High Fidelity
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In The Middle Issue 10 6.02.15 High Fidelity Music • Clubs • Fashion • Arts • Lifestyle and Culture • Society 2 Advertisement AL IM G N EE A K Y T WHICH R PARTY ANIMAL A GEEK P HOUSEMATE ARE D O S YOU? D S G O E B R BOSS DODGER Take the quiz for your chance to win a month’s rent for you and your housemates. Visit: hub.endsleigh.co.uk/housematequiz Terms and conditions apply. Endsleigh Insurance Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Insurance recommended by This can be checked on the Financial Services Register by visiting its website www.fca.org.uk/register Endsleigh Insurance Services Limited, Company No.856706 registered in England at Shurdington Road, Cheltenham Spa, Gloucestershire GL51 4UE. Credits Editor-in-Chief Jasmine Andersson editor@thegryphon. co.uk In The Middle Associate Editor Benjamin Cook Clubs Arts Society Creatives inthemiddle@ Harriet Shepherd Hannah Woodhead Maddy Keating Ben Sandin thegryphon.co.uk Maddie Davison Melissa Baksh Frazer Sparham Rachel Groocock Columnists Sophia Kossoski Music Fashion Beth Galey Ellie Parkes Andrew Kemp Esther Eldridge Jen Pritchard Head of Photography Daoud Al-Janabi Jessie Jones Lifestyle and Culture Sam Broadley Oliver Walkden Claire McQue Laura Rowlands Emily Watts Tiffany Grous Jess Murray Emma Clark Katie Dawtr In The Middle Ad 3 Contents 4 16 We caught up with BBC Sound of 2015 nominee, Does Eastwood have a social responsibility? Or is George the Poet, and talked about his Brit Rising his latest film just meant to be enjoyed? American Star fame and royal connections. Sniper is in the crosshairs. 9 19 Seven years ago, Loefah was at the heart of Sainsbury’s and Co-oP not doing it for you the dubsteP scene, but as the scene continues to anymore? We found the best places to go for fresh decline, his new record label couldn’t be doing food, and may have found the best pizza in Leeds better. too. 10-11 20 Glam, punk, and bohemians. We look at how Budapest is more than a George Ezra sng? Who the 1970’s changed fashion. knew? But it might just be the perfect city for a student getaway. 14 23 With awards season in full swing, we begin our Oscars coverage by looking at the lucky ones up for best suPPorting actor/actress. Resident columinst, Jen Pritchard, calls bullshit on your New Year’s resolutions. In The Middle Contents 4 In The Middle with [Photo: Island Records] George The Poet “So, whose responsibility is it?” And at the age of 24, George Mpanga has already contributed so much. Most notably, George Mpanga delivers his performance he has funded The Jubilee Line - a series in conversational spoken word but don’t of secondary school poetry workshops be fooled. His performance is assertive for underprivileged children. He’s also and provocative, encouraging audience collaborated with Jakwob to lobby the UK engagement at every turn. government into improving public services and more recently wrote ‘Only One You’ for In the depths of LUU’s Mine, George the Prince’s Trust. addresses an intimate throng who do not hesitate to add their voices to the When I commend him for all he’s achieved conversation. The Q&A nature of the session he just brushes it aside. “To me, it’s common becomes interwoven with the poetry itself sense. As artists, we’re not encouraged to do – something, George notes, speaks to the anything. But I feel like lowering the bar “social consciousness of the spoken word of achievement is not good for me, or my culture.” personal growth. Doing things outside of music is essential. Because, if not, by the Unlike Kate Tempest or Scroobius Pip’s time I become a father, by the time I have a recent ventures into rap from spoken word, family, I won’t have any reference points - I’ll George seems to be making the reverse just be living off my own hype which isn’t journey. The stripped- healthy. It’s essential that down, atmospheric I involve myself deeper backing in The Chicken “ I want to do into doing things outside and The Egg EP of music as my public epitomises George’s something that profile grows.” belief that “poetry is all about communication… resonates with It’s no surprise then, structuring it in such a that George has been way that the message is everyone.” shortlisted for the Critics’ given primacy.” But with Choice BRIT awards. songs like ‘1,2,1,2’ and ‘Cat When I ask him how he D’ that incorporate elements of rap, grime, feels about the nomination, George’s face house and electronica, George certainly isn’t lights up. “The way I see it, the world runs confining himself to one genre. “I feel like on stories… most people don’t have the time I’m part of a generation that’s started to to sit down and search through my entire see the grey areas between rap and spoken catalogue to find out about me. The BRITs word. We can just pick and choose, do what are a trusted source and getting the coverage we want.” really helps me with everything I’m trying to achieve. This nomination means that eyes So would you call what you do spoken are on me”. word or rap? “A crossover,” George muses, “old habits die hard. I started as a rapper; This year, George speculates that he will my spoken word is structured around rap hone in on musical styles after playing disciplines. I think in four bar structures, I’m around with them in his 2014 releases The very meticulous about rhyme patterns and Chicken and the Egg EP, and ‘1,2,1,2’ – “I the world play that I use… I’m very particular was seeing how people would receive my about it. I owe a lot of what I have to rap. message packaged into different styles. 2015 But I’m trying to create a space where that is all about creating my own musical and doesn’t matter.” public space. I want to talk to everyone - I’ve collaborated with the royal family, with George leans over to grab the poster of his the BBC… I make sure to position myself in UK tour. “Take this poster. It’s got my logo – different arenas so that I am accessible to in my actual handwriting, it’s got the picture everyone. Why would I just want to talk to – that I drew. I orchestrated this whole piece. young people? Why would I just want to There’s nothing on this that didn’t come talk to old people? I want to do something from me, that’s how I want my contribution that resonates with everyone. Most people to the world to be.” are on autopilot and I want to change that.” [Emily Watts] In The Middle Music 5 u] i nt ice hv : to ho The Vinyl Frontier [P Jake Leigh-Howarth explains why ages. In Leeds, Crash, Jumbo, Norman and for him, vinyl is the superior music Relics records work tirelessly to procure the format. best new records for their customers and to help upkeep a thriving vinyl scene pioneered What do vinyl records mean to you? Are by local bands and vinyl fans. To those they a symbol of a bygone era dwarfed by the that love music and want to expand their Gig pragmatism of the MP3 file and upheld only relationship with it; giving vinyl records a try by the dogmatic luddite? Or is it a medium is an opportunity to explore, in greater detail, that helps to fully immerse the listener into the stunning elegance with which a tangible the artistic raison d’être of a record? piece of music – with its combination of design, music, and beauty – is able to conjure Guide Figures suggest that they are indeed up feelings of transcendental magnitude. getting more popular. For instance, in November 2014 vinyl record sales reached ‘Panopticon’ by ISIS is one of those Friday 6th February over 1 million; the most sold since 1996, records capable of this. The record’s central Julian Cope at Brudenell, £22.50 and Pink Floyd’s latest opus, The Endless idea is that with the advent of surveillance Ex-Teardrop Explodes frontman and general rock River released in 2014 and 24 hour CCTV behemoth brings his infinite back catalogue to was the fastest selling we as a society are Hyde Park. vinyl release since “You just can’t slowly turning into an 1997. Of course, vinyl Orwellian police state Saturday 7th February records are outmatched beat the feeling – such is the likening Viet Cong at Brudenell, £7 by the popularity of to a ‘panopticon’ prison Twisted alt-rock from Canada who should be ones music-streaming sites of listening to a in which there is one to watch this year. such as Spotify which person at the central has under its wing vinyl record.” hub of the design Sunday 8th February 10 million paying watching over all the Hiss Golden Messenger at Brudenell, £8 accounts as well as an inmates. The fear that American folk duo whose sound was described by additional 40 million non-paying accounts. someone is watching you prevents you David Bowie as a “mystical country, like an eerie The juxtaposition in popularity between from breaking the prison rules. Quotations yellowing photograph”. these two music mediums is staggering, from Jeremy Bentham, the creator of the yet the increase in vinyl sales is much more ‘panopticon’, litter the in-sleeve further Monday 9th February important.