...it's a cracking year. There's a lot of trance. There's a dearth of too-slow cack. I think all the proper tropes of this century are in place. English is slipping from the position as language of choice for much of Europe, which doubtless reflects a belief in a new internationalism; or if nothing else, reflects the dogged incapacity of Europeans to imagine a world beyond liberal paralysis. It's got silly, it's got sad, it's got belters, it's got goths. It's the most wonderful time of the year. Happy gay Christmas, one and all.
Monthly archives: May 2025
26 posts
a duo album that takes a laid-back look at some revisions of classics, as well as a few newly minted pieces. The selection of covers takes in Leonard Cohen, Pet Shop Boys and nineteenth century composer Alexander Fesca amongst others. The title of the album refers to the the names of the songs, with them either starting with "It Could" or "If I", and therefore it is an eclectic selection.
So I've been doing these wee previews for a while and there's always a faint sense, tickling in my head, that the Eurovision a person sees in Eurovision week isn't necessarily the whole of the thing. Because of course most countries have qualifying competitions. [...] Buoyed by this, I thought I'd go whole hog this year and see what the other competitions had to offer.
In taking the action away from Prague, where Meyrinck’s gothic horror takes place, Szulkin performs the neat trick of also bringing along another famous resident of that city -- Golem is as much Franz Kafka as it is Meyrinck, if not more so. Which seems a pretty obvious link to make given the subject matter, but he goes a bit deeper than that.
In this stylish but circuitous and needlessly complicated kidnap thriller, cuddly Nick Frost takes a sharp left turn away from his comedy origins and unearths his inner psychopath, as a taxi driver who may sound like a harmless cockney oaf, but who would give Travis Bickle a run for his fare.
Tocsin polished up the pared-down economy of Fetisch, broadened its expressive spectrum and increased its atmospheric pose. Producer Mick Glossop and engineer Felix Kendall did a great job of shifting the emphasis of Xmal Deutschland's sound, opening up the symphonic space and so elevating the drama. "Mondlicht"'s swooping dynamics are captivating, its pulmonary pull mining some grandiose theatrics as those heralding guitars unleash a siren spiral of voice, acidically rupturing, reined back in repeated refrains.
Marvel’s latest concoction sees a team of perfectly cast rogues, all of them at least vaguely familiar from supporting roles in prior movies and TV shows, taking on an impossible mission during which they can run, jump, punch, shoot, kick, stab and perhaps find their inner heroes along the way.
Erlend Apneseth's love of the Hardanger fiddle, Norway's national instrument, has led him on some spectacular journeys over the years. 2022's venture Nova found him exploring its evocative sounds on his own, ruminating on its harsh yet reflective tone. For the follow-up Song Over Støv, he has gathered a group of fellow travellers amongst whom are another three Hardanger players as well as another eight instrumentalists