“I love coming to Manchester,” Ben Cowper says. “You guys are lucky to have a place like this – it’s special.” I catch the Bristol-born DJ, known as Count van Delicious, after an infectious set alongside Get Serious partner, Harry Fitz. It’s part of a buzzing night at Salford’s White Hotel, hosted by self-described ‘Manctalo’…
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Breaking Barz has the most electric atmosphere of any gig I have been to in Manchester in the past few years. It started life as a series of workshops and talks by local historians celebrating the life of boxer and activist Len Johnson, before evolving into one of the most exciting nights in the city.…
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Isabel Armitage reviews Manchester Collective’s WEATHER.
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As you navigate the warren of walkways and stairwells in Afflecks Palace – the Northern Quarter’s alternative indoor market – you hear Sour Grapes’ sound-system before you see it. The DIY record label and promoter is tucked in a corner on the third floor, amongst a myriad of independent vendors, vintage boutiques and fashion traders.…
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Last time I called Greta Carroll, the artist who makes music as CURRENTMOODGIRL, she was sitting in a bar in Brighton drinking an Aperol spritz. This time she’s in the middle of buying Iceboy Violet’s new EP — in the middle of listening to it too, judging from the sounds crackling down the line. Carroll’s…
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A group of care home residents take up their places in a circle in the living room. In the centre is a table with percussion instruments: bells, shakers, little drums, big drums. A music therapist joins them, playing a cheerful tune on the keyboard that addresses each resident by name. “You might not realise if…
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There is something magical about the dance floor of a club. From the early days of house music in Chicago, techno clubs in Detroit and Berlin, and the UK’s rave scene in the ‘90s, comes a well-documented narrative of love, joy and euphoria. The dance floor is a space synonymous with the gathering of queer…
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In an interview with Loud and Quiet, Space Afrika’s Joshua Inyang and Joshua Reid were asked to talk about musicians they admire who have slipped under the radar. “Rat Heart is one of the UK’s most talented producers, hands down,” Inyang says. “Honestly, you go and speak to anyone in Manchester. And I think every…
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During Rainy Miller’s teenage years, grime ripped through Preston. Kids would write their own lyrics and send for each other on beats ripped from Limewire. “In every friendship group or every estate throughout the city, there was someone who had got hold of a USB microphone or managed to jank some recording software,” he says. …
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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…
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