Enseignement du français. Green Man festival review – mesmerising and otherworldly. At Green Man, the bucolic grounds unfurl to reveal a multisensory playground of literature, visual art and performance.
You can find eclectic delights in every corner, and BBC Radio 6 Music-friendly fortysomethings navigate the spotless, hill-ringed site with similar fervour to the many infants that roam freely. Between stalls offering Japanese kumihimo braiding, tree ring printing and candle wax powered boats, the only gripe you could have is that you may miss more than you will see. Oh, and there’s the music, too. In its 17-year history, Green Man has progressively twisted its folky image into exciting and intriguing new shapes, perhaps best displayed this year by the top billing of Four Tet. His face-melting, rippling left-field electronica turns his Saturday night headline slot into a mega-party that confidently dispels the idea that Green Man can’t large it up. The other main-stage headliners prove otherworldly, too. Cub Sport ft Mallrat, the Rubens, Dyson Stringer Cloher: best Australian music for August. Cub Sport featuring Mallrat – Video For fans of: Jhené Aiko, the xx, minimalist Kanye A downtempo and glassy ode to tortured longing.
The warped vocals, autotuned within an inch of their lives at certain points, recall Kanye’s divisive 808s & Heartbreaks record, while the heartbroken chorus could have slotted nicely on to Drake’s new Care Package. As with all of Cub Sport’s music, sex is an integral ingredient here – in this case, it comes sepia-stained and bathed in the fog of memory, as he thinks about love once made, and a video documenting the same. That he’s thinking about the video rather than watching it hints at a pain so present that any visual reminders are best kept obscured by faulty memory.
For more: Check out Cub Sport’s self-titled album, out now. Wave Racer featuring Kwame – Summer Rain For fans of: Chance the Rapper, Tyler, the Creator, Cardi B Who’d have thought a Liam Neeson reference would open one of the most thrilling hip-hop tracks of the year? Clews – Hollywood. Best albums of 2019 so far. Big Thief – UFOF Anchored by sturdy, stunningly pretty folk-rock backings, Adrianne Lenker, her voice tremulous but tenacious, makes existential musings amid verdant nature.
What we said: “Full of subtle charm, it’s an album of deceptive depths in which to immerse yourself.” Read the full review Cass McCombs – Tip of the Sphere The Californian troubadour, who has steadily wound his way through the fringes of Americana and indie for over 15 years, delivers another romantic, faintly psychedelic masterpiece. What we said: “McCombs rewards deep listening. The Comet Is Coming – Trust in the Life Force of the Deep Mystery With as much an affinity with hip-hop and progressive rock as jazz, the trio of reeds player Shabaka Hutchings, synth player Dan Leavers and drummer Max Hallett make one of the most cosmic statements of the current British jazz revival.
What we said: “This is hardcore music for a generation weaned on rave and grime, jazz’s cutting edge. Dave – Psychodrama Dawn – New Breed. Bibliothèque numérique romande - Association Les Bourlapapey. Club lecture n° 107, Mémoires d'Hadrien de Marguerite Yourcenar. Les membres du CERCLE qui avaient lu et adoré « Mémoires d’Hadrien » dès sa sortie dans les années 80, voulaient le relire et vérifier s’ils retrouvaient leur enthousiasme de lecture.
Pour les autres, ce fut une découverte de ce roman-culte des années 70 écrit par une franco-belge, 1ère femme à entrer sous la Coupole, surnommée la « Grande Marguerite » par l’une d’entre nous, par opposition à une autre non moins célèbre Marguerite mais plus controversée. Objectif atteint : ce roman reste pour les membres du Cercle à peu d’exceptions un roman de référence (aspect historique, écriture) : Mémoires d’Hadrien ou la solitude d’un homme.
Quand Marguerite Yourcenar a entrepris « Mémoires d’Hadrien », elle n’a pas choisi n’importe quel personnage.