SNACK magazine: July 2021 – Issue 29

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CONTENTS WHAT'S ON

P8

HANG – Fringe of Colour Films – Edinburgh Science Festival – Jupiter Rising

INTERVIEWS

P14

LoneLady – Dot Allison – Nova Helen Sedgwick – Ben Sharrock – Adam Stafford

FOOD & DRINK P34 Food & Drink News – Vegan Flammkuchen

LGBT+ P38 Blood Donation Equality – The (Not) Gay Movie Club

REVIEW P42 John Gerard Fagan – Elizabeth Macneal – Book Klub – Brat Coven Ross Wilcock – John Tejada & Ulrich Krieger – I See Islands – Denise Chaila Swim School – Wojtek the Bear – Shambolics – Check Masses – Dot Allison Wynona – Walt Disco – Limbo – In the Earth – Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart + more

WORDS

CREDITS Editor/Sales: Kenny Lavelle Sub Editor: Leona Skene Food and Drink Editors: Emma Mykytyn and Mark Murphy LGBT+ Editor: Jonny Stone Design: Kenny Lavelle Cover photo credit: Alex Hurst To advertise in SNACK hello@snackpublishing.com 0141 632 4641 SNACK is a supporter of the global Keychange movement.

Disclaimer: Snack Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of this magazine in part or in whole is forbidden without the explicit written consent of the publishers. Every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the content of this magazine but we cannot guarantee it is complete and up to date. Snack Publishing Ltd. is not responsible for your use of the information contained herein.

Hello and welcome to issue 29 of SNACK, It has finally happened. We're back, baby! You're holding in your hand the first print edition of SNACK since March 2020. In the depths of lockdown, it’s fair to say, there were times where it felt like it would never happen and we're feeling grateful that we're able to return to our roots as a real-life paper and ink magazine.

Thank you to everyone who has helped in getting us from there to here.

Readers, contributors, fantastic sub-editors, designers, advertisers (check them out and spend money with them if you can), friends and family, all the artists we’ve worked with and everyone else who stuck with us throughout, thank you.

Enough with the navel-gazing. There’s plenty to be getting on with and this month’s issue has plenty to keep you occupied. First up, we spoke to Julie Campbell aka LoneLady to find out more about the creation of her brilliant new album Former Things – it’s a definite album of the year contender and you’ll find out more about it on page 14. We also caught up with 2020 Say Award winner Nova to ask about her new EP, WWND?, and her upcoming show at the inaugural HANG hip hop and grime event in Glasgow‘s SWG3.

Elsewhere, we speak to Ben Sharrock about his brilliant new film Limbo, and Adam Stafford gives us his top climate crisis films to celebrate the impending release of his new album, Trophic Asynchrony.

As for the rest, just dig in. We hope you find much to enjoy.

Stay safe, and we’ll see you in August.

Kenny Lavelle Editor

CONTENTS WHAT’S ON INTERVIEWS This summer, explore FOOD & DRINK what’s on your doorstep!

Discover Glasgow LGBT+ in 21 stops!

EVENTS | PAGE 06

BAXTER DURY, MITCHELL MUSEUM | PAGE 12

ONE CANNONMILLS, ALSTON | PAGE 36

MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR Hello. Welcome to issue 28 of SNACK. ITDV, INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY, NEWS | PAGE 46

Scan to book Book now at citysightseeingglasgow.co.uk

WHAT’S ON GUIDE CITY BREAKZ

Scottish tour – 16th July till 14th August Edinburgh-based dance collective Room 2 Manoeuvre present an outdoor hip hop led trail.

Performers armed with a linoleum patch and sound system spring up in unexpected locations across towns and cities, juxtaposing dance and environment to inspire urban landscape and space for creativity.

HANG – HIP HOP & GRIME SWG3, Glasgow – Saturday 31st July This educational and cultural programme supporting artists, empowering members and celebrating Scotland’s diverse hip hop and grime communities has revealed its full online and live line-up. And it's one not to miss.

Key speakers Tiffany Calver (BBC Radio 1Xtra's Rap Show), Aberdeen MC Ransom FA, Nova and Darren McGarvey are joined by industry experts, including Vic Galloway and Henca Maduro. There will also be community workshops and sessions, from breakdancing with Tesko and Shelltoe Mel to spoken word from Becci Wallace and Empress and DJ sets from Steg G and DIJA. The event will culminate with a live showcase from Nova, India Ros3, Bemz and Mistah Bohze officialsama.com/hang Photo credit: India Ros3

KARLA BLACK: SCULPTURES (2001–2021) Fruitmarket Gallery – 7th July till 24th October, 11am – 6pm Edinburgh’s contemporary art centre reopens on 7th July after a £4.3m redesign, featuring a presentation of work by Karla Black. Spanning all gallery spaces, Black’s signature colour and experimental forms have been given free rein to create raw energy in pristine new spaces, featuring works made over the last twenty years alongside new, site-specific sculptures as a direct response to the new gallery.

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India Ros3

FRINGE OF COLOUR FILMS Online – 1st till 15th August Returning for its second online arts festival, 23 unique films from 8 different countries explore creating work in the digital age through a range of genres and themes, from comedy sketches to documentary and migration and ritual to identity and afrofuturism. It's just £10 for a Standard Pass, £5 for a Concession Pass, and £50 for an Organisation Pass. All films for Fringe of Colour 2021 will have English captions or subtitles, BSL interpretation, and audio descriptions.

Keep an eye on their socials for more info. fringeofcolour.co.uk

Hame’ll Dae Me 16th – 25th July 2021

Streaming a mix of local and national artists that will create a performance experience in your own home.

To get your tickets, visit: www.dgartsfestival.org.uk @dgartsfest #dgartsfest #HamellDaeMe

EDINBURGH SCIENCE FESTIVAL Until 11th July There’s still time to enjoy the 33rd edition of the biggest celebration of science online and in person, and to engage with a world-class line-up highlighting the urgency of tackling the climate crisis and evidencing how science binds us together. Look out for the Syncrasy exhibition at Summerhall, to interact with physical matter, aethereal spaces and the limits of human perception. sciencefestival.co.uk

A new event for Scotland’s hip hop and grime communities Saturday 31 July 2021 ONLINE 11:00-20:00 SWG3 20:00-22:00 FEATURING:

TIFFANY CALVER (BBC RADIO 1XTRA) & SHEREEN CUTKELVIN (BBC MUSIC INTRODUCING) Bemz | India Ros3 mISTAh bOhzE | NOVA & more

What’s on by Lindsay Corr Page 9

JUPITER RISING

DAUGHTERS OF THE SEA

Jupiter Artland – 27th and 28th August After last year’s event was scuppered, this outdoor arts and music festival returns for two nights, limited to 1,000 guests, with a delightfully diverse line-up. Free Love, Rachel Aggs, bbymutha, Pictish Trail, Lady Neptune, and Fimber Bravo are included in the music line-up and there’s moving-image work from April Lin, Fastwürms and award-winning Alberta Whittle. As a front runner in the welcome return of live music in Scotland, this is a must-not-miss. jupiterrising.art

Coast Gallery – 24th July till 18th September Dunbar’s picturesque seaside gallery headlines prominent Scottish artists Jackie Henderson and Rosanne Barr. Their contrasting styles combine to explore the sea, with Henderson’s realistic, tranquil landscapes contrasting with Barr’s abstract strokes on canvas.

Photo credit: Aly Wight Photography

Jupiter Rising

JOAN EARDLEY The Scottish Gallery - 30th July till 28th August Nearly six decades after her death, Eardley's works remain powerful. The artist broke with tradition both professionally and personally, exploring cultural identity and the destructive and regenerative power of nature amidst the mid-20th century 'macho' Scottish art world. Eardley’s Glasgow is one of the central themes, alongside childhood innocence and the challenges of urban life. These are juxtaposed with her works from Catterline, presenting powerfully physical depictions of North East Scotland’s wild coastal landscapes.

ARBROATH FESTIVAL 2020+1 2nd July till 19th September This rescheduled celebration of the 701st anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath offers an explosion of creativity this summer, with live performance, cultural trails, exhibitions and family events championing creativity in the region. New commissions by internationally-renowned Scottish artists unite past, present and future, such as Pageant for Gallivants (a series of micro events, installations and performances adaptable to current restrictions whilst putting culture in the heart of the community).

Joan Eardley: Girl with a Poke of Chips

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EXCELLING THROUGH CONFIDENCE AND SONGWRITING ACUMEN

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LAST NIGHT FROM GLASGOW ARE RAPIDLY ESTABLISHING THEMSELVES AS ONE OF THE KEY LABELS - RECORD COLLECTOR JOIN US AT : WWW.LASTNIGHTFROMGLASGOW.COM

What’s on by Lindsay Corr Page 11

DOONHAME FESTIVAL The Crichton, Dumfries – 30th-31st July The end of July sees Doonhame Festival return to the stunning grounds of The Crichton in Dumfries with a nice mixture of big name crowd pleasers and local grassroots talent. For this year’s festival, camping has been added to the mix for the first time, making it a real option for central belters to make their way down to the borders for the full weekend. Headlining this year’s event are Kaiser Chiefs, along with The Feeling, Hayseed Dixie, Bad Manners, Skerryvore, and Toploader. You can also catch festival favourites Tom McGuire & The Brassholes along with Colonel Mustard & The Dijon 5, fresh from releasing their second album The Difficult Number 2. There's plently of local and grassroots talent to check out too. Adult weekend tickets are just £90 plus your camping fee, and kids' weekend tickets are just £35. Fancy a wee weekend away? doonhamefestival.co.uk

DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY ARTS FESTIVAL 16th till 25th July The 42nd rurally-focused showcase continues its tradition to tick all the boxes, blending music, theatre, dance, comedy and spoken word.

With the central theme of 'Hame’ll Dae Me', the programme celebrates both burgeoning and established talent from the region, featuring an outdoor travelling stage, pop up performances in unexpected locations and an engaging digital line-up. Events include theatre, with ‘Deliverance’ from Vanishing Point and Brite Theater which is a performance by you, about you and delivered straight to your door, while ‘Distance Remaining’ shares the story of three lost souls making a break for freedom. ‘Weavers of Grass’ from Bare Boards explores ancient traditions in multi-media performance with acclaimed harper Wendy Stewart and award-winning poet Chrys Salt. dgartsfestival.org.uk

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DRINK IN THE BEAUTY GOMA, Glasgow – 4th June till 23rd January, 11am to 4pm The first showcase celebrating GoMA’s 25th anniversary year, this exhibition provides a platform for nine female artists. Representing landscape, geology, and climate justice, the collection is inspired by Rachel Carson’s groundbreaking ‘Silent Spring’. The title, taken from a Carson quote, underpins the exhibition’s aim of inspiring us to think about our connections to nature and to challenge global injustices. It features rare work by Anna Atkins and recent acquisitions of work by Carol Rhodes.

An online arts festival for us by us #FringeOfColourFilms2021

01-15 AUGUST

FRINGE OF FRINGE COLOUR FILMS 2021FIL COLOUR CRYPTIC ART EVENTS Online, CCA Glasgow, and Irvine Beach Glasgow’s internationally-renowned art house is back with its first ‘Cryptic Nights’ event of the year. Held on 2nd and 3rd July, D Ý R A’, by Dundee-based installation artist SHHE, explores altered states of consciousness. ‘Mirry’ on 8th July is the final iteration of ‘Sonic Bites’, and then you could head to Irvine Beach for the UK premiere of ‘Signal-on-Sea’ by Dutch artists Strijbos & Van Rijswijk, from 16th-25th July.

NEW MUSIC AT THE FANZONE Glasgow Green, 8th July With Scotland out and no home match days allowing other culture to take centre stage, the best up-and-comers from Scotland’s contemporary music scene play the Euro 2020 Fan Zone. Funksoul act Tom McGuire & The Brassholes headline a bill of emerging talent. There's rising singersongwriters Rianne Downey, protest musician Kapil Seshasayee with his stunning vocals fused with Indian classical guitar and electronica, plus DopeSickFly combine funk, hip- hop and soulful harmonies.

Podcasts, essays and over 20 unique films across two weeks.

Online with CC/BSL/AD £5/£10/£50 one-time passes available now. fringeofcolour.co.uk @FringeOfColour

27-29 AUGUST 2021

JUPITER RISING 360° WELCOME

MUSIC AND SOUND BBYMUTHA ◦ FREE LOVE PICTISH TRAIL ◦ FIMBER BRAVO RACHEL AGGS ◦ APOSTILLE ◦ ACID WAXA FURMAAN AHMED ◦ RATTY BYEBYE HELENA CELLE ◦ RICHARD CHATER ◦ CONTAINER ALABASTER DEPLUME ◦ CALLUM EASTER R ELIZABETH ◦ IRA ◦ JOSIE LONG ◦ GUTTERSNIPE NEELAM KHAN VELA ◦ LADY NEPTUNE JUNGLEHUSSI ◦ BUM NOTES KARAOKE BASS WARRIOR SOUNDSYSTEM ◦ NIGHTSHIFT CAROLINE MURPHY ◦ KAPIL SESHASAYEE KATIE SHAMBLES ◦ SOUND OF YELL SHANNEN SP ◦ ROMEO TAYLOR ◦ SARRA WILD

ART ◦ PERFORMANCE ◦ FILM ALBERTA WHITTLE ◦ APRIL LIN ◦ LINDER BEVERLY GLENN COPELAND ◦ FASTWURMS PIPOLOTTI RIST ◦ MELE BROOMES ETIENNE KUBWABO ◦ MARA MENZIES ORBIT OF THE MOON ◦ KYALO SEARLE-MUBULU AQSA ARIF ◦ SAOIRSE AMIRA ANIS CIN CINDY ISLAM ◦ FARAH HUSSAIN ◦ HUSS TAAHLIAH ◦ SGÀIRE WOOD JUPITERRISING.ART JUPITER ARTLAND, EDINBURGH, EH27 8BY TICKETS £65 - £85 INC 2 NIGHTS CAMPING

What’s on by Lindsay Corr Page 13

LONELADY

Photo credit: Alex Hurst

Hungry for a change, Julie Campbell aka LoneLady decamped from her native Manchester to Somerset House in London to embark on the residency from which her new album, Former Things emerged, her first since 2015’s Hinterland. Along with a change in location came a new focus in instrumentation. Funk-trussed rhythms still represent the backbone of her sound, but in a move away from the needle-sharp guitar work of its predecessor, urgent, woozy, and burbling synths provide the bulk of its sonic landscape.

Claiming her studio base in The Rifle Range, the building’s long, narrow, high-ceilinged 18th-century naval shooting gallery, she began fashioning an environment where she could experiment with new equipment, turn up the volume and be alone to create. Julie tells me that the space was ‘terrible for sound. Not the type of place you’d choose for its acoustics. But I recorded most of it directly, so that wasn’t really something I had to deal with. It was nice to be able to make noise and hear it echoing around.’

The room was bare when she arrived, the walls whose paint was peeling on first discovering the room were now fresh and, she says, 'probably still wet from decorating'. All good for a fresh start and a new perspective. She tells me that it’s not a London record, though she enjoyed spending time in the city, in its galleries and with a community of artists – an experience she hadn’t had since her days as an art student.

Photo credit: Dan Wilton

Music by Kenny Lavelle Page 15

While the instruments and surroundings were new, the album’s lyrics are grounded firmly in feelings she has had since childhood. Her ‘constant companion’ as she calls it, an unshakable feeling that something isn’t right and that she isn’t the person she used to be. Wondering out loud, she asks herself what has been lost along the way.

Former Things is confettied with these questions – questions that largely go unanswered. I ask Julie if perhaps the album is the answer and she agrees that it might be: ‘There’s a real sadness. It’s a feeling that has always been there’, she says.

I ask whether now, a few days before the album’s release, she feels vulnerable or scared having these thoughts and feelings out in the world. ‘Not really. That's what the art demanded, so that’s what it is. It’s not like someone’s going to put me in jail for it. Also, I think that when you go very personal it makes it universal.’

'Not everyone listens to the lyrics, some people just take things on the surface and that’s as far as it goes. And that's fine. But there’s that other side of it, if you want to dig deeper’, she says. The album is ripe with the paradox between its hookfilled electro-funk-pop sound and its mournful lyrics – it’s easy to imagine skeletons dancing away to the stories of loss and despair.

Previously Julie's process was to write songs with a drum machine and her guitar, but she took the opportunity offered by the blank canvas of the new studio space to work with old-school electronic hardware.

She set about researching the equipment used in Cabaret Voltaire’s Drinking Gasoline, identifying the synths they used around that time and reading magazines like Sound on Sound to identify possible candidates – she says Depeche Mode’s early 80s studio would be her ideal set-up. A Doepfer midi-analogue sequencer is at the heart of the album’s musical conceptions. ‘I’ve always loved electronic music; musically this album is me going back to being a kid really because that was the music that I was hearing then.’

Former Things is in many ways an album that looks backwards. Back to the 80s for its musical inspiration while also mourning loss of self and the magic of childhood. If you've been hearing the singles on the radio you'll know that it's also immediate and very much in the moment. If dancing is the purest expression of existing in the now, then, if you want to, with Former Things, the now is what you’ll be doing. LoneLady has in a way answered her own question by creating an album that answers, in form if not in narrative, ‘yeah, I’m still here’.

LoneLady's Former Things is out now on Warp Records

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Photo credit: Alex Hurst

Music by Kenny Lavelle Page 17

DOT ALLISON Photo credit: Essy Syed

If you’re talking about a leading Scottish vocalist who has wowed audiences across the decades, and in many different genres, Dot Allison has to feature high on your list. From One Dove to collaborations with Scott Walker, Arab Strap, and Death in Vegas, from electro to folk and all points in between, music lovers have been cast under the spell of her enchanting vocals.

SNACK caught up with Dot to talk about new album Heart-shaped Scars, where she’s been and where she’s at.

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It’s been over a decade since your last record. Was there a catalyst to you returning to music and making the new album?

I think it was just the fact my kids were more grown up and I had more energy to spare!

You never stop coming up with ideas, and the way you think about music doesn’t change, even if you’re not making anything tangible with it.

Once I had that energy, I directed it back towards music.

Heart-Shaped Scars is an emotional and evocative title; how did it come about?

I was doing some song writing about five years ago, and I had a list of possible song titles. That was one of them. I just never ended up in a session where I wanted to hand the title over to a song. I thought, ‘I like that title’. I think I’ve written two or three songs that were going to be called ‘HeartShaped Scars’, and then I finally had one, and then, even that one hasn’t made it onto the album!

The album title track is a demo somewhere, but I kept the title for the album.

Are you the sort of artist who has notepads and work-in-progress files?

Yeah, I do. Mostly I have stuff on my phone, with the voice recorder. That’s great for voice-noting little sketches on guitar, or with the uke or piano. Also, for this album, I bought myself a plain sketchpad, and during sessions, I would doodle stuff in the book. That was more of a document for myself.

You said you want the album to feel like a return to nature, and it features birds, rivers and the local sounds of the Hebrides. Did you go out and capture these sounds yourself?

I did, on the island. We’ve got a cottage up there and I went up on my own for a weekend. It was quite windy, and I went out for a walk with a field recorder one morning. I recorded a river, near the sea, creaking gates. Also, when I was in Edinburgh, on a quiet evening, there was like a symphony of different birds, so I got loads of lovely bird songs as well.

For the Edinburgh field recordings, I went out with Homay (Schmitz), whom I wrote ‘Love Died In Our Arms’ and a couple of other songs with.

That was lovely, it was exploratory; I didn’t know what I was going to find. I let the elements dictate what was going to get recorded.

There’s a lot of tremendous Scottish women on the record. Are you hopeful that more artists are getting the breaks their talent deserves these days?

I hope so. There’s a way to go and we’re heading towards a more egalitarian landscape, but it’s not there yet. It’s not exclusively women, but it’s nice.

It’s not something I thought too much about, but it would never come up if it was an album made with guys.

It's my quiet way of saying, ‘that also can be normal’. It is a bit noteworthy, but that just shows you that we’ve still got a way to go. The women involved with the record are utterly gifted, and I felt privileged to work with all of them. I’m really pleased.

Music by Andrew Reilly Page 19

One of the ways you eased yourself into the album was through writing on the ukulele.

How was that process?

I was given the ukulele as a gift by my husband.

During the lockdown, I saw it sitting gathering dust, and I thought, I better try and play it. I’ve worked with ukulele players before, but it was never me on the uke. I didn’t know the first thing about the chords, but it worked out well. I played by ear and that helped compose more evocative melody and harmony than I might have achieved if I knew the chords.

You’ve been working with Anton Newcombe recently; how has that been?

Absolutely brilliant. It’s been a restorative thing for me – he is so supportive and complimentary of my writing, it’s been a nourishing thing. My experience with Anton is that he really gives you your place; he’s generous-spirited.

I’m really enjoying working with him, it’s ongoing, and he’s just brilliant. He’s a good soul. He’s someone who, in my humble opinion, takes an interest in life and culture.

You’ve worked with so many great artists. Is collaborating important to you?

I wonder if being female makes it more noticeable, I’m not sure? However, I am a twin, so I happily collaborate, and there is a bit of me that slightly likes hiding. I’m inherently quite shy, and it’s something I deal with, so there’s a part of me that likes sharing the light.

Even in sessions like if I’m meant to be leading it, and you have people looking at you, I find that quite excruciating.

I like collaborating for those reasons, but what is quite nice about this album is it's much less collaborative. It is collaborative in that there are lot of musicians and I’m co-producing it, but from a vision and songwriting point of view, it’s my least collaborative album.

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Also, just before the pandemic kicked in, we lost Andrew Weatherall, and I think many of us still miss his presence. How would you like him to be remembered?

My experience of him, he was the real deal, someone who was genuinely passionate about art and music. He was very generous with it.

From the minute I knew Andrew, he made up compilation cassettes. I was always asking him what he was playing in his DJ sets, and he would make up mixes for me.

He was very generous about sharing and spreading the good word. I thanked him before for that generosity and curation, but he wouldn’t ask for anything back.

That’s a big thing. He did so much legwork in listening to music, as he was happy to curate and share with people. That’s a nice thing I remember him for, and I’m grateful I got to see him the year before he died, with Denise Johnston. They were together when I saw them.

It’s insane they’ve gone.

You said on Twitter that you already have three songs in place for the next album. Are you working towards that now?

The next project, yes. I’ve been working away on that; I like to stay ahead of myself. Also, alongside the album, there should be a little seven inch coming out, a double A-side, but I don’t think we’ve got a date for that yet.

And to finish things off, how are you feeling about returning to the world of music?

I feel it’s nice to be making things again. It’s rewarding to create something out of nothing.

I’m a little bit tentative as it’s been a while and I’m naturally a shy person. I’m going into it quite gently, incrementally going back into it, and I’m getting used to it all again. It’s been a while, but I am enjoying it.

Heart-Shaped Scars is released on 30th July on SA Recordings All photo credits: Essy Syed

Music by Andrew Reilly Page 21

NOVA

Photo credit: aph (@aponcehardy)

Rising to the forefront of the Scottish music industry after earning the coveted title of Scottish Album of the Year 2020 with Re-Up, is Londonborn, Edinburgh-raised rapper, singer, producer, and DJ Shaheeda Sinckler, aka Nova.

Nova has been revealed as part of the line up for HANG (Hip-Hop Aimed Networking with Grime), Scotland’s first ever hip hop and grime conference.

HANG aims to empower members of Scotland’s hip hop and grime communities and celebrate the diversity of voices reflecting the country in the 21st century.

Ahead of the inaugural event, SNACK chatted to Nova about her rising prominence, latest EP WWND?, her involvement in HANG, and her evolution as an artist.

It's been a crazy year. How has your creative process changed from prepandemic to what it is now?

I've got more time to work on songs. I've been working on writing a song in one session. Before that I would write over weeks or something because I was busy, so I’ve been building up confidence in that. It’s really improved things a lot. It marries the lyrics and the beat much more if I go with the flow, rather than trying to have a set idea.

I've been able to collaborate with people just through sending files online. And luckily I had equipment and a microphone so I could record demos. I did record some songs at home that I released last year as well. So yeah, there's been a lot of stuff still going on.

I watched your Live in Leith gig a few months back. How was it performing to an empty auditorium? That must have been really bizarre.

The bizarre thing about that one is that it's one of the most professional gigs I have done in terms of career, the venue, the lighting – everything. The stage was massive compared to ones I've performed on before. So it's a strange juxtaposition of doing the most professional gig I've ever done, but with no audience. It would have been great if there was one, but it was still a really good experience.

Music by Aisha Fatunmbi-Randall Page 23

Photo credit: aph (@aponcehardy)

Were you nervous at all even knowing that there wasn't a crowd out there?

Yeah, I get nervous about everything.

How does it feel to be part of the HANG lineup alongside some of the most vital names in the Scottish hip hop and grime scene at the moment?

It's cool. I'm anticipating what it's gonna be like, because it’s a hybrid of in-person and online performance and discussion, and also of local and national talent. So it's going to be interesting.

You've risen to prominence quite a lot over the last few years. It must be quite cool knowing that you'll be alongside these key names?

Yeah, Tiffany Calver, she's a woman of colour in music who’s done really well, so I look forward to experiencing what she has to say. I’m also very excited for Fliptrix from High Focus. That's quite a moment for me, because I used to listen to him and the High Focus lads a lot when I was young. So that's quite a big deal.

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Do you think that HANG is a much-needed development for the Scottish hip hop and grime scene?

Yeah, I think it's good. But I feel like the language of it is still slightly limiting, how it's just about hip hop and grime. I feel like Scotland needs to kind of move towards more music of Black origin, instead of just hip hop. Hip hop has been the one that's been going on for decades now in Scotland.

Then more recently they are putting grime into the conversation, but there are so many other genres of Black origin that are super popular and are getting made in Scotland that wouldn't really fall under hip hop or grime. You’ve got drill, trap, Afrobeats and all of that. They don't really come under the same bracket. And there’s R&B singers and soul singers. So, yes, it should be cool, but I feel like there's still some people getting left out.

Do you feel that the gender balance within the scene is fair?

No! There's very few female rappers. There’s also a culture of hostility towards female artists, especially being a rapper. I feel like if I was a singer-songwriter it would roll with what people respect. And in the process of making music – like producers, engineers – there's not a lot of women making beats.

What was your writing process for WWND? That was the first main project where I was just doing that improvisation kind of thing, writing the songs in one session. l got sent the beats by $1000 Wallet, the producer, and then I picked different ones and wrote over them. I recorded the demos of them at home and then recorded them in a home studio with Andra Black.

It was an autotune project as well. So it's the beginning of me starting to properly sing in music.

I've been doing a lot more autotune and it's good, because I feel like it's improving my skills as a vocalist. Even though it's autotune, I’m still testing my voice and moving in a skilled direction.

I noticed that on the most recent EP you seem to be exploring different themes, some more personal and more emotion-driven. Is there a song that you feel that most resonates with you?

Yeah, that would be ‘Be Free'. The lyrics are just true – it is about an ex that wouldn't stop calling me. Also, I didn't manage to get a demo version recorded, so I literally just had a thought in my head. I went to the studio and started doing it. I was unsure because there wasn't a version before, and when I started recording I thought it was gonna turn out, you know, awful.

Once I got warmed up into the flow, it turned out so much better than I imagined. I thought ‘Grime' would be the crowd favourite, but I think ‘Stay Blessed’ has the most streams.

Music by Aisha Fatunmbi-Randall Page 25

I can definitely imagine ‘Grime’ setting off a crowd, for sure. So how does WWND? differ from Re-Up? It's very different in terms of the sound and the style of it. I'm more comfortable with exploring different topics, different sounds. I used to want to be really hard. I wanted to be like one of the guys and have a more masculine energy, I didn't want to talk about love, I'd rather talk about how I didn't want love.

It wasn't just in music as well, this was more of an overarching thing that was affecting lots of stuff, like how I would dress and everything. But then over time I felt like I was cutting myself off from a part of life that's great and enjoyable, a part of my identity as well.

Did you feel like any of these restrictions that you put on yourself may come from being in an area that was mostly male dominated?

I think so. It started when I used to go out when I’d turned 18. Girls get dressed up to go out but I started to feel like I'd be perceived as weak if I really tried to look good. I had this insecurity that if I tried, I would always fall short of being that girl and I would just look like I was trying. So I just wanted to wear a tracksuit and stuff. But I’ve changed a lot in the past couple of years. It's been really fun actually.

What is the general reaction to the new EP and you being more of yourself?

When I first started music, whenever I'd say that I am a musician, people would be like, ‘Oh, you, you're a singer?’ No, I'm not. But it's quite ironic that I am starting to do that now.

I've become inspired by other artists that I've found just through life and social media. I was also watching loads of Love & Hip Hop, it's a reality TV show, but it's also got the music component in there.

It's mostly Black American people and I thought it was really cool. There’s also other female artists, like Ivorian Doll, who are super girly and super powerful as well. So seeing people like them has definitely helped me come into my own personality more.

Did you have any expectations of winning the Scottish Album of the Year award?

When I applied I had zero expectation to win.

Then I found out I had made a longlist and that was cool. I was quite agitated because I didn't know if I was going to get to the next stage. And after I was shortlisted, I thought maybe I could win. I was just kind of looking at the cultural landscape of the world and artists like Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B who had massive hits, so female rappers are pretty big right now.

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Photo credit: aph (@aponcehardy)

Do you feel that you have an opportunity to give artists from the scene and from similar backgrounds a hand up?

I hope so. Sometimes I feel bad because I feel like there's a less-extreme survivor's guilt. It's like, ‘I've got this – but more people should have it – ugh, I don't know what to do!’ I like working with local people instead of trying to outsource stuff. I've got a few features on an album that I’m working on, so that's gonna be cool.

What are your goals and aspirations?

I'm working on my album, which is very cool. I'd like to work with more artists. Prior to this album I'm working on, I've not really done a lot of features. I had the great experience of being on Loraine James's album recently; they're quite established and they're respected in that field. So that was really great because I got to be involved and tag along for the ride and had a couple of major magazines mention the song that we did on the album.

I also love the visual part of things like getting styled and made up and making videos. I do kind of want to start a label as well, but so it's been too hectic. That's more of a long-term goal.

HANG takes place online (11am-8pm) and live (8pm-10pm) on Saturday 31st July at SWG3, Glasgow. officialsama.com/hang Music by Aisha Fatunmbi-Randall Page 27

HELEN SEDGWICK Photo credit: Michael Gallacher

Helen Sedgwick is someone steeped in the world of books. Not only an author of literary and crime fiction, she was joint managing director of the sadly defunct Cargo Publishing, has been a managing editor of Gutter magazine, and has worked as a creative writing tutor.

That only begins to scratch the surface of this polymath’s CV. SNACK caught up with Helen to talk about her latest novel, Where The Missing Gather, second in the Burrowhead Mysteries series. snackmag.co.uk

What can you tell us about Where The Missing Gather?

Where The Missing Gather is a cross-genre crime novel combining aspects of a police procedural with folk horror, ghost story, social commentary, archaeology, and supernatural mystery. It’s a crime novel that might not have an actual crime in it, and a police procedural in which the police are being closed down and the community is at least as important as the detectives.

With multiple points of view, it follows DI Georgie Strachan and the police investigation into what appears to be a ritual sacrifice, while also exploring the history of the village of Burrowhead and following an archaeological excavation that might shine light on how the crimes of the past relate to those of the present.

Beneath the investigation runs the story of a rural community that has been repeatedly let down, the complicity of that close-knit community in its insularity and fear of otherness, and the villagers who are searching for a way to rebuild.

It’s about race and class in modern Britain and how we can’t move forward until we fully acknowledge the guilt in our past. But it’s also about kindness and forgiveness – and while the twists and turns of the plot make for a gripping whodunnit, on a deeper level it’s about where society is failing us and how we can bring about change.

It's the second Burrowhead Mystery. Did you know when you were writing the first, When The Dead Come Calling, that it was part of a series?

I knew from the start I was writing a trilogy. The idea came to me as a long narrative arc that needed three books to cover, as well as a series of mysteries that had to be solved within each novel itself. I love writing long-form fiction, and a trilogy felt like my natural next step.

Creating an overarching narrative about how characters and places change is what interests me.

And there are a lot of characters because the joy of writing for me is to explore as many different points of view as I can. There are no good guys and bad guys; there are a lot of complex and flawed people, all of whom are given space, and all of whom have reasons why they do what they do and have become who they are.

What attracted you to move to writing crime fiction? Was it a conscious decision?

The idea for the trilogy came to me during a visit to St Ninian’s Cave (a fictionalised version of which appears throughout the trilogy) and was entirely about atmosphere to begin with – claustrophobia mixed with a wild and windswept coastline, and a sense of ancient history being alive and influencing the present. The nitty-gritty of the plot came later.

My starting point was the place, the mood, and from that it could have become a horror or even a ghost story (there are elements of both), but during the writing it became crime fiction with a difference.

Your first two novels could be described as literary science fiction. Does your background in the sciences inform all your writing?

Very much so. After this trilogy I’m planning to write another literary sci-fi using ideas from quantum entanglement to explore four completely different human societies on distant planets.

I think there’s something quite scientific in the way I structure all my novels, and in the themes that I keep returning to: cause and effect, how people and places change through time, how the natural world works and how our own behaviour intersects with the universe around us.

The Burrowhead Mysteries feels like a series that could be adapted for TV. Have you had any thoughts along those lines?

I saw the story very visually while writing it. I love writing prose, though, description and atmosphere and the way I can play with narrative voice in novels, so I think I would need someone else to adapt it for television. I hope they do!

Where The Missing Gather is published by Point Blank Books by Alistair Braidwood Page 29

BEN SHARROCK LIMBO Ben Sharrock captured the 2016 EIFF Michael Powell Award for his debut feature Pikadero, a Basque language comedy drama. Now the Edinburgh-native writer-director has returned with Limbo, a deadpan comedy about asylum seekers housed on an isolated Scottish island.

The first film to be shot entirely on Uist, the tale focuses on Omar (Amir El-Masry), a Syrian refugee and musician struggling to cope with windy winters, enforced house mates, and the seemingly eternal wait for an unclear future.

Read the full interview at snackmag.co.uk

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How did the idea for Limbo come about?

My undergraduate degree was in Arabic and Politics, and I spent my third year in Syria, in Damascus, the year before the civil war started.

I ended up doing my dissertation on Arabic and Muslim representations in American cinema and TV. Flash forward to film school and a project in the Sahrawi refugee camps in southern Algeria.

I worked with an NGO and lived with a family in the camps, and although we ended up not making the film – we couldn’t get the insurance because Al-Qaeda were operating in the area – this interest stayed with me.

As the refugee crisis became more prevalent in the media, I still had this idea to make a film about the subject matter.

Were there any particular things you were looking for in your shooting location?

The idea is that it is a purgatorial island – this metaphor that they are really in purgatory. Uist kind of had that feeling, or you could find that in Uist if you looked in the right places and showed the right images.

I don’t know why exactly – I think there is a bleakness to the landscape, and it is flatter than some of the other islands. You can see the horizon and look down these roads that you know are going somewhere, but don’t know when they are going to end. That spoke to me in terms of Omar and the asylum claims, and the language that could be embedded in the film.

Your asylum seekers hail from Syria, Afghanistan, Ghana and Nigeria.

How did you ensure you got authentic representations?

That started in the scriptwriting research, but carried on throughout. Amir is British-Egyptian, but we gave him access to Syrians who had been through the asylum system. My old university teacher is actually his Syrian dialect coach. With the others, it was doing the same due diligence. Ola [Orebiy] and Kwabs [Ansah] have Nigerian and Ghanaian backgrounds, so that was scrutinising the things I had written and getting their input.

Vikash [Bhai] is not from an Afghan background, so we set him up with the Afghan Society in London. He had that direct consultancy, and language lessons that ended up coming in very useful as well.

Scottish audiences will recognise your island’s shopkeeper, Sanjeev Kohli, a.k.a.

Navid the shopkeeper in Still Game. How important is it for Limbo to connect to Scottish audiences?

That is a good question. The film is a Scottish film, I am a Scottish writer-director, and the film is set in Scotland and made by predominantly Scottish people, so it is something that belongs to Scotland and the film industry of Scotland.

And of course you want a Scottish audience to connect to it and to almost feel an ownership of the film. But it is also a film that has an international outlook and overtly speaks to the wider world. It is Scotland going out to the world, rather than something looking in the way.

How important was it to have a realistic portrayal of asylum seekers’ processes and lifestyles?

What I wanted to do with this film was to show the human experience. It is almost like making a refugee film without making a refugee film: it is a film about people, and we can relate to them no matter who we are and who they are. I deliberately got rid of a lot of the mechanics of the asylum system because I feel like that was actually, in writing the film, pulling me away from that central human story.

Have you had any feedback from asylum seekers?

Yeah. Unfortunately we have not been able to show it as widely as we would have, because of the pandemic, but we have been able to show it to people who have been through the asylum system.

We had a particularly touching moment at the Zurich Film Festival where, in the Q&A, a guy stood up and was on the edge of tears. He said that this was him 20 years ago, and thanked us.

The feedback from actual refugees is what has the most value. Thankfully it has been very positive so far.

Limbo will be in UK cinemas 30th July Film by Jamie Wills Page 31

ADAM STAFFORD STRANGE WEATHER, ECOLOGICAL HORROR AND BURNING NIGHTMARES Deep and mesmerising, Trophic Asynchrony, the latest album from award-winning Falkirk-born film-maker and musician Adam Stafford, is driven by the immediacy of the climate crisis. So we asked Adam to discuss his top climate crisis films. If you want another film in this vein, then you're probably going to want to check out his own excellent short The Shutdown: Life under the shadow of a gas-belching oil refinery on YouTube.

A VISITOR TO A MUSEUM Konstantin Lopushansky, 1989 Konstantin Lopushansky's forgotten Soviet masterpiece imagines a Russia of the future as a huge garbage tip where clackity old locomotives transport the titular Visitor (Viktor Mikhaylov) to a 'resort' next to the sea. This is no package holiday; rather, The Visitor stays in a hotel with burning windows (to deter the local Christians who have been religiously segregated) at the pleasure of a strange family who keep their educationallychallenged adult children as slaves living in the cellar. The reason The Visitor is here is because when the ocean tide recedes, he can make the perilous journey across to the mysterious and elusive Museum, though locals warn him that everyone who has either died or disappeared.

The film has a heavy, haunted air, with a seriously unsettling atmosphere. It works as a satire on the collapse of the Soviet Union, as an allegory about religious oppression in the name of progress, and how mindless consumerism destroys communities and ravages the landscape snackmag.co.uk

TAKE SHELTER Jeff Nichols, 2011 Writer/director Jeff Nichols taps straight into the vein of our modern day anxiety over impending climate disaster. The intensely brilliant Michael Shannon plays Curtis, a man plagued by apocalyptic nightmares and visions. He bankrupts himself trying to build an underground bunker and attempts to warn his community of a forthcoming ecological disaster, but is cast out as a false doomsday prophet. Nichols adds an element of ambiguity to the proceedings by suggesting that Curtis may suffer from schizophrenia and what we are really watching is the unravelling of a paranoid and very unwell man.

THE LAST WAVE Peter Weir, 1977 Before he moved to America to direct hits such as Witness (1983) and The Truman Show (1996), Peter Weir made a few very strange, supernatural films in his native Australia. The Last Wave was totally ahead of its time in predicting the climate crisis we currently face. The film is disguised as a murder mystery, as white lawyer David Burton (Richard Chamberlain) is called upon to assist four Aborigine men accused of a ritual killing.

Like Shannon's character in Take Shelter, Burton suffers from intense apocalyptic nightmares of the ecological kind, and begins to believe these are links to a kind of parallel dream dimension connected to the traumatic history of Aboriginal Australians. It's a bold and striking film that not many people talk about.

LONG WEEKEND Colin Eggleston, 1978 Another prophetic Aussie nightmare, this time concerning a warring husband and wife who take a trip to the coast for a weekend of camping on the beach. With their utter disregard for nature, nature begins its revenge. There is no monstrous beast stalking the couple, instead the violence is exacted in a much more eerie fashion such as whipping tree branches, attacking birds and a giant manatee that gets closer... and closer.

Writer Everett De Roche outlined his original idea by saying, 'My premise was that Mother Earth has her own autoimmune system, so when humans start behaving like cancer cells, she attacks.' The film was remade in 2008 and the remake should be avoided like a toxic spill at the beach.

contributors to high carcinogenic levels in the air, and duly abandons them, to the consternation and bafflement of everyone around him. This is wild, unpredictable cinema with an eco-friendly morality message at its centre. The surreal fantasy sequences feel almost Gilliam-esque, and the final third of the film, set in the lush Australian Rainforest, is magnificent.

BEHEMOTH Zhao Liang, 2015 This exquisitely shot documentary from China is a requiem for the unreported lives of the country's industrial working class, who are worked to death in the coal mines and smelting factories all in the name of unrelenting progress. Vast fields, which used to belong to herding communities of shepherds, are now mutilated by quarries, with belching smoke-stacks and a motorcade of diggers and trucks making their way in and out. It's a sobering watch, made bearable

by Liang's hypnotic and perfectly composed cinematography. The coda featuring China's gigantic, empty 'ghost cities' is profoundly chilling and eerie.

Long Weekend

BLISS Ray Lawrence, 1985 Ray Lawrence's beautiful, majestic, nightmarish, hilarious Bliss is one of the best films you've never seen. Harry Joy (Barry Otto) is a successful advertising executive who barely survives a heart attack only to wake up in a totally altered world, where his children are having an incestuous affair and his business partner is sleeping with his wife.

Harry has the epiphany that all of his previous clients are major polluters of the earth and

Behemoth

Trophic Asynchrony is out 9th July (digital) and 22nd October (vinyl) on Song, by Toad Records songbytoadrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ trophic-asynchrony

Film/Music Page 33

FOODIE NEWS EDINBURGH

GLASGOW

NQ64 will be opening soon at 25 Lothian Road, where Badabing was. Already open in Manchester, NQ64 will have a selection of classic consoles, retro arcade and pinball machines, with titles such as Time Crisis 2, Guitar Hero, Pac-Man and Mario Kart. To accompany the games there will be local craft beers, retro crisps and gamethemed cocktails, like Princess Peach (Prosecco and peach) and Donkey Kong (pineapple rum, banana, chocolate and cream soda).

This has been a wild year, to say the least, for hospitality. But there is some good news: Glasgow bar Moskito is back under new management and will re-open at 200 Bath Street in July, promising DJ sets, expert mixology, and food with attitude.

The new St James Quarter Food Hall has a number of well-known faces from the food and drink scene in Scotland including The Gannet, East PIZZAS, Joelato, Erpingham House and Creel Caught, which is a new seafood concept launched

by BBC Masterchef Gary MacLean.

There is also a butcher operated by MacDuff 1890 and a bottle shop by Inverarity Morton. Broken Clock Café and Patisserie from Glasgow will also be there, along with the Rocca group, who have opened Rico’s Pasta Bar so that you can get a taste of what to expect in the main restaurant.

Juicy superfood and health bar had such a successful recent opening at 284 Byres Road (where STA Travel used to be) that they will now also be opening at Silverburn in early August.

Offering cold-pressed juices, custom açai bowls and protein packed customisable salads for anyone looking for healthy and nutritious options when out and about.

Bowl salad bar and cafe recently opened where Juice Garden used to be on 23 Renfield Street, just along from Central Station. The bowls are big and customisable with plenty of healthy, tasty ingredients featuring the flavours of Morocco, Korea and Japan. Open Monday - Saturday from 10:30am till 3:30pm

Rico’s Edinburgh, is moving just a short walk away on North Castle Street, into the space that was previously Martin Wishart’s Honours restaurant.

Due to open mid-July, diners can expect modernday versions of Italian classics.

Bowl

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PRODUCT Not exactly a product, but a new takeaway ordering service has been launched in Edinburgh called Secret Takeaways. Independent businesses, fed up paying high commission rates to third party delivery companies, joined a platform that not only doesn’t pay Snoop Dogg to advertise but links directly with restaurants. It will be rolling out to Glasgow and other cities in the coming months. secrettakeaways.com

Did you know that a Scottish spa hotel has not just a gin school but also a gin distillery? Named after the year the Peebles Hydro was founded, the 1881 distillery was borne from a love of history and tennis. They have just released a limited edition Hydro Gin (40% ABV), a blend of twelve locallysourced botanicals made using water from the local spring. The 500ml bottles are available from www.1881distillery.com for £30.

For those who like a dram, Glen Moray’s ‘Warehouse 1’ has released a 2005 Tokaji (Hungarian dessert wine) finish expression. This is the first of three different cask finish whiskies to be released in 2021. This bright gold whisky is filled with sweet aromas and a biscuity taste.

Just in time for this year’s Wimbledon tennis tournament, Wimbledon Garden Gin has been released by the Wimbledon Brewery. Made in small batches using botanicals that can be found on Wimbledon Common, like gorse, heather and honey made by local bees. As the gin is produced by a brewery, Cascade Hops are also added.

Ride Brewing Cø have teamed up with the band Starry Skies to create an exclusive beer to celebrate their album Do it with love. The beer is hoppy, cloudy and quaffable with soft tropical flavours. Available to buy online and from the brewery taproom as part of a package deal including a vinyl or CD copy of the new release.

Swedish cider producer Rekorderlig has launched a Pink Lemon Cider (4.0% ABV) for summer 2021. It has a juicy citrus flavour with notes of raspberry. Serve cold over ice with fresh raspberries and a squeeze of lemon. And like all Rekorderlig products it is both gluten free and vegan friendly. Skål! Available in Morrisons, £7.99 for 4 x 500ml bottles.

Food and Drink by Mark & Emma, Foodie Explorers Page 35

VEGAN FLAMMKUCHEN

Like many famous dishes from around the world, this has its roots as a rustic, poor person’s food. Flammkuchen was originally made as a consequence of testing the optimum heat of wood-fired ovens when making bread.

Nowadays, it is considered a regional speciality of the Alsace region of France, where it is named ‘Flammekueche’. The rest of France know it as ‘tarte flambée’ whereas in Germany, it is called ‘Flammkuchen’ We refer to it as the latter as that’s what you’re more likely to see in a supermarket in the UK, e.g. the freezer section at Lidl or Aldi.

Despite the differences in regional name, essentially they all translate as a ‘pie baked in flames’ due to the dish traditionally being cooked in a wood-fired oven, just like pizza.

Flammkuchen can also be circular or rectangular in shape, but it differs from pizza in that it has a thinner, crispier base, covered with fromage blanc or crème fraîche rather than a tomatobased sauce.

For this recipe we are using vegan cheese, but you could of course use crème fraîche or cream cheese for a non-vegan version.

INGREDIENTS For the dough

METHOD ▌ Start by making the dough. Into a mediumsized bowl add flour, salt and oil. ▌ M ix with a fork and then slowly add water until it combines fully. You might need more water, but don’t worry. Just add a little at a time. ▌ Once the dough has combined, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead carefully to form a ball.

You can make the dough a day ahead – just make sure to cover it with cling film to stop it from drying out. ▌ Preheat the oven to 250°C/fan 230°C/480°F/Gas Mark 9 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. ▌ Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces; cover the one you won't be using right away. ▌ Roll out the dough thinly, about 3 mm in thickness. You want the dough to be as thin as it can be without breaking.

We like to make these in a rectangular shape, however, you can roll the dough out into a circle or whatever shape you wish. ▌ In a bowl, combine three tablespoons of Sheese with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Use the same amount of nutmeg as your usual salt and pepper seasoning.

▌ 250 grams plain flour ▌ 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt ▌ 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

▌ Spread the mixture on top of the dough, leaving a small space at the edge for your fingers, then top with sliced courgette.

▌ 120 ml water For the topping

▌ Bake for 10 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown at the edges.

▌ Ground salt ▌ Ground black pepper ▌ Grated nutmeg

▌ Transfer to a cutting board and slice into easy-to-eat portions.

▌ 1 tub Sheese chive flavour (but you only need 3 tablespoons)

▌ Top with salad herbs if you wish, for extra greenery.

▌ 1 courgette, thinly sliced Food and Drink by Mark & Emma, Foodie Explorers Page 37

BLOOD DONATION HISTORY IN THE MAKING

Image courtesy of NHS Blood and Transplant

For nearly 40 years, gay and bisexual men have been prevented from donating blood, with lawmakers acting on discrimination and tired stereotypes rather than reason and compassion.

However, for the first time since 1983, new legislation permits gay and bisexual men to finally do so under new rules, stipulating that all those who wish to give blood will be assessed fairly and regardless of sexual orientation. This is a landmark moment for gay rights in the UK; a prohibition that once demonised gay and bisexual men has been lifted. Does this signal a movement of more seismic change in LGBT+ rights as a whole?

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The changes in legislation mean that UK blood services will now assess donor eligibility on a person-by-person basis instead of applying acrossthe-board restrictions, which former practice was discriminatory against gay and bisexual men. The questionnaire needed to qualify as a donor has previously singled out homosexual sex.

Scott Cuthbertson, Development Manager of Equality Network, stated that this fight ‘was never about a right to give, but the fact that there were many gay and bisexual men that could do so safely.

I’m pleased the evidence, assessed by experts, has concluded that to be true, and that many thousands of gay and bisexual men will be able to donate their blood and help save lives.

Today, during Pride Month, I’m proud to donate my blood for the first time alongside many other gay and bisexual men across the UK as the rules which we long felt to be unnecessarily exclusionary have been replaced with a person-by-person risk assessment.’, he said.

The question process largely will remain the same, but the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) will ask all donors the same questions about their recent sexual activity to ensure blood safety. This will allow previously excluded potential donors to give blood, which means more lives will be saved. Isn’t that what really matters? The lifetime ban on men who have sex with men (MSM) was lifted in 2011, the 12-month deferment was replaced with a 3-month deferment in 2017, and the significance of this change in law cannot be overstated.

The fight for LGBT+ equality has seen so many moments of triumph, but prohibiting gay and bisexual men from donating blood has been a significant hurdle to overcome. It always felt like discrimination in its purest form – segregating a huge section of society based on presumptions and unfair stereotypes. Why accept blood from a promiscuous, reckless homosexual above their a healthy, trustworthy, virtuous heterosexual counterpart?

The stigma that followed the AIDS pandemic has lingered over the queer community in relation to public health, at the expense of lives that could have been saved had said stigma facing gay and bisexual men been eradicated sooner. The exclusion felt weaponised, and it has cost our country immeasurably.

LGBT+ I had the opportunity to ask First Minister Nicola Sturgeon about the matter herself in 2015, at the Out for Independence conference as part of an audience Q&A. At that point, gay and bisexual men were forced to abstain from sex for a full year before giving blood. Ms Sturgeon was aware of the law, and when asked what she would do to change this, she replied that the lawmakers follow expert medical opinion, but that the issue was something that would remain under review. It took six years and tireless efforts from organisations like Equality Network and various campaigners for the legislation – and the stigma faced by gay and bisexual men – to evolve.

Is the fight for LGBT equality over? Of course not; we are not equal until all of us are treated with compassion and our rights are universally protected in legislation. A June report from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, for one, contends that the proportion of hate crime charges that relate to sexual orientation has increased from 11% to 29% since 2019, signalling a larger systemic problem of discriminatory violence against our community.

Meaningful improvement in Scotland hardly overrides the discrimination people like us still face, here and across the globe. But this progress in blood donation really captures my own definition of equality: being given the same opportunities as our more privileged counterparts, being afforded the chance to contribute positively to society. And the move feels like one further step away from the stigma and disdain we have faced, especially in the last 40 years.

As always, let’s celebrate our progress and remain vigilant about the work still left to do.

LGBT+ by Jonny Stone Page 39

THE WOMEN In some ways, things look a little less grim for women in the film industry. This year saw Chloé Zhao become the first woman of colour to win Best Director at the Oscars, and a report from last year suggested that 47.8% of lead actors in films that year were female, up 10% from 2018. With this in mind – in the knowledge we have much to do to amend gender disparity in Hollywood – our next inductee into the (Not) Gay Movie Club is George Cukor’s 1939 allfemale, high-camp comedy The Women.

The Women follows a group of affluent New York socialites, focusing on the charming and romantically maligned Mary Haines (Norma Shearer). The salon she frequents is rife with gossip regarding her husband Stephen’s infidelity; Sylvia Fowler (played by SNACK favourite and future Auntie Mame Rosalind Russell) reveals he is having an affair with rapacious perfume girl Crystal Allen (Joan Crawford).

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Mary’s frenemies rally round her as she navigates life – divorce, motherhood and beyond – while the others handle their own personal embroilments.

With its all-female cast, it is easy to consider The Women a gimmick. But is it a trailblazing beacon of feminism in film, or a simplified example of tokenism gone awry?

The characters talk incessantly about their husbands, and the plot is based on Stephen’s infidelity. Most of the characters, alas, are defined by the men in their lives (or their lack of), and nearly every conversation centres on men, marriage or babies. But is it unfair to hold the film to 2021 standards? Is The Women a victim of its era?

The dialogue is razor-sharp, with rapid-fire jabs thrown at breakneck speed. I abandoned any notion of watching without subtitles; the velocity of Russell’s retorts proved simply too fast to comprehend in full. Sometimes the clipped 30s style impedes the character’s best zingers, but it does add to the film’s camp sensibilities.

Ultimately, The Women is the whole package: dynamite performances from Hollywood’s best divas, a razor-sharp script, and too much heart to be a gimmick. True, the women face bleak romantic prospects at various points in the movie, but their point of view and acerbic humour feel like the perfect tonic.

'You can’t hit me; I have glasses on!' Russell shrills before a glorious, overwhelmingly stupid catfight.

She BITES Mary! And as she returns to the perfume stand, Crystal utters the iconic ‘There's a name for you ladies, but it isn't used in high society...outside of a kennel.’ But I appreciate the film’s more dramatic moments, as the contrast in tone adds much depth and emotional resonance. The legendary Joan Fontaine’s character has such vulnerability, which provides a contrast to her mouthier cohort.

We’ve all made light of dire straits to cope with heartache, but seeing these dynamic women create such joy from their misery is infectious. What I would give to be in the same room with these women, sparring mercilessly but conveying a deep affection for one another when the chips are down.

Next time you have a cool 135 minutes to kill, take some time to hang out with The Women.

The acting is, naturally, tremendous; there are at least four Oscar-winners in the line-up, after all. Each Hollywood heavyweight brings their own strength to the ensemble cast: Crawford is outrageously vampy, while Russell indulges in her turn as an acid-tongued busybody. The Women’s cast brings together a group of actors at the top of their game, demonstrating incredible chemistry.

Even Oceans 8 could never.

The Women, however, is far from a perfect film.

It is long, coming in at a baffling two hours and fifteen minutes. Cukor dedicates too much time to characters who don’t bear much impact on the film, and at times the plot loses its thread. And despite them being markedly absent from the film, men are still integral to The Women.

LGBT+ by Jonny Stone Page 41

Track by Track: The Go! Team Get Up Sequences Part One

TRACKBY TRACK

Brighton’s The Go! Team are hard to dislike. They pretty much won 2004 with their debut album Thunder, Lightning, Strike, delivering on all the eclectic, bouncy, vital-sounding fronts that their slew of early singles promised. Mashing hip-hop beats, lo-fi melodies, clever sampling and Motown horns in a gloriously compressed sound harking back to the days of tape saturation, TG!T provided an irresistible soundtrack to future summers.

The energy that emanates from their recorded work only seems exaggerated in the live arena, with frontperson Ninja seemingly the embodiment of their rhythmic exuberance and Ian Parton as the centre of the writing and recording. In fact, 2015’s The Scene Between was pretty much a solo effort on Parton’s part, which is not a million miles away from the band’s genesis and recruitment of Ninja to perform live what was already laid down from samples.

In 2018 the band released Semicircle, an album which could easily have been made ten minutes after the Thunder, Lightning, Strike sessions ended, carrying on their positive groove with one eye snackmag.co.uk

on all things Berry Gordy and Phil Spector. Sixth studio album Get Up Sequences Part One happily continues in the same gloriously inspired manner.

Opener, ‘Let the Seasons Work’ starts with a fudged count-in and a squeak of feedback, before genre-stomping between the aforementioned soulful horn hooks, eighties drum breaks that will have you searching out the lino and verses that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Swervedriver song. Despite taking influence from a range of things that are objectively great but not necessarily bedfellows, somehow it manages to be greater than the sum of its heterogenous parts.

TG!T are specialists in the Double Dutch chant as pop hook, and ‘Cookie Scene’ nails this so effectively that you’ll be hopping in and out of invisible skipping ropes and bouncing phantom tennis balls off walls within the first minute.

‘A Memo for Maceo’ starts like a My Bloody Valentine song, with dreamy, reversed guitars having their tremolo arms pumped before it breaks into a sort of lively harmonica-led interlude.

As if to expand on the previous track, ‘We Do it but Never Know Why’ glides across everything in its path in a slithering Caribbean groove. There’s a bit of a spoken word breakdown before an extended brass hook that could break the deepest cloud cover through sheer willpower.

One of four singles (so far) from the album, ‘Pow’ feels like very comfortable TG!T territory. Ninja spits in a manner both playful and aggressive ‘Go ahead girl/Never ruffle my bite/My bark’s so bad, you don’t wanna see my bite’ over a blistering snare-heavy rhythm track. It sounds like it could easily have been on one of the band’s first two albums, which could be portrayed as a lack of evolution but feels more like integrity of identity being surrounded by creative growth.

Despite a title that sounds like a website your idiot cousin promotes in the name of ‘research’, ‘Freedom Now’ is a punchy mix of whooshing escalating synth noises and overlapping vocal samples that could easily be a minute or two longer.

‘I Loved You Better’ is that rarest of things, an upbeat psychedelic jaunt to have you cheerfully bopping about, piling enough layers of sampled strings and droning guitars on top to make your cheerful bop something of a mind-altering plod.

Placed perfectly in the running order, ‘A Bee Without its Sting’ is the album’s highlight. Complete with its colourfully nostalgic video, flute solo and simple, replicating vocal melody, it manages to generate happy sing-along energy while carrying bucketloads of weary yearning. I’m scared to look up the lyrics in case it’s like one of those nursery rhymes that sounds pleasant enough but turns out to be about mutilating heretics.

Instrumental ‘Tame the Great Plains’ sounds like cycling coverage on TV if it was presented by Benny Hill. Unapologetic brass riffs get right in your face with all the neutral menace of a conga at a golden wedding anniversary bash.

Closing track ‘World Remember Me Now’ is both achingly poignant and lyrically astute, themetracking the humdrum of the most humdrum. It’s a desperate yelp from an endlessly commuting and working soul wishing to just be remembered.

It sounds like a much funkier commute than mine, though, with more steel drums than automated Scotrail voices.

There’s something reassuring about Get Up Sequences Part One – there’s a straight line to be drawn from The Go! Team’s debut to their sixth and latest release, but the path to get here wasn’t entirely linear. It takes something special to keep your musical anchors in place while still displaying maturation. Besides, there isn’t a bad song on this album and, pleasingly, there isn’t a bad vibe to be found on it either.

Get Up Sequences Part One is out 2nd July on Memphis Industries

Music by Stephen McColgan Page 43

JOHN GERARD FAGAN

ELIZABETH MACNEAL

Book: Fish Town

Book: Circus of Wonders

John Gerard Fagan’s Fish Town is not only the latest in the genre of literary memoirs to have been published recently, it's one of the most interesting. Written in what could be described as free verse, the chapters are short and punchy, recounting the writer’s time living and working in Japan, particularly in the village of Yaizu – the ‘fish town’ of the title. Clashes of cultures have been written about before, but there is a raw and very real edge to Fish Town. Fagan’s anger and exasperation are often exposed, revealing an honest diarist who is prepared to be self-critical, although with a wry eye for the absurd. There is a quote from Jack Kerouac’s On the Road at the beginning of the book, which is apt – the spirit of the Beat Generation is clearly in evidence. There's a poetic rhythm and energy, driven by the writing itself.

When we initially think of the circus it's all too easy to conjure up the spectacle and bright lights, for it is a show after all. So when I first stumbled across the book Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal it was obvious that I should take a glimpse, excited about the escape and potential magical realism that exists within the pages. However, it has more substance than its initial attraction. The book captures the heart of the circus and the voice of the performer, a 'circus freak,' a wonder in this world who's not often taken seriously. Macneal is adept at making us feel like we too are in the behind-the-scenes world of Jasper Jupiter's Circus of Wonders. Moving between the pleasure gardens of Victorian London and the battlescarred plains of the Crimea, Circus of Wonders is an astonishing story immersed with drama and coercion. It's a beguiling tale about power and ownership, exploitation, fame, and the threat of invisibility.

Fish Town is published by Guts Publishing Alistair Braidwood

Circus of Wonders is published by Picador Books Kiera Brown

snackmag.co.uk

BOOK KLUB

BRAT COVEN

Single: Life Of Me

EP: Brat Coven

When a band is labelled ‘post-punk’, you immediately have a strong idea of how they’re going to sound. But the only thing that matters is whether they sound good. Book Klub fit the bill, and on ‘Life Of Me’, they sound like miserable gits, which is just the way we love these acts. The song switches it up regularly, swerving from clean and moody to throttled verve and swerve, and it’s a good marker for more.

‘Not Ur Girl’ is a must-listen. It’s a voice for those who need it, and a wake-up call for those who don’t think sending sexual messages and images without consent is a problem. Delivering that message in a thrashy and energetic song that will truly reach more people than a thousand broadsheet thinkpieces could, takes talent and courage. ‘Ugly’ and ‘Ninety Seven’ are as necessary, impressive and frenetic as the lead track, making this a collection that packs a mighty punch.

‘Life of Me’ is out now on Disobedient Records Andrew Reilly

Brat Coven is out now Andrew Reilly Photo credit: Cara Barbour

Book Klub

ROSS WILCOCK

Ode to You is out now on Undercurrent Holly Fleming

Brat Coven

Photo credit: Tiu Makkonen

Spoken Word: Ode to You As Taylor Swift reclaims her music, she encourages others, like Ross Wilcock, to seize their own truths.

Ross’ latest spoken word single 'Ode to You' is thoughtful and ambitious, but also humble as Ross recognises that he is one of millions who feel thankfulness for Taylor. The performance is melodic and soft, set to ambient electro-acoustic soundscapes by Finn LeMarinel. Ross alludes to Taylor’s work, remembering ‘22’, ‘Blank Space’, and ‘Reputation’ in all the right places for a triumphantly emotional piece.

Ross Wilcock

review@snackmag.co.uk Page 45

SISTER JOHN

I SEE ISLANDS

Album: I Am By Day

Album: Within a Lightbeam

I Am By Day is a vibe. Sister John’s third LP grooves with dusky desert-conjuring rhythms – it’s the perfect accompaniment to the smell of brunch on a Sunday hang. It’s a gently experimental album, peppered with fuzzy synths and wobbling mellotrons, along with honey-toned guitars and, as to be expected, Amanda’s nectared revelatory lyrics. ‘I’ll Be Your Life’ and closing track, the gently soaring ‘Glasgow Is A Rainbow’, are standouts, but the real limelight hits on ‘Strange Ideas’, a song whose violin-centred build possesses the feel of a classic The Delgados song. ‘What I Want’ is brilliantly simple, sounding like a 90s electro track stripped of its club-context synths. The group has nudged their focus away from the previous folk and Americana sounds of Returned from Sea and Sister John towards a more alt-indie, lush but lo-fi avenue. And the payoff? Well, it’s fruitful. The band are now casting a wider net than ever before and in the process bringing to life comforting, hazy gems of escapism.

Usually when I’m angry and someone tells me to calm down my fizzing turns into an aggressive boil. However, I See Island's track 'Calm Down' on their new album does indeed chill me out. From the gentle, wordless opening vocals to the melody that bounces up and down throughout, the track typifies the rest of the album. The collection recalls the feeling of sitting on a beach with nothing to do but watch and listen to the waves. Other highlights include ‘In Our Place’ (a smidge bouncier than the rest and pushes you to jump into the sea), ‘I’ll Just Party’ (reminds you that swimming in the cold is worth it for the resulting soul renewal), and ‘A Million Miles’ (envelops you in a towel as you shiver after a swim).

I Am By Day is out 30th July on Last Night From Glasgow Paul McTaggart

lovingly-prepared product.

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I'm probably not the first and won’t be the last to compare the vocals and vibe to that of Bon Iver with a Scottish twist. The album was recorded with Triassic Tusk Records, who are based in St. Monans in the East Neuk of Fife and, like a whisky barrel kept on an island, the sea seeps through into the

I See Islands is out now on Triassic Tusk Natalie Jayne Clark

DENISE CHAILA

WOJTEK THE BEAR

Single: 061

Album: Heaven by the Back Door

If you are still hanging around in Azealia Banks' 212, it’s perhaps time to get your coat and make way for Limerick’s 061. Rapper-poet Denise Chaila is rightfully asserting her claim amongst Ireland's honours list. The Zambian-born artist continues to showcase fast-paced, raw lyrics, driven home by their brevity. ‘061’ is as clubby and energetic as it is steeped in intelligence, and is only further proof that Ireland keeps on adding lions to hip-hop’s food chain.

If you love references to ships and boats, you’re in luck. Perhaps a nod to Glasgow’s shipbuilding past, or the memories of the Boaty Weekender lingering on; whatever, it fits. It’s a jaunty record, sometimes touching on the fallback T-word for Glasgow indie pop (twee, not Tennents), but more importantly, it’s a joyous record.

'061' is out now on Narolane Records Paul McTaggart

‘The Tide That Won’t Come Back’ is delightful, and if you can’t nod or hum along, you don’t deserve ears. Opener ‘Ferme La Bouche’ shimmers with the excitement of the summer we wish to see and adds a playful mix to a Mike Tyson quote. Yes, this is an eclectic record.

The open and confessional tone of the lyrics makes it feel more like a close friend sharing a few secrets. Well, apart from the horns, melodies and swooping guitars. If you’ve got friends like that, hold them close. If not, check out Wojtek the Bear instead.

Denise Chaila

SWIM SCHOOL Single: anyway Edinburgh-based indie group swim school keep up their winning streak with new single ‘anyway’, a vulnerable track with a light touch and painfully honest lyrics which describe the difficulty of opening up about your mental state only to feel you’re not being heard or understood. Strong guitar and punchy drums give way to dreamy vocals, with a chorus that will stick with you after one listen and have you fantasising about singing along live. And with a headline gig at Glasgow’s King Tut’s scheduled for August, that dream isn't too far off any more.

Heaven by the Back Door is released on 16th July on Last Night From Glasgow Andrew Reilly

Brat Coven

‘anyway’ is available to stream now Lily Black review@snackmag.co.uk Page 47

SHAMBOLICS

DOT ALLISON

Single: Dreams, Schemes and Young Teams

Album: Heart-shaped Scars

This perfectly infectious slice of indie pop is readymade for a huge TRNSMT crowd singalong. The Fifers, now officially a 5-piece with the recent addition of Scott Williamson on keys, return with this fantastically optimistic ode to chasing your dreams and warm nostalgic memories of summers past. It’s always great to hear a Scottish band sing in their natural accent, and here it adds depth and authenticity. With a guitar riff that echoes The Gaslight Anthem’s ‘American Slang’, ‘its addictive chorus is destined to be chanted at full volume by festival crowds.

Heart-Shaped Scars might be Dot Allison’s first record in more than a decade, but it’s right on time.

If the pace of the digital world drags you down, here’s an antidote.

‘Dreams, Schemes and Young Teams’ is out now on Eggman Records Gregg Kelly

CHECK MASSES EP: Moroccan Skies remix EP CHECK MASSES are drip-feeding remixes of their single 'Moroccan Skies' ahead of the full EP release: each version has the creeping vibe of the original yet stirs a different part of the brain to action. Erik Tricity’s mix makes me feel sweaty just listening to it – definitely one for an intense run or the height of a party. Youth Dub’s is a personal favourite – hard and slow rhythm with a lot of the The Shambolics best moments of the original. Vic Galloway says about pulling the EP together: ‘We’ve done this as we’re lucky enough to have lots of talented friends who make music across genres…hip-hop, electronica, indie, etc. It was a way of being creative at a social distance.’

Moroccan Skies remix EP will be released on 23rd July. A full remix album of their Nightlife LP will be out later this year.

Natalie Jayne Clark

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Fragility and robustness go hand-in-hand here, blending together, leaving you unsure which is which. ‘Constellations’, ‘Can You Hear Nature Sing’ and ‘Cue The Tears’ are immediate highlights, but the record unfolds over repeated listens.

Allison has expanded her horizons with new instruments, nature sounds and an army of talented musicians, but she retains one of the strongest tools any professional has in their arsenal; a stunning voice. From opener ‘Long Exposure’ to ‘Goodbye’, Allison weaves, floats and soars in a way she has always managed to.

Absence might make the heart grow fonder, but it's comforting to know it doesn’t diminish the vocal cords. It’s time to let the outside in. And while you’re up, tell the world that Dot’s back.

Heart-Shaped Scars is released 30th July on SA Recordings Andrew Reilly

WALT DISCO Single: Selfish Lover

Wynona

WYNONA Single: Get Back to Myself Wynona (Natalie and Rich to their friends) are a bedroom pop duo. Formed in Osaka, Japan, the pandemic has seen them return to their native Hampshire. Their debut single is a glossy, storied meander of a song that will work its way into your consciousness through its hazy mix of homesickness and longing, while not losing the sense of comfort or optimism.

Opening with what can only be described as monstrous sounds, 'Selfish Lover' quickly switches to an eclectic, upbeat. feel The whole song is super layered and the stripped-back moments stand out and deliver a different feeling each time, from awe to morosity. We’ve all been trapped with selfish lovers before, and the music echoes the steps forwards and back these relationships take. Walt Disco have long been a Scottish band to watch – and their look is one you’ll adore.

‘Selfish Lover’ is available to stream now Natalie Jayne Clark

Written and demoed in Osaka with one emotional eye on their distant homeland, the song was revisited last summer after the band had returned and began to romanticise their time in Japan. This mixture and reversal of grass being greener on opposite sides of the globe gives the yearning lyrics and vocal delivery a universality. Natalie’s vocals sound effortless and natural. The clean, trebly guitars forming the main body of the mix chank along in a manner somewhere between lazy and strident.

It feels like there’s been a conscious decision to make the song’s layers a smooth, radio-friendly output rather than sticking anything artistically cacophonous over the top, and it’s a wise choice.

Wynona are definitely worth keeping an eye on – especially as this debut shows enough songwriting nous, pop sensibilities and (most importantly of all) nice guitar tones to leave their future musical direction limited only by their ambition.

Walt Disco

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Get Back to Myself is out now Stephen McColgan review@snackmag.co.uk Page 49

WET LEG

BE CHARLOTTE

Single: Chaise Longue

EP: You Stole the Summer

This debut single from the Isle of Wight’s Wet Leg has the same rhythm and cheekiness that could be expected from a Baxter Dury track, and for that alone, they already merit shouting about. Its lyrics are exuberant and rich with innuendos, stimulated by the sounds of New Wave-yness. The outcome almost sounds like what I imagine to be the translated version of a La Femme record. Poppy, sarky, snarky, and compellingly groovy.

Be Charlotte returns with her new EP ‘You Stole

‘Chaise Longue’ is out now via Domino Records Paul McTaggart

the Summer’ which sees the artist taking on a more acoustic/ballad vibe, away from her DIY pop roots. The tracks have a dreamy softness, with a subtle alternative feel, really bringing the summer vibes along with them. ‘You Stole the Summer’ is a stunning opening track, but the highlight for me has to be ‘We Are Burning’ which was a previous single. This upbeat, acoustic number is a lovely send-off for the record. The artist explores themes such as the challenging times of the past year and how music has found its way back to her,

Photo credit: Hollie Fernando

and it’s neatly packaged in this work. Piano and guitar flow through the album, breathing life into the project and cementing the easygoing, lyrically pleasing songs.

You Stole the Summer is out now Ross Wilcock

JOHN TEJADA & ULRICH KRIEGER Wet Leg The Shambolics

Be Charlotte

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EP: Silversonic The original 'Silversonic' features mournful sax in amongst the beats, the double claps, and the intermittent honks. The three other tracks are remixes of the original – ‘Silversonic (Beatless)’ is sublimely dramatic with even more mournful sax, occasionally delving into the realms of wounded animal – and, no beats! Both of Josh Wink’s remixes punch you around the head.

Silversonic is out 16th July on Pallette Recordings Natalie Jayne Clark

RATCHET & CLANK

FREDDY VS JASON

One of the last mascot platformer series going, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart sees our heroes set off on a multidimensional escapade, as our furry main and his robotic BFF get busy saving everything.

While the respective horror franchises A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th had classic, still scary originals, by 2003 each had seen some below-par sequels. Combining them must have seemed a good idea at the time. In some ways it was – in plenty of other ways it was a dreadful decision.

Rift Apart takes full advantage of the PS5’s hardware, running quickly and with such ease it plays out more like a film – levels and arenas run into the next with minimum load times. Knowing it won’t be long before you’re back in the action, you’ll find yourself sticking around to see what happens next. Each character is fully realised, now matching the rose-tinted memories of the previous games.

While there are some additions from previous games, like a dodge and wall run mechanic, these changes don’t completely transform the experience. Instead it boils the Ratchet & Clank formula down, making the whole experience into a fast-paced romp suitable for any gamer.

It truly feels like your favourite Saturday morning cartoon, and it's clear how much the developers, Insomniac, still care about a franchise that first rocked up almost 20 years ago. If you’ve been playing them from the start or if this would be your first time with the duo, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a game you should definitely check out.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is out now on PS5 Dominic Cassidy

Freddy vs Jason works on the premise that the residents of Elm Street have forgotten about the evil Freddy, meaning he can’t infest their dreams.

Sketchily, in script terms, Freddy then resurrects Friday the 13th’s Jason to hunt the usual silly teens down, thus paving the way for his return.

However, there’s not enough room at the inn for both, resulting in ridiculous OTT battles between the two.

The film recycles so many cliches, scenarios, and lines from both franchises that it becomes an exercise in eye-rolling, but the film-makers knew what they were doing. Enlisting Hong Kong director Ronny Yu, who had breathed life into another old horror franchise in Bride of Chucky, was a good move – although his predictable approach means the jump scares end up as burp scares. His visual style is gorgeous, and adds a welcome shade of coolness to the usual gorefest proceedings.

If you ever wanted to see Freddy do a flying elbow on Jason, witness a script that seems like it was written by stoned teenagers in one evening, or a movie that knows how bad it is but looks bloody good and entertains because of that, here’s your chance. Just don’t fall asleep during it.

Freddy’ll get you.

Freddy vs Jason is available now on Netflix Martin Sandison

review@snackmag.co.uk Page 51

LIMBO It’s rare that a film makes me openly greet these days. I’ve watched Scotland’s own Limbo twice now, and both times the waterworks have been in full effect come the end. This movie enraptures with its heart, spirit and essence. It’s one that reflects the inclusive nature of our land and tells a wonderful story at the same time.

Omar (Amir El-Masry) finds himself in a refugee centre on a fictional Scottish island (the film was the first feature to be shot on the Isle of Uist), after fleeing his home country of Syria. Farhad (Vikash Bhai) lives with him and becomes his friend and confidant in the harsh, forbidding landscape.

Omar carries an oud, an Arabic stringed instrument, everywhere with him, but his situation and the ups and downs he experiences mean he doesn’t want to play any more. Farhad suggests he put on a concert; maybe Omar will rediscover his muse.

The most obvious touchstones in the style and comedic approach of Limbo are the films of Wes Anderson and Jared Hess, whose quirky, deadpan and surreal movies such as The Royal Tenenbaums and Napoleon Dynamite reinvigorated the comedy genre in the Noughties.

Director and writer Ben Sharrock takes this base and then allows his characters and the simple story to breathe, meaning you really empathise with the journey of Omar and Farhad. Both El-Masry and Bhai are magnificent, and the lingering close-ups reveal such soul and pure emotion it’s impossible not to be moved. Mentions should also go to Kwabena Ansah and Ola Orebiyi, playing African refugees. Their story, despite limited screen time, is deep, and important to the film's representation of the harsh life led by many refugees.

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Sharrock, in his interview in this month's magazine, calls the home of the characters a ‘purgatorial island’. The way he shoots Uist creates this feeling, with a concentration on the flatness of the landscape and the harshness of the weather.

However he also shows the beauty of the isle, with gorgeous sunsets and snow-topped countryside.

The effect is dazzling.

The movie takes a little while to get going, with the film-makers feeling their way into the world it creates, and is one of those wherein not a lot happens. If you have patience – or like slow-burners – it’s really worth the effort.

I’m really proud that such a picture comes from my homeland, and I’m glad to say it’s up there with my favourite Scottish movies. With laughs, brilliant use of the landscape of Uist and a story and characters that you can fall in love with, Limbo is a real gem.

Limbo will be released in cinemas and on digital on July 30th Martin Sandison

Limbo

IN THE EARTH Having seen a few of director Ben Wheatley’s films, namely Free Fire, High-Rise and Sightseers, it’s obvious he has a vision that can apply itself to a mix of genres and budgets. His new folk-horror movie In the Earth has a low budget, but what he achieves with this is at times breathtaking.

Martin (Joel Fry) and Alma (Ellora Torchia) find themselves lost in the woods during a pandemic (don’t we all!), and stumble upon Zach (Reese Shearsmith), whom they trust to help them when Martin injures his foot. It’s a bad choice, to say the least. Soon both are on the run from Zach, stumbling into the camp of Dr Wendle (Hayley Squires), whom Martin was looking for all along.

Something much bigger and more sinister is afoot.

In the Earth

Wheatley elicits naturalistic but dream-like performances from his leads, without which the film wouldn’t work at all. Kudos especially must be given to Fry and Torchia, who breathe convincing life into Martin and Alma. Taking the lead from Ari Aster’s mind-bending Midsommar, the film mixes an unsettling atmosphere with folk tales, gore and intense psychedelic visuals.

Wheatley’s style at times is a little too naturalistic, with little invention in visuals and a standard approach to filming, though the contrast with the psychedelic aesthetic later on is striking. The surreal naivety of Martin’s character is stretched to obscene levels that may be too much for some and Squires is a little bland. The allegorical nature of the film is easy to work out, but that only adds to its power, and there’s enough ambiguity for different interpretations to be made. Oh, and it features the most excruciating foot-related torture I’ve seen since Misery. Be warned!

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In the Earth is in cinemas and on digital now Martin Sandison review@snackmag.co.uk Page 53

WHIRLIGIG Moira hud a new whirligig. Ye could see it fae space. Ah wis watching fae the bedroom windae and ah saw her and her man putting it up. They stuck it in concrete and added an extra bit of pole so the thing wis even higher.

They wanted it tae catch the breeze so the claes wid dry faster. Moira wis only five foot so she hud tae stand oan a plastic box to reach the top line.

Ma whirligig wis 26 year old. It wis rusty and ye hud tae stick bits of scabby wood at the bottom tae keep it upright. Claes didnae dry fast and in the winter they didnae dry at aw so I hud to let them dry oan the sofa in the living room. Ye’d end up sitting oan damp patches when ye were watching the telly.

Ah could always hear Moira’s snoring behind ma bed at night so ah knew when it wis safe tae go ootside. Ah climbed over her fence and took ma trowel and dug a hole by the spot she always placed her box. Ah planted a wee stone there and covered it wae dirt.

The next day ah watched her fae the bedroom windae when she put her box doon. Fae up here ah could see the wobble but she didnae notice. She stepped up oan it and leaned forward to peg a shirt when the thing toppled forward. She fell into the whirligig and got aw caught up in the lines. She jist dangled there like a puppet wae aw its strings. She called oot fer her wee lad but he wis inside playing the Xbox as ah could hear aw the shooting and banging fae behind the bathroom wall.

Naebody came tae help her and she jist hung there for hours. Ah stood at the windae the whole time wae tears streaming doon ma face. Ah hudnae laughed so much in years.

Her wee lad came oot looking fer his dinner and he helped her doon. Aw the lines were twisted and a couple snapped aff.

Ma whirligig is shite. But at least ah can reach it.

Oliver Greenall