Author: ACM Newsteam

Exciting news!

ACM is hosting its FIRST-EVER Guitar and Bass Summit! Featuring masterclasses, clinics and performances from world-class Industry professionals and ACMs very own tutors!!

Hosted in ACM Guildford, this event is open to students, alumni and the general public on Saturday 04 May 2024

The Full line-up is here! Make sure you book in so you do not miss out on this jam packed day! With Masterclasses running from 10am-6:30 from the likes of… Guthrie Govan, Chris Buck, Yolanda Charles, Olly Steele, Sophie Burrell, Rosie Frater Taylor, Jake Willson, Paul Geary, Adam Evans, Declan Zapala, Arran McSporran, Nat Martin, Giorgio Serci & Matt Applyby.

In the evening we are heading over to The Star Inn for an evening with The Tomasz Bura Group featuring notable musicians such as Guthrie Govan, Kevin Glasgow and Mark Mondesir! (8pm, 18+ only)

Do not worry, if you are thinking about ACM as a part of your musical journey we will also be hosting ‘Tune-In’ sessions. This is where you can spend some time with one of our ACM tutors and be in with a chance to audition for a spot on our programme!

Let’s dive deep into the world of music together and get your tickets here!

IF YOU ARE NOT AN ON-PROGRAMME STUDENT OR FUTURE STUDENT CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR TICKET!

Harry Hammond checks out a new venture by the ACM Crackhouse team. 

On Tuesday 21st November,  I had the honour of being invited to review Crackhouse Records’ debut show at the Boileroom in Guildford.  This was the first show that the  

all-ACM collective has put together and I sincerely hope it won’t be their last. 

Harry Betts took to the stage adorned in the Springsteen-esque combination of a white tee shirt and blue jeans. He held an acoustic guitar, accompanied by a drummer and a bassist for much of his set.  Harry wasted no time in showcasing his extraordinary vocal ability in the original track dumb luck.  An assuredness seemed to emanate from Harry throughout the whole set, despite technical issues at certain points.  This confidence was perhaps best exemplified when his band members left the stage and he did a solo piano-accompanied cover of Exit music for a film by Radiohead. This cover is also displayed for all to see the self-professed Radiohead lover’s influences. 

Dressed all in black, Boy Blue’s confessions of fancying his friend in year eight in Spell It Out were delivered with a playful authority that epitomises the bedroom pop/indie approach.  Boy Blue is unapologetic about his influences, even throwing in a Boy Pablo cover and saying that he derived his name from that of the Chilean-Norwegian singer-songwriter. Underlined by gut-punching basslines, chorus-drenched, jangly guitar lines perpetuate the high energy and engaging performance of the whole band which peaked in I Want You, an original which put into practice the hypothetical idea of what would happen if Let’s Dance era Bowie was backed by Mac DeMarco’s band. A frank and creative lyricist, I would be extremely surprised if this was not the last you heard of Boy Blue. 

Standing in the middle of the stage in his seventies-cut suit and shirt, Semwanga screams “Wake the fuck up!”.  The pure performer and bandleader, he flits effortlessly between rapping and singing, all whilst exuding supreme confidence as the stage is the only place he has been his whole life.  Backed by a killing band, Semwanga provided a super high-energy performance throughout that if anything built and built as the set went on.  A particular highlight was the impromptu cover of I wanna be (500 Miles) by the Proclaimers which somehow was born from a dissonant, jazzy guitar line. Influenced by noughties hip hop and old-school funk, Get outta your seat was filled with all the swagger of a classic funk band leader such as James Brown whilst simultaneously being vocally reminiscent of Andre 3000.  Five foot ten displayed another side to his music drifting into the world of indie-pop.

An indie sleaze revival is set to take place, with Danny Marriott helping to carry the movement forward. Packed with references to indie bands The Hives and the Streets, Danny and his band’s jagged guitar riffs, woolly bass lines and funky drum beats underpinned a stylistically energetic and fun performance. Danny’s vocal performance was powerful throughout, fitting in effortlessly regardless of whether they were playing high energy, funky bloc party-influenced Japan, or one of the slower songs that were dotted throughout the set. Ghost was a true highlight of the set. A rock and roll banger pumped with attitude and packed with classic indie tropes combine to form a nostalgic whirlwind that takes you by the hand and gives you the experience of seeing the strokes on the way up, with its jagged guitar lines and assured vocal performance.  Danny Marriott is one to keep your eye on in the future and support relentlessly in the present.

Crack House Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crackhouse.records?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Crack House Website: https://crackhouserecords5.wixsite.com/crackhouse

Live videos: https://www.youtube.com/@crackhouserecords5/playlists

@harry.betts15

@boy_blueeeee

@semwangaaa

@dannyymarriott

All first-year students have been writing for the same brief: write a song for the Eurovision contest. Here’s our report by TILLY, Rita, and Rory. 

Libbie Price spent a day with the second years for their own WINTER LIVE featuring their more established groups. 

GUILDFORD, reporter and photographer TILLY 

With a variety of different performances, WinterLive-Eurovision was a great opportunity for first-year degree students to collaborate and perform in their groups. 

With 10 diverse groups performing their project pieces, each act used this opportunity to create different genres within their bands and had a unique style. With genres consisting of alternative rock, hybrid, (electronic and acoustic instruments), R’n’B, theatrical music and many more.

Standouts were Freefalling Troops with Try And Keep Your Faith (Group 2) and their fantastic customised T-shirts bearing the song name; Huw Lloyd and Kieran Francis (Group 6) with What’s Wrong With The World Today and vocalist Eddie Jones alongside keyboardist Leon and Tait, drummer, in my group with Better Place. 

Towards the end of the event, a few students decided to perform their music, and an open jam also took place with a Blues duo from LeLe and Erik Davis. 

The afternoon was an amazing networking opportunity for groups as well, getting to know one another and gaining connections for possible future music projects.

Winter Live is a great opportunity for level 4 students to showcase their talents in a fresh environment both with a safe and easy-going atmosphere and I had an amazing time watching all the groups perform!

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LONDON – reporters and photographers RITA and RORY 

ACM’s Winter Live London was a full day’s work. There were so many performances to catch, with groups of amazing creatives. I only joined in the second half of the day. However, I was still able to catch just under half of the day’s performance. 

The first group I watched was group 10, Mystics. I thought this name was quite intriguing, yet it perfectly represented their craft. They performed their song Athena which was a nod to the goddess of wisdom and military victory. This was an angle I hadn’t even considered taking for the brief, which helped show just how good the team was with out-of-the-box thinking. 

From their stage name, I would’ve expected to see a full band in dark clothing and dark makeup delivering an indie rock track. To which they did not disappoint. They didn’t seem to have coordinated outfits but had similar dark aesthetics. The track had a rock feel and it was fun, which helped bring back the Eurovision vision. 

Given all this, their performance delivery felt discombobulated. The solo guitarist was bringing all of the energy to the stage, whereas the other band members seemed unbothered. This can often discredit the work that’s been put in due to the lack of enthusiasm in delivery. The only part I would say needed improvement was their stagecraft, as they didn’t seem united as a band.

After this we had a drummer come up on his own, playing to a track. The drummer and producer seemed to be the only ones in attendance from their group. The backing was missing a click track for the drummer to follow causing him to fall out of time. This seemed to be a recurring issue with many of the bands throughout the afternoon. Besides this, the drummer gave an amazing performance and the song written had a wholesome feel, fitting well with the brief.

Group 13 was overwhelming, visually. All of the team members were up on stage, except the business students. I felt that this was unnecessary as there weren’t enough microphones or stage space for everyone. This was something they were aware of from a previous trial run, yet they seemed to have disregarded it. 

Besides this, the group performed well. They have good chemistry on stage and it shows, except for the rapper who was either hiding or chatting to the crowd instead of his team on stage. 

TBD15, I have to start by simply saying that anything I say about this group may be biased as a member of this team, so I will try to stick to the feedback we were given.

Nate gave the best rap performance of the day, he was enthusiastic and engaging with the crowd, keeping the vibe up even when he didn’t have a main part. 

In the beginning, Rory gave a short yet concise speech to help introduce the team and asked the audience to join in when given the cue. This led to everyone in the room turning on their flashlights towards the end of the song and waving them in the air, creating a feeling of unison.

However, there were slight mixing issues that we can look at more closely next time. As well as the singer lacked stage presence at times due to looking at the floor rather than the audience. This step would’ve helped unite the group and performance that extra step forward.

Moving onto the last group of the night. Closing out Winter Live London we had group four. They left no breadcrumbs! 

Although to begin with I felt overwhelmed by the amount of people on stage, in the end, I was grateful for it. The only instruments on stage were drums, guitar, and five vocalists. They came across as very professional and self-aware, showing that they knew their stage space. 

Not only did they create a catchy R&B track, but also put together a full choreography for their performance. They brought the show to an amazing close, lifting up the room’s energy even more. 

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BIRMINGHAM – reporter and photographer Libbie Price 

The Birmingham event was held at the Midlands Art Centre on Friday. Ten different acts ranged from rap to heavy metal scream rock, soul and R & B and reggae. 

The night opened with Regular Faces (Group 1) and they were two best mates playing a mix of indie, rap and electronics – a 90s independent soft rock band with 21st-century rap. Altogether they produced three songs, all originals, all coated in reverb, which added a vibe I liked. 

Stand-out groups were The Mix, a blend of rock and reggae (Group 2); Black And White (Group 3), a mixture of rock and rap. They were very good at getting the crowd involved, even singing along. Rooted (Group 6) were aces. They had a good connection between each other on stage and a theatrical element to their performance, as well as backstage visuals on a projector. They also promoted their album and had merch to sell. It was so interesting to just sit there and take in the experience but I did not expect to cry. That was thanks to solo act, Nicole Blakk, who moved me to tears with her wide range and bilingual and mixed genre influences – ballads and Hip Hop included. 

Cherry Dead, is also worth a special mention: an all-female scream heavy metal rock band with a strong on-stage presence, even though they had to play a woman down – I don’t know how she managed to get her voice to do that. OMG. 

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What did we miss? thebuzz@acm.ac.uk

Want to write for The Buzz? 

A Profoundly Deep Game Catering to Women’s Depth Beyond Cosy Aesthetics. Jack spoke to Sab Finlay-Smith about the event.

Twelve talented students, each a tribute to ACM, hosted a Beta Release of their recent project Exteriors on December 6th at London’s Razerstore. Recounting teary tributes to the team, a warm reception and an-all-round fantastic day.

Exteriors, a playable experience, is a heavy hitting metaphor on the female experience and the superficial expectation projected onto those who identify as women. Conceptualised and created across twelve weeks by students, the team put in exhaustive effort which seems to have seriously paid off. The release signifies promise and demonstrates that Exteriors will succeed well beyond campus. Attending the release and playing through the game was the head of Games at BAFTA, really showing off not just their development skills but also acting as a testament to their networking.

The student team, or BadStudios, hope to release the completed game in March. A raw and abashed, expose on attitudes towards women, told through a series of symbolism, dialogue and letters with a twist that leaves a pit in the player’s stomach. Playing through a series of days, each with tasks to complete while being barraged by abusive NPC as you try in vain to tidy your house which never seems to clean, a story unfolds critiquing societal expectations of outward appearance. A fine comparison of the interior and exterior blending philosophically into a plea to just be kind.

Keep an eye on these developers and all their coming projects because if this is how they start, I can only foresee some real forerunners in the industry.

His actual name is Jack Daniels – and we’ve worked out calling him Jack O doesn’t sit well. He’s a need-to-know type of person, both in our ACM community and the creative futures industry. 

“I’m studying music business because I’ve always preferred the behind-the-scenes managerial aspects of things. My whole friendship group decided to go to music colleges even before me – I was studying philosophy then – and I started to keep an eye out for them, and helped them send a few emails, to scouts, promoters, or labels… I kinda came to ACM with a portfolio and a whole change of plan.” 

In the business of music, Jack wouldn’t mind finding the next “voice of a generation” – He’s got a hand in pretty much every field, “I don’t do just one thing, I support the artist.’ With experience in organising gigs, marketing and the ins and outs of streaming services, O’Sullivan is a Jack-of-all-trades.

“I love that concept of “a voice of a generation”, taking their lived experiences and translating them to talk to others. With the finite ways of our lives, there are universal moments, like heartache, losing friends and families, and we all just living the same world.” 

He has good subject knowledge of our music legacy and is a feminist and ally. 

“One of my uncles passed away, about twenty years before I was born, and my dad found this big old box of his vinyl that he had.  And I inherited them, and my dad’s vinyl player…” 

We hear he was a “very naughty child” which pans out as a solid recommendation for our editor. In that role, he’s looking for content, cross-campus, to include in the mag: new music, whatever its genre, as well as reporters, podcasters, vloggers, bloggers, photographers and writers, to take commissions and bring ideas for coverage to the table.

Best gig you’ve ever been to so far? 

“Got to be The Mountain Goats at the Roundhouse one of my favourites for years and years – teenage dream going to see them, John Darnile he’s a great lyricist.” 

Always looking for another angle, Jack points out his dream gig as well: 

“I am unapologetically a massive Bob Dylan fan so my dream gig would have to be the Newport Folk Festival he did in 1964 or any gigs of his back in the day. I’d die for that man, I love that man.”  

You know he hated music journalists? 

“Not this one, I’m sure” he grins.

Send your reviews and ideas to thebuzz@acm.ac.uk Subject: Jack, Student Editor. 

An up-and-coming artist and producer, Yaz León is climbing up the industry ladder and making herself known, says Kristian Lovett. 

Yaz León’s infectious uniqueness rings through her music and her personality. A self-described newcomer to the music scene, she is making a strong stance for female artists and producers, through her music and her collaborative work. With elements of 2000s neo-soul and modern-day pop, blended in a multicultural mix of goodness. 

The music industry is cutthroat, but more so for those who aren’t given the privilege of being born a straight white man. It almost always disregards and looks down upon non-male people of non-white backgrounds. León embodies the change we need within the industry.

“It angers me (the sexism and misogyny within the industry) and pushes me to want to help open doors for ladies so that they feel safe enough to take these directive roles in the creative industry”. 

I asked León if she was aware of the tiny percentage of female producers (with only %2.8 of producers being female) in the music industry, 

“Yes. To begin with I couldn’t find many women producers to work with and when I did sessions with other producers, my ‘early stage’ knowledge was patronized.” She persevered, however, 

“I came to realize how much fun it is”. Yaz León is a brilliant example of what women can do when they break through the oppression placed on them at birth, but it doesn’t come without its ever-prevalent issues 

“The microaggressions and belittling of women in the industry is bountiful though”. 

A key characteristic of Yaz León is her cultural background, 

“Growing up with a Muslim Iraqi father and a Catholic Spanish mother. It permeates in my music”. 

This cultural aspect can be heard in her music, with a verse in the track Dunya being in Spanish. But Yaz León is more than her background: 

“To rely on my heritage entirely as my ‘brand’ is reductionist of myself. Whatever uniqueness I have comes from other stuff too, like my life experiences, friends, and education… I can imagine my sexuality having had some effect”. Yaz León’s music is so intriguing and unique because it is a reflection of her personality.

With her track August hitting over a quarter of a million views on YouTube, Yaz León has made an impression and is here to stay.

London boy Jack finds the Ukranian band, Freedom Pulse in Soho, London, a pub with legendary music, art, literature and theatre connections.  

Rousing and personable, truly contemporary, Freedom Pulse has completely corrected my naive impression of what brass players get up to. It’s also massively remarkable how they proudly encapsulate the Ukrainian community and can share it with a receptive crowd over a thousand miles away.

I go into Soho’s Spice of Life expecting something classical, dry, stoic and formal. Instead, I find that Freedom Pulse is one huge personality, each member with an inviting stage presence. They blew me away. I doubt I’ve ever felt more present at a gig.

Faithful to the songs that they cover but uniquely arrange around the six-piece with an innovative flair. Their set blended tradition with modernity, consisting of fan-favourites such as ABBA’s Money Money and Gaga’s Bad Romance with Ukrainian tracks that seemed the biggest hits including Червона рута, the Cossack folk anthem їхав козак and the Eurovision 2022 winner Stefania, not forgetting the Christmas songs. Each performed with tons of heart and a whole lot of swing.

Consistently spreading this infectious electrifying groove from song to song, a buzz you feel in your chest that didn’t even dissipate during the interval. Aware of what gets you going, because they love it too dancing themselves – the French Horn player Serhiy is probably the most enthusiastic performer I’ve come across in a long while.

A band that I’ll go out of my way to see again, as well as share with those around me. Freedom Pulse are more than just performers, they are messengers for peace, harmony and an unbreakable spirit which in my eyes is worth tenfold compared to music for music’s sake.

@freedompulse.band

Jack follows up our introducing piece on rhiri to see how she fairs in a live setting 

The Cavern has long been one of South London’s best-kept secrets. Tucked in the corner of its stage rhirhi reminds us all that a little sadness shared is a little sadness healed. Privy to hard rock and even heavier metal, she packed a punch just as hard – minus the pit of course.

Performing Happier Today and Bittersweet for the first time, before they even hit streaming sites, amid a mix of originals and a few covers. Faithfully covering The Beatles in tribute to the venue’s namesake in Liverpool. Going guitarless for Eleven Eleven, the dimly lit floor was drowned in silky, often sultry vocals. 

A sound ripped from the turn of the centre, she seems to channel that anxious energy that once propelled many to fame – there’s a shadow of Kate Bush twinged with an admittedly calmer Avril Lavinge developing in our scene as you read. There’s no fear of missing out when you throw yourself into the turf. That anxiety though does not affect her conviction.

With a rolling vocal range, shifting from powerful belts of woe and spine-tingling whispers of promise yet never losing that pull, the focus was set on her alone up there bringing everything together.

Several patrons took the time between sips to let you know, “Cavern’s a place to cut your teeth; plenty greats played here first and they came back.” Whether we’ll see this night repeated, it’s too early to say but once you leave out into the biting cold you wish for more.

@rhirhi.co.uk 

Jack O’Sullivan delves into rhirhi’s debut album, talking about childhood bliss and the woes of growing up against nostalgia. 

There’s a cheerful misery in this ode to youth. With age, many would argue, we lose. Whether it’s our childlike wonder, innocence or naivety, Getting Older, Getting Older is both a celebration of these as well as a demonstration of the struggle to cling to all that is safe in childhood.

Meshing a lyrical frankness and brash candour akin to Elliot Smith with a willowy shyness reminiscent of Dodie. 

Her first full-length album, we’re seeing more of rhirhi on one release than we have so far. Not just in length but in versatility, we still hear the minimalistic and raw records we’re familiar with demonstrated in Bittersweet and 15 Forever as well as an exploration into more abstract subsets of sound that manage to envelope you as a listener like Pass By and High. 

Recounting the joys, in the blissfully simple but sugary sweet Perfect Day, and the all-to-common sorrows of absent self-esteem, grief and that nagging sense of inadequacy, which we hear healthily discussed throughout the album, although most succinctly portrayed in the title track.

Perfect Day reminds you of a pre-beatnik love song, something that one could imagine being plucked from the age of crooners and the jukebox. While Getting Older, Getting Older opens the album with an apprehension to go forward, weighed down by a longing for youth and the sense that time has left us in its wake. 

Rapidly shifting between moods and topics yet never losing its momentum, although it is an album of lived experiences you are prompted to look within yourself.

Little Things Today embodies this sentiment of self-reflection structurally beginning in 1st person with a confession, the spouting of innermost thoughts, before shifting to a second-person direct reference message of reassurance and familiar comfort that inevitably seems aimed at the listener.

Stream Getting Older, Getting Older and let’s hear your thoughts.

Getting Older, Getting Older

Spotify

Instagram

It hurts, doesn’t it? Feeling like an outcast because of the way that you look. Being forced to feel like you are not good enough. So you change, you carve and sculpt yourself into the ‘perfect’  body type because that’s what is only accepted by society. Why do we do it? It’s a trend is it not? Well… the rising rock band ROOTED are ready to rebel against the stereotypes by releasing their new single Your Definition and you should not hesitate to give it a listen. 

There may only be three of them but they sure know how to send a loud message. I was grabbed instantly by the looming bassline (played by ) and the tease of the drum cymbals (played by Joe Horton-Hackett). It sucked me in bar by bar and then I was greeted by an explosion of the epic sound of rock and rebellion. You can’t help but feel like you want to jump around and be engulfed by the music. 

The powerhouse vocals of Lily Hartley, bare symmetry to the legends Lady Gaga and Blondie and are truly captivating. Matching this with the epic talents and sounds of both Ethan Noble’s awesome grungy guitar skills and Joe Horton-Hackett’s rocky and rhythmically complex drums, creates an unstoppable dynamic, making it impossible to resist their sound. 

Lyrically. The message expressed is hauntingly relatable to modern society’s perfect body image. The leading line in the chorus “Carve me up, dissect me into something, that might fit your definition” truly describes (in a very visual and gruesome way), the reality in the lack of control people have over their appearances and how it is deemed normal to change the way we look to fit and feel appreciated in a corrupt world of unrealistic beauty standards. The middle 8/ bridge of the song is stripped back and pulls the listener in by reintroducing the intro bassline. Followed by the repeating lyrics “Butcher me with empty smiles”, which not only describe the fake reality in which we live by saying that people’s smiles are empty but they are also sung with a feeling of anger and hurt. These emotions grow more as this section of the song progresses – after starting intimately to then making me feel interrogated, to ending in a riot which continues throughout to the final chorus. 

This song is powerful and emotive. A statement to the world, that change needs to happen. We need to stop carving and dissecting ourselves and feel seen and loved in a perfect reality, which does not exist. I love this song and I know you will too. Give it a listen and you no doubt will feel empowered.

@musicbyrooted