P R E S E N T S
T OU | 07 | 18 02LD SO
EELS
- O2 ACADEMY, BRIXTON -
04 | 07 | 18
RIFF RAFF
- PAPER DRESS VINTAGE -
19 | 07 | 18
UK TOUR 2018
PITOU
WEDNESDAY 14 NOVEMBER
- THE ISLINGTON -
21 | 07 | 18
CORDUROY
- OMEARA, LONDON BRIDGE -
O 2 ACADEMY BRIXT ON LONDON
COURTNEYBARNETT.COM.AU
02 | 08 | 18
RIFF RAFF
WITH SPECIAL GUEST
LAURA JEAN
- PAPER DRESS VINTAGE -
BY ARRANGEMENT WITH X-RAY
03 | 08 | 18
THE MENZINGERS - O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN -
10 | 08 | 18
STEVEN PAGE - UNION CHAPEL -
29 | 08 | 18
BRAND NEW FRIEND
- THE WAITING ROOM, STOKE NEWINGTON -
12 | 09 | 18
JIM WHITE - THE LEXINGTON -
18 | 09 | 18
ERIKA WENNERSTROM - THE LEXINGTON -
26 | 09 | 18
FRANZ FERDINAND - ROUNDHOUSE -
FRIDAY 14 SEPTEMBER
ELECTRIC BALLROOM
12 | 10 | 18
FENNE LILY - BORDERLINE -
17 | 10 | 18
UK TOUR 2018
JOHN BUTLER TRIO
LONDON
- EVENTIM APOLLO -
18 | 10 | 18
AADAE
- ARCHSPACE -
BY ARRANGEMENT WITH WME
T I C K E T S AVA I L A B L E F R O M
SEETICKETS.COM - GIGANTIC.COM - STARGREEN.COM EVENTIM.CO.UK - ROUNDHOUSE.ORG.UK - TICKETMASTER.CO.UK
P R E S E N T S
19 | 10 | 18
DAHLIA SLEEPS
- OMEARA, LONDON BRIDGE -
23 | 10| 18
SOPHIE HUNGER - OSLO, HACKNEY -
23 | 10| 18
jenny lewis
THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE
- O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN -
24 | 10 | 18
BLACK HONEY - ELECTRIC BALLROOM -
TUESDAY 14 AUGUST 2018
KOKO
LONDON
JENNYLEWIS.COM BY ARRANGEMENT WITH X-RAY
24 | 10| 18
ASH
- O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN -
30 | 10 | 18 - 31 | 10 | 18
| 11OU | 18T - 02 | 11 |OU | 11 |OU 01LD 18 T - SO 03LD 18 T SOLD SO “COME ON PILGRIM...IT’S SURFER ROSA” SPECIAL 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION FOR FIVE NIGHTS
PIXIES
- ROUNDHOUSE -
T - SO OU | 18 | 11OU | 18T- 15 | 11 | 18 14LD LD| 11 SO13
TEENAGE FANCLUB - ELECTRIC BALLROOM -
| 11OU | 18T - 16 | 11 | 18 15LD SO
THE CAT EMPIRE - ROUNDHOUSE -
27 | 11 | 18
LYDMOR
- THE WAITING ROOM, STOKE NEWINGTON -
05 | 12 | 18
BUFFALO TOM - ELECTRIC BALLROOM -
26 | 01 | 18
ON TOU R SUMMER 2018
MONDAY O2 JULY
SNOW PATROL - THE O2 -
OU OU | 02| | 02| | 02| OU 02LD 19T - SO 03LD 19T - SO 05LD 19T SO
06 | 02| 19 - 07 | 02| 19
LONDON BY ARRANGEMENT WITH WME
THE STREETS
- O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON T I C K E T S AVA I L A B L E F R O M
SEETICKETS.COM - GIGANTIC.COM - STARGREEN.COM - AXS.COM EVENTIM.CO.UK - ROUNDHOUSE.ORG.UK - TICKETMASTER.CO.UK
“A truly special musical celebrationâ€? áƒŚáƒŚáƒŚáƒŚáƒŚ The Guardian
END OF THE ROAD 2018 30 Aug—2 Sept Larmer Tree Gardens
Vampire Weekend St. Vincent U
Feist U Yo La Tengo U Ezra Furman Jeff Tweedy White Denim
U
John Cale
Oh Sees
U
Wild Billy Childish & CTMF
U
Mulatu Astatke
U U
Ariel Pink
U
U
Fat White Family
Gruff Rhys Big Thief
Destroyer
U
U
U
Julia Holter
Josh T. Pearson
Omar Souleyman
Titus Andronicus r Hookworms r IDLES r Shame r (Sandy) Alex G James Holden & The Animal Spirits r This Is The Kit r Iceage
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For tickets and more info visit endoftheroadfestival.com
WELCOME
LET’S EAT GRANDMA COVER STORY PAGE 26
This month is all about quality over quantity as only a special few records dare to go against the noise of football and find a new home in our hearts. From the freshly refined sounds of our brilliant cover stars, Let's Eat Grandma, to Ross From Friends’ all-consuming and meticulous debut (don't be put off by the name and do make sure you see him live, it's well worth it). We also catch up with previous cover star Gaika about the album we've been waiting for and being a step ahead of the rest. Think of us whilst you're enjoying bathing in the sunshine and watching the football at the weekend this month. With the World Cup on and beer gardens stacked with excited punters it's never been so hard to keep to our distribution routes but, hey, at least we can help you find your way to shows afterwards, to keep the party going. Oh, and a quick shoutout to Field Day - we loved the new site, and had an absolute blast!
STAFF ON REPEAT
JEVON
the tracks we can’t stop listening to this month JESS: Jevon - Redemption DAVE: The Rhythm Method - Chin Up LOKI: Idles - Danny Nedelko DANNY: TSHEGUE - Muanapoto GEMMA: SOPHIE - Immaterial JACK: Joe Goddard - So Much BETH: Sepia - Awaken LiS 05
Photo: Jake Elwin
CONTENTS 10
NEW SOUNDS
54
FULL JULY GIG LISTINGS
MorMor, Lava La Rue & more 14
ROSS FROM FRIENDS
19
TALES FROM THE CITY
71
72
EVENTS
77
PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS by Rachel Grace Almeida
Sweet stuff happening soon in London 26
LET’S EAT GRANDMA 32
FOUND ONE OF THESE TUCKED INTO THE PAGES?
ON THE STEREO
YOU’RE GOING TO VISIONS!
with Visions Festival artists 36
42
LIVE REVIEWS
NOS Primavera Sound & Field Day
by Masayoshi Fujita 22
IN LONDON
with The Rhythm Method
GAIKA
ALBUM REVIEWS
Bodega, Gorillaz, Liars, Lotic, Dirty Projectors and many more 50
GIGS OF THE MONTH
Our pick of July’s best shows
Editor: Jess Partridge jess@londoninstereo.co.uk
Deputy Editor: Dave Rowlinson dave@londoninstereo.co.uk
Online Editor: Beth Sheldrick beth@londoninstereo.co.uk
Sub-Editor: Loki Lillistone loki@londoninstereo.co.uk
Festival Editor: Katie Thomas katie@londoninstereo.co.uk
New Sounds Editor: Gemma Samways
Staff Writers: Danny Wright, Jack Urwin
Advertising sales@londoninstereo.co.uk
Photography: Let’s Eat Grandma cover story: Poppy Marriott (poppymarriott.co.uk) Contributors: Kate Solomon, Lee Wakefield, Karl Smith, Emma Madden, Robin Murray, Hassan Anderson, George O’Brien, Nick Mee, Thomas Hannan, Geoff Cowart, Racel Grace Almeida londoninstereo.com
@londoninstereo
LiS 07
NEW SOUNDS MORMOR
by Gemma Samways
For a long time it felt like Montreal had the monopoly on emerging Canadian indie acts, leaving Toronto to focus on established stars or to back new blood with huge commercial potential. Now there’s a brace of hyped, Toronto-based talent bucking that trend. Following the successes of Polaris Prize-nominees BadBadNotGood, Grammy-approved R&B man Daniel Caesar and acclaimed soul singer Charlotte Day Wilson, Seth Nyquist is the latest young artist from the city to enjoy widespread acclaim without making concessions to his expansive creative vision. His output as MorMor boasts an effortlessly breezy beauty, ebbing and flowing
between dreamy soul, warm indie-pop and lo-fi disco, and foregrounding vocals that extend from bruised Sprechgesang to a truly angelic falsetto. Breakout track ‘Heaven’s Only Wishful’ offers a particularly fine showcase of the latter, featuring his silken tones dancing over muted synths and loose strumming. April’s follow-up single, ‘Whatever Comes To Mind’, is arguably even stronger, underpinned by gossamer-like guitar chords and celestial synth washes. Much like the work of Rex Orange County - with whom he shares management - Nyquist’s songs are the ideal soundtrack to balmy summer days, making the recent release of his debut EP ideally-timed.
IN TEN: NEW SOUNDS IAMDDB DRIPPY
IVY SOLE
MOZZY
WHO WANT PROBLEMS
IVY SOLE
DRAHLA
SOBS
TREVOR POWERS
ROSS FROM FRIENDS
JEVON
ROLLERCOASTER
TELLTALE SIGNS
TWELVE DIVISIONS OF THE DAY
ACHE
PROJECT CYBERSYN
REDEMPTION
TSHEGUE
HALONA KING
MUANAPOTO
CACOPHONY
FOLLOW OUR SPOTIFY ‘ALL THOSE TRACKS OF THE WEEK’ PLAYLIST FOR ALWAYS UPDATED NEW MUSIC
MORMOR
LISTEN TO: Whatever Comes To Mind @MorMormusic
/mormor_music
LAVA LA RUE by Jess Partridge
LISTEN TO: Widdit @lavalarue
/lavalarue
LiS 11
We've been keeping track of Lava La Rue for a while now, fascinated by her nothing-butdreamy and surreal tracks; with regular nods to 90s R&B she creates space and layers in her tracks that make each listen a little different. As well as being a rapper, musician and visual artist, Lava La Rue is the founder of NiNE8 Collective - a collaborative and supportive group of creative individuals finding success in all areas. Head to her Soundcloud for a moodboard of excellent tracks and demos.
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SOLD OU T SOLD OU T
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interview
ROSS FROM FRIENDS words: Lee Wakefield photography: Fabrice Bourgelle
eah, that was crazy when he first bigged me up on Twitter,” Felix Clary Weatherall admits, referring to Flying Lotus’ admission that not only was he enjoying his 2017 EP You’ll Understand, he was a big fan of him in general. Less than a year later, he was snapped up by Brainfeeder, initially for the Aphelion EP and now Family Portrait, his debut full length. “I definitely wanted to produce something that felt worthy of Brainfeeder y’know?” he tells me. “It’s been a label that has always pushed such a creative, innovative sound and with the album, I definitely wanted that to come across. But I felt like that was where my music was going at that point, Brainfeeder feels like a perfect fit for me at this point in time.” This point in time finds Felix busier than ever, zigzagging across the globe, his ear for a remix highly sought after, excelling in support slots alongside the likes of Little Dragon and Bicep while consistently experimenting and pushing the envelope with a live set-up that incorporated two new members last year, which has heavily informed studio work too. “We always share
music with each other and I hear things that I’d never hear just sat at home on the computer,” he adds. “When we’re playing live, a lot of the structures and instrumentation dictate where the track will go.” Despite taking a relatively prolific approach to releases since 2015, it’s difficult to picture Felix finding ample time to record his debut full length. “The album took about two years to record from start to finish,” he explains. “It was a pretty gruelling process, to be honest. But I wanted it to reflect exactly where I wanted to go with music. I’d always dreamt about a full-length album, I’d tried writing one years ago that never came to fruition. But I’m glad I waited until now, working with a record label that really understands and respects where I’m at.” That support has produced his debut, a record that wrestles with both the melancholic (‘Wear Me Down’) and euphoric (‘R.A.T.S’) corners of wonky pop and introspective dance music. “I’ve agonised over tracks before, yes,” Felix admits, “but
LiS 14
this felt like a different level, to be honest.” It’s undoubtedly paid dividends; Family Portrait is never less than utterly compelling.
“This is GHƓQLWHO\ WKH PRVW FRQVFLRXVO\ SHUVRQDO PXVLF ,ōYH PDGH Ő
It’s the album title, and the reasoning behind it, that resonates the most after multiple listens. Bridging the gap between cold electronics and powerful nostalgia, Felix channels the musical education from his dad throughout Family Portrait, as well as nodding to his parents’ relationship that blossomed over hi-NRG dance, Italo disco and proto-Techno, discovered via old VHS tapes. “This is definitely the most consciously personal music I’ve made,” he confirms. “My parents are always massively influential in everything I do, but I’d never
LiS 15
“I felt that I was pulled into a genre tag that's considered easy to reproduce and kind of cheap, which is what I don’t consider my music to be...” really spent time to think about that influence before I’d made this. I love them and respect them and I wanted to do something that could actively contain a part of them within it.” He continues: “it’s really nice just spending time on my own and putting together music. In that space I have real freedom to do what I want without thinking about anyone or anything else, and a lot of that time is spent with me tapping into my more emotional side.” If many were drawn to Ross From Friends primarily for the wacky moniker, they stayed for the tunes. At that point, he’d been warmly embraced by the lo-fi house movement, an outdated comparison in recent times, but one Felix is refreshingly honest when discussing. “I don’t really mind genre tags that much. It’s an important thing for music journalism and to help fans categorise their tastes. But
it’s unfortunate that ‘lo-fi’ has gained kind of a negative connotation. I don’t think the genre tag is frustrating for me in itself, but I felt that I was pulled into a genre tag that's considered easy to reproduce and kind of cheap, which is what I don’t consider my music to be.” “I don’t know if I’ve really shaken off those genre tags, and I don’t feel too much pressure about it being categorised as ‘lo-fi',” he shrugs. “I made an album that I’m really pleased with, one that feels really personal to me - for me, the way that it is perceived is secondary to that.” LiS Family Portrait is released July 27th via Brainfeeder. LIVE: Village Underground, September 26th. FESTIVALS: Lost Village Festival
LiS 16
@russfrumfrunds
@RossFromFriendsMusic
KING TUFF THURS 16 AUG MOTH CLUB
SKINNY PELEMBE THURS 27 SEPT CORSICA STUDIOS
BC CAMPLIGHT THURS 25 OCT OMEARA
CAR SEAT HEADREST THURS 8 NOV O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON
ALEX NAPPING MON 20 AUG SERVANT JAZZ QUARTERS
IDER TUES 2 OCT VILLAGE UNDERGROUND
LORD HURON FRI 26 OCT ROUNDHOUSE
PARQUET COURTS MON 12 NOV ROUNDHOUSE
EZRA FURMAN TUES 4 SEPT O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON
WASUREMONO THURS 4 OCT THE WAITING ROOM
GOLD STAR MON 29 OCT THE WAITING ROOM
LAURA JEAN TUES 13 NOV SEBRIGHT ARMS
(SANDY) ALEX G WED 5 SEPT ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
MARTIN KOHLSTEDT MON 8 OCT ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH
SERPENTWITHFEET THURS 30 OCT ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
FLASHER TUES 13 NOV THE LEXINGTON
JOSE GONZALEZ THURS 20 SEPT ROYAL ALBERT HALL
NEGATIVE GEMINI FRI 12 OCT THE SHACKLEWELL ARMS
ODETTA HARTMAN MON 24 SEPT THE ISLINGTON HALF WAIF MON 24 SEPT SEBRIGHT ARMS MITSKI WED 26 SEPT O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE JIM GHEDI THURS 27 SEPT ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH
GWENNO THURS 18 OCT ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL RINA SAWAYAMA FRI 19 OCT HEAVEN GIANT PARTY WED 24 OCT THE LEXINGTON SOLOMON GREY THURS 25 OCT UNION CHAPEL
LUCY DACUS WED 31 OCT ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL THE KVB WED 31 OCT CORSICA STUDIOS GOAT GIRL FRI 2 NOV KOKO INSECURE MEN TUES 6 NOV QUEEN ELIZABETH HALL CURTIS HARDING THURS 8 NOV KOKO
KELLY LEE OWENS THURS 15 NOV VILLAGE UNDERGROUND LUKE HOWARD TUES 20 NOV BUSH HALL THE WAVE PICTURES THURS 22 NOV KOKO SUBURBAN LIVING FRI 23 NOV SEBRIGHT ARMS HOOKWORMS SAT 24 NOV O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN
PARALLELLINESPROMOTIONS.COM
TALES FROM THE CITY
“Some words were even different too, like ‘rubbish’, ‘chips’ and ‘tube’...” photo: Patricia Haas
by MASAYOSHI FUJITA Hey London, I am trying to like you. I remember when I came to London for the first time - on the airplane I had the first claustrophobia panic of my life. It’s not London’s fault and it wasn’t even in London (and I’m fine now) but this memory got tied to my image of London. In town people spoke weird English. Now I know that the English I learned in Japan was American English. People in London sounded different and it was hard to understand. Some words were even different too, like ‘rubbish’, ‘chips’ and ‘tube’. I remember a friend of mine once told me that you need an Oyster to get on a tube. What are you talking about? The speed and intensity of London reminded me Tokyo. And multicultural air reminded me New York. Before I didn’t have much of an image about London, maybe only Sherlock Holmes. I really liked it when I was a child. I wanted to be a detective and solve mysteries. London’s traffic is a nightmare. Somehow I get stuck in it every time. Once I arrived at
Gatwick airport. I was picked up by a taxi the promoter sent me and it got stuck in the traffic. I had time, so I was pretty relaxed and enjoying view from the window eating a rice ball my wife had made me. The car was nice and the driver was really a gentleman. He sometimes tried to find a bypass so I could see some local neighborhood which were more interesting than a highway. Eventually I had to spend an extra hour in the traffic. Finally we got to the hotel then the driver said to me “You are the most patient customer I’ve ever had”. Well, I didn’t have to pay extra fee and had nothing to do before soundcheck so it was all fine. So I smiled and said “Yes, I am Japanese.” Actually some museums I visited were nice and I have had a very nice Indian food too. Maybe I need more time to get to know London better. Next time I should finally visit Baker street. Masayoshi Fujita’s new album, Book of Life, is released July 27th via Erased Tapes. LIVE: Purcell Room, Southbank Centre, September 23rd
LiS 19
@MasayoshiFujita
@MasayoshiFujitaVibraphone
COMMUNIONMUSIC.CO.UK
COMMUNION PRESENTS
TICKETS FROM COMMUNIONMUSIC.CO.UK
EVENTS new things in London you just don’t want to miss out on
A CHILDHOOD JOY AND DESPAIR THING
WHEN: October 25th-March 3rd. WHERE: Somerset House, WC2R 1LA INFO: somersethouse.org.uk // @SomersetHouse
Ken Kagami, CHARPEE Sculpture No.1. Courtesy of Misako & Rosen
GOOD GRIEF, CHARLIE BROWN We’re getting in early on this one because you’ll want to get a ticket soon and we just want to talk about it. If you’ve been a child at any time of your life you’ll have doubtless treasured the adventures of Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang, as Charles M. Schultz’s world-weary wisdom and pathos made sense of life in a way the lasagne cat never could. This special exhibition will see original drawings and other works inspired by the ground-breaking cartoon strip, and even a workshop for your own Peanuts creativity to thrive. Honestly, we just really can’t wait for this.
AN E17 TWO-DAY PARTY THING WALTHAMSTOW GARDEN PARTY Garden parties conjure up images of tranquil Britishness, cucumber sarnies and Pimms. Walthamstow (the first London Borough of Culture, no less) eschews all that for a two day extravaganza in Lloyd Park which’ll see exceptional music (including Fatoumata Diawara and Seun Kuti on the Barbican stage) mix with top food traders and enough arts and crafts to rival Etsy. Throw in film, dance and the annual skate jam and you’ve got the makings of a truly great weekend. With a focus on utilising local enterprises, this fifth year of the Garden Party is really all London should be about. One more cherry on that well-iced cake? It’s free! WHEN: July 14th-15th. WHERE: Lloyd Park, Walthamstow E17 5JW INFO: walthamstowgardenparty.com // COST: FREE
A RE-THINKING YOUR HISTORY THING 1492: COLUMBUS, RACE & COLONIALISM If you've never been to a lecture at SOAS you're seriously missing out. This August they look back on Christopher Columbus’ trip across the Atlantic in 1492 and re-examine the events that unfolded, including the genocide, destruction and enslavement. Hosted by the fantastic quarterly magazine Consented - it's going to be a fascinating discussion. WHEN: August 1st. WHERE: SOAS University of London, WC1H 0XG INFO: consented.co.uk // @consenteduk
A BOTTLE SHOP BEAUTY GOES TO DEPTFORD THING HOP, BURNS & SHACK We don’t play faves in London, but when we’re distributing mags we do make a point of stopping at East Dulwich bottle shop Hop Burns & Black. Purveyors of the best beer, amazing hot sauces (including Holy Fuck and Peckham Sauce Co.) plus vinyl, it just caters for all our needs. Now it’s time for Deptford to experience this joy because Hop Burns and Shack is happening. Check in those railway arches for the latest outpost of this London treasure. WHEN: Any day now! WHERE: The arches by Deptford Railway Station, SE8 4NS INFO: hopburnsblack.co.uk // @hopburnsblack
AN EARLY DAYS OF HIP-HOP PHOTOGRAPHY THING BEAT POSITIVE Documenting the early days of the genre which would rule them all, this exhibition focuses on two British photographers, Janette Beckman and David Corio, who flew to NYC in ‘82, just as the scene was about to break. Turntables, MCs, graffiti and break-dancing inform every moment as this comprehensive show lands you square in Queens, Long Island, The Bronx and more.
Eric B and Rakim walking across 14th Street in New York City, circa 1989 (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
WHEN: Open now until August 4th. WHERE: Getty Images Gallery, W1W 8DX INFO: gettyimagesgallery.com // @gettygallery LiS 23
interview
Let’s Eat Grandma words: Kate Solomon photography: Poppy Marriott
“I feel like it's just like 'Oh, they managed to get through the obstacle of being young and girls, well done'.” - Jenny Hollingworth
ats purring, Van Halen-style synth, playground clapping and the most outrageous saxophone you've heard since the opening bars of ‘Run Away With Me’: pop prodigies Let's Eat Grandma are back with their second album and they are not messing around...
LiS 26
interview
them, we suppose that makes sense - the sly, fantastical nature of the album seemed to be emulating but also poking fun at po-faced “dream pop” and its ilk. The record seemed to bamboozle music writers, causing us to use words like “swirling”, “witchy”, “mesmerising”, “hypnotic” and “dark pop”. “When I listen back to I, Gemini, it feels so nostalgic because it’s about such a long time ago,” Rosa tells us over a smoothie in glamorous Deptford two years later. Amazingly to someone who can barely re-read a paragraph she just wrote without wanting to peel her skin off, Rosa and Jenny manage to listen back to their tween opus without cringing. Released when they were a bit older, around 16, the timbre of their voices was still childish, the pitches high and sing-songy. “We just think how were our voices that high pitched?!”
“When we wrote the first album we were like 13, 14, so between then and the time we wrote the second one, we had so many new experiences - and much better formed opinions...” - Rosa Walton
The teenage duo were sort of messing around on I, Gemini, their mesmerising take on dark pop released in 2016. Its swirling, ornate songs were witchy and hypnotic but dealt variously with fungi, bugs, cakes and the luxurious boredom that comes with being 14. Since Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth, the wild-haired Norwich natives who make up Let’s Eat Grandma, actually were 14 when they wrote LiS 28
Like discovering black kohl, Directions hair dye and irony, I, Gemini was a sort of junior goth outing, all shrouded in heavy synths and echoing beats. Their second album, I’m All Ears, is out this month and it sees them maturing sonically, vocally and when it comes to subject matter. You get the sense that the band has something more to say this time; dealing with social anxieties and what the kids these days are calling “big moods”. “When we wrote the first album we were like 13, 14, so between then and the time we wrote the second one, we had so many new experiences - and much better formed opinions,” she adds. Just as I, Gemini’s lead single was a revelation, I’m All Ears was launched with a revelation of its own. ‘Hot Pink’ is a fiery
interview
reclamation of femininity as a power force and blew us away when we first heard it earlier this year. It’s heavy and hooky and brilliant, with SOPHIE and The Horror’s Faris Badwan collaborating on the production side. The album swings from aggressive electro-pop to lolloping guitar-based balladry without missing a beat. ‘The Cat’s Pyjamas’ quite literally features a cat purring over a hurdy gurdy organ for 90 seconds - that’s Adam, the studio cat with a loud purr who became ingrained in the record’s DNA as they recorded. We’re chatting after a photoshoot, the results of which you can see on these very pages. Rosa is quick to laugh in her angular white suit, talks with a languid rockstarish drawl but with a Norwich tint. Jenny is more guarded, pixieish in her acid wash denim and glitter eyes. Fast friends since they were four years old, they used to look so similar it was hard to tell where one mane of hair ended and the next began but they’re exiting adolescence by embracing their individuality. As Rosa says, “I think that naturally happens as you grow up.” Their clothes are straight out of the 90s, a decade neither of them experienced first hand - they allow sentences to drift off into the ether. Sometimes the other will come back in to anchor it with a conclusion, and sometimes they’ll just let the words hang there... the whole thing makes me feel about 100 years old and, as is the way of being in the presence of people who are so close they could pass as one another, a bit like a third wheel. Because when I, Gemini came out they were so young and so female - and sounded it they didn’t get taken as seriously as say, 18-year-old Alex Turner or 19-year-old King Krule did on their first releases. It’s basically what ‘Hot Pink’ is about, starting with the lyrics “I’m just an object of disdain to you...” before dissecting notions of femininity and masculinity and pointing out, “you won’t believe the shit I could do.” Forget ‘girl power’, the phrase “Hot pink” is the perfect, inclusive battle cry.
Although there’s an argument to be made for grounding a musician’s work in both social and personal circumstance, it’s easy to understand why women, minorities and the LGBTQ+ community are sick of their work playing second fiddle to this perceived element of “otherness” - elements that are only “other” because these artists have the audacity to operate in the patriarchal, cis-white-male dominated music LiS 29
and media industries. Gender is not a genre, nor is youth, sexual orientation or race. The most fired up Let’s Eat Grandma get is on behalf of SOPHIE, the PC Music veteran and producer extraordinaire who worked with them on ‘Hot Pink’ and absolute pop hit ‘It’s Not Just Me’. “We were just talking about some of the quotes in the reviews of SOPHIE’s album,” Rosa says, referring to SOPHIE’s excellent debut Oil Of Every Pearl’s Un-insides that had just been released the morning we spoke. “The reviews she's got just really...” Jenny cuts in: “They just really focus on her gender identity when she’s already said that she doesn't want to discuss it. And the reviews are like "She refuses to discuss her gender identity" when it's actually none of anybody’s fucking business.” “It's a bit like that, but obviously very different [for us]. Around I, Gemini it was difficult because a lot of the comments people made were quite patronising,” Rosa sighs, adding that a lot of people assumed there was “some old guy” behind them. “It's hard even knowing how to react to that. Because even if we are... I mean, frustrated
wouldn't be the word I'd choose but it's annoying.” They want you to know they did it all. All the sounds, the melodies, the approaches, the production reference points, the rhythms are all them. There’s no shadowy man behind the curtain pulling levers, there’s just Let’s Eat Grandma. Jenny is animated on this topic, like she’s been waiting years to let loose about it and suggesting that perhaps frustrated is the word after all. “It's also the idea that we make the music we do in spite of being young girls and not because of it,” she says, sitting bolt upright to do so. “And I feel like it's just like 'Oh, they managed to get through the obstacle of being young and girls, well done'.” A magnificent eye-roll sums her feelings on the whole thing up. One suspects the best revenge is to hit these people round the head with an absolutely killer record and they’re about to do just that with I’m All Ears. “We're embracing the fact that we're young and girls,” Rosa adds. Hot pink. LiS
LiS 30
I’m All Ears is released June 28th via Transgressive. LIVE: Heaven, September 27th @thelegofgrandma
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ON THE STEREO
Every year Visions Festival just gets better and better. Not just a celebration of super-high quality music (really, take a peek at that line-up), it's also a communityfocused event that celebrates creative talents of all kinds. Tattoos? Check. DJing? Check. Screenprinting? Check. Taking over Hackney for one glorious day (hopefully in the sun) you can bounce from venue to venue watching all your favourite new bands, and a healthy helping of old favourites. Plus, of course: the dog show! In the spirit of community, we've asked some of the Visions Festival artists to take over our stereo and let you know who they're most excited to see this year. So please read on for the tips from Marika Hackman, Sports Team, Girlhood, Blue Hawaii and Sorry. LiS Visions Festival takes places in various Hackney venues on August 4th. Info: visionsfestival.com @VisionsFestival
@visionsfstvl
SEAN NICHOLAS SAVAGE
GIRLHOOD on: Sean Nicholas Savage’s ‘Death’ Being invited along to see Sean Nicholas Savage's show is one I won‘t forget in a hurry. I didn’t have much in the way of background on him, apart from a splattering of tracks I was fed to by the magical algorithms of Spotify; it really was a case of “Oh, I recognise this one”. I want to make sure I don’t reveal too much about the wonder Savage can achieve with next to nothing in his arsenal apart from the power of fantastic, classic songwriting and showmanship, as it would very much take away from the collective spiritual experience of being an audience member. So much to say, I am extremely looking forward to his performance at Visions this year. - Christian LiS 32
SORRY on BLACK MIDI’s ‘bmbmbm’ Go watch Black Midi, their live show is a real thrill. Extremely talented and engaging musicians that all have their own charm in the way they play. #believethehype
SAMPA THE GREAT
SPORTS TEAM on Sampa The Great’s ‘Rhymes to the East’ It’s just full of hypnotizing beats that grab your attention. Then she’s packing in defiant rhymes. Anyone that tours with Joey BadA$$ gets our vote.
BLACK MIDI
BLUE HAWAII on HONEY HARPER’s ‘Secret’
HONEY HARPER
Every now and then a piece of music stands out regardless of genre or time period... this is one of those songs. If you haven't heard it before take a moment, even if you just put it on in the background. It'll catch you somehow. A fellow Arbutus artist too ;) Excited to play together this August!
MARIKA HACKMAN on NILÜFER YANYA’s ‘Thanks 4 Nothing’
“I saw Nilüfer Yanya a couple of weeks ago and can confirm she’s a fabulous babe. She’s doing something really interesting at the moment and she’s released a couple of super groovy lil EPs recently. Really excited to see where she’ll go next. LiS 33
NILÜFER YANYA
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interview
ince the release of his debut mixtape, MACHINE, which now feels like a lifetime ago back in the heady days of 2015, Gaika Tavares – or, simply, GAIKA as he’s better known at this point – has been set about the hard work of carving out his own idiosyncratic niche as an artist. Exactly what defines that niche, however, is less clear than the fact that it exists: dancehall, trap, drone, industrial, gothic ambience and electronica influences have all not only had their place in GAIKA’s music over the last three years but also their own moment as the centrepiece of his artistry. Speaking now about the forthcoming release of his debut full-length, BASIC VOLUME, it seems little has changed in that sense – change itself and a need for perpetual forward motion being the only sensible way to define his work. “I felt like I got copied a lot on MACHINE and SECURITY,” he explains, self-assured but entirely without hubris. Talking over Skype, Tavares is groggy from illness but characteristically forthcoming about his practice as an artist: “I felt like a lot of people copied my work,” he continues, “That’s fine – that’s why I do it. I just always wanna keep doing something new, so I always want to switch it up a little bit.” It’s an admirable quality in any artist – to rightfully feel so accomplished in what they have created in such a relatively short amount of time, have the peer-released receipts to prove it, but nonetheless refuse to stagnate or take the easy route of trading on what’s come before. Still, though, if the people around you are imitating what you do then you must be doing something right – right?
“Or doing something new, you know?” He pauses for a second to laugh in good humor at the idea of imitation and inherent artistic value being somehow comparable before continuing. “I did MACHINE and SECURITY and people were like, ‘Oh you can make trap music sound progressive or you can make dancehall sound different – so let’s all do that,’ but I don't want to be playing catch-up to my own thing, so I’m trying to step into uncharted territory somewhat.”
“ I d on ' t w an t to b e p l ay i n g c atc h - u p to my ow n th i n g , s o I ’ m try ing to step i n to u n c h a rte d terri tory som ew h at .” As much as the music itself, it’s this approach that undoubtedly made GAIKA such an attractive prospect to a record label as distinguished and progressive as Warp – home of Aphex Twin and Oneohtrix Point Never, to name only two of his more illustrious enigmatic label mates. As much as the company he now keeps on WARP’s roster, the names that appear alongside his own as collaborators on BASIC VOLUME, too, are not only noteworthy for their status but also for their careful curation and for the progressive mentality that they share with GAIKA as artists in their own right and which they bring with their contributions to the album. In that sense, singling out just one to talk about seems somehow dismissive, but – given the recent release of her own full-length debut, justified shift from relative public-facing obscurity to international cover star and the quality that she brings as a creative force to any piece of work – it seems only right to mention the SOPHIE-produced ‘Immigrant Sons (Pesos & Gas).’
LiS 36
Photo: Alvaro Grozny
words: Karl Smith
In keeping with his own M.O., the track – the commingling of their two distinct sounds – I suggest, might not really be like anything people have heard before. And, while he explains that their coming to work together was entirely natural, a process as symbiotic and reciprocal as the feel of the track suggest, as ever the notion of taking to uncharted waters also had an impact on
his decision to collaborate. “I guess it tickles me to keep people guessing,” Tavares explains with a typically good-natured laugh. “Hopefully this album has done that. I guess that’s one of the things I like to do musically. I just think you do what you do – there’s no merit in copying what other people do: there’s one sample on the whole record.”
LiS 37
While the DIY ethic is in itself admirable – particularly at a time now where, as an artist, he doesn’t necessarily need that ethos to get by – that, as with everything else GAIKA does, it has its motivations in more than just being able to say he did it all alone is more emblematic of the way he works than the process itself. “I don't sample things, I don't reference other stuff, I just try and make something that makes sense to me and makes people like myself want to feel something. That’s what my aim is with music all the time. This album is kind of emotive subject matter a lot of the time and so I just wanted to make emotional music and make music that reminded me of being a child – not childlike music, just something that had that wonder of, like, when you hear something that takes you back.” But, then, emotion has always been key to GAIKA’s music – like all good art it asks you to take a look inside and tap into what you might already be feeling, to access it on a more extreme level, rather than telling you what you exactly what you ought to be feeling at any given moment. And for GAIKA – and, perhaps for any artist with a conscience in terms of how they use their voice – of course, those emotions cannot be removed from politics. “I’m not someone who sits around thinking about politics all the time – I’m just someone who says what’s on my mind. At some point in the mid-80s it became uncool as a musician to talk about politics because Michael Jackson or Prince never did or whatever – and that’s bullshit. Look at the times we live in. I don’t like the term politics; I don't want to be called political but look at the times we live in. So, no, I won’t separate my politics or my opinion from my art,” he explains, “Because I literally can’t.” We speak for a few moments more about the intricacies of using and misusing your voice as an artist before returning to the topic of BASIC VOLUME and exactly where this genre-sweeping record sits among his contemporaries. Open and open to interpretation as ever, he pauses, “I know people always want to ask “what are your influences” or “what is the genre of this music?” but I’d rather it just sounded like it is what it is.” LiS LiS 38
“Look at the times we live in. I don’t like the term
politics; I don't
want to be called
political but look at
the times we live in. So, no, I won’t
separate my politics or my opinion from my art...”
Photo: Will Robson
BASIC VOLUME is released July 27th via Warp Records. Gaika, Boiler Room and Somerset House Studios are collaborating on ‘SYSTEM’, a sound system culture installation, marking 70 years of Windrush, August 1st-26th @GAIKASAYS
@gaika.world
DHP PRESENTS
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THU.18.OCT.18 FRI.07.SEP.18 WED.26.SEP.18
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SAT.20.OCT.18 WED.19.SEP.18 WED.26.SEP.18
THU.27.SEP.18 SAT.20.OCT.18
FRI.09.NOV.18
THU.29.NOV.18
SAT.10.NOV.18
THU.25.OCT.18 FRI.07.DEC.18 WED.14.NOV.18
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THU.22.NOV.18
THU.08.NOV.18
ALBUM REVIEWS
BODEGA ENDLESS SCROLL
RECORD OF THE MONTH Sometimes the time is just right for a band. Bodega arrived at The Great Escape, stole the show everywhere and shifted the album release date to help continue their dazzling trajectory. So Danny Wright got Robin Murray and Hassan Anderson together to talk hype, hope and Endless Scroll. When did you first hear about Bodega? Robin: Well, it was 6Music hammering it all day, every day I suppose! And I saw them at the Lexington, which was ace. Hassan: I couldn’t avoid them after all the highlight round-ups after The Great Escape. Robin: Yeah, they were very buzzy weren't they? Brighton's hottest ticket. And has the record lived up to that hype? Hassan: For me it has, yes. They’re a really playful band whose dynamics and lyrics seem to meet one another really well in terms of energy levels.
released July 6th via What’s Your Rupture? @BODEGABK
What is it about their sound you think that’s got people’s attention? Robin: They pick their influences so well and, like Hass says, deal playfully with them. It's very concise, minimalist but also really entertaining. Hassan: I think the way the instrumentals are immediately striking. Robin: Top riffs, lads. Hassan: But they clinch the deal with the way their lyrics sit on top of that. They’re very humorous, but biting. Yeah the lyrics definitely stand out. Are there any highlights for you? Robin: It's very intelligently done with the stuff about becoming zombies online, but equally they enjoy jokes about shagging, so they cover all the bases! Hassan: “Your playlist knows you better than your closest lover” always makes me lol when I hear it. Robin: There's a lot of laugh out loud moments on the record. "I wonder what his head looks like when he's fucking" always
LiS 42
makes me gasp. ‘Can't Knock The Hustle’ is another fave for me too… And what about a stand-out song? Think for me it’s ‘Bookmarks’ or ‘Jack from Titanic’. Robin: ‘Jack From Titanic’ is ace. I like ‘Charlie’ too - it shows they can do something touching and emotive in between all the lols. Robin: Yeah and ‘Williamsburg Bridge’ has that low key feel, a kind of end-of-the-night atmosphere. The theme of online life taking over is quite an old one now - but do you think they do it in a fresh way? Robin: I'd say they do; there's a lot of depth to it, and the added humour means it continually feels fresh. And I enjoy the little computerised ad/clips they intersperse through the record - it feels a little like a skit from a hip-hop LP. What about other influences? I hear a lot of Parquet Courts in this. Robin: Ha, yeah! It's very Sonic Youth, Talking Heads, early Walkmen... that great New York lineage. Hassan: Yeah I was actually going to mention Parquet Courts - as a band that combines cutting lyrics with humour. Definitely agree with Talking Heads too. For me they really remind me of The Fall tracks like ‘Eat Y’self Fitter’ for example.
They have that same kind of ironic chorus feel to their songs. Robin: Definitely! And that obscure humour as well. Do you think they will have the longevity of a band like that? Hassan: They sum it well when they say “everyone is equally a master and a slave”. I think to be a band today compared to being a band in The Fall’s day is a very different thing. Robin: How so? Hassan: There isn’t the need to please a long-term fan base in the same way – I think that Bodega may just release one or two things and then call it to a day, and that means they can keep it very concentrated. Robin: Yeah I would agree there. I think any project that is so self-consciously defined and minimalistic that they could exhaust its creative oxygen pretty quickly. Hassan: Though I do think they have the potential to be long term in the way that Parquet Courts have managed to so, too. And finally, as you’ve seen them live Robin - does their sound make more sense live? Have they carried it over to the record? Robin: There is an added dimension live yeah. Particularly in how percussion heavy it is and the gender dynamic.
Photography: Mert Gafuroglu
LiS 43
GORILLAZ
THE NOW NOW Parlophone // June 29th
LOTIC
POWER Tri Angle Records July 13th
Power corrupts. And on this debut, the Texas-born Berlin DJ – named J’Kerian Morgan – corrupts absolutely with an impressive brand of wild R&B. Using a myriad of stylistic leaps, Power blows from hot afro-futuristic jams to cold Squarepusheresque hooks. Your prognosis? A woozy disorientation. Take the track ‘Distribution of Care’: an ascending line of swirling strings is unleashed before slowly mutating into a volley of punishing beats. Two tunes later, on ‘Resilience’, Lotic flips them into a hell-bound push hurtling you towards a cavernous and tetchy fate. And somehow, when you least expect it, up pops a crooned oblique verse with heavily treated vocals. But the singing remains just another affront in aid of this audacious sonic assault on the senses. Beware. Geoff Cowart LiS 44
It’s 20-odd years since cartoon supergroup Gorillaz leapt off the drawing board and the numbers are really starting to stack up. They’ve got six albums under their beautifully illustrated belts, have become one of the biggest (and most ridiculously enjoyable) live acts on the planet and are capable of pretty much pointing to the pop map and picking their collaborators at will. That Beyoncé chose to do a record with Jay Z rather than Damon remains a baffling decision. That said, their recorded legacy is your definitive curate's egg. The debut fizzed with standout singles, Demon Days remains their one genuine classic, while both Plastic Beach and Humanz boast thrilling moments without ever feeling like everything ever quite came together. The hope here, then, was that The Now Now - released a little over a year since Humanz - would have more in common with the iPad-compiled, seemingly throwaway, but very lovable The Fall. But while the opening track, ‘Humility’, weirdly reminds of the opening credit music to Groundhog Day, and the themes tread the familiar Albarn grounds of inertia, dystopia and battered human hearts, there’s definitely a feel this record is vaguely unnecessary. That said, this is a Damon record so obviously it’s got golden moments - and they’re all the ones where that aching, mournful vocal does its heart-healing thing. ‘Idaho’ is exquisite, another of Albarn’s travelling America love-hate laments. ‘One Percent’ could easily have graced the solo album Everyday Robots. ‘Kansas’ sees him recalling those green hills he loves to reference to a gentle funk backing, ‘Magic City’ has ramshackle charm and ‘Fire Flies’ is a deliciously woozy swoon. I’m not unhappy, I’m feeling glad it exists, but I reckon we’re probably ready for one of Damon’s other projects now, please. Dave Rowlinson
“...some of the creepiest and most gorgeous sonics the pair have conjured to date.”
-
Thomas Hannan on Liars’ 1/1
LIARS 1/1 OST Mute // July 20th
DIRTY PROJECTORS LAMP LIT PROSE Domino // July 13th
What Dirty Projector's new album lacks in heart, it makes up for with precociousness. Even the attempt to poke fun of its own self-seriousness via the arch title Lamp Lit Prose is precocious. And that's a problem for someone as clever as Dave Longstreth. How do you make prodigiousness appealing rather than annoying? What makes this record skew towards the latter is its attempt to anthologise itself. While guests like Syd and Dear Nora look promising on the tracklist, their distinctiveness and personality are eschewed. You'd hardly be able to tell them apart from the female vocalists who had left the band years before. And despite Longstreth's genius for melody, that's not what once put Dirty Projectors among the greatest bands on Earth. A true fusion of love and collectivity was the band's real draw. Now, it's quite apparent that Dirty Projectors is not much more than a single avatar pretending to be otherwise. Emma Madden
The soundtrack to Jeremy Phillips’ troubled coming of age drama 1/1 is notable as both Liars’ first work for film and their last to feature both Angus Andrew and Aaron Hemphill. Andrew has carried on Liars as a solo venture to great effect, but the successes of 1/1 - a largely instrumental work containing some of the creepiest and most gorgeous sonics the pair have conjured to date - should leave you longing for further collaboration from this most underrated of songwriting duos. 1/1’s soundtrack closes a chapter on Liars in a fittingly obtuse manner while suggesting their creative partnership was far from running on empty towards its end. They’ve said it’s the last we’ll hear from them. But then, they are Liars. Thomas Hannan
the innocence mission SUN ON THE SQUARE Bella Union // July 6th
With Sun On The Square, fans of the innocence mission are once again treated to a stunning collection of beautifully vulnerable folk songs. It is no surprise that the Pennsylvania trio, lead by the inimitable singing and songwriting of Karen Peris, count Sufjan Stevens among their fans, as delicate yet moving musings on ‘Green Bus’ and ‘Light of Winter’ recall Carrie & Lowell, thanks to typically subtle picking and increasingly orchestrated and gently cinematic accompaniment. Peris’ effortless storytelling once again plays centre stage, weaving through bucolic scenes, touching on love and loss yet always maintaining a blissful hope that ensures the record has the moments of sun its title suggests. The band’s first effort for Bella Union is simply gorgeous; mission accomplished. George O’Brien LiS 45
S4U
HEART 2 SAY Different Recordings // July 6th
If you’re yet to fall under S4U’s spell of 90s RnB and adroit experimentalism, then Heart 2 Say will duly enchant. Here, the London duo retain pop sensibilities à la Lauryn Hill and TLC but launch them firmly into 2018. Opener ‘The Beginning’ (ft. K15, Kelvyn Colt & Line) is a downtempo musing on the technological age. “[A] seamless web of interconnectivity, not sensuality” is spoken over staccato synths and trickling trap beats. It’s one of many avant-garde collaborations that work to further enrich the complex, braided tapestry of Rosita Bonita and Prinz George’s music. There’s darkness on the record (‘Untitled’, ‘Refrain’) but light aplenty, with the bouncing, stonewashed soul of ‘Heart’ and the shuffling ‘Smile’ begging to played in the sun. Charlotte Kroll
WEN
EPHEM:ERA Big Dada // July 6th
Though grime is a genre known for aggressive bass lines, kicks and snares, it’s also one that employs empty space better than any other. These are the places grime sub-genre ‘weightless’ inhabit, and Wen’s latest full-length uses the notion to score a modernity built on fleeting transience. Tracks such as ‘BLIP’ present beautiful but threatening bass melodies that feel as if you’re watching a storm unfold in the distance. Elsewhere on ‘TIME II THINK’ a pounding kick pattern is present, but subtle, like the throbbing anxiety so commonplace in a world ever-focused on intangibility. Wen’s signature vocal snippets, which he made for himself on his 2014 debut Signals, are present but it’s the shifting drum grooves and experiments in rhythm that steal the focus on EPHEM:ERA. And, even when drums are noticeably absent, Wen somehow still manages to make present-day dystopia sound extremely banging. Hassan Anderson
KAMAL KEILA
MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS Habibi Funk // July 20th
Like many of the veteran African artists recently uncovered for wider delectation, Kamal Keila gives good back-story. The Sudanese singer recorded these unreleased, lo-fi sessions for radio in 1992, delivering pleas for national unity (the title track), child welfare and agricultural reform in English to sneak them past the sensors of a country enduring civil war and strict Islamist rule. Over funk breaks with touches of sultry Ethiopique soul, where extended grooves flare with raw horns and bluesy guitar, Keila’s unrealised entreaties are performed with a levity that belies their severe subjects and mechanical titles. Yet the songs take on greater cohesion when Keila sings (presumably without the political edge) in Arabic, and it is the likes of ‘Ya Shaifni’’s catchy tropical swing that best mark him as worthy of contemporary acclaim. Nick Mee LiS 46
thursday 28 june | 7:00
wednesday 15 august| 7:00
saturday 30 june | 7:00
thursday 16 august| 7:00
KNOCKED LOOSE
A NIGHT IN TEXAS
COLOUR ME WEDNESDAY SADISTIC INTENT tuesday 3 july | 7:00
saturday 18 august| 7:00
wednesday 4 july | 7:00
tuesday 21 august| 7:00
LIVING ISLAND CRYSTAL LAKE
Thursday 5 July | 7:00
EZXP
friday 6 july | 7:00
VISIGOTH
sunday 8 july | 7:00
JONAH MATRANGA & FRIENDS (FAR’S WATER & SOLUTIONS IN FULL)
DAMIEN DONE FRONTIERER
wednesday 22 august | 7:00
HOCKEY DAD
FRI-sat 31-1 aug-sept| VARIOUS
READY FEST
sunday 2 SEptember | 7:00
FIZZY BLOOD
tuesday 4 SEptember | 7:00
CAMP COPE
wednesday 11 july | 7:00
thursday 6 SEptember | 7:00
wednesday 11 july | 7:00
friday 7 SEptember | 7:00
thursday 12 july | 7:30
wednesday 12 SEptember | 7:00
friday 13 july | 7:00
saturday 15 SEptember | 1:00
friday 13 july | 7:00
sunday 16 SEptember | 6:30
friday 20 july | 7:00
wednesday 19 SEptember | 7:00
saturday 21 july | 7:00
monday 24 SEptember | 7:00
wednesday 25 july | 7:00
monday 24 SEptember | 7:00
saturday 28 july | 12:00
thursday 27 SEptember | 7:30
sunday 29 july | 7:00
thursday 28 SEptember | 7:30
TOUCHE AMORE
CHRISTEENE
TURNSTILE
AARON WATSON
BODEGA
ESPIRIT D’AIR
SON OF MAN
LOUD WOMEN FEST
POWERFLO
DEMILICH
DAVE KERZNER
FOREVER CAME CALLING
RUINER
CHELSEA GRIN
FRANCK CARDUCCI
DANISH DEMOLITION
WONKFEST
LA LUZ
BARRIER
JIMOTHY LACOSTE
GIGS OF THE MONTH O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE ROBERT GLASPER
O2 ACADEMY ISLINGTON MOELOGO
July 16th £25adv // @o2sbe
Shepherd’s Bush
SERVANT JAZZ QUARTERS
July 15th £12.50adv // @O2Islington
Angel
THE LEXINGTON BEDOUINE
URI SADE July 12th £7adv // @ServantJazz
Our pick of the best upcoming shows around London
Dalston Junction / Kingsland
July 9th £11adv // @thelexington
Angel
THE LOCK TAVERN
BODEGA
THE FRANKLYS + HUSSY + JESSIE GANE July 11th FREE // @thelocktavern
Chalk Farm / Camden Town
THE DOME BODEGA July 12th £10adv // @DomeTufnellPark
Tuffnell Park
FREE MONEY
THE CAMDEN ASSEMBLY
THE SHACKLEWELL ARMS
YIZZY + DOCKEM & MALONE + HOLY 57 + ANDRO + NAOMI BANKS
FREE MONEY + PELICANDY + CC HONEYMOON + MORE
July 23rd £4adv // @CamdenAssembly
July 21st FREE// @shacklewell Arms
Chalk Farm / Camden Town
Dalston Junction / Kingsland
BOSTON MUSIC ROOM
BRIXTON WINDMILL
CRYSTAL LAKE
BARRINGTONE + STEPHEN EVENS
July 4th £10adv // @BostonMusicRoom
Tuffnell Park
July 12th £4adv // @WindmillBrixton
Brixton
MOTH CLUB
BUSH HALL
TESS PARKS
MODERN MAORI QUARTET
July 7th £8adv // @Moth_Club
Hackney Central
July 29th £18adv // @Bushhallmusic
Shepherd’s Bush Market / Shepherd’s Bush
PEANESS
THE SLAUGHTERED LAMB POP PUNK LONDON SUMMER FEST 2018:WHY EVERYONE LEFT + MAYPINE + SHADED UK + MORE July 7th £10adv // @slaughteredlam
Farringdon/ Old Street FLAVA D
PAPER DRESS VINTAGE PEANESS + CHARMPIT July 19th £5adv // @paperdressed
Hackney Central
HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN CALL ME LOOP + MAXIMILLIAN XOYO
July 5th £7adv // @HoxtonSquareBar
FLAVA D + SKEPSIS + SHARDA + L U C Y + JAMZCLUB ALL STARS
THE WAITING ROOM
July 6th £8adv // @XOYO_London
Old Street / Liverpool Street
Old Street
LYLE + NABIHAH IQBAL + ANGUS July 11th £5adv // @WaitingRoomN16
Dalston Junction / Kingsland
OSLO O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN
FLAVIEN BERGER July 19th £10adv // @OsloHackney
Hackney Central
FIDLAR + SPLIT July 8th £26.50adv // @O2ForumKTown
Kentish Town
JAZZ CAFE SLY & ROBBIE + NILS PETTER MOLVAER July 24th & 25th £25adv // @TheJazzCafe
Camden Town
ARCHSPACE ANDREW ASHONG July 22nd £11.50adv // @Archspace_Ldn LiS 51
Haggerston
FULL JULY LISTINGS
LONDON’S GIG GUIDE
Monday 2nd July
Your full listings guide to all the best shows happening across North, East, South and West London this month. Sunday 1st July
Tuesday 3rd July
visit londoninstereo.com for all the latest listings, & to sign up to our Gigs Of The Week email
LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo
Thursday 5th July
Wednesday 4th July
WeGotTickets.com | Simple, honest ticketing
FULL JULY LISTINGS
Friday 6th July
Saturday 7th July
find us on Spotify at London in Stereo to keep up with our weekly new music playlists
LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo
Sunday 8th July
Monday 9th July
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FULL JULY LISTINGS
Wednesday 11th July
Tuesday 10th July
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Friday 13th July Thursday 12th July
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FULL JULY LISTINGS
Saturday 14th July
Sunday 15th July
see londoninstereo.com/venues for up-to-date listings at all our favourite venues
LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo
Monday 16th July
Tuesday 17th July
Thursday 19th July
Wednesday 18th July
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FULL JULY LISTINGS
Friday 20th July
Saturday 21st July
find us on Spotify at London in Stereo to keep up with our weekly new music playlists
LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo Sunday 22nd July
Wednesday 25th July
Monday 23rd July
Tuesday 24th July Thursday 26th July
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FULL JULY LISTINGS
Saturday 28th July Friday 27th July
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LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo Monday 30th July
Sunday 29th July
Tuesday 31st July
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AUGUST LISTINGS Wednesday 1st August Saturday 4th August
Thursday 2nd August
Friday 3rd August
Sunday 5th August
Monday 6th August
visit londoninstereo.com for all the latest listings, & to sign up to our Gigs Of The Week email
LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo
Tuesday 7th August
Wednesday 8th August
Friday 10th August
Thursday 9th August
WeGotTickets.com | Simple, honest ticketing
AUGUST LISTINGS Tuesday 14th August Saturday 11th August
Wednesday 15th August
Thursday 16th August
Sunday 12th August
Monday 13th August
Friday 17th August
see londoninstereo.com/venues for up-to-date listings at all our favourite venues
LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo
Saturday 18th August Wednesday 22nd August
Sunday 19th August
Monday 20th August
Tuesday 21st August
FOR THE LATEST AND MOST UP-TO-DATE LONDON GIG LISTINGS AROUND, VISIT LONDONINSTEREO.COM
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07—18 MOTH Club Valette St London E8 Monday 2 July
CRX Saturday 7 July
TESS PARKS Tuesday 10 July
THE COSMIC DEAD Friday 13 July
SHXCXCHCXSH Sunday 29 July
Lanzarote
lanzaroteworks.com #lanzaroteworks
Programming
The Waiting Room 175 Stoke Newington High St N16 Wednesday 4 July
JOSEPH LAWRENCE Saturday 7 July
MARK KNEKELHUIS Wednesday 11 July
LYLE Friday 13 July
JOB SIFRE Saturday 14 July
ALEX ZHANG HUNGTAI
BEZIER
Shacklewell Arms
The Lock Tavern
71 Shacklewell Lane London E8 Tuesday 3 July
MELLOW GANG Friday 6 July
STONEFIELD Saturday 14 July
PORRIDGE RADIO Tuesday 17 July
DONNY BENÉT Friday 27 July
PARTICLE KID
35 Chalk Farm Rd London NW1 Monday 9 July
ZOOFAN Tuesday 10 July
CAGEWORK Thursday 12 July
LA LEIF Saturday 21 July
LA BETE BLOOMS Friday 27 July
LYLO
IN LONDON
with THE RHYTHM METHOD Why do you live in London? We were both born and raised in South West London and haven't really left. Joey went to Glasgow for a bit to seek inner peace but was back within 6 months. We live in the city but more importantly it lives in us, like some kind of bacteria. It's with us for life. What are your go-to places to eat and drink? Anywhere normal and honest is what we like. The Sam Smiths pubs in Central, the Ethiopian food in Holloway... It’s summertime in the city - how do you like London when the sun’s shining? There’s a certain energy in the air where it feels like bizarro land and it may kick off at any moment. It all culminates in August bank holiday at Carnival, when everyone has truly lost the plot. Do you have any favourite outdoor spaces? Three Mills Island in the East End is my favourite. There's a couple of beautiful statues, one very moving one commemorating an industrial accident a long long time ago. Then you have Battersea Park in South West which is simply London's best park.
Have you achieved the holy grail of A Good Football pub? There's a few good ones but we're not gonna tell you any of their names. Don't want to attract the wrong crowd you see. What’s the worst thing about London? Some of the people. Remember they voted Boris Johnson as mayor. Twice. Do you have any favourite venues? We've had some incredible sing-alongs at the Lock Tavern in Camden. Also, the magnificent Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club was our biggest gig to date. We'd love to bring it home to one of the old South West venues. Half Moon in Putney, anyone? Does living here influence your music? Absolutely, the first song we wrote was ‘Home Sweet Home’. We knew it needed to be London-centric. One of the original lyrical ideas was “all the girls are at parties in Peckham” which triggered the London idea. It turned into a song about coming home from a night out being very much in love with the city, but mourning its disappearing niches.
What's the best way to spend one real good day here? Get on the DLR, sit at the front and pretend you're the driver. LiS 71
The Rhythm Method’s World Cup song Chin Up is out now, and at the time of going to press had definitely made sure England scored in the last minute vs Tunisia. @therhythmmethodse1
@thrhythmmthd
LIVE REVIEWS NOS PRIMAVERA SOUND PARQUE DA CIDADE, 7th-9th JUNE
words: Danny Wright & Dave Rowlinson live photos: Hugo Lima
SEVEN WAYS TO WIN NOS PRIMAVERA SOUND EAT LIKE THE PORTUGUESE
The francesinha is the least delicate local delicacy ever. A sandwich made with thick bread, filled with ham, sausage and roast beef then covered in cheese plus a beer and tomato sauce. And sometimes an egg. They are a lot to deal with, but you should definitely try one. Probably the best are at O Afonso, which also has its walls covered in Ayrton Senna memorabilia, for some wonderful reason. FIND NEW PERFECT PLACES
Lorde played ‘Perfect Places’. Lorde played ‘Royals’. Lorde played ‘Supercut’. And she closed with the best closer you can close with, ‘Green Light’. Unfortunately she did one of her seemingly never ending soliloquies. But we forgive her because this was a set chocked full of the very best sad-bangers. USE LOCAL TRANSPORT
There’s one question you should always ask in a new city: ‘Is there a funicular?’ The answer in Porto is, thrillingly, ‘yes’ - and what a beauty it is. A steep elevation from the river allowing for great views and enough time to marvel that someone invented these weird little trains. Truly, it’s the only way to travel in pure sophistication. LiS 72
DO STUFF YOU CAN’T AT HOME
It’s as the words ‘FUCKING LONELY’ flash on the screens behind him that, perversely, you realise Tyler, the Creator is on fire right now. With ‘Who Dat Boy’,‘Flower Boy’ and his other songs that don’t contain the word ‘boy’, he is provocative, playful and and intimate - and still has the whole crowd bouncing.
SEE RISING STARS
Vince Staples is fast showing he’s the most underrated man in hip-hop. He stands alone in front of frenzied screens of condoms on bananas and fuzzy TV boxes, delivering a nihilistic blast of his no-thrills flow and it is the finest set of the festival. Of course, ‘Norf Norf’ is the best song.
GO TO THE TOWN DISCO
We may be surrounded by some of the the best acts on the planet right now but there is little in life as communal and joyous as being on one dancefloor with humans that just want to dance. DJ Coco knows this as and DJ Coco mixes Carly Rae Jepsen’s ‘Run Away With Me into Blur’s ‘Girls and Boy’s’ and, honestly, it’s a moment.
REVISIT OLD HAUNTS
We know Nick Cave is incredible live. Tonight
he is incredible live again. As the rain pours down it creates the perfect mise en scène as nightfall takes over and ‘Jubilee Street’, ‘Red Right Hand’ and a piano only ‘Into My Arms’ make our dark hearts bleed. LiS 73
LIVE REVIEWS FIELD DAY BROCKWELL PARK, 1st-2nd JUNE words: Emma Madden. photos: Anita McAndrew t's Field Day's first year in Brixton's Brockwell Park after being bumped from its Victoria Park spot by All Points East. The weather's muggy, I'm sweating, I can't believe I have to travel all the way to South London. But after a hot dog and Moses Sumney on the main stage, I'm starting to come around. The line-up sees Field Day playing to its formidable strengths with an emphasis on rap, electronic kicks and more than a nod to #2018yearofjazz. It might be the most diverse bill they’ve put together, and everyone here seems to be happily nodding: “South London Field Day’s a damn decent Field Day.” The people here look as though they've all selected the '90s filter on Asos. Hawaiian shirts and bucket hats colour the crowd in a packed tent during IAMDDB's set and bob alongside a bassy jaunt with Sudan Archives. Loyle Carner plays a pre-twilight set on the main stage, and it's undoubtedly the best performance of the day. He makes sense of the southeast setting as he points to the block of flats in the distant: "I used to play football here, my auntie lives in that block of flats. I'm very fucking overwhelmed, I'm very fucking nervous, so let's play some tunes." It's what we're all here for: life, London, this moment in June. Tony Allen’s drumming. There aren’t many rules a human should stick to, but if Tony Allen is drumming then you better make better sure you’re seeing Tony Allen drumming. He drums great, of course - he’s Tony Allen.
Oh, God it's Erykah Badu. The crowd sway in their bucket hats like we're all stuck in that Simpsons episode with Billy Corgan. "Do y'all mind if I play some songs off Baduism?" Please! Do! "I was pregnant when I made this. I made this for you '90s babies, we were on the same frequencies. I was waiting for you all to grow the fuck up". I really wish I hadn't left my bucket hat at home. James Holden & The Animal Spirits do their mesmerisingly rich, complex and wonderful thing and tempt early foot-moving in one tent, Ross From Friends does his gleefully party thing and tempts early hand-waving in another, but Saturday's off to a slower start outside in the heat and not even AJ Tracey's oggy-oggy-oggy-ing can get the people oi-oi-oi-ing. Princess Nokia helps to shake things up, although my editor leaves the performance during her a-cappella performance of Sum 41's ‘Fat Lip’. [Ed: ‘Tomboy’ Nokia: amazing, Emo Nokia: a lot to deal with] Cornelius being on these cursed shores is a blessing we scarcely deserve, and his intricate, delicate swirl a thing of rare beauty we deserve even less. Charlotte Gainsbourg gives us the best song of the weekend with ‘Deadly Valentine’. She is all cleanliness and pristine, and I feel dirty gawking up at her. The tension's relieved at Fever Ray as the crowd chants "I want to run my fingers up your pussy" into each other's armpits. The tent is crammed and horrible, which feels appropriate for Fever Ray, but I'd rather be in the shower than here. Until next year.
LiS 74
ERYKAH
It's what we're all here
BADU
for: life, London, this moment in June.
IAMDD B PRINCESS
NOKIA
LOYLE CARNER LiS 75
PRESENTS
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT MYTICKET.CO.UK
PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS Lives After Death by Rachel Grace Almeida There’s something to be said about the way abusers are protected – whether it’s by their peers, their colleagues, their positions of power, or, even at times, by their death. Death is an absolute fact; the end of a road. But it’s not the end of a story. People’s actions in life don’t die with their death, nor do they erase the past – when abusers become deified in death because people refuse to hold them accountable for their actions in life, it sends one glaring, unyielding message to victims of abuse: we don’t care about you. In early June, South Florida rapper XXXTentacion was shot dead in an apparent attempted robbery outside of a motorcycle dealership. At this time of his death, XXXTentacion was facing 15 felony charges – including aggravated battery and domestic battery by strangulation, all against his pregnant girlfriend at the time. Since then, he’s been heralded as ‘misunderstood’ or ‘learning from his mistakes’ – or, even more insidious cases, using his mental health problems as a stigmatising and damaging excuse. The thing about abuse is that it’s not a mistake, or a one-off – it’s systemic, deeply entrenched within the fibres of society, wiping everyone out in its path. People treat sexual abuse and violence against women like collateral damage in young men’s journey to becoming full, mature men, like it’s a natural trajectory, a route set in stone. And, in some ways, it feels like it is – especially in the aftermath of XXXTentacion’s death, when people quickly jumped to defend his music, life and legacy, completely sidestepping the trauma and pain of his living, breathing victims. I think we can all agree that no decent person would ever celebrate someone’s death, but not engaging in performative grief over the death of an abuser isn’t synonymous with satisfaction. In fact, death brings even less closure to victims of domestic and sexual abuse; all it does is create more unanswered questions, more noise. It’s not easy for everyone – especially victims – to mourn the death of a man who put such little value on other people’s lives. But XXXTentacion’s death isn’t just about him. It’s also about his victims. It’s about the structural violence against women that we still face today, on a day-to-day basis. It’s about his abuse and artistry not being mutually exclusive. It’s about allowing victims to not have to practice feigned empathy – not when the simple act of empathy isn’t also returned to us. Rachel is a Berlin and London-based journalist, editor and copywriter. Find her on Twitter at @_rachelgrace
LiS 77
PRESENTS
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22 & SOLD OUT
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S.J.M. CONCERTS PRESENTS
ALI CE M E RTO N PLUS GUESTS
10 SEP / THE GARAGE
PLUS GUESTS
11 OCT / ELECTRIC BRIXTON
PLUS GUESTS
11 OCT / KOKO
THE EARLY MIXTAPE SONGS. EVERYTHING BEFORE ‘SCUM’.
15 NOV / OVAL SPACE
THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE. 2018 AND BEYOND.
THE ‘SCUM’ ALBUM.
16 NOV / BUSH HALL
17 NOV / ELECTRIC BRIXTON
YOU DECIDE! THE MOST POPULAR SONGS GET PLAYED, MAYBE EVEN A COVER?
18 NOV / ELECTRIC BALLROOM
PLUS GUESTS
21 & 22 NOV / THE O2
SG LEWIS PLUS GUESTS
07 DEC / PRINTWORKS
PLUS GUESTS
SOLD SOLD 02 OUT / 03 OUT / 05 / 06 / 07 FEB / O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON