Haldern Pop

Haldern Pop festival may not take place in this country, but it really speaks for the subculture that I've been looking into, and it would be the best place to talk about. What I love about this festival is that it seems to be about to music and the setting, and less about making money and the material aspect of a festival, this really speaks for my subculture as that’s what I feel it’s all about, not caring about money or material things and more about what we have already. It seems to have taken festivals back to what they used to be about, apposed to the normal money making festivals we get in the UK. Haldern Pop is set in Germany, the type of people that attend really care about music, the music is folky rock, stuff you can chill. Nothing to heavy nothing with too much beat, just the music you can listen to and drown yourself in.

Here is one of the videos they posted up on the website of the festival, it gives us a feel of what the festival is about...

Interview with the one.

This girl is my best friend and my soul mate, so I'll always look up to her... Miss Louise King seemed to be the best person to interview to work out whats behind this mixed up sub-culture.

It's not that I don't already know enough about you is it?
No... in fact I think you probably know everything about me...
Why am I interviewing you again? I could just do it myself... no wait that's not the point...
(Laughs) Go ahead then..
Right I'll start of easy... Favourite animal and why?
Well that'll have to be a bear, a panda bear. They look loveable but are at the same time tough, they seem pretty chilled not really a care in the world. I think I'ld like that.
I know I would... Okay what do you do in your spare time?
Spare time, I only get weekends off and then you are back from uni so you are always here! Actually to be fair I love going for long walks...
...I know this you always ask for me to come with you!
Yeah well it's good, clears the head, get to have a chat, better than being stuck inside doing sweet fuck all but watching 4od.
True that! Okay dream place to live?
Well either back home in Jersey or somewhere by the beach. Somewhere where I don't have to worry about how busy it is...
I kinda like places that are busy, where loads of things are going on.  I wouldn't mind a quiet weekend right now though. Dream job?
The one I have right now... Not. I wish I didn't have to work. Just go with the flow.
I bloody miss having a job, grass is always greener Louise! I have no job so all I do is eat... Would you mind having a fat best friend?
I guess I could live with it, clothes shopping would be annoying.
Yeah I need a job. Anyway favourite music? 
I love stuff that brings back memories, and I love the old motown classics can't go wrong there. Nothing too heavy just something enjoyable I guess.
Back to clothes, do the clothes you wear reflect who you are? 
I guess so, but I guess it does for everyone... I wear long skirts and small tops, what does that say?
We look the same?
Standard, I guess I like to give off a feeling that I'm carefree and pretty happy, because I am.
Well thank you Louise it has been a pleasure, as always... See you tomorrow?
It was my pleasure... and yeah probs.

Gisele Bundchen - Vogue Paris April 2011

Here is a recent spread from Paris Vouge showing up to date fashion of my subculture...

Upset The Rhythm - Spaghetti Tree

On the first weekend of April I attended Upset The Rhythm - Spaghetti Tree. April Fools' Day is often at this time, well in fact it's always on the 1st April, so Upset The Rhythm cleverly entitled this 48 hour spectacular Spaghetti Tree in homage to the 1957 Panorama broadcast which fooled the nation.  Spaghetti Tree took place in Peckham Rye's old cricket bat factory, The Bussey Building, Which may I say was a great location, it was over several floors and it really fitted well with the jams that were being held here, it was kinda creepy but with a homely feel to it. 

On Friday 1 April they had artists such as Dan Deacon, John Maus, PLUG, Munch Munch and Design A Wave. On the Saturday things really got down and dirty with... No Age, Japanther, Ducktails, Ignatz, Please, Peepholes, Hygiene, Woolf, Smack Wizards and Eternal Fags all performing across the space's several rooms. 

Here is a track from one of the favourite acts I saw (Ducktails)...

How To Dress Well - Love Remains

Some albums change your view on how albums should be made, How To Dress Well did this for me 100%, the slow jams and the harsh but mellow distortion blend into one, I don't think there is an album that is like this out at the moment. What really gives this album something is the gospel like voice of the lead singer, it moves with the music so well, the voice is distorted and mumbled to fit with the tripped out psych beats of each song, it gives a sense that he doesn't really need to know the words of the song, he can mumble them and the song will be just as powerful and meaningful. As one YouTube comment says "It's like My Bloody Valentine & Sigur Ros had some secret, bastard love child with some R&B artist". This music really comes from inside. 


If you want to here more of their music check out the How To Dress Well blog at http://howtodresswell.blogspot.com

Baths - Cerulean

I go on about this album enough, and I've pretty much brought it in every format possible, so I think it's time I wrote about it.

Sit back and make this album rinse through your skin, it's something unreal. You can't really put you're finger one what this album does, maybe it's the atmospheric sounds, it sort of cuts you off from the world around you. It has a huge escapism feel to it, listening to the song 'Animals' alone brings back childhood memories, something that I think is truly intoxicating in an album. This type of genre which I'm going to call chill-step (or chill-wave) has opened my eyes to music.