Relaunch | Issue I by Kaylea Mitchem

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10/11

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PLEDGEMUSIC REVIEW - HYMNS R E C I P E - H U R R AY F O R B E E T R O O T B E S T I VA L IN MIXTAPES WE TRUST SLOW CLUB STRANGE NEWS FROM ANOTHER STAR AT L U S - C AT H E R I N E ENTOURAGE’S SWAN SONG WALKING DEAD COMIC VS TV O N E S T O WAT C H 2 0 2 5 M E R C U RY M U S I C P R I Z E J A C K C O LT M A N YMUSIC DARIA H

Editor: Kaylea Mitchem Designer: Christian Pinchbeck Kaylea Mitchem Writers: Christian Allen Luke Allen Joe Dolling Henry McCaughtrie Eric Robertson Danny Wadeson Christine Cant Mason Moore Emma Dudley Robbie Wojciechowski Ben Adsett Tiffany Daniels Becky Mount Matt Fernell Illustrators: Jack Coltman Leigh Spencer (@leighspencerrr) Bonnie Friend (@BonnieFriend) Daria Hlazatova(@Daria_H) Nicholas Stevenson (@xonicholasxo) Nicholas’ girlfriend Gabby x

Photographers: Anthony Ishinjerro Sofi Lee-Henson Robert Loerzel Special thanks: Tony Moore/Charlie Adlard Steve Boniface (@LabelledIndyPod) Joe Schiavon Cain Luke Myles Palmer Paul from LeftLion (@leftlionlive) Noel Pearce (for providing cat pictures during design week) Onward Olympians Lazy Acre Records Alcopop Records BSM Records Young & Lost Club CLK Printing company (for putting up with my amateurish emails and cheeky askings) Old Blue Last

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All opinions represented in this publication are that of the author, and are not neccessarily that of Risk & Consequence. We’re a free, self-funded ‘zine outfit looking to showcase our love for the things which we love. If you’re offended by open displays of affection, stop reading now.

PLEDGEMUSIC IT’S SAFE TO SAY THAT PUTTING OUT A RECORD COSTS A HELL OF A LOT THESE DAYS AND IT’S CERTAINLY NOT AN EASY TASK. Juliana Hatfield, she of the 90’s indie-rock scene (surely everyone has heard ‘My Sister’?) found herself struggling to fund a new release, a common problem for many. Instead of disappearing into nothingness, she turned to her fan base for a cash boost. The idea was simple; by asking followers to donate money to help her record new material, she offered them access to a wealth of goodies, such as behind the scenes footage of the recording process, as a thank

you. You know what? It worked. Juliana is just one of countless musicians that have had a new breath of life thanks to the generosity of her fans. PledgeMusic began with this very idea in mind. It has now evolved into something much, much bigger and it shows no signs of slowing down. It’s a simple enough concept but one that until now has mostly been ignored, but with countless bands getting involved, that no longer seems to be the case.

it’s a way of fans interacting with bands to help their careers. There are no catches, no hidden fees, no meddling from big-wigs and PR types, just a simple way of giving your favourite artist a leg-up, so to speak. But sceptics begone! It does sound almost too good to be true but it really is that nice and simple a concept. For some extra kudos, realising the do-good potential, PledgeMusic also include the option to donate to charity, a side order of charitable generosity if you like.

So what on earth is PledgeMusic any ways? Well, to put it simply,

With the likes of Crystal Fighters and Emmy the Great jumping

on board, it seems the cause is soon to take over how we interact with our favourite bands. Never before has the industry seen such a close relationship between artist and fan, and it feels long overdue. Whilst it could be easy to think that it’s merely a platform for artists to take advantage of their adoring fans, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Think exclusive tracks, acoustic performances in your living room, Djing at your house party – the sky is the limit as far as rewards go. But there’s no feeling of distance – you honestly feel he/she/they give enough of a damn to want to interact with their fans by providing a party-bag of goodies as a big thank you (although perhaps without a slice of cake and measly balloon).

Although, saying that, Summer Camp have offered their fans mixtapes and home made chocolate brownies in exchange for funding their debut album, ‘Welcome to Condale’, which is released on October 31. With support from fans via Pledge combined with Moshi Moshi, Summer Camp were able to self-release ‘Welcome to Condale’, which they say was an incredible feeling. Summer Camp: “It’s just great, because it allows you to pay for your recording costs (and sometimes other costs too) without going into debt with an evil record label. In our case we’re actually working with a nice record label, so we’ve got the best of

both worlds. Also, it’s meant we’ve grown much closer to the people who like our music. We really feel like we’ve got to know them much better, and vice versa. It’s lovely!” So fans, keep an eye out for your brownies in the post! What started as an opportunity for one artist has blossomed into a fan-bloody-tastic way of struggling artists to continue doing what they love by embracing the modern technologies and their devoted fan bases. Old favourites such as Gang of Four and Cornershop are also involving themselves with the process, showing that Pledge has something for bands old and new alike.

SO COME ON – WHO DOESN’T LIKE THE IDEA OF GETTING INVOLVED WITH A BAND, GETTING FREEBIES AND BEING A DO-GOODER AT THE SAME TIME? by Becky Mount (@BeckyAndTheJets)

SUMMER CAMP 5

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YMN H ~ W

HYMNS HAVE RISEN FROM THE ASHES OF CULT-MATH-ROCK-HARDCOREDEAD-POP ACT BLAKFISH, AND HAVE PUT TOGETHER A DVD EP, WHICH YOU CAN PURCHASE FROM BIG SCARY MONSTERS.

Hymns’ latest release is a beautiful DVD, both in packaging and cinematography. As soon as the home screen loads up you can see the dark element to this exciting two-piece. The title opens with a blurry image of the pair in a church, surrounded by strange, morbidly tainted artefacts, both clutching a bible. The beauty of the filming helps capture the passion of the tracks, it is much more intense to experience than when listening to the audio alone. The fact that these are videos of two people playing is soon lost

in the photographic camera angles with an ever-moving point of view. The clear emotion on Sam Manville’s face is revealed through every syllable of every word, showing how incredibly personal each and every phrase is to him. Combined with the tight drumming from Pete Reisner, it is clear that despite the lack of band members, Hymns create a large sound with a complex atmosphere, something that can be hard to achieve even with a band of twenty members. Bonus features include a video for ‘A Punch To The Temple’, a previously released single, which again paints a beautifully dark picture within a church. With all of this dark imagery it is easy to overlook the brilliance of this pair and see the

well considered image instead, but unlike a lot of styled bands there is an incredible amount of talent to back it up and the image does compliment what they do perfectly. There are very few music DVDs that I will watch more than once, but this has been part of a regular rotation on my watching schedule. The combination of emotion, intelligence and musicianship are combined with images that really do tell a thousand words. by Ben Adsett (@NoMusicalEvil)

HYMNS

HOW TO MAKE A BEETROOT CAKE My family hates beetroot. My Dad can’t stand the taste, my sister thinks it’s odd to eat anything that’s not green or beige, and though my Mum likes our purple coloured friend, she freaks out that we’ll get it on our clothes. Before now she’s gone so far as to cut it up into bite sized portions when she’s served it.

On the other hand I couldn’t live without the best root vegetable this side of turnips. Challenging the existence of the mighty beet is a crime worse than promoting aubergine.

Next time you diss the beetroot, think about what you’re doing:

Velvet cupcakes and the Halloween borscht would become a thing of the past.

Never mind its most common form - pickled, crammed into a jar and stacked on a shelf somewhere like a bloodied Earth foetus. Have you ever had a baked beetroot? It’s like a baked potato, but not so boring you need to add butter, tuna or cheese to make it edible.

Not to mention its non-edible qualities. Tie dying, hair dying, acrylic nail varnish – you name it, the beetroot’s been there, done that. The vegetable was even used as a cure for fevers by the Ancient Romans, and science boffins now claim it prevents liver disease, making it a handy antidote to last night’s mayhem.

If you don’t fall for the taste of bitter soil, think about the beet’s multiple other uses. Without it – and especially after this “no beetles, no E numbers” malarkey - we’d have no red colouring for sweets. Smarties would be resigned to a greyish blue. Bakers everywhere would be in a quandary over their Red

ALL HAIL THE BEETROOT! by Tiffany Daniels (@Drunkenwerewolf)

BEETS AND MOVERS

Prep time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 50 minutes

A 101 TO BEETROOTS IN MUSIC

Ingredients: 125g unsalted butter 75g dark chocolate 300g brown sugar 3 large eggs 225g self raising flour ¼ tsp salt 50g cocoa powder 50g cooked beetroot

Or, something to listen to while you read this feature. Stiff Little Finger – Be True To Yourself Sonny & Cher – The Beat Goes On Laura Stevenson & The Cans – Beets Untitled Whirlwind Heat - Purple Last Gang – Beat of Blue Marina & The Diamonds - Rootless Blondie – Eat to the Beat

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/350F/gas 4 and grease a 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin Peel the beetroot and boil like a potato until you can stab it with a fork easily Melt the chocolate in a heatproof pan with a plastic container bobbing in boiling water Mix the butter, eggs and sugar until blended well Mix in the melted chocolate, then fold in the flour, salt and cocoa powder with a large metal spoon. Stir in the beetroot. Transfer the mix to the cake tin, make a slight dip in the centre with the back of the spoon and bake for 45-50 minutes

‘Eat Beetroot with Your Loved Ones’

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record store and a forest full of mystery back a varied line-up to supply one of the greatest weekends of the summer. The passion put into Bestival can be felt; it’s in its heart, its soul, even the soil that fills the cavernous site. Every intricate detail is adapted to its audience leaving those that buy a ticket each feel special and thought after; something that I feel has been lost amongst the festival rush. And well, that’s the thing, Bestival isn’t scared to be different, it isn’t scared of taking time to do things right and it all shows. Rob Da Bank himself said to us only a few months before the event that a real festival should “Get you immersed”. His biggest direct influence is widely known

as being Glastonbury, and it’s often the most closely compared by festival fans. Though, it’s not like he’s just taken the idea of Glastonbury and turned it into his own thing, he’s adapted it, furthered it, added his own touch and made sure his festival gives punters the same emotions he felt at his first festival. What we need at a time when even some of the most celebrated events aren’t selling out is a mentality more like this. It’s an art putting on a festival, not just a money venture. Bestival isn’t a niche festival, nor is it even close to being one of the biggest, but for me it felt just right; a tightly controlled balance between both parameters.stills surprises me

It still surprises me that people will seemingly pay £50 or odd more to head off to Reading and Leeds, to only experience disappointment after disappointment when something this incredible stands so strongly only two weeks after. But then again, the standard festival fan always has bemused me. With a line-up stronger and more varied than nearly any other this summer, and a base of fans that flock back to the Isle Of White every year – Bestival stands out to me as a modern miracle. It’s brilliant, it’s easy and it works. The secret to a good festival lies in its simplicity. The UK music festival is “a dying breed” says Michael Evis, I beg to differ. It’s brilliant, it’s easy and it works. The secret to a good festival lies in its

simplicity.

A DEATH IS ONLY CALLING TO THOSE WHO NEGLECT THEIR AUDIENCES, AND RIGHTLY SO I BELIEVE.

by Robbie Wojciechowski (@RobbieFlash)

UST S WE TR

As soon as the technology was available, people were making mixtapes all over the place. But why make one? Why not listen to albums by specific artists, or the radio? I’ve been told that the album is a body of work to be enjoyed and digested as a whole, and that to take a track away from its buddies is akin to reading a single verse of Shakespeare out of context. This is, for the most part, complete tripe. A large part of Did you know that approximately 98.7% of people will have either made, received or the mixtape appeal is putting a track into a new setting, sometimes giving a whole new listened to a mixtape at some point in their life (NB: I may or may not have made that meaning to ‘that’ song through juxtaposition. up). Mixtapes are everywhere; even things that don’t appear to be mixtapes are, in fact, mixtapes masquerading as something else. That playlist you made to listen to It is the belief of mixtape enthusiasts (a group of people that apparently do exist) that whilst jogging? That’s not just a couple of upbeat songs played in row, oh no, that’s a the construction of a successful tape is an art form and that the completed tape is in itmixtape my friend. self a piece of art. This is a highly debatable argument. I’m sure anybody who has spent hours pouring over a mix looks upon the fruits of their labour with immense pride, and To understand the mixtape it is best to start at the beginning. It’s the 1980s; the would like to think it says something about them as a person. However, it probably says world has gone to shit in almost every way possible – unemployment is rife, the style little other than ‘I like the kind of music like what’s on this CD’. What creating a mixtape is questionable, er....the coal miners are miffed about something, and the Catholic is, is the chance for those poor talentless souls who have zero musical ability (and I Church has just released the AIDS virus. But out of the dark malaise of the decade firmly include myself amongst these people) to attempt to create some kind of musical the cassette tape had emerged and is staking its claim as the medium of choice for statement. Something that is greater than the sum of its parts, a collection of songs recorded music. In the 80s, not only could you buy Prefab Sprout’s latest album on that, because they were chosen by you and put into that specific order, all of a sudden cassette, but you could also purchase blank ones with which to create your own becomes something meaningful. At least, that’s the dream. playlist. This was a revelation; the mere idea of being able to create a personal radio show of your favourite songs…. Just, wow. And once this ‘piece of art’ has been made, what do we do? We give it to somebody as a gift. In reality the recipient probably doesn’t even want it, but yet we still thrust it upon them announcing ‘I made this for you, full of stuff you’ll really like’. Perhaps I may be being overly cynical and some people do genuinely give mixtapes selflessly, creating The mixtape as we know it was born. a tracklist full of unbearable papp because they know that’s what their friend likes, but I fear this is often not entirely the case. The giving of a mixtape is your chance to show

TAPE

IN MIX

off, to show everybody the cool, unknown bands you’ve been listening to recently. Although you know they’d probably prefer to hear something off the last National album, its far more tempting to put something in by The History of Apple Pie, because, hey, who’s heard of them, right? Then we’re surprised and even a little hurt when they haven’t really listened to it and aren’t heaping praise on us for our impeccable taste and fantastic knowledge, or worse when they flatly refuse to write a 500 word review of the mix, with a track by track breakdown.

rewriting the playlist and changing the order. It’s as if my reputation (what reputation exactly I’m not actually sure) and identity is encapsulated by this set of songs, and it is on this mixtape that I shall be judged as a music fan and human being. A shit effort and I shall be regarded as having shit taste in music and as being a shit human being. I know that this is complete narcissistic rubbish, but I’m sure I am not the only one who has felt this way.....right?

This lack of recognition and basic respect is especially offensive when you consider the time and effort that can go into the construction and production of a mixtape. We’re not talking about randomly picking 11 or 12 tracks here, there is an intense and in-depth selection process that can take weeks to get right. This is after deciding whether or not there is to be a specific theme to the mix. Is it a simple genre theme (all songs are instrumental, country, shoegaze etc etc), a mood (chilled, depressing, upbeat), for a specific purpose (for a friend, party, night driving, sleeping) or is it just songs with girl’s names in the title, or only b-sides, or songs under a minute in length......you get the idea. It’s a fucking minefield.

So what have we learnt? Mainly that people who make mixtapes are abhorrent nerds who become transfixed and obsessed with a playlist very easily, slowly moving a song from track four to track five, then back, then having a little cry, then moving it back to track five again and so on until the end of time.... But in real life this is only a small percentage of the mixtape making whole. Lest we forget the majority who just want their favourite driving songs to have on in the car. Or the lovesick boyfriend who compiles putrid love songs to keep his girlfriend from cheating on him. For some, it is just that, but for some of us the mixtape is much more important than that. It’s an excuse to scour through music libraries, revel in old favourites Even when you’ve got your theme and songs sorted you’ve got to get them in the and delight in new discoveries. If somebody else listens to it and correct order. Now, this is where it can get very messy. From a psychological standpoint, track order is of unfathomable importance. Get it right and you are the ‘Prince manages to find something they like then that’s what makes the whole process worthwhile. After all of the showing off and snobbery of the Mixtape’, lauded by all who hear it. Get it wrong and you are shit on a stick. is stripped away, most people do genuinely just want to share the Despite what Nick Hornby might tell you in High Fidelity, there should be no hard and fast rules to this. Some people like to build it from slow to loud gradually, some music that they think others will enjoy. It can be a geeky pastime, sometimes even downright pretentious, however, maybe, secretly, juxtapose heavy and soft, some tell a story, some take you on a journey, none of that’s why we love it so much. by Matt Fernell these are wrong of course, but to convey it correctly the track order has got to be right. I can honestly say I have spent weeks trying to get a mixtape right, endlessly

Christian Allen chats to Charles of Slow Club about their new album ‘Paradise’ (@ChrisAllen8) Christian: Early days yet, but how’s the tour been so far? Charles: It’s been good. Nottingham was amazing and Birmingham were a rowdy bunch. I felt sorry for the audience because there were a few people talking all the way through the gig (Rebecca later commented on stage that she wanted to ‘people’s elbow’ them) Christian: How was summer as well? Did you manage to do many festivals? Charles: We played Secret Garden Party and that was it really. We were supposed to bring the album out early summer but there were a few delays so we missed the boat for festivals, but we had the summer off which was nice! Christian: So, the album is released this week, and all the reviews are starting to come in. Is that a nervous time for the band? I read a review in the Daily Star of ‘Paradise’ and they called some of the tracks, in a positive way, “songs about granddads” and termed your sound as ‘spooky gospel’. Charles: I don’t get upset about what people write about us, some reviews seem to be just journalists trying to fit in as many idiosyncrasies as possible and they just don’t mean anything. Christian: I’ve seen the album described as sexy… Charles: Maybe, I think the album isn’t as frantic as the first. It got to the point, when we were touring the last album in the U.S, we would just go through the songs really fast and it wasn’t nice at all. So when we were writing the new stuff I think we considered what we wanted to play live more, it isn’t all just one tempo. Christian: From what I’ve heard of the new record it sounds a touch louder, how does it differ from ‘Yeah So’? Charles: The production is quite a lot different. In the period between the first and second album’s we learnt how to demo our own stuff and to use recording equipment so we could get our ideas down. I think that was our problem before, translating what we wanted the songs to sound like to a producer or engineer. Christian: How was the process recording this album, working with a new producer in Luke Smith?

Charles: It was great. He’s become a close friend of ours as well; he’s a really interesting guy and brings a lot to the table in terms of sound and ways of recording it. It just felt fun, which is the most important thing.

Christian: After this U.K tour are you then heading off to North America? Charles: I think we’re playing New York and Los Angeles in November, just a short week-long trip. Hopefully Europe in December and we’ve been talking about going to Australia and Japan in January. We’ve been really lucky in the sense that the album is coming out in all these places Christian: One thing that really interests me with a 2nd album is that the 1st album is really just getting down the songs you’ve been playing for three or four at the same time, whereas the first album was released in stages. So hopefully this time we can tour this album for a year and then start the years. How different was it writing for the 2nd album, were you writing it whilst next one! touring the 1st and are the themes a departure from ‘Yeah So’? Charles: We were like 17 when we wrote that album whereas now we’re 23/24 so we’ve been through and seen a lot more. We’ve been able to travel to some Christian: Finally, what’s the best thing about being in a band? [At this amazing places and see some amazing bands and that’s made us appreciate point Frankie & The Heartstrings come over to say hello] Is it being recogdifferent types of music. Becki’s really into R’n’B and I really like Grizzly Bear, nised by these, your contemporaries? Dirty Projectors and a lot of New York Bands which maybe came through in the Charles: I guess being able to record and document what you’re doing. recording, we knew we didn’t have to make an acoustic record. It’s an amazing thing to be able to be in a band for a living because there are so many people that make music. I quite like the idea that everyone, if they wanted to, could make a record. Christian: On this tour you’re selling a split solo 7”. How did that come about? Charles: It was actually our manager’s idea. He knew we both wanted to do our own thing so he suggested that we both do a solo album and release them together. But when we started doing it we thought there’s no way we could do a whole record by September! But it was a breath of fresh air. Christian: As for the album package as a whole, did you have a hand in the artwork and the video or the single? Charles: Yeah we did the artwork together; I did the front cover when we were mixing the album. The two videos were done by Lucy Mead who did two off our previous album as well; she’s an awesome director and has some great ideas, sometimes really simple like the Charleston dance in ‘Two Cousins’ but brilliant at the same time.

some reviews seem to be just journalists trying to fit in as many idiosyncrasies as possible and they just don’t mean anything.

INTERVIEW - STRANGE NEWS FROM ANOTHER STAR Emma Dudley interviews Jimmy from Strange News From Another Star, a double denim-wearing three-piece from Wales. (@Axania) Emma. What was the influence behind the name? Was it the Blur song or the German author, Hermann Hesse? Jimmy. Initially it was the Blur song, but I read the short stories and they seemed to fit well into the band. I also promised myself that if I was ever in a band I would call it ‘Strange News From Another Star’, since 1997 I believe! Emma. It’s your third year of band-dom, has anything changed since the start? Jimmy. Harry and I started the band in 2007, and we were mainly a blues covers band. Mark joined in 2009 completely changing the band, directing it towards what it is now. I don’t think we would be here now if it wasn’t for Mark. Emma. Any future plans for the band? Jimmy. We recorded another EP alongside the one we released last year, which is yet to be released. There’s also a split single with Samoans due to be released, amongst writing lots of new songs so that we can change the set list up a bit at gigs.

Emma. What are the best and worst gigs you’ve ever played together? Jimmy. At the 2009 SWN festival, we played a set list of new songs, which went down really well. The worst has to have been in Buffalo Bar; I cried onstage after I couldn’t change my broken guitar strings. I do tend to cry at gigs… Emma. What was the defining moment; the one that made you realise SNFAS is a band? Jimmy. SWN festival as I just mentioned, the fans who you grow to recognise from previous gigs, and the positive feedback we get. It’s also hugely different to playing with Future of the Left (Jimmy’s other band). Emma. Are there any positives/negatives to playing in two bands? Jimmy. I’ve learned a lot from Falco (FOTL singer); his writing and recording process, gig etiquette… I’ve been very lucky in that there haven’t been any band clashes. One of the negatives is your usual management company gripes. Emma. Do you think the Welsh music scene is evolving, with more Welsh festivals and bands? Jimmy. The bands seem to come across more American these days… not like in the 90s where you had Catatonia and Manic Street Preachers. I am, however, a big fan of Winter Villains.

Emma. What’s your thought process when you’re onstage? Jimmy. Supergrass > does the guitar sound right? > self pity. A gig, to me, is almost like being in a fitness session; sometimes I do just get depressed! Emma. So you’re going to the Ukraine at the end of the month, how did that come about? Jimmy. Fashoda Crisis sorted us out, we’re playing 7 gigs in 7 days! Emma. And are you still recording an EP for SWN? Jimmy. Yes! We have five completely new tracks, which we are recording next week in time for SWN, and we’ll be playing some new songs in our set too.

Catherine, Atlus, and your best worst nightmare.

RI E H T CA

Freud is responsible for a lot in modern culture, but a jobbing psychoanalysis student might not expect to look for him in a modern day computer game developed by a Japanese RPG developer. Well, I have my suspicions that at least one of the lead writers of Atlus is a full-on Freudian. That’s because, following on from the Persona series (where characters literally become trapped in their own repressed subconscious until they can reconcile with it), Catherine is a story about growing up and accepting (or rejecting) the marital responsibility that is expected of you by society. It’s also a fucked up horror/puzzle game about pushing loads

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of blocks around, dodging giant sheep, and cocktail trivia. And last, but not least, it’s potentially the saviour of grown-up modern story telling in this generation of video games. That’s Atlus for you folks. The game begins with our protagonist Vincent being harangued into the long-term by his chic but career driven girlfriend Katherine (note the K). Vincent’s very masculine indecision is explored in the context of a spate of unexplained deaths of young men, all found in their beds; a sinister backdrop that becomes, inevitably, Vincent’s own obsession. Caricatured blonde bombshell Catherine (with a C) compounds Vincent’s inner turmoil by waking up in his bed one morning, a deceptive doe-eyed catalyst, should you so choose over the course of the game, for

his downfall and self-delusion or for his renewed sense of love for his would-be fiancé. Now, the sumptuous, handcrafted visual style animated by Studio 4°C (the studio behind the profoundly moving Tekkonkinkreet) not withstanding, and forgetting the compulsive, left-field and at times downright terrifying gameplay, Catherine is a unique game, and the morality system is the true cause célèbre. Whereas games such as Bioshock demonstrated that complex moral decisions have no meaningful impact on gameplay and/or can be reduced to a coloured bar for your reference, Catherine is that rare beast; a game that doesn’t signpost what your choices will affect, or have a ‘right’ answer. Ok granted, the coloured bar is still there, but in moments of crisis your current

moral standing affects Vincent’s internal monologue and eventually (although I’m yet to pinpoint exactly the branches which truly decide this) which of the eight endings you’ll experience. Playing (and experiencing) Catherine feels like a bizarre hybrid of book, anime, and freakish Jenga. It makes demands of you; not just suspension of disbelief but that you ask hard questions of yourself, and of what a videogame should feel like. So, if you have a PS3, import it (Catherine currently has no UK/EU release date) and if you have an xbox, cross your fingers, watch a fucked up horror film whilst playing Jenga just before bed, and you just might get lucky. by Danny Wadeson (@Dannythe405)

A lifestyle is a terrible thing to waste... Entourage sings its swan song. At the time of writing, there is just one episode of Entourage to go. Gutted. My best mate Adam introduced me to it within a few months of starting University. It as often been described as ‘Sex and the City for men’ and that’s probably a fairly accurate description. The premise involves Vincent Chase, a young, clean-cut actor who receives his big break in Hollywood, and begins to nervously navigate the opportunities and pitfalls of life in Los Angeles. As the title suggests, he his joined by a group of friends, who not only share the high-life with Vince but also attempt to keep him grounded. Entourage has been praised for its accurate, if not slightly knee-jerk representations of the film industry, and one of the best things about the show is the way that it mixes real stars with fictional characters through frequent cameo roles, seamlessly woven into the narrative. Particularly effective amongst these are Andrew Dice Clay, as a washed-up comedian, and troubled porn star Sasha Gray, who is a bad influence on Vince in season seven, during which he becomes a cocaine-addled mess. This is of course a fairly regular convention in TV these days, but besides Extras no one else does it with as much panache. Mark Wahlberg had a large part in the conception of the show, alongside Doug

Ellin, with the premise originally being based upon Wahlhberg’s experiences in Boston, but with less of the drugs and crime. Still, Beverly Hills life is truly glamourised, with foul language, sex and drugs aplenty. Exploring the darker side of Hollywood’s elite, Entourage satirizes the murky scrapes the eponymous ensemble find themselves in. Wahlberg even makes a handful of appearances in the show himself, occasionally popping up to play golf with the boys. Entourage is probably one of the best shows to watch with your friends. The group’s closeness really shows; the four guys bounce off each other with their banter and unbreakable unity. It is feel-good TV at its best. I say four guys, but in truth it’s five once you factor in Vince’s agent; the outspoken, foul-mouthed and utterly lovable Jewish chauvinist Ari Gold (played impeccably by Jeremy Piven. He is undoubtedly the most memorable character in the whole saga and thoroughly quotable (despite turning the air blue in doing so). However, despite the outrageous front, Ari reveals his softer side on the odd occasion, and equates to a complex and involving character, particularly in the current season. His fierce dedication and loyalty to his favourite client Vinny is admirable and plays out as TV gold. Despite Ari stealing the show, the rest of the cast still represent. The pretentious but passionate director Billy Walsh (based on the enigmatic Vincent Gallo) is another highlight; similarly strong willed and full of self belief. The host of minor players and bit parts deserve a very honourable mention too – despite not having the space to give them all their proper due.

There are talks of a film in the works, which (if it comes to fruition) will be out in 2012/13, and will presumably wrap up the whole story. Obviously I’m praying it will make it to our cinemas. If not, there is literally one episode of Entourage left for me and the other die-hard fans to indulge ourselves in. It’s been a hell of a ride, and I’m sure the season will end on as much of a high as the previous ones have. So, if you haven’t watched Entourage before, even if you’ve merely dabbled, treat yourself and dive in properly, preferably with your best buddies. Just like one of the show’s old taglines asserts about the subject of fame: it’s more fun with your friends.

by Luke Allen

THE WALKING DEAD HALLOWEEN IS FAST APPROACHING AND SOON WE’LL BE ON THE RECEIVING END OF A BARRAGE OF TERRIBLE HORROR FILMS AND TV SERIES’. However, there is good news on the horizon; season two of AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’ will soon be returning to our screens. With the news that the show’s producer Frank Darabont (of Shawshank Redemption fame) has left the show, you’d be quick to think that this season will not be as good as the previous one. Well, I don’t know. It is, of course, theoretically possible that the show will not come close to the likes of season one, the pilot episode being as close to perfect as it could be, but, where the show MIGHT fail, the comic series, written by Robert Kirkman, will only continue to get better. Fans of both the show and the comic know the story already, but for those who don’t… Protagonist Rick Grimes is shot, falls into a coma and wakes up to a zombie apocalypse. What follows is one of the most compelling, interesting and brutal stories perhaps put to page. The

freedom afforded to the medium of comic allows the writer and artists to explore themes that simply cannot be shown on mainstream television and would be criticised in Hollywood. That’s not to say that the comic is all blood & guts and sex & violence, there is lots of that, but in the comic, the characters develop personalities through longer narrative arcs, significantly more-so than their television counterparts. Without spoiling anything, as the comic progresses, it becomes more about the survivors than the zombies. They each have to deal with decisions that ultimately result in death, (of each other), the ending of friendships, and the change of societies rules; for season two, The Governor will make an excellent onscreen villain. The man is an absolute bastard. For fans of comics, The Governor is a harder character to read, than, say, The Joker, who is amusing in a sick kind of way and makes for some of the most compelling and intense scenes in Batman, or Ozymandias from Watchmen, who is essentially a villain for ‘the greater good’. No, The Governor is shown to be the WORST type of man. He’s opportunistic, sadistic and calculating; a fantastic character that really needs a bigger

audience than just fans of the comic. The Governor definitely isn’t for everyone, but to see a villain given power and free reign over the protagonists whilst stripped of any sympathy-evoking qualities is a refreshing take on story-telling, and deserves to be seen. But, zombies are what drew me to the comics and zombies are what drew fans to the TV series. These aren’t the zombies seen in the new Dawn of the Dead, or the evolving zombies of recent Romero films, no; we have classic, flesh eating, slow, dangerous and terrifying-in-packs zombies. Although reduced to the background, they are a constant threat, and the impact that they have is seen throughout the comics, and hopefully will come through in the series.

If you can’t wait or are looking to get into something different, give the comics a look. You won’t be disappointed.

by Henry McCaughtrie (@HenryPopClub)

The Walking Dead is a tremendous series in both the television and print medium. Even my Mother is looking forward to the new series!

ONES TO WATCH: 2025 AS SOMETHING OF A SEASONED ART FOLLOWER AND COMMENTATOR, THIS ETCHING PRESENTS ME WITH AN ARTISTIC CREATION OF STAGGERING ORIGINALITY AND SETTLES ITSELF INTO AN ARTISTIC OEUVRE ALL OF ITS OWN. Titled as ‘Toad Duke’ by its young creative, this creature emerges from the page as a fearsome effigy, a beastly thing; not to be reckoned with in a dark bar/pub or err, swamp anytime soon. Its artistic merits are numerous; the amount of expression in the 1-D character outdoes its paper-based confines. Whether or not the tongue that protrudes from its shoulder, or mouth, is a tongue at all is not important and if the mini-beast at the bottom left of the paper is just that or merely an adornment to his murky jacket is by the by. The eye commands your fear right from your chest. A master of fear, both artist and creation; an excellent rendition in pure and simple pencil. Wherever he’s from, he’s truly a formidable paper-based foe.

Another, fine command of the pencil here; with so much expression it really is impressive for one so young. Based on the Manga style drawings of Japanese descent we have here an example of the jittery giggling girl; but who am I to judge who she really is and how this little lady really feels in this snapshot? The nicest thing about this piece is the graceful placement of the little lady’s right hand behind her back, giving us a sense that she is giggling at something that perhaps she shouldn’t; a really great touch. THE RENDERING OF THE HAND THAT WE CAN SEE HOWEVER IS REALLY QUITE ESTEEMED; HANDS BEING ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT AND DEFEATING OF ALL THINGS IN THE ARTIST’S WORLD TO GET RIGHT.

Left: Miles Calvert Right: Lana Calvert Words: Christine Cant

Does winning the Mercury Music Prize make you bland and awkward? So, PJ Harvey won the annual Mercury Award for her eighth studio album ‘Let England Shake’, 10 years after her first win for ‘Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea’. Does this win signal a change in direction for the approbation of music or is it just another disjointed year in the prize’s history? It’s always intriguing to try and define what musical success actually is. There’s no doubt that ‘Let England Shake’ is a good album made by PJ Harvey at her creative peak and documenting the rough elegance of today’s England through musings on love, war and politics. However, its sales weren’t as rampant as Adele’s ‘21’, and the direction arguably wasn’t as visionary as James Blake’s self-titled debut. Does this then mean that Mercury’s judges are conceited; the type of people that wouldn’t be caught dead listening to a ‘commercially viable’ and ‘accessible’ artist such as Adele? The music industry readily hypes an artist to the point of over-saturation but as soon as they receive widespread critical and/or public acclaim they are quick to shoot them down. We’re all guilty of it. After Elbow’s win in 2008, critics were declaring them as ‘inspirational’ and just recently, in the past year they’ve been described as ‘boring’. The XX (2010’s winners) were seen as unique, even

revolutionary – others emulating the experimental minimalism were then often passed off as dull too. It puts it all into context that one of this year’s nominees, the perhaps even more risky James Blake, was cited as ‘bland’ and ‘awkward’ by influential publications such as the NME. It’s open to debate as to whether we choose the music we like or whether it’s chosen for us. Sales of ‘Let England Shake’ are up 1000% since the win – does this hint that we’re told what to like? Maybe it’s true and we need some form of standardised declaration that says, “Good album, now buy it.” I suspect this is what music journalism boils down to. All of this is food for thought, of course. Whichever way you cut the cake, all of the artists nominated this year are credible and successful in their own right, and PJ Harvey is no exception. Cynicism aside, I still believe The Mercury Awards reflect the widespread ascendancy of British music.

by Joe Dolling (@DollingJoe)

STUPID THINGS PEOPLE SAY AT GIGS #01: READING FESTIVAL 2011 A couple of young boys trying to push in front of me eager to get closer to the stage for Jarvis Cocker and co. Being a stubborn so-and-so I wasn’t going to let them pass and realising the futility in what they were doing, they decided to stay put and stand behind me and wait in excitable anticipation for Pulp’s headlining set. Boy A: Woo-hoo, yeah, Pulp! Boy B: Yeah, Pulp, this is going to be great, woo-hoo! Cue Pulp coming on stage and launching in to an explosive Do You Remember The First Time? Boy A: Erm, I don’t actually know any Pulp songs... Boy B: No, me neither. Boy A: Shall we go somewhere else? Boy B: Yeah.

Comix Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d Like To See. Jackcoltman.blogspot.com

CUPPA-CAKE (LOVE IN A MUG) in the middle of the night for cuddles, and relentlessly pawed at your face until you pet her. Maybe there’s no reason at all, and you’re just in a foul one. We’ve all been there. There’s only one thing that can possibly help you in these times of desperation, and that my friend, is cake. It’s a foolproof recipe (pun) for happiness! It was just the other day that I needed something, anything with sugar; but thanks to my mum’s new adoption of a low-calorie diet, anything bearing even the slightest resemblance to sugar is forbidden within a 50 metre radius of our house...

There will be times when we feel low, we’ve all felt it and it’s inevitable that we’ll feel it again. Perhaps you’ve had a bad day at work, school/college/uni, or perhaps you’ve been stood up AT. ALL. TIMES. by a friend. Perhaps your cat woke you up

Instructions: Add 6 tablespoons of self raising flour (or the sifted plain flour and baking powder) to a mug. Add the sugar, mix. Add a dash of vanilla essence, and add 1 egg, whisk using a fork. Ensure all of the flour is mixed. If the mixture is too tough, add a dash of warm water to soften. Keep stirring, and add 3-4 tablespoons of milk (bit by bit) until the mixture becomes thick and runny. Stop if you think the mixture is just right!

Pop it into the microwave for 3 minutes, or until you can see the mixture rise above the top of the mug and it does not fall when you open the microwave door. If you fancy a chocolate cake, add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and only 4 tablespoons of flour! ENJOY! by Mason Moore (@MasonMoore)

What you need: 6 tablespoons of self raising flour (if you don’t have any, sifted plain flour and ¼ teaspoon of baking powder) 2 heaped tablespoons of sugar Vanilla essence (optional) 1 egg 4 tablespoons milk Microwave

yMUSIC

Few people are as well-equipped to discuss the relative health of classical music (both philosophically and from experience) as Nadia Sirota. The radio presenter and viola wunderkind is in high demand across the United States both as a soloist and ensemble member. As a part of indie-classical powerhouse ensemble yMusic, she has shared the stage with everyone from Owen Pallett to My Brightest Diamond and premiered concert works by the likes of Annie Clark (St. Vincent) and Richard Reed Perry (Arcade Fire), both of which were commissioned specifically for yMusic by Bryce Dessner (The National). So her willingness to brush off that most dismal of Lebrechtian laments—’classical music is dying’—as one of life’s little annoyances comes as no surprise. ‘The same half century...has heard everyone and their mom talk about why “classical music is dying”, which is obviously tired and boring and has been said since before I was born and I don’t believe it’s true’. And, from what I can tell, she is absolutely right. She and her yMusic cohorts certainly aren’t at a loss for projects to work on, including the newest My Brightest Diamond album All Things Will Unwind (Asthmatic Kitty), which was written especially to be performed by yMusic.

‘It’s one of the cool things about this group, that everyone is doing a million things. It’s also the biggest challenge of the group, because we all have so many different projects that we’re working on’. So, in a summer stacked with a seemingly endless array of collaborations and premieres, recording sessions and festival appearances, it’s a wonder that yMusic have managed to find the time to record a debut album of their very own, Beautiful Mechanical, for New Amsterdam Records. But, far from the typical chamber music record (or the cringe-worthy classical crossover), Beautiful Mechanical is an album set to turn the classical music world—a community as given to self-satisfied navel gazing as a bunch of octogenarian hipsters—on its well-tempered ear. That’s because yMusic have never been about ‘slumming it the indie world’ or sanitising second-rate radio hits for opera divas desperate to feel relevant. The group, who first worked independently with innovative artists on every side of the musical fence and formed with the intent to ‘bring the highest level of musicianship to all of those really exciting collaborators and exciting types of music’. And it’s that passion for innovation and execution that has made

yMusic such a hot commodity and their debut LP one of the most important releases of 2011. Featuring new concert works by Annie Clark (St. Vincent), Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond), and Ryan Lott (Son Lux), as well as new classical mainstays Judd Greenstein, Gabriel Kahane, and Sarah Kirkland Snider (whose song cycle Penelope, a collaboration with Shara Worden, caught the attention of everyone from NPR to Pitchfork in 2010), yMusic have succeeded in doing what few artists have ever even dared attempt. In establishing an environment in which no one contributor has any advantage (real or perceived) over another, Beautiful Mechanical finally sets composers and songwriters on equal footing.

more in common than a 28-year-old composer and a composer from 1725’. And this fall, yMusic are poised to close what little gap remains..

by Eric Robertson (@TheIndieHandbk)

‘[P]eople have sort of puzzled out this difference between a songwriter and a composer and I think—especially on this record— there really is none. We wanna put that out there. Every single person, be it a songwriter or a composer from whatever side of whatever has written us a piece of chamber music and there is absolutely no difference in this context’. Now, with like-minded festivals popping up all over the US, a growing audience in Europe and the UK, and limitless access to every kind of music via the internet, chances are, this is only the beginning. After all, according to Sirota, ‘there’s a way in which a 28-year-old composer and a 28-year-old songwriter have way

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Daria Hlazatova. I live in Ukraine and have a particular passion for drawing and making handmade collages. I live in a hilly city near Carpathian mountains, but the view from my window is rather dull. As a child I dreamt to become an oceanologist, but I have only one marine diver and a dozen of artists in my family so my art genes won over. I find inspiration in travelling, music, fairy-tales, theatre and animals. So my art is mostly about all these things put together with a wee bit of nonsense. These are my animals, in love. (@Daria_H)

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A container (I used an empty, clean, dry soup can) Strong glue 1. Cut the design (opposite) so that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s detached from the magazine 2. Make sure your tube is dry! 3. Glue the edges of the paper 4. Stick to container. Eaaaaasy. You can colour it in if you really want to. Enjoy!

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