 | What do ex Police commissioner, Bheki Cele, Minister of Mineral Resources, Susan Shabangu and Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa have in common… Sounds like the intro to a joke, but it’s not. They’ve all publicly shared some hardened, militant sentiments when it comes to the policing of this country. Since 2006, we have seen state security gradually turn away from the vision of a community police service to a brutal, militarised police force. ...read more |
The Legacy of Shoot to Kill
Monday, February 27th, 2012 by Lindokuhle Nkosi
The Dagga Couple
Friday, February 24th, 2012 by Max Barashenkov
 | A few months ago, we stumbled upon a peculiar duo, Jules Stobbs and Myrtle Clarke, who have taken upon themselves a rather Sisyphean quest of legalizing marijuana in South Africa. At first, we dismissed them as middle-aged stoners, but the two have managed to get their case into the High Court and are gathering momentum. Perhaps local ganja fiends finally have worthy champions? We figured it would be a good idea to ask the duo, flying the colours of ‘The ...read more |
Information is the new Breathing
Thursday, February 23rd, 2012 by Phumlani Pikoli, images by Joshua Schave
 | Atmosphere are easily one of the foundations of my musical childhood. One of the points of no return you reach in musical taste. Slug, a story telling rapper matched by very few, made me feel hungover and disorientated in some or other woman’s bed every morning when I woke up to go to school. The albums I listened to were much like novels to me at the time. I would get lost in the world of the promiscuous alcoholic performer researching ...read more |
Blk to the Future
Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012 by James Sey, illustration by Alastair Laird
 | Kitchener’s in Braamfontein has been a building site for a very long time. Longer, I’m sure, than was promised to the nice new arty tenants. If you go there during the day when there’s no action happening, it’s full of characters who would be necking Lion Lager if SAB still made it, and who look like they know the difference between the Central Hotel and the Royal Hotel (clue: one of them is in Boksburg). But by night it becomes ...read more |
The Turntable is a Percussive Instrument
Tuesday, February 21st, 2012 by Ts'eliso Monaheng
 | Sibot, aka Simon Ringrose has become one of the cornerstones of the electronic music scene in South Africa. Alongside the likes of Felix Laband and Markus Wormstorm, he introduced a dynamic sound which continues to cause ripples through numerous acts who all allude to being directly influenced by his music. Relentless in his pursuit of the next thing, Sibot has proven time and again that innovation is first and foremost in his creation process. We visited his studio to discuss ...read more |
The King’s Jam
Monday, February 20th, 2012 by Dave Durbach
 | A music festival little known outside Mozambique’s borders celebrated an incredible 117 years of existence last week. In Marracuene, 30km north of Maputo, Gwaza Muthini offers a fleeting glimpse into the last days of Africa’s kings of old. ...read more |
An Open Letter To Untamed Entertainment
Friday, February 17th, 2012 by Max Barashenkov, images by JJ Van Rooyen
 | How Hardcore Almost Died Dear Bradleigh Swenson We all bleed for the music we love in our own little ways. Some of us play in bands and sleep on empty stomachs. Some of us take photos or design flyers for free. Some host radio shows to promote their chosen sounds, others scribble on the Internet. Of the myriad of genres, niches and scenes, the local hardcore/metal sandbox is perhaps the smallest, yet it’s fiercely loyal and supportive of its own. ...read more |
Material
Thursday, February 16th, 2012 by Kavish Chetty
 | Most film critics in this country surrender their critical faculties to a static nationalism: they are supine and thighs-agape for this duty to nation. Consider for example how many times you’ve heard the phrase “proudly South African” appended to a film review – as though mere geography was a marker of merit. It’s offensively patronising. We can be better than this, seriously. A gush of electric warmth has fired up the pop-critic circuits now that Material is out and here ...read more |
Fluffy Boundaries
Monday, February 13th, 2012 by Nick Pawson
 | I attended a post-match press conference at Newlands two Fridays ago, following the Stormers’ 28-6 win over the Lions. I was always told not to read into the results of these pre-season games. Nevertheless, the battles on the field seemed just as fierce as they are during the Super Rugby season, and the press conferences are exactly the same – restrained, predictable and full of the old rugby clichés. ...read more |
Third World Kids, First World Problems
Friday, February 10th, 2012 by Brandon Edmonds
 | South Africa is the number one choice of “structured gap year programs” for foreign students looking to give something back before they start racking up debt and herpes at university. Year Out, an association of gap year organisations, has a yearly poll of popular destinations and we’ve won it four times in a row. “South Africa’s enduring popularity stems from the diverse nature of the country,” a spokesperson said, “and the availability of a wide range of suitable and worthwhile ...read more |
