Jon Rust b2b Jamie xx on No Boring Intros

The historic Nelson Mandela anthem, Kirsten Dunst in anime costume, a lot of NTS radio and more in our look at music this week

Jamie xx proved his true crate-digger style this week on the anything-goes show No Boring Intros hosted by fellow Londoner and DJ Jon Rust. Their back-to-back sessions on NTS Radio start smooth and funky—think Ollie Nightingale and Fred Wesley and the JBs—and finish with a fair share of edgier, club-worthy beats, with some Paul McCartney thrown in. These two hours of spontaneous awesomeness will revitalize …

Kirsten Dunst: Turning Japanese

The historic Nelson Mandela anthem, Kirsten Dunst in anime costume, a lot of NTS radio and more in our look at music this week

This past Wednesday, we hit Parisian club Silencio’s pop-up at Art Basel Miami Beach, where Pharrell and Takashi Murakami curated a set of the Japanese visual artist’s films from his most recent “Jellyfish Eyes” to 2009’s “Akihabara Majokko Princess.” The latter—which exhibited at London’s Tate Modern museum—is the pop artist’s attempt to blend highbrow and lowbrow art. Directed by Hollywood-famous McG, it features Kirsten Dunst …

The Special AKA: Nelson Mandela

The historic Nelson Mandela anthem, Kirsten Dunst in anime costume, a lot of NTS radio and more in our look at music this week

As the world mourns the passing of Nelson Mandela this week, we remember his profound spirit through the UK band The Special AKA’s 1984 catchy anthem, “Nelson Mandela“—released as “(Free) Nelson Mandela” stateside. Produced by Elvis Costello, the song fuses the band’s characteristic ska beats and brass with African harmonies, propelled by Stan Campbell’s persuasive voice. Differing from most political protest songs, it is upbeat, …