I’m not going to lie. I’m a huge Coldplay fan, despite the fact that they haven’t produced anything half decent since 2005’s X&Y, minus a couple of gems here and there in singles form.
Unlike a lot of writers, I’m not going to say they sold out, or that Chris Martin became too full of himself, or that the band just got so big they forgot where they came from and that glorious warm sound of their “Shiver” era. Rather, they just evolved into a musical group I could no longer enjoy.
In any case, this latest offering lives up to its name, and shows promise for their upcoming album Ghost Stories, slated to be released on May 19th.
Mark Zito, better known as Fractures, is an up and coming electronic musician from Melbourne, Australia. He first grabbed my attention several months back after his single “Twisted” was featured by MrSuicideSheep, one of YouTube’s most subscribed to electronic music pages. The exposure did well for Fractures, who now has over a quarter of a million plays on Souncloud for this track alone. Now garnering the attention and approval of of heavy hitters like the Guardian and Gotye, Fractures is indeed on the brink of many great things, and is a sure artist to be watching for this year with the release of his upcoming EP.
Fractures as a sound is not the easiest thing to describe or explain; Zito’s multilayered approach to songwriting is smooth, relaxed yet melancholy, and always feels like it’s reaching for something the heart desires. With compelling lyrics that touch on the loneliness, unrequited love and other topics of the human condition, Fractures’ combination of electronic chillwave, dreamy pop vibes and lush warm vocals come together and create some of the most pleasing soundscapes I have heard of late.
Listen to this podcast of a phone conversation I had with Mark, discussing his new fandom, thoughts on new music, arrested development and favourite superpowers.
Besides the fact that this guy looks like a rounder, friendlier version of Gustavo Fring – I’m finding myself drawn to this TED talk for so many reasons.
2013, a time when most people in a social setting can be seen together, sitting, not speaking – smiling vacantly at a glowing spot by their crotch from under the table. Depressing but true! The last time I forgot my phone and went out I felt a gaping hole not being able to reach out to the Internet world and search for a meme that would add to the present conversation. My pockets never felt so empty. With smartphones there comes this big social cost, and more people are recognizing the shame of it, not living in the moment and opting for a handheld version of spending time with others. Last month a YouTube video called “I Forgot My Phone” caused waves on the Internet, a sad portrait of a woman’s day shadowed by gadgets and technology.
At the same time, this speech makes some valid points in favour for how social interaction is evolving in a different way.
In 14 minutes, linguist John McWhorter tears down the notion that the casual language of texting has ruined literacy, and has created a generation of young people who just don’t “get” the idea of how to communicate with each other. Rather than that, it’s created a new form of literacy that will undoubtedly evolve in broader and more subtle ways.
