Cultures of Sound - June

Titled after Soft Cell's version of the original 1965 Gloria Jones track, Tainted Love by Alex Coles is the first book-length inquiry into the subject of the twisted romantic ballad, giving a sense of both its history and contemporary currency. Sometimes extreme, this twist to the conventional romantic ballad spans across gender and generational boundaries to subvert our understanding of both the genre’s function and its behavior. Each chapter of Tainted Love takes a deep dive into a single twisted ballad, examining both its inner workings—lyrics, melody, and vocal approach—and its broader cultural resonance.

Featuring an analysis of songs by Kendrick Lamar, Nina Simone, Roxy Music, Joni Mitchell, The Velvet Underground, Frank Sinatra, Soft Cell, Paul McCartney, Charlotte & Serge Gainsbourg, PJ Harvey & Nick Cave, and Little Simz, this book turns on the question: What compels songwriters to compose—and us to listen to—these warped songs?

For this event Prof. Alex Coles and locally-based multimedia artist Savvy aka Asaviour were in conversation and played a selection of the songs covered in the book, which they then discussed in depth. Copies of the book were available to purchase on the night from local record shop Vinyl Tap along with a selection of the records featured.

We were delighted to host this event at the Kings Head Pub on St George's Square, just next to Huddersfield Train Station.

 

Fans of heavy metal and organ music were in for a unique, unforgettable experience as two doom metal bands joined forces with David Pipe playing the celebrated pipe organ of Huddersfield Town Hall for a live concert. The event featured the acclaimed atmospheric monastic doom metal band Arð from Northumbria, who performed their acclaimed debut album Take Up My Bones.

The band’s name is taken from an Old English word meaning ‘native land’ in the dialect of the Anglian Kingdom of Northumbria. The concept behind Take Up My Bones revolves around the legendary relics of the famous Northumbrian Saint Cuthbert (634–687) and their long journey. Alongside numerous other brooding, symphonic textures, the album features Gregorian chant, piano, and cello. On 12th June, these atmospheric textures were enhanced further by the deep, resonant and majestic sound of the Town Hall’s pipe organ; a fitting accompaniment to the band's music.

This one-of-a-kind concert was a rare opportunity for fans to witness the marriage of two seemingly disparate genres of music. Supported by doom metal band Pantheïst, this concert drew music enthusiasts from all over the region. and even internationally! Click here to read the Yorkshire Post review.