The Bulletin: Arts & Culture News | 11 March

PUBLIC ENEMY: 25TH ANNIVERSARY VINYL BOX SET
It's been 25 years since Public Enemy first burst onto the world stage, redefining the parameters of hip-hop with new approaches to sampling and production by the legendary Bomb Squad, Chuck D's firebrand political consciousness, and Flavor Flav's consummate showmanship and natty clock necklaces. Militant, conscious and staggeringly inventive, they helped bring hip-hop to a mainstream audience with their epic world tours, seminal albums and often controversial public statements.

Chuck D is now regularly featured as a commentator on American news stations, bringing full circle his comment that hip-hop is "the black CNN." An activist for organisations such as the TransAfrica Forum, he has become hip-hop's elder statesman, a reminder of the days when world famous rappers had more to talk about than cars, girls and their swag. Hip-hop may have diverted from the literate, politically aware path that Chuck D. set it on, but the band remain one of the most influential rap groups in the history of the art form.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Public Enemy, the band's entire output on the label Def Jam is being collected and lovingly pressed onto 180-gram vinyl, and released as a six-LP box set. The set includes their seminal debut Yo! BumRush The Show, their two most revered albums, It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back and Fear Of A Black Planet, plus later albums Apocalypse '91... The Enemy Strikes Black, Muse Sick N' Hour Mess Age and He Got Game. We'll bring you details of how to pre-order as soon as they are available. The box set drops on 15 April. Believe the hype!

SOUL JAZZ TO RELEASE CHICAGO ACID COMPILATION
On April 2, the Soul Jazz label is set to release compilation looking back over the Chicago Acid House movement. Entitled Acid - Mysterons Invade The Jackin’ Zone: Chicago Acid and Experimental House 1986-1993, the compilation will feature tracks by acid house originators Phuture, Mr. Fingers, Farley 'Jackmaster' Funk, Acid Wash and Marshall Jefferson (as Virgo). While Detroit was perfecting the techno sound, their Chicago brethren were originating a new and intense form of Chi-house, featuring 808 drums, and the quintissential 303 basslines that came to define the sound. The deluxe double-album also includes a graphic novel by Italian artist Paulo Parisi.

ICEAGE TAKE NYC
Denmark's Iceage are on their way to world domination of the hardcore scene, currently destroying venues from Glasgow to New York with their brittle, excoriating brand of punk. We reviewed their recently released second album You're Nothing back in January. Now the band have released a short documentary about their trip to New York in January, including a live performance of the track Morals. 

NEW MODESELEKTOR DOCUMENTARY
Berlin's Modeselektor are no strangers to the Glasgow clubbing fraternity - regular guests at the city's Numbers club night over the years, their restlessly inventive fusions of techno, glitch, hip-hop, electro and anything else they feel like have earned them a reputation as one of the most interesting production units in electronic music. Now, a new documentary follows the duo on tour, and takes an intimate look behind the scenes of the duo's life and music. Watch the trailer below -- it is released in the UK on 6 May.

NEW MUSIC: RIVAL SCHOOLS, JOHN PARISH, XXXY, JAMES BLAKE & BRIAN ENO, CLINT MANSELL REMIXES THE FAUNS
Rival Schools' debut United By Fate came out in 2001, showcasing the band's post-hardcore sound and propelling them into the musical consciousness. After guitarist Ian Love's initial departure from the original incarnation of the band in 2003, they went on to record an album with former Helmet man Chris Traynor filling in, some of which was leaked online. It was never officially released, until now -- Found is due to be released on 9 April. The band have unveiled one track -- stream Indisposable Heroes below. 

John Parish, the songwriter who helped produce much of PJ Harvey's output, including the acclaimed Let England Shake, has a new album out on 15 April. Screenplay includes a track that Parish originally wrote for the film Little Black Spiders. LBS End Titles is the first track from the album to be revealed -- stream it below.

Much-hyped Manchester producer xxxy is prepping a new 12" for Ten Thousand Yen, a stark and minimal electro track with pulsing synths and a techno sensibility that more than justifies the wave of attention he's been getting recently from music bloggers worldwide. Listen below.

James Blake is prepping his new album for release -- Overgrown will be out on 8 April. To whet fans' appetites for the album, Blake has unveiled a track featuring a collaboration with pioneering synth artist and producer Brian Eno. Stream the track below. Eno also announced recently that he will have a release out for Record Store Day -- Warp Records will release a double a-side with Nicholas Jaar remixing Eno's LUX track, and Grizzly Bear's Sleeping Ute. 

Clint Mansell is better known these days for his soundtrack work, rather than his production chops - so it is a big even to see the former Pop Will Eat Itself front man coming out of retirement to remix a track for Bristol shoegazers The Fauns, signed to Geoff Barrow's Invada Records imprint. Mansell's remix can be heard in an exclusive stream over at The Quietus, along with an interview with Mansell. The remix will be released on Record Store Day. 

Finally, Australian 'world fusion' pioneers Dead Can Dance have unveiled a new track from current album Anastasis, which gets a deluxe re-release on 22 April. You can stream and download the track below.

NEW VIDEOS: THE KNIFE, BEACH HOUSE, MONOGANON, BRANDT BRAUER FRICK
According to their press release, The Knife's new video for the single Tooth For An Eye "deconstructs images of maleness, power and leadership," as a young girl leads a team of sports-obsessed men in a strange, feminine dance routine. Frankly, we're glad the Swedish duo are back -- when it comes to high-sheen electronic weirdness with ethereal vocals, they pretty much wrote the book. 

Baltimore dream-pop band Beach House have a new video out this week, and the star is Ray Wise, most famous as the father of Laura Palmer from David Lynch's Twin Peaks. Wise performs what must be the weirdest half-time show ever. 

Glasgow's Monoganon are the latest signings to Fence Records, and the first act to be announced as headliners at this year's Gnome Game event. We've got an exclusive competition to win VIP tickets to Gnome Game -- check the site for details. Their album F A M I L Y is out later in the year, but the band have unveiled the first single and video from it now -- watch the kitty-assisted Quick Crescent Moon below. It includes an interview with band leader John B. McKenna, and a preview of more new material from the fothcoming album.

Berlin-based electronic trio Brandt Brauer Frick are coming to Glasgow on 19 March to play at Cottiers, and then on to Manchester to play Islington Mill on 20 March. Their album Miami (reviewed here) is out today, and you can stream it in full below. Also unveiled this week is their new video for Plastic Like Your Mother, featuring Om'Mas Keith, part of the Sa'Ra collective, and collaborator with artists such as Talib Kweli.  

FESTIVAL WATCH: SNOOP DOGG FOR T IN THE PARK, LOUNGE ON THE FARM, INDIETRACKS, BRIGHTON FESTIVAL, PLAYGROUND
T-in-The-Park (12-14 July) just got a little more exciting with the announcement that Snoop Dogg is to play a headline set. It's the festival's 20th anniversary this year, so expect more big names added to the bill as the festival approaches. Full lineup and details here.

Looking at some of the more boutique festivals on offer this Summer, the Lounge On The Farm Festival (16-28 July), which takes place on a farm near Canterbury, has a few gems on its lineup already: they welcome Seasick Steve, Soul II Soul, David Rodigan, Marshall Jefferson, DJ Format, Dub Pistols and many more. Lineup and tickets here.

The Indietracks Festival (26-28 July) takes place in Derbyshire, and as the name suggests, focuses mainly on guitar bands. The headliners announced so far include Bis and Camera Obscura. Details and tickets here.

The Brighton Festival (4-26 May) is a music and arts event, this year curated by poet and children's author Michael Rosen. Music acts confirmed so far include The Flaming Lips, Sinead O'Connor, Apparat and Sam Lee.

Going back to the big boys, the Playground Festival (7-8 June) have already confirmed synth legend Gary Numan, Booka Shade, Vitalic, Pantha Du Prince and Model 500, alongside DJ sets from the likes of Kavinsky, James Lavelle, Derrick May, Lapalux and many more. The festival takes place at Brixton Academy. Details and tickets here. 

Finally, the Lomond Folk Festival (26-28 July) is taking place at Moss o'Balloch, West Dunbartonshire, and will feature live performances from folk stalwarts such as Shooglenifty and Wolfstone. For a full lineup and tickets, check here.  

TRAILERS: STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS, RAPTUREPALOOZA
Trailers now, and there's a new, all-action preview for the hotly-anticipated sci-fi sequel Star Trek: Into Darkness. Cumberbatch fans will have to make do with a single, supercilious raised eyebrow in this trailer, but there's plenty more to be going on with: banter between Kirk and Bones as they get up to some high-jinks on an alien planet, big mad space battles, Simon Pegg as Scotty looking bemused, and lots of stuff exploding.

 

Rapturepalooza meanwhile is a delightfully silly romp, giving the apocalypse the rom-com treatment. Laugh! As a young couple drive through an inconvenient shower of human blood. Guffaw! As cute animals posessed by hellspawn do comedy swears. Giggle! As Craig Robinson delivers a nuanced performance as the Anti-christ. So bad it's good, or merely a Meet The Spartans-style ensemble comedy without any decent jokes? You decide.