER ISLAND £30.00 www.riverisland.com TOPSHOP £8.00 www.topshop.com

PRIMARK £17.00

MISS SELFRIDGE £30.00 www.missselfridge.com

FASHION

CUB CREATES

CUB 545.31

Inspired by Stella Mccartney's Resort 13 collection, this streamlined clutch with its on trend iridescent sheen is a must have accessory for your own S/S 13 wardrobe and unbelievably easy to make...

STEP 1: WHAT YOU WILL NEED: - Plastic Envelope (Ideally with a velcro closure) Making sure the holographic side is face down, trace around the clear envelope with a pen.

- Holographic Adhesive-Backed Paper - Scissors - A pen STEP 2: Cut out your three templates.

STEP 3: Remove the holographic sticker from the adhesive and carefully place upon the envelope (use a ruler to prevent air bubbles).

BY SARAH HARRISON

‘In the desert I had found a freedom unattainable in civilization; a life unhampered by possessions, since everything that was not a necessity was an encumbrance. I had found, too, a comradeship inherent in the circumstances, and the belief that tranquillity was to be found there… As I rode along I reflected that nowhere in the world was there such continuity as in the Arabian desert.’ -

Sir Wilfred Thesiger, Arabian Sands.

On 24th August 2003, Sir Wilfred Thesiger died in a retirement home in Coulsdon, Surrey, aged 93. He represented one of the last traditional British explorers. With a resilient disregard for the modern world, the great explorer found happiness in the nomadic lifestyle of the Bedouins. He remains famous for his travel adventures, in which he became the first man to successfully cross and charter one of the last undiscovered parts of the world, the Empty Quarter. The Empty Quarter, known in Arabic as Rub’ al Khali, is the largest desert in the Middle East and the second largest sand desert in the world, stretching across most of Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Peninsula.

Famed for its stunning sand dunes, scorching temperatures and for being home to the Bedouins, the Empty Quarter has long been seen as the natural wonder of the Arabian Peninsula.

With Saudi Arabian tourist visas proving to be a tough challenge for non-Muslim travellers, the Empty Quarter is best explored by travelling to Oman. Oman or the Sultanate of Oman as it is officially known, has come a long way from the days of Wilfred Thesiger. Camels are no longer seen as the only reliable form of transportation (although camels are too frequently seen being ridden on a highway) and few Bedouins continue the nomadic desert lifestyle of old in the Empty Quarter. Instead, under the guidance of Sultan Qaboos, Oman has evolved into a diverse hub for tourism, with a growing reputation for its interesting culture and its variety of outdoor activities.

What Oman lacks in terms of city life, in comparison to its brash neighbour, the United Arab Emirates, Oman makes up with its natural beauty and wildlife.

From the seasonal green sea turtle breeding on the beaches of Ras al Jinz, to the crystal clear waters of the sinkhole, Oman is full of natural surprises. However, it is the vast desert sand dunes that encompass the greatest elements of Oman’s heritage. Thesiger’s tales of Bedouin hospitality and the quicksands of Umm al-Samim aptly epitomise the beauty of the Empty Quarter. For travellers with little desert experience, travelling to the Wahiba Sands, just a few hours from Oman’s capital, Muscat, is an equally rewarding way of experiencing life in the desert. A couple of days in

Much to Thesiger’s disapproval, nowadays the best way of travelling around Oman is by hiring a four-wheel drive (4x4). Oman’s strong infrastructure of highways and regional planning means it is easy to travel cross country. Car hire might sound like an expensive luxury for the standard student traveller, but with petrol costing just 12 pence a litre (cheaper than water), along with cheap rental costs shared between several friends, a 4x4 is a must-have necessity for exploring Oman. Without, it will be a tough task to reach the Grand Canyon of Arabia. Located some 3,075 metres above sea level, the canyon, known locally as Wadi Ghul, can be found at the peak of Oman’s highest mountain, Jebel Shams. After marvelling at the spectacular scale of the canyon, it is easy to hike and explore the abandoned villages carved into the sides of the mountain. Jebel Akhdar is equally striking, particularly its premier panoramic viewing spot, ‘Diana’s Point,’ named after a visit by the late Princess of Wales.

Alternatively for those travelling without a driving licence, there is a strong network of minibuses, locally known as Baiza buses, which run along the main highways. Baiza buses are ideal for short sightseeing and shopping trips. The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is an impressive site, known for having the second largest hand-woven carpet in the world. The vast scale of its polished stone and its beautiful gardens epitomise the clean, attractive image of Oman. Muscat is also home to Sultan Qaboos’ impressive palace and gardens as well as numerous forts, carved into the mountainous rock, some dating back to when the Portuguese occupied Oman in the 1500s. The colossal fort at Nizwa remains a legacy of Omani architectural ingenuity and its proud military history; its formidable location in the centre of Nizwa makes it Oman’s most visited national monument.

The souks (markets) at Muttrah and Nizwa provide a safe and friendly environment for haggling over souvenirs. Traditional Omani gifts like gold Khanjars (Omani dagger) and

words and photos by Tom Wyke

top-quality gold jewellery are readily found and certainly worth spending a few Omani Rials on due to their tremendous value for money.

However, wafting from the handcrafted clay incense burners, the essential souvenir from Oman has to be its frankincens, which remains Oman’s proudest treasure, with its famed reputation for the finest quality grade of frankincense, which has been traded for centuries.

There is no better place to see the arid frankincense trees along the ‘Incense Route’ than in the beautiful Dhofar region in Southern Oman. A cheap internal flight or bus trip to its main city of Salalah, known as the perfume capital of Arabia, is also a perfect opportunity for any keen divers. Diving sites can be found all along the Omani coast, but further south, diving at Salalah remains relatively undisturbed by tourists despite its fantastic wrecks and reasonable pricing. Salalah also has a host of archaeological sites and old forts which can be easily explored, whilst it is still possible to see bullet marks in older parts of the city, dating back to the Dhofar rebellion in the 1970s. Like much of the northern Omani coast, beaches are in abundance and it is easy to find an empty stretch to camp the night on.

Oman offers travellers the chance to escape the rat race of the city and re-connect with nature, from following in the footsteps of Thesiger to drinking chai with the Bedouin at the summit of Jebel Shams. This was what inspired Sir Wilfred Thesiger; it was not the honour and reputation for chartering the Empty Quarter, but the wonderful opportunity one of the last explorers to experience the true nature of integrating with the locals and experiencing the historic Bedouin way of life in the deserts of Arabia. After reading Arabian Sands and travelling to Oman, it will be easy to understand why Thesiger’s adventure remains one of the great tales of Arabia and why Oman remains one of the best kept secrets. END.

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the desert, walking the sand dunes will enable a greater understanding of Thesiger’s love affair with the majestic scenery. His quotation rings true, beautifully describing the freedom and unbelievable tranquillity of the desert.

OMAN

TRAVEL

destination:

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COUPLE 5: TAMSIN GEORGE-GILBERT AND BEN APPLETON

Happy New Year! If you’re anything like me you’ve just got back to London feeling destroyed after some crazy NYE shenanigans, and stressing about the massive amount of work you’ve managed to avoid all holiday. For our New Year instalment I set up one of my very best mates…a risky game, but I like to live dangerously! I was more nervous than she was, afraid that if it were a disaster she would be livid.

But to my great relief it was a successful night by all accounts, and so we remain friends. This week the couple just had drinks and no meal, an experiment in the benefits of a liquid dinner; I always find drinking on an empty stomach always facilitates the romance, and it sounds like getting a bit merry resulted in a fun night.

‘Tamsin is a massive babe, with a huge heart, in a weeny little body.

She’s silly, hilarious, ginger…and SLAMMING.’’- Sandi Kranenberg

Were you nervous?

B: I wouldn’t say I was nervous, probably curious if anything... I hadn’t been on a blind date before so didn’t really know what to expect and thought it would be good to try something new and a little out of my comfort zone.

T: Yes! Obviously I had no idea who I was going to meet, so my imagination was running wild.

Initial thoughts after first setting eyes on your date?

B: Turns out I had actually met her before about a year and a half ago through a mutual friend, who I had been seeing at he time! A little awkward. But we had gotten on well back then...so any nerves that I might have had, went straight out the window.

T: Relief because we’d met before through a mutual friend.

Best parts of the date?

B:. That fact that we had a couple of mutual friends and had a few things in common meant there weren’t any of those awkward silences that could be

easily associated with a blind date!

T: The initial happy feeling that I was going to be spending the evening with a guy who I knew wasn’t a total idiot or really boring!

What did you talk about?

B: Uni lifestyle and not really being sure what we want to do afterwards...

T: He’s just spent a year abroad in Germany and I went to Berlin not that long ago so we had that in common.

Any awkward moments?

B: The waiter asking us if we wanted to order food.....

T: Probably only when he was eyeing up the food of the people next to us. Or the fact that he unashamedly rushed home to watch the Christmas special of Geordie shore!

Any sexual tension?

B: Haha you’ll have to ask her...

T: Urm no.. I don’t think so!

Out of ten?

B: Seven T: 8, he’s a sweetie!

See you next month for our Valentine’s date…lets hope we break the trend and that the next couple get lucky if you know what I mean!

photo by Anna Matheson

WANT TO BE THE NEXT QUPID COUPLE? to get involved send an email to qupid@cubmagazine.co.uk

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‘Despite his six-pack, Ben finds it extremely hard to talk to girls.

Maybe because he only comes up with one funny joke a week and they never seem to fall when he meets a girl.’- TJ Jonson

EDITORIAL TEAM THOSE WHO HELPED PUT THIS ISSUE TOGETHER

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Anna Matheson SUB EDITORS: Emma Shone, Alice Harry, Jemima Chamberlain-Adams & Jessica Anne Ormrod PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS: Laura Blair & Eleanor Doughty LONDON EDITORS: Bryony Hannah Orr & Lizzie Howis FEATURES EDITORS: Lauren Cantillon & James Deacon MUSIC EDITORS: Edward Clibbens & Ryan Ramgobin ARTS EDITORS: Millie Jefferies & Phoenix Alexander FASHION EDITORS: Lucinda Turner & Sarah Harrison FILM EDITORS: Harry Foster & Catherine Bridgman TRAVEL EDITORS: Megan Morrison - Sloan & Tom Wyke QUPID EDITOR: Rosemara Mather-Lupton

photo by Tom Wyke