Courtesy of the mighty Dennis Bovell

⏰ Just 10 more days to see the excellent Secret Maps exhibition at London's @britishlibrary.bsky.social. Read my review of the show for Trebuchet magazine here 👇 www.trebuchet-magazine.com/secret-maps-...

Another sad passing, this time of a masterful filmmaker. RIP Béla Tarr. www.theguardian.com/film/2026/ja...

Strangely moving to visit the new David Bowie Centre at the V&A Storehouse. Maybe it's due to the current parlous state of mainstream music, but it's worth wondering where the world would be without the influence of the wondrous chameleonic alien.

My latest for the New York Observer is a review of the 'Wright of Derby: From the Shadows' exhibition that's on now at London's National Gallery. Read it here 👉 observer.com/2025/12/exhi...

Legendary Jamaican trumpeter Eddie 'Tan Tan' Thornton has died aged 94. A member of Georgie Fame's Blue Flames band, Tan Tan also played with Rico Rodriguez (pictured), Jazz Jamaica, Aswad and on The Beatles' track, 'Got To Get You Into My Life'. RIP.

More sad news. The inimitable British photographer Martin Parr died yesterday. RIP to a gifted social documentarian and image maker.

Omega Institute feature on the new Collapsing Drums compilation tape, available here collapsingdrums.bandcamp.com/album/collap...

Next Saturday 13/12/25 2pm at Elmers Arms Bristol BS2 0ER - free improv with Luke Annesley alto sax/Phil Gibbs guitar/Hugh Kirkbride double bass/Aidan Searle drums Rich Hughes accordion, flute thing maybe/Nigel Bryant electronics Mark Pearce poetry, words/Roger Skerman percussion Be there!

I contributed an utterly broken beats track (as Tse Tse Fly Middle East) to @citiesandmemory.bsky.social's new Echoes For Palestine compilation album curated by Rafael Diogo. Proceeds go to Gaza children's charity Hope and Play. Get it on Bandcamp here 👇 citiesandmemory.bandcamp.com/album/echoes...

This is quite something - Erykah Badu and band performing live for a surprised New York Times office 👇 www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQqd...

David Byrne Tiny Desk Concert courtesy of @npr.org 🔥🔥🔥 www.npr.org/2025/12/01/g...

"Call a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy" - this petition is really gaining traction. Get involved by signing here 👇 petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...

RIP. The Harder They Come is an incredible movie. Go watch it if you haven't seen it.

Rarely is an artist the soundtrack to a whole life. Jimmy Cliff was one of those rare individuals. RIP. www.theguardian.com/music/2025/n...

My latest short film, 'The Moon is a Pyramid Under Water', is screening at Stuttgart's IDK Festival on Nov 28. Taking place at the Kulturinsel Stuttgart, Güterstraße 4, doors open at 6PM and entry is free. - pictured: stills from the film

"For most of her life, she helped her family bring up their kids and worked on cattle stations. Then, in her late seventies, she began to paint." My New York Observer latest is a review of the Emily Kam Kngwarray exhibition on at Tate Modern right now. Read it here > observer.com/2025/11/art-...

With W.I.T.C.H. currently touring Europe, maybe it's time to find out how they helped shape the Zamrock sound via my @discogsofficial.bsky.social list on the psych-heavy 70s rock sound here 👉 www.discogs.com/digs/music/e...

"Like Jimi Hendrix and Ike Turner jamming Zambian Badima drum grooves" For another @discogsofficial.bsky.social piece, I zoomed in on Zamrock, the short-lived but fiery mash-up of rock and Zambian rhythms that surfaced in the early 1970s. Check it here 👉 www.discogs.com/digs/music/e...

🔥 🔥🔥

✍️ 👇

Whoa Nelly, didn’t know that. Am going to have to check them as they sound right up my strasse. They sound interesting.

Wow! What a list of great albums and what a time to have been a teen. These were the sounds of my youth Simon. Thanks so much for sharing. Only one I didn’t know was the Freestyle Fellowship. Another great piece too. Hope you’re well! ✊🏻

"In interviews around 1988, Chuck D declared rap was Black America’s CNN. The Native Tongues added to the conversation. This was the start of rap music’s Daisy Age. " My latest for @discogsofficial.bsky.social looks at the Daisy Age rap movement. Check it here 👇 www.discogs.com/digs/music/e...

"Artefacts used for clandestine operations and activist activities line up alongside documents used in socio-political change and enforcement." I've reviewed the British Library's new Secret Maps exhibition for @trebuchetmag.bsky.social. Check it here 👇 www.trebuchet-magazine.com/secret-maps-...

"I don't often dream, but when I do, I dream about Kylie Minogue's hotpants." - Nick Cave Preview episodes of the forthcoming TV adaptation of Nick Cave's The Death of Bunny Munro novel, plus a chat with Lord Cave and Matt Smith (who plays Bunny) at the Royal Festival Hall last night. Cosy.

👇👇👇

'Art Nouveau in the UK: how British artists drew influence from Europe' - my latest for Art UK looks at how the Art Nouveau movement became a fixture of UK art and design. Check it here 👉 artuk.org/discover/sto...

Heartening to see that Sonita has just started her Master's degree at Oxford University. www.service95.com/sonita-aliza...

Natalie Bergman and band took the roof off North London last night - Union Chapel really is a magnificent venue. Support from Laura-Mary Carter, ex-Blood Red Shoes.

🔈

👀

1000s came to London yesterday to counter the racist march against decency. Before they marched, racists were seen buying food from Indian & Eastern European food stalls. After eating, they marched onwards, demanding migrants be thrown out of the country. Photos here are of the anti-racist marchers.

Tiny-minded local residents are still trying to get Cornwall's Boardmasters festival censured for programming Bob Vylan, even though the whole thing took place in Aug and went off without a hitch 👍 completemusicupdate.com/cornwall-cou...

I spoke with artists Jane and Louise Wilson about their uncannily prescient artwork and their new Performance of Entrapment installation at London's Bloomberg SPACE building for The New World magazine. Check it here ⤵️ www.thenewworld.co.uk/simon-coates...

This looks good - a screening of the 1926 documentary 'Grass' about the migration of Iran’s Bakhtiari tribes, with live musical accompaniment from Peyman Yazdanian. This Fri at Kings Place in London. www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/cla...

I've been writing for the mighty GRAMMYs website again, this time looking at how and why 1985 was a year of seismic change for reggae music, from Sly & Robbie's productions to the Sleng Teng riddim. Check it all here ⤵️

Another fine price of writing Simon, I love reading these as there’s always something to learn, especially about the music I’m not really into. I knew all the releases by sight but had only ever ventured into the world of Burial. The first two album blew my mind, like FSOL living in Croydon.

This one's for the bass heads. I dug into the first decade of dubstep for @discogsofficial.bsky.social. Check it here 👇 www.discogs.com/digs/music/e...

"If grocery stores can tempt punters with buy one, get one free offers, then why shouldn’t institutions like Tate Britain do the same?" Me, wondering about the Edward Burra and Ithell Colquhoun shows on now in London for the New York Observer. More here ➡️ observer.com/2025/08/art-...

I wrote about how Parisian authorities tried - and failed - to shut down Kneecap's performance at last weekend's Rock en Seine festival for The New World magazine. Check it here > www.thenewworld.co.uk/simon-coates... @thenewworldmag.bsky.social @kneecapceol.bsky.social

Short of gift ideas for the Swans fan in your life? Fortunately, guitarist Norman Westberg is an accomplished knitter and is selling his scarves online 🧶 > www.etsy.com/shop/thingso...

Honestly. What is going on? Why is the @teamlabouruk.bsky.social allowing this to happen? Since when did objecting to genocide make you a criminal? Are we now a totalitarian state? I’m utterly heartbroken watching this.

If the government genuinely believes these people have been duped into supporting terrorists then how about talk to them about what Palestine Action actually does. I guarantee you each of these arrests convinces these and others that Palestine Action are not terrorists, and UK gov is being stupid.

In the UK, police carry away folk peacefully protesting genocide. In Gaza, starving aid workers carry away the bodies of victims of that genocide. We've messed up.

Has any government minister ever been arrested for wasting police time?

The terrifying, violent thugs arrested in London yesterday for supporting Palestine Action included clear threat to our safety, La Pethick (left), aged 89.

Happy 808 day to those who celebrate 💐 "Roland Corporation celebrates the 45th anniversary of its iconic TR-808 Rhythm Composer today" sonicstate.com/news/2025/08....

Given 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of Goldie's 'Timeless' album, it seems, erm, timely to re-up the '30 Years of Metalheadz: A Drum and Bass Legacy' list I wrote for @discogsofficial.bsky.social last year. 'Timeless' is there, amongst other Metalheadz gems ⏬ www.discogs.com/digs/music/m...

"The show is a chilling reminder that the poisonous waves of prejudice the artists endured during the 1980s have returned" In this review for the New York Observer, I've covered the 'Connecting Thin Black Lines 1985 - 2025' exhibition at London's ICA. Read it here ⤵️ observer.com/2025/08/exhi...