The Big Chill - Brixton Academy

The entire Academy has been converted into a pulsating vibrant mix up of energy and sounds. Usually the entrance is just an intermediate place between getting into the building and into the arena, but tonight there is a food stall, loads of tribal decorations and thumping rhythms playing upstairs by numerous DJs throughout the night. In the main hall the walls are awash with surreal projected patterns which are accompanied by the ambient vibes emanating from the musicians sat in the darkness of the stage. The first act on are a poor cheesy attempt at lounge core ‘50s style musing that just fails to captivate, so we decide to go for a wander. We discover some more cheese floating around upstairs in a dimly lit corridor where you could get a personal head massage?! The whole place was very festival like and naturally quite laidback (think pilled up) though however some people were still up for a full on blitz out. Such as the shouts of abuse when Talvin Singh came on to play a chilled down Eastern ambient set because it wasn’t heavy enough. All in all it was an eclectic mix of forefront dance acts. Jason & Jim.G

From Issue 1082

7th Mar 1997

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White Nights

Books

White Nights

Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s short novella revolving around loneliness, unrequited love,  and dreams still resonates with our society today.  The nameless narrator of White Nights, a lonely young man, meets Nastenka, a young woman with whom he forms a strong relationship,  yet  they  promise to  keep it friendly rather than romantic.

By Dariga Atayeva