Alex Gendler / 03 Jun 2023

Aryan Aztlan

The Bizarre World of Aztec NSBM

When eight people were gunned down at a Texas outdoor mall in May by a guy with a swastika tattoo and a social media account full of racist rants, it seemed like a pretty clear-cut case of far-right terrorism.(...)
Charlie Bertsch / 31 May 2023

The Better 1990s

Bettie Serveert’s Palomine

As I stumbled into the kitchen to turn on the coffee pot, the world outside the window painfully bright, I suddenly heard the voice of Bettie Serveert’s Carol van Dijk in my head: “Down under lock and key/There’s a brain tag to every secret”. I just couldn’t figure out why.(...)

Charlie Bertsch / 05 May 2023

The Long 1980s

Molchat Doma in America

When Belorussian dark wave band Molchat Doma began to play their viral TikTok hit Судно at their recent Tucson, Arizona show, I looked out over the tightly packed crowd filling the floor in front of me and was struck by how happy and how diverse it was, from race to age to fashion.(...)

Charlie Bertsch / 05 Apr 2023

Turkish Future Past

Aşk, by Altin Gün

There are far worse things than sounding like a B-movie soundtrack from the 1970s. But when you combine that aesthetic with excellent musicianship and a willingness to experiment, the results are bound to bring pleasure.(...)

Charlie Bertsch / 23 Mar 2023

All About the Heimat

Music as Politics in 1980s Germany

Teenagers were milling about. Bright colours shot off the portable mirror ball. The DJ stepped up to his console to cue the first track.(...)

Charlie Bertsch / 15 Mar 2023

Socialist Realism Done Right

Sleaford Mods’ UK Grim

If the UK had gone in a different direction over the past decade, if its leaders had remembered the people who slaved to make it great, Sleaford Mods might have become one of those novelty acts that disappear from view after a song or two.(...)

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