When I moved to London in ‘99, UK garage was the soundtrack to my uni years. It was partly fuelled by a flatmate who couldn’t get enough of it (you know who you are Ben!) and my budding career as a music journalist where I couldn’t escape those captivating 4x4s, baselines and honey-sweet vocalists if I tried (which I didn’t – Battle, Sorry and the Little Man remix were my jams, okay?!). Anyway, I say all that to commend DJ Spoony presents Garage Classical with the Ignition Orchestra at the Barbican  – an epic, orchestral-led trip down memory lane, which did an absolute spot-on job paying ..read more

When Oslo opened in 2014, it was a major coup for Hackney Central – an area more notorious for its charming shabbiness than its potential to house a Nordic-inspired  restaurant / club / bar that’s a stone throw away from the station. Four years on and it’s settled into the neighbourhood nicely, earning a rep for its Sunday roasts and live music nights. Oslo’s latest move is a new, revamped menu in time for summer. New additions on the menu  include: Cod Bolinhos (cod croquettes) Nordic Poke Grønn Salad Spiced Halloumi Sub Poussin On a recent visit, I went for the poussin ..read more

The first time I visited a Bill’s restaurant, it was love at first sight. Well, first bite – of a mini donut. Those fluffs of doughy cinnamon-y goodness were exceptional, and quite telling of an establishment that looked and felt as warm a countryside kitchen. Alas, that was nearly four years ago during a summer in Cambridge, and since then, Bill’s hasn’t exactly been on the top of my hit list – simply because I’m on a bit of a health streak and have taken my eating out down a notch.  But judging by a new and improved menu, Bill’s has cottoned on to the healthy restaurants trend, and nail ..read more

As long as I can remember, Dubai has been framed as that place you flee to if you 1) can’t get a job in London or 2) can get a job in London  (but you’re prefer your salary tax free and multiplied by 3). To the latter point, I’ve seen a steady stream of friends make the jump over the years with little regret, and an undeniable glow that comes with plenty of Vitamin D and no debts in the bank. No doubt, it’s a charmed life. Holiday-wise, travel books will tell you that the young Middle Eastern city – one of the richest cities in the world  – is very modern, American and excessive; a l ..read more

Once a music journalist, always a music journalist. A PR hit me up recently to let me know that Eric Benét was coming to town. Now, aside from recent shady shots fired from Jay-Z, I can’t say the fella’s been on my mind of late. And the feminist within hasn’t quite forgotten the Halle Years (not holding that over his head by the way, God’s forgiven him…) Anyway, as it turns out,  he’s part of this new album called Two Beats, One Soul – a project featuring a bunch of American and Cuban artists coming together to make, well, music. And it’s pretty good. Other guests on the release include J ..read more

Shufflewhatnow? That’s the reaction I got from my work colleagues last week when I mentioned I spent my Wednesday evening “shuffleboarding”. To the uninitiated, that’s a game that involves pushing discs around for points – and if you google the phrase,  you’ll likely find pics of geriatrics holding broom-like sticks as they get their shuffle on (play on, playas!). I’d be lying if I said I completely understood all the rules during my hump day dalliance, but it was fun – and Londoners can give it a go on November 1, when The London Shuffle Club returns to The Truman Brewery. In the meantim ..read more

During my recent ‘fun-employment’ (aka freedom from the 9-5), I decided to do something I’ve wanted to do for ages: record a podcast.  Well, tada! You can now check out the very first Five Dope Tracks podcast, featuring my friends Justin Onyeka and Rasheed Dauda .It’s all about Janet Jackson’s The Velvet Rope album, which turns the grand age of 20 on October 7th. Admittedly, it’s a little weird this record – but that made it all the more fun, getting reacquainted with it and identifying its Five Dope Tracks (which you can listen to just below). The podcast is on Mixcloud (a ..read more

I’m here for all of this awesome: A post shared by Matilda (@megerecooper) on Aug 12, 2017 at 5:07am PDT Billy Smokes at The Institute of Light Apparently, an Indian summer is on the way this month. If that doesn’t turn out to be fake news, pencil in brunch at the latest Billy Smokes residency. The grown-up BBQ experts have been serving up finger lickin’ charred meats at the mega cool The Institute of London since July. While the weather’s good, bag an outdoor seat and try their slow smoked Texas-meets-Brit specialties. billy-smokes.com A post shared by Carmody Groarke (@carmod ..read more

So… I wasn’t 100% sure what I wanted to do for this month’s Five Dope Tracks (as I’m actually looking forward to the October Edit which may or may not be a podcast!?!? Waaaahhhh….We’ll see). Anyway, I knew I wanted to make this month’s more artist focused. Jill Scott popped into my head as I haven’t heard from her in a minute – and it turns out her third album The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3  is officially 10 years old (!) on September 25th. Sure, it didn’t match the mega success of her first two projects, but it’s just as musically accomplished – so I’ve round ..read more

I’ve wanted to go away for my birthday for years. Like, since forever. And I wanted it to be one of those occasions that felt like a benchmark, so by the time I came back from said holiday, I’d somehow feel ready to conquer the world. That kind of birthday. I’m not getting any younger so we gotta make ’em special, you know? Well, mission accomplished. On August 14th, I hopped on a British Airways flight by myself to a destination I’d never heard of before in my life (not Spain obvs but Arenys de Mar – a Spanish fishing town with a name I embarrassingly still can’t pronounce properly). It ..read more