The Edge (April 2015) by The Edge

zayn malik

does it really matter?

The Edge talks to

circa waves

common people

what to look out for

Issue Seven Welcome to Issue Seven, and the last full issue of the year! It has been an exciting year for us here at The Edge, with our very first collaborative issue with The Wessex Scene for LGBT History Month, our own special issue concentrating on women in the entertainment industry, and a highly commended award for one of our section editors at the Student Publication Association Awards 2015, amongst a whole host of other fantastic achievements, both big and small. Issue Seven features some of our most exciting content yet, including our coverage of one of the biggest television events of the year, the return of Game of Thrones! Our cover show is now entrenched in our popular culture, and if you haven’t seen the show you can feel very out of the loop. However, if you want to catch up quickly we have a beginners guide to Game of Thrones in our features section this issue, as well as a review of one of the most recent episodes, while one of our writers takes a look at the recently released excerpt from Winds of Winter. If you’re not a Thrones fan, however, there is still plenty for you. In the Live section of the magazine we also take a look at the upcoming Common People Festival, coming to Southampton in May this year. Our editors pick their favourite acts set to perform at the festival, so make sure to have a look at that on page 25. Our writers have also come together to look at some of the best short films to come from Disney in the film section – you can have a look at that on page 19. Also featured in the pages of this magazine is one of our ‘Forty Days of Rewind’ articles – make sure that you have a look at the rest on our website, as there is some fantastic classic music to be rediscovered there! I’d like to thank all of The Edge committee for all of their hard work for the last year, and thank all of our writers for their fantastic contributions to the magazine and website. It has been a pleasure being Editor of The Edge, and I wish next year’s committee all the best. Being part of The Edge has been one of the best parts of my university experience, and I can’t wait to see where the magazine goes next. Rebecca James Editor

THE EDGE

Editor Rebecca James editor@theedgesusu.co.uk Deputy Editor Caitlin Hobbs deputy-editor@theedgesusu.co.uk records Editor Hannah Mylrea records@theedgesusu.co.uk Features Editor Siân Blewitt features@theedgesusu.co.uk film Editor Virginie Robe film@theedgesusu.co.uk C u lt u r e e d i t o r Natalie Fordham culture@theedgesusu.co.uk live Editor Annabelle Asker live@theedgesusu.co.uk news Editor Lewis Taplin news@theedgesusu.co.uk head of design Joe Buckingham design@theedgesusu.co.uk Head of external relations Jenny Simpson relations@theedgesusu.co.uk Head of publicity Henna Patel publicity@theedgesusu.co.uk Head of events Alex Meehan events@theedgesusu.co.uk online manager Emily Mitchell manager@theedgesusu.co.uk editor in chief Megan Downing vpdci@susu.org

Contents editorial

01 Welcome to Issue Seven

NEWS

03 The Newsbox 04 Nostalgic News 05 Notes on News: Zaynâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Departure Matters

film

16 Girlhood 17 A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night 18 Blu-ray: Wild 18 Blu-ray: Into the Woods 19 Archive: Feast 19 Archive: Paperman

Features

culture

Records

live

07 A Beginnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guide to Game of Thrones 09 Interview: Circa Waves 10 What Difference Does It Make: Morrisey and the Fruitlessness of Modern Offence

11 Passion Pit - Kindred 13 East India Youth - Culture of Volume 13 Shawn Mendes - Handwritten 14 Archive: The Killers - Hot Fuss 15 Florence + The Machine - Ship To Wreck 15 LunchMoney Lewis - Bills 15 Tinashe ft. Iggy Azalea - All Hands On Deck

21 Game of Thrones Season 5 Episode 1 22 Extract of Winds of Winter 23 Bloodborne 24 Classics: Heart of Darkness

25 Common People Festival 26 Lucy Rose @ Engine Rooms 27 Superfood @ Heaven 28 Preview: The Prodigy @ Alexandra Palace 28 Preview: Laura Marling @ O2 Guildhall 29 Listings

THE EDGE

NEWS

THE NEWSBOX THE KEATS OF TWEETS

TOP TOP FIVE FIVE NEWS NEWS STORIES STORIES 1

Patty Patty Jenkins Jenkins will will direct direct Wonder Wonder Woman, Woman, which is due out in 2017. which is due out in 2017.

Marina is Diamand onds Diam

@Marinas

Batman BatmanvvSuperman: Superman:Dawn DawnofofJustice Justicerevealed revealed its first trailer, almost a year before its first trailer, almost a year beforeits itsdue due release. release.

Olly Olly Murs Murs and and Caroline Caroline Flack Flack are are the the new new confirmed hosts for The X Factor confirmed hosts for The X Factor after after Dermot DermotO’Leary’s O’Leary’sdeparture. departure.

Drake Drake and and Beyoncé Beyoncé are are collaborating collaborating again again for Drake’s new album, View for Drake’s new album, Viewfrom fromthe the6.6.

Suffragette, Suffragette,starring starring Carey Carey Mulligan, Mulligan, Meryl Meryl Streep and Helena Bonham Carter, Streep and Helena Bonham Carter,revealed revealed its itsfirst firsttrailer. trailer.

ENTERTAINMENT PICKS Film Editor:

The New Girlfriend, directed by François Ozon (22/05/15)

Culture Editor:

Penny Dreadful Season Two, Sky Atlantic (05/05/15)

teen idol, I met my ! Britney

Marina and the Diamonds recently tweeted about meeting her teen idol, Britney Spears, proving her credibility as an artist. Got a celeb to nominate for next issue? Let us know:

@theedgesusu THE THE EDGE EDGE IS IS EAGER EAGER FOR... FOR... Common Southampton’s new CommonPeople Peoplethis thismonth: month. Southampton’s new festival, including performances from Grace Jones and festival including performances by Grace Jones and Clean Bandit. Clean Bandit. Years debut album: TheThe band revealed that that the Years&&Years’ Years’ debut album. band revealed album is entitled Communion and will be released in the album is entitled Communion and will be released June. in June. Orange Black: TheThe firstfirst trailer for the NetOrangeisisthe theNew New Black. trailer forhitthe hit flix comedy has recently been been revealed, as well as the Netflix comedy has recently revealed as well as show already beingcommissioned commissioned for for aa fourth fourth season. the show already season. Star Force Awakens: TheThe film film has slowly been StarWars: Wars:The The Force Awakens. has slowly revealing more and more through promotional matebeen revealing more and more through promotional rial. December can’t come quickcome enough. material. December couldn’t quicker.

Records Editor:

The Desired Effect - Brandon Flowers (18/05/15)

THE ONE TO

Live Editor:

Common People (23/05/15-24/05/15)

Editor:

Empire, E4 (28/04/15) Catch up on 4OD.

THE EDGE

ms mr:

WATCH

The New York duo are back with a new single ‘Painted’, where they hope to gain the recognition that they deserved from their underrated 2013 debut LP.

NEWS

nostalgic news

Another round up of things that happened this month in years gone by.

exile on main street released 43 years ago josh mccormick Exile on Main Street, the tenth album by The Rolling Stones, was released 43 years ago this month. Having fled Britain in a tax evasion scandal, the band relocated to guitarist Keith Richards’ villa in the south of France to work on the follow-up to 1971’s Sticky Fingers with returning producer Jimmy Miller. The album was completed in early 1972, with further recordings in Los Angeles, and was released to widespread acclaim, topping charts around the world. Notable session musicians on the album include the late keyboard virtuoso Billy Preston and saxophonist Bobby Keys, who accompanied the Stones for their Glastonbury performance in 2013. The double-LP, certified platinum in both the UK and United States, features the hit singles ‘Tumbling Dice’ and ‘Happy’.

coraline released six years ago anneka honeyball The stop-motion dark fantasy film Coraline was released in the UK, six years ago this month. Directed by Henry Selick - who also directed Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach - the film is based on Neil Gaiman’s novel of the same name, in which a brave and curious young girl named Coraline discovers an alternate world within her new home. Released back on 8th May 2009, the film features the vocal talents of Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, and Dawn French. The film was released to critical acclaim, earning both Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Animated Feature.

same year marked the release of his debut studio album Elvis Presley. But, it was not until the 5th of May 1956, that both the single and the album topped US Billboard’s chart and remained in the Top 100 for six months. Despite a rather horrid story that lies behind the lyrics (the song was inspired by a newspaper article about a lonely man who committed suicide by jumping out of a hotel window), ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ has since become an iconic hit, adored by young people who got tired of over-sentimental pop songs. It fuses rhythm and blues with great, rock n’ roll beat, all accompanied by Presley’s unique vocals.

dr. no released 52 years ago dan linstead This month, it has been 52 years since the first film in the Bond series, Dr. No, hit cinema screens. The pioneering film, based on Ian Fleming’s 1958 novel featuring the British agent, paved the way for more than 20 films to follow. Debuting on 8th May 1963, the film achieved approximately $60 million at the box office, on a budget of $1 million, indicating a huge financial success, and ensuring multiple films would follow. The film has also achieved much critical acclaim, with Sean Connery’s portrayal of Bond in this specific film being named the third greatest film hero in a 2005 poll for the American Film Institute.

elvis presley scores first us number one sincle and album 59 years ago Martyna Posłuszna Elvis Presley, praised as The King of Rock and Roll, released the single ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ on 27th January 1956 which promptly became his first million-seller. The

THE EDGE

NEWS

Notes on News:

zayn’s departure matters Martyna Posłuszna

Zayn left One Direction. Why should we care? I consider myself a fairly knowledgeable person when it comes to ongoing affairs in the music industry. True, I am more into the announcement of an upcoming documentary about Kurt Cobain, but such a phenomenon that is the popularity of One Direction cannot go unnoticed. Thus, news about one of the boys leaving the band has shaken their fandom worldwide. Repercussions have been pretty extreme. Teens as young as ten years old have been posting disturbing images of self-harm, supposedly as a response to the announcement. Celebrity blogs and magazines exploded with speculations regarding the possible reasons for Zayn Malik to abandon the rest of the band. In the eyes of all the innocent teenage girls that religiously praised the boy band, it seemed like an unforgivable crime. They were perceived as flawless superstars who had an unbreakable bond and wrote relatable, catchy songs played by their fans on loop. Young girls behave ridiculously hysterically during One Direction concerts, they openly confess their undying love for their members - in short, they put them on a pedestal. Funnily

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enough, it does not matter how much we - the rational and mature music lovers - would like to deny it: the popularity of One Direction is equivalent with that of The Beatles. That being said, it would be cruel of us to be patronizing and ignorant.

“

FUNNILY ENOUGH, IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW MUCH WE - THE RATIONAL AND MATURE MUSIC LOVERS - WOULD LIKE TO DENY IT: THE POPULARITY OF ONE DIRECTION IS EQUIVALENT WITH THAT OF THE BEATLES.” What should we make out of this? Teenagers nowadays struggle with multitudinous issues; the mundane, unfabulous reality of their lives prompts them to seek various distractions. Commonly, other people’s lives. To be more precise, celebrities’ lives. They cannot abstain from the allure of following all the gossip items, considering how many opportunities we are given to. The internet continuously explodes with the latest news about anyone famous. It has become so easy to be more interested in a life of a television personality than one’s own. As depressing as it sounds, that is the reality we live in. Moral of this story? Naturally, we cannot influence the masses, but what we can do is to raise our own offspring in a way that it will never feel the need to lose itself in the whirl of absurdity that pop culture often epitomizes.

FEATURES

SPaOrInLiEnRg w

Rebecca James

ame of Thrones has returned again, and it can often feel like everyone in the world is watching it. If you’re one of those who has not started the show yet, and can’t face 40 hours worth of television to catch up, The Edge brings you our beginner’s guide to get you up to speed. I think it goes without saying, but spoilers ahead for the first four series of Game of Thrones.

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backgroun d

The seat of power in Game of Thrones is the Iron Throne - the seat of the ruler of Westeros, and the focus of a lot of political machinations. Winning the Iron Throne is the aim of several different warring families - the Lannisters who currently hold the throne, the Starks who want to see a ‘rightful’ ruler on the throne, the Targaryens who were deposed by the Lannisters, as well as other families who have varying alliances. The Iron Throne is based in King’s

FEATURES

Landing, which is the centre for a lot of the political action which happens - however, that is only half the story. The Wall is another central location, a massive wall built from ice which has come under attack from the Wildlings, a group who are desperate to flee from the mysterious White Walkers, a supernatural group of creatures we know little about. Across the sea is Slaver’s Bay, an area which Daenerys is currently taking control of, through the use of her Unsullied (eunuch) army. At the end of Series Four however, war is rife across the whole kingdom, after the execution of Ned Stark at the end of Series One prompted his son to style himself as ‘King in the North’, with the aim of succession, and Stannis and Renley Baratheon declaring themselves the rightful heirs to the throne, after the mysterious death of their brother Robert. Add in his son Joffrey Baratheon, and there were a lot of contenders for the throne. However, as it stands at the end of Series Four, all but Stannis are dead, and the supposed King is currently Tommen Baratheon, who is largely controlled by his mother Cersei and wifeto-be Margaery, while the Targaryen heir Daenerys seems destined never to make the move across the sea to Westeros.

The P e op l e

Game of Thrones has a multitude of interesting and important characters, and it would be impossible to sum them all up. However, here are some of the (surviving) key players.

Jon Snow

Ned Stark’s bastard son, Jon Snow joined the Night’s Watch on The Wall at the start of the show, and has now become steward of the Wall. So far his most important storyline saw him infiltrate the enemy Wildling army, and fall in love with a Wildling woman, Ygritte. He returned to warn the Night’s Watch about the impending invasion, and Ygritte was killed in the ensuing battle.

Tyrion Lannister

Brother to Cersei Lannister, and dwarf son of Kingmaker Tywin, Tyrion has spent most of his time in King’s Landing attempting to advise his sister and nephew Joffrey on how to rule the kingdom. However, thanks to the manipulations of Petyr Baelish, at the end of the last series, Tyrion was put on trial for the murder of his nephew, escaped custody to kill his father, and is currently fleeing Westeros.

Cersei Lannister

Wife to former King Robert Barratheon, Cersei is in love with her brother Jaime, and has an incestuous

sexual relationship with him which has resulted in three children. After the death of their son Joffrey, Cersei is desperately trying to maintain her hold on power through the manipulation of her second son, Tommen, and is intensely wary of Margaery. She is desperate to see Tyrion punished for the murder of her son.

Daenerys Targaryen

Known as the Mother of Dragons, Daenerys lives in exile as the heir to the deposed Targaryen line. Determined to retake the Iron Throne, Daenerys has spent much of her time through the series building an army and taking over cities who use slaves, freeing them from their rulers. Also know as the Unburnt for her ability to withstand fire, Daenerys is currently acting as a leader of the cities she has freed.

Arya Stark

Arya started the show as the tomboy daughter of Ned Stark. However, since his death she has been captured by Lannister forces whilst under the guise of a boy and been taken hostage for ransom by The Hound, before his grievous injury means that she can free herself from him. Through the series she has become increasingly hardened, and has a mantra of all the people she thinks deserves to die for her father’s death. At the end of Series Four, she was on a ship away from Westeros and the remainder of her family, bound for Braavos.

Stannis Baratheon

Stannis is brother to now dead king, Robert, and is convinced that he is the rightful ruler of Westeros, after discovering that Joffrey is not Robert’s son. Currently he is based on the Wall at Castle Black with Jon Snow, having joined the battle with the Wildling Army at the end of last series. Stannis is a fervent believer in the Lord of Light, and is besotted with priestess Melisandre who he thinks can help bring him to the throne.

Margaery Tyrell

Margaery is heir to the Tyrell house, whose loyalty to the Lannister/Barratheon cohort seems based entirely on their current ownership of the throne. Formerly married to Renley Baratheon, then briefly married to Joffrey before he was killed at their wedding, she seems set on maintaining her place by the throne through her betrothal to Tommen.

most im porta n t ly

Author George R. R. Martin is notorious for killing off characters. The TV series doesn’t deviate from this, so be aware that your favourite may well not be safe from the chopping block. THE EDGE

FEATURES

An interview with

Circa Waves james forsdick The Edge caught up with Liverpool-based indie band Circa Waves before their gig at the Hippodrome in Kingston. The band have just released their debut album Young Chasers, much to the delight of their dedicated fan base, which has grown rapidly in just two short years.

How exactly did you guys get started?

Kieran put the demo out onto Soundcloud and Zane Lowe played it twice on his show in one night. Then it was like “s***, better get a band together!” Kieran was working at SoundCity in Liverpool and we all met there. It all came together really quickly, we rented a room in Liverpool for three months and practiced as much as we could until we got the courage to start gigging and here we are today!

You released a few singles in 2013, an EP last year and now you’ve got an album out. Has it all felt a little non-stop? It’s been pretty non-stop since the end of 2013 really and it has only gotten more intense as we’ve gone along, but that’s what we want really. We enjoy being on the road and being busy because as a musician you just want to keep on playing gigs and making new music.

THE EDGE

You’ve released your debut album, Young Chasers, recently and it has been received pretty well. Four stars in NME, how did that feel?

Eight out of ten! Or four out of five, we prefer eight out of ten it sounds better. Either way it doesn’t matter too much, it’s just somebody’s opinion. It’s nice to be told you’ve released a good album but you can’t take too much on board otherwise when somebody tells you that what you’ve released is f*****g s***, you feel like s***! We try not to think about it too much, we’re happy with what we’ve done and if other people like it to then that’s just a bonus.

A lot of our readers may have seen you at the Joiners in Southampton last year. What was it like playing such an intimate venue and what do you prefer: big venues or intimate gigs? They both have their benefits, both can be really cool and we enjoy them both. That Joiners gig was really cool, it was the first time some of us crowd-surfed, which we were quite proud of. A very rock and roll moment! Read the full interview: www.theedgesusu.co.uk

FEATURES

What Difference Does It Make? Morrissey and the Fruitlessness of Modern Offence lewis cato

t feels utterly futile contributing to the humourless vacuum that is internet commentary, yet unfortunately, aside from procrastination and making a damn fine pasta bolognese, it’s all that I’m really good at. Yes, the modern world of the thoughtless thought-piece, where the aimless and the inconsequential chastise the successful, treating their subject matter with all the warmth and respect of a Russian insurgency. It reminds me of a routine by Stewart Lee where he theorises that journalist Stuart Maconie is a spectral, alien-like being, free to speculate on culture but cruelly, never able to directly intervene. However, unlike that golden age of valid critique, we exist in an era of faux-outrage. In a single misstep an allegiance can vanish; one moment you’re the cross-generational voice of emotional anguish, the next you find a Kickstarter campaign fund-raising for your involuntary euthanisation. The latest victim of such a fate is Morrissey, whose video for ‘Kiss Me a Lot’ has caused upset amongst people with an incredibly low tolerance to the use of the female body in art.

Now, those with even a passing interest in Mozza/The Smiths will know of two things. Firstly, throughout the decades Moz has kept his sexuality a beguiling mystery; his assertion of asexuality contrasted by flirtations with gay subculture in his lyricism has made his sexual preference a matter of hypothesis and conjecture. It is thus highly doubtful that he’s all of a sudden going to go all Danny Dyer on us or have a collaboration with Lil’ Jon in the works (although if the latter happens in the future I do think I am now deserving of a writing credit). Secondly, a cursory glance at the cover art of The Smiths/Morrissey’s solo career will clearly illuminate his adoration/borderline-obsession with pop starlets and iconic 60s film stars, both male and female. This appreciation of aesthetic beauty in a way seems divorced from sexuality, or at the very least is concerned more with the power, the idolatry and the allure that comes with such aesthetic perfection rather than “phwoar, what a sort” objectification. ‘Kiss Me a Lot’ could easily be regarded as an extension of this tradition, however follies like context only get in the way of synthesised anger production. Since when did everyone become such prudes again? How is a “ban this sick filth” attitude progressive? It seems that in the same way that the hard-line Christian right may brand something they dislike as Satanic, the left can easily attach plentiful buzzwords to whatever content they wish to eradicate. In fact, this is part of what is known as horseshoe theory, a concept attributed to French philosopher Jean-Pierre Faye which contends that both extremes of the political spectrum resort to similar tactics in an attempt to get their way e.g. authoritarianism, violence. It’s essentially the same as a mother at her wits end telling two squabbling siblings, “you’re both as bad as each other”, except the siblings are fascists. However, whilst religious institutions are crumbling the ideologies that prop up left-leaning thought are excelling; though that is not necessarily a bad thing in itself, its anti-dissent militia certainly is. What does this mean for art? Well, somehow it’s going to have to challenge ideas without upsetting people, which is, rather obviously, impossible. Stephen Fry is often quoted in saying, “better sexy and racy than sexist and racist,” however it’s apparent that some cannot tell the difference and thus would prefer neither. It is at least delightfully ludicrous seeing people tell an asexual, anti-monarchist animal rights activist to check their privilege. Now he really knows how Joan of Arc felt.

THE EDGE

RECORDS

passion pit kindred george seabrook

lectro-pop is hot again, after recent years have seen new and old artists representing the genre. CHVRCHES dominated with their debut, Purity Ring’s sophomore album this year made waves, and now Passion Pit have returned with their third album Kindred. Michael Angelakos’ one-man band has shed a lot of the weirdness of Manners, while the darkness of Gossamer is balanced out in the latest album. If the timing is right, this could launch Passion Pit onto the A-lists across the UK, and get them more recognition than ever. The music of Kindred is best adapted to that. The question is, is that a good thing?

throws it all in the air again. Describing having hope in a struggle, the line “I fight so hard and come back beaten/ but the beacon will burn through it brightly,/you’ll soar through a sliver of space,” it is clear that Angelakos’ wife is that hope. It is fitting to wrap a melody so grippingly exuberant and upbeat around lyrics of equal sentiment. Later track ‘Until We Can’t (Let’s Go) outdoes ‘Lifted Up’ for sheer energy. Despite darker lyrics in the verse, the chorus always returns to lift spirits. Its epic-ness is far less surprising when you learn that Hans Zimmer (seriously) collaborated with Angelakos and Benjamin Levin in its writing.

Yes. Kindred may be more restrained than Manners, yet the synth-driven noise is still a wild contrast to more controlled and strappeddown styles of pop music. It is energetic and layered, often overpowering Angelakos’ voice, so that the heartfelt lyrics are sometimes lost in the mix. The verses of ‘Ten Feet Tall’ are a prime example of this; maybe it was in an effort to sneak the swearing past the ears of parents, however more mature listeners will miss out on the meaning without the lyrics to hand. Luckily, what you can hear of the music is delightful, even if it outdoes the vocals.

These forays into popular territory do not hurt Kindred in the slightest. They act as welcome breaks from slower, more laid-back, and definitely more downbeat material. ‘Looks Like Rain’ is a fascinating example. Despite the simplistic and unchanging rhythms of it that make it feel easy and relaxed, the words that leave Angelakos’ mouth in his birdsong voice form something disturbing and at times bleak. As it all comes to a dreamy close, he sings how “The air shattered like glass and fell like crystals on your face/I took you in my arms and I could hear you saying grace”; it is enough to keep you awake at night, a dark track which reminds the listener in the know that Angelakos has suffered from severe mental illness in the past, and still does to this day. With that kind of darkness in his life, Kindred’s frequent lighter moments are a complete and pleasant surprise.

What makes Kindred less weird than previous albums is a slight indulgence in more typical structures. Opening track ‘Lifted Up (1985)’ is the best example of this, following a pattern laid out by many Calvin Harris and David Guetta tracks before it. It builds in the verse, packs on the keyboard sounds in the chorus over a relentless drum-beat, and falls back down before the final chorus

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Kindred is out now via Columbia Records

RECORDS

east india youth culture of volume amy wootten

ulture of Volume is the second album from Mercury Prize nominee William Doyle, known as East India Youth. His solo project combines electro synth and soothing vocals, and is at it’s best when he works with a close balance between the two forms. On Culture of Volume, however, Doyle sways more towards a very electronic album that often becomes repetitive - making the album lacking when considering the diversity found on his experimental debut album Total Strife Forever. Throughout the album it’s the tracks with vocals that hold it together and save it from becoming a repetitive tangle of electronica and synth, as occurs in ‘Entirety’ which echoes the feeling of an

early 90s rave. ‘Turn Away’ is a strong point on the album, combining lyrics that are more diverse than found on ‘End Result’ with a futuristic undercurrent, which creates a captivating contrast. Midway through, the track dissolves into upliftingly euphoria and builds to a powerful climax, which sets it apart from other tracks on the album. But then there’s ‘Entirety’, which is labouring on the ears and provides a jarring start to the second half of the album; and opener ‘The Juddering’ that sounds more like the opening credits of a futuristic sci-fi film. Culture of Volume is frustratingly close to being a great album, but its great moments are offset by too frequent gaps of electronic nothingness that do not seem to add anything to the album. As a second album, it sadly does not achieve the experimental potential that East India Youth presented in Total Strife Forever, and its flow is hindered by the unusual length of his songs. Culture of Volume is out now via XL Recordings.

shawn mendes handwritten hannah mylrea

n 2013, Shawn Mendes was discovered on Vine, recording six-second snippets of songs that accumulated millions of views. Through these clips, Mendes caught the eyes of industry bigwigs, who saw the chance to fill the gap vacated by Justin Bieber (now he’s getting arrested instead of screeching ‘Baby’), and was signed to Island Records - and now a couple of years on, Mendes’ has released his debut record Handwritten. Mendes is the latest act to be shoehorned into the tween pop star mould: inoffensive, sickly sweet and with a half decent voice, his whole image has been created with the sole intent of being plastered across tweenage girls’ rooms. The record itself is innocuous, with a handful of catchy songs (‘Something Big’ is like a Disney-fied Ed Sheeran song and ‘A Little Too Much’ will undoubtedly be picked up to be on the soundtrack for a romantic comedy film), but for the most part, it’s dull. Each track blurs into the next, there’s no standout single, 13

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and I honestly couldn’t remember any of the songs ten minutes after listening to it. It’s a shame, as I suspect Mendes may actually be able to sing, and there’s a real potential behind some of the songs, but he’s been sprinkled with Hannah Montana and polished with High School Musical, until Handwritten emerged as nothing more than a dreary, sugary pop album. Handwritten is out now via Island Records.

RECORDS

40 Days of Rewind:

The Killers H o t200F5u s s marcus bridgland

rguably one of the best and most well-known albums of the 21st century, Hot Fuss catapulted The Killers to musical stardom. Featuring hits like ‘Smile Like You Mean It’, ‘Somebody Told Me’ and the iconic ‘Mr Brightside’, Hot Fuss will always be remembered as a genre-defining record - redefining the indie rock scene in a way that was probably never envisaged at the time. The energetic ‘Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine’ immediately gives this album a different feel to others that came out at the time - which is a reason this record had the aforementioned success it did. After this early knockdown, the punches keep on coming with a series of famous singles, such as ‘Mr Brightside’, that take this album to another level. After such an incredible first half, featuring the majority of their released singles from the record, it’s hardly a surprise that Hot Fuss does suffer a slight drop in quality - albeit an almost negligible one. Songs such as the unique ‘On Top’ and the slow-building ‘Glamorous Indie Rock And Roll’ more than hold their own amongst the number one singles. ‘Under The Gun’ is a fittingly high quality end to their breakthrough album.

The biggest thing about the album was the hype it created on both sides of the Atlantic. This is probably due to the originality and diversity of the music; Hot Fuss was very different to anything the public had heard before. The sheer popularity of the record resulted in countless accolades and awards, for example their debut album stayed in the UK Charts for an incredible 179 weeks - a ridiculous feat for such an original and different band from America. This culminated in five Grammy Nominations, a spectacular rise for the fourpiece band. The Killers, along with The Arctic Monkeys, added fuel to the indie-rock fire in the early noughties - heading up the enormous wave of similar bands such as The Kooks, Kings of Leon, Kaiser Chiefs and Razorlight, into mainstream musical outlets and the public eye. This is why Hot Fuss will always be remembered as a defining record in music history. Hot Fuss was released on June 7 2004 via Vertigo Records. Check out the rest of our ‘40 Days of Rewind’ series online.

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RECORDS

Singles Reviews

ship to wreck // florence + the machine

bills // lunchmoney lewis

george seabrook

toby leveson

After the dark and driven ‘What Kind Of Man’, Florence + The Machine’s second single from How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful is a different beast. ‘Ship To Wreck’ is not written as a track that builds slowly; it leaps right from the first note into the chorus melody. The guitars, bass and electric, move the track along briskly, and keep it all upbeat. Yet there is a darkness to it to match the lyrics - the melodies all start higher than they finish, and are doom-laden.

“I’ve got bills/I’ve got to pay” declares LunchMoney Lewis; let’s hope this is simply a stage name and not a result of cruel parenting. Having previously worked with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj, Lewis has realised he doesn’t earn enough to feed his family and has written this track, which, to put it simply, is awful. Anyone who believes “Goddam, oh man, goddam, oh man” is a legitimate excuse for a lyric shouldn’t be allowed near a recording studio.

Like many of her more upbeat tracks, Florence Welch’s vocals become more forceful, no less melodic, between verse and chorus. This is where ‘Ship To Wreck’ finds problems. It feels familiar. ‘What Kind Of Man’ was a statement; springy, energetic, and with some depth, this is just a memo.

But having said this, it’s a song that’s not supposed to be taken seriously. Upon first listening I wanted to turn it off, but I couldn’t quite bring myself to do so. It’s ridiculously catchy and will be stuck in your head for days.

‘Ship To Wreck’ is out on May 25th via Island Records.

In essence then, this song is a musical version of a rash. However, unlike a rash a little part of you secretly enjoys it. I want to hate it, I really do, but I just can’t. ‘Bills’ is released on May 10th via Kemosabe Records.

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all hands on deck // tinashe feat. iggy azalea hannah mylrea Dull, lifeless and monotonous, Tinashe’s latest offering is as vibrant as Christmas tree come twelfth night. The droning beats sound like they’ve accidentally been stuck on a loop, and Tinashe just decided to go with it and see if she could make do. Her whining vocals and unimaginative lyrics have no direction, with the same melody being repeated over and over. When Iggy pops up it isn’t much better, with her rap sounding as monotonous as Siri. And then there’s the seemingly pointless appearance of a flute, which although it does break the wearisomeness of the track, also makes no sense. If this is all hands on deck, I dread to think what’s produced when only half the hands are helping out. ‘All Hands On Deck’ is out on May 10th via RCA Records.

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éline Sciamma makes sensitive, patient dramas constructed mainly out of handheld tracking shots, three-quarter profile closeups, symmetrical two-shots, and establishing wide-shots. Her framing tends to be simple but effective. Despite all this, Sciamma remains a good filmmaker rather than a great one, because her films never delve into particularly surprising emotional or aesthetic territory. Like Sciamma’s two previous films, Girlhood is the story of a teenage girl trying to carve out an individual identity in a world where others try to determine her social role for her. 16-year-old Marieme lives in a Paris housing project with her single mother, authoritarian elder brother, and two younger sisters. Consumed with frustration after being informed that her grades are too low to allow her to enter further education, and she’ll instead have to begin learning a practical vocation, she joins a gang of local tough girls, who usher her into a life of petty c r i m e , w h i c h mostly consists of some minor

shoplifting, street fighting, and verbally harassing kids even lower down on the social ladder than they are. For Marieme, being part of the gang allows her, for the first time, to create an identity for herself rather than have one forced upon her, even if the one she adopts is a disingenuous, approximated front studiously designed to shield her from emotional pain. Gang leader Lady and Marieme’s relationship is built on a delicate mixture of genuine affection and mutual selfishness – Lady uses the idolizing Marieme as a source of narcissistic supply, and Marieme is using Lady as an empowering behavioural model. Surviving in this environment requires Marieme to constantly re-invent herself and slip into different roles depending on the situation – fitting subject matter for a filmmaker who has always perceived gender roles as fluid.It’s a powerful idea, and resonates even as the narrative grows increasingly contrived in a way incongruous to the previously established sense of low-key realism. As for Marieme’s internal trajectory, it more or less fits the typical coming-of-age mould; a process of gradually taking on the useful traits from the gang, while rejecting the most toxic. None of this is particularly interesting filmmaking, but it is, for the most part, pretty accomplished drama. James Slaymaker

james slaymaker Director: céline sciamma Studio: studiocanal out: 8th may

girlhood THE EDGE

FILM

Review:

A girl walks home alone at night virginie robe Director: Ana Lily Amirpour Studio: StudioCanal Out: 22nd May

ome films manage the very hard task of grasping the attention of their audience from the first shot. Ana Lily Amirpour’s first feature is one of them. The film opens on Arash (Arash Marandi), smoking a cigarette à la James Dean, by the power plant of Bad City. He drops his cigarette on the floor and walks away from the power plant towards his car. As the shot widens, the setting opens. In a ditch behind him, there is a series of dead bodies. This first sequence is raw and yet minimalist, symptomatic of Ana Lily Amirpour’s directing in A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night. The film follows a handful of characters, Arash, his dad Hossein (Marsall Manesh), Atti (Mozhan Marnò) and the Girl (Who Walks Home Alone At Night, played by the mesmerizing Sheila Wand), in a story involving drugs, abuse, and what looks like the start of a love story. The narration comes down to its title, and as we follow the Girl That Walks Alone At Night, we get to see the characters evolve, their separate stories becoming slowly tangled into one path. 17

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Iranian director Ana Lily Amirpour offers a strong first feature film, the most fascinating strength of it being his feminist tone. Don’t be fooled by the title, the girl is by no means a victim. More importantly, she does not take on male codes to be frightening; she is close to the ultimate embodiment of female empowerment. The film tastefully avoids comments on the place of women in society, and never condemns its female characters. A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night adopts a feminist stance from beginning to end, but it is also a film that pays tribute to cinema throughout. References to James Dean, a storyline and aesthetic reminiscent of Jim Jarmush’s work, especially his latest feature Only Lovers Left Alive, and some sequences that border on the B-movie style are cleverly scattered throughout the film. Sometimes, the minimalist dialogue is taken to an extreme, which slightly weakens scenes, but these are tiny drawbacks to a film that masterfully develops its themes without any faux-pas.

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wild

holly geraghty Director: jean-marc vallée Studio: 20th century fox out: 25th may

motional, touching, and powerful are just some of the words which come to mind after watching Jean Marc Vallée’s Wild. Based on the true story of Cheryl Strayed, one woman undertakes a 1,000-mile solo hike on the Pacific Crest Trail in an attempt to not only find the person that she wants to be, but to redeem herself from her troubled past. Cheryl, played by Reese Witherspoon, challenges herself to a grueling three-month hike, overcoming many challenges and facing both extreme highs and lows along the way. Jean-Marc Vallée portrays a story which

leaves the audience incredibly moved, but also reflective on how the decisions we make in life lead us down certain paths. The ending of the film is somewhat unexpected. It comes at a point where the audience are deeply attached to Cheryl, and her cause, and wish for her final arrival at her finishing point to be far more epic and definite than it was. In some ways, it is a disappointment; however, it is understandable as the journey becomes not so much about Cheryl finishing her physical journey, but more her emotional one, which is summed up perfectly in the final moments of the film.

bridie pearson-jones Director: rob marshall Studio: walt disney studio pictures out: 18th may

into the woods

he Disney adaptation of the Grimm Brothers’ fairytales is full of striking cinematography and an all-star cast. Yet, it is without a doubt a ‘marmite’ film: you will either adore,or hate its child-like play and repetitive singing. The genius elements of the film, adapted from Stephen S o n d h e i m’s 1987 musical, are the twisted morals and the return

in folklore to the fairytale’s roots; in many ways it is vastly different from the traditional Disney fairytale. The dank, dark, beautiful, and ominous woods which act as a literary tool for all the cast to intertwine, give the whole film an excessive feel, which is perhaps the film’s biggest woe. The first 16 minutes, containing only one song, explain the characters reasons for going into the woods, and leaves the audience a little bored. While this style of multi-character montage and grand composure is a real treat on stage, it does not transfer so well to the big screen. THE EDGE

FILM

archive reviews:

disney shorts special F

amy wootten Director: patrick osborne Studio: Walt Disney Studio Pictures Year: 2014

east begins with the adoption of Winston, a street pup, after he is lured by a chip and a welcoming hand. The dog’s growing up is shown through a montage of meals, from the plain old dog food he begins with to lavish meals of nachos and meatballs. Change is introduced in the form of a sprig of herbs that signals Winston’s owner’s newfound relationship and after their break-up, it is Winston who saves them by tracking down the woman with a green sprig tucked in his mouth.

Paperman

aperman is Disney’s Oscar winning ingenius short film that was first screened before Wreck It Ralph and stole the hearts of young children, as well as adults in 2012. The short film is a wordless and intimate tale of two unsuspecting strangers who meet at a railway station in New York City, who go to great lengths to meet one another again. Their main meeting device is the paper airplane with Meg’s lipstick stain that is thrown between George’s work building and the one opposite to gain Meg’s attention. What follows is a beautiful whimsical chase that eventually sees the characters reach their happily ever after. This short film is beautiful rendered in black and white, with the only colour being the vibrant red of Meg’s lipstick. This minimalist 19

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feast

In six minutes the audience is taken on a journey through a puppy rescue, a relationship’s break-up and make-up, through a narrative entirely made of food. Feast is a heart-warmingly romantic tale (especially in the hands of a dog named Winston) told through seamlessly fast editing and beautifully hand drawn animation, shot primarily at a dog’s height. Osbourne shows that an abundance of food and a cute dog are a winning combination. It will leave audiences smiling, and probably a little bit hungry.

georgia simpson Director: John Kahrs Studio: Walt Disney Studio Pictures Year: 2012

view, along with the combination of computer animation and hand drawings, emphasises the expressiveness of the characters which harks back to Disney’s classic style and is often compared to 101 Dalmatians. The film had great viral success as Disney posted it on YouTube and it was later shared by millions on Facebook and other social media websites. The film went on to have award success, as Paperman marked the first short film Academy Award win for the Walt Disney company since 1969’s It’s Tough To Be A Bird.

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Review:

Game of Thrones Season 5, episode 1 matt clarson

he House of Black and White’, the second episode of the season, brings with it more of the build-up of the first, but already storylines are starting to unspool themselves and it would seem that Weiss and Benioff are pushing for the same kind of dynamic, actionpacked season we got last year. We get to, briefly, see Dorne for the first time, homeland of the ill-fated Oberyn Martell. There, Oberyn’s brother Doran (Alexander Siddig) and paramour Ellaria (Indira Varma) argue over taking revenge on the Lannisters. Varma bristles with anger and malice, and looks set to become another in a long line of incredibly well-written, engaging female characters. Whatever the Dornish decide to do, however, they had better do so q u i c k l y, as Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-

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Waldau) and Bronn (Jerome Flynn) team up and head to Dorne to rescue Princess Myrcella (Nell Tiger Free) from all the angry, beautiful, Spanish people. So far, the show has proven adept at providing some of the best character pairings on television, and Jaime and Bronn as a duo could have the potential to be even better than Arya (Maisie Williams) and the Hound. On that note, Arya makes her return this week. Arriving in the city of Braavos after the Hound’s untimely death last season, Arya goes to the House of Black and White, home of the Faceless Men, the shadowy assassins who can change their faces. There we get to see lots of the Arya stuff we’ve been missing for the past year: one-liners, the listing of names, a young girl with awesome levels of bravado, and general bad-assery. At the Wall, the choosing of the next Lord Commander is set to take place with Alliser Thorne (Owen Teale) looking likely to win, while Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) faces a momentous decision after a meeting with ‘King’ Stannis (Stephen Dillane). The Wall parts of the episode bring with them some of the most important story progression this week, as well as the closest thing Game of Thrones comes to cute (a ten year-old girl sending a strongly worded letter to Stannis) and what could be Sam Tarly’s (John Bradley-West) finest hour. Finally, in Mereen, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) faces growing troubles, with her conquered people getting ever more discontented and tensions rising in the city. She tries to deal justice, but may be unable to turn the city into a peaceful place. Whatever happens, Daenerys’ story is at long last starting to maybe get interesting (read: more dragons). Game of Thrones is broadcast on Sky Atlantic on Mondays at 9pm.

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Review:

Excerpt of

Winds of Winter by George R. R. Martin natalie fordham

t this point in the book series, Sansa is in hiding, pretending to be Lord Baelish’s bastard daughter Alayne Stone, not his niece as she is in the TV show. Martin is clever in teasing what appears to be a rather small part of the overall series when compared to Game of Thrones favourites such as Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister. However, as ever, fan plot theories have been running rife and it seems Sansa Stark and the possibility of her potential marriage could just be a major plot swing and move on the chess board that is Westeros. Sansa last had a point-of-view chapter back in the series’ fourth book, A Feast for Crows, in 2005. Winds of Winter is long awaited and the previous novel, A Dance with Dragons, took five years to complete, meaning that readers were beginning to wonder if they would ever receive the future two novels. Thankfully, Martin has released this excerpt on his website.

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w a r nILER ing

excerpt hints at a stronger Sansa, one who is less likely to be manipulated. Is it possible she’ll pull away and start to be a bigger player on this chess board? I certainly hope so, and it seems Martin may just be hinting at it. Witty and packed with colourful detail, the excerpt is at its heart the same as all the other novels that belong to The Song of Ice and Fire series - absolutely brilliant. Martin is known for writing believable, powerful and manipulative women, and I hope that finally Sansa Stark will take her place among them. Look out Baelish, your little ward may not be so dutiful forever. Winds of Winter is set to be released in late 2016.

The excerpt proves that our little Sansa Stark - sorry, Alayne Stone - has grown up quite a bit since we’ve last seen her. I guess seeing your father beheaded, being tortured by your exfiance, and then being inadvertently part of his murder will do that to a girl. Though, of course, we all know our favourite schemer, Lord Petyr Baelish had a hand in all this. Though there are no bloody battles or big character deaths, most of all the excerpt reveals that perhaps Sansa, or Alayne, is not as silly as she appears. Martin reveals a new charming temptress that has enough sense to turn her betrothed’s opinion of her. Stark, hiding as Lord Robert Arryn of the Vale’s caregiver, now realises the power of womanly wiles at court, and is ready to play them to her advantage. Though her loyalties still lie with Baelish, this THE EDGE

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Review:

Bloodborne joe gibson

evealed at last year’s E3 games conference, Bloodborne has been an eagerly awaited game by many owners of a PlayStation 4, the format on which it had its exclusive release. Players of games such as Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls in particular have been chomping at the bit to play Bloodborne as it has been developed by the same studio, Software. As a virgin player to the ‘series’ I decided to dive straight in when the game came out. Much has been made of Bloodborne’s difficulty level leading up to the game’s release, and since then. Difficulty in part arises from the limited number of ‘lanterns’, (or checkpoints to you and me) that are available throughout Bloodborne’s world. Each lantern must be lit to be able to travel to it from the game’s hub world and relative safe haven ‘Hunter’s Dream.’ If you die however, having made significant progress from a previous lantern, you go all the way back to it and also lose all your ‘Blood Echoes’ (the game’s currency). The pain can be somewhat alleviated if you get to where you died and the lost echoes can either be found lying on the ground or possessed by an enemy which you must kill. Die again and you lose them forever. The difficulty level feels somewhat more manageable once you realise there are multiple shortcuts available throughout the game, allowing you to reach bosses or secret areas quicker and with less enemies in your way. The boss battles can also be extremely punishing. Cleric Beast is extremely huge, intimidating, and deals a heavy sucker punch if you get within

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striking distance. However, as is the case with most of the other bosses I have so far encountered in the game, spend your life slashing with your weapon at their behind and they will not be nearly as much of a threat. Bloodborne harks back to games of a bygone era which had multiple bosses and difficult ones at that. It is somewhat sad that many current day games are too short or too simple. As could be expected from a new-gen exclusive, Bloodborne is exquisitely detailed. It has a gothic theme running throughout, meaning much of the game is played in near darkness, but this does not mean that game is not colourful or graphically stunning. This really does feel like a new-gen game, something which cannot be said for the huge number of remasters that are still being pumped out regularly by developers who are clearly struggling to come up with new ideas. Exploring the world in Bloodborne will really make you realise how much attention to detail has gone into making this game. For those who consider themselves casual gamers, Bloodborne might not be the game for you. This is not me being patronising, far from it. However, trudge through the game’s early obstacles and you might find a game you can fall in love with. Hardcore gamers will probably lap Bloodborne up as it poses them a challenge they can’t refuse. Whatever your disposition, be wary of the risks and perils Bloodborne poses. It will not give you an easy time. Bloodborne is available exclusively on the PS4 and is available to purchase now.

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THE EDGE REVIEWS

THE CLASSICS

HEART OF DARKNESS JOSEPH CONRAD HARRISON ABBOT

eart of Darkness’ credentials as a literary classic are undeniably impressive. Frequently hailed as one of the most influential works of the twentieth century, and as a pioneer of literary modernism, no one has ever disputed Joseph Conrad’s master craftsmanship. Yet for some indiscernible reason, it’s the kind of text that often causes modern readers to roll their eyes in frustration. When justifying their ambivalence, said readers will usually cite the novella’s notorious impenetrability, slow pacing, and puzzling ambiguity. Whilst their aversion is somewhat understandable, I can’t help but feel that it’s a little unwarranted. So instead of prattling on about the novella’s opaque symbolism or polemic implications, all of which have been quantified by far more intelligent writers than myself, I’m going to try and sell this infamous classic based upon the most populist criteria that I can. Because after all, what good is a classic if you can’t even will yourself to turn the pages? So the first bone of contention is typically the plot. Told through a framing device, in which Captain Charles Marlow regales his sailors with the tale of his travels down the Congo, the story is concerned with his search for the rouge agent Kurtz, a man with whom he becomes increasingly obsessed. After that, the minutiae of the

plot becomes a little fuzzy. The lack of adherence to a traditional cause and effect model of storytelling may frustrate some, but clichéd as it may be, in this case it is most definitely the journey and not the destination which takes centre stage. Something is always happening, and the narrative is littered with memorable events. Every three or so pages another character is shot, another boat is ambushed, and at one point there’s even a brutal murder over a chicken. And though it may be grossly simplistic to read Kurtz as a villain, he sure is a fascinating antagonist. Add to that a startlingly contemporary critique of slavery, one that cuts to the bone of even the most desensitised reader, and there’s plenty to keep you engaged. As for the aforementioned ambiguity, it is from this that Heart of Darkness derives its true staying power. Rather than seeing the story as a puzzle to be solved, the reader is encouraged to realize that there are no concrete answers. There are no definitive, black and white certainties. It is through this ethical murkiness that Heart of Darkness is able to really grab a hold of its readers. And whilst none of this is to say that Conrad in any way patented literary ambiguity, there is something distinctively ahead of its time about that.

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LIVE

Preview:

Common People Southampton, 23-24/05/2015 hannah mylrea

ob da Bank and his wife Josie, the masterminds behind the hugely successful Bestival and Camp Bestival, are back with a brand new metropolitan music festival here in Southampton. Common People will be taking over the Common (see what they did there) for the May Bank Holiday weekend. The inaugural event features a huge range of acts and activities. With legendary headliners Fatboy Slim & Grace Jones, amazing newcomers like Years & Years and Slaves, and the notoriously good live Clean Bandit, it is a stellar line-up for such a new festival. Speaking to The Edge about his latest creation Rob da Bank said: “We thought it’d be good to do a show for people who maybe don’t want to do the whole camping experience, and just want to come to a day show instead. I think it’s a great place for a festival, Common People, for people that have never tried a festival before, or just want to dip in and out for the day.”