London in Stereo // April 2017

A P RIL 2017 ISSUE 47 // FREE

DIET CIG

SUNDAY 16TH JULY 2017

VICTORIA PARK, LONDON

MAMA, TIME OUT & COMMUNION PRESENT

FOALS

UK FESTIVAL EXCLUSIVE

BONOBO WILD BEASTS - LAURA MARLING MICHAEL KIWANUKA - A BLAZE OF FEATHER LIVE

VERY SPECIAL GUEST

RY X MAGGIE ROGERS SYLVAN ESSO OUMOU SANGARÉ BOMBINO HUDSON TAYLOR DAN CROLL JAKE ISAAC TWIN PEAKS MARGARET GLASPY PICTURE THIS NADINE SHAH VESSELS LUCKY CHOPS BANFI JOSEPH J. JONES ARDYN PARCELS CHARLIE STRAW COSMIC STRIP

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COMMUNION - CLASH & LAST.FM CORONA SUNSETS DIY AT THE KOPPARBERG URBAN FOREST SUNDAY PAPERS LIVE FRONTLINE CLUB & SOFAR SOUNDS THE SCIENCE CAMP SCIENCE MUSEUM, OPEN SENSES, FUTUREPLAY & GUERILLA SCIENCE REGGA E ROAST BBQ AT THE BANDSTAND CONTINENTAL DRIFTS & GLOBAL LOCAL THE SPANDEX STAGE FRAME, HOUSE OF VOGA & SWINGTRAIN ARCOLA THEATRE STORYTELLING & SPORTS GAMES

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FAMILY RAVE BIG FISH LITTLE FISH MASS YOGA STRETCH THE ART STUDIO THE INDYTUTE ROLLER HOEDOWN BUMP POP-UP STAGE CHERRY COLA HACKNEY PLAYBUS KIDS AREA LONDON’S FINEST STREET FOOD ALE EPIPHANIES FROM SHARP’S BREWERY SMIRNOFF BLOODY MARYS GLITTER BOUTIQUES & FASHION

THE ULTIMATE SUMMER SUNDAY TICKETS FROM £49.50 +BF

WELCOME Being in the business of talking about live music, it’s always made sense to put our money where our mouth is and put on our own shows. Well, now we’re kind of doing that. Alongside the eversupportive We Got Tickets, we’re throwing a few parties this year, but we’re not going to tell you who’s playing. Yep, that's right, we have a killer line-up for the first show on 27th April, but we’re keeping our lips sealed. We’re keeping the ticket price low, the screen-printed goodie bags free and the bands better than you can believe. So head on over to our Facebook, click ‘attending’ and come party with us.

P.S: Diet Cig are the most joyful band ever and we've been excited about the album for literal years.

DIET CIG (interview, pg: 24)

STAFF ON REPEAT the tracks we can’t stop listening to this month

JESS: Smino - Father Son Holy Smoke DAVE: Lorde - Green Light LOKI: Girlpool - 123 DANNY: Feist - Pleasure GEMMA: Perfume Genius - Slip Away LORDE

JACK: Alex G - Bobby

(photo : Brendan Walter)

LiS 05

S P O T L I G H T

S H O W S

SLAVES RAG’N’BONE MAN

P A L A C E

T H U R S D A Y 1 8 T H - M A Y - 2 0 1 7

B R I G H T O N P I E R P A R T Y

B R I G H T O N

D O M E - S A T U R D A Y - 2 0 T H - M A Y - 2 0 1 7

RAY BLK C O R E

P R O G R A M M E

67 ABRA CADABRA ALMA Á S G E I R B A B E H E AV E N B A LO J I CABBAGE CHERRY GLAZERR C H I L D H O O D DAG N Y DA N C R O L L DIANE BIRCH DOUGLAS DARE DREAM WIFE D R O N E S C L U B E S T R O N S F LY T E G A L L O P S G I R L I G O AT G I R L H M LT D I B I B I O S O U N D M AC H I N E JA N E W E AV E R J AY S O M L I T T L E H O U R S M A R I K A H A C K M A N M Y S T I C B R AV E S N OVA T W I N S O F F B LO O M OV E R COATS PUMAROSA RAG’N’BONE MAN R AY B L K R AY E S H O G U N S L AV E S S L Ø T FAC E S M E R Z S T E F F LO N D O N S T U R L A AT L A S S U P E R F O O D T H E AG E O F L .U. N . A T H E A M A ZO N S T H E D I ST R I C T S T H E JA PA N E S E H O U S E T H E M AG I C G A N G T H E PA R R OTS T I G E R TOW N YO N A KA YX N G B A N E Z A K A B E L A N D

M A N Y

M O R E

T O A C C E S S T H E S P O T L I G H T S H O W S P U R C H A S E S E PA R AT E T I C K E T S O R H E A D T O O U R W E B S I T E F O R I N F O O N F R E E S P O T L I G H T S H O W T I C K E T S W I T H A F E ST I VA L W R I ST B A N D. E AC H T I C K E T I S E XC H A N G E D F O R A F E ST I VA L W R I ST B A N D A L L O W I N G A C C E S S T O C O R E P R O G R A M M E V E N U E S S U B J E C T T O C A P A C I T Y.

CONTENTS 10

NEW SOUNDS

LONDON IN STEREO IS:

Shame, Quay Dash & more 15

Editor: Jess Partridge jess@londoninstereo.co.uk

INTERVIEW

Clark 20

Deputy Editor: Dave Rowlinson dave@londoninstereo.co.uk

APRIL EVENTS

What’s going on in London this month

Online Editor: Rachel Finn rachel@londoninstereo.co.uk

24 COVER STORY

Sub-Editor : Loki Lillistone loki@londoninstereo.co.uk

LiS meets Diet Cig 31

TALES FROM THE CITY

Advertising sales@londoninstereo.co.uk

by K.Flay 34

New Sounds Editor: Gemma Samways

ON THE STEREO

with Gal Dem 37

Staff Writers: Danny Wright, Jack Urwin Photography: Diet Cig cover story: Nick Grennon (nicholasgrennon.com) De La Soul live: Rebecca Hughes (rebeccahughesphotography.com)

IN A DAY’S WORK

A day in the life of... a small independent label employee 40

ALBUM REVIEWS

Arca, Joey Bada$$, Future Islands, Sylvan Esso, Gallops & more 48

Contributors: Simone Scott Warren, Lee Wakefield, Kate Solomon, Jake May, Geoff Cowart, Grant Bailey, Tim Hakki, Lauren Down, Thomas Hannan, George O’Brien, Hassan Anderson, Richard Walsh, Khan Solo, Emma Garland.

GIGS OF THE MONTH

Our pick of the best shows this April 52

FULL LISTINGS

Your full guide to all the month’s gigs 69

CLARK

IN LONDON

(interview, pg: 13)

with Mr. Mitch 70

LIVE REVIEWS

Luxuriate in De La Soul’s triumphant Roundhouse performance 73

PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS

by Emma Garland LiS 07

londoninstereo.com @londoninstereo

Academy Events present

ACADEMY EVENTS by arrangement with GHVC presents

ACADEMY EVENTS and LIVE NATION by arrangement with X-RAY TOURING present

JOHN K

SAMSON PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS

THURSDAY 18TH MAY 2017 O2 ACADEMY ISLINGTON LONDON

Hunter & The Bear The Paper Heart Tour plus special guests

JUNE 2017 14 LONDON Borderline 15 BRIGHTON Patterns 16 OXFORD O2 Academy2

17 18 20 21

BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute3 NEWCASTLE Cluny MANCHESTER Deaf Institute LEEDS Lending Rooms

JOHNKSAMSON.COM

JAMBINAI ACADEMY EVENTS and MJR by arrangement with EARTH BEAT present

plus special guests

Wednesday 26th April O2 ACADEMY ISLINGTON · LONDON

hunterandthebear.co.uk ACADEMY

EVENTS

PRESENTS

@jambinaiofficial

Chameleon Tour 2017

THURSDAY 20TH APRIL O2 ACADEMY ISLINGTON · LONDON AN ACADEMY EVENTS PRESENTATION

Friday 21st April O2 ACADEMY ISLINGTON LONDON

TWITTER.COM/WEAREAFTERHOURS | INSTAGRAM.COM/AFTERHOURS_OFFICIAL AFTERHOURS.IT | FACEBOOK.COM/AFTERHOURS

TICKETWEB.CO.UK · TICKETMASTER.CO.UK & ALL USUAL AGENTS

APRIL 06 THE FORGE LONDON

COSIMA MAY 03 BUSSEY BUILDING PECKHAM

GANG OF YOUTHS

SOURCE

UK TOUR APRIL/MAY

APRI 12 LOCK TAVERN

OD SH HA DIT INE W UNT Y RO RS OO T A DS HE D

VERITE

JAPANROIDS

LAZY DAY

UK TOUR APRIL/MAY

MAY 09 THE SERVANT JAZZ QUATERS

THEME PARK

YUNA

BAD POP

MAY 09 OSLO

MAY 16 KOKO

MAY 18 SEBRIGHT ARMS

SAN FERMIN

AKUA NARU

INDIGO HUSK

MAY 24 VILLAGE UNDERGROUND

MAY 29 THE CAMDEN ASSEMBLY

MAY 22 VILLAGE UNDERGROUND

THE BEST IN NEW LIVE MUSIC L O

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NEW SOUNDS SHAME

by Gemma Samways

Like all the best bands, South London punks Shame don’t care if you don’t like them. On the contrary, the teenage five-piece actively set out to polarise opinion, and they’ve become one of the most notorious live bands in the capital as a consequence.

Less interested in writing songs than they are launching multi-sensory assaults, their output to date teams grubby guitars with Charlie Steen’s snarled vocals, conjuring the squalor of squat parties, complete with the overpowering stench of stale smoke and spilled Carling. Take last year’s double A-side ‘Gold Hole’ / ‘The Lick’.

On the former they’re all spittle and

sawn-off guitar chords, like a brazenly abrasive hybrid of The Fall and The Stooges. Meanwhile, the latter’s grubby narrative moves from a gynaecologist’s office to Steen sneering at the machinations of the music industry sarcastically suggesting we, “Sing along to the four-chord-future” - and had the honour of arriving accompanied by a Mica Levi-directed video.

More promising still is March’s single ‘Tasteless’, which the band have billed as them “protesting against people's constant acceptance and indifference towards deeply troubling issues within society as well as politics.” It could double as Shame’s mission statement.

Photo: Molly Matalon

NEW SOUNDS BY NEW ARTISTS HO99O9

UNITED STATES OF HORROR

GIRLHOOD SAY IT

GIRLPOOL

FURORE

LUNCH LADIES

GIRLPOOL

TOPS

SNEAKS

J HUS

NO VACATION

JLIN

EYELID

123

HAIR SLICK BACK

MIND FIELDS

LAZY

PETALS

DID YOU SEE

NANDI

FOLLOW OUR NEW MUSIC PLAYLISTS ON LONDONINSTEREO.COM, EVERY WEEK

SHAME

LISTEN TO: Tasteless

@shamebanduk

QUAY DASH

by Jess Partridge

If the world was a just and fair place you’d 100% be about to have Quay Dash explode into your music streams. With her new mixtape Satan’s Angel on the brink of release, (and self-released EP Transphobic behind her), the Bronx based rapper is making some of the most up front and urgent tracks around.

LISTEN TO: I Need A Bag @QuayDash

@quaydashmusic

Carrying a gift for witty rhymes, insightful stories and teeming with raw energy she has us completely hooked on every syllable. It’s to her credit she’s teamed up with likes of producers Celestial Trax and Orlando Volcano who are bringing a unique dimension to her sound without taking away from the vibrance and tangible excitement in Dash’s music.

LiS 11

P R E S E N T S

10 | 04 | 17

31 | 05 | 17

JAMES LEONARD HEWITSON

TOM WILLIAMS

19 | 04 | 17

- ROUNDHOUSE -

- THE LEXINGTON -

- THE OLD BLUE LAST SHOREDITCH

THE MENZINGERS

+ THE FLATLINERS

04 | 06 | 17

AGNES OBEL 13 | 06 | 17

REAL ESTATE - ROUNDHOUSE -

- KOKO -

18 | 08 | 17

19 | 04 | 17

CRAIG FINN

CONOR OBERST O2 SHEPHERD’S - BUSH EMPIRE-

COURTYARD THEATRE - HOXTON -

12 | 09 | 17

27 | 04 | 17

BARRY ADAMSON

DISPATCH

- MOTH CLUB, HACKNEY -

- ELECTRIC BALLROOM -

17 | 05 | 17

T - 21 |LD T OU | 17 | 17 20 09OU SO|LD SO 09 22 | 09 | 17

VOK

- BUSH HALL -

SIGUR RÓS

17 | 05 | 17

FLYYING COLOURS

EVENTIM APOLLO - HAMMERSMITH -

20 | 05 | 17

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS

- THE ISLINGTON -

30 | 09 | 17

JIM JONES & THE RIGHTEOUS MIND

- THE O2 ARENA -

- THE LEXINGTON -

10 | 10 | 17

23 | 05 | 17

ÁSGEIR - KOKO -

23 | 05 | 17

THE DISTRICTS

- THE DOME, TUFNELL PARK -

25 | 05 | 17

GET INUIT - CAMDEN DINGWALLS -

JOLIE HOLLAND + SAMANTHA PARTON

- UNION CHAPEL, ISLINGTON -

01 | 12 | 17

JESCA HOOP

- UNION CHAPEL, ISLINGTON -

T I C K E T S AVA I L A B L E F R O M

ROUNDHOUSE.ORG.UK - EVENTIM.CO.UK - TICKETWEB.CO.UK SONGKICK.COM - GIGANTIC.COM - SEETICKETS.COM - STARGREEN.COM

P R E S E N T S

KIEFER

live in 2017

KIEFER SUTHERLAND wednesday 10 may

Islington Assembly Hall London

NEW ALBUM THE MIDNIGHT SUN OUT NOW C-DUNCAN.CO.UK

THURSDAY 22 JUNE 2017

ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL

BY AR RANGEMENT WITH 1 3 ARTISTS

LONDON

IN ASSOCIATION WITH ATC LIVE

T SOLD OU

EXTRA DATE ADDED

BY ARRANGEMENT WITH PRIMARY TALENT INTERNATIONAL

T I C K E T S AVA I L A B L E F R O M

SONGKICK.COM - GIGANTIC.COM - SEETICKETS.COM TICKETWEB.CO.UK - STARGREEN.COM

RYAN ADAMS

PJ HARVEY

FUTURE ISLANDS

THE SHINS • RIDE • MICHAEL KIWANUKA KATE TEMPEST • SLEAFORD MODS • LAMBCHOP THEE OH SEES • ANGEL OLSEN • CONOR OBERST DANIEL JOHNSTON • SHIRLEY COLLINS • JULIAN COPE BADBADNOTG D • SAINT ETIENNE • LIARS RONI SIZE • JON HOPKINS (DJ) • DANIEL AVERY • JOHNNY FLYNN & THE SUSSEX WIT HINDS • FRUIT BATS • THIS IS THE KIT • JULIA JACKLIN • FIELD MUSIC TIMBER TIMBRE • THIS IS THE KIT • THE BIG M N • HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF FIONN REGAN • ANNA MEREDITH • YORKST N THORNE KHAN • PICTISH TRAIL ANDY SHAUF • RICHARD DAWSON • MODDI • WOLF PEOPLE • PUMAROSA JESSICA PRATT • MELT YOURSELF DOWN • LVL UP • SUNFLOWER BEAN • KARL BLAU GRUMBLING FUR • MICHAEL CHAPMAN • M SES BOYD EXODUS • ALDOUS HARDING ALASDAIR ROBERTS • LAURA GIBSON • JULIE BYRNE • ADAM TORRES CHARLIE CUNNINGHAM • CHRIS FORSYTH & THE S LAR MOTEL BAND HOLLY MACVE • GIRL RAY • TREMBLING BELLS • GAELYNN LEA • SHAME GILL LANDRY • NADIA REID • BIG THIEF • HAPPYNESS • G SPELBEACH THE MATTSON 2 • KIKAGAKU MOYO • D MSQUAD • DEEP THROAT CHOIR CHARLOTTE DAY WILSON • WARM DIGITS • BENEDICT BENJAMIN • WARHAUS NATHAN BALL • THE ORIELLES • TOBY HAY • JIM GHEDI • LICE • H.GRIMACE • GINTIS • HUW STEPHENS (DJ) • T M RAVENSCR FT (DJ)

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interview

CLARK words: lee wakefield

t’s been an interesting few days,” Chris Clark admits wearily, by way of introduction. “I’m frazzled. I’ve just got back from Australia and I’ve been making music as soon as I got back. I’ve been making really intense rave music.”

Almost immediately, I get the feeling I’m conversing with an artist that resembles something of a workaholic, mind racing, erratic hands always fashioning and unravelling the most unpredictable of new sounds. “I got back to an empty flat but I got really buzzy with jetlag, woke up at half one this morning, made music till twelve and had six interviews. And you’ve caught me at the tail end of it.”

LiS 15

interview

To be honest, you wouldn’t know it. Clark appears refreshingly laid back as he outlines his relentless creative process on the road: “I think it’s sort of a defence mechanism to make myself feel at home, a weird territorial thing, like I just need to start making music wherever I am”, yet he bristles with excitement at the mention of his eighth album, Death Peak.

His vibrancy is infectious.

“Every record is different, but this album was very much like ‘Right, I’m going to write an album now. I’m going to call it Death Peak. I’m going to give myself six months to do it. It’s going to have this many tracks and this is going to be the artwork.’

It was super clear and something came over me, for sure.”

Despite its punishing urgency, Clark still describes Death Peak as a thoroughly rewarding process.

“Writing the album was really fun, a weirdly charged experience. I’m pleased with the music on it and feel like I’ve improved on previous releases. It’s terrible though, because as soon as you release new music, you’re constantly battling with yourself. You’ve got to admit whether something is as good as your last release or at least different because, if not, you’ve got to cut those tracks out.”

With that in mind, there’s very little on the album that outstays its welcome.

Perhaps Clark’s biggest strength is knowing when to peel contrasting textures apart, precisely flip tracks on their head and crack their delicate skulls, Death Peak resembling what you might find

inside, grisly or otherwise, like on ‘Catastrophe’s sublime use of a children’s choir that borders on both unnerving and euphoric. “That’s generally what takes me quite a while, the point where the track switches. It’s the holy point of the song and sounds quite over the top. I spend ages on the transitions and the actual tracks don’t tend to take much time at all.

If you’re trying to say a lot, everything hinges on the new chapter and I’m well aware of that. Hours and hours on two seconds, but then the rest of it is written in an hour.”

In addition to the choir, Clark’s eighth album is littered with distorted and deformed v o c a l s , deliciously bent out of s h a p e , perhaps more so than ever.

“I got to a point where I didn’t know what was what anymore and that was a really weird, trippy, quite psychedelic experience, almost like when you take mushrooms.

You don’t know where the boundary is or where you start and end. It was sort of like that with the vocals: I was listening back and thinking ‘fuck, is that a vocal? Or a synth?’ I didn’t know which it was and I like that, it’s really satisfying.”

It’s partly this unpredictability that makes Death Peak one of Clark’s most fulfilling records. Tracks that initially appear pretty and shimmer with fragility often give way to something ferocious beneath the surface. It makes you wonder whether the DJ’s flirtation with conflicting genres has anything to do with it. His enduring affection for grunge bands such as My

“I don’t really know what the album is, to be honest.

It’s kind of like a techno death metal album, with choral elements.”

LiS 16

Bloody Valentine, Slint and Harvey Milk is evident in his aesthetic, however his recent forays into sampling, even as recently as when shaping Death Peak, will surprise many. “I had this set up with these weird EDM synths and I sampled loads of really big EDM people, but completely destroyed them and put their music on tape. If anyone knew the names I’ve sampled…” he teases, “but you’d never know who they are because I’ve completely disguised it and made it pretty intense. I like the idea of turning things my way, somehow.”

Despite melding the most conflicting of sounds with remarkable ease, Clark finds it a little more difficult to define Death Peak. “I don’t really know what the album is, to be honest. It’s kind of like a techno death metal album, with choral elements.” He laughs, before admitting “what a weird record.” Weird, sure, but it’s a record that redefines why Clark is so significant to us all. LiS Clark releases Death Peak April 7th, via Warp Records.

LIVE: Electric Brixton, April 22nd.

LiS 17 15

@throttleclark

EVENTS a selection of upcoming London stuff we’re real excited about

A SECRET MUSIC SHOW THING

LONDON IN STEREO PRESENTS: GUESS It’s probably poor form to plug your own show in your own mag but, honestly, this is gonna be a wonderful night. Here’s the deal: we’ve teamed up with WeGotTickets to bring you three bands, reasonably priced drinks, a goodie bag plus a (not literal) literal ton of other exciting stuff. Maybe even pizza! We’re not going to reveal who’s playing but rest assured they’re bands we love, have supported and who we know will put on an incredible show amongst the splendour of Paper Dress. This is the first show we’ve done like this, and we’d love to see your faces there to party with us.

WHEN: APRIL 27TH WHERE: PAPER DRESS VINTAGE, E8. COST: £5adv.

INFO: londoninstereo.com // @londoninstereo

A FOOD AND DRINK THING

HOMERTON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF BEER AND BAR SNACKS We could just write ‘international festival of beer and bar snacks’ repeatedly because, let’s be honest, those words say everything. But, since we’re here: Returning for a second year to the Adam & Eve, this event sees: 1). Some of our favourite food people (BAO, Kiln, som saa, the Adam & Eve themselves etc) bringing an array of bar snacks to E9 from across the globe.

2). A selection of London and beyond’s best brewers (Five Points, Beavertown, Yeastie Boys & more).

3). A ridiculously sweet selection of ace DJs including two former LiS cover stars, Metronomy and Wild Beasts.

WHEN: APRIL 13TH-16TH WHERE: THE ADAM & EVE, 155 HOMERTON HIGH ST, E9 INFO: adamandevepub.com // @adamandevee9

A MUSEUM THING

PEOPLE POWER: FIGHTING FOR PEACE The vast majority of us don’t want war, and yet we constantly find our countries involved in conflict at the behest of the powers that be. War sucks. For a slightly more nuanced take on that opinion get yourself to the Imperial War Museum to soak up this exhibition focusing on 100+ years of anti-war sentiment, peace movements, marches and protest. Over 300 objects are displayed, illuminating the changing nature and impact of antiwar feeling since the First World War.

photo: Katherine Rose

WHEN: MARCH 23RD - AUGUST 28TH. WHERE: IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM INFO: iwm.org.uk // @I_W_M

A JEWISH DELI THING

MONTY’S DELI Our favourite purveyors of pastrami & salt beef, Monty’s recently crowdfunded the opening of their own deli in N1 and, oh god, it’s nearly time. Think booths, bottomless coffee, brunch and those astonishing sandwiches. Think finally having a rival to Katz’s Deli in London – queue tickets‘n’all (though hopefully less terrifyingly intense).

They’re even making their own bagels (plus mustard & pickles etc). Open for breakfast, and with changing menus all the way through to dinner, this is totally our most anticipated restaurant opening of 2017. Bring on the Mensch.

WHEN: APRIL 18TH WHERE: 227-229 HOXTON STREET, N1 INFO: montys-deli.com // @MontysDeli

Tom King / Alamy Stock Photo

A CLASSY MUSIC THING

BARBICAN CLASSICAL WEEKENDER Given that The Barbican is one of the best places in London to spend some contemplative time in, what a wonderful spot to be surrounded by music.

Mixing your standards and more forward-thinking approaches, and with regular concerts supported by accessible shows around the Centre, this is your chance to soak up something a bit different.

WHEN: APRIL 29TH-30TH WHERE: BARBICAN CENTRE, INFO: barbican.org.uk // @BarbicanCentre LiS 21

SUN 2 APRIL NOTTING HILL ARTS CLUB SUN 2 APRIL NOTTING HILL ARTS CLUB

COMMUNION COMMUNION CLUBNIGHT CLUBNIGHT DERMOT DERMOT KENNEDY KENNEDY JOHN SMITH JOHN SMITH MODDI MODDI SHELLS SHELLS FIONN FIONN REGAN REGAN FRANCES FRANCES SIR SIR WAS WAS THØSS THØSS JOHN JOSEPH JOSEPH BRILL JOHN NADINE SHAH SHAH NADINE NICK HAKIM HAKIM NICK BRYDE BRYDE ALEX VARGAS VARGAS ALEX DAN OWEN OWEN DAN BANFI BANFI DAUNT DAUNT STRONG ASIAN ASIAN STRONG MOTHERS MOTHERS THOMAS DYBDAHL THOMAS DYBDAHL MON 3 APRIL HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN MON 3 APRIL HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN THU 6 APRIL UNION CHAPEL THU 6 APRIL UNION CHAPEL THU 6 APRIL BUSH HALL THU 6 APRIL BUSH HALL

THU THU6 6APRIL APRILST STPANCRAS PANCRASOLD OLDCHURCH CHURCH FRI FRI77APRIL APRILUNION UNIONCHAPEL CHAPEL

TUE TUE11 11APRIL APRILO2 O2SHEPHERD’S SHEPHERD’SBUSH BUSH EMPIRE EMPIRE TUE TUE1111APRIL APRILBIRTHDAYS BIRTHDAYS

WED WED1212APRIL APRILSERVANT SERVANTJAZZ JAZZQUARTERS QUARTERS WED1212APRIL APRILTHE THEWAITING WAITING ROOM ROOM WED TUE1818APRIL APRILOMEARA OMEARA TUE

WED1919APRIL APRILTHE THEDOME, DOME,TUFNELL TUFNELL PARK PARK WED WED1919APRIL APRILTHE THECAMDEN CAMDENASSEMBLY ASSEMBLY WED SAT2222APRIL APRILOMEARA OMEARA SAT

WED 26 APRIL HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN WED 26 APRIL HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN WED 26 APRIL OLD BLUE LAST WED 26 APRIL OLD BLUE LAST

THU 27 APRIL ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH THU 27 APRIL ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH

TENDER CENTRAL CENTRAL TENDER TORS TORS FINK FINK SEAFRET SEAFRET JAKOBSEN SIV JAKOBSEN FYFE FYFE MICHAEL KIWANUKA KIWANUKA MICHAEL MEADOWLARK MEADOWLARK PHORIA PHORIA TO KILL KILL AA KING KING JAMES JAMES HERSEY HERSEY NOVO NOVO AMOR AMOR THOMAS THOMAS AZIER AZIER MAGGIE MAGGIE ROGERS ROGERS CITADEL FESTIVAL CITADEL FESTIVAL JUNIUS JUNIUS MEYVANT MEYVANT JAKE JAKE ISAAC ISAAC HEIN COOPER HEIN COOPER LISA LISA MITCHELL MITCHELL FINK FINK FRI 28 APRIL ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH FRI 28 APRIL ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH TUE 2 MAY JAZZ CAFE TUE 2 MAY JAZZ CAFE

TUE 2 MAY BUSH HALL TUE 2 MAY BUSH HALL

WED 33 MAY MAYST STPANCRAS PANCRASOLD OLDCHURCH CHURCH WED THU44MAY MAYOMEARA OMEARA THU

FRI 55MAY MAYROYAL ROYALALBERT ALBERTHALL HALL FRI

WED10 10MAY MAYTHE THEWAITING WAITINGROOM ROOM WED THU1111MAY MAYOMEARA OMEARA THU SAT SAT1313MAY MAYOMEARA OMEARA

MON MON 15 15 MAY MAYTHE THECAMDEN CAMDENASSEMBLY ASSEMBLY TUE TUE1616MAY MAYHOXTON HOXTONHALL HALL

MON MON22 22MAY MAYELECTROWERKZ ELECTROWERKZ

WED WED2121JUNE JUNEELECTRIC ELECTRICBRIXTON BRIXTON SUN 16 JULY VICTORIA PARK SUN 16 JULY VICTORIA PARK FRI 21 JULY OMEARA FRI 21 JULY OMEARA

WED 26 APRIL THE WAITING ROOM WED 26 APRIL THE WAITING ROOM

WED 20 SEPTEMBER ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL WED 20 SEPTEMBER ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL

THU 27 APRIL KAMIO THU 27 APRIL KAMIO

THU 21 SEPTEMBER SEBRIGHT ARMS THU 21 SEPTEMBER SEBRIGHT ARMS

THU 27 APRIL OMEARA THU 27 APRIL OMEARA

MON 25 SEPTEMBER VILLAGE UNDERGROUND MON 25 SEPTEMBER VILLAGE UNDERGROUND THU 16 NOVEMBER O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN THU 16 NOVEMBER O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN

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diet cig words: simone scott warren photography: nick grennon

“Empathising with people, and including people and being aware of other’s feelings, and talking about your feelings is way more punk than shoving someone at a show...”

or the record, if you ever find yourself writing a song about, oh I don’t know, being sixteen and having sex with your boyfriend who happens to have the same name as you, and how weird it is to shout out your own name in the throws of passion, and then you make that song the opener on your awesome debut long player, Swear I’m Good At This, then Diet Cig have some words of warning for you.

LiS 25

“Oh god, I remember the first time she sang it,” Drummer Noah Bowman laughs down the line to us from their Brooklyn apartment, “And her mom was in the front row...” Oh, but it gets worse.

“I have a little sister, she’s 14,” Alex Luciano, the guitar-swinging vocalist half of our all time favourite slop-pop duo interjects, audibly cringing. “And she ran into the boy that I wrote the song about with my mom, in a store in our hometown. She was like, ‘wait, mom, that’s Alex? Did Alex write that about him?’ And my mom was like, ‘yeah, shut up’. My mom had to stop her from physically going up to him and being like, ‘did you know that my sister wrote a song about having sex with you?’” Didn’t he already know about it? “I don’t know if he knows. I’m so sorry if he found out by unnecessary yelling in the store...”

Protagonists discovering that they’ve been immortalised in song is something that they’ll need to get used to, as we suspect the new album’s going to bring Diet Cig even more notoriety. It naturally treads a similar path to 2015’s Over Easy, the EP that first brought the band to everyone’s attention. Once again, it’s an incredibly intimate affair; listening to it feels a bit like reading someone’s diary through a shimmering punk-pop gauze.

“I definitely think it’s a lot easier to write your feelings towards someone in a song.” Alex confesses, “But then it’s also like, oh shit, what if they hear it?

But I kinda hope they do, because I kinda wish I’d said it. Like, ‘Harvard’ [from Over Easy] is about a guy and I never told him those feelings. But then I wrote the song about it, and it was kinda cathartic, without having to have the confrontation. If he heard it, that’s fine. Making it into art, making it into something that you feel happy about,

“I just hope that this record can make people feel less alone in the world.”

LiS 26

that’s even better than telling them to fuck off.”

Diet Cig have already honed their skills as one of the most boisterous bands on the live circuit; as anyone who caught any of their 2016 UK shows can attest, it’s almost physically impossible to leave one of their shows without a grin so wide it genuinely makes your cheeks hurt. But how much of that is down to their massive stage presence, and how do you even start to translate that on to a record? Diet Cig admit that was a bit of a challenge at first. “We had to get back used to being in the studio. The idea of recording, and how different it is, but also keep up that energy.” Noah explains, “We just had to remind ourselves that we’re playing these songs that we love, and they’re fun, and have a fun time recording them.” “We’d played them live so much, and there’s only so much we can do live,” Alex agrees, “It was good to go into the studio and be like, what can we add on to this song? We can do anything now! It was fun to be able to expand and try out some new stuff.” “Yeah,” Noah concurs, “because we could always delete that take, or mute it, or try something a hundred times and not go with it, and no one will ever know.”

“There were so many wacky things that we tried that we just deleted.” Alex explains, “You can just be goofy about it. See what works.”

What they have left on the album does brilliantly capture all that pent up live energy, whilst simultaneously wearing a big, big heart on its sleeve. From the rollicking ‘Link In Bio’, with the stunning moment towards the end where it softens, just as Alex resolutely intones that she won’t be told “to calm down”, to the intricate longing of LiS 27

“It’s okay to feel your feelings, it’s okay to shout them from the rooftops.”

‘Apricot’. There’s the loneliness of being sick of being your own best friend on ‘Barf Day’, coupled with the reassurance during ‘Maid of the Mist’ that everything is going to be okay in the end. Diet Cig seem to effortlessly cover the gamut of feelings that you‘ve almost certainly had, or will have, at some point in your life, but maybe can’t articulate, all the while underpinning them with blistering indie-pop guitars and urgent drums. And that’s the genius of Swear I’m Good At This, how instantly recognisable it all feels, how it perfectly blazes through our transitions into adulthood.

“There’s a lot of emotions, from really angry to really happy to, like, sad, and everywhere in between.” Alex confirms, “I feel like one of the biggest themes that accompanies the whole record is that it’s okay to feel your feelings, it’s okay to shout them from the rooftops. If you’re a femme person; you’re not being over-dramatic, sassy, or crazy or whatever.

Your feelings are valid. No one should be able to tell you that you can’t feel them. I feel that women are told that only certain feelings are okay, and other ones make them look bad. And it’s okay to feel and be loud and be crazy, and also to empathise with their friends when they’re also being loud and crazy or whatever.

Empathising with people, and including people and being aware of other’s feelings, and talking about your feelings is way more punk than shoving someone at a show, or being aggressive, I think. I just really hope this can make someone else feel like, ‘oh my god, someone else is feeling like I do. My feelings are valid too’. I just hope that this record can make people feel less alone in the world.” LiS

Diet Cig release Swear I’m Good At This April 7th via French Kiss Records. @dietcig

@dietcigmusic

Ovation DATE

ARTIST

VENUE

02.04.17 Nérija Live, Theon Cross Trio Live, Tom Skinner

The Pickle Factory

06.04.17 Chrome Sparks Live, Special Guest TBA

The Pickle Factory

19.04.17 Bastien Keb, Eastern Barbers

The Pickle Factory

20.04.17 Daedelus Live, Special Guest TBA

The Pickle Factory

21.04.17 Clap! Clap! Live, Special Guest TBA

Moth Club

25.04.17 Plaitum Live, Special Guest TBA

The Pickle Factory

27.04.17 Guy Andrews Live, Untold (DJ), Very Special Guest TBA The Pickle Factory 27.04.17 HVOB Live and Winston Marshall Live, David Douglas

Oval Space

30.04.17 Soul:Ution, Special Guest TBA

The Pickle Factory

11.05.17 Throwing Snow Live, Special Guest TBA

The Pickle Factory

16.05.17 Off Bloom, Special Guest TBA

The Pickle Factory

17.05.17 Ekali Live, Special Guest TBA

Moth Club

25.05.17 Death in Vegas, Special Guest TBA

Oval Space

03.08.17 ADULT., Special Guest TBA

Moth Club

www.ovationmusic.co.uk

TALES FROM THE CITY We ask artists to tell us stories of times spent in London...

by K.FLAY This was before I made an album, before my friends quit their weird jobs in San Francisco, before Uber. I was in London to record an EP and it felt like everything was coming together in the breezy way that usually means things will soon fall apart. My A&R — a fiery Brit who memorably whisked me into a tinted escalade in New York the first time we met, weed smoke lapping up the backseat window through a tiny crack at the top — invited my manager and me out to dinner. “Alright if Boy George joins us?” she asked. “Yes”, I said.

“Totally alright.”

photo: Kenneth Cappello

It was somewhere in Kensington, at a fancy Indian restaurant. She had money and had grown accustomed to assuming other people did too. The nonchalance of wealth; not mean spirited, just out of touch. Dinner was lovely, George was lovely, George’s hat was lovely.

When it came time to split the bill, I had just enough cash to cover my share. Relief swam through me in the warm way it does and I smiled, amazed at my good fortune in a foreign city that had welcomed me so eagerly.

K.Flay releases her new album Every Where Is Some Where April 7th via Night Street/Interscope. @kflay

@kflaymusic

We said our goodbyes and stood outside. As it turned out, Seth had spent all of his cash on dinner too. We hit every ATM on the block, but our debit cards were maxed or the machines didn’t work, or maybe both. We didn’t know where we were, or how to get to our hotel. No iPhone 7. Just a burner cell from Carphone Warehouse. We wandered straight, then turned, then straight again, making sure to look right and then left, laughing, lost, marvelling at how life had so swiftly led us from samosas with a pop star to sore legs outside a chicken shop on a street we couldn’t name.

LiS 31

APRIL 2017 ~ LIVE ~ 1st

Earthlings / 4th 12th

2nd

Peggy’s Big Sunday /

Fences /

5th

Club CloseUp /

20th

Dermot Kennedy [Sold Out]

Urban Cone + Ängie /

Sounds Familiar Music Quiz /

14th

3rd

Gospeloke /

18th

25th

13th

9th

Ryan Lawrie

Jazzie B + DJ Format

Gold Dust /

19th

Xenia Rubinos /

Hardy Caprio

26th

Dan Owen

~ COMING UP IN MAY ~ 6th 13th

Jehst /

9th

Birthh /

Model Aeroplanes /

11+12th

17th

Jojo Mayer/Nerve

Sigrid [Sold Out] /

Belako

24th

~ LATE ~ every friday

NIGHT CALL

1st April

8th April

BUSHWICK BOOGIE SUNSHINE SOUL

Weekly

Two rooms of hip hop, R&B,

Presents

Friday Club

house, garage and bashment

The Prince Tribute

15th April

22nd April

29th April

MOHO

SOUL FOOD

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90s hip hop and R&B knees

Soulful selections

A night of Dancehall,

up for all you cool kids

across the board

Socca & Bashment

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| HOXTONSQUAREBAR

TINGSEK TINGSEK

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FRI 07 APRIL JAZZ FRI CAFÉ 07 APRIL JAZZ CAFÉ

THU 13 APRIL CAMDEN ASSEMBLY THU 13 APRIL CAMDEN ASSEMBLY

THE13 FORGE, THU APRIL CAMDEN THE FORGE, CAMDEN

THU 13 APRIL

VILLAGE THU 20 APRIL UNDERGROUND VILLAGE UNDERGROUND

LOIC NOTTET NOTTET LOIC

JONES JONES

MARCUS HER MARCUSKING KING HER BAND BAND WED 26 APRIL WED 26 APRIL THE 100 CLUB THE 100 CLUB

WED 26 APRIL WED 26 APRIL BORDERLINE BORDERLINE

YUSSEF YUSSEF KAMAAL KAMAAL

THEKING’S KING’S THE PARADE PARADE

SARAH WALK

THU 27 APRIL

NADIA ROSE THU 20 APRIL

WED 03 MAY

THU 27 APRIL BUSHHALL HALL BUSH

WED 03 MAY HOXTON HALL HOXTON HALL

SEVDALIZA SEVDALIZA

MO MOKENNEY KENNEY

THU1111MAY MAY THU OSLO OSLO

FRI FRI 12 12 MAY MAY OMEARA

WED 2424 MAY WED MAY THE ISLINGTON

THEY. THEY.

SEAN ROWE ROWE SEAN

EIVØR CHRONIXX EIVØR CHRONIXX & ZINCFENCE REDEMPTION

THU 25 MAY XOYO THU 25 MAY

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O2 ACADEMY SUN 28 MAY BRIXTON O2 ACADEMY

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XOYO

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OLD CHURCH

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OMEARA

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THE ISLINGTON

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FRI 02 JUNE OUT SOLD ISLINGTON THE

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TOM GRENNAN LITTLE DRAGON

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ON THE STEREO with

Gal Dem are publishing some of the most challenging and, more importantly, enlightening articles you can find online.

Written by a collective of women of colour, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a platform amplifying the voices and experiences of people so often under-represented in other publications for all to digest and discover.

Tackling all parts of life from politics to music and art, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a vibrant, energetic place and filled with purpose. This month they take over our stereo to draw our attention to some of their favourite new music. gal-dem.com @galdemzine

1. MS BANKS GET LOOSE Rapping clearly comes as naturally to Ms Banks as breathing. She switches up the beat like no other and this song is impossible not to dance to. Turn this on at pre-drinks to get the whole squad ready to slay.

Heather Barrett, Assistant Opinions Editor MS BANKS

4. SLEIGH BELLS RULE NUMBER ONE ‘Rule Number One’, from Jessica Rabbit, has all the majestic power and beauty of a thousand suns exploding within your ears or a sunflower awakening and bursting into flames. She exhales poetry through the lyrics, the guitar riffs are the definition of dissonance and the drums attack the erotic sensors of your brain. I hope Sleigh Bells continue to spoil us with their beautiful orchestra of noise.

Georgia Bowen-Evans, Contributor

J HUS

2. J HUS DID YOU SEE As we await his highly-anticipated debut album, J Hus has imparted yet another melodic number to keep us sweet. Popping up on recent features with Dave, Nines and Stormzy, Hus has proved that he is never far from the ongoing uprising of UK music. The Afrobashment vibe we hear on ‘Did You See’ (produced by long-time collaborator Jae5) will no doubt be warmly welcomed in Summer ‘17.

Antonia Odunlami, Music Editor

5. INTALEKT - PATIENCE ‘Patience’ is the latest track by south-east London producer-rapper Intalekt. The song pans out the process of looking for love, finding love and being content in a relationship. This is a classic love song formula but the slow R‘n’B flow makes the patience of finding love resonate with you a little bit more. Intalekt has a bi-weekly radio show on Reprezent, where you can catch him selecting tracks from J Dilla to highlife artist Ebo Taylor and everything in between.

Nana Dwimoh, Contributor

3. FRANK OCEAN - CHANEL

FRANK OCEAN

After 2016’s surprising double-album release, Frank Ocean has dropped another bombshell. The move sparks disbelief for two main reasons: his previous five-year disappearance between records and his palpable shift in tone. While some of us are still incessantly ugly-crying along to the intimate Blonde, here we witness a different Frank entirely: self-assured with overwhelming ease. This contagious anthem is a celebration of his material success thus far - as far as designer label songs go, this is as good as it gets.

Ntha Kasambala, Contributor LiS 35

ALL IN A DAY’S WORK ...at a small independent record label Illustrations by Liyv (liyv.co) I wake up later than I should. That tends to be the case.

Coffee is made and drunk before my phone is switched on and email that has arrived overnight is read and replied to before showering and making the half hour journey to the office.

We’re a small team at this label, so we each wear many hats that would not be shared at larger labels. Having a lessstrictly-defined role does tend to mean that the days are less regimented and can go in any number of directions depending what’s most pressing at any given moment. Also, it means there are a lot of tasks being taken care of swiftly and at the end of most days, I would struggle to tell you exactly what I did all day...

“Answered many emails, had a couple of meetings, spent some time on the phone, spoke to various people at our various distributors, spoke to designers, mastering houses, managers, our US office, PR people, didn’t eat until way too late... I’m not sure what I did all day but it sure felt busy.”

Depending on where our various releases

are in their ‘cycle’ (i.e. whether a record is currently being recorded, mixed, mastered, sent out to press/radio, actually released, are the band on tour?, is it time for another single to be serviced to radio etc etc) the things I’ll find myself having to do in any given day will vary hugely.

So, an average day in the office is fairly relentless but it’s varied and hectic. I’m rarely bored or twiddling my thumbs.

Often the evening will involve a gig or two - bands we work with, bands we want to see (or have promised a manager or booker we will check out), sometimes even a gig purely for pleasure by an artist we don’t work with. Live music is king. If you don’t enjoy that and you work in music - you’re in the wrong game.

Whether you work with them or not, it’s always a pleasure to see great musicians perform. It’s also always great to bump into friends at those shows but the combination of great music and friends always has the potential to make it a late night. So the aim’s often ‘stay as sober as possible’ and try to not push back tomorrow’s late wake up any further back...

LiS 37

DHP PRESENTS

MON.03.APR.17

GRANDADDY

ROUNDHOUSE

THU.13.APR.17

SAT.22.APR.17

MON.08.MAY.17

ROSE ELINOR DOUGALL

HAYSEED DIXIE

JOAN SHELLEY

TUE.25.APR.17

THU.13.APR.17

SAM BROOKES

MON.08.MAY.17 TUE.09.MAY.17

THE GARAGE

LEXINGTON

LEXINGTON

MON.03.APR.17

GREGORY ALAN ISAKOV

ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL

SWIMMING TAPES

BORDERLINE

THE WAITING ROOM

JOHN MORELAND / NOAH GUNDERSEN UNION CHAPEL

THU.27.APR.17

THU.06.APR.17

WOLF PEOPLE

ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL

MON.17.APR.17

THE GIPSY KINGS

ARDYN

HOXTON HALL

ROYAL ALBERT HALL

MON.01.MAY.17

TUE.09.MAY.17

THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS ELECTRIC BALLROOM

TUE.02.MAY.17 SAT.08.APR.17

FEROCIOUS DOG THE GARAGE

MON.10.APR.17

MY BABY OSLO

TUE.11.APR.17

THE SLOW READERS CLUB BORDERLINE

TUE.18.APR.17

PWR BTTM

THE GARAGE

WED.19.APR.17

PINS

MOTH CLUB

THU.20.APR.17

CIGARETTES AFTER SEX KOKO

WED.03.MAY.17 THU.22.JUN.17

ED SHEERAN THE O2

WED.03.MAY.17

THE AMERICANS SEBRIGHT ARMS

FRI.05.MAY.17

POKEY LAFARGE

THE COURTYARD

TICKETS & INFO: ALTTICKETS.COM • FB.COM/ALTTICKETS • @ALTTICKETS

WED.10.MAY.17

THE VIEW

THE GARAGE

THU.11.MAY.17

SKINNY LISTER SCALA

THU.11.MAY.17

TO KILL A KING BORDERLINE

FRI.12.MAY.17

TO KILL A KING OSLO

FRI.12.MAY.17

TANKUS THE HENGE

TUE.23.MAY.17

PAREKH & SINGH THE COURTYARD

WED.24.MAY.17

CHERRY GLAZERR THE GARAGE

THU.25.MAY.17

VAGABON

ELECTROWERKZ

FRI.26.MAY.17

THE CORONAS THE GARAGE

THE GARAGE

WED.24.MAY.17

WED.17.MAY.17

GOTHIC TROPIC THE VICTORIA

TUE.23.MAY.17

DAY WAVE

THE GARAGE

TUE.23.MAY.17

JULIE BYRNE

HOXTON HALL

OVERCOATS

ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH

WED.24.MAY.17

JAY SOM

SEBRIGHT ARMS

WED.24.MAY.17

SPEECH DEBELLE OSLO

SAT.27.MAY.17

THE RIFLES

ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL

TUE.30.MAY.17

ELLIE ROSE

SERVANT JAZZ QUARTERS

TUE.30.MAY.17

SAT.03.JUN.17

JUSTIN CURRIE

ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL

THU.08.JUN.17

MT. WOLF

HOXTON HALL

FRI.09.JUN.17

PIERCE BROTHERS THE GARAGE

SAT.10.JUN.17

THE WEDDING PRESENT

ROUNDHOUSE

TUE.01.AUG.17

THE PAINS OF BEING BRIAN WILSON PURE AT HEART EVENTIM APOLLO OSLO

TUE.23.MAY.17

THU.25.MAY.17

GROWLERS LUKE SITAL-SINGH THE CORONET UNION CHAPEL

SAT.03.JUN.17

MON.20.NOV.17

CIGARETTES FAT FREDDYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DROP AFTER SEX ALEXANDRA PALACE

ROUNDHOUSE

ALBUM REVIEWS RECORD OF THE MONTH ARCA

ARCA XL Recordings // April 7th

Arca’s stage moniker is unlikely to cause the same stir as the high-profile acts the producer has courted in the past. On Vulnicura he brought a steely touch to Björk’s hope in heartache, and his work with FKA Twigs on LP1 gave mechanical bite to her waifish melodies. These collaborations have left a long shadow in which to obscure his name, but with a new direction exploring a brooding vocal range, this eponymous third effort could see Arca thrust into the light.

What is first apparent in the album’s opening set, ‘Piel’ and ‘Anoche’, is a departure from the aggressive electronic repetition of Mutant (though shades of this will resurface later) in favour of vocal arrangements, eschewing club influence for a form closer to plainsong. It’s a striking shift that evokes the permanence and richness of church and religious iconography, which is carried through to the comparatively conventional ‘Sauntering’, which adds pizzicato stabs and fleeting piano to mimic the laments of a harpsichord. These stylistic choices bring solemn depth. It is certainly an evolution from Arca’s surface level darkness on Xen and Mutant, played straight to brilliant effect. And while this novelty gives way to more traditional output as the tracklist runs on, these smoky dancefloor elegies leave an indelible mark. In a scene sometimes preoccupied with the pursuit of the flawless production digital methods afford, Arca’s latest effort elevates itself by dwelling on the warm and the organic.

photo: Daniel Shea

‘Reverie’ signals a return to more familiar ground as Arca part-cannibalises and refashions a past collaboration. Those familiar with the creative contributions he made to Twigs’ early output will recognise this suite of synthetic manipulations in pitched keyboard and clattering percussion. ‘Coraje’ meanwhile carries the germ of Björk’s influence, recalling the soft strings and softer themes she displayed across Vespertine, particularly ‘Cocoon’ and ‘Undo’. But if you’re going to take influence from anyone, let it be Björk, and ‘Coraje’ carries itself as the album’s most restrained moment. This is beautifully and chaotically juxtaposed by the screeching feedback of ‘Whip’ – lurching and directionless as the simpler sibling to Aphex Twin’s ‘OmgyiyaSwitch7’. Wrangled into sentences these styles and influences look bizarre alongside one another, but on-record Arca has melded them together in elegant, pious order. Grant Bailey STAND OUT TRACKS: Anoche, Saunter, Coraje, Miel.

LIVE: Roundhouse, April 28th. @arca1000000

FUTURE ISLANDS THE FAR FIELD 4AD // April 7th

Ever since Samuel T Herring chest-thumped and Cossacked his way across the Letterman Show floor, Future Islands’ star has been rising. And the elements that made Singles so irresistible remain on The Far Field - the bouncing, propulsive basslines, sweeping synths, that glorious balance of pop and melodrama.

Yet Herring’s voice remains their greatest instrument. Equal parts evangelical preacher and emotionally vulnerable crooner; the bruised, raw, human quality of his voice and wide eyed wonderment with which he sings, helps bring emotion to topics which have been sung about a million times before.

There’s nothing as instantly overpowering as ‘Seasons’ here but there is a duet with Debbie Harry and tracks like ‘Beauty of the Road’ and ‘Day Glow Fires’ throb with an understated beauty.

This is pop music filtered through a shimmering, melancholic gauze. As Herring sings on the heartfelt ‘Through the Roses,’ “It’s not easy, just being human / And the lights and the smoke and the screens / Don’t make it better.” Danny Wright

PART CHIMP

GALLOPS

Rock Action April 14th

Blood and Biscuits April 21st

IV

You do kind of know the drill with Part Chimp by now; drums so meaty they sound like punching cattle, guitars that suggest electric shocks are being given off each time a hand moves on a fretboard, bass that’s just an all-round bastard. But they're both sludgier and catchier on IV than ever, balancing monotony and melody like masters of both on ‘Namekuji’, unleashing true hell on ‘Bad Boon’ and raging at their sardonic best on ‘MapoLeon’. Because nobody has had the guts to challenge their status as the best heavy band in the country at any point in the last 17 years, they could be forgiven for resting on their laurels. But fuck that when you can make your best album yet instead, right? Thomas Hannan

BRONZE MYSTIC Four years since the release of their debut record (and three since they announced their split as a band), Wrexham experimental post-rock bastards Gallops are back – and they’re not pissing about. Returning with a fresh perspective (and a slightly tweaked line-up), Bronze Mystic sees the now three-piece sticking guitar and drums in the back-seat – with the previously more complementary electronic soundscapes going big and taking centre-stage. Songs swell and pulsate, jumping from delicate intricacy to explosive chorus and back again. As a band they sound rejuvenated, hungry, like they’re making up for lost time; as a record it’s powerful, atmospheric, and sounds pretty much exactly like how the 80s envisioned the future would sound. If Streets of Rage were remade today, this would be the soundtrack. Jake May LiS 41

MR.MITCH DEVOUT

planet mu // April 21st

Convention is not something that Mr.Mitch readily subscribes to.

From striving to make grime an instrumental music in its own right, via the co-founded Boxed night, to releasing a string of forward thinking producers on his own label Gobstopper, the South London local has consistently toyed with the ground rules to create something new and intriguing.

This was certainly the case on his 2014 full-length debut, Parallel Memories that inverted many of the traditional tropes of grime, transposing hype and aggression into something vulnerable and melancholic. The same approach is repeated on Mr.Mitch’s latest album Devout. This time round however, Mr.Mitch seeks to take things further by thawing his icy instrumentals with warm vocals, from himself and others, that are centered on familial love, commitment, and mournful longing, themes seldom associated with grime.

“Hearing him call me Dad, that’s a vibe” P-Money raps on ‘Priority’, a track that states a near militaristic commitment to family life. Elsewhere, on ‘My Life’, Mr.Mitch croons through autotune “It’s yours, it’s yours, it’s yours…I’m devoted to you” expressing a love so profound it seems akin to suffering. Beneath these sentiments are reverb soaked synths and percussion that are sometimes spaced to the point of non-motion, meaning the album rewards a patient listen.

Instrumentals ‘Honour Oak’ and ‘Black Tide’ are some of Mr.Mitch’s most beautiful to date, taking his inverse grime to new heights with barely a kick or snare in sight. That these instrumental tracks don’t always sit so comfortably next to the vocal heavy tracks is perhaps testament to the fact that Mr.Mitch has never been one to opt for the conventional option. Hassan Anderson

THE BIG MOON

LOVE IN THE FOURTH DIMENSION Fiction Records // April 7th

There’s a definite vitality to The Big Moon’s long-awaited debut.

From start to finish it brims with enormous hooks and dinosaur riffing. In fact, not a single moment on the LP suggests they’re short of inspiration. The high points all verge on unforgettable with ‘Bonfire’ an early highlight thanks in large part to Juliette Jackson’s hair-raising caterwauling. The Big Moon cram hooks into every section of their songs while keeping things resolutely indie and guitar based. At times it begins to feel over familiar, especially when they keep so closely to the formula found in groups like The Libertines and Palma Violets. Love In The Fourth Dimension occasionally feels like Brit rock served at a time when nobody ordered it. As such, it’s hard to totally fall crazy over, seeming more like an anachronistic oddity than a vital product of our time. It will appeal to a devoted and decidedly indie type of listener, but at this point in the group’s sound it all sounds fairly derivative. Nevertheless, it’s brimming with charm, and The Big Moon are certainly one of the most capable new bands making music today. Their natural ear for a good hook makes it a safe and dependable album to stick on, but for their next effort they’ll have to take the training wheels off. Tim Hakki

SYLVAN ESSO WHAT NOW

Loma Vista // April 28th

JOEY BADA$$

ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ Cinematic Music Group April 7th

How about four bars that neatly sum up Joey’s hotheaded second album: “If you ‘bout this revolution please stand up / We ain’t got no one to trust / Time is running up feel the burn in my gut / And if you got the guts scream FUCK DONALD TRUMP.” And yeah, it’s a fierce one from the 22year-old Brooklyn rapper thanks to the pointed lyrics as well as killer guests such as Schoolboy Q and Flatbush Zombies. Agree with the politics or not – it’s a masterpiece. That’s entirely down to its stylistic confidence as Joey jumps from mellow piano jazz riffs to boom bap with joyful abandon. Yet it’s also a bleak reflection on America’s endemic struggle with equality. In terms of tunes and timing it’s nothing but badass. Geoff Cowart

Amelia Meath’s voice has an unrivalled capacity for communicating and commanding emotion with the subtlest adjustment: the curl of a vowel, the sighing denouement of a word, the twist of a syllable, the freeform of her intonation - each fluctuation speaking to the human condition.

Nowhere is this more evident than on new album What Now, her second with Nick Sanborn as Sylvan Esso. Not just because the album is bolder then their self-titled debut, but because Sanborn’s bouncing electronic glitches and compelling beats demand as much of a reaction.

Whether the pair are telling you to dance (‘Kick Jump Twist’), melting your heart (‘Slack Jaw’) or, like ‘Die Young’, calling you to protest as they grapple with the chaos of American politics – on What Now, their intentions are clear. Lauren Down

LITTLE DRAGON SEASON HIGH

Because Music // April 14th

The Gothenburg electrohipsters are back with their 412th (5th) album in ten years. Is this steady work rate doing them any favours? I’m not sure. There are still flashes of greatness among the dreaming, meandering ephemera but it doesn’t feel like a record any but the heads would come back to again and again. The high point is lead single ‘Sweet’, and fifth-wave ‘80s fans will enjoy opening track ‘Celebrate’ (and its potentially problematic but aurally enjoyable “oriental” bent that pops up in various places throughout the record). Peppered between dancefloor fillers are a new batch of the dreamy slow grooves that always temper Little Dragon’s toe-tapping hits. An enjoyable background album with some contenders for Best Of Part Two, but not necessarily a season high for the band. Kate Solomon LiS 43

BNQT

VOLUME 1 Bella Union // April 21st

Stare directly into the brightest bulb that beams out country rock, prog chug, light-jazz & alley cat melancholia and, sure, it may hurt your eyes, but you’ll find some of the biggest names in alternative contemporary burnt into the back of your retinas. Handling the electricity bill is Midlake’s Eric Pulido who leads his merry band of influential inmates (Alex Kapranos, Jason Lytle, Ben Bridwell, Fran Healy) through songwriting of the highest order. The jollification is rife, but such bombastic ambition means each contributor has just two shots to prove their worth; try waving jazz hands for 40 minutes and you’ll find limb fatigue to be an inevitable onset. Lytle shines brightest with ‘100 Million Miles’, though Volume 1 is a compilation chock full of glistening efforts. Richard Walsh

GOLDFRAPP

SILVER EYE Mute // March 31st

Almost two decades into their creative partnership, Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory’s joint catalogue can be roughly divided into glittering electro (Black Cherry, Supernature) and lush soundscapes (Felt Mountain, Tales Of Us), with minimal overlap between the two. This lunar-themed seventh LP hits the sweet spot between both worlds, marrying the synthetic and organic, the celestial and terrestrial, with expert help from St. Vincent-producer John Congleton and The Haxan Cloak’s Bobby Krlic. Effortlessly segueing between propulsive, industrial pop as per ‘Systemagic’, ‘Become The One’ and ‘Everything Is Never Enough’, and the haunting atmospherics of ‘Tigerman’ or ‘Zodiac Black’ - which all-but unfurl in a billow of dry ice - Silver Eye is consistently mesmerising and hangs together beautifully as a set. Gemma Samways

HAPPYNESS WRITE IN

Moshi Moshi // April 7th

With 2014’s Weird Little Birthday, Happyness announced themselves as a flag-bearing, smile-inducing lo-fi outfit, paving the way for the burgeoning slacker scene thanks to their anti-earnest and wholly DIY aesthetic. Three years later the London trio are back with a record which simultaneously displays progression as well as clear appreciation for what they do best. From its elongated, psych-scene-setting intro to the revved-up rock‘n’roll of ‘Anna, Lisa Calls’, Write In weaves brilliantly through punk-tinged Americana to languid, almost Elliott Smith-inspired indie melancholia and Lennon-esque balladry. Indeed, the band feel they’ve replaced some of their earlier tongue-in-cheek with genuine emotion and feeling, and boy does it make for a fantastic listen. George O’Brien

SATurday april | 7:30 | 7:00 SUNdaY 102 OCTOBER

STEVE ‘N’ DAYER SEAGULLS DIY ALL FEAT PRIDES + MORE tuesday 4 april | 7:00 MONdaYGASS 03 OCTOBER | 7:00 KYLE BAND NE OBLIVISCARIS wednesday 5 april | 7:00 TUESdaY 04 OCTOBER | 7:30 JESSE LAWSON OSCAR thursday 6 april | 7:00 WEDNESdaYINDEX 05 OCTOBER | 7:00 MISERY ELECTRIC CITIZEN thursday 6 april | 7:00 THURSdaY 06 OCTOBER | 7:00 HALEY BONAR BLOOD YOUTH Friday 7 april | 7:00 THURSdaY 06 OCTOBER ALL PIGS MUST| 7:00 DIE MITSKI Friday 7 april | 7:00 FRIdaY 07 OCTOBER | 7:00 TAAKE GUITAR saturday 8 aprilWOLF | 7:00 SAT 08 & SUN 09 OCTOBER | 3:00 MAGENTA LIVE EVIL SUNDAY 9 april | 7:002016 MONdaY 10 OCTOBER | 7:00 NATHAN GRAY CHUCK MOSELEY COLLECTIVE WEDNESdaY 12 OCTOBER | 7:30 monday 10 april | 7:00

TURNOVER BLOOD YOUTH FRIdaY 14 OCTOBER | 7:00 wednesday 12 april | 7:00

DEAD LETTER CIRCUS SWMRS FRIdaY 1413OCTOBER thursday april| 7:30| 7:00

FRANCIS DUNNERY WEYES BLOOD SATURdaY 15 OCTOBER | 7:00 friday 14 april | 7:00

KERBDOG CHURCH OF THE Sunday 16 OCTOBER | 7:00 COSMIC SKULL CARCER Friday 14 april| 7:00CITY MONdaY 17 TOWN OCTOBER | 7:00 CRAZY TRAP15 april THEM saturday | 11:00 TUESdaY 18 OCTOBER | 7:00 GIMME! GIMME! GIMME! THE MAHONES (ABBA AFTER MIDNIGHT)

wednesday 19 april || 7:30 TUESdaY 18 OCTOBER 7:00

NICK HAKIM WOVENHAND thursday 20 20 OCTOBER april | 6:00| 7:00 THURSdaY HOLY REEFER (FEAT. INHEAVEN BOSSK, SLABDRAGGER & SATURdaY 22 OCTOBER | 7:00 MORE) INME friday 21 april | 6:00 | 7:00 SATURdaY 22 OCTOBER NORDJEVEL NEGURA BUNGET friday 21 | 7:00 | 6:30 SUNdaY 23april OCTOBER

AURELIO VOLTAIRE DEAD HARTS saturday april | 7:00 SUNdaY 2322 OCTOBER | 7:00 POSSESSION OBSCURA saturday april | 7:00 MONdaY 2422 OCTOBER | 7:30

WHILE SHE SLEEPS PORCHES saturday 2326 april | 7:00 | 7:00 Wednesday OCTOBER WHILE SHE SLEEPS ANGELCORPSE monday april | 7:00 FRIdaY 2825 OCTOBER | 7:00

SUMACFOXXES BLACK wednesday april | 7:00 SATURdaY 2927 OCTOBER | 7:00 HANNAH LOU CLARK STRAIGHT LINES wednesday april | 7:00 SATURdaY 2927 OCTOBER | 8:00

DREAM WIFE ROZALEN thursday april | 7:30 MONdaY 3128 OCTOBER | 7:00 HAPPYNESS BLANK MANUSCRIPT Friday 29 april | 7:00 Wednesday 02 NOVEMBER | 7:00

DEVIL SOLD HIS SOUL SHVPES Friday 5 may 7:00 THURSdaY 03 |NOVEMBER | 7:00 SAYWECANFLY BLACK TUSK Friday 5 may 7:00 THURSdaY 03 |NOVEMBER | 7:00

DIARY OF DREAMS TELEGRAM & saturday 6 may | 7:00 PHOBOPHOBES PANIC FRI 04 & SAT ROOM 05 NOVEMBER | 6:00 STATIC SHOCK WEEKEND

GIGS OF THE MONTH

Our pick of the best upcoming shows around London

O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE

THE GOOD SHIP

DUA LIPA + OFF BLOOM

TWIN HEART + LILITHS ARMY + A VOID + CUECLICHÉ

April 13th £20adv // @o2sbe

Shepherd’s Bush

April 8th £4adv // @thegoodshipnw6

Kilburn

O2 ISLINGTON ACADEMY LISBON + FEBUEDER DUA LIPA

Angel

THE LEXINGTON

SERVANT JAZZ QUARTERS

ROSE ELINOR DOUGALL

THØSS April 12th £6adv // @ServantJazz

April 13th £8adv // @O2Islington

Dalston Junction / Kingsland

April 13th £10adv // @thelexington

Angel

THE LOCK TAVERN LOCK TAVERN FEST April 14th-16th FREE // @thelocktavern

Chalk Farm / Camden Town

THE SHACKLEWELL ARMS DIY POP FEST: HELEN LOVE + MAMMOTH PENGUINS + MORE April 30th £13adv // @shacklewell Arms

Dalston Junction / Kingsland

THE DOME DREAM WIFE April 27th £8adv // @DomeTufnellPark

BRIXTON WINDMILL PELUCHÈ + DEAD COAST + LES SUEQUES + CALVA LOUISE + MADONNATRON April 14th £9adv // @WindmillBrixton

ROSE ELINOR DOUGALL

Brixton

Tuffnell Park

BOSTON ARMS MUSIC ROOM HANNAH LOU CLARK April 27th £8adv // @BostonMusicRoom

Tuffnell Park

BUSH HALL

MOTH CLUB DRUGDEALER + ALDOUS RH

SEBASTIAN OLZANSKI

April 27th £8adv // @Moth_Club

April 17th £15adv // @Bushhallmusic

Hackney Central

Shepherd’s Bush

THE TOOTING TRAM & SOCIAL

OSLO

LAID BARE + FIIAA

HANNAH PEEL + WOVOKA GENTLE + SARASARA April 12th £10adv // @OsloHackney

Hackney Central

April 27th FREE // @TootingTram

Tooting Broadway

OVAL SPACE

MONTAGUE ARMS

PUMAROSA

SKINNY GIRL DIET April 7th Queens Road Peckham / New Cross Gate £6adv // @Montague_Arms

April 20th £11adv // @OvalSpace

Bethnal Green/ Hoxton

BIRTHDAYS

THE 100 CLUB

SIR WAS + LANDLADY

PART CHIMP April 28th £10adv // @100clubLondon

Tottenham Court Road

April 11th £6 // @_Birthdays

Dalston Junction / Kingsland

HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN

THE GARAGE

XENIA RUBINOS

CHARLOTTE OC April19st £9adv // TheGarageHQ

Highbury & Islington

April 25th £10adv // @HoxtonSquareBar

Old Street

PAPER DRESS VINTAGE LONDON IN STEREO: SECRET HEADLINERS + TONS OF FUN - COME PARTY April 27th £5 // @paperdressed

Hackney Central

THE WAITING ROOM AMA LOU April 4th FREE // @WaitingRoomN16

Dalston Junction / Kingsland

XENIA RUBINOS LiS 49

FULL APRIL LISTINGS Welcome to the full listings for April (and a little bit of May).

In these pages youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find a huge selection of incredible shows happening around London over the coming month. For all the very latest, most up-to-date listings, visit us at londoninstereo.com, plus sign up to our Gigs Of The Week email for a weekly update on the very best shows happening.

Saturday 1st April

Sunday 2nd April

visit londoninstereo.com for all the latest listings, & to sign up to our Gigs Of The Week email

LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo

Monday 3rd April

Tuesday 4th April

WeGotTickets.com | Simple, honest ticketing

FULL APRIL LISTINGS Wednesday 5th April

visit londoninstereo.com for all the latest listings, & to sign up to our Gigs Of The Week email

LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo

Thursday 6th April

WeGotTickets.com | Simple, honest ticketing

FULL APRIL LISTINGS Friday 7th April

Saturday 8th April

visit londoninstereo.com for all the latest listings, & to sign up to our Gigs Of The Week email

LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo Sunday 9th April

Monday 10th April

WeGotTickets.com | Simple, honest ticketing

FULL APRIL LISTINGS Wednesday 12th April Tuesday 11th April

Thursday 13th April

visit londoninstereo.com for all the latest listings, & to sign up to our Gigs Of The Week email

LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo

Friday 14th April

WeGotTickets.com | Simple, honest ticketing

FULL APRIL LISTINGS

Saturday 15th April

Sunday 16th April

visit londoninstereo.com for all the latest listings, & to sign up to our Gigs Of The Week email

LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo

Monday 17th April

Wednesday 19th April

Tuesday 18th April

WeGotTickets.com | Simple, honest ticketing

FULL APRIL LISTINGS Thursday 20th April

Friday 21st April

visit londoninstereo.com for all the latest listings, & to sign up to our Gigs Of The Week email

LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo

Saturday 22nd April

Sunday 23rd April

WeGotTickets.com | Simple, honest ticketing

FULL APRIL LISTINGS

Wednesday 26th April

Monday 24th April

Tuesday 25th April

visit londoninstereo.com for all the latest listings, & to sign up to our Gigs Of The Week email

LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo

Thursday 27th April

LONDON IN STEREO PARTY £5ADV / 7PM / PAPER DRESS

Friday 28th April

WeGotTickets.com | Simple, honest ticketing

FULL APRIL LISTINGS

Sunday 30th April

Saturday 29th April

visit londoninstereo.com for all the latest listings, & to sign up to our Gigs Of The Week email

FULL APRIL LISTINGS Monday 1st May

Wednesday 3rd May

Tuesday 2nd May

visit londoninstereo.com for all the latest listings, & to sign up to our Gigs Of The Week email

04—17 Shacklewell Arms 71 Shacklewell Lane London E8 Thursday 13 April

THE AWAY DAYS Friday 14 April

BLONDI’S SALVATION Saturday 15 April

PAPERHEAD Sunday 16 April

Lanzarote

lanzaroteworks.com #lanzaroteworks

presents

Tuesday 19 April

TONY NJOKU Saturday 29 April

PALM HONEY The Waiting Room 175 Stoke Newington High St N16 Thursday 13 April

SWIMMING TAPES Saturday 15 April

IGUANA DEATH CULT

JON K

The Lock Tavern

INGA MAUER

35 Chalk Farm Rd London NW1 Thursday 13 April

MATTEO VALICELLI (THE SOFT MOON) Friday 14 April

BABE Saturday 15 April

OUR GIRL Sunday 16 April

JOEY FOURR The Montague Arms 289 Queen’s Rd London SE14 Friday 7 April

SKINNY GIRL DIET

Sunday 16 April

Thursday 20 April

CINDY LEE MOTH Club Valette St London E8 Monday 3 April

DRINKS Friday 7 April

ROSS FROM FRIENDS Tuesday 11 April

KAREN ELSON Wednesday 12 April

DRUGDEALER Friday 21 April

CLAP! CLAP

IN LONDON with MR.MITCH Why do you live in London?

I was born here, I’ve pretty much lived in the same 10 mile radius in south-east London my whole life, but London is so multicultural and has so much going on that whenever I think about moving out I get scared about what I’m going to miss out on.

What are your go-to food spots?

Currently have a little obsession with souvlaki, so I’m either getting something from Souvlaki Street on North Cross Road Market or from the Athenian in Shoreditch.

It feels like we’re slowly getting into Spring, does that make a difference to life here?

I get a more legitimate reason to wear sunglasses. There’s a lot more options of things to do with my kids, there’s a lot more green spaces than you’d imagine to visit in London and some of the best parks so it’s a good time to explore them.

I guess it’s a positive, being ‘streetwise’, but I do sometimes wonder what it would feel like to be naive to it all.

What’s the worst thing about living in London?

London paranoia - I think growing up as a kid in London you learn how to handle yourself on the street and how to react in certain situations but that can also lead to this feeling where you’re hyper aware of everything and everyone around you. I guess it’s a positive, being ‘streetwise’, but I do sometimes wonder what it would feel like to be naive to it all.

Any other parts of town you’d want to live in?

To be honest if I was going to live anywhere other than south-east London then it probably wouldn’t be in London. Different parts of London have their own eco-system and I understand south the most.

photo: Piotr Niepsuj

Do you have any favourite venues?

Phonox in Brixton is really nice to play in, good sound, good lighting, good crowd. I’m also a big fan of Rye Wax, the record shop in Peckham that turns to a club, they’ve got a better sound system than a lot of the bigger clubs and it can make for a really nice intimate show.

Does living here influence the music you write?

Most definitely. London is so multicultural and so densely populated that all of the cultures have no choice but to mix together.

So the music here is heavily influenced by its migrant cultures, what I think we’re really good at doing as Londoners is taking influences from the cultures around us and affecting it in a way that it very much sounds like a London sound, a UK sound.

How would you advise someone to get the most out of London?

Living here my whole life there’s so many things on offer that I take for granted simply due to it just always being there. So my piece of advice would be just to explore everything, take in the different cultures, go to the clubs, experience the creativity that the city breeds. Visit the famous sites if you like but don’t let that be the end of it.

LiS 69

Mr.Mitch releases his second album, Devout, April 21st via planet mu.

LIVE: Camden Assembly, April 20th. @mrmitchmusic

LIVE REVIEWS DE LA SOUL ROUNDHOUSE - MARCH 10TH “There are three cycles of hip hop,” preached a peculiar pub local I met in Solihull way back when.

“There’s conscious rap, attitude rap and my particular favourite – party tunes.”

Nigel was his street name; De La Soul was his soirée. He was there when the Long Island trio dropped acclaimed debut, 3 Feet High & Rising on the cusp of hip hop’s golden decade. He spent those 90s drinking, smoking and romping his jolly arse off under sweat-dripping ceilings and Afrocentric cuts filling every house party from the Bronx to Birmingham.

It’s hard not envy him.

And so, it’s of little surprise when I wander into older demographic traffic, congesting Camden’s Roundhouse from bar to barrier.

One glance up at the venue’s structural splendour and warm ambers and purples spill down unto a crowd already jiving this way and that. The stage is empty bar an array of unmanned instruments and a DJ contently spinning Jazz-heavy cuts to keep the crowd on simmer. One man, who could pass for a humanities supply teacher, solely skanks to my right with an infectious smile wrapped across his face. Everyone is happy. And there is no judgement. At all.

One by one, the musicians take to their weapons as the stage illuminates their welcomed entrance. An extended moment of pause. Some dad-banter echoes from the crowd: “GET ON WITH IT!” Thus, with a drum roll to tee up the other band-mates into a full flurry of jazzy goodness, the audience howl in rave anticipation.

And on with, they did get.

We hear Dave and Posdnous before we see them. Backstage shouts of “LONDON!” and “HOW Y’ALL DOING TONIGHT?” are met with wild cheers and wilder dance moves. Upon arrival, with the band in full swing, the crowd erupts with heads and hands bobbing in unison. Pos strolls over to the left, Dave to the right and both begin rallying their segments of the crowd for the night ahead.

“So where’s the party at?” enquires Pos with a shrug of the shoulders.

“I know where the party at, man,” clarifies Dave. “It’s on THIS side of the room!” prompting his half of the Roundhouse to “make some mutha fucking noise.” Pos retaliates a call to arms from his half to, frankly, assure any doubters, that the party is very much so, on his side of the room.

With a food-poisoned Maseo in hospital, De La swap the traditional two-turntables-and-amicrophone formula for a live band with, confusing, but tasty results. Seasoned fans would notice their opening set-list tracks from The Grind Date having to adjust their flow for

LiS 70

photos: Rebecca Hughes

‘Verbal Clap’, ‘It’s Like That’ & ‘Much More’ in sync with the percussion ensemble. It works.

Mainly because their crowd interaction between songs is, as ever, on point: “Say De La, De La, De Laaaaaaaaaaaaah!” and other varieties of the sort.

Running through a classic rendition of ‘Stakes Is High’, Dave endearingly announces his appreciation for their latest crowd-funded LP, And the Anonymous Nobody. He reels off it’s various collaborations before citing one of his “favourite voices in music...” And with that, draped in gold, appears Estelle in all her

Not one soul, flat-cap or receding hairline alike, resists the urge to cut shapes to Gorillaz’ hit single, ‘Feel Good Inc’

glamorous wonder. The stage rings out ‘Memory of...’ ending with the West London singer taking several bows to a jubilant audience.

Dave then counts blessings for a prestigious 29 years in the game; praising the audience left, right, centre and “VIP bullshit” up top.

The crowd reciprocates peace, love and happiness back at them. Crowd-pleasers such as ‘Me Myself & I’ and ‘Ring, Ring, Ring’, keeps the party brewing until another special announcement sees Damon Albarn step forward. Pos and Dave are visibly jesting whilst he awkwardly, yet sincerely, puts De La Soul on the grandest of pedestals in his hip hop hall of fame. “This is family right here...” according to Dave in between a cute cuddle with the Blur front-man.

Not one soul, flat-cap or receding hairline alike, resists the urge to cut shapes to Gorillaz’ hit single, ‘Feel Good Inc,’.

The show ends on a nervous disappointment.

They wave their goodbyes and leave a packed, partying crowd wanting and expecting more.

Three minutes later the house lights and faint jukebox signal the end as the exiting melee squeezes us out into the street untoward event promoters and knock-off merch touts.

It’s easy to forget that De La Soul are knocking on the door of 50. You wouldn’t know it when watching them perform. Pos and Dave ever-smiling and spitting private jokes between themselves. Such a raw enthusiasm to get the crowd involved seems central to what it is to be a Native Tongues advocate.

Back when they sported florescent Adidas tracksuits and Nigel killed the Midlands regional break dance competitions. Now, De La dress less flash and Nigel’s probably signed onto a workplace pension scheme. But the soul of De La and ethos of party rap lives strong. And until the day comes when the legendary hip hop trio hang up their mics, the shows will still sell out and crowds dance until their knees cave.

“Pioneers of party rap,” Nigel calls them.

Can’t disagree. And after that performance, it’s safe to say no one’s done what De La does better than De La do. Word. Khan Solo

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PRESENTS

Ritchie Blackmore’s RAINBOW IN ROCK

PLAYING THE CLASSIC ROCK ANTHEMS OF RAINBOW AND DEEP PURPLE

SPEAK EASY LOUNGE

BIG ENTRANCE STAGE

PHIL NICHOL · RICH WILSON GEOFF NORCOTT · COMEDIANS’ COMEDIAN PODCAST

EVIL BLIZZARD · BUCK & EVANS · MASSIVE MASSIVE WAGONS · DEATH VALLEY KNIGHTS

INDIGO AT THE O2 FROM MIDDAY

SATURDAY 17 JUNE LONDON THE O2 THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN AFTERSHOW

STEVE ‘N’ SEAGULLS

TAKING OVER THE O2 ALL DAY WITH VINYL RECORD FAIR, RARE FILM SCREENING FRINGE STAGES, SPOKEN WORD, COMEDY & BEER GARDEN

STONEFREEFESTIVAL.COM AXS.COM MYTICKET.CO.UK SEETICKETS.COM A KILIMANJARO AND THE O2 PRESENTATION

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT MYTICKET.CO.UK

PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS

by Emma Garland Sometimes I open my inbox and want to spew. Magical tools of communication as they are, emails are the scourge of modern media, as anyone who works anywhere near it will know. There are days I have shown up at work ready to write, as music journalists traditionally like to do, opened Gmail and gone outside to hyperventilate instead. Amid all the press releases for genuinely good stuff and stuff so terrible I want to print the email off just so I can set fire to it myself, there are masses of requests. Requests to go to shows every night of the week.

Requests from people I went to school with asking for favours.

Premieres. My god, the premieres. Then come the messages on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram: “Did you get my email?” I’ve had PRs who, upon getting my out-of-office, decided to call my mobile while I was at a funeral.

Spending 90% of your work life online can be draining and unfulfilling. Having to dedicate a significant portion of your day to telling people “no”, or being on the receiving end of that rejection, will inevitably take a psychological toll. Add pre-existing mental health problems into the mix and what you have is a perfect storm of pressure, guilt and dejection.

Those are the bad days, of course. There are also good requests: enquiries from university students writing their dissertations, kids wanting career advice, offers to get pissed with a celebrity. It’s all part and parcel of the industry as it is and, for the most part, it’s perfectly manageable. Still, there’s only so much anyone can do. It’s tough to keep things in perspective when you spend all day staring at threads of your own conversations, but it’s important to recognise that the world won’t end if you don’t reply to something. The worst that could happen is they might call you on the phone.

Emma Garland is Assistant Editor at Noisey UK. Find Emma on Twitter: @emmaggarland

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PRESENTS

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT MYTICKET.CO.UK

PRESENTS

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT MYTICKET.CO.UK

S.J.M. CONCERTS PRESENTS

PRESENTS SUNDARA KARMA / WILLIE J HEALY & THE NIGHT CAFÉ

PLUS GUESTS

24 MAR / KAMIO

30 MAR / GARAGE

THE NIGHT CAFÉ PLUS GUESTS OUTLYA

11 APR / O2 SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE

PLUS GUESTS

03 MAY / DINGWALLS

PLUS GUESTS

PLUS GUESTS

06 MAY / ROUNDHOUSE

05 MAY / BUSH HALL

PLUS GUESTS

PLUS GUESTS

11 MAY / HEAVEN

17 MAY / KOKO

PLUS GUESTS METHYL ETHEL

PLUS GUESTS THE BLINDERS & STRANGE BONES

16 JUN / O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN

29 JUN / SCALA

0844 811 0051