LLong Reads
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  • 5 minute read

Faithful Johannes: Yours Faithfully

Faithful Johannes? The Alan Bennett of hip hop. Sir John Betjemen with beats. And weighing on his mind at the moment are life-threatening lawns, river monsters called Tony and the “icky” thoughts that have inspired an album riddled with very English anxieties 
LLong Reads
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  • 9 minute read

Propaganda: Wishful Thinking

German synth supremo Ralf Dörper invited classical percussionist Michael Mertens to join Propaganda in 1983. Their debut album, ‘A Secret Wish’, is still a dark-hearted classic, but the reunited pair are now looking to the future with a fresh incarnation of the outfit that made their names 
LLong Reads
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  • 20 minute read

Thomas Dolby: This Charming Man 

In 1984, Thomas Dolby’s ‘The Flat Earth’ album saw him outgrow his persona as MTV’s favourite “outgoing boffin” and flourish into a songwriter of impressive versatility. With an expanded digital version recently released, is he still “hyperactive now he’s grown”? He may be more reflective, but as he explains, life still has its fair share of adventure and excitement
LLong Reads
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  • 9 minute read

Orbury Common: Common People

Orbury Common’s records are fanciful delights, combining hazy hip hop beats and traditional folk trappings with the hallucinogenic imagery of a nightmarish parallel universe
LLandmarks
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  • 4 minute read

Paddy Kingsland ‘Reg’

BBC Radiophonic Workshop legend Paddy Kingsland tells us about his reggae-influenced classic, ‘Reg’, the B-side to the 1973 single release of the ‘Doctor Who’ theme tune
LLong Reads
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  • 5 minute read

Walt Disco: The Rebel Alliance

It’s already been a hell of a year for Glaswegian art rockers Walt Disco. The band have enjoyed a rapturous reception as tour support with OMD and released a new album, ‘The Warping’, combining the anthemic with the deeply personal 
FFeatures
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  • 9 minute read

Keeley Forsyth: The Forsyth Saga

Keeley Forsyth’s latest offering is ‘The Hollow’, a bleakly beautiful and affecting symphony of operatic vocals and windswept soundscapes. Its inspirations? Scott Walker, a remarkable grandmother and an abandoned moorland mineshaft somewhere near Harrogate