The Bulletin: Arts & Culture Roundup | 19 July

FESTIVAL WATCH: WE REVIEW T IN THE PARK & KELBURN GARDEN PARTY, AND TAKE A LOOK AT WICKERMAN & DOUNE THE RABBIT HOLE
As the summer festival season rolls on, we've posted reviews of the big daddy of the Scottish circuit, T in the Park, which saw revellers descend on Balado in Kinross last weekend for three days of music and madness, including sets from electronic innovators Kraftwerk, Odd Future star Tyler the Creator, ex-Beta Band agent provocateur Steve Mason, and shoegaze pioneers My Bloody Valentine among others. Read our take on the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the event. Below, you can see some highlights from the T Break stage.

We also sent our roving reporters along to boutique festival Kelburn Garden Party, where they caught sets by Conquering Animal Sound, Hidden Orchestra and Hector Bizerk, amongst many others – read our full review here.

As the sun continues to blaze down on Scotland, the parties aren't over yet – coming up this weekend is the Wickerman Festival (26-27 Jul), with Primal Scream headlining, and a wealth of local talent in support. Highlights of the lineup this year include Nile Rodgers and his band Chic, The Enemy, Admiral Fallow, Holy Esque, Dave Clarke, Kissy Sell Out, Casual Sex, TeKlo, and many more. Details and tickets here.

Next month, we can look forward to Doune The Rabbit Hole (22-25 Aug), featuring PAWS, Meursault, Rick Redbeard, Washington Irving, Stealing Sheep, Nevada Base, Rachel Sermanni, Randolph's Leap, and recently announced additions Venetian Snares, Miaoux Miaoux, and Hector Bizerk. Details and tickets here.

THOM YORKE VS. SPOTIFY
One of the big stories in the music world this week was Thom Yorke's decision to pull music from his solo album, and his recent venture as Atoms For Peace, off the music streaming service Spotify. His Atoms For Peace band-mate and producer Nigel Godrich also removed all work by his band Ultraísta. 

Godrich had some stern words to say about Spotify, and the deal it offers emerging artists. "We're off of Spotify. Can't do that no more man - small meaningless rebellion. Someone gotta say something. It's bad for new music. The reason is that new artists get paid fuck all with this model. It's an equation that just doesn't work. The music industry is being taken over by the back door and if we don't try and make it fair for new music producers and artists then the art will suffer. Make no mistake. These are all the same old industry bods trying to get a stranglehold on the delivery system."

Yorke also chimed in, saying: "Make no mistake new artists you discover on Spotify will not get paid. meanwhile shareholders will shortly being rolling in it." Yorke came in for criticism, however, with noted indie producer Stephen Street commenting: "Bit rich coming from Thom Yorke that Spotify doesn't work for new artists. It's exactly what I said when Radiohead made their album available for free/pay what you want a few years back. Suits superstars with 10 years of EMI investment behind them. It didn't help new upcoming artists at all. Gave the wrong message that music had no value. It's bitten you on the arse Thom!"

Yorke responded to Street, commenting: "For me In Rainbows was a statement of trust, people still value new music. That's all we'd like from Spotify – don't make us the target." Yorke's comments were followed just days later by another announcement from his camp, declaring their new venture with online music and video streaming service soundhalo. The service was described in a press release as "a new platform bringing high quality video and audio footage of live performances straight to your smartphone and desktop." The band's upcoming shows at London's Roundhouse will be available via the service. 

Although focusing on live performance rather than the streaming of tracks from the back catalogue of a band, the aims of soundhalo and Spotify do not seem to be wildly divergent. As to the deal offered to Yorke and co. by soundhalo, one can only speculate. The service has previously worked with bands such as Alt-J to livestream gigs. Nonetheless, the timing of Yorke and Godrich's Spotify rebellion does seem somewhat coincidental, given its proximity to their soundhalo announcement. 

What do you think? Do subscription streaming sites offer a fair deal for artists? Are they a decent way of encountering new music, or do they cater to nostalgia and mediocrity? Let us know in the comments below, and look out for Part 2 of our Paradigm Shift series of features in August, which examines the massive changes rocking the music industry, the changes in the way music is delivered, and how artists are paid.

DAVID LYNCH: MAKING THE BIG DREAM
The Big Dream, the evocative, hypnotic new electro-blues album from filmmaker and artist David Lynch, was awarded a whopping five stars by our reviewer (read the review here) last month. With Lynch recently commenting that he may abandon film for television, and his increasing fascination with music after the success of debut album Crazy Clown Time, it seems like the venerated artist and cultural icon is undergoing something of a creative renaissance, examining his motives, his approaches and his relationship with his audience. 

In this fascinating 'behind the scenes' documentary about the making of The Big Dream, we see Lynch in the studio with collaborator and producer Dean Hurley, and get a fascinating insight into his approach to sound design, his remarkable guitar technique, and his self-confessed nervousness about singing. 

ON TOUR: THESE NEW PURITANS, THE OUTER CHURCH, DAUGHN GIBSON
Some updates about bands and artists on tour near you – first up, London art-rockers These New Puritans, touring in support of their recent album Field of Reeds. They'll be hitting the road in October, playing Manchester's Gorilla on 11 Oct, and Glasgow's Oran Mor on 17 Oct. Here's their latest video.

Experimental electronic and progressive music collective The Outer Church are embarking on a short Summer tour (sadly, no dates in Scotland this time). The collective, which includes Pye Corner Audio and Kemper Norton, will be coming to Kraak in Manchester on 3 Aug, with a bill including VHS Head, Harem, The Wyrding Module, and the aforementioned Kemper Norton. To catch Pye Corner Audio, you'll have to head along to their date in Brighton – details on their Tumblr.

Sub Pop star Daughn Gibson is also on tour – we recently reviewed his album Me Moan (read it here). His deeply experimental, electronica-influenced show will be coming through Manchester's Deaf Institute on 2 Sep, and Glasgow's Broadcast on 3 Sep. His latest video is below. 

NEW VIDEOS: DAVID BOWIE, EELS, BLUE DAISY, ZEBRA KATZ, BANG DIRTY
A quick round-up of new videos from the past fortnight – David Bowie is back with another, this time less controversy-baiting video from his acclaimed album The Next Day. The video for Valentine's Day sees him simply playing guitar in a warehouse. Minimalistic! 

Eels also have a new video out, taken from their album Wonderful, Glorious. In the clip, lead singer E becomes an alcholic clown. It's pretty much the coolest thing we've seen from the band in the wake of their latest album. 

Blue Daisy, the Black Acre-signed rapper and producer behind classic 2011 album The Sunday Gift, has released an updated version of his track Used To Give A Fuck, along with a new video. It's the lead track from his new EP of the same name, now available via iTunes and other retailers. It's extremely NSFW, language-wise, so headphones on if you're at work!

Zebra Katz, the controversial and groundbreaking rapper from New York, is back with another minimal and hypnotic video from his recently-released Drklng mixtape.

And finally, a video from the Edinburgh hip-hop underground – Bang Dirty is the collaboration between producer Zambian Astronaut, rapper Mog, and Adam Holmes of The Embers. The track is taken from their album Everyone Out, released late last year.  

NEW MIXTAPE FROM BISHOP NEHRU
A final music recommendation for you this week – go and cop the new mixtape by hip-hop ingenue Bishop Nehru, the follow-up to his last, Nehruvia, which we recommended a few months back. Download the new ten-track mixtape, strictlyFLOWZ, below. Nehru supports hip-hop legends Wu-Tang Clan in Manchester on 25 Jul, at the Apollo.  

NORTH KOREAN PROPAGANDA VS. WESTERN PROPAGANDA
Originally picked up on by alt.culture blog Superchief.tv, this 95-minute video originated behind the border of the People's Republic of North Korea, and was passed to YouTube user Sabine by two dubious North Koreans claiming to be 'defectors' from the regime. Over the course of the film, various subjects are examined, from the power of Western advertising to our 'cult of celebrity,' taking in media personalities from Michael Jackson to Paris Hilton, from various Hollywood stars to vapid clothes horse Kim Kardashian.

Sabine immediately suspected that these 'defectors' were in fact agent provocateurs from the DPRK. In a statement, she says: "These people, who presented themselves as ‘defectors’ specifically targeted me because of my reputation as a translator and interpreter. Furthermore, I now believe these people work for the DPRK. The fact that I have continued to translate and post the film in spite of this belief does not make me complicit in their intention to spread their ideology. I chose to keep posting this film because – regardless of who made it – I believe people should see it because of the issues it raises."

A devastating critique of capitalist ideals, the Western celebrity fixation, and a thorough and convincing look at how these concepts can be used to enslave a population, the video is essential and controversial viewing – even if it does come from the propaganda department of a totalitarian regime. As Superchief.tv puts it, the film is about the use of "the tactics of fear and religion to manipulate the masses, as well as a complicit, paid-off media used by the the 1% to show you what they want you to see, and teach you what they want you to believe, from a very early age, while giving you colorful distractions to keep you from thinking about the bigger problems."