Crack Magazine

Fontaines D.C. are shedding their image as literary post-punks in favour of fantasy, love and extremity that defies over-analysis ❤️‍🔥⁠ ⁠ The band cover issue 156 of @crackmagazine .⁠ ⁠ @fontainesband have carved themselves a space by being smart, but not stuffy – literary, but also frenetic. Now they can afford to try being neither, or both, as they please. The kaleidoscopic sprawl of ideas on their new record ‘Romance’ aren’t meant to sit neatly, or cohere, and yet somehow, when “funnelled through the cheese cloth that is this band” – guitarist Curley’s words – they do make a strange kind of sense. And this strange kind of sense is all that matters: to connect with a listener in a way that evades precise definition is what makes their poetry beautiful.⁠ ⁠ Read the interview in full at the link 🔗 in @crackmagazine ’s bio or pick up your copy of issue 156 now 📰⁠ ⁠ Words: Francis Blagburn @francis_george ⁠ Photography: Holly McCandless-Desmond @hmdfilm ⁠ Movement Director: Liam John Hill ⁠@liam_jhill Styling: Jordan Dean Schneider @jordandeanschneider ⁠ Makeup: Theresa Davies @theresamakeups ⁠ Hair: Mike O’Gorman @mikeogorman_ Art direction: Michelle Helena Janssen @michellehelenajanssen ⁠ Cover retouch: @solis_retouch_studio Inside story retouch: @retouchedbyadam

“I think art can be a floating neverland between people. Everybody can reach out and touch it.” - Grian Chatten⁠ ⁠ @fontainesband cover issue 156 of Crack Magazine. Read the full interview at the link 🔗 in bio, or pick up your copy now 📰⁠ ⁠ Words: Francis Blagburn @francis_george ⁠ Photography: Holly McCandless-Desmond @hmdfilm ⁠ Movement Director: Liam John Hill ⁠ Styling: Jordan Dean Schneider @jordandeanschneider ⁠ Makeup: Theresa Davies @theresamakeups ⁠ Hair: Mike O’Gorman @mikeogorman ⁠ Art direction: Michelle Helena Janssen @michellehelenajanssen ⁠

“You’re asked a lot about what you’re reading and what inspired the record, and you do your best to answer and think about those things, [but] it stops feeling like yours, you know what I mean? It starts to feel like ‘Album time, I better get into a new poet.’ I think I cleared the cache of those inspirations a bit for this and I started to think about the whole thing from a slightly different perspective.” - Grian Chatten ⁠ ⁠ @fontainesband cover issue 156 of Crack Magazine. Read the full interview at the link 🔗 in bio, or pick up your copy now 📰⁠ ⁠ Words: Francis Blagburn @francis_george ⁠ Photography: Holly McCandless-Desmond @hmdfilm ⁠ Movement Director: Liam John Hill ⁠ Styling: Jordan Dean Schneider @jordandeanschneider ⁠ Makeup: Theresa Davies @theresamakeups ⁠ Hair: Mike O’Gorman @mikeogorman ⁠ Art direction: Michelle Helena Janssen @michellehelenajanssen ⁠ ⁠

Block9’s NYC Downlow is Glastonbury’s most mystical after-dark space and, though it’s open for just five days a year, one of the UK’s most infamous queer clubs. Modelled on a warehouse in New York’s meatpacking district circa 1982, the spot has carved out a space for sweaty hedonism and unfiltered self-expression since Gideon Berger and Stephen Gallagher first opened its doors in 2007. Suffice to say, Worthy Farm has not been the same since. This year’s line-up featured Confidence Man, Prosumer, Tama Sumo & Lakuti, Nat Wendell, Block9 founder GIDEÖN and many more, with surprise sets from Cyndi Lauper and Jessie Ware adding to the feeling of serendipitous spontaneity we’ve come to expect from the space. Downlow also introduced its first-ever day party from 2pm, headlined by François K alongside favourites Dungeon Meat and Sean McCabe. So, what really goes on behind the door (and notoriously long queue) at the Downlow? Hit the link 🔗 in bio to see the sweat, glamour and outrageous outfits in all their glory. Photography: @courteneyfrisby

Detroit has housed several generations of innovators since the storied days of the Belleville Three, from Underground Resistance to DJ Assault and DJ Godfather. But there are voices that have been frequently overlooked in the creation of Detroit’s origin stories – the scene’s women and LGBTQ+ artists. DJ Minx (real name Jennifer Witcher) has fought to correct this wrong, by championing artists from this vital, vibrant part of Detroit’s musical makeup. Now, in 2024, a new generation of queer, Black and femme artists are pushing boundaries in their own ways – making good on the legacy that Witcher helped forge. At the forefront is DJ Holographic (real name Ariel Corley), who has come to represent the face of Detroit’s future. Her sets – rooted in the city’s history, but taking influence from R&B, funk, disco, Motown and far beyond – have seen her play some of dance music’s most influential clubs, from Good Room in NYC to Panorama Bar in Berlin. Crack sat down with these two respective leaders of their generations to chat about Detroit’s past, the enduring legacy of techno within its Black culture, and Detroit’s bright, femme future. Read the full conversation at the link 🔗 in bio

You can vote in the UK election tomorrow at your local polling station from 7am to 10pm. With the polls predicting a landslide win for Labour, this election could very likely see the end to fourteen years of Conservative government. If you’re not sure who to vote for, head to www.tactical.vote to see how to vote tactically in your constituency. This year Glastonbury’s @block9official collaborated with British fashion designer @katharinehamnett on a series of posters and slogan t-shirts urging people to vote. These colourful prints highlighted some of the most pressing issues to consider when deciding who to vote for, such as the freedom to protest, affordable housing and saving the NHS. Don’t feel disenchanted. Go out and make your voice heard. You can research the policies of your local candidate, vote tactically, choose an independent candidate or vote for a greener, more left wing party.

Keeping pace with @alcatrazzz , the producer and DJ crafting a new, Euro trance for Berlin.

Future-facing @flowfestivalhelsinki returns to Finland this August. The festival is known for its avant-garde appeal, spotlight rising acts like @clarissa.connelly and @crystallmess alongside established artists in genres ranging from alt-pop to Afrobeats. ⁠ ⁠ Read @crackmagazine ’s full #festivalguide at the link 🔗 in their bio.

In Photos: the people of @thisisgala ‘24 🎪⁠ ⁠ Across three days over the May bank holiday, this year’s GALA programme focused heavily on electronic music, bringing together legendary acts alongside rising stars. ⁠ ⁠ The 2024 edition of GALA brought another stellar line-up to Peckham Rye Park, cementing its place as an arbiter of joyful, diverse music within London’s festival circuit. Having begun as a day festival in 2016, it’s grown to become one of the most circled dates in the UK capital’s calendar. ⁠ ⁠ 📸 @___hannahburton ⁠ ⁠ Read our review of the 5 key performances from the event at the link 🔗 in bio.

With the expansive, meditative jazz of her new album ‘Rising’, Leeds-born saxophonist and bandleader @jasminemyramusic is swimming against the current of the modern world. So far her work has represented a settling into her own creativity, but as she leans into her identity as a composer, Myra sees herself writing for bigger ensembles, perhaps developing immersive lights and visuals for her live shows. “I’d like to get to the point where we’re performing my music but it’s about the whole atmosphere – where it creates an entire world.” Words: Emily Bootle Photography: Derrik Read the interview, taken from issue 156, at the link 🔗 in bio.

During @jamesblake ’s Glastonbury set @santandave made a surprise appearance to perform their song ‘Both Sides of a Smile’ ❤️‍🔥

@littlesimz takes the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 💥⁠ ⁠ 📸 Moment captured by @khaliphotography