Culture
Is Law Holt the upstart that pop music so badly needs?
Real talk from a true radical — After an unprovoked attack on public transport, singer Law Holt dug deep to get her career back on track. Now she's ready to kick some ass. 'Nu-glamour', 'apocalyptic R&B', 'the antidote to karaoke pop' - call her what you like, but this unconventional talent is here to cut through the music's industry bullshit.
Written by: Cian Traynor
Why closing London’s iconic Fabric nightclub will not protect clubbers
Save Fabric — Cities such as Amsterdam have shown that harm-reduction strategies save lives without forcing venues to close. Why can’t London learn from them?
Written by: Ashley Manning
The Chinese photographers causing a stir in 2016
Ones to watch at PHOTOFAIRS | Shanghai — China’s pre-eminent photography fair is back this September to recognise and savour local and international artists, side by side. These are the emerging talents that should be top of your get-to-know list.
Written by: Ashley Manning / Alexander Montague-Sparey
Ghosts of a lost East London: The last match day at West Ham’s Boleyn Ground
The final whistle blows — Writer and photographer Michael Fordham was practically raised on the West Ham terraces. His zine ‘Over There’ mourns the death of its century-old ground and the working class football culture it nurtured - before gentrification won out and the club moved to its new home at Stratford’s Olympic Park.
Written by: Michael Fordham
The invincible mindset of Stephanie Gilmore
Heroes of Independence — To celebrate a decade of self-rule, we caught up with icons who personify the spirit of independence. In this instalment, surf icon Steph Gilmore talks about finding peace of mind in the simple things in life – with or without having to rely on others.
Written by: Cian Traynor
The South African skate punks sparking a cultural revolution
A Soweto (Re-) Uprising — South Africa is still reeling from decades of divisive rule. Students are protesting against colonialist remnants of the past and communities still exist within borders. But in Soweto, the township-turned-city that first triggered the fight for civil rights, a new counter-culture is burning. It’s raw. It’s punk. It doesn’t give a fuck. And it’s writing its own history.
Written by: Nas Hoosen
What it's like to tour Brexit Britain as a non-white musician
Battling anxiety in the face of ignorance — After being racially abused in the street, Vanessa Govinden had a frightening realisation: her band Little Fists was about to tour post-Brexit UK for the first time, exposing to her a nation fraught with rising xenophobia. This is the story of how she overcame the panic.
Written by: Vanessa Govinden
The artist making his entire digital footprint public for us all to see
What have you got to hide? — It's hard to know in 2016 just what our digital footprint looks like. As we continue to share our every thought and move with the world online, our curated, sculpted existence - one that we want the world to see - permeates our every action. But what does this mean for individuality? And what happens if we make our supposedly private data available for all to see?
Written by: Mark Farid
The computer game forcing you to question your views about privacy online
Spying on your fellow citizens — Watching personal communications, accessing private files and surveying citizens’ online presence - you have been selected by the government to help them discover who is behind terror attacks in The Nation. The information you supply will have consequences: how will you play?
Written by: Emily Casey
A look down the side streets at Notting Hill Carnival
Away from the parade — As Notting Hill Carnival hits 50, crowds hit up the streets of West London for a weekend of celebrations. Take a look at the scene away from the parades, down the side streets of Notting Hill in 2016.
Written by: Michael Segalov