Here’s one way to make a statement against the establishment. Super Massive Black Hole (SMBH)is a new movement from Essex skaters in the UK who have found their voice against “one of the most aggressive attacks on youth culture in modern times.” Quoting “audacious increases in tuition fees, blanket bans on drugs and most importantly the serial closing of world music renowned venues,” does this frustration sound familiar to you too?
Sometimes the best way to react to issues is to fight them with creative ideas and come together with others, so the SMBH have taken their frustrations out on the streets and DIY spots to form this clip, fueled also by the ever growing hatred of sports brand infiltration in the skate scene:
“Some of the largest globalised companies are investing millions into moulding it [skateboarding] into a ‘sport’, skaters constantly striving for more perfect and technical tricks, epitomised most with the recent inclusion in the Olympics.”
HUF’s latest tour video with Thrasher has been unleashed today with a proper crew lurking large over European spots, including English ones.
Dan Plunkett, Austyn Gillette, Jake Anderson, Tyler Bledsoe, Brad Cromer, Matt Gottwig, Josh Matthews
Joey Pepper, Dick Rizzo, Sammy WInter, Steve Forstner and Simo Makela all involved.
Fred Mortagne‘s beautiful photography work is showcased in a new book, Attraper Au Vol released this month featuring his fave skate shots across many settings.
Shot both on film and digital 35mm format, Fred’s incredible photographs are framed by a foreword from world renowned photographer Anton Corbijn and an essay by Geoff Rowley.
Enjoy this full pipe shoot with Charles Collet and pick up the hard cover book from here.
Lakai’s latest Riley Hawk shoe is well worth considering for the months ahead. As with most of Lakai’s signature range kicks, these were comfy straight out of the box and feel like they are there to support you 100%, not surprising though considering when Hawk was designing these as they are based on both a mix of the old Marc Johnson shoe that is now called the Daly, mixed with their rad Camby shoe and the Owen. If you know all three kicks, then you should be aware of how comfortable and durable these are when on your feet.
I much prefer a slim skate shoe with a vulc so this ticks all the boxes and also come with what Lakai call ‘luxe-lite insoles’. As soon as your feet hit them they carve out their own shape. The fact they are made by skateboarders, for skateboarders is also a bonus in this day and age of sheep wearing sports shoes. Plenty of different colorways on offer too. What more do you need?
A new London event to put in your diary this month is Paving Space, an unconventional encounter between maths, art and skateboarding.
This exhibition presents film, sculpture and photography, documenting a series of performances, at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, Institute of Contemporary Art of Singapore and Sainte-Croix Museum in Poitiers.
The project originated with Carhartt WIP approaching Isle Skateboards to work on a collaborative collection. Isle, which started in 2013, has always prided itself on artist-led, conceptually driven ideas.
Carhartt WIP and Isle could think of no one better than artist and fellow skateboarder, Raphaël Zarka.
When they approached Zarka, he had been researching the work of 19th Century mathematician Arthur Moritz Schoenflies. Schoenflies – a master of geometry and crystallography – had developed his own three dimensional models that specifically captivated Zarka’s attention, inspired with their sculptural potential.
The exhibition invites you to view Zarka’s large scale reconstructions of Schoenflies’ models re-appropriated in a way never imagined before.
Date: Thursday, November 17th at 6pm-10pm. Address: Protein Studios, 31 New Inn Yard, EC2A 3EY London, United Kingdom
Minneapolis-based punkers Uranium Club are in the UK this weekend to play the Static Shock Festival in London, not one to miss. These guys have an addictive, garage rock strut that is utterly infectious. Check out their ‘Human Exploration’ album out on Static Shock Records, and this, their new single ‘Who Made The Man’.
Flasher – s/t – Sister Polygon
Hailing from Washington D.C, Flasher’s lo-fi post-punk squall sounds like all your favourite bands bungled into one in the best possible way. The momentum of Moore & Ranaldo, Kim Deal’s thunderous tones, they’re all here. Stream their debut self-titled EP now and pray for UK shows.
GANG – ‘Dead’ – Ra-Ra Rok
Since we first met Brighton’s DIY trio GANG last year they’ve remained our absolute fav’s. The tangle of fuzz, sludge and psychedelic dirge they create is akin to no other. New single ‘Dead’ comes inspired by the grim epiphany that we are all, in fact, dying right now. And to match, their new video takes these grave themes to Wicker Man-levels of creepy. Grab the new single from Ra-Ra Rok as of November 25th and catch them gigging with WAND this weekend.
Wovoka Gentle – ‘All Exterior Dark’ – Yucatan Records
Wovoka Gentle’s new EP Red is nothing short of enchanting. Recalling the more poignant moments of Animal Collective or even Alt-J’s debut album, it’s a wonderful journey through atmospheric electronic realms that gently grips and entices. ‘All Exterior Dark’ is the perfect introduction.
Our Girl – ‘No Big Deal’ – Cannibal Hymns
Our Girl are leaving audiences in London and Brighton stunned with their dynamic and powerful live shows. A three-piece capable of jumping from whisper to wall-of-sound in an instant, their debut EP Normally is a triumph in song writing. Pick one up from Cannibal Hymns as of November 18th and listen to ‘No Big Deal’ right now. Then listen to it again!
Purling Hiss – ‘Follow You Around’ – Drag City
Yet again, Mike Polizze has delivered an absolute lesson in crafting the kind of subtle ear worms that plague your mind for days afterwards. The new Purling Hiss album High Bias is garage rock distilled. Jump from the towering riffs of ‘3000 AD’ into the thrashing ‘Notion Sickness’, and ride off into the sunset on ‘Follow You Around’. Out now on Drag City, you know what to do – http://www.dragcity.com/products/high-bias.
Run The Jewels – ‘Talk To Me’
Why does this new tune stop at 2.46? I wanted it to roll forever. New RTJ 3 incoming. Nothing more to add than go smash your room up.
Vanishing Life – ‘Thinking Is Weightless’ – (Dine Alone Records)
Whether you like the term ‘super group’ or not, you’d be foolish to ignore Vanishing Life with the pedigree of hardcore experience in the ranks. Walter from Quicksand and Gorilla Biscuits has temed up with members of Trail of Dead, Bad Religion and Rise Against for an album that blows most current rock bands out of the water.
Code Orange – ‘Forever’ – Roadrunner
Things can only get heavier. And this week the words ‘new Code Orange’ cement that statement true and clear. Forthcoming Roadrunner LP Forever was joint-produced by Will Yip and Kurt Ballou – need we say more? This album is going to be utterly crushing.
Concealed Blade – Demo – S/R
Concealed Blade are an American hardcore band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania whose 2015 demo found its way into our ears this week and totally ripped them off. This is as raw and raging as anything that emerged from the golden age of early 80s USHC and essential listening. If you like that kind of thing of course.
Marching Church – ‘Lions Den’ – Sacred Bones
Marching Church twist and contort their post-punk heritage into something that sounds both fresh and retrospective. Swaying, swaggering and sensual, ‘Lion’s Den’s woozy atmospherics tap straight into that golden zone of being flawlessly tight and on the brink of collapse all at once. You’d be mad to pass on their upcoming gigs this month.
Shame – ‘The Lick’ – s/r
Shame have spent the past year establishing themselves as an unstoppable live band. And the fact that the five-piece have booked THREE different shows in ONE night to launch their new single is testament to that. ‘The Lick’ arrives angry, energised and doused in the spittle of Mark E. Smith. See them live in Soho, Hoxton & Peckham on December 8th for three consecutive sets of what promise to be utter carnage.
From the ground and in the air…everything is easy.
Well not exactly. Some things are downright tricky, and it’s fair to say that Sea Nymphs’ second album has made its way into existence via a somewhat tortuous but nonetheless rewarding route.
Sea Nymphs were/are an offshoot of the wondrous and sometimes baffling punk/pop/prog/kitchen-sink band Cardiacs. The world of Cardiacs can, to the outsider, seem a little daunting. The in-joke chanting at gigs, the symbolism, the ever so slightly intimidating stage presence; it can all be like being presented with a cult to the uninitiated. Then, there’s the music. First impressions can lead to the conclusion that it barely makes sense. There are ridiculous time changes and key changes, wonky little fiddly bits and heaps of ungodly noise. After a little time and immersion something will click and everything becomes blindingly clear or a strong antipathy will arise. It’s a love/hate thing, there is no middle ground.
Except, maybe there is, the works of Tim Smith were not merely confined to Cardiacs output. There was his wonderful solo album Oceanlandworld, and then there was The Sea Nymphs, a project with Cardiacs cohorts William D Drake and Sarah Smith. Whilst there could be some delightfully gentle and beautiful moments in Cardiacs songs, they’d usually be surrounded by carefully crafted chaos (if such a thing can actually exist). Sea Nymphs comes from a different place altogether. The Big Ship might have been sailing on the high seas where the wind and rains is cold, but under the surface, in the depths, there was something far more quaint occurring.
The original Sea Nymphs album appeared back in 1992 and the trio created a series of creaky yet catchy shanties that were far more delicate than perhaps might have been expected. For those put off by Cardiacs’ usual output, Sea Nymphs offered a new way into their world. Drawing on folk and pastoral classical music, Sea Nymphs were still a strange proposition, but they were dreamy, sprite like and utterly charming.
Their second album had been recorded around the same time as the first, but for some reason best known to themselves it has taken until now to see the light of day. Its appearance now is worthy of celebration. Firstly, it is always a pleasure to hear new material from any Cardiacs related project. Secondly, it sees the return of Tim Smith to the creative arena since becoming unwell in 2008. Over the last year he has taken to the studio in order to add the finishing touches to the album, and the notion of his return to music in any form is something to be cherished.
As might be expected, this album occupies a similar sonic space to its predecessor. Whilst the title suggests that the band is resting their seafaring legs for a while, the call of the sea is strong and there is still that strange sense of oceanic depth and mystery that pervades almost every song.
The opening seconds of After set the tone for what is to come. Sarah’s altered vocals hang spirit like, fading in and out over delicate tinkling chimes. It’s almost impossible to grasp such is its barely there nature. Eating A Heart Out is a little easier to grasp, but retains a soft-focus feel. Like a naïve nursery rhyme, there’s a beguiling innocence to it that would break the heart of even the sturdiest (which would make it easier to eat). Big River, effectively an acoustic guitar and vocal performance from Tim is more straightforward, it’s a stark reminder of his ability to draw emotion from even the sparsest arrangements. Sea Snake Beware meanwhile finds William D Drake taking the lead with his piano and vocals and it sounds very much like his own solo work: dainty, precise, and surprisingly complex by the close.
The first four songs might represent the individuals and their nuances, but Sea Nymphs most definitely operate as a band within the band as can be seen on the likes of the jaunty folk of Cut Yourself Kidding or the sci-fi tinged meanderings of Bye Bye Spirit. It’s on The Black Blooded Clam that things really come together however. Its chaotic structure, classical motifs, and slanted whimsy are absolutely perfect. Sounding like a scuttling mouse trapped within a wicker man, there’s a slightly sinister side to it.
As the album draws to a close, there are a couple of songs that might have found their way onto a Cardiacs album. That’s not to say that they don’t fit into the Sea Nymphs’ ethereal oeuvre, but it’s possible to imagine The Sea Ritual finding its way onto On Land In The Sea as elements of it sound not unlike The Everso Closely Guarded Line. Similarly,Liberated And Handsome’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it interjection could easily have nestled in the behemoth that was Sing To God.
This then is a welcome return to the vaults and an absolute gem of a record whose depths and delights deserve to be heard. It is encouraging to see the wheels turning in the Cardiacs camp again.
HUF’s latest tour video with Thrasher has been unleashed today with a proper crew lurking large over European spots, including English ones.
Spend a minute with Shaun Currie as he does what he does best on a rig. Pure Jazz..
From the ground and in the air…everything is easy. 