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What can coronavirus tell us about nationality and identity?

Much has been said about British stoicism and resolve during the coronavirus outbreak. How the collective spirit has flourished under adversity, and communities have indeed come together in a show of support of one another. But can that same resolve and obstinance that says ‘oh no, I won’t bother the doctor with that, it’s probably something that will just go away’ be to blame for the numbers of deaths that don’t appear to be letting up much in recent days, and which could mean the UK ends up being one of the countries with the highest death toll globally?

For me, it’s curious how different countries have reacted to the virus - could they tell us more about typical national traits and attitudes and how those might have stopped the spread of the virus?

Amongst those in the UK government, despite advanced warnings from the World Health Organization, many believed Covid-19 would be a simple ‘flu-like’ virus that wouldn’t survive the journey to western Europe. How wrong they were. Is this maybe one example of stoicism backfiring?

Greece as of Monday had recorded just 2,145 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 99 fatalities, all in a population of just over 11 million. With a population equally as ageing as Italy’s - which has to date recorded over 23,000 deaths - and which is located just a stones throw away from their neighbour, what might explain the difference in numbers? I spoke to a friend recently who is half-Greek on his father’s side who said: “Greek people are health freaks and take this stuff very seriously.” For a country that is economically on its knees and with a health system which has barely recovered from nearly a decades worth of austerity, could this simple cultural trait have rescued the country, or could it have been the Greek government’s decisiveness in closing down the country earlier than for example, the UK?

Trump has retracted US funding to the WHO after saying it had ‘severely’ mismanaged and covered up the spread of the virus. The US so far has recorded almost 40,000 coronavirus deaths,  the most for any nation globally, and all the while Trump maintains he is doing a good job of fighting the tide. Could something be said for the spread of the virus in the US in reflecting a cultural trait, the same trait which saw Trump elected in the first place?

China, which has ostensibly done enough to flatten the curve and is showing signs of returning back to normality, was seen to have miscalculated the number of deaths in Wuhan by 50%. Was it a simple miscalculation, or does it follow a trend of a greater covering up of the reality? Let us not forget, news of the virus only disseminated out of the country because of whistleblower doctor Li Wenliang, who himself died from the virus after trying to alert people via social media about it.

Arguments have been made for how much the virus might change global politics and relations between the countries. Might we see a greater inclination toward the idea of the nation, and a push away from globalisation in a post-corona world?

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What coronavirus might teach us about, well us.

Whilst I’m normally overly-zealous in purchasing books, the enthusiasm/opportunity to actually read them is often not evenly matched. One advantage of this lockdown life is the chance to catch up on some reading.

One book I’ve just finished is ‘Identity’ by Francis Fukuyama. In the book he explores the idea of ‘thymos’ and the human need for recognition which has brought about a number of significant events across the globe, namely Donald Trump in the US, the Arab Spring, and (wait for it) Brexit.

On Brexit, he explains why he thinks those who voted for Brexit did so based on cultural and not economical reasons, and how the type of person who voted to leave the EU did so out of a feeling they had been somehow left behind by globalisation, and out a sense of nostalgia for a simpler time long gone.

I think it’s fair to say the EU referendum result shocked a lot of people, especially some of those in the London bubble, and it got me thinking about what a cataclysmic event such as the coronavirus might teach or show us about the society we live in.

Maybe now the Tory government might pay more credence to the fact that a £23,000 starting salary for a junior doctor just isn’t good enough, let alone those of nurses and social care workers, in my opinion.

Maybe people’s attitudes towards immigrants might change (some may have seen the most recent viral video of immigrant front-line workers). I’m not a proponent for mass immigration and I do think there needs to be a more measured approach when it comes to immigration in this country, but either way I think this period has served to show us just how much of a positive impact immigrants can have in the UK.

Maybe some may have realised that their job is not everything or they need to find more time to speak to family and friends. Maybe they’ve rediscovered a passion they had forgotten about, or simply hadn’t had the chance to keep up with beforehand.

What are your thoughts? Are there things you’ve learnt from this virus outbreak? Are there things you might permanently change after? Or, much like the Brexit furore, when this is all over, might it all seem like a distance memory within weeks?

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Band profile: APRE

APRE might be known in-part for their quirky and jovial on-stage antics, including regular announcements of birthdays, but don’t let that fool you into thinking they haven’t worked hard to get where they are.

Jules and Charlie, who make up the band, have been releasing music since 2018, and currently have a backlog of around 70 to 80 unreleased songs ready to go.

It’s a testament to their work-ethic, and when it comes to writing music, they try and create something every day.

“It’s like going fishing, if you go fishing every day, then one day a week you’ll catch a really good fish,” said Jules.

Charlie added: “Or you might just be happening to fish by a really great river that’s got loads of fish, that could be your brain one day, where loads of fish start jumping out.”

The bands headline show at Scala earlier this year was one of their more notable gigs to date, but whilst it might seem on the façade to have been an exhilarating experience, Charlie found it nerve-wracking.

He said: “During the gig it’s like climbing the biggest mountain in the world getting through it, and then once you get to the top and you’ve finished you’re like ah yeah sick, I can enjoy that now, but while you’re in the moment it’s just a bit like please work, please work.”

Jules added: “It’s the only gig that I can remember I can’t remember playing a single note.”

Charlie said his favourite gig to date was when they played Community Festival last summer, where for one of the first times, the crowd started singing the lyrics back to the band.

Charlie said: “I always think it feels like it makes everything worthwhile, cause it’s like a reassurance of ‘oh what I’m doing isn’t a complete waste of time’.

“It’s so difficult to break through in music and I must have played in about eight different bands, spent hours and hours doing it since I was probably like eight or nine years old.

“So when you get to 23, 24, if it doesn’t start working it’s really easy to just be like, ‘you know what, fuck this.’

“So I feel like whenever people sing the songs it’s just basically a reassurance that it’s all worth it.”

The band have had a greater effect than just increasing fans’ impulsion to belt their lyrics out at gigs though. Jules said one fan at a show told them one of their songs had saved his life.

“It makes what you do even more worthwhile, when you can have that interaction and you can hear from people that what you’re doing is actually making a difference,” said Charlie.

The band have been keeping busy despite coronavirus and last night released a new song on Spotify: Go Somewhere. They’ve also been playing live gigs online and plan on releasing both a mini-album later this year, and a full-length LP next year.

You can check the band out here:

https://www.apremusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/apreband/

https://www.instagram.com/apre/?hl=en

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It’s a Bamily affair

Bamily are a four-piece band hailing from Brixton, London.

This most recent creative venture follows on from their previous project Mayans, and has proved enough to earn them a spot on this years NME essential new artists list.

In Bamily, a name which fuses band and family, Benjy, Louis, Charlie and Tim combine their interests of electro, hip hop and pop to reach a unique sound, all the while covering themes such as friendship, family and young love.

In particular, the themes of family and friendship are present in songs ‘Little Brother’ and ‘Hey Raoul’.

Little Brother is in fact about Louis’ younger brother Piers who he attests has ‘got so many skills I didn’t have when I was your age’ including being a dab hand at skateboarding.

Collaboration and family are themes that Benjy, one of the lead singers in the foursome, said run as part of being in the band.

“In a world where bands are declining, advertising that hanging around and bouncing off of each other is a good thing to do,” he said.

All four members are producers and bring interests in different genres to the table. Tim is a DJ and contributes the catchy arpeggio hook in their most played song on Spotify, Katata.

Incidentally, Benjy told me the word Katata itself has its origins in a certain South Park episode. To those who know, you know.

Despite recent and obvious setbacks, Bamily plan on doing a tour around the UK at some stage next year, hopefully with a headline slot at Corsica Studios, Elephant and Castle.

They also plan on throwing some ‘Bamily Affair’ parties during the summer, depending on whether quarantine is up before then - this involves the band turning up to a venue or patch with their generator ‘Jenny’ and playing their set.

In the mean time, all four band members are still writing and getting creative every day and have different ways to keep their creative juices flowing.

“There are techniques to keep yourself fresh, have perspective on things. You’ve got to go out and walk and see stuff and get inspired,” said Benjy.

Check out the band here:

https://www.facebook.com/bamilymusic/

https://twitter.com/bamilymusic

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvXNDebpbSjbsmIhP2ZKW5g

https://instagram.com/bamily.life?igshid=itixstyqe33p

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Quarantine a chance to get that hair cut you always wanted?

There are lots of stories in the media about keeping physically and mentally active during self-isolation. Lean in fifteen legend Joe Wicks was calling himself the ‘nations PE teacher’ last week and doing what he could to make sure parents across the country could keep their children preoccupied for a minimum of twenty minutes.

During a time when mental health is on the forefront of people’s minds, it seems self-isolation is the perfect way to practice on your mental well-being and positive mindset.

What I’m curious about though is what you may have done in those slightly more insane moments, when, despite regular exercise and mental stimulation, you may have just teetered into that category of being an extra in Shutter Island.

I myself can confirm I have had one or two more rash moments, one I actually followed through with by shaving all my hair off - although this seems rash it was actually for hygiene and general convenience reasons. The other, shaving my beard off leaving a Tom Selleck-esque moustache in place, fell through after flashbacks of the last time I attempted that look - picture Joey and Chandler doing their best to imitate Selleck’s character in Friends, but without the pouting.

Joking aside, I have actually found ways to maintain a generally healthy state of mind, in ensuring I’m trying my best to learn something new every day, whether that be brushing up on my Spanish and dreaded shorthand, cooking a new recipe, or even attempting the Murph workout - for anyone not familiar, it seems easier than in reality.

I think the main thing to realise is that you will have good days and bad days, and not to over-dwell on those days where your routine may slip, or you may not get as much done as you planned. As someone who has a good mental outset might say, treat yourself with compassion.

What have you been doing to keep yourself sane whilst at home? Cue photos galore of bald heads.

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House Party - finished before its time?

Carrying on in the same vain as my piece yesterday, and attempting to draw the positives from our situation, my thoughts turn to the House Party app, its frenzied surge in popularity, and the recent hacking scandal surrounding it.

We are lucky that we live in an age where family members, groups of friends, or work colleagues can correspond via video link in every way you would normally in a social engagement, except for actually being there.

I find it hard to fathom how we might have coped in this situation twenty or thirty years ago - maybe those with pen pals would have suddenly been the coolest kids? The House Party app which allows its users to video-call multiple people at once, and play interactive games reportedly had two million downloads last week.

What’s my experience been of it? I must admit it is a lot more fun in reality than I would have imagined. I was talking to some friends the other night when one of those friends’ parents decided to join our group chat, and I was temporarily shamed when the father appeared with what seemed to be some type of Prosecco, or maybe even Champagne - he was having a right old merry time. I was there empty handed, engendering the stereotype of my generation that we both don’t want to drink as much as our parents, and can’t handle it regardless - this I can attest to being a bit of a lightweight.

It would seem that over the last 24 hours however, there are some willing to disparage the credibility of the House Party app, with users posting via social media that their accounts had been hacked because of them using the app. Is it true or a smear campaign? Only time will tell.

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The quiet resolve stays strong

I was talking to my housemate yesterday on what would have typically been a ‘lazy’ Sunday. Both sat on the sofa, mulling over the thought of an extra hours sunlight, conversation turned to the inevitable - coronavirus. My housemate was resolute however, and her discussing all the positives that might come from such a surreal and unsettling scenario got me thinking of times recently passed I’ve noticed much resolve in people.

Whether it be two of my good friends organising a - very well-structured I must say - online quiz, or my housemates’ regular updates on pasta and rice stocks across West Suffolk, people’s resolve in this crisis truly has been impressive.

Michael Morpurgo was on BBC Radio 4 ‘A Point of View’ last Sunday discussing his thoughts on the current crisis, and the take-away thought for me was the lesson of camaraderie we should take from this situation. Some may have scoffed at him referencing the similarities to now and World War Two, how the common experience shared by all ties us together, and how if there is one thing to take from all this, it’s to not lose that sense of camaraderie, but in my opinion, you cannot deny, we have learned a lot about the common themes tying us together as humans.

It has been truly something to behold the level of commitment to community some have shared. I’m not sure whether I’m biased and/or still adjusting to a move outside of London, where there is a bit more of that sense of community regardless of situations such as this, but still I’ve been shocked at the entrepreneurial spirit within people that refuses to let this situation get the better of them.

Companies have combined to help deliver food out to locals, people have refused to let marathon cancellations stop their fundraising efforts by organising their own routes around my area, and across the UK, hundreds of thousands of people have volunteered to help out the NHS. It is telling that the original target of 250,000 volunteers set by Matt Hancock was met within 24 hours, and now the higher 750,000 target has been met as well.

Morpurgo is right. It is important we don’t forget how much people are willing to fight for each other when unnecessary distractions are out of the way. And, apologies for the ‘war-like tone’, fought we have.

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We’re all just winging it apparently

A friend once said to me ‘we’re all winging it’, ‘faking it ‘til we make it’. Something like that.

And on this Sunday evening on a coach to East Anglia, those words ring true.

I often get sentimental if I’ve endulged in a few beverages the night before and am feeling a bit fragile. Plus I think Sunday’s are great day for reflection and taking stock. Jarvis Cocker once said that I don’t disagree with him.

It’s true isn’t it, we’re all just winging it.

Even the people at the top of society, they sometimes mustn’t have a clue about where their life is heading or what to expect.

I think a little understanding and compassion can go a long way to make this world a better one. Keep faking it out there.

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Why I think Channel Tres is the next big thing

I tweeted the following artist back in 2019 to see if he might want to speak to an aspiring journalist with 11/12 followers (I’m convinced at least five are bots) on his music career thus far, and just himself in general.

He, oddly, didn’t reply, but I will proceed to write a blog post about him.

Channel Tres, from Compton, California, is recognisable by his deep voice, EDM beats and typical west-coast synth - pay notice to ‘Topdown’.

One of his songs ‘Jet Black’ recently featured on the Group Slofie on iPhone 11 advert, and if anything can be said of Apple adverts propelling musical artists to notoriety, one only has to look at Jet. Remember that obscure Aussie band?

Is the same success on the cards for this cool character who describes his writing style as “just looking for the vibe” though?

In an Output interview on YouTube, he’s asked to create a song on the spot, and you get interesting insight into how he operates.

He starts with the drums to get a groove going, then (much like a DJ or producer of EDM music might) layers other loops on top to create the track.

One of my earliest memories of house music is Azari & III - ‘Hungry For The Power’ (Jamie Jones remix) wherein the vocal loop ‘with thoughts in your head’ is spoken over the melody ‘I’m hungry for the power’.

Channel Tres does this on the Output interview track, as on some of his other recorded tracks.

It’s a stylistic approach I really like, and he’s fine doing it.

By using the synth, and occasionally singing over the track to create the melody, he escapes them sounding dead and lacking vigour.

Not only does he create his own songs, Channel has remixed some notable tracks, namely Tyler the Creator’s, ‘Earthquake’ (I prefer the Channel Tres remix), and a lesser known Aaron Childs track, ‘Tangerine’.

Channel Tres’ music is perfect summer vibes. Now the small matter of finding me a Cadillac with ridiculous suspension.

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What people don’t get about Joe Wicks

I recently watched James Smith on Good Morning Britain wherein he discussed the surge in detrimental fad diets and ‘fake’ fitness gurus.

Nick-named the ‘Gordon Ramsay of fitness’, Smith decries the sense of victimhood which many put on themselves and claims a simple calorie deficit diet is what is required to lose weight - nothing more, nothing less.

But what is it about those so-called ‘fake’ fitness gurus which James Smith doesn’t understand, why are they so popular, and does he have a point?

Smith has called out Joe Wicks previously for capitalising on hyper followers who might be willing to purchase his endorsed products because of their willingness to buy into the simplicity of his exercise and diet programmes.

Wicks has wracked up over three million Instagram followers, and it’s clear he has done so well because he’s a good-looking younger man, can entertain you with catchphrases such as ‘lean in fifteen’, but also has made simple fitness accessible to a lot more people.

Does Wicks’ success say more about the market than Wicks himself though? Could it be there are people out there that aren’t willing to really apply themselves in the gym, spend the months and years it takes to really hone their knowledge and ability, and ultimately make fundamental changes to their lifestyles? 

Wicks’ simple and typically less than half an hour workouts can be done from one’s living room, require no equipment, and can get the heart-rate up enough to get a sweat on.

On top of this, you’re allowed the freedom to eat things such a bacon wrapped asparagus. Does anyone wonder where the popularity has come from? 

Ultimately, what the tension between Wicks and Smith acknowledges, is a time in society where there is a battle between two ideologies: hard, honest and brash straight talking, and empathy and understanding, which can sometimes spill over into over-empathy and over-understanding (in my opinion).

I reckon though, we need a bit of both.

Or does that not count because I’m not taking a side and over-inflating my own views?

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Daryl Hall & John Oates live in concert. Apparently, a full head of hair will counter the effects of ageing.

Anyone who’s been to a concert with artists of a certain calibre knows that age never seems to diminish class or stage presence. It’s true the voice may falter and crack, but you’ll never lose that effortless charisma and a lack of gimmicky spirit a lot of modern music seems to disseminate. Hair may even have disappeared, although in some cases not - according to my father, it does significantly alter ones perceived age though.

All of these great issues came to a head when I went to see Hall and Oates perform live at Wembley Arena with my mother and father, because who else is going to go and see them live if it’s not someone over the age of 40?

Daryl Hall & John Oates have been around since the late 1960’s, hailing from Pennsylvania, USA, and are one of those ‘oh they made that song!’ duos. For anyone who is a similar age to myself, you may recall one of their songs, ‘You Make My Dreams Come True’, which featured in 500 Days of Summer. Joseph Gordon-Levitt leaves Zooey Deschanel’s flat strutting in a Gene Kelly-type gait, because of either a newly blossoming love, or quite simply just a post-coital confidence. Everyone in the street acknowledges him, and it’s as if true love has materialised in the form of the universe smiling upon him, quite literally.

But anyway I digress. Hall and Oates support is KT Tunstall. She approaches her set in an effervescent manner, and brims with raw talent. Her appreciation for Hall and Oates froths like an over poured beer, but it’s contagious, purely genuine and sincere.

Hall and Oates come on and everyone stands up almost inconspicuously, so that by the time I’ve looked away and looked back, everyone’s up, ready to do the mum hip wiggle. This in essence defines talent, that having barely said a word, the audience is captivated, and yes possibly slightly in love for the night. Maneater is their first song. ‘Does Daryl Hall even look 72!?’ I say. ‘Yes, if you take away his hair’, my dad reposts. It would seem as if a full head of blonde hair is the cornerstone of a youthful look, even if the botox has failed.

Then they play ‘Out of Touch.’ Again, in danger of becoming ‘out of touch’ with anyone who might read this, it did feature on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - I didn’t even realise it was them who played it. As the concert goes on, I begin to realise how much they are stitched and woven into the fabric of 70’s and 80’s pop music.

They play a number of other songs including ‘She’s Gone’, ‘Sara Smile’ and ‘You Make My Dreams Come True’ with inevitable ease. At one point half way through the show, Hall switches over to the grand piano and is startled when he turns to see Oates leaning on the piano looking expectantly at his partner for a decision on what song to play next. This simple exchange typifies the night for me- an effortless performance which serves as a reminder to understand how they’ve garnered such worldwide acclaim and why they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

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Cooking Classes at The Kitchen Range, West Wickham

Lucy Richards is a food photographer who started running cooking classes at The Kitchen Range in West Wickham 18 months ago. I’ve had the pleasure of attending one of their Supper Clubs, so was curious to find out more about the classes.

SW: When did you start up the cooking classes?

LR: I started the cookery classes 18 months ago. I met a young aspiring chef who was trained at Westminster and we struck up a friendship and partnership.

SW: Can you tell me more about the inception of the classes?

LR: With a background in food from the two strands of my career, I wanted to encourage other people to cook, learn about and enjoy food as much as we did at The Kitchen Range. We were already running our supper clubs which were working well, so logistically I knew the classes would work as well.

SW: What different classes do you offer?

LR: We offer mostly skill-based classes. We do fish filleting, seafood classes, pasta making workshops, boning and jointing classes. We have also run specific cuisine menu workshops such as Greek and vegetarian.

SW: What would you say is the USP of your cooking classes?

LR: I think people love that both the supper club and the classes are 'pop up'. The usual running of the shop is suspended for an evening and a completely different business pops up in the space. It is local and there is nothing similar around the Bromley area that is as hands on.

SW: Have you always loved food? I know that when you first started photography you were focusing on portraits. Why made you decide to go more towards food?

LR: I have always loved being around food. I come from a family of cookery teachers and home economists, and I’ve always enjoyed eating and cooking together in that it is sociable and bonding. I first worked in fashion photography because I loved learning my trade and this seemed like the best environment to work in, however as I got older I realised the realms of photography were much wider than my 17 year old self had known, and made the transition in to food. Now my whole life revolves around it.

SW: Where do you see the classes going in the next year or so?

LR: My dream within the next 5/10 years is to open a multi-usable space - A cafe by day, and a space for other events and activities after hours. I love the idea of running more pop up classes with better facilities, giving residencies to other chefs and businesses, and also perhaps expanding on my link at The Kitchen Range.

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Thinking of going to the Philippines?

So I’m back in the land of blighty. All in all I’ve learnt some lessons and met some inspirational people during my time in Aus. One of those being Phil Reynolds. I met him through a friend half way through my year and was taken aback by his willingness to share ideas, lend help with no agenda, but mostly to create farmyard noises so accurately out of his mouth. Growing up on a farm in East Anglia can only have familiarised him with an eclectic range of animals.

Before coming to Australia, Phil spent 4 months being a party rep at the Mad Monkey hostel in El Nido, Philippines. Some people he met during his time there decided to begin the process of setting up their own hostel in Port Barton, something which Phil became part of. Incidentally, I’ve made the four hour van trip between El Nido and Palawan, and was quite impressed with the speed at which the drivers get you between the two spots- well impressed and fearful. I asked Phil some questions on the new hostel, and what it took for him to get to where he is.

SW: You’re obviously drawn to the Philippines. What about it draws you in where another south East Asian country might not?

PR: One of the key reasons for spending so much time in the Philippines would have to be the people, their culture and their values. The Filipinos have a strong influence from the Spanish so they love to dance and party, but they also take a lot of pride in learning to speak English which is their second language. They also have a strong Christian background and belief which means they have some very strong and positive core values which really does show throughout their culture and lifestyle. Of course, the place itself is a big slice of paradise which helps win me over a lot of the time too

SW: You’re thinking of setting up a hostel in Port Barton? Why there?

PR: Yes we've recently opened our doors for the first time and it's been a great success so far. Now if you've ever been to Palawan or plan on going you'll find out that the cheapest way to fly into that area of the Philippines is via Puerto Princesa. Once everyone lands there it won't be long till they'll be making the long journey to El Nido in the north which can take almost 7hours by fan. Port Barton is very close to the centre and almost the half way point, which means a huge influx of people stop off in Port Barton for a few days to break up the journey, but also because of how beautiful the beach and surrounding islands are. With this in mind we saw a huge opportunity to be had when we realised the amount of backpackers coming through but with no backpacker hostels to stay at. So as of February 2019, CocoRico is the first backpacker style party hostel to land itself in Port Barton.

SW: Have you always been entrepreneurial?

PR: I think the turning point for me was starting up as a Personal Trainer back in the U.K. and the problem a lot of personal trainers face is they don't see that they are running their own business, they don't plan or prepare and they have no structure or strategic goals in place. Luckily, I had someone to listen to, a mentor almost who gave me that mindset and drive to think not just like a trainer but also someone building a business. A lot of the qualities a good personal trainer needs to be successful has definitely helped pushed me towards the social lifestyle of opening a backpacker hostel and the mind frame of building a business has definitely helped to guide the process.

SW: Do you think entrepreneurialism is intrinsic in a person or can be learned?

PR: Personally I believe it comes down to what and why for a lot of people, what are we trying to achieve and why are we trying to do that. For me what I want is an amazing lifestyle in a beautiful country surrounded by people and to be adding value to other people's experiences - opening a hostel in paradise is helping me to achieve that. Why? I've always been very social especially after my years of personal training. I loved the challenge of building my own business and making mistakes that forced me to adapt and alter structures to make it successful. All those combined made me happy and see a positive outcome to all my hard work.

If you have a reason for doing something and a positive attitude towards it then there's no reason why it cannot be achieved.

SW: Finally what are your further plans for the hostels? Do you plan to expand further?

PR: The island Palawan is forever changing and evolving with the rate of tourism so there's still a lot of potential for new bars and hostels in select areas. Our aim is to open a second hostel by the end of the year, with the vision of a 3rd or possibly even 4th by the end of 2021. There are many locations just like Port Barton which are ready for the taking and I hope we can be a positive change to not only the backpacker scene there but also to the locals and the culture around us.

I haven’t had the pleasure of visiting CocoRico hostel as of yet, but did visit Port Barton last August, and it is stunning. Having met Phil I can only assume that the hostel will be a great success, and to anyone visiting that part of the world any time soon, make sure you book in to stay for a night of drinking, socialising, and quite possibly cross-dressing. It is the 21st century after all isn’t it?

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HyperNormalisation and the rise of Populism

We are evidently living at a time of great confusion and misinformation. A few years ago a friend referred me onto Adam Curtis' HyperNormalisation documentary, in which Curtis discusses the concept of a constant flow of misleading and confusing information aimed at the general public, with a view to keeping them in a state of shock, unable to decipher what is fact from fiction, and ultimately misguiding them towards an uninformed and, crucially, un-objective decision on the current affairs of the time.

One curious spawn of this process is materialising in our modern world, in the form of populist uprisings and leaders. Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, Donald Trump in the USA, Beppe Grillo in Italy, are for me, a revolt against the confusion being projected by modern media and politicians. In a recent YouTube video I watched, famous Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek states that 'Hillary Clinton is the problem, not Donald Trump'. In this, he is acknowledging a critical misunderstanding of the left. Does it not speak for itself that despite its misinformation, the leave campaign in Britain did a lot more to galvanise public backing than the remain?

It is an emotional backlash to current social and political issues that has seen populism on the rise across the globe. The rise of the Five Star Movement in Italy, with their charismatic co-founder Beppe Grillo, is a testament to the bizarre direction that politics is heading in. A former stand up comedian galvanising such support in Italy appealing to peoples emotions with simple rhetoric and onstage musical performances is a clear indication that people are being drawn towards leaders who can express complex issues in a simple accessible manner.

One might ask whether it's worth abandoning our prejudices, and seeing through a hyper-normalised lens so that we can affect fundamental change in society. When an ex-business tycoon and reality TV star gains office, it’s clear there’s a need for change.

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Song Review - Beauty & Essex (feat. Daniel Caesar) - Free Nationals

Free Nationals, better known as the backing band for one of Dr Dre's most recently successful outputs Anderson .Paak, have released their first single in anticipation of their self-titled debut album.

The track features silky smooth vocals from Daniel Caesar, Canada's most recent neo-soul rnb export. For anyone who's been paying attention, you'll know Caesar for his 2016 release 'Get You', which has slowly gained in popularity since it's release rather than bursting onto the scene. Unknown Mortal Orchestra's Ruban Nielson adds vocals to the middle eight as well all in all to make a slick, funky, polished track that will appeal to anyone who enjoyed 'Get You'.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TWxD2WW_ws

[labloglioteca]

Song Review - Light On - Maggie Rogers

For anyone familiar with the ever common ending dregs of a YouTube binge, you will know that some of the videos you stumble on are enough to turn the stomach. Occasionally, however, you find a gem in amongst the videos of blackheads being popped. One video I discovered was a masterclass given by Pharrell Williams at New York University's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music for young aspiring musicians, in which he is visibly moved listening to Maggie Rogers' 'song Alaska'. The video went viral and went on to catapult the young singer-songwriter into stardom, with her performance of 'Light On' on Saturday Night Live earlier this week a mark of where she is currently at.

‘Light On’ is stirring, and lyrically vulnerable and exposed, ' Would you hear me out if I told you I was terrified for days?'. Rogers co-produced the song alongside Kid Harpoon - known for working with Florence Welch, Jessie Ware as well as others. It has the same depth to it as Jessie Ware's 'Wildest Moments' with heavy reverb and thick and deep bass and tom drum.

Rogers plays a variety of instruments, having started learning the harp at age 7, and this depth of ability shows. A wide array of instrumentation is on offer, with the soft bouncing acoustic guitar at the start, to dark chords on piano and an almost celestial/outer space-style synthesizer. It's truly a rousing and impressive song considering Rogers is only 23. She reminds me of an early Lissie, bursting onto the scene and being thrust into the spotlight at an early age. She seems to have the confidence and wherewithal to deal with the attention however. One look at her performance at Reading Festival of 'Give a Little' provides all the evidence you'd need to be assured of that.

See below link for ‘Light On’:

https://youtu.be/MSFjYe54uv4

[labloglioteca]

Music Review - Mac Miller - Swimming

As is the case with so many musical artists, it is posthumously that they're truly appreciated and revered. In the classic you only know what you've got when it's gone scenario, frustratingly, Mac Millers fifth and final album 'Swimming' is arguably one of his greatest works. If his trajectory was heading upwards, it only makes you wonder what he might have given us had he not have been swallowed up by his problems.

Having famously battled drug addiction sporadically for years before his death in September, 2018, his final album release is spattered with foresight and self-resignation. The opening track 'Come Back to Earth' references isolation ('I got neighbours, they're more like strangers'), mental turmoil ('I just need a way out of my head, I'll do anything for a way out of my head') and even millennial cringe-worthy shame, ('My regrets look just like texts I shouldn't send').

The mental turmoil continues on the track 'Ladders' where the theme of weather plays a key symbolic role ('I had a plan to change, you can't stand the rain.') The juxtaposition of nostalgic trumpets and a funky upbeat instrumental, with the metaphorical theme of weather is rousing and tear-jerking (see Miller's performance of this song live on the Late Show with Jon Batiste & Stay Human) and the guitar part starting the song adding an eery feel, with the reverb creaking almost like a wooden door in a haunted house.

Ethereal tones continue on the track '2009' ('She tell me that I get her high 'cause an angel's s'posed to fly') ('Having demons as big as my house'). It's an ode to hindsight, of looking back to years gone and of leaving that time behind, of simply looking forward and tackling current demons - something clearly Miller was trying to do at the time he wrote this song, and this album.

It's almost as if Miller was leaving us his legacy with this album, a mature, honest and raw piece which in my opinion will last the test of time. It’s notable that the album cover features Miller dressed in a baby pink suit - playful yet serious. Don’t be scared off by the seemingly intense nature of this album, there are still moments which serve as a reminder of Millers sincere and gentle manner.