Cian Traynor
John Waters: life lessons from the Prince Of Puke
A filthy mind — The renegade filmmaker on embracing weirdness, breaking taboos and taking acid in your seventies.
Written by: Cian Traynor
Life lessons from skate legend Chad Muska
All or nothing — In a searingly honest interview, artist and skater Chad Muska shares the highs and lows of an extraordinary career.
Written by: Cian Traynor
This experimental new film reframes the magic of surfing
Tapping the source — Bringing together eight musicians, 16 surfers and three oceans in one surreal film, Self Discovery for Social Survival subverts the format of surf's cult classics to hypnotic effect. And for director Chris Gentile, the moment reflects a wider renaissance for surf culture.
Written by: Cian Traynor
A teen's visual diary of the early-90s rave scene
Punching the Light — At 15, Simon Burstall made two discoveries that would change him forever: photography and raves. Now, having trawled through a trove of material from that time, the Australian has uncovered scenes from a subcultural oasis – and a turning point in his life.
Written by: Cian Traynor
Ten quick questions with Damon Albarn & Paul Simonon
The Good, the Bad & the Queen — Two musical giants talk fame, insecurities and grappling with a broken Britain.
Written by: Cian Traynor
The androgynous wrestler who inspired glam rock
Merchant of Menace — David Bowie copied him. Jimmy Savile got battered by him. Wrestling never saw anything like him, before or since. This is the story of Exotic Adrian Street, a flamboyant brawler who blurred the lines between athlete and artist.
Written by: Cian Traynor
How one guy's hoard of skate mags grew into a global library
Look Back Library — When Kevin Marks turned his skate archive into a free reading resource, it developed into a network of libraries determined to preserve skate culture, promote literacy and celebrate community.
Written by: Cian Traynor
Photos of teenage life in post-Brexit Belfast
Wee Muckers — Photographer Toby Binder has been documenting the lives of Belfast’s youth ever since Brexit began to unravel. By embedding himself on either side of historic dividing lines, he found that these teens have more in common than they might realise.
Written by: Cian Traynor
Michael Rother: Life lessons from a true musical pioneer
Neu! frontiers — From Bowie and Sonic Youth to Stereolab and LCD Soundsystem, Michael Rother's impact on innovative music has been immeasurable. A new boxset of his most successful work celebrates his output beyond the countercultural touchstones of Neu! and Harmonia.
Written by: Cian Traynor
Getting deep with Sharon Van Etten, pop's great polymath
Switching gears — After pressing pause on her blossoming music career, Sharon Van Etten took some time out to recalibrate. Now that she's back with her biggest album yet, the singer talks therapy, comedy and finding a different kind of love.
Written by: Cian Traynor
The evolution of Georgia Anne Muldrow, supersonic innovator
Supa dupa fly — It’s time the world finally caught up to Georgia Anne Muldrow, an intuitive artist who’s just as comfortable crafting futuristic beats as she is drawing from ancient philosophy.
Written by: Cian Traynor
Jason Reynolds is the star that literature needs right now
Lessons learned along the way — Jason Reynolds didn't read a book until he was almost 18. At 35, his prolific run of best-sellers are inspiring new generations to reimagine their future.
Written by: Cian Traynor