Salt Magazine

Cathy Jain on dream-pop, youth and the authentic self

By: Tom Taylor 10th January 202210th January 2022

At a time when their formative moments are being stifled by the pandemic, Cathy Jain speaks to an introspective generation’s desire for authentic experiences. Sometimes we just wanna be some melodramatic teens, she reassures fans on green screen, a track from her debut EP artificial. The release explores the curiosity and naivety of youth and…

Blackhaine: And Salford Falls Apart

By: Joe Ronan 10th December 202114th January 2022

MusicReviews

You may have caught Blackhaine on the cover of Crack Magazine, or modelling for Vogue Italia. He’s a multidisciplinary artist – a dancer, choreographer and MC – recently involved in the choreography of Kanye’s West’s DONDA performance in Chicago. I first came across him performing in Manchester Collective’s Dark Days, Luminous Nights film. Blackhaine, real…

Hopes, dreams and nightmares at Central Library

By: Tom Taylor 2nd December 20216th December 2021

ArtsGallery

A vintage, four-legged stereo system stands on a small stage in Central Library’s performance space. The audience gathered around it are invited to tune into late-night talk radio show Dream FM, whose presenter asks a deceptively simple question: “Where do you drift behind closed eyes?” Since August, residents from across Greater Manchester have been leaving…

The KTNA: “We push against the narrative that female artists need to be perfect and positive”

By: Emily Roney 24th November 202124th November 2021

MusicInterviews

“It was too personal, too deep – too dark.” This is one of the reactions that Mancunian-raised, Kenyan-born sisters Millie and Hope Katana received from industry heads on their 2019 EP Life Under Siege. With thick Lancashire accents and bold humour, the twins, who perform as The KTNA, represent a wave of artists from the…

STiR by LayFullstop review

By: Tom Taylor 17th November 202110th January 2022

MusicReviews

LayFullstop opens STiR with a prayer spoken over a muted jazztronica beat, giving thanks to God for her family, friends and the opportunities she’s been given in life. It sets an unapologetically religious tone for the rest of the mixtape and announces her new musical style, blending gospel, jazz and grime, which she broadly labels…

Northern Voices: Finding diamonds in the rough

By: Avery Dire 8th November 202110th December 2021

ArtsNorthern Voices

A grey, hazy veil has been placed over my vision. I sit hidden within the armour of my car, parked at the roadside, gazing at passers-by. I know this street and yet it looks so unfamiliar. I know that bend in the road, yet it looks like a stranger. As I stare, the road changes…

A place to sit down

By: Tom Taylor 20th October 20212nd December 2021

PhotographyPhoto Essay

“Spanish cities are the kings of public space to me,” Hayley Flynn says. “They’re the kind of cities where you get your lunch, or an ice cream and you’ll quickly find a bench to sit down. It doesn’t cross your mind that you would have to wander around looking for one.” Being able to comfortably…

Investigative Aesthetics: An argument for active art

By: Joe Ronan 13th October 202124th November 2021

ArtsLiterature

Published by Verso in August, Investigative Aesthetics is a book about the theory and practices of investigation, art and politics. The book’s authors, Matthew Fuller and Eyal Weizman, argue for forms of investigating and presenting information aimed not just at reading but working the conjunction. This idea of a ‘conjunction’ is something that comes out…

Salt Shaker: New music from across Greater Manchester

By: Tom Taylor 5th October 202119th December 2021

MusicSessions

Keep up to date with the latest releases from artists and musicians across Greater Manchester, collected in our Salt Shaker playlist. You can download the playlist on Spotify and find out more about the featured artists below. 96 Back // Abnormal Sleepz // Acre // Afrodeutsche // Aitch // All Hands on Deck // Andy…

Using literature as a window into Manchester

By: Tom Taylor 30th September 202124th November 2021

ArtsLiterature

Last year, Ayo launched the Salt Book Club to discuss fiction set in Greater Manchester or written by Mancunian authors. The idea was that people who weren’t from the city or wanted to learn more about it could use literature as an entry-point. We wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on discussions we had…