Title:

Director: James Bobin

Starring: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones

Release Date: February 10th

After a twelve-year absence from the big screen, the overblown Muppet style is a shock, and as Jason Segal throws himself into the all-singing, all-dancing, opening scenes it almost seems like a mockery. Yet it soon becomes clear that he is simply playing along with the classic Muppets trait of self-awareness; cheesy gags are swiftly followed by a self-referential quip, such as wry references to the film’s budget or the unrealistic amount of time it takes for characters to travel from one state to another.

The ‘human leads’ are Gary (Segal) and Mary (Amy Adams), whose love interest mainly pushes the classic ‘pay attention to your girlfriend’ moral, but also the cringe-worthy ‘all a girlfriend wants is to be proposed to’ assumption. The story opens with Gary, Mary and Gary’s Muppet fan (and puppet) brother, Walter, who discover on a trip to L.A. that the original Muppets theatre is dilapidated and in danger of being torn down by evil businessman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper). The human leads don’t take centre stage however, and it is the classic love story between Miss Piggy and Kermit that proves to be of more interest. That isn’t to say that Segal and Adams’ acting skills are inferior to those of two felt-covered puppets, but somehow there is a little more depth to the frog-pig dynamic, as Miss Piggy asserts her independence and tells Kermit to acknowledge her as an individual and not just part of the group. Fear not however, there are still plenty of laughs to be found in the well-known inter-species relationship.
Another rather touching aspect of the film is the portrayal of the Muppets as friends who are no longer in contact and find it a little awkward to reunite and work as a team again. The entire film plays on themes of nostalgia, yearning for the good old days of showbiz. Alongside this comes a suprising thread of anti-capitalism – Gonzo has become a businessman who has little time for his old companions, the evil archnemis is a corporate high-flyer and there is even a mention of the Muppets in The Economist.
A further surprise is the extensive list of high-profile cameos that grace the screen, which is impressive even by the Muppets’ regular high standards. Fortunately none of the star appearances are given enough screen time to outdo the Muppets themselves, but they do add to the quality of the overall production.

The Muppets are back, and kids and adults alike can expect to leave the cinema smiling. Once they grace the stage, you might just feel inclined to clap.

In a Nutshell: If The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo left you disturbed, this is the perfectly heartwarming, giggle-inducing antidote.

Title:

Director: James Bobin

Starring: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Raschida Jones

Release Date: February 10th

After a twelve-year absence from the big screen, the overblown Muppet style is a shock, and as Jason Segal throws himself into the all-singing, all-dancing, opening scenes it almost seems like a mockery. Yet it soon becomes clear that he is simply playing along with the classic Muppets trait of self-awareness; cheesy gags are swiftly followed by a self-referential quip, such as wry references to the film’s budget or the unrealistic amount of time it takes for characters to travel from one state to another.

The ‘human leads’ are Gary (Segal) and Mary (Amy Adams), whose love interest mainly  pushes the classic ‘pay attention to your girlfriend’ moral, but also the cringe-worthy ‘all a girlfriend wants is to be proposed to’ assumption. The story opens with Gary, Mary and Gary’s Muppet fan (and puppet) brother, Walter, who discover on a trip to L.A. that the original Muppets theatre is dilapidated and in danger of being torn down by evil businessman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper). The human leads don’t take centre stage however, and it is the classic love story between Miss Piggy and Kermit that proves to be of more interest. That isn’t to say that Segal and Adams’ acting skills are inferior to those of two felt-covered puppets, but somehow there is a little more depth to the frog-pig dynamic, as Miss Piggy asserts her independence and tells Kermit to acknowledge her as an individual and not just part of the group. Fear not however, there are still plenty of laughs to be found in the well-known inter-species relationship.
Another rather touching aspect of the film is the portrayal of the Muppets as friends who are no longer in contact and find it a little awkward to reunite and work as a team again. The entire film plays on themes of nostalgia, yearning for the good old days of showbiz. Alongside this comes a suprising thread of anti-capitalism – Gonzo has become a businessman who has little time for his old companions, the evil archnemis is a corporate high-flyer and there is even a mention of the Muppets in The Economist.
A further surprise is the extensive list of high-profile cameos that grace the screen, which is impressive even by the Muppets’ regular high standards. Fortunately none of the star appearances are given enough screen time to outdo the Muppets themselves, but they do add to the quality of the overall production.

The Muppets are back, and kids and adults alike can expect to leave the cinema smiling. Once they grace the stage, you might just feel inclined to clap.

In a Nutshell: If The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo left you disturbed, this is the perfectly heartwarming, giggle-inducing antidote.

An ashamedly starstruck Otwo meets Jo O’Meara and Bradley McIntosh in the less than glamorous setting of a dressing room-cum-bathroom in the UCD Student Bar. Times have changed for the pair, who make up little over a quarter of the band that so many UCD students will remember from hours spent singing into their hairbrushes, S Club 7.

Although they started off as a septet, both admit that they have gotten used to performing by themselves, having spent the last couple of years often taking to the stage to relive old S Club hits, to the delight of nostalgic college-goers across the UK and Ireland. However, they are still in contact with the other five members of the original line-up, occasionally even meeting for what Otwo imagines is a pretty hectic dinner. While Rachel, Hannah, Tina, Paul and Jon are busying themselves with solo careers, theatre performances and parenthood, O’Meara and McIntosh have been enjoying the intimacy of smaller venues than they were used to in their nineties heyday, as the latter explains. “It’s nice, it’s something that we never got to do when we were in the band, doing the big shows … the smallest we would ever do would probably be about eight to nine thousand.”

Any fans fervently wishing for a full reunion tour can continue to hold out a glimmer of hope, but should still not expect an announcement any day soon, according to McIntosh. “I think every one of us would be open to it but even when we’ve met up we’ve not really talked about it. Who knows – we’ve not ruled it out.”

Should the original septet reunite, they will have to compete with the next generation of pop stars, two of whom are in fact their own protégés – Rochelle Wiseman and Frankie Sandford of the Saturdays both started their careers as members of spin-off group S Club Juniors. While both O’Meara and McIntosh are proud of the girls’ success, O’Meara hasn’t quite come to terms with their maturity. “I can’t stand the fact that they’re grown up and they’re sexy girls now because they’re our babies. I’m like, ‘put your boobs away woman!’”

The duo are well aware that Wiseman and Sandford are not the only ones who have grown up – so has their audience, who were originally, as McIntosh states, their “target market”. They might be in their early twenties now, but it won’t be too many years before few college students will have fond memories of growing up listening to ‘Don’t Stop Moving’, ‘Bring it all Back’ and ‘Reach’. McIntosh acknowledges that their performances don’t have a long-term future, but also explains that that was never part of their plan. “We’ve been doing this for a couple of years now and it’s been fun but I think it’s getting to the point where you can only do it for so long … it kinda happened by accident anyway. I was doing a bit of DJing and at the end I’d put on a few S Club songs and then I pulled Jo in to do a couple of shows and then before we knew it the agent was getting calls and we were like ‘yeah, why not, we’ll do a few here and there.’”

As well as accepting that the S Club revival does not promise longevity, the remaining members are also surprisingly accepting of the fact that the group’s music is openly labelled as ‘cheese’, as McIntosh confirms that “It’s the truth, innit? We are cheese … we’re from the cheese era”, and O’Meara glibly states that it’s “better than being shit, out and out shit, I suppose.” McIntosh goes on to point out the foolishness of pretending otherwise, “I think we’d look like idiots if we tried to justify that we weren’t cheese when we are. It’s like me trying to pretend I’m white when I’m black,” with O’Meara echoing “Or me black”.

S Club impress Otwo with stories of nineties backstage band interaction, telling tales of how H from Steps would “sit in our room, cross his legs and have a chat.” O’Mara adds that his visits were also motivated by the use of their hair straighteners, and emphasises her point with a fairly accurate impression of the Welsh pop star “Hallooo! Oh are they plugged in?” We finish the interview in a haze of starstruck nostalgia, leaving S Club to take to the stage and prove that even in 2012, there still ain’t no party like an S Club party.

In an email sent to a member of the Lawsoc committee on January 15th, Mc Namara expressed his preference for that member as his successor as Lawsoc Auditor, as well as stating which other committee member he would prefer either as Vice Auditor or Treasurer; “In my opinion, the optimum result for next year would be you as Auditor with … as your right hand.”

Mc Namara went on to imply that there was an agreement between himself and Societies Officer Richard Butler regarding his selection as next year’s Chairman of Societies Council, an elected position; “Myself and Richard Butler have reached an understanding and I will probably run for Chairman of Societies Council as Stephen’s successor.”

Speaking to the University Observer, Butler stated that he did not know to what Mc Namara was referring to and that no such ‘understanding’ existed. “There is no arrangement, understanding, agreement or any other form of outcome discussed, arranged or in any way planned for any position within the Societies Council for Mr. Mc Namara, or any individual, nor could there be, as this is something that the Auditors vote on among themselves.” He went on to say that Mc Namara had already made a statement to him regarding the matter; “I have already accepted Mr. Mc Namara’s statement to me that he inadvertently phrased his email in a careless manner, such as to allow a number of interpretations to be made from his comments.”

Mc Namara stated to the University Observer that he had incorrectly phrased his comment regarding this ‘understanding’; “I mis-phrased, I believed that we had come to an understanding on how far I’d progressed as Auditor.” He continued by expressing regret for his actions; “I was arrogant and reckless; I didn’t appreciate my committee and my pride has led me to hurt many people with whom I’ve shared wonderful friendships … Over the past week I’ve realised some truths about myself and I will do my best to learn from past mistakes in the execution of my role as Auditor.”

A prominent member of Lawsoc, who wished to remain anonymous, indicated that elections for Lawsoc Auditor could, subject to UCD approval, now be held as early as next month. This source also maintained that the society was unlikely to disband over the controversy.

Butler described the poor condition of the track as the reason for its closure; “as the surface is badly worn and becomes slippy when wet, it should be closed to all users.” However, Owen maintains that until “diggers and bulldozers moved in” the following morning, it was still usable. “It wasn’t great, it was the oldest track in Ireland, but it was still in perfectly usable condition … We know there are plans for a new track, which is great, but we were perfectly happy with what we had.”

Owens explained how the closure of the track will affect not only the 256 members of the Club, but five local schools, a running club and members of the public. An alternative location must also now be found for the traditional Belfield staging of national charity event the GOAL mile.

Students affected by the closure have been involved in a campaign to ‘save’ the track since the announcement was made. The campaign has so far included an “emergency meeting” between the Athletics Club, Sports Officer Paddy Guiney, and Students’ Union Campaigns and Communications Officer, Brendan Lacey, as well as a “fun run” around campus. A written petition reached over three thousand signatures last week, and an assembly meeting, held in conjunction with LawSoc, was due to take place on Monday 28^th November.

Numerous political and sporting personalities have voiced their support for the campaign, including TDs Olivia Mitchell and Micheál Martin, and athletes such as Sonia O’Sullivan, Paula Radcliffe and David Gillick.

Guiney stated that the late notice students were given regarding the closure is the impetus behind the campaign, and that they were seeking “an apology for the way the Athletics Club were treated” and wished to see details of the track removed from the UCD prospectus and website: “we don’t want it advertised because it is not there.”

Director of Sport Brian Mullins acknowledged that the closure was a “shock and a very big disappointment” for students and explained that short-term alternatives including “not only synthetic surfaces on campus and grass areas but also options like the Irishtown track” were being explored.

Butler expressed the intention of the University “to provide an alternative facility on campus in the future, subject to funding becoming available.” Mullins stated that the “preferred location for a replacement would be in Richview”. Both he and Owens expressed hope that funding for a new track might be obtained from the Sports Capital Programme, which having been suspended for the past three years is due to be reintroduced by the current government in 2012, with an budget of €30 million.

Should funding become available, Owens emphasised that the Athletics Club would strive to raise a portion of the required sum themselves. “The exact figure UCD Sport has quoted us is €1.6 million for a new track, so … we think it’s only fair that the club would have to raise €100,000 to €150,000 and then whatever else, to make up the rest of the track.”

Brescia is a city with a modest reputation, but an endearing appeal for those who discover it. Don’t be fooled by its industrial suburbs, the ‘Lioness of Italy’, so named after a nineteenth-century attempted uprising against Austria, has plenty of beauty to be admired. One top attraction is a sprawling and impressively well-preserved medieval castle, which boasts a panoramic view of the city from its hilltop positioning, as well as a selection of park-style spots and benches that are perfect locations for passing a few lazy hours.

The city centre contains numerous historic sights, including the remains of a Roman forum, ‘Piazza del Foro’, and two spectacular cathedrals. The ‘Duomo Vecchio’ (Old Cathedral) is a Romanesque church, known for its unusual circular shape as ‘La Rotonda’. The ancient crypt pre-dates the present cathedral and its almost eerie underground structure is another example of superb preservation.

Sightseers are well-catered for when it comes to sustenance. Grab a student-friendly lunch at Charlie One, a pizzeria that offers a combination of various pizza slices, before following this with a scoop of ice cream or three from Gelateria Bedussi for sure-fire food satisfaction.

Home to both a university and an academy of fine arts, the city boasts a youthful spirit. When it comes to night-time entertainment, you won’t have to go far to find a cosy bar serving an evening ‘aperitivo’. Make sure to try fruity Brescian favourite ‘Pirlo’, a cocktail of white wine, Campari or Aperol and sparkling water. Quirky bar ‘La Fabbrica del Cacao’ (‘The Cocoa Factory’) is a good place for a relaxed beer, while more glamorous outdoor clubs open during the summer months. The nightlife can be pricey, so make sure to get some local advice before shelling out a twelve or even twenty euro entry fee.

The city’s highlights are numerous, but there are many natural wonders to be found beyond its urban outskirts. Lake Garda lies just thirty-five kilometres from the city centre, and while it may be a favoured tourist destination there are plenty of quiet spots to be found on what is Italy’s largest lake. Don’t be put off by the seemingly endless hotels and restaurants in some areas; it’s worth travelling a little further to find a serene lakeside path and peace of mind.

Even more stunning is the nearby Alpine mountain range and UNESCO site, the Dolomites, which are found in the neighbouring region of Trentino. Skiing enthusiasts will appreciate the vast slope on the Grostè mountain, while walkers can admire the waterfall ‘Cascate Nardis’ and countless other breathtaking views, as well as enjoy local cuisine in mountain-side restaurants. Instead of always opting for pizza or pasta, make sure to also try out tasty regional delicacies such as ‘polenta’.

If you are curious to see what other places of interest Italy has to offer, then Brescia’s proximity to many of the country’s well-known metropoles will prove a distinct advantage. Spendthrifts will be delighted to discover that the glamorous shopping capital of Milan is just an hour and half’s drive away, while romantics can make their way to Verona, the spiritual home of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, in just an hour. Once you get past the tacky tourism surrounding the renowned balcony that the playwright allegedly never saw, the city makes for a charming destination. A similar attitude must be applied to the vast cultural hub that is Venice, but there all it takes to escape the crowds is an impromptu diversion down one of the countless winding streets and alleys, the exploration of which will lead you to happen upon some of the city’s most appealing and secluded sights. Just make sure you can find your way back to what may be an equally elusive hostel.

Don’t let the tourist haunts take up all of your time however; the quaint nearby cities of Bergamo and Mantua are also more than worthy of a daytrip. Once you’ve based yourself in Brescia, prepare to be spoilt for choice.

A ‘town hall’ meeting held as part of the campaign on the 3^rd November drew the attendance of “around a hundred and sixty to two hundred” people. Lacey admitted that the turnout “wasn’t what I wanted it to be” and commented that the timing of the meeting, which was held on a Thursday evening, might have affected the numbers, but maintained that he was “still happy with it … it just gives us that little motivation, that we have to step it up again”.

Lacey also spoke of how one response to the ‘Tell Your TD’ campaign, from Fine Gael TD Eoghan Murphy, “confirms that the Government are planning to put up fees and to drop the maintenance grant”. Lacey explained how Murphy described the governmental financial situation regarding funding for third level education. “In plain terms, he said we can’t afford a loan or graduate scheme at the moment and that’s why the alternative or the interim solution is the increase in the student contribution fee and due to our finances we will also have to cut the maintenance grant budget.” Despite this, Lacey remains confident about the outcome of both tomorrow’s march and the overall campaign. “I really do think the campaign’s going to pay off and I’m really hopeful about the result we’re going to get out of it.”

Further cuts to third level education were confirmed this weekend, as a government proposal to abolish all maintenance grants for postgraduate students was revealed in the Sunday Business Post. The proposal was described by Union of Students in Ireland (USI) President Gary Redmond as a move that Education Minister Ruairi Quinn “simply must re-consider”.

Both Redmond and Lacey anticipate a large turnout at tomorrow’s ‘Stop Fees, Save the Grant’ protest, with Redmond predicting that over one hundred and fifty buses will bring protesters from all over the country to Dublin on the day. Lacey remarked that he expects a larger turnout of UCD students than were present at last year’s march; “I think we could get more numbers out than we did last year, which I didn’t think would happen when we first sat down to plan this campaign”. Regarding the sleepout, which is due to take place at Molesworth Street after the march, he emphasised that it would be a “strictly no alcohol event”, and stated that both the Gardai and an event management company would be on-site.

This year has already come to the inevitable point when sabbatical officers are coming under fire for promises that, for whatever reasons, have not been fulfilled. Stephen Darcy has been subject to harsh criticism after two, or approximately one and half, acts failed to perform at the ‘Cheesefest’ concert last month. Some of the students who voiced their disappointment on the Ents Facebook page complained that the compensation of a five Euro refund or two six Euro drinks tokens on the night was not adequate, and that a full refund or a guarantee of admission to the promised follow-up show should instead have been offered. Others resorted merely to name-calling.

The crude insults that come alongside genuine complaints and constructive comments are unavoidable in all walks of life, but access to internet forums and Facebook pages have invited an unfortunate deluge of the former rather than the latter. Former Entertainment Officer Jonny Cosgrove received a similar backlash during the furore surrounding last year’s UCD Ball, however given the greater number of students who felt hard done by, his online ordeal was of a more extreme nature and the comments were also painfully personal.

The internet boasts endless advantages for anyone wishing to communicate with the public, but it is also a distinctly double-edged sword. Anyone promoting a society or event to the UCD student body must be fully confident in the quality of whatever they are bringing to their attention, as any flaws or unfavourable aspects will soon be pointed out by the many critical eyes online, and a personal insult or two may be thrown in for good measure. Those without a suitably thick skin would be better off not putting themselves out there.

Of course if you put yourself in the public eye, then you have to be prepared to take the eventual criticism that is destined to come your way. Some of it will be deserved, some of it will not. Yet there is no doubt that many students take on sabbatical or extra-curricular positions without quite realising the intensity of the job that they have taken on. Just last week Stephen Darcy admitted that he didn’t realise how much criticism of Ents would have an impact on him personally, while Student Union President Pat de Brún acknowledged that he is finding his second sabbatical year “extremely challenging” and has had to put some planned projects on the long finger as a result of financial restructuring taking up more of his time than he had originally anticipated.

Yet there is a different sort of demand upon those who take on high-ranking positions within societies or the Students’ Union while still studying; they must balance their studies alongside their extra-curricular responsibilities. Getting involved in a society or club at UCD can be the most enriching element of a student’s college life, but it can also lead to the most stressful times of the year becoming even more acutely pressured.

Poor exam results are a disappointment only for a student themselves, or at most also for their parents and perhaps a particularly concerned tutor. When a society event or SU initiative fails to go as planned or receives a poor reception however, there is the potential to disappoint tens, hundreds or even thousands of students. There is also often the legacy of revered predecessors to live up to; auditors who managed to secure notably renowned speakers, captains who brought their teams to new levels of success, SU officers who championed national campaigns. This is not to say that the pressure of extra-curricular activities is greater than a student’s academic obligations, but it does entail a different, and perhaps unanticipated, sense of expectation.

Our Students’ Union, societies and clubs can only continue to succeed and improve with both the devotion of those who dedicate themselves to these organisations, and the continued surveillance of the student body’s critical eye. Criticism can be constructive, and is undeniably necessary, but those who are tempted to voice their discontent in a crude manner should first consider if their comments will do anything to improve the situation they disapprove of, or if it would be more productive to simply get involved and attempt to make the necessary changes themselves. Those who reach the highest echelons of non-academic activities however, must also consider whether they really are prepared and able to commit themselves to what can be the most demanding, but also most rewarding tasks that they may encounter during their time at university.

Germany has always been a haven for electro artists, and the country that brought us the legendary Kraftwerk is also the birthplace of a notable addition to the twenty-first century scene. Jens Moelle and Ismail Tüfekçi make up the duo that is Digitalism, and are currently touring their second album, the curiously titled I Love You Dude. Moelle explains that the title encapsulates the band’s mood as they finished recording, and also adds a sense of mystery to the record. “It’s something that people shouldn’t take too seriously – you don’t know what to expect and that’s what it’s all about.”

Digitalism also aimed to change the current atmosphere of the club scene with their second offering. “There’s so much hard music in the clubs at the minute and we wanted to bring back a bit of romance and maybe bromance as well.” When Moelle mentions that they also wanted to “get the ladies back” Otwo has to ask exactly what he means. “There’s so much hard techno and scenes have split up since we started. All the scenes were kind of united and there was a big mix-up of styles and genres and now people have gone back to dubstep and there’s only boys going [to clubs] … It’s very separated again so we wanted to bring back some love.”

One place where Digitalism have long secured some love is their hometown of Hamburg, where they will soon be playing a sold-out gig. Hamburg is renowned as a cultural hotspot, but Moelle cites its “isolation” as an advantage for the band. “When we sit in our ‘bunker’ studio, we’re completely cut off from everything out there so we can just do whatever we want without getting involved in scenes, or influenced or biased or anything, so I think that’s why Hamburg is quite important for us.” This avoidance – or absence, according to Moelle – of scene culture has also been a source of inspiration for Digitalism. “It kind of has anti-influenced us because there wasn’t so much going on there so we just came up with something that’s going fill the void.”

The duo are not just known for creating their own infectious tracks, but for re-mixing the work of others, including that of artists as well-recognised as Daft Punk, the White Stripes and Depeche Mode. Even with the calibre of artists whose work they are invited to reinvent, Moelle doesn’t feel that there is extra pressure when they are adding the Digitalism touch to the music of other prominent artists. “We just want to make sure that we are happy with the result. I mean, they have to be happy as well because they have to approve the stuff but … I think most important is when you get really excited. When we start nodding our heads while we are working in the studio that’s a good sign.” He also explains that once they have remixed a track, it becomes their own. “We just use a bit of someone else’s material and we build something around it, so basically if we make a Digitalism remix we make a Digitalism track out of it … I think in order to make a good remix you have to think like that.”

Moelle also points out the mutual commercial benefits of remixed tracks. “If you do a remix for someone we also add our audience to the other band’s audience. For example if we remix the Futureheads then people who buy Digitalism stuff might buy Futureheads vinyl with our remix on it. It’s about mixing up fanbases.”

Remixing is not the only way that the band have proved themselves to be smart businessmen as well as inspired musicians. They have also made use of other commercial opportunities, agreeing to have tracks such as ‘Pogo’and ‘Idealistic’ featured on advertisements and video game soundtracks. Since their music isn’t always to mainstream radio DJs’ taste, Moelle believes that they need to make the most of opportunities to get their music into the public sphere. Luckily, the gaming industry is an area that they already have an interest in. “We’re big games fans anyway so if a nice video project ask us if they can put our music on the soundtrack that’s kind of an honour for us as well.”

Having played UCD twice, in 2008 and 2009, Moelle remembers both gigs fondly. While the band enjoy playing to student audiences, they are also happy to play to whoever will listen. “I don’t know who’s going to come next week. I don’t mind. We don’t mind if it’s big or small – for example last night we played in front of about 600 people in Stockholm and the stage was only twenty inches high … That’s the best usually – it’s very intimate and very intense, as opposed to when you play big stages at festivals and you’re twenty miles away from the people.”

Having gigged in Stockholm the day before talking to Otwo, the band have clearly gotten their European tour off to a good start. “The first gig yesterday was great – it was really sweaty, that’s how it should be.” No doubt their stopover in Dublin will be just as perspiration-inducing, intense and enjoyable. We love you, dudes.

Digitalism play the Academy on Sunday 30^th October. Tickets are priced at twenty-nine euro.

Many musicians change with the times, altering their sound depending on varying musical influences and yearly trends, but few releases are as timely as that of Patrick Wolf, whose upcoming EP matches its winter release to perfection. Brumalia began as a few songs that had a “December, November kind of feeling” and features “about six songs written without any light or sunshine … I just wanted to go back to a place of, nocturnal, spontaneous, dark material.” Wolf describes Brumalia as the “shadow” to his last release, Lupercalia’s, “light”, but the inspiration behind the EP’s solemn tone does not just stem from a convenient release date.

Brumalia is in the final stages of its recording in London, although when Otwo talks to Wolf he has just arrived in Spain for a quick mini-tour before returning to add the final touches to the record. The electronic folk-pop enigma did not choose to record in the city simply because it is a musical hub however; London is his home town, which he admits gives him a different perspective of the city than artists who choose to move to the cultural capital. “It’s a kind of deeper understanding of the turbulence of it and I’ve said to myself ‘right, either I’m going to live right in the heart of it or I’m going to move out into isolation and become a different type of writer’ but for now, in my twenties, I’m very much attached, like an umbilical cord, to the centre of London.”

Even when he is in the midst of recording, Wolf still finds time to dedicate to his fanbase. He organises numerous meet and greet sessions, describing these as a grounding experience; “it takes away the red carpet in between the audience and the performer … It’s nice to hear the little stories of why people are there,” and expresses great excitement about a competition where he will select submitted remixes of his track ‘Time of my life’ to post on his website and perform his favourite reworking on tour. “I kind of want to celebrate the stuff that is really breaking all the rules and is almost so chaotic that it’s unplayable to most people … It’s great there’s so much imagination out there.”

While Wolf praises the social media that allows him to interact directly with fans and organise face-to-face meetings and competitions, he has also experienced the drawbacks of being so accessible online; some of his admirers become excessively enthusiastic. “I can cope with people making random negative comments because that’s just part of being a human being, but when people are being over-obsessive and over-fanatical that can sometimes be more negative than a throwaway comment.” Yet Wolf freely admits that he too is prone to extreme behaviour. “I’m really a big fan of obsessive behaviour, passionate behaviour in life, and manic behaviour, but when it borders on slightly unhealthy it can be a little bit confusing and you’ve just got to ignore that.”

Wolf is intimately involved with all aspects of his material; he works closely with the video directors, photographers and graphic designers who produce the visual accompaniment to his music. The people who design his clothes are often not firmly established in the fashion industry but instead are students. “I work with a lot of undergraduates, people in second year and third year design, Bachelors and Masters, because they’re the kind of people that are still hungry to collaborate on stuff and not obsessed with commercialism.”

Giving a young artist a chance to show their potential is an opportunity that Wolf endeavours never to miss, as he appreciates even after almost ten years of performing and recording that lucky breaks are often what define a career. Although immensely proud of his five albums to date, Wolf describes the high points of his career so far as “the work that has happened as kind of accidents of the albums”. These “accidents” include playing with Patti Smith and being asked by photographer Nan Goldin to compose a forty-five minute soundtrack to her celebrated work The Ballad of Sexual Dependency, which Wolf performed in the Tate Modern in 2008. “The things you write about in your biography, it’s probably not going to be going on The Charlotte Church Show and singing ‘When Doves Cry’, it’s going to be that moment I worked with Patti and Nan. There have just been so many great moments, creatively, and those are the moments I would tell my grandchildren about.”

Wolf has just finished a pared-down tour in America, a set up that he feels is worth repeating in future. “You lay your heart down on the line and it’s just you and your songs and your stories, no fancy stuff, then you sometimes feel more vulnerable … I really stripped myself bare and the payoff was worth it.”

The current tour however, will be at the other end of the dramatic scale that his fans know and love so well, with a six-piece band, a specially crafted stage and a designer accompanying the songwriter. This is no doubt a costly endeavour, but Wolf is adamant that it is money well spent. “While the money’s still there we’re just going to try and create a kind of utopia onstage.” Winter may be creeping into his music, but it seems that Wolf’s admirable ambition and encouraging attitude will shine through even the darkest of seasons.

Patrick Wolf plays the Academy on the 24^th October. Tickets are priced at €20