Surfacing: 'Badlands' Welcomes Us To The Pop-Noir Of Dark Tropics

Words: Saam Das

James Cameron's 1984 classic 'The Terminator' introduced us to TECHNOIR, a nightclub within the film but also a wider genre mix of film noir and sci-fi. In 2020, new Irish duo Dark Tropics have delivered their debut "pop-noir" single, with the enveloping (and possibly Terence Malick-inspired) 'Badlands'. Dark Tropics by name, dark music by nature.

Year In Review: FADED GLAMOUR Top TV Shows Of 2019

Words: Saam Das

Another year, another list of our favourite TV shows. 2019 was dominated by HBO, but not always for good reason as 'Game Of Thrones' came to a divisive end. However, 'Peep Show' co-creator Jesse Armstrong's second season of 'Succession', the small screen adaptation of 'Watchmen', and the dramatic retelling of 'Chernobyl' were all tremendously well received. Unfortunately, they escaped our viewing this year, and before we get into our top ten TV shows of 2019, we've got a couple of honourable mentions.

Listen: OK Button - Verso (Winter Version) [New Track]

Words: Saam Das // Photo: Timothy Casten

Burgeoning Scottish trio OK Button had a prolific 2019, with a slew of singles, culminating in their 'Sepia Spectres' EP. One of their finest offerings from last year, 'Verso', with its shades of Bon Iver and Daughter, has been given a 2020 twist - a new stripped back "Winter Version", emphasising the track's lyrical vulnerability and intimacy.

Surfacing: Doomshakalaka Is The Exciting New Project From Paul Rafferty Of Hot Club de Paris

Words: Saam Das

One of the very first times we wrote about music was after seeing Hot Club de Paris at the first edition of The Great Escape Festival in Brighton way back in 2006. An outfit whose competing time signatures, cheeky lyricism, and penchant for melodies saw them develop a cult following of sorts, releasing three albums through Moshi Moshi. Vocalist-bassist Paul Rafferty adopted a heavier approach in his following band Bad Meds and has again changed tack with new solo outfit, Doomshakalaka. Listen to debut track 'Black Balloons' below.

Year In Review: FADED GLAMOUR Top Albums Of 2019

Words: Rajan Lakhani & Saam Das

If you thought you'd escaped another "best albums of 2019" list, then you thought wrong. We've collated our top albums of 2019 below, nipping it down to a lean fifteen, ordered alphabetically to avoid mummy and daddy fighting. Honourable mentions include the likes of Fontaine DC's fearsome 'Dogrel', Charli XCX's poptastic 'Charli', Thom Yorke's 'ANIMA', and Slipknot's visceral return 'We Are Not Your Kind'.

Exhibition Review: Rebel Sounds @ Imperial War Museum

Rebel Sounds (5 July 2019-5 January 2020) at Imperial War Museum, London // Words: Saam Das

"Is it okay to attack culture in order to win a war?" A fascinating question posed by London's Imperial War Museum to lead their Culture Under Attack season, comprising three central exhibitions alongside performances and talks, discussing attempts to erase and protect culture in modern war-time. One of three exhibitions, Rebel Sounds, uses case studies to highlight how music can be key in resisting oppression and sounding off (pun intended) against war.