FREE
JUNE 2021
ISSUE 297
Summer in Swansea
Contents
April 2021
Advice Music • Break-Up Playlist • Olivia Rodrigo - Sour Album • Dating Outside of Social Media Review • Festivals 2021 Science and Research • Artist Spotlight - Tame Impala • Hologram Earth • The Local Scene • Advancements in Fusion • Is the Cardiff music Scene safe? Fashion • How to dress for unpredictable weather Creative Writing and Literature • Feminism is not for Everyone • Bethan’s Book of the Month: Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho • Poetry Book Review: The Wild Iris by Louise Glück • Fresh Paneer
Liberation • A brief Inquiry into selfidentification • We are not the virus
Our Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief Bethan Bates waterfronteditor @swanseastudentmedia.com
Societies Rachel Hart waterfrontsocieties @swanseastudentmedia.com
Deputy Editor Alex Baker waterfrontdeputyeditor@ swanseastudentmedia.com
Fashion Rhianydd Sword waterfrontfashion @swanseastudentmedia.com
Proofreading Sam Binnie and Franziska Trumpp
Music Cat Daczkowski waterfrontmusic@swanseastudentmedia.com
Science and Research Sophie Sadler waterfrontscience@swanseastudentmedia. com Travel Jade Hughes waterfronttravel@swanseastudentmedia.com Literature and Creative Writing Ashish Dwivedi waterfrontliterature@swanseastudentmedia. com Film Mikee Dean waterfrontfilm@swanseastudentmedia.com Advice Bethan Collins waterfrontadvice@swanseastudentmedia. com Art and Design Megan Selway waterfrontdesign@swanseastudentmedia. com
Sustainability Lucie Stepankova waterfrontsustainability@ swanseastudentmedia.com Wellbeing Lauren Stodolnic waterfrontwellbeing@swanseastudentmedia. com Liberation Bethan Northwood and Cara O’Sullivan waterfrontliberation @swanseastudentmedia.com Disability Olivia Robson waterfrontdisability@swanseastudentmedia. com Culture Cora-Jane Jordon waterfrontculture@swanseastudentmedia. com
We Want YOU!
Seen a section you'd like to write for? Or want to start a new section? Get in touch now! Email: waterfronteditor@ swanseastudentmedia.com
Welcome to Waterfront! It’s here! The final issue of the Waterfront for the 2020/21 academic year. And what a year it’s been! I am so honoured to have been the editor-in-chief this year and I want to thank my wonderful team who have put up with me all year. Also to all of our amazing writers, whether you wrote for us every month, or just once, you all made this paper so great. i wish the absolute best of luck to the new editoral team for the upcoming year and I will definintely be keeping up to date with what everyone is getting up to. For this final month we have a great selection of articles including my final book of the month, an article on the upcoming festival year, and a piece on self-identification. I hope you all enjoy this issue! Love, Bethan x
Bethan Bates, Editor-in-Chief, 2020/21
Advice How to Date Outside of Social Media By Adrijana Dzukovska
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t’s 2021, you swipe right for the thirtieth time this month, not even looking at your screen anymore. You don’t bother to write ‘hello’ or come up with some new way of getting someone’s attention because in the end, it’s all the same; conversations that are left on read or that simply last a few hours but ultimately lead nowhere. 21st-century dating is automated. It has turned into a frequency of thumbs sliding across screens and creating profiles where you have to sell yourself better than a reduced-price item at Lidl’s. If you’re tired of the prospect of being just another slideshow on someone’s phone, or you just simply don’t feel that a few pictures and a short biography do you justice, maybe it’s time to date outside of social media. THROUGH FRIENDS It’s awkward when someone adds you on Facebook and you sit there hovering between the decline and accept buttons, wondering why someone vaguely related to your friend has sent a request. An alternative to this can be asking a friend if they can set you up with someone. Yes, it might feel like a strange request at first, but at least you’re asking someone you know and they might be able to set you up with a person they think will match you. Another way to date is to have a bigger circle of friends get together for a meet-up, ask everyone to bring a single plus one, and have yourselves a good time bowling, eating, or maybe even going for long walks that will give you plenty of time to get to know each other and exchange numbers after. THROUGH SOCIETIES Join a society and meet someone you share an interest with. Having shared interests with someone you date shouldn’t be a decider, but it helps when you’re queuing outside the cinema or when you’re on a lunch date, as you’ll have a conversation starter and your person of interest will get to see a more
relaxed and non-romantic side of you, as you can first become friends with them through the society, rather than establishing a romantic interest from the beginning. IN BARS Bars are better than clubs - at least when it comes to dating. If you’re looking for quick relations then yes, a club is the obvious place to go, however, if you’re looking for something that might last a while, going to a bar would set you up better as music doesn’t tend to play as loud, and there’s food too. So, grab a friend and search the area for people who look like they are also with their friends, and maybe offer to buy them a drink of what they’re already drinking, or perhaps a drink you know is incredibly good, which might spark a conversation if they decide to interact. And don’t worry, if they simply nod and say thanks for the drink, just smile and nod, because it’s not a fail, just practice. Remember, don’t spend all your money on one drink, keep it economical and buy them something that won’t sting your wallet. ACTIVITIES AND HOBBIES A fun way to find yourself a date would be through any activities or hobbies you enjoy, such as running groups in your local area, gaming, or football. You can have fun doing activities you like, and maybe even get a date out of it. This way you’ll be able to chat or find someone you like in person. Book clubs are also good spaces, as reading and discussing books can lead to further conversations, friendships, and maybe even meetups. If you frequent places such as libraries and the theatre, striking up a friendly chat about the book someone is holding or looking at can get the conversation flowing and, although you need to be a bit brave, it’s nothing to worry about as it’s only a discussion starter after all. So put down the app, and maybe try something new instead of having to summarize yourself in five lines and photos.
A ‘We Are Never Getting Back Together’ Playlist By Sophie Apps For all the members of the lonely-hearts club, this is a mixtape of 8 songs. With the past year in lockdown most relationships have gone either of two ways, or the ‘will they, won’t they phase.’ Regardless, these songs are here for you. But we do need a little hope that our lives will get better. Therefore, I’ve peppered this playlist with one Gloria Gaynor style anthem, because unfortunately there aren’t enough tissues for an evermore of solitude. Burn by Phillipa Soo From Hamilton, based on the life of American founding father Alexander Hamilton, Burn is written by lyrical genius Lin-Manuel Miranda. In Burn, Eliza Schuyler (Hamilton’s wife) narrates her heartbroken response to Hamilton’s public account of his affair. Eliza transitions through stages of feminist fury, ultimately rewriting herself a better narrative by burning Hamilton’s letters. drivers license by Olivia Rodrigo In drivers license, we experience the mourning of her ended relationship and the conceit of driving makes that much more tragic. The mundane act, for her, becomes a constant reminder that she isn’t with the person she loves. Rodrigo’s lyric, “But I still fuckin’ love you,” despite its simplicity, reminds us how love doesn’t end because the relationship has. evermore by Taylor Swift feat. Bon Ivor Swift is the god of breakup anthems. Though evermore isn’t as catchy as We Are Never Getting Back Together or Bad Blood, Swift writes something that our hearts can wallow to. Through evermore, Swift plays on this idea of being trapped in the past; figuring out how everything out the error, it’s no use as there isn’t anything you can do to fix it. “Fireworks” by First Aid Kit Written by the underrated Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit, Fireworks tells the story of chased, but unachieved dreams. Sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg speak of a “finish line”; the relationship’s inevitable end, and all those hopes and dreams of being in love become shattered. i love you by Billie Eilish Eilish’s music often sounds like a lullaby, with i love you being a soft acoustic track that puts your heartbreak to sleep. Through her lyrics, Eilish explores a complicated relationship, one that I have yet to grasp myself. i love you reads as a regret of letting a relationship fail and the struggle of acceptance. After a breakup, acknowledging it’s over can be one of the biggest challenges. Landslide by Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac’s landslide, as with any of their music places you in nirvana. This song cleverly tells the story of
how love could come crashing down at any moment, and as listeners we almost forget our own avalanching love lives. Breakups are often a conflict to the comforting lack of change we don’t have to experience, but Fleetwood Mac recognise that it’s inevitable. The End of the World by Sharon Van Etten Originally by Skeeter Davis, Etten covers a decades old feel to the song that works to bring us back into the past and into our former relationships. The song bleeds out the melancholic aftermath of a breakup. One that is crippled with the knowledge that despite their pain, the world will in fact keep turning. The birds still sing, the sun still shines, the stars still glow, and we get an abundant sense that the world is working against us. Visions of Gideon by Sufjan Stevens Visions of Gideon always reminds me of Elio crying at the end of Call Me By Your Name. At least when we’re wallowing we know Timothee Chalamet was too. Steven’s acoustic vocals comfort heartbreak alone. His repeated lyric “Is it a video?”, replays the memories of an ended relationship so much so it’s like watching a video; one that’s being played and replayed. For anyone that’s guilty of trying to live in the past Stevens has you covered with this track. Honourable Mentions - Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Rey - À peu près by Pomme - The Man Who Can’t Be Moved by The Script - Another Love by Tom Odell - Give Me Love by Ed Sheeran - Love is a Battlefield by Pat Benatar - Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler
Creative Writing and Literature
Bethan’s Book of the Month: Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho
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ast Tang Standing is a romantic comedy following the story of Andrea Tang, hot-shot lawyer, aspiring author, and the last single cousin. Andrea is a Chinese-Malaysian lawyer living in Singapore in the final stretch to becoming a partner at her firm when her new office-mate Suresh comes to seemingly ruin it all. The story begins when Andrea attends another family event single and must falsify a relationship to avoid embarrassment or disappointment. Having focussed on her career, her most recent relationship has ended.
Ho sets out in the opening chapter the importance of family to this book, Andrea often finds herself making choices based on what she believes will be most acceptable by her family’s standards, no matter how unreasonable these can be. One such choice is her relationship with THE Eric Deng. Although their relationship begins organically by laughing at the super-rich and their eccentricities, despite Eric being the super-rich in question. As their relationship develops, it becomes clear that Andrea is with him as much because she loves him as she knows that he is infinitely impressive and therefore is the ‘right’ choice. However, Andrea’s character development is truly squeal worthy. Where she begins working extreme overtime and challenging her colleagues in who can bill the most hours, at the end of the book she finally leaves a toxic work environment and moves into a career she truly cares for. However, Ho ensures that Andrea does not change her fundamental character traits, as we see her sneaking phone time even in a detox from technology retreat. One of my favourite characters is of course Suresh, the work-rival turned love-interest. From the moment he arrives in the story I was excited for them to get together. He is endlessly patient with Andrea even when she is winding him up and trying to outdo him to the partner position. Suresh is (mostly) the dream man, kind, caring, and gives up his beautiful wife for you. I also loved his passion. Outside of being a lawyer, Suresh is a comic creator and eventually leaves his high paying corporate job to follow his dream and takes the risk with his comic. This for me was a really significant moment in the book as it triggers Andrea to realise that she wants to do something more with her life than work in corporate law. Something I really loved about this book was that
By Bethan Bates ultimately it was happy. Which is something I think is being lost in lots of books that are popular at the moment. There are moments where Andrea is struggling, such as after her relationship with Orson fails, when she thinks that Suresh has left forever to go to America, and of course when her mother is in hospital. But these are resolved with love and family at their core. Last Tang Standing is a book where you pick it up because you are almost certain you know how it will end, a happy relationship and a rivals-to-lovers trope. But this didn’t make the book any less enjoyable! I even thought I might be totally wrong and that Eric Deng was going to be the real love-interest. I was pleasantly surprised that Suresh and Andrea only got together in the final few pages, but it felt totally right. This book was raucously funny, being written in the form of digital diary entries by a narrator with occasionally unreliable spelling and emotions. If you were a fan of The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary, then this is definitely up your alley. I am sure that there were some cultural and generational nuances that I missed and went right over my head as a white gen-z from the U.K; but despite this I still enjoyed every moment of this book. Ho makes it very accessible by including footnotes for acronyms, regional phrases and words, and even locations to let readers know the importance of these.
Book Review: The Wild Iris by Louise Glück
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irst published in 1992, The Wild Iris is perhaps Glück’s best known work. A collection of poems that can be read in whole as a near-novella, she talks through seasons and changes in nature, narrating as the voices of individual plants, as the gardener, and as an unnamed deity. Spirituality, death, and nature are intertwined throughout the sparse verse.
By Amy Blundell of poetry. Whilst I personally read the book in one sitting, I feel it could be more powerful to read one every few days throughout the seasons, and track the changes described in real time, depending on your individual preference and reading habits. Above all, this is a peaceful selection of poetry. There is little obvious structure throughout, yet there is a definite care and consideration in the placement of every word and line break. Besides reading for enjoyment, I would recommend this book for those wishing to improve upon their own poetry writing; I found myself drifting toward analysing Glück’s technical abilities by the end, rather than being absorbed in the content. I understand the conventions of pastoral writing often do include allusions to nature being cyclical, but I did find myself slightly bored by the repetition by the end, perhaps due to my high expectations. This collection won the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, amongst many other accolades, and I do understand why; there is an incredible amount of skill intertwined with a sensitive handling of some heavy themes that somehow appear light and fresh. However, I ended the collection feeling slightly underwhelmed. This book seemed more of a balm than a groundbreaking piece of work (pardon the gardening pun). As the most-recent recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Glück’s work is currently being lauded and promoted like never before. One particularly interesting fact about her is just how many incredible writers she has taught in her role as a professor, including Claudia Rankine, who is perhaps my favourite poet. In reading ‘The Wild Iris’, there is an undeniable genius present; whether the work is enjoyable to sit and read in one sitting, as many recommend, is another issue.
Louise Glück has created a work that, unlike many other poetry collections, feels entirely cohesive and whole. This is not to say that individual poems cannot stand alone; as the titular poem and first in the collection, “The Wild Iris” acts as both a brilliant introduction to the tones and themes explored throughout and as an individually beautiful piece
Feminism is for Everyone By Franziska Trumpp Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a Biafran author who grew up in Enugu and meanwhile calls both Nigeria and the U.S. her home. Her writings have received several awards, nominations and other recognitions and she is seen as one of the most important figures in today’s African literature. Besides imperialism and the African civil war, Adichie also writes about and gives talks on “the epidemic of men killing women” and what feminism means to her. In her TED talk and now-book, titled We should all be feminists, she explains why it’s important to include men in feminism and why this movement doesn’t just help women. When discussing feminism, a lot of people accuse it to be misandrist and especially men complain that they feel like they “cannot approach women anymore” because everything they do is called creepy or inappropriate. Although this should perhaps make them rethink their behaviour towards women and women-perceiving people, the first thing that should be cleared up here is that first, feminism, especially radical intersectional feminism, is not supposed to be exclusive. Everyone is affected by misogyny and the patriarchy, including men. Anyways, the so-called misandry that people like to call out is an answer towards misogyny, a protecting and coping mechanism. Misogyny is deeply rooted in everyone, as we are raised according to these standards. From the start, male entitlement over the female body is taught to boys. This also applies to sex education. In an interview, Adichie says that boys are told that they receive sex through coercion, deception and force – that they are entitled to the female body. In contrast, female pleasure and consent is never celebrated, which leads to a hypocritical and distorted attitude towards sex, by girls and boys. However, boys also suffer under the currently constructed masculinity. Right now, boys should be ashamed of weakness, specifically of showing female-perceived characteristics. But what if we teach them to be ashamed of other things? Like being dishonest, or starting fights? Let boys cry, let
them talk about their emotions. If we constantly use the “boys will be boys”-excuse, there will never be true change. Since misogyny and patriarchy is the current default, we grow up with it, it is indeed all men that hold a certain amount of sexism as do women. Therefore, we all need to unlearn it so that a non-misogynistic society becomes the new norm without the patriarchy getting handed on and on to the following generations. To change this mindset, we need to talk about it, create stories and transparency. That is why including everyone in feminism is important. Everyone needs to be liberated. Men have to learn that they don’t have to dominate others to be “manly”. They should not aspire to force their wishes onto others and oppress others but to collaborate with and support others. Besides male idols, they should also learn to look up to women. That way, women are not seen as objects that can be used but valuable people that can also be leaders and equals. When we achieve this, feminism becomes redundant, and as Adichie says, that should be the ultimate goal.
Fresh Paneer by Ashish Dwivedi (to Rebecca & Angus, my kitchen butterflies) confetti in my ears, popping like the red fox’s cry piercing the midnight, all its amoebic clamour, we dance up to each others’ rooms, looking for cottoned secrets and cocooned happiness that breaks up into feathers of peace becoming our gossip’s breakfast later. we made this kitchen blossom as a slaughterhouse for anxiety: rosicrucian laws of friendship. and others judge and scoff, but the kinkiness never fadesyou see, it is our heart and bubbling breaths are the oceans of this apparition’s soul. you see, it’s been weeks since
Fashion How to Dress for Unpredictable Weather
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et’s talk about summer. It means warmer weather (hopefully anyway), the end of exams and less layers. However, this is Britain after all and whilst we may want to spend our days in the sun wearing vest tops and shorts, the weather might not comply, and we may find ourselves reaching back into the depths of our wardrobes for our hoodies and warmer clothing. The other day I wore a dress out under the impression that the sun would stay out all day, only to return home soaked with rain. So how do we dress for weather that is so unpredictable? For me, the answer has always been to come prepared for all weather occasions, which is why I carry a handbag that is always filled to the brim with an umbrella and a jacket. It is not the best feeling when you leave the house in your summer clothes, only to find yourself getting caught in the rain or having a blast of wind making you cold when you are out. To prepare for everything and to expect the unexpected can sometimes become the motto during these British summers. Whilst this may sometimes seem a bit of a pain, having to always prepare before you go out, it does make everything easier once you step outdoors. On some days, instead of the weather going from hot to cold or hot to wet, we find ourselves in the opposite situation. This is, we go out all wrapped up only to end up boiling and slightly sweaty half an hour later. In this case, the recommendation would be to layer up. By going out in layers that are easier to take off or put on, we become suited for any weather situation that we may find ourselves in. Whilst we can try and dress for unpredictable weather by wearing layers or carting around extra items in a bag with us, it could be the case that you may just really not want to. If it is a nice day and you have planned to go to the beach then you may be laden down with too many items already (sun cream, food, drinks, beach games) and might
By Rhianydd Sword
not want to be adding extra clothing to the pile of things that you already have. If this is the case then my third recommendation for dressing in unpredictable weather does not actually have anything to do with clothing. Instead, it is to take away the unpredictability and do your research. To do this, look on the online weather forecast to see if there are going to be any sudden weather changes or even just look out of your window to see if the clouds are becoming darker. By doing this, despite weather predictions occasionally being wrong, you are more likely to know in which direction the weather is headed. This will prepare you for any potential surprises to come. Despite never fully knowing if the sun is going to stay sunny or when the rain may stop, being prepared in regard to our clothing choices and the weather can go a long way in terms of being helpful. However, let us just cross our fingers that the sunny weather that we are currently having will stay here all summer long.
Liberation A Brief Inquiry Into SelfIdentification By Rosie Williams T he concept of self-identification can seem unusual to those unfamiliar with the concept, and those unfamiliar with the people that would use self-identification. Put simply, self-identification is the idea that trans people would be able to selfdetermine how they are legally identified. Seems reasonable. Cisgender people get the luxury of not needing to self-identify, because they do not have any grievances with how they’ve been assigned. So, it would only seem reasonable to allow trans people to identify themselves, right? According to current legislation, no.
The UK, in terms of progressive countries, is one of the slowest when it comes to addressing trans rights. Focusing on Denmark, their trans rights currently allow non-binary people to have a “x” on their passport, if they do not identify with the gender binary, which when you think about the UK’s approach to non-binary people, especially when we consider the media’s approach (I’m looking at you, Piers Morgan), is horrendous. Denmark even removed trans gender identity from its list of mental illnesses before the World Health Organisation, becoming the second ever country to do this, following France’s example. Furthermore, Denmark has one of the most comprehensive sex education systems in the world, including LGBTQ+ people in their education. The biggest problem at the moment is the failure to address the lack of trans rights as an issue. We still have the extremely outdated piece of legislation allowing single-sex services to turn down trans women based on what they have in their trousers, which is completely irresponsible on the government’s part. It’s extremely fortunate that many female refuge services, such as Women’s Aid, aren’t discriminatory, but the idea that single-sex services such as refuges have the option to refuse trans women is completely absurd. It’s odd to think that trans women are treated like predators in many places, to the point where people think it’s okay
to check what we have in our trousers. If that’s the case, shouldn’t we check everyone? No. Of course not. That’s ridiculous. The fact of the matter is that trans women are simply women, and many of the people that argue against this have outdated views that they’ve taken from a year 7 biology book from 1989. This is why self-identification is so important. It’s so expensive to change your passport, driver’s licences and other ID cards, and a lot of the time you need to change your passport first for many services to accept your name change/gender. Recently, I set up a petition to allow trans people over 16 to self-identify. This would force businesses, health boards and education systems to allow trans people to change their names on their systems with going through the whole palaver of paying a stupid amount of money to get deed polls and change their passports. Many trans people don’t have the access to this money or have barriers blocking their way to get these services. The constant underestimation from cis people who think they know better is our biggest enemy in terms of making change. Many a time I’ve heard a cisgender person saying “well trans people have the same rights as I do.” Um, no, we don’t. We’re discriminated against in sport, schools, “same-sex” services, workplaces, medical services, the list goes on and on. And it’s all down to legislation. The Equality Act 2013 says that we cannot be discriminated on based on the fact that we’re trans, but then they release other legislation contradicting this (such as the “same-sex services” legislation). My only hope right now is that my petition covers the ground we need to secure self-identification, and maybe we can finally move forward and gain progress with trans rights.
We Are Not The Virus By Andrae Fegalquin Do you like Chinese food? Do you enjoy watching Anime? How about K-Drama? Or listening to K-pop? Whether your answer is ‘yes’ or ‘no’, there should be an acknowledgment of the horrible events affecting the Asian community. As a result of Covid-19, there have been an increasing report of hate crimes against Asians, particularly East and South East Asians. We have seen cases of verbal discrimination, such as referring to the virus as “Chinese virus” or “kung flu” (thank you, Donald Trump). There have also been cases of physical harassment and abuse, and tragically, some were murdered… According to the ‘Stop AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) Hate Reporting Centre’, there were over 2,000 reports of incidents in America from March-December 2020; these reports include verbal harassment, workplace discrimination and being coughed or spat on. The use of xenophobic, racist statements can be exemplified by a recent case where a medical worker of Filipino descent in California was pushed to the ground and was told to “go back to China”. I am certain that many of the readers are aware of the Atlanta shooting in March 2021 where 6 of the 8 victims were of Asian descent. Hearing the response of authorities to this case was appalling as they highlighted that “yesterday was a really bad day for [the shooter]” and that “he does claim that it was not racially motivated”. We cannot turn a blind eye to such matters, and we cannot say that “ignorance is bliss” because racism is an issue, a human rights issue, that almost all members of ethnic minorities have dealt with and lived through. Yet, it continues to be excused and many escape accountabilities. We cannot forget that this is also a large issue in the UK, not just recently, but for years now and people need to acknowledge and question this. Reports from members of our community have spoken about their safety in our country – Peng Wang, a lecturer in financial management, for example, expressed that he no longer feels as “safe as [he] used to”, linking this to Brexit and the pandemic. Lisa Dang, a chef, stated: “I don’t feel welcomed, I don’t belong to a city I call home” as she experienced people shouting racial slurs and how others refuse to challenge those who attack her. As for myself, I have also experienced something similar as a group of younger students have shouted “corona” as I walked past them and another group talking and laughing as they walked behind me. Furthermore, Labour MP Sarah Owen has highlighted how around 33% of British media coverage
regarding Covid-19 uses photos of the Asian community when it is unrelated to the article. The way in which Asians are represented in the media further aggravates people’s racist attitudes towards our community. Although this increasing discriminatory behaviour has been evident since the pandemic, I would like to opine that the pandemic did not cause this, the pandemic just exposed people’s true racist views towards ethnic minorities, regardless of race. Racism has always existed, and from seeing recent incidents, it appears that this will continue to exist for a long time, unless we continue to protest these behaviours and put pressure on those in power to address these issues. It is very unfortunate and saddening that many will take advantage of certain events and believe that this is an acceptable time to be “mad” at certain communities. A big change in our society is needed; change in views, behaviour, and morality. Nothing can justify racism and xenophobia. Nothing can justify the killings and attacks. If you witness racism, challenge it; this may be difficult for some victims as they suddenly become a target, so use your privilege to stand up for others, no matter how “small” a comment or action may be. Image by Getty Images
Music Artist Spotlight – Tame Impala
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hether you are into swirling psychedelic rock, shimmering synth-pop or classic disco and electronic music, Tame Impala has you covered. It is the passion project of one man: critically acclaimed Australian multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker. Raised in Perth, Parker was introduced to music from a young age by his father, a guitarist in a cover band that routinely played songs by Supertramp and The Beatles; both of these bands are clear inspirations for Parker’s sound. Parker’s voice also sounds uncannily similar to John Lennon’s, notably in Tame Impala’s more psychedelic releases.
By Dan Kingdon
Let It Happen and the instantly recognisable bass lines of The Less I Know The Better and New Person, Same Old Mistakes, which went on to be covered by Rihanna, make this album far more accessible to pop audiences than its predecessors. The album covers themes of love (and falling out of it), coming to terms with change and the uncertainties of life. It is a journey through losing and finding yourself again in thirteen tracks of lush instrumental lines produced with the precision Tame Impala’s first full album release came in the of a perfectionist, moving away from the maximalist form of 2010’s psychedelic rock experience InnerSpeaker, production of Lonerism. In true Tame Impala fashion, which tackled themes of introspection, disdain for the 9 the rhythm sections are rich, sonically diverse and all to 5 routine and the anxieties of indecision. The hypnotic sound gigantic through a sound system or headphones. drones of reverberated and phase-shifted guitars Alongside the aforementioned songs, Yes I’m Changing, perfectly complement Parker’s echoed falsettos, creating The Moment’ and Eventually are also massive highlights a trance-like experience for the listener. My picks from in the tracklist. this record would be Runway Houses City Clouds, Alter Tame Impala’s most recent release, The Slow Rush, Ego, and Solitude is Bliss. is another step further away from Parker’s psychedelic Following InnerSpeaker’s positive reviews, Parker beginnings. With clear influences from disco, electronic set out to top his last effort, creating what is widely music and funk, we are presented with a multitude of considered his greatest work: 2012’s Lonerism. Where its different tracks. The Slow Rush is an hour-long rollercoaster predecessor discussed the theme of physical isolation, of sonic influences expertly mixed with lyrics that are Lonerism tackles mental isolation; feeling disconnected dense with mantras and affirmations. This album could while being surrounded. This is expertly presented in the not have come at a better time, having been released album’s artwork, a picture taken by Parker in Paris. The just before the COVID-19 pandemic had taken its hold on photographer is witnessing a crowd of people enjoying the world. The album mostly revolves around the theme themselves while he views them from the other side of of time, and how life is both a long-form journey and a a metal fence, symbolising the isolation he feels within compilation of many fleeting moments. He contemplates the prison of his social disconnection. Despite this record his future, reflects on the past and places an emphasis still drawing heavily on manipulated guitars, we see a on the importance of being present in the present; and movement towards synthesisers and the occasional more a dance-inspired album that forces you to move could pop-inspired structures that Tame Impala would carry not be more appropriate. Stand out tracks are Breathe further in later records. Parker creates vividly colourful Deeper, Is It True and Lost In Yesterday. soundscapes through walls of reverberated synths which To me, Tame Impala is the quintessential example of are almost without exception followed by incredibly tight, infectiously catchy rhythm sections. Stand out tracks are music being used for self-expression. Parker pours himself Apocalypse Dreams, Feels Like We Only Go Backwards into each album, producing drastically different results with each release. The changes in the music coincide and Elephant. with his growing and changing as a person. I am eagerly Five years after the monumental success of Lonerism awaiting Kevin Parker’s next creation; so far, I am yet to we were given Currents a synthesiser-heavy, sugary be disappointed. psych-pop album. The hypnotic melodies on songs like
Festivals 2021: Who Will We Hear From? By Sophie Apps
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ith the government’s pledge to vaccinate everyone over the age of 18 by July this year, the likelihood of a fun-packed summer festival season is somewhat high. Last year, Covid-19 silenced the UK’s festival summer season; blasting mixtapes in gardens and bedrooms was the closest to a festival many of us got. But this year, we have our secret weapons: the vaccine, widely available mass testing and our desperation for music. There are tickets on sale for numerous events as festival enthusiasts are invited to buy for Latitude, Reading and Leeds and Rewind to name a few. Unfortunately, the prospect of other events taking place is still uncertain. To increase the likelihood of the summer season going ahead, various events have been pushed back to safer dates later on in the summer. Regrettably, many events scheduled earlier on have cancelled, notably Glastonbury, with many unable to obtain cancellation insurance as a factor. One of the best graces during lockdown has been technology and the music experience is beginning to shift in this direction. Popstar Billie Eilish sold tickets for an internet performance for fans, so we could experience live music from the comfort and safety of our homes. BBC Radio One’s Biggest Weekend is also going virtual. To help you plan in 2021, here is everything you need to know: Latitude – ON Based in Henham Park in Suffolk, the Latitude festival will take place between the 22nd and the 25th of July 2021. The Adult Standard Camping Ticket for those sixteen and over is £226.80, with options for those needing accessibility or large families. Currently, the line-up includes Snow Patrol, Bastille, and one of my favourite bands ever, First Aid Kit, so I’m tempted to book tickets myself! There should be more line-up news announced on the 19th of April so keep a lookout on social media. Boardmasters – Hopeful With storms cancelling the festival in 2019, and then Covid-19 in 2020 it has been a while since fans have been able to attend. Held in Newquay, Cornwall, tickets from 2019 are valid for this year’s festival, which will take place between the 11th and the 15th of August. As of yet, no line-up has been confirmed, but with past musicians such as Catfish and the Bottlemen, George Ezra, The Flaming Lips and The Vaccines I am certain fans will not
be disappointed. The Festival has announced that if the festival does not go ahead, fans can either get a refund or save their ticket for next year. Glastonbury – OFF This festival made cancellations back in January, unable to safely maintain over two hundred thousand fans and myriads of performers. However fans may be luckier than they think. In September 2021, Glastonbury is hoping to hold a one-off concert at Worthy Farm which will be smaller, but at least fans can get to hear their wellies squelch and favourite musicians play this year. For anyone unable to buy tickets, the festival is looking to film the performances, so they can be streamed online or on TV. Green Man – Hopeful At Wales’ Brecon Beacons National Park, Greenman will hopefully be on from the 19th to the 22 of August 2021. But the extraordinary Welsh landscape comes with more uncertainty as the festival will have to comply with the Welsh government’s lockdown plans rather than England’s equivalent. Similar to Boardmasters, no lineup has been announced yet, but Green Man has stated that information about tickets and musicians will be released in the next few months. Reading and Leeds The dual-site festival – at Little John’s Farm (Reading) and Braham Park (Leeds) – is scheduled to take place over the August bank holiday, from the 27th to the 29th. With headliners such as Stormzy, Liam Gallagher and Queens of the Stone Age, this is a festival to purchase tickets for. As of the end of March, Reading has sold out, but for Leeds, there are still tickets so buy away!
Is The Cardiff Music Scene Safe? By Cat Daczkowski Considering Wales is known as the ‘Land of Song’, it is no surprise how rich of a music scene its capital city, Cardiff has. The city has a vast assortment of music venues, concerts and performances which a dedicated and extensive audience attends regularly. So, when the announcement of a proposed new music arena in Cardiff Bay broke, feelings remained mixed. The 15,000 seater arena, which is projected to cost a massive £100 million, is hoped to be part of the £500m regeneration scheme which has been put in place for the Red Dragon Centre. This, of course, could be extremely beneficial to the city overall but the introduction of a new arena could cause detrimental impacts to the music industry within it. Currently, the largest arena in Cardiff is the Motorpoint with only a standing capacity of 7,500 and if the plans for the new Cardiff Bay arena goes ahead, Live Nation will have to carefully consider its future. Although, it could be argued that the proposed arena will allow for more prominently sized musicians to return to the city, with its higher capacity of both seating and standing accommodations, the musicians who are not significant enough in size to utilise the larger venue will have to reevaluate their return to the Welsh capital. Due to the fact that Cardiff Council currently owns the land that the Motorpoint sits upon, there has been discussion regarding the fact that they may demolish the current arena in order to include it in their proposed master plan to reveal a canal underneath Churchill Way, called Bute dock feeder. The plans do however include an amphitheatre, though is that actually a viable replacement for the Motorpoint? It is clear that this new arena could have a very disheartening impact on Motorpoint, but it is also important to explore the potential effects on the other businesses within the city also. Take, for example, the restaurants and bars that are within walking distance of the Motorpoint. If the arena were to be demolished, the potential walk-in trade that they currently have would in theory disappear due to the fact of the proposed arena residing within the Bay area of the city. The smaller music venues could also take a disaster hit too. These smaller venues rely on attendees visiting often in order to stay in business due to the lower
ticket prices and smaller capacities. However, with a new arena accommodating for larger events, these continuous attendees may become distracted, and withdraw from their support of the smaller venues. Of course, similarly, to the potential impact on restaurants and bars, this could easily be applied to smaller music venues too as they often host after-party live events following a show at the Motorpoint. An aspect that many social media users have shared worry about is the lack of public transport from the Cardiff Bay area to the city centre. With only a single two-carriage train that travels between them every 15 minutes, the potential 15,000 attendees trying to return to the city centre could cause severe delays in the area’s public transport. Of course, there will be many benefits that come with a new-larger arena for the city. For example, larger acts having a venue that can accommodate those who are not significant enough in size to utilise the Principality Stadium will not only please potential attendees but will also have the potential to boost hotel room sales in the city. Also, the arena will provide plenty of potential jobs to many of the locals in the capital city. However, the jobs provided may not adequately replace the jobs that possibly could be lost due to smaller venues, bars and restaurants etc. losing business as a result of the potential demolishing plans of the Motorpoint. Ultimately, only time will tell if the arena will be a positive or negative addition to Cardiff. The Cardiff Bay Arena proposed opening date of 2024 may seem like a while away but with the other redeveloping plans for other sectors of the city, change is not too far away.
The Local Scene - June Edition By Cat Daczkowski
T
he Green Rooms
H
ead Noise
Head Noise are a New Wave Electro Art-Punk band from the South Wales Valleys. The band formed in 2016 to perform at an art exhibition and their first live set was described by an attendee as ‘David Lynch meets the Pet Shop Boys’ which perfectly captured the surreal imagery that meets pop sensibilities presented within the band’s music and live performance. From there, Head Noise was inspired to start experimenting with their music, taking on elements of Post-Punk that developed into its own oddball Electro-Pop.
The Green Rooms is a rehearsal studio and live music venue in Treforest, Rhondda Cynon Taf, originally founded in 2009. It is currently one of the most popular rehearsal studios in its surrounding area and often hosts a plethora of varied live shows each week. Similarly to the rest of the hospitality sector, Coronavirus hit the venue hard. However, even before the multiple nationwide lockdowns, TGR was severely flooded, causing significant The band are beginning to pick up a dedicated fan base through their entertaining, funny and often surreal damage to the building and its equipment. live performances. Citing influences with bands such Fortunately, the venue is beginning to reopen now as Devo, Kraftwerk and The Human League. The band and is offering practice space again for musicians and have also been lucky to support bands in the past such creatives alike! TGR has 4 rooms available to book via as Wolf Alice, Public Service Broadcasting, Art Brut, The its website online which are all equipped with a more Pop Group, !!!, John Otway and Electric Six. than capable PA set-up, drum breakables and even some funky lighting. If required, you can also hire other Bandcamp: givemeheadnoise.bandcamp.com/ equipment including guitar/bass heads and cabs and Facebook: www.facebook.com/givemeheadnoise cymbals. So if you’re looking for somewhere to practice, a space for a photoshoot or even a quiet room to think, Honourable Mentions: Metal Maidens: https://www.facebook.com/ TGR has space for it! metalmaidensdancegroup Of course, TGR is also well-known for its live music events. In an interview with the owner of the venue, Jonny The Hostels: https://www.facebook.com/ Foxhall, he stated that musicians and fans travel far TheHostelsBand and wide to the venue to attend and perform there. The Welsh Government has very recently announced that live Cancel The Transmission: https://www.facebook.com/ music can finally return, and TGR has been quick to react CancelTheTransmissionUK to this announcement. In fact, TGR’s first live show will be on the 6th August 2021 where the Skindred frontman, KASIA: https://www.facebook.com/KASIABANDUK Benji Webbe will be performing an entertaining DJ set at the venue. This live event will include support from the Sydney Fate: https://www.facebook.com/ OfficialSydneyFate bands, I Fight Bears, Nightlives and Garuda. To book a ticket for this show, go over to TGR’s website. Through their website also, you can book tickets for the shows and events planned for later in the year. These include live shows from Laura Power, Sydney Fate and Fistful of Rage. The venue also offers quiz nights and has even planned a ‘Guitar Hero Expert Only Tournament’ on the 20th of August, 2021. The Green Rooms website: https://www.greenroomswales.co.uk/
Apathy Avenue: https://www.facebook.com/ Apathyavenue Icantdie: https://www.facebook.com/Icantdieofficial Pay The Man: https://www.facebook.com/Paytheman1 The Dragonffli: https://www.facebook.com/ Thedragonffli Incursion: https://www.facebook.com/IncursionMetal Altered Myths: https://www.alteredmyths.com Epsilon: https://www.facebook.com/Epsilonband.uk
Olivia Rodrigo - Sour By Sophie Apps
“favourite crime” and “happier” as not-so-subtle commentaries on a collapsed relationship with a fellow Disney star. Regardless of who the heartbreaker is, and Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein when she was only it’s no one’s business, they’ve given Rodrigo the recipe eighteen years old. Olivia Rodrigo, at the same age, has for an album that has shifted her into the celebrity given birth to an album that nears itself to a pop-punk Premierships. masterpiece with “good 4 u” and “brutal” high in rebel overtones. For those with a musically muted palette, Over the years, Disney seems to round up several Sour dishes a tasty menu. For 30-somethings and over, damsels that seek rebellion rather than rescuing, with the album resurrects an age-aged out of the Gen-Z few female stars escaping without a bad reputation. To culture. For the teenagers, Sour is relatable; a neatly those aware of Disney’s track record and the morality served plate of secondary school drama; a marker for clauses that typically bind stars, then the profanity millennial rebellion - those who “missed out on their 20s’ that plasters Sour is a Disney diversion. Rodrigo’s to the pandemic. Every track is Rodrigo’s own coming- subversion of expectation has certainly given her a of-age novella - a narration of her teenage moments - Caulfield kick. Because who is she but not exploited? In that predicate on the bitter aftertaste of a relationship; “brutal”, Rodrigo rattles about her outrages: self-doubt, Sour arriving at us as a Swiftian symphony composed replacement, expectations, her inability to parallel of break-up hits. Caught between adolescence and park. “Where’s my fucking teenage dream?” she rages, adulthood, Rodrigo’s wisdom seems stolen from criticizing how pop culture romanticises youth. It’s not someone considerably older. Her album is navigating Disney appropriate and boy doesn’t Rodrigo care. She’s into a grown-up world where love rejected all of her too busy challenging an idealism about the kind of expectations. Her voice is Holden Caulfield-Esque with sound she might be stereotyped with as a Disney star? Phoebe Bridgers’s subdued balladry (“traitor”), grunge That’s just part of her album’s magic. But there’s more guitars (“brutal”) and Lorde’s melodrama (“good 4 to Rodrigo’s writing than rebellion. As a further It-Girlu”) which envision her as an It-Girl-as-outcast pop as-outcast pop star, she, like her Swift, Lorde and Lana icon. Like The Catcher in the Rye character, Rodrigo Del Rey counterparts has monetised her melancholy goes from a whisper to a clamour; her attempt to be - her railroaded relationships. She laces her lyrics with listened to in a world that often fails to greet younger self-aware specifics: the wearing of makeup because generations with seriousness. Not unlikely for Rodrigo she thought her ex would like her better, the self-help books she read to impress him and the times they’d with her exceptional rise from Disney stardom. watch reruns of Glee together. There’s certainly magic In January, she was playing in the celebrity to be found in Olivia Rodrigo’s misery with Sour leaving Championships, the not-quite-18-year-old star of High listeners nothing but sweetness. School Musical: The Musical: The Series. By January 12, the world wallowed at her debut single, “drivers license,” a piano ballad macerated with melancholy and malaise. Since then, Rodrigo has sung at the Brits, had social media love from Taylor Swift and become the subject of an SNL sketch - not to mention she made Sour. But we return again, living in the house Rodrigo built for heartbreak. “drivers license” covers a devastating breakup, the diameters of which are defined in her subsequent songs. For Rodrigo, the mundane act of driving becomes a residual reminder that she isn’t with the person she loves. A telling and terrifying metaphor that things aren’t the same. Her profanity leans itself into this song, with “Cause I still fuckin’ love you” and “But I still fuckin’ love you,” telling us that love doesn’t mean a precipitated relationship - one that is still a reality. We are tragically reminded that heartbreak doesn’t clean the sweet taste of love that lingers on our tongues. Many fans have made speculations, an extension of her Swiftian style, interrupting “traitor”,
Science and Research The Hologram World – A Question of Perception? By Maria Watkins
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t’s now 2021 and most of us believe that the Earth is an ellipsoid and it orbits the Sun; a belief for which Galileo Galilei was sentenced to house arrest in 1633, for the remainder of his life. Yet, Nicolaus Copernicus’ astronomical model, referred to as ‘Copernican heliocentrism’, may now have a contender – the ‘holographic principle’. Gerard ‘t Hooft first proposed the holographic principle in 1993 and Leonard Susskind was the first to develop a string theory interpretation of the principle to black holes. Moreover, many theoretical physicists now believe the holographic principle to be a property of quantum gravity that explains the inconsistencies associated with black holes, within string theory. Susskind claims that whatever finds its way into a black hole does not disappear, rather it becomes encoded, similarly to the way information is stored in computer technology. Such physicists claim that information is converted and contained within the surface fluctuations of the event horizon (the margin of a black hole), which is of a lower dimension. With this belief, it is inferred that the laws of physics have more credibility when considered in two and not three dimensions, regardless of our perception of a 3D universe. So then, is our long accepted understanding of reality a spurious claim? Are we to ditch one major theory over another, just like that? Well, maybe not, because theories can exist in tandem, often because they are made to fit. Now we must pose the question, are we in a simulation? We all have our own thoughts and perceptions, our own beliefs, and there are so many theories that are proposed and promulgated, new ones replacing older ones, for so many unresolved phenomena and paradoxes. Sometimes new insights may manifest accidentally, but regardless of how good a theory
appears, it does unfortunately remain a theory until something concrete and irrefutable comes along to turn that theory into fact. Yet, are we now edging closer to the truth of what reality really is? If the information of our universe is perfectly encoded onto a 2D field and projected from the event horizon of a black hole, then this modern and revolutionary idea should be supported by rather complex mathematics and equations. Michio Kaku and Juan Maldacena are among the well-known contemporary theoretical physicists researching string theory and quantum physics by developing models of the universe with which to test their calculations. Are they close to that ‘eureka moment’? If so, will they provide us with some indisputable evidence of a hologram world? Lastly, if we do truly live in a simulated reality, it suggests that something as trivial as opting for pistachio flavoured ice-cream over chocolate is something that has been encoded in the programme that is playing around us; meanwhile we sleep, and life is but a dream... So, how complex is the code that is generated from the black hole’s event horizon, and where exactly is this extraordinary black hole? Is it random, or is it intelligently designed? The lack of evidence may be a glitch; perhaps after a reboot a ‘bit’ of tangible proof may just manifest. However, whether our world is simulated or not, we still perceive, live and breathe in a 3D reality, and Galileo’s bold remark about the rotating Earth still applies:
‘eppur si muove’
New Advancement In Fusion By Owen Wallace
A
recent breakthrough by scientists at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy has brought nuclear fusion one step closer to reality. The new “Super-X divertor” is capable of greatly reducing the temperature of Tokamaks, leading to numerous advantages in future. Tokamaks are large, room-sized devices that can generate immensely powerful magnetic fields in order to keep plasma in its desired shape. If these devices operate for too long, the materials may start to melt due to the heat, hence why proper ventilation is so important. For fusion to take place, the plasma must exceed temperatures over 100 million degrees celsius, which is even hotter than parts of the sun. Naturally Tokamak components don’t have very long lifespans. But with more efficient cooling commercial reactors would become considerably cheaper to maintain, as parts would have to be replaced much less often. Fusion energy itself is still a long while away. So far no reactor has been able to produce more energy than it uses. If achievable, fusion presents many advantages over classical fission reactors, such as producing much less nuclear waste. They are generally believed to be much safer, and may be one of the main sources of energy in the future. In theory, fusion occurs when two atomic nuclei merge to form one heavier nucleus while releasing relatively large amounts of energy. This process occurs naturally in stars, using hydrogen as the fuel, combined with the immense pressure of gravity to form plasma. This means that for fusion to take place on Earth, we need to simulate parameters similar to that of the sun, which as you can imagine is very energy demanding. Currently there are plans to build prototype fusion reactors in the UK at some point in the 2040s, by which time our understanding of the process is expected to be much more advanced. Only time will tell if fusion as a source of energy will be powering our cities one day.
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