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Punk Reader - Research Transmissions from the Local and the Global

The University of Chicago Press

It has been more than forty years since the inception of punk – a statement that holds true no matter if you think that the cradle of the movement was in the United Kingdom or the East Coast of the new world – and it can be universally agreed on that scenes have popped up as a result even in the most remote of locations, with each incarnation  having its own idiosyncrasies.

What this borderline scientific tome does is the examination of how punk relates to globalization and how it has contributed to how punk morphed from what it was to what it is perceived to be these days taking into consideration that new epicentres have constantly been added to the mix.

The special thing about punk is that its DIY ethos has immensely helped via a myriad of media to spread the message and help recruit new enthusiasts that in turn added the DNA of their local contexts into the ever-growing movement through hybridisation and assimilation.

What is skilfully made a case for is that globalization does not destroy localities but helps them thrive and that youth culture is a main vehicle for transformation that then will eventually pervade other aspects of society and both expand and change the DNA of what it started out as.

What all of this culminates in is that cultural developments almost always go both ways and what incubators played an integral role on punk scene evolving in more off the grid locales.

Conjurer + Earth Moves and Armed For Apocalypse

KIFF, Aarau, Switzerland

Conjurer's rise has been one that seems particularly fast with the band making huge strides in only three years of existence. However, it’s been as much a case of working hard as being in the right place, at the right time and tonight’s performance shows just how far they have come since the first time this writer saw them in the winter of 2016 supporting Regarde Les Hommes Tomber. Back then they were a band showing promise and in 2019 they are clearly a band who are ready to make the next leap in their career. It’s been wonderful to watch over the last few years and excitement is high (personally) despite the somewhat lacklustre attendance from the Swiss scene. 

No matter, because Armed For Apocalypse open the show as though they are playing to hundreds and the American trio bring the energy in the small room up several steps in the short time they are on stage before making way for Earth Moves and their emotionally heavy sound. Straddling sludge, post-rock, hardcore and a dark edge, Earth Moves are soon to release their second record, Human Intricacy and tonight they showcase plenty of new songs alongside their older material. Fronted by Jordan Hill, the band exude a presence that explores fragility and strength through this voice, which moves from soaring cleans and guttural roars to spoken word sadness with sublime ease.

Their set is one coloured with anguish and pain yet a small light of hope does shine through on occasion, giving a lift to songs that could otherwise be seen as wallowing. Closing with a beautifully rendered “Pia Mater,” Earth Moves bring everything they have to the fore; Hill screams without a microphone, the tightly controlled guitars soar and deftly precise drum-work in the closing moments bring about a rush of sadness so profound that for this attendee, it all becomes a little too overwhelming. 

It’s up to Conjurer, then, to bring about a mood shift and damn, that mood is lifted from despair into hopeful elation within the opening moments. As 2018s Mire proved, the quartet are able to move from sludgy soundscapes into post-metal beauty with naught but a breath and tonight their performance takes the band to a whole new level. The light show alone is spectacular and the twin vocals of Dan Nightingale and Brady Deeprose are powerful in their execution, both bringing weight to their words with roars and screams. Guitars allow tension and release in equal measure and so “Of Flesh Weaker Than Ash” breathes with suspense while “Hollow” gives quieter moments space to surrender to the narrative.

Conjurer have always had an engaging dynamic and their stage presence has grown exponentially over the years; they don’t give you any opportunity to look away and for the time they are on stage your entire focus is on their energy. They give everything to their music and tonight the small crowd shows their appreciation whenever possible, particularly during the monumental closing moments of “Hadal,” a track which ends the evening on thrillingly crushing guitars and vocals that seem born of pain. It’s electrifying and a moment that shan’t be forgotten.

Propaganda Art in the 21st Century

MIT Press

Some people say that an accurate portrayal of what is actually happening behind the scenes is the best propaganda.

Fair enough.

However, we are in what is widely considerably to be the “post-truth” era, which significantly shifted the coordinates of how the outworn term is denoted and being used and how it can and what it should be perceived as.

Propaganda, especially of misleading information to push through agendas, and art have always had more than mere superficial overlappings as both ultimately aim at stirring up emotions and actions as well as delivering a message.

Apart from these main objectives, which are the same no matter what the political leaning might be, it also creates a reality onto itself, for which the emissions of regimes governed by specific politics interests are examples par excellence.

In this tome Jonas Staal explores how the focus of “propaganda” has shifted from a merely political narrative to ones that are rooted in whatever motives one’s interests and ideologies may be.

In essence, redefining “propaganda” as both the medium, vehicle, reflection of and reality.

Given this approach, Staal debunks the myth that propaganda is something that is only attached to totalitarian systems and frames it as something that is omnipresent in liberal societies.

What he manages to illustrate both literally and metaphorically is accomplished via comparisons of what once was and what is and it does not lack impact, specifically when he highlights propaganda that by traditional standards would not be perceived as such.

It is interesting to see that no matter if it is the Occupy movement, government initiatives as well as messaging from regimes in Africa and the Middle East ultimately all work in a similar manner and according to formulae

Staal’s elaborations culminate in this plaidoyer for the development of a model that not only acknowledges the interaction and resulting synergies between propaganda and art, but one that can be channelled to create a better world – an emancipatory act of fusing aestheticism and politics to not only reflect but create worlds and realities.

Haunted Bauhaus

MIT Press

What is often perceived to be informed by irrationality, i.e. the movement from 1919-1933 known as Bauhaus, has never ceased to give impulses on all facets of our society, be it lofty artistic ones, the very foundation of pursuits on architectural territory, and decorative design.

Fusing form with function and aestheticism, the mainstream interpretation of the movement has been documented in a myriad of forms.

However, what Elizabeth Otto has started to explore is the unearthing of a perception of which was mainly one-side and as a movement that has a longstanding and deeper going engagement with the concealed and mystic, gender fluidity and other seemingly paradoxical streams.

Needless to say that this results in a mind-altering tour de force that not only expands one’s horizon but also introduces characters from all walks of life – be it from the realms of art, architecture or design – that so far have been eclipsed by the socially accepted, acclaimed and at times self-professed specialists.

What is interesting is the takeaway that without those “marginalized” constituents, one cannot help but think that what has widely entered the canon would have never evolved to the mainstream phenomenon it has eventually become.

Be it visually in the most opulent manner as well as via essays and elaborations, Otto skilfully sheds light on the overall queerness of a stream that is certainly not devoid of less lighter sides and the tangible impact extremist politics have had – from communism to Nazism.

A book that I would highly recommend to anyone remotely interested in nineteenth century art as it takes you on a well-orchestrated wild ride that is informed by the art historian Elizabeth Otto’s background as an author, art curator and artist.

Thus Let Us Drink Beer – Willie the Boatman

As part of our beer-centric series we have covered specifically Australian breweries far and wide, however, sometimes there are ones in relatively proximity that are dangerously underrated.

Named as an homage to the convict William Kerr across what eventually became known as the Cooks River, Pat McInerney and Nick Newey started to channel their brewing alchemy in 2014 with enthusiasm and at least at the beginning, limited equipment and the omnipresence of Willie in terms of paraphernalia, which found its extension in the naming of their brews after other local heroes with their respective legends informing the design of the labels and cans.

Fast forward to 2019 and the operation has grown significantly and established itself firmly on the forefront of Australian craft beer distilleries. Visiting their distillery and the attached atmospheric pub area is proved to be an experience not only locals but specifically international brew aficionados would not want to miss.

My first exposure to Willie the Boatman’s liquid emissions came via Nectar of the Hops, which is fabled to be the first NEIPA on terra Australia.

If you have remotely followed this series you would be aware of the fact that specifically breweries are fantastic at nailing more exotic expressions, however, I found that when it usually comes to Bavarian emissions, it lacks severely.

Enter Willie the Boatman’s Bavarian style lager, which is an exercise par excellence of combining the DNA of what makes Oktoberfestbiers the brews that you can drink by the Stein and infusing it with an idiosyncratic Willie the Boatman edge, i.e. calibrating it at a sweet spot between sweet, earthy and spicy. Beer aficionados from the South of the Fatherland would be delighted.

Unfortunately, I have only had the chance to scratch the mere surface of the large range of portfolio Willie the Boatman has to offer but my favourite so far is the Double Nectar of the Hops, a telling name for the Double NEIPA that it signifies.

The Double Nectar of the Hops is the liquid equivalent of Spinal Tap turning their amps on 11 – big, bold and huuuge on the hops without sacrificing room for nuances.

Apart from the palatable foundation that the melange of Mosaic, Amarillo, Citra and Sabro hops provide, there are highlights citrus, mango and other tropical flavours that make this one as dangerously delicious and enjoyable as some of my beloved Belgian trappist beers.

Willie the Boatman is bound to become a quality mainstay in not merely the Australian but international world of beer and you’d want to get your paws on both their regular line-up as well as the special edition batches that run the gamut in terms of flavour nuances.

Have you been to the Willie The Boatman tap room? How does it compare to the old space? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.