Black Sky Thinking
Essays, investigation and opinion on today’s cultural landscape
Black Sky Thinking
Is Record Store Day In Crisis? A Quietus Investigation
Record Store Day 2014 is the biggest yet, with hundreds of exclusive new releases and reissues in shops this weekend. But as vinyl pressing plants struggle to keep up with demand, is the event's success in danger of harming independent labels - and even RSD itself? Phil Hebblethwaite investigates
Black Sky Thinking
We Are All Religious Now: Holy Music In A Secular World
Ahead of the Quietus writers' list of favourite religious and spiritual records, published later this week, Rev. Rachel Mann explores the many roles that holy music continues to play in an increasingly secular society, and explains why it remains an important and affecting force
Black Sky Thinking
Not Bad For Girls: The Sad Necessity Of The Baileys Women’s Prize For Fiction
Sponsorship by a disgusting sweet and milky booze might make it superficially seem rather naff, even obvious and sexist, but the Baileys Women's Prize For Fiction is still unfortunately necessary, argues Stephanie Boland
Black Sky Thinking
Modern Life Isn’t Rubbish: The Trouble With Britpop Nostalgia
The mainstream media are currently engaged in a collective misty-eyed throwback to the 'glory days' of the mid 90s. Luke Turner, who was a teenager at the time, argues that the current canonisation of Britpop is as musically and socially conservative as 1960s nostalgia
Black Sky Thinking
The Seven Ages Of The World Cup Song
With this weekend seeing Gary Barlow and Gary Lineker unveiling the latest stirring anthem to inspire the national XI to success in Brazil, Jeremy Allen looks back at the world cup songs of yesteryear and finds them to be surprisingly telling signs of the times
Black Sky Thinking
A Place To Dream: Arcadia, The Kitchen & The History Of NY Lofts
With William Basinski's Arcadia Series opening this week in London, Robert Barry speaks with Basinski, Michael Gira and Rhys Chatham to trace the rich history of New York's artist-run loft spaces and the pioneering music they fostered
Black Sky Thinking
Deference TV? Political Bias & Why The BBC Should Fight Back
As the closure of BBC3 once more puts the future of the broadcaster into the spotlight, Phil Harrison asks whether the BBC is moving to the right, and what might be done to make it fulfill its important role in standing up to government
Black Sky Thinking
I For One Welcome Our New Robot Vocal Cords: Radical Computer Music
How might electronic music sound in a post human future? Robert Barry enlists the help of Holly Herndon, James Bridle and Conrad Shawcross to explore radical new directions in computer music, from live programming and Algorave to the digital overloads of Black Midi
Black Sky Thinking
Sleepwalking Into Censorship: How Internet Freedom Is Under Threat
With the news that net neutrality has come under threat in the US, Ian Maleney explores the worrying consequences of censorship and restrictive legislation for internet users, from David Cameron's proposed 'anti-porn' filter to ISPs blocking torrent sites
Black Sky Thinking
Mr Agreeable A Quietus Makes: Sour Sot Reviews Our Favourite Bands
The Quietus staff are fully occupied moving office today, so we left the website in the capable hands of Mr Agreeable, and suggested he might like to review music from East India Youth, Factory Floor, Sunn O))) and Fat White Family
Black Sky Thinking
Burn Up The Floor: Pop & Politics In 2013 Dance Music
At the end of an exhausting year in club music, Rory Gibb reflects back upon 2013 on and off the dancefloor, and considers some of the political, social and technological issues facing the dance music community in the near future
Black Sky Thinking
Governance By Algorithm: Big Data, The NSA & A Sinister Future
One of the biggest stories of the year has been the perhaps-not-shocking revelation that the American NSA and our own GCHQ have been snooping on our everyday communications. Becky Hogge writes about how we're struggling to grasp the consequences of this erosion of our rights, and asks what we might do to counter it
