The Bulletin: Arts & Culture News | 12 June

CROWDFUND THE MO' WAX ARCHIVE PROJECT
One of the quintissential labels of the 90s, which helped to define the emergent sound of 'trip-hop' by releasing the early work of artists like DJ Shadow, DJ Krush and Dr. Octagon, James Lavelle's Mo' Wax label is 21 years old this year. To celebrate, they've launched a campaign on Kickstarter to fund a retrospective exhibition of artwork, record sleeves and original vinyls, celebrating the label's influential legacy. The exhibition will be titled Urban Archaeology, and will take place in London, with plans for it to tour if enough money is raised.

The label was inspired by a 'cocktail of influences' ranging 'from Star Wars and Def Jam to Japanese Manga art,' according to the campaign blurb. It was, however, 'quintissentially British,' with artwork being created by graphic designer Ben Drury, and visual contributions from artists including Massive Attack's Robert '3D' Del Naja. Watch the trailer for the campaign below, and get involved – there are a range of rewards on offer for supporters, ranging from a name on the wall at the exhibition for small donations, right up to signed vinyls, limited edition screen prints and other goodies. Keep up with the campaign on Facebook and Twitter, and visit the campaign page on Kickstarter for more info.

Lavelle, who was just 18 when he founded the label in 1992 with Tim Goldsworthy, commented on his involvement: "I was really young and it was like I’d been given the keys to an F1 McLaren without ever having a driving license. I drove it fast for years, but eventually, inevitably, you’re gonna wrap it around a tree." Now is the ideal time for a retrospective, according to Lavelle: "Recently the team unearthed unseen insights into the workings behind the label, including never seen before private notes, photographs and non-musical collaborations. Some of the stuff is incredible and it seems the perfect time to show the world." The exhibition will coincide with the re-release of Psyence Fiction, the debut album by Lavelle's U.N.K.L.E. project, which saw him collaborate with DJ Shadow and a whole host of others, including Thom Yorke, Mike D and Badly Drawn Boy.

SIGUR ROS ASK FANS: 'TELL US THE MEANING OF KVEIKUR'
Sigur Rós release the follow-up to last year's album, Valtari, on 17 June. The Icelandic post-rock titans have self-produced new LP Kveikur, with early reviews indicating a darker, more intense direction. Read our review here. From today, fans can stream the entire album in full at a special microsite set up by the band.  

The band have also launched a unique project for Kveikur, asking fans to listen to the album in full and then share 'what it makes them feel, see and imagine,' according to a press release. Fans' responses will be collected via Twitter, Vine and Instagram using the hashtag #kveikur, with the results already on show at the band's microsite. The band's Georg Hólm comments: "We always write the music first and listen to it later to work out what it might be about. That's how we come up with the words, by approaching the music without preconceptions and seeking meaning that was hidden from us at the point of creation. The music tells us what it is about."

Sigur Rós have a few festival dates in the UK this year – they play the Eden Project on 30 June, a special gig at Jodrell Bank in Manchester on 30 Aug, and then the End of the Road festival on 31 August, before setting off on an extensive tour of the USA, and returning to Europe and the UK in November. 

KRAFTWERK ANNOUNCE INTENT TO RECORD NEW LP 
In a rare interview for The Guardian, Kraftwerk's Ralf Hütter has announced that the band have already started work on a new album, officially their ninth, just weeks before the band bring their live show to T in the Park. Hütter also tells the newspaper that bringing the Kraftwerk show to other countries is much easier now they have moved from analogue to software equipment: "Nowadays basically Kraftwerk is a space lab: we can land anywhere as long as we have the projectors and the screens," he comments. Asked if there is a timeline for the completion of the new album, he responds: "Of course. It’s music non stop!" Read the interview in full here.  

NEW MUSIC: JAMES HOLDEN, BAT FOR LASHES & TOY, ITALIANS DO IT BETTER, THE JULIE RUIN, SONIC HEARTS FOUNDATION
Natasha Khan aka Bat for Lashes has unveiled her collaboration with psych rock outfit TOY, produced by Dan Carey. Together they recorded a version of Aroos Khanom by Iranian singer Amir Rassaie. The track, released on Carey's Speedy Wunderground imprint, sees Khan exploring much grittier vocal territory than on last album The Haunted Man (reviewed here). The single is out 1 July. 

A few weeks back we told you about the new release from Johnny Jewel's revered Italians Do It Better label – After Dark 2 features Jewel and his collaborators and friends, and showcases new tracks by Glass Candy, Chromatics and others. In a move that has now become somewhat customary for Jewel, the entire compilation is now free to download from his Soundcloud page for a limited time, as a single track.

The Julie Ruin were started a few years back by ex-Bikini Kill and Le Tigre front-woman Kathleen Hanna, and now they're planning to release their much-anticipated debut album. Run Fast is slated for release on 3 September. This week they shared a new track, Oh Come On. Named after Hanna's 1997 solo album, the band have been working on album tracks with producers including James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. 

Up-and-coming Glasgow band Sonic Hearts Foundation released their debut EP this week; you can download it for free until Monday (17 June). The intriguing five piece are featured in this month's Scottish edition of The Skinny as our New Blood band. Read our interview with them here.  

Finally, fearlessly inventive producer James Holden, founder of the Border Community label, releases his second album The Inheritors on 17 June. Read our review here. This week Holden has shared a DJ mix along with an interview over at Resident Advisor – check it out here.

SINGER/SONGWRITER COURSE LAUNCHED AT EDINBURGH'S ACADEMY OF MUSIC & SOUND
Edinburgh's Academy of Music and Sound have announced details of a new course, focusing on the skills of the singer/songwriter. The BTec Level 3 course will be the only one of its kind in the UK, with the focus on teaching the skills requred for writing, recording, producing and performing original music, touching on live performance, music theory, industry approaches and everything else required to get ahead in the competetive world of modern music. Weekly live shows and masterclasses from professional musicians are also a feature. On 26 June, the course will be launching at Edinburgh's City Cafe, with live performances from the Academy's students, and a very special headliner, to be revealed. Tickets are available from the Academy's base at 1 Grassmarket. 

NEW VIDEOS: BLACK SABBATH, POLICA & JUSTIN VERNON, DAVID LYNCH & LYKKE LI, COM TRUISE, EMIKA, FAT TONY FT. KOOL AD & DESPOT
Black Sabbath's much-anticipated new album 13 is out now – this week the band shared the first video from the album. The band are touring later this year, coming to Glasgow's Hydro on 16 December, and Manchester Arena on 18 Dec. 

Poliça have unveiled their collaboration with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. Their new album Shulamith is out later this year. The video for the Vernon collab is decidedly NSFW, with the band's Channy Leaneagh subjected to some nasty torture by... well, we won't give it away – watch below. 

A collaboration between David Lynch and Lykke Li, taken from Lynch's forthcoming album The Big Dream, now has a video – a desert road unfolds as Lykke Li sings, the sun slowly setting. It's strangely reminiscent of the title sequences in Lynch's Lost Highway. 

The new video from Com Truise is a live performance of the track Trying Times For The Indirect, a track he produced last year for Of Art & Artifice, an exhibition curated in NYC by Ghostly International. 

Emika's new album Dva (reviewed here) is out this week – it sees the Berlin-based artist collaborating with a Czech opera singer, and taking in electro, synth-pop and bass music alongside producer Hank Shocklee (of the legendary Bomb Squad). The video for Centuries is a darkly-hued, noirish fantasy.

And finally, the hilarious new video from rapper Fat Tony features guest verses from Das Racist co-founder and epic beard-wearer Kool AD, and diminutive, mic-slaying El-P associate Despot, both of whom turn in some fantastic bars. The video itself satirises Google Hangout, showing scenes from a New Year's party that goes seriously wrong. 

FESTIVAL WATCH: WICKERMAN ANNOUNCES GONORTH STAGE
The Wickerman Festival (26-27 Jul) has announced the lineup for this year's goNORTH stage, curated by the organisers of the annual goNORTH Scottish industry showcase. The lineup includes hip-hop duo Hector Bizerk, also playing T in the Park's T-Break stage this year, and ramshackle post-punkers Casual Sex (who we recently profiled here), along with folk rock hopefuls Three Blind Wolves, Prides, and Be Like Pablo, plus Dutch beatboxer and electronic artist MAASK.

Also joining the bill are Blood Relatives, Friend in America, Pinact, Arches, Lidh,  Eugene Twist, The Deadline Shakes, Plastic Animals and The Velveteen Saints, The Yawns, The OK Social Club, Garden of Elks, Book Group, Alarm Bells, Willie Campbell and Jemma Tweedie. Details and tickets here.