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The Zarabanda Variations review – free jazz project is a thrillingly original dive into colonial history
Keir GoGwilt’s *The Zarabanda Variations* is reviewed as an ambitious and highly original collaborative album that re-examines the colonial Latin American roots of the sarabande, before the dance became associated with European baroque composers. Its fusion of free jazz, baroque strings, percussion and spoken-word poetry creates a challenging but compelling alternative to familiar classical interpretations,…
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Let the gimmick begin! Burnham spends first day at temporary ‘No10 North’ office in Manchester after frantic clearout… amid fears of huge security bill
Prime Minister Andy Burnham spent his first working day at the temporary “No10 North” office in Manchester, presenting it as a practical symbol of his plan to move economic decision-making and political influence beyond London. The initiative matters because it is intended to support wider devolution, though critics question its cost and whether it will…
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‘Jumbo’ Sequel, ‘Queen of Malacca’ Franchise Plans on the Cards as Indonesia’s Visinema Eyes Expansion (EXCLUSIVE)
Indonesian studio Visinema is planning to turn its fantasy film “Queen of Malacca” into its next major franchise, with a release targeted for the first quarter of 2027. The project signals the company’s push to build locally rooted intellectual property that can travel internationally, while expanding its production slate and regional partnerships. Founder and director…
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‘It was the moment I lost innocence’: how a childhood stop-and-search led to the British debut movie of the year
Imran Perretta’s debut feature, Ish, is a coming-of-age film centred on a 12-year-old British Muslim boy in Luton, drawing partly on Perretta’s own childhood experiences. The director says being stopped and searched by police at 13, after the 9/11 attacks, was the point at which he understood how he was perceived beyond the safety of…
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New Releases – Official Charts
Official Charts’ New Music Friday round-up highlights the week’s major song, album and DVD releases, giving listeners a single guide to new material entering the UK market. – Shania Twain releases her seventh studio album, Little Miss Twain. – Charli xcx issues Music, Fashion, Film, while The Strokes return with Reality Awaits. – Other featured…
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Watch The Strokes record ‘Reality Awaits’ in ‘In Transit: Part II’ – over 20 years on from original mini-doc
The Strokes have released a 10-minute behind-the-scenes film, ‘In Transit: Part II’, alongside their seventh album, ‘Reality Awaits’. The video revisits the informal style of the band’s 2001 mini-documentary ‘In Transit’, offering fans a nostalgic contrast between their early touring years and their current recording environment. Directed by Johann Rashid, the sequel was filmed during…
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Uproar as ABC airs ‘pornographic violent fantasy’ about Gina Rinehart on competition show: ‘Turn into sausage roll’
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has sparked controversy after airing content on a competition programme that critics have described as a “pornographic violent fantasy” involving mining billionaire Gina Rinehart, including a depiction reportedly referencing her being “turned into a sausage roll”. The segment has prompted a backlash from viewers and commentators who argue it was…
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John McCabe: Symphonies 2 & 3 and Cello Concerto album review – writing of enormous scope and colour
This album brings together John McCabe’s Symphony No 2 with the first recordings of his 2007 Cello Concerto, Songline, and 1978 Symphony No 3, Hommages. The reviewer argues that the late British pianist and composer deserves wider recognition, praising the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conductor Kenneth Woods and cellist Raphael Wallfisch for performances that reveal…
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Unsayable by Michael Cunningham review – The Hours author on the insecurities that powered his creative life
Michael Cunningham’s Unsayable is presented as a memoir and writing guide in which the author of The Hours examines the insecurity, embarrassment and pain that have shaped his creative life. The review argues that its central concern is the gap between language and experience, and suggests that literary success did not remove Cunningham’s fear of…
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One year, 17 towns, dozens of voices: what we heard along the coast of England and Wales
Young people in coastal communities across England and Wales describe feeling isolated, overlooked and unfairly blamed for problems rooted in long-term deprivation and cuts to public services. – Youth-service funding in England has fallen by 73% over 12 years, while nearly 1 million 16- to 24-year-olds are not in work, education or training. – Reporting…