http://blogs.independent.co.uk| Blogs from the Independent newspaper - news, views and features from the world's most free-thinking newspaper| Sun, 19 May 2013 04:00:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2| en hourly 1 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/15/spot-festival-bob-dylan-topshop-and-rene-descartes/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/15/spot-festival-bob-dylan-topshop-and-rene-descartes/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 17:15:46 +0000 Samuel Breen http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=34838 Sat in a hotel lobby amidst a music conference in Aarhus around 4am in is a great way to argue, and a terrible way to debate. I am trying to convey that good music would exist even if the music industry didn't, and that there is no correlation between the music industry and good music. ]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/15/spot-festival-bob-dylan-topshop-and-rene-descartes/feed/ 3 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/08/mr-c-on-his-early-years-family-and-the-future/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/08/mr-c-on-his-early-years-family-and-the-future/#comments Wed, 08 May 2013 08:00:28 +0000 Marcus Barnes http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=34654 I have very distinct memories of being an 11-year-old, watching The Shamen's video for Ebeneezer Goode and being completely hooked by the vocals of the group's rapper, Mr.C. I was a big fan of The Shamen, but what I didn't know was that Mr.C had already been around as a DJ and MC for a good few years before the group hit the charts. Fast forward 21 years and he's still involved in rave/underground culture - travelling the world as a DJ, hosting his Superfreq parties, running a label of the same name (which he recently relaunched) and maintaining a lifestyle based around meditation, creative visualisation and positive thinking. Here's an excerpt from my interview with him.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/08/mr-c-on-his-early-years-family-and-the-future/feed/ 2 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/08/hear-the-sounds-of-goldsmiths-college%e2%80%99s-new-label-nx-records/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/08/hear-the-sounds-of-goldsmiths-college%e2%80%99s-new-label-nx-records/#comments Wed, 08 May 2013 06:00:19 +0000 Emma Gritt http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=34759 Simon Deacon, Director of Popular Music Performance at Goldsmiths, explains the idea behind NX, a new record label that in conjunction with Matthew Hebert’s Accidental Records hopes to help launch the careers of some of the famous art school’s brightest musical talents, and give other students eyeing-up a career in the music industry some real hands-on experience.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/08/hear-the-sounds-of-goldsmiths-college%e2%80%99s-new-label-nx-records/feed/ 0 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/06/interview-with-laidback-luke-%e2%80%9cedm-is-a-dirty-word-for-the-more-commercial-tracks%e2%80%9d/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/06/interview-with-laidback-luke-%e2%80%9cedm-is-a-dirty-word-for-the-more-commercial-tracks%e2%80%9d/#comments Mon, 06 May 2013 02:00:23 +0000 Chris Mckay http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=34648 Filipino-born producer and DJ, Laidback Luke, real name Lucas Cornelis van Scheppingen, takes a sip of still water as we sit and chat in the reception area of the Hotel Verta. He’s visiting London for a sell-out ‘Super You & Me’ gig at Electric Brixton, an innovative night that, in Luke’s words, help to bring the fun and stupidity back into clubbing.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/06/interview-with-laidback-luke-%e2%80%9cedm-is-a-dirty-word-for-the-more-commercial-tracks%e2%80%9d/feed/ 0 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/05/art-meets-conservation-with-lauren-baker%e2%80%99s-sculpture-for-save-wild-tigers/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/05/art-meets-conservation-with-lauren-baker%e2%80%99s-sculpture-for-save-wild-tigers/#comments Sun, 05 May 2013 06:00:01 +0000 Emma Gritt http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=34681 When Lauren Baker had an epiphany in the South American jungle that she should become an artist, little did she know that two years later she’d be raising thousands of pounds for one of the world’s most worthy charities.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/05/art-meets-conservation-with-lauren-baker%e2%80%99s-sculpture-for-save-wild-tigers/feed/ 3 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/03/interview-with-alesso-im-still-working-on-my-sound-im-still-evolving-as-an-artist/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/03/interview-with-alesso-im-still-working-on-my-sound-im-still-evolving-as-an-artist/#comments Fri, 03 May 2013 12:00:56 +0000 Chris Mckay http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=34646 While most 21-year-olds are thinking about finishing university, looking at moving back home or preparing to step on the first prong of their career ladder, Alessandro Lindblad is doing pretty much the opposite.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/03/interview-with-alesso-im-still-working-on-my-sound-im-still-evolving-as-an-artist/feed/ 0 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/02/interview-with-musician-turned-politican-billy-lunn-lead-singer-of-the-subways/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/02/interview-with-musician-turned-politican-billy-lunn-lead-singer-of-the-subways/#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 22:59:58 +0000 Si Hawkins http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=34650 Billy Lunn is, he readily admits, “not your conventional politician.” Arriving for our chat in red knee-length shorts and a Pixies' T-shirt, he looks more festival-goer than policy-maker (“I was going to come down in flip-flops but I thought ‘Hmm, is that too socialist?”), while his campaign speak veers from the impressively knowledgeable to the amusingly novel. ]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/02/interview-with-musician-turned-politican-billy-lunn-lead-singer-of-the-subways/feed/ 0 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/04/30/lokee-because-we-care/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/04/30/lokee-because-we-care/#comments Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:39:49 +0000 Marcus Barnes http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=34508 One of London's best loved, and least promotion-focused, parties is Lo*Kee. The event's name has become synonymous with good parties, full of good people, good music and providing nothing but good times. I was fortunate enough to be granted the first ever interview with the Lo*Kee team, here's a snippet of what they had to say.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/04/30/lokee-because-we-care/feed/ 0 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/04/29/pedestrian-far-from-middle-of-the-road/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/04/29/pedestrian-far-from-middle-of-the-road/#comments Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:41:07 +0000 Marcus Barnes http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=34301 Every now and then I hear a piece of music that completely throws me. As a music writer I'm constantly listening to new stuff and, while I love most of it - being a complete glutton for house and techno - sometimes it can get a bit samey.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/04/29/pedestrian-far-from-middle-of-the-road/feed/ 0 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/04/26/start-friday-with-a-bang-the-sounds-of-x-press-2/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/04/26/start-friday-with-a-bang-the-sounds-of-x-press-2/#comments Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:42:57 +0000 Emma Gritt http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=34476 Get ready for the weekend with this mix by UK house heroes X-Press 2.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/04/26/start-friday-with-a-bang-the-sounds-of-x-press-2/feed/ 0 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/04/25/qa-with-zeds-dead-evolving-your-sound-is-crucial-to-being-an-artist/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/04/25/qa-with-zeds-dead-evolving-your-sound-is-crucial-to-being-an-artist/#comments Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:30:54 +0000 Chris Mckay http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=34433 Originating from Toronto, duo Zeds Dead used to spend hours making old-school hip hop beats in their parent’s garage. Ten years on from their first album Fresh Beets, they have replaced hip-hop with bass-heavy sounds.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/04/25/qa-with-zeds-dead-evolving-your-sound-is-crucial-to-being-an-artist/feed/ 1 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/04/25/question-time-with-metro-area/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/04/25/question-time-with-metro-area/#comments Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:05:01 +0000 Marcus Barnes http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=34039 A number of years ago, before digital media became the norm, I remember being handed a mixtape by one of my friends. It was a collection of techno delights from various artists, at the time I didn't know the names of any of the tracks or their producers but, as time went on I discovered some of them.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/04/25/question-time-with-metro-area/feed/ 0