Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Paul Rekret

Journal of Cultural Economy @jcultecon.bsky.social · 2d

NEW: Sensuous Abstraction: hip-hop, money and the popular - @paulrekret.bsky.social www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Sensuous Abstraction: hip-hop, money and the popular

This article examines the absorption of hip-hop into the upper echelons of the popular music charts. It identifies 1997 as a pivotal turning point in this history and focuses on three albums releas...

www.tandfonline.com

1 2

Paul Rekret @paulrekret.bsky.social · 9d

Sorry, one more post: in this new article I try to connect the abstracting power of money through social crises of the late 1990s by way of rap music aesthetics in that era www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Sensuous Abstraction: hip-hop, money and the popular

This article examines the absorption of hip-hop into the upper echelons of the popular music charts. It identifies 1997 as a pivotal turning point in this history and focuses on three albums releas...

www.tandfonline.com

1 3

Reposted by Paul Rekret

Toby Bennett @tgpb.bsky.social · 12d

This article is great! It offers a contribution to conceptualisations of "real abstraction" by asking how music helps us come to *feel* exchange value.

MORE IMPORTANTLY it genuinely provides an answer to this age-old question:

Image of what appears to be a shiny room, lit from multiple directions, as in a Hype Williams video - but is on closer inspection a handy kitchen appliance. Caption reads:
"Why does the inside of a cheese grater look like every rap music video from the early 2000s?"

4 7

Paul Rekret @paulrekret.bsky.social · 16d

Just published open access @jcultecon.bsky.social. On the aestheticisation of money in hip-hop; a cultural logic since generalised. Its also a theorisation of mediations of political economy and cultural form operating across scales of time and space www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Sensuous Abstraction: hip-hop, money and the popular

This article examines the absorption of hip-hop into the upper echelons of the popular music charts. It identifies 1997 as a pivotal turning point in this history and focuses on three albums releas...

www.tandfonline.com

3 5

Paul Rekret @paulrekret.bsky.social · Sep 2

FIVE HUNDRED ISSUES! I've been reading since I was 19 and my roommate would bring em back from the bookshop he worked at.. alot of issues ago. Anyhow, I wrote about a new film on Irish folk music for this issue

The Wire Magazine @thewiremagazine.bsky.social · Sep 2

The Wire 500 is out now!

Featuring a special commemorative silver gatefold Wire 500 artwork by Savage Pencil, plus features on Natural Information Society, Fay Victor, OvO, Weston Olencki, Bitchin Bajas, Lea Bertucci, and many, many more.

Available to buy here:
www.thewire.co.uk/shop/

1 6

Paul Rekret @paulrekret.bsky.social · Aug 5

For this issue I wrote about Gaza Sound Man, a film about Mohammad Yaghi. The film is extraordinary and Yaghi is the most important sound artist working today

The Wire Magazine @thewiremagazine.bsky.social · Aug 5

The Wire 499 is out now!

Featuring a 10-page Cabaret Voltaire special, plus DJ Haram's Invisible Jukebox, Earshot, Moreskinsound, SANAM, Michael Hurley, Chris Burn, 40 pages of reviews and more.

Copies are available to buy from our webshop now, & on newsstands from 7 Aug:
www.thewire.co.uk/shop/

2 7

Reposted by Paul Rekret

Jeffery R Webber @jefferyrwebber.bsky.social · Jun 24

@toddgordontoronto.bsky.social and I have a piece out in @journalspectre.bsky.social on Trump.

spectrejournal.com/water-on-the...

Water on the Brain – Spectre Journal

Gordon and Webber argue that Trumpism exemplifies the antidemocratic authoritarianism characteristic of the liberal tradition, rather than interwar fascism.

spectrejournal.com

7 7

Reposted by Paul Rekret

minor compositions @minorcompositions.bsky.social · Jun 16

The Saint Monday Mixtapes
Mix 2: Dance, Dance Refusal
Mixed by Paul Rekret
www.spreaker.com/episode/danc...
‪@paulrekret.bsky.social

1 1

Reposted by Paul Rekret

Toby Bennett @tgpb.bsky.social · Jun 6

Critical Thought Maintenance: or, How to mediate intellectual and organisational form (and get away with it!)

Two sessions exploring how the conditions for collective critical thinking get put together.

London Conference in Critical Thought @ Birkbeck, 20-21 June

More: www.londoncritical.co.uk

5 2

Paul Rekret @paulrekret.bsky.social · Jun 4

!!!

Marxism in Culture @marxisminculture.bsky.social · Jun 4

Join us for our final seminar of the academic year:

Dubravka Sekulić (‪@dubravka.bsky.social‬)
'On Yugoslav Construction Industry, Non-alignment, and Architecture'

Friday 20 June, 5:30–7:30 pm

‪@ucl-ias.bsky.social‬ Common Ground, G11, South Wing, UCL, WC1E 6BT

www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...

On Yugoslav Construction Industry, Non-alignment, and Architecture

We welcome you to this Marxism in Culture seminar with Dubravka Sekulić, who will discuss the Non-aligned Movement in Belgrade, focussing on the Energoprojekt and the central role the architecture dep...

www.ucl.ac.uk

3

Paul Rekret @paulrekret.bsky.social · Jun 4

New Wire! For this issue I reviewed a new book on improvisation... Excited to read the Hosono interview

The Wire Magazine @thewiremagazine.bsky.social · Jun 3

The Wire 497 is out now!

Our brand new issue features Haruomi Hosono on the cover, plus Bromp Treb, Christer Bothén, Crystabel Efemena Riley, Blackhaine, DJ Scotch Egg's Invisible Jukebox, plus 40 pages of reviews and much more.

Get it here: www.thewire.co.uk/issues/497

2

Paul Rekret @paulrekret.bsky.social · May 26

This is very exciting

QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · May 26

Moving towards a trade dispute with the Secretary of State for Education!

UCU Congress voted to support a national trade dispute with the government over the Higher Education funding crisis.

Motion & further info: lu.ma/a0vv0sjb?tk=...

JOIN to discuss next steps 3 June, 6pm: lu.ma/zs6bklhz

🧵

Trade Dispute with Government
UCU Congress delegates voted to support a national trade dispute with the government over the higher education funding crisis.

1 1

Paul Rekret @paulrekret.bsky.social · May 19

This should be great. All welcome

Marxism in Culture @marxisminculture.bsky.social · May 19

Join us for our first seminar of the Summer:

'Music and Revolution in the Age of Disco', with David Grundy

Friday 23 May, 2025, 5.30pm

@ucl-ias.bsky.social‬ IAS Forum, G17, ground floor, South Wing, UCL, Gower St, London, WC1E 6BT

Free. All welcome. Details: www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...

Music and Revolution in the Age of Disco

We welcome you to this Marxism in Culture seminar with David Grundy, who will show how Amiri Baraka’s music and ideas might be useful for an idea of what popular music is, how it can be used, and how ...

www.ucl.ac.uk

2 2

Reposted by Paul Rekret

Internet Archive @archive.org · Apr 17

📢 The Internet Archive needs your help.

At a time when information is being rewritten or erased online, a $700 million lawsuit from major record labels threatens to destroy the Wayback Machine.

Tell the labels to drop the 78s lawsuit.

👉 Sign our open letter: www.change.org/p/defend-the...

🧵⬇️

Defend the Internet Archive.
Protect the Wayback Machine.
Tell the music labels: Drop the 78s lawsuit.
Sign our open letter on change.org

120 16K 20K

Paul Rekret @paulrekret.bsky.social · Apr 8

Oh ffs, not again

David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · Apr 8

Home Office once again seeking to reduce UK exports of higher education. As if the sector wasn't in enough trouble already (and not getting the attention such as important one should get). www.ft.com/content/f441...

UK Home Office’s reform of graduate visas runs into opposition

Education department at odds with plan to curb number of overseas students allowed to stay in Britain

www.ft.com

Paul Rekret @paulrekret.bsky.social · Apr 7

This discussion of Trump etc with @jamiemerchant.bsky.social is by far the best and sharpest account of the current faultlines among the American capitalist class I've come across itsgoingdown.org/trump-the-te...

Trump, the Tech-Right, and the Post-Neoliberal Order

In this episode of The Beautiful Idea, we present an interview with author Jamie Merchant, author of Engame: Economic Nationalism and Global Decline and numerous articles at The Brooklyn Rail. Merchan...

itsgoingdown.org

6 16

Paul Rekret @paulrekret.bsky.social · Apr 3

Nice write up in Tribune about music and 'lost futures' happens to call my book "the most successful attempt to reposition music and critique within a radical project fit for the current conjuncture." 😎😎😎 tribunemag.co.uk/2025/04/no-m...

No More Lost Futures

A new book making the case for internet-centric electronic musicians like SOPHIE, FKA Twigs and Oneohtrix Point Never is part of a growing wave of thinkers consigning the ‘lost futures’ discourse of t...

tribunemag.co.uk

5

Paul Rekret @paulrekret.bsky.social · Mar 24

Sam Fisher on Samuel Delany as a theorist of racial capitalism, at ucl this Friday. Will be very good. All welcome www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...

3 Model of Form: Samuel Delany as a Theorist of Racial Capitalism

We welcome you to this Marxism in Culture seminar with Samuel Fisher, who will discuss the paraliterary writings of Samuel R. Delany as occasions to think about how the literary mediates social form.

www.ucl.ac.uk

1

Reposted by Paul Rekret

The Wire Magazine @thewiremagazine.bsky.social · Mar 12

Dive deeper into music. Join The Wire's online magazine library & get more than 490 issues of the best music magazine in the world to read on the web or in the app, plus download more than 90 albums compiled by Wire staff.

All from just £12 (or $16 or 14 Euros).

shop.exacteditions.com/gb/the-wire

1 9 48

Reposted by Paul Rekret

Rebecca Bramall @rfbramall.bsky.social · Feb 17

We’re looking forward to contributing to the CAMRI research seminar series next Thurs 27 Feb at 17.00. We’ll be talking about our research on meanings and practices of redistribution in the context of digitalization.

All welcome; details in the link.  Thanks to @tgpb.bsky.social for the invite!

Toby Bennett @tgpb.bsky.social · Jan 21

27 Feb. CAMRI Seminar with Jon Paylor and Rebecca Bramall (@rfbramall.bsky.social).

On Mutual Aid in a Platform Economy.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/digital-pl...

Digital platforms, redistribution and mutual aid

CAMRI Research Seminar with Jon Paylor and Rebecca Bramall (London College of Communication, UAL).

www.eventbrite.co.uk

4 4

Reposted by Paul Rekret

Marxism in Culture @marxisminculture.bsky.social · Feb 17

📢Our next Seminar:
'The Working Day in Contemporary Art',
Kirsten Lloyd.

Friday 28th February, 5.30-7.30pm, @UCL_IAS .

IAS Common Ground, G11, ground floor, South Wing, UCL, Gower St, London WC1E 6BT.

www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...

Image credit: Eastern Surf, ilovemyjob! (2017) Image courtesy of the artists

3 5

Reposted by Paul Rekret

Marxism in Culture @marxisminculture.bsky.social · Feb 17

📢Our March Seminar:
'3 Model of Form: Samuel Delany as a Theorist of Racial Capitalism,
With Samuel Fisher.

Friday 28th March, 5.30-7.30pm, @UCL_IAS

IAS Common Ground, G11, ground floor, South Wing, UCL, Gower St, London WC1E 6BT.

www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...

3 Model of Form: Samuel Delany as a Theorist of Racial Capitalism

We welcome you to this Marxism in Culture seminar with Samuel Fisher, who will discuss the paraliterary writings of Samuel R. Delany as occasions to think about how the literary mediates social form.

www.ucl.ac.uk

5 7

Reposted by Paul Rekret

Ash Sharma @ashdisorient.bsky.social · Dec 19

darkmatter-hub.pubpub.org/issue-17-wom... Special Issue darkmatter journal #darkmatter

Issue-17 Woman, Life, Freedom: The Sounds of A Revolution

darkmatter-hub.pubpub.org

2 3

Reposted by Paul Rekret

Toby Bennett @tgpb.bsky.social · Feb 12

We @camri.bsky.social are hosting a reading/thinking group with @ericdrott.bsky.social.

Discussing Eric's excellent working paper on the Political Economy of Music AI. Please contact me or @paulrekret.bsky.social for a copy.

4th March, 3.30-5pm, Central London (Regent Street) - in person only.

2 4

Reposted by Paul Rekret

Arbeitology @arbeitology.bsky.social · Jan 6

Here it is guys, finally you can hear me, on the brilliant @notesfrombelow.bsky.social podcast, complaining about working in restaurants

open.spotify.com/episode/108Q...

Ep 2: Cooking up a Storm

Workers' Inquiry · Episode

open.spotify.com

3 19 53