Black Sky Thinking
Essays, investigation and opinion on today’s cultural landscape
Black Sky Thinking
Parallel Winter: An Essay On The Season By Richard Youngs
Before his appearance at Platform's celebration of the year's darkest, coldest quarter in Glasgow this weekend, the prolific singer-songwriter takes a moment to reflect on how a flu jab, a family away holidaying in Portugal and a lonely recording session in 2011 forever changed winter for him
Black Sky Thinking
The Byline: Wild Beasts’ Hayden Thorpe On Newcastle United
Wild Beasts' singer and adopted Geordie Hayden Thorpe speaks to Andrew Fenwick about the joys, sorrows and injustices of supporting Newcastle United under Mike Ashley and Alan Pardew. Hayden Thorpe photographed live by Valerio Berdini
Black Sky Thinking
The Byline: British Sea Power’s Noble On The Trials Of The Man U Fan
In the second of our series recounting independent musicians personal relationships with the beautiful game, British Sea Power's Martin Noble talks to Andrew Fenwick about eating crisps at Old Trafford, performing at an FA Cup Final and catching a glimpse of Sir Bobby Charlton's penis...
Black Sky Thinking
We’re All Apprentices Now: On Business TV & Contemporary Britain
As The Apprentice returns to our television screens, Phil Harrison looks at how the programme, and 'business TV' in general, reflects the grim reality of the work market and wider culture in capitalist realist Britain
Black Sky Thinking
Post-Dubstep, Post-Olympic: On SBTRKT & “Bollocks Music”
SBTRKT's new album Wonder Where We Land represents the apex of dubstep morphed into marketable navel-gazing romantic mithering. Is this closer to nu-folk than you might expect and the sound of post-Olympic Britain, asks Joe Kennedy
Black Sky Thinking
Mind Over Matter: The Quietus’ Survey Of Modern European Psychedelia
In our latest extended list feature, the Quietus staff and writers select a mighty list of the best, brightest and weirdest psychedelic music currently emerging from Europe. Lock the doors, shutter the windows, spark up a Bristol cone and prepare to be turned inside out...
Black Sky Thinking
Optrex For Your Third Eye: What Does Psychedelia Mean In 2014?
John Doran wonders if there are any rules as to what makes a modern song psychedelic, or is it simply in the (third) eye of the beholder? With Spotify list of mind-warping office favourites from the history of the Quietus
Black Sky Thinking
Krautrock? Sauer Sot Mr Agreeable Unhappy With Future Days
Mr Agreeable once took a holiday in Southern Bavaria and for reasons that remain unclear has been furious at our Teutonic cousins ever since. Therefore tidings of a new book about German experimental music from the 60s and 70s broke his poached egg...
Black Sky Thinking
Absolved! The Quietus Writers’ 50 Favourite Guilt-Free Pleasures
Why exactly should the enjoyment of a great piece of music be marred by guilt? Following last week's Black Sky Thinking about the problems (and positives) of the concept of the 'guilty pleasure', the Quietus writers declare their undying, entirely non-ironic love for their favourite uncool songs. Introduction by Jimmy Martin
Black Sky Thinking
Jungle Clearing: Musicians Who Dream Of Excising Their Google Traces
Beige-yet-hip troupe Jungle have made an astounding effort to hide their identities. Is this to create an enigmatic non-presence, asks Robert Barry, or for the privately-educated duo to hide bracingly American Pyscho-esque comments about their grasping desire for fame?
Black Sky Thinking
Fictions Built Upon Fictions: The Decline Of Totality In Pop
Robert Barry examines how pop culture's impulse towards totality has crumbled during the past two decades, and finds traces of that decline in the fall of communism in Europe, the UK government's crushing of rave, and the rise of the internet
Black Sky Thinking
The High Cost Of Being In A Band, By Palehorse
Ben Dawson is the drummer in the heavy-as-fuck group Palehorse and he has had enough of the whinging about the price of gig tickets, merchandise and records that punk bands charge. Here he explains why people should cough up and shut up
Black Sky Thinking
No Quarter Given: Three Days In The Life Of Bill Drummond OBA
John Doran tags along with the 'Old British Artist' as he paints graffiti on flyovers, defaces UKIP billboards and relaunches himself as a cross-dresser; all as part of the mammoth 25 Paintings project. All photographs by Tracey Moberly unless otherwise stated
Black Sky Thinking
‘Community In Action’: Sport, Art, Corruption & The World Cup
As the World Cup kicks off in Brazil, Ian Maleney explains how, despite the very real spectres of big business, exploitation and alleged FIFA corruption, global sport still retains a unique capacity to unite people from across communities
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