The Shadow Knows

  • Free To Read

    Currently, all of our articles are hosted on Medium. This has allowed us to earn some money when Medium members read our articles, and non-members could also read a few each month before they saw a paywall.

    Unfortunately, Medium changed their rules so non-members couldn’t read our articles. To counter this, we have removed our ability to earn any money from our writing for The Shadow Knows on Medium.

    This should mean you don’t see a paywall on any of our articles and you can continue to read everything for free.

  • Beastie Boys Square: I Was There!

    At the corner of Rivington and Ludlow Streets, fans wait for Beastie Boys Square signage to be unveiled by the Beastie Boys.

    Just before 2pm on Saturday, 9 September 2023 in New York City, Beastie Boys Square was officially unveiled at the corner of Rivington and Ludlow, the streets that appeared on their second album 1989’s Paul’s Boutique. Read more here.

  • The growing number of Australian vinyl pressing plants

    Nick Phillips at Corduroy Records in 2000. Via Wikimedia Commons

    There’s currently three vinyl pressing plants in Australia. This wasn’t always the case, as during the 1990s when all of the major labels switched to CD there was only one. But in the past few years more have appeared as the popularity of vinyl has grown, and the need for local suppliers has too. Read more here.

  • Was Paul’s Boutique A Flop?

    The Beastie Boys’ second album is hailed as one of their best now, but how was it received in 1989? We looked at charts, sales, and reviews to find out. Read the full article here.

  • BEYOND THE STREETS London — Bringing NYC & LA to the UK

    Todd James, Vandals Bedroom, overwhelming graffiti-filled, part object, part installation.

    Back in April, we had the chance to visit BEYOND THE STREETS London. The exhibition was held at the Saatchi Gallery between February-May, and featured work from international artists like Futura, Glen E. Friedman, GOLDIE, Keith Haring, 3D, and an entire section dedicated to the Beastie Boys.

    Read our review here.

  • UNPOPULAR : The exhibition documenting Australian tours from Nirvana, Beastie Boys, and more

    Currently at Sydney’s Powerhouse museum, this free exhibition features posters, photos, and video from over a decade of international musicians visiting Australia’s shores. Read our review here.

  • Free Tibet! — On the Tibetan Freedom Concerts and how musicians joined the Free Tibet movement

    1997 Tibetan Freedom Concert poster

    For many people who grew up in the 90s and 2000s, the Tibetan Freedom Concerts were a moment when the whole world seemed to know something terrible was happening, as information of how Tibetan people were being oppressed by China became known.

    The first Tibetan Freedom Concert was held in 1996, and Tibet and their spiritual leader the Dali Lama become topics widely known thanks to greater media coverage.

    Read the full article here.

  • Hania Rani — The Polish composer taking her piano around the world

    Hania Rani with her album Home

    Born 1990 in Gdańsk, Poland, pianist Hania Rani now divides her time between Warsaw and Berlin. Since the release of her debut solo album Esja on Gondwana Records in 2019, she has been touring the world and will be in Australia April-May 2023, before returning to Europe…

    Read the full article here.

  • Interview: jberr

    Jack Berryman (jberr) in his studio (2022)

    Jack Berryman began releasing music online under the name jberr in 2021. Each of his releases so far are made up from synths, drum machines, and effects from his studio outside of Melbourne, Australia.

    Read the full interview here.

  • Interview: Maria Moles

    Maria Moles photographed by Keelan O’Hehir

    Maria Moles is an Australia percussionist who released her latest album For Leolanda in early 2022. Her music has been released by labels Room40 and Nice Music, and is also available on Bandcamp.

    Read the full interview here.