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#2
Mayl
June
2010
FREE
Editor: Ben Rackstraw
zombies?"
Well, no. Aside from digital dexterity,
many computer games involve the kind of in
tellectual explosion, inspiration, and engage
'ment with moral dilemmas that we associate
with the best of other forms of art. Even the
blockbuster BioShock, set in a underwater
utopia in which human ills are solved through
morally questionable experiments in genetics,
has the issue of stem cell research at its heart,
as suggested by the game's author Ken lev
ine, yet approaches this in a ruined Art Deco
setting with the defenders of the research
portrayed as
powerful but clunking giants.
That's a recent and high profile example,
but there have been many independent art
ists making computer games since the 80's.
Take, for example, Jeff "yak" Minter. Most
famously, Minter was responsible for 1991 ' s
Llamatron, probably the first llama themed
shoot~m-up . More recently, Minter created
the non-game music synthesis toy Neon for
the Xbox 360. Playing with Neon is a bit like
controlling a Windows Media player visu
alization, and is heavily inspired by 1960' s
psychedelia. Minter has been making th is
~----kind of "com
puter toy" for several years.
Selective though they may be, these ex
amples from opposite ends of the scale show
that the potential for computer games as
art is incredible. The possibilities for interac
tion; a history of graphical styles, many with
strong emotional resonances; and the democ
ratization of production through the growing
ease of creating and distributing games all
suggest that the next Tate Modern might be
°0 box of plastic and circuitry in your living
room.
In the capitalist world we are defined by the
things that we buy, and few things are more
important for creating a sense of identity as
clothes. Sarah Collinson and Sam Wallace
look at the contrasting identities constructed
by high heels.
I' m not a heel wearer - I can't take Despite adamant friends insisting
the pain - and such commitment to that walking in heels is analogous to As he tip-toed on glass she donned
this type of pedi-torture leaves me walking across a field of marshmal his brogues. She had knowingly
perplexed. Heels seem to contra lows, I remain dubious. Recently, sacrificed freedom of movement for
vene the very purpose of footwear. when pulling some serious shapes extra inches and calve definition.
Dancing is restricted to a casual foot on a dancefloor, a girl begged my But this isn 't even a snazzy night
tap/hip jive and they impose a style friend to let her wear his shoes so out in your glad rags, this is for the
she could dance properly for a bit. workplace.
S T Y L E SA FARI
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for slipping on stilettos, as if it's
clear they don't really want to wear
them but have just mistaken their
own desires for misogynistic beauty
the same kind of attitude . The extra Perhaps it reassures men that they
height gives the feeling of authority are the ones in control. By wear
and power in a workplace created ing high heels a woman signals to
by men, for men. They feel it gets a man "You are the boss . It is your
her vulnerable and immobile, nine Far from 0 simple fashion acces
inch heels imbue her with a sense of sory, high heels embody complex
power. paradoxes - sexuality, vulnerability,
Women have been eyed sceptically subordinating yet seemingly empow
ering . So thoroughly accepted by
both genders as normal, their use is
rarely questioned . It's time it should
be. Step down from your heely
heights and try life in the Aat lane .
The tolerated pain alone brings new
meaning to the term ' fashion victim ' .
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S T YLE SAFARI
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ticket is valid. Copies of the NRCoC can be obtained from any staffed
n delayed, Or occasionally brought forward .
national rail station or fro m website: www.nationalrail co.uk
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The volcano meant we were stuck in France
- but no ash cloud could disrupt an inves
tigation into the local music scene _ Ben
Rackstraw looks into two of Nantes' musical
1110 years ogo, maybe not so much, Abubakar, who set up Gate
but now you walk around and it's Music - a well regarded Ntmt,es
reggae party here, reggae party based reggae label- in l<?~:-VII,,---'
there. The kids like house, but most caught up with him in Oneness
people listen to reggae ." The owner Records, the record shop he runs
of a sandwich shop on the Rue du on Rue du Manlchal Joffre. Here he
Mar.lchal Joffre, Nantes . He's not explained that much of the reggae
wrong; flyers for reggae nights fill culture here comes from immigration
shops down the thin cobbled streets from the West Indies, and his label,
of the old city. Much of daily life along with their house band, bring
here is soundtracked by the party artists from around the world to
time.fr web radio station , broadcast record here. This meant that, along
ing reggae and roots music out of side purchases of Beastie Boys'
Paris, and local reggae heroes Truth Check Your Head Curtis Mayfield 's
and Right. Superfly, I managed to pick up a
Zion Gate record featuring a singer
One of the reasons behind the from Birmingham. 6 hours in Nantes
growth of reggae soundsystems in and already I' ve got a little taste of
this city over the last decade is Ras
The guy in the sandwich shop said
that the kids love house, but all we
could find was an electro night - so
we went to see if they like that too _
Turns out we were right, the Bloody
Beetroots show was packed full of
Iycees, roughly 16-18 year-olds from drummer to therr ~ne up_ Adding
the city's colleges_ This meant that to the surprise heaviness is the
not only was the bar empty, but the vaudeville of the Venom masks (the
crowd inside the cavernous Halle de character from Spiderman, not some
la Trocardiere were bouncing off the kind of poisoning facewear) the duo
wear, as they Ait between guitar,
bass, synths and microphone _ Beetroots managed to cement their
The band are much heavier live place amongst the best live dance
than their plethora of remixes and Tunes from the album sounded like acts in the world .
last year's Roborama would sug real hits, although they're played
gest - they even re-brand themselves regularly at Custard Factory nights Chatting at the end, Axwell, an
Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77 they're given new life live, with 'Cor 18-year-old Iycean, said "Justice,
when they go on tour, adding a nelius', 'Butter', 'Warp l and 'House SebastiAn, Crookers ... it is very
No _ 84 ' (previously featured on this exciting". easy to soy if you 're 18,
blog) going off_ Add in a cover of wearing Prada glasses and go to a
the brooding 28 Days later Theme, posh secondary school but keep it
a melodramatic bit of Bach's Tocata real at Electro nights in the ghetto
and Fugue and the PHENOMENAL end of the Reze - but that was no
'We Are From Venice' (see below) barrier to my realisation that as
ropy as my French might be, the
only phrase I really needed to know
was IIi' aime Ed Bonger".
lifeinRashback_blogspot.com
LIVE MUSIC IN BIRMINGHAM OAZE(
There was some fitting St getic welcome was reserved a silent but concerted willing
Patrick 's Day fare from North for 'What You Know', yet to be coming from our section of the
ern Ireland ' s Two Door Cinema released but all over the Hype crowd towards the band , tuning
Club at Academy 3 last month Machine, and surely pencil their guitars through the great
and , eVen though most of the led in to the immaculately kept wash of electronic sound that
audience looked too young to Moleskine diaries at Kitsune introduced the encore, to just
have been on the Guinness, HQ, put them down instead. Unfor
they weren't acting like it, There tunately psychic abilities are
is little adoration as powerful as Sadly, though, the sharp syn no more advanced in Bangor
the adoration of 16 year-olds thesi:zed drums of the band 's than it is in Birmingham and
hold for their favourite band, recordings have been replaced they launched into yet another
but over some serious hand by an actual human being - an arch dance tune deformed into
claps and word-perfect sin attempt, the press release as something you would hear in
galongs it sounded like this lot sures us, to bolster their live the main room at Propaganda .
might have made a poor choice sound . However, cool electronic
when preparing their tunes for drum sounds complement their The closer was 'I Can Talk '
time on the road, art rock perfectly, and familiar which, despite having an intro
ity with their recordings made that has dined out with Del
Birmingham is hardly known for last night's live drumming sound phic' s 'Doubt', finally sounded
great audiences at gigs, but a messy. This was especially true like the band promised by their
new generation in the surpris of ' Costume Party' which, after debut album , The band are set
ingly well lit Academy 3 suggest the intro, had the synth and gui to explode all over this sum
that the future might be differ tar parts so low in the mix that mer's festivals, but they might
ent. Bouncing from the opener, they drowned under splashy be wise to rethink what they of
singing throughout most recent cymbals. fer as a live act before they go
single 'Undercover Martyn ' and out to win any more fans.
hardly stopping for breath until Because of this, the live show
the encore, the atmosphere was straddled indie dance a little lifei nRa sh bac k. blo gspot,com
frenetic , An especially ener uncomfortably and there was
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