Culture
The very best in film, art, books, television and more
Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Ben Cardew on The Pivotal Role of Stereolab’s ‘Super-Electric’
Ben Cardew's new book, Space Age Batchelor Pad Music: The Story Of Stereolab In 20 Songs, recounts the tale of Stereolab in 20 songs that represent certain vital aspects of the band’s make up (from romance, to collage and repetition). In this extract, he looks at the idea of 'propulsion', as it relates to ‘Super-Electric’, the title track of the band’s second EP
Books
A Cave of Wonders: Alexander Hacke of Einstürzende Neubauten on the Record Shop that Made Him
The Neubaten guitarist (later bassist) and collaborator with Phew, The Tiger Lillies and many more opens up about days wiled away in a seminal Berlin record shop, in an exclusive extract from his new book, Blast: Distorted Memories
Books
More than Theoretical Girls: Adele Bertei on the Women of No Wave
From working with Brian Eno to playing with The Contortions and The Bloods, Adele Bertei had a front-row seat to New York's infamous No Wave scene. She talks to Elizabeth Wiet about noise, melody, and why the fertile ecosystem of Downtown NYC couldn't come about today
Books
Fight The Power: Chuck D on the Politics of Hip Hop
The Public Enemy frontman has always been one of rap music’s most articulate advocates, but in 2022 he shifted career from MC to university lecturer. In an exclusive extract from his new book, In The Hour of Chaos, Chuck D talks about the cultural politics of hip hop and what it means for the future
Books
What Makes a Classic Album in the Streaming Era? or What Charli XCX Could Learn from The Police
In an exclusive extract from his new book, Body of Work: How the Album Outplayed the Algorithm and Survived Playlist Culture, author Keith Jopling looks at the curious phenomenon of the 'vanishing LP' – as well as the ones that didn't
Books
From the esoteric to the sonic, tQ's bookshelf revealed
Books
Ain’t Hip To Be Labelled A Hippie: The Suburban Origins of De La Soul
The origins of hip hop may be indelibly associated with New York's Five Boroughs – and the South Bronx, in particular. But in the 1980s, Long Island's De La Soul – and near contemporaries like Biz Markie, Public Enemy and Rakim – brought a new suburban sensibility to the genre. In an exclusive extract from his new book, Living in a D.A.I.S.Y Age, West Virginia University Professor Austin McCoy recounts the group's early years
Books
Places To Be: Emma Warren on the Importance of Youth Clubs to British Culture
Fergal Kinney interviews Emma Warren about her excellent new history of how youth clubs galvanised UK and Northern Irish culture, fashion and sounds
Books
Schattenfroh: A Fable About Totalitarianism Written in Brain-Fluid
An interview with the book’s author Michael Lentz and its translator, Max Lawton, about the German cult novel Schattenfroh, a bizarre and troubling novel for our bizarre and troubling times, and its timely appearance in an English-language edition
Books
The Lodger In Me: Bid from The Monochrome Set on the Aneurysm that Changed His Life
In an exclusive extract from his new book, Strange Young Alien, the founder member and principal songwriter of the Monochrome Set discusses the ruptured cerebral aneurysm that changed the way he thought about music and the creative process
Books
Ain’t Hip To Be Labelled A Hippie: The Suburban Origins of De La Soul
The origins of hip hop may be indelibly associated with New York's Five Boroughs – and the South Bronx, in particular. But in the 1980s, Long Island's De La Soul – and near contemporaries like Biz Markie, Public Enemy and Rakim – brought a new suburban sensibility to the genre. In an exclusive extract from his new book, Living in a D.A.I.S.Y Age, West Virginia University Professor Austin McCoy recounts the group's early years
Books
Schattenfroh: A Fable About Totalitarianism Written in Brain-Fluid
An interview with the book’s author Michael Lentz and its translator, Max Lawton, about the German cult novel Schattenfroh, a bizarre and troubling novel for our bizarre and troubling times, and its timely appearance in an English-language edition
Books
The Lodger In Me: Bid from The Monochrome Set on the Aneurysm that Changed His Life
In an exclusive extract from his new book, Strange Young Alien, the founder member and principal songwriter of the Monochrome Set discusses the ruptured cerebral aneurysm that changed the way he thought about music and the creative process
Film
The big screen brought to your little screen
Film
How Sheffield Film Tales From A Hard City set the Scene for Pulp’s Different Class
Daniel Dylan Wray argues that the depiction of Steel City life in a little-known 1995 film (currently being celebrated in an art exhibition and series of screenings) acts as a "companion and contrast piece" to Jarvis Cocker & co's commercial breakthrough, released the same year. Black and white still photography by Bill Stephenson.
Film
How Sheffield Film Tales From A Hard City set the Scene for Pulp’s Different Class
Daniel Dylan Wray argues that the depiction of Steel City life in a little-known 1995 film (currently being celebrated in an art exhibition and series of screenings) acts as a "companion and contrast piece" to Jarvis Cocker & co's commercial breakthrough, released the same year. Black and white still photography by Bill Stephenson.
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Exploring the hidden recesses of the small screen
Television
Notes On True Detective: Night Country By Eugene Thacker & Tariq Goddard
The pessimistic philosophical text In The Dust Of This Planet was an influence on Season 1 of True Detective; its author and publisher settle in for the long dark night of Season 4. Contains some light spoilers for early episodes of Night Country
Television
Trumpidation: Reviewing The US Election TV Coverage
Brit Sean Kitching and American StarLynn Jacobs’ marriage has to date spanned the four-years of Donald Trump’s chaotic presidency - they sat up through the night to review the television coverage. Words: Sean Kitching and StarLynn Jacobs
Television
Notes On True Detective: Night Country By Eugene Thacker & Tariq Goddard
The pessimistic philosophical text In The Dust Of This Planet was an influence on Season 1 of True Detective; its author and publisher settle in for the long dark night of Season 4. Contains some light spoilers for early episodes of Night Country
Television
Trumpidation: Reviewing The US Election TV Coverage
Brit Sean Kitching and American StarLynn Jacobs’ marriage has to date spanned the four-years of Donald Trump’s chaotic presidency - they sat up through the night to review the television coverage. Words: Sean Kitching and StarLynn Jacobs
Art
Visual culture in interviews, reviews and opinion
Art
Anguish Models & Empathy Machines: Mensch Maschine Musik at E-WERK
John Quin attends a festival of interdisciplinary performances at Luckenwalde, featuring Bendik Giske, Rae Hsu, Nazanin Noori, Discovery Zone and more
Art
How Lies The Land? Deep Time at Folkestone Triennial
John Quin hears rumblings from deep beneath the earth at this year's Triennial, with works by Dorothy Cross, Emeka Ogboh, Cooking Sections, Hanna Tuulikki, and others
Art
Borderlands: Alex Niven on Harry Lawson’s Stepney Western
At Newcastle Contemporary Art gallery, an exhibition featuring a new film by Harry Lawson plus archival photos by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Martine Franck, Chris Killip, Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen, Tish Murtha and others, draws links between the fabled American West and England’s North-East
Art
Borderlands: Alex Niven on Harry Lawson’s Stepney Western
At Newcastle Contemporary Art gallery, an exhibition featuring a new film by Harry Lawson plus archival photos by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Martine Franck, Chris Killip, Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen, Tish Murtha and others, draws links between the fabled American West and England’s North-East
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