February, 2024

Make Children Happier

Make Children Happier

As part of a series arguing for revitalising policies a future Labour government should adopt, Polly Toynbee proposes three key educational reforms: “Bring back those 1,416 Sure Start centres that have closed” “Schools need just one target: make children happier and education a pleasure” “kickstart FE, with the resources and…

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Ending(s), Night Country

Ending(s), Night Country

LA Times interview with Night Country writer, Issa López reveals something about her thoughts regarding the ambiguity of the final episode’s end (and, to be honest, much of the season). In the interview, López stresses that she was deliberate in creating a story and setting where there can be both…

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Future Days, Can

Future Days, Can

The latest episode of BBC Radio 3’s Free Thinking arts programme features a showcase of Can’s third album, Future Days. The programme is an enjoyable (and informative), presenting Can’s album in the context of post-Sixties Germany and of the original line-up of the band. I’m not sure why the programme…

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Laird Barron’s Night Country review

Laird Barron’s Night Country review

Laird Barron is enthusiastic about the fourth season of True Detective, arguing that the writer/showrunner, Issa Lopez conjures an “ethereal undercurrent of magical realism”. He sees many of the artistic (and philosophical) decisions made reflect the lonely, estranged Alaskan setting. He also discusses the show as being within the tradition…

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Curations, artuk.org

Curations, artuk.org

Curations are a wonderful means of self-organising British art using the Art.org web site.  I use an installation of Pinry – essentially a self-hosted version of Pinterest – to generally keep and manage images and graphics I want to keep. The Art.org  curations makes keeping hold of images of British…

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Dreamfear/Boy Sent From Above, Burial

Dreamfear/Boy Sent From Above, Burial

“caustic rave maximalism… [that] comes across like a forlorn mini cassette mix from the 90s vaults” according to The Quietus. Some sort of teleological excavation of a lost techno compilation from Ninties compressed into 25+ minutes of realtime aural actualisation. Of the two tracks, I find Boy Sent from Above…

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Volta, Loula Yorke

Volta, Loula Yorke

Quietus review says that “Yorke’s new release Volta is deeply cyclical” and reflect a period of focused composition rather than Yorke’s previous improvised recordings. Makes comparisons with Hannah Peel’s Fir Wave. All seven tracks are great – though I’m especially taken with An Example of Periodic Time. Have listened to…

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