{"id":1382,"date":"2026-08-24T11:35:50","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T10:35:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/?page_id=1382"},"modified":"2026-08-24T11:38:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T10:38:38","slug":"icky-qualms","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/icky-qualms\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Icky Qualms\u2019: Corporate Satire, Class and Authoritarian Aesthetics in the Music and Performance of Cardiacs"},"content":{"rendered":"<nav style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:900;line-height:2;text-transform:capitalize;color: #345669;background-color: #f1e9d3\" class=\"has-text-color has-background has-medium-font-size items-justified-center wp-block-navigation is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-navigation-is-layout-0194f9ad wp-block-navigation-is-layout-flex\" aria-label=\"Homepage\"><ul style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:900;line-height:2;text-transform:capitalize;color: #345669;background-color: #f1e9d3\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__container has-text-color has-background has-medium-font-size items-justified-center wp-block-navigation\"><li class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Home<\/span><\/a><\/li><li data-wp-context=\"{ &quot;submenuOpenedBy&quot;: { &quot;click&quot;: false, &quot;hover&quot;: false, &quot;focus&quot;: false }, &quot;type&quot;: &quot;submenu&quot;, &quot;modal&quot;: null, &quot;previousFocus&quot;: null }\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/navigation\" data-wp-on--focusout=\"actions.handleMenuFocusout\" data-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.handleMenuKeydown\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.openMenuOnHover\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.closeMenuOnHover\" data-wp-watch=\"callbacks.initMenu\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"wp-block-navigation-item has-medium-font-size has-child open-on-hover-click wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\" href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/states-of-cultural-analysis-2\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">The State<\/span><\/a><button data-wp-bind--aria-expanded=\"state.isMenuOpen\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.toggleMenuOnClick\" aria-label=\"The State submenu\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__submenu-icon wp-block-navigation-submenu__toggle\" ><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\" fill=\"none\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M1.50002 4L6.00002 8L10.5 4\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button><ul data-wp-on--focus=\"actions.openMenuOnFocus\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__submenu-container wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><li data-wp-context=\"{ &quot;submenuOpenedBy&quot;: { &quot;click&quot;: false, &quot;hover&quot;: false, &quot;focus&quot;: false }, &quot;type&quot;: &quot;submenu&quot;, &quot;modal&quot;: null, &quot;previousFocus&quot;: null }\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/navigation\" data-wp-on--focusout=\"actions.handleMenuFocusout\" data-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.handleMenuKeydown\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.openMenuOnHover\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.closeMenuOnHover\" data-wp-watch=\"callbacks.initMenu\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"wp-block-navigation-item has-medium-font-size has-child open-on-hover-click wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\" href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/the-state-events\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Events<\/span><\/a><button data-wp-bind--aria-expanded=\"state.isMenuOpen\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.toggleMenuOnClick\" aria-label=\"Events submenu\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__submenu-icon wp-block-navigation-submenu__toggle\" ><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\" fill=\"none\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M1.50002 4L6.00002 8L10.5 4\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button><ul data-wp-on--focus=\"actions.openMenuOnFocus\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__submenu-container wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><li class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/reflex-and-retribution-what-do-reaction-videos-have-to-do-with-reactionary-politics\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Reflex and Retribution<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/zombie-heteronormativity-social-reproduction-and-the-far-right\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Zombie Heteronormativity<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/ai-and-the-affective-ideologies-of-common-sense\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">AI and the Affective Ideologies of Common Sense<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/is-there-a-universal-enjoyment-2\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Is There a Universal Enjoyment?<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/working-papers\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Working Papers<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/the-cultural-location-of-fascism\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">The Cultural Location of Fascism<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li data-wp-context=\"{ &quot;submenuOpenedBy&quot;: { &quot;click&quot;: false, &quot;hover&quot;: false, &quot;focus&quot;: false }, &quot;type&quot;: &quot;submenu&quot;, &quot;modal&quot;: null, &quot;previousFocus&quot;: null }\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/navigation\" data-wp-on--focusout=\"actions.handleMenuFocusout\" data-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.handleMenuKeydown\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.openMenuOnHover\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.closeMenuOnHover\" data-wp-watch=\"callbacks.initMenu\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"wp-block-navigation-item has-medium-font-size has-child open-on-hover-click wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\" href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/sites-of-cultural-analysis\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Sites<\/span><\/a><button data-wp-bind--aria-expanded=\"state.isMenuOpen\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.toggleMenuOnClick\" aria-label=\"Sites submenu\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__submenu-icon wp-block-navigation-submenu__toggle\" ><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\" fill=\"none\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M1.50002 4L6.00002 8L10.5 4\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button><ul data-wp-on--focus=\"actions.openMenuOnFocus\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__submenu-container wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><li data-wp-context=\"{ &quot;submenuOpenedBy&quot;: { &quot;click&quot;: false, &quot;hover&quot;: false, &quot;focus&quot;: false }, &quot;type&quot;: &quot;submenu&quot;, &quot;modal&quot;: null, &quot;previousFocus&quot;: null }\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/navigation\" data-wp-on--focusout=\"actions.handleMenuFocusout\" data-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.handleMenuKeydown\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.openMenuOnHover\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.closeMenuOnHover\" data-wp-watch=\"callbacks.initMenu\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"wp-block-navigation-item has-medium-font-size has-child open-on-hover-click wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\" href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/sites-events\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Events<\/span><\/a><button data-wp-bind--aria-expanded=\"state.isMenuOpen\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.toggleMenuOnClick\" aria-label=\"Events submenu\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__submenu-icon wp-block-navigation-submenu__toggle\" ><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\" fill=\"none\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M1.50002 4L6.00002 8L10.5 4\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button><ul data-wp-on--focus=\"actions.openMenuOnFocus\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__submenu-container wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><li class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/museum-games\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Museum Games<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/she-the-steadfast\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">She the Steadfast<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/working-papers-2\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Working Papers<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li data-wp-context=\"{ &quot;submenuOpenedBy&quot;: { &quot;click&quot;: false, &quot;hover&quot;: false, &quot;focus&quot;: false }, &quot;type&quot;: &quot;submenu&quot;, &quot;modal&quot;: null, &quot;previousFocus&quot;: null }\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/navigation\" data-wp-on--focusout=\"actions.handleMenuFocusout\" data-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.handleMenuKeydown\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.openMenuOnHover\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.closeMenuOnHover\" data-wp-watch=\"callbacks.initMenu\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"wp-block-navigation-item has-medium-font-size has-child open-on-hover-click wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\" href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/textures-of-cultural-analysis\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Textures<\/span><\/a><button data-wp-bind--aria-expanded=\"state.isMenuOpen\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.toggleMenuOnClick\" aria-label=\"Textures submenu\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__submenu-icon wp-block-navigation-submenu__toggle\" ><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\" fill=\"none\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M1.50002 4L6.00002 8L10.5 4\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button><ul data-wp-on--focus=\"actions.openMenuOnFocus\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__submenu-container wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><li data-wp-context=\"{ &quot;submenuOpenedBy&quot;: { &quot;click&quot;: false, &quot;hover&quot;: false, &quot;focus&quot;: false }, &quot;type&quot;: &quot;submenu&quot;, &quot;modal&quot;: null, &quot;previousFocus&quot;: null }\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/navigation\" data-wp-on--focusout=\"actions.handleMenuFocusout\" data-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.handleMenuKeydown\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.openMenuOnHover\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.closeMenuOnHover\" data-wp-watch=\"callbacks.initMenu\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"wp-block-navigation-item has-medium-font-size has-child open-on-hover-click wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\" href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/textures-events\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Events<\/span><\/a><button data-wp-bind--aria-expanded=\"state.isMenuOpen\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.toggleMenuOnClick\" aria-label=\"Events submenu\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__submenu-icon wp-block-navigation-submenu__toggle\" ><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\" fill=\"none\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M1.50002 4L6.00002 8L10.5 4\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button><ul data-wp-on--focus=\"actions.openMenuOnFocus\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__submenu-container wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><li class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/friend-and-foe-at-once\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Friend and Foe at Once<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/icky-qualms\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">\u2018Icky Qualms\u2019<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/influencer-creep-optimization-authenticity-and-self-branding\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Influencer Creep<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/finding-pippo\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Finding Pippo<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/roots-garden\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Roots Garden<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/abolition-book-club\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Abolition Book Club<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/working-papers-3\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Working Papers<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li data-wp-context=\"{ &quot;submenuOpenedBy&quot;: { &quot;click&quot;: false, &quot;hover&quot;: false, &quot;focus&quot;: false }, &quot;type&quot;: &quot;submenu&quot;, &quot;modal&quot;: null, &quot;previousFocus&quot;: null }\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/navigation\" data-wp-on--focusout=\"actions.handleMenuFocusout\" data-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.handleMenuKeydown\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.openMenuOnHover\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.closeMenuOnHover\" data-wp-watch=\"callbacks.initMenu\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"wp-block-navigation-item has-medium-font-size has-child open-on-hover-click wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\" href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/times-of-cultural-analysis\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Times<\/span><\/a><button data-wp-bind--aria-expanded=\"state.isMenuOpen\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.toggleMenuOnClick\" aria-label=\"Times submenu\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__submenu-icon wp-block-navigation-submenu__toggle\" ><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\" fill=\"none\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M1.50002 4L6.00002 8L10.5 4\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button><ul data-wp-on--focus=\"actions.openMenuOnFocus\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__submenu-container wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><li data-wp-context=\"{ &quot;submenuOpenedBy&quot;: { &quot;click&quot;: false, &quot;hover&quot;: false, &quot;focus&quot;: false }, &quot;type&quot;: &quot;submenu&quot;, &quot;modal&quot;: null, &quot;previousFocus&quot;: null }\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/navigation\" data-wp-on--focusout=\"actions.handleMenuFocusout\" data-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.handleMenuKeydown\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.openMenuOnHover\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.closeMenuOnHover\" data-wp-watch=\"callbacks.initMenu\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"wp-block-navigation-item has-medium-font-size has-child open-on-hover-click wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\" href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/times-events\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Events<\/span><\/a><button data-wp-bind--aria-expanded=\"state.isMenuOpen\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.toggleMenuOnClick\" aria-label=\"Events submenu\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__submenu-icon wp-block-navigation-submenu__toggle\" ><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\" fill=\"none\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M1.50002 4L6.00002 8L10.5 4\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button><ul data-wp-on--focus=\"actions.openMenuOnFocus\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__submenu-container wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><li class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/brassroots-democracy\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Brassroots Democracy<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/the-cultural-infrastructures-of-childhood\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">The Cultural Infrastructures of Childhood<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/working-papers-4\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Working Papers<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li data-wp-context=\"{ &quot;submenuOpenedBy&quot;: { &quot;click&quot;: false, &quot;hover&quot;: false, &quot;focus&quot;: false }, &quot;type&quot;: &quot;submenu&quot;, &quot;modal&quot;: null, &quot;previousFocus&quot;: null }\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/navigation\" data-wp-on--focusout=\"actions.handleMenuFocusout\" data-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.handleMenuKeydown\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.openMenuOnHover\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.closeMenuOnHover\" data-wp-watch=\"callbacks.initMenu\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"wp-block-navigation-item has-medium-font-size has-child open-on-hover-click wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\" href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/about-2\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">About<\/span><\/a><button data-wp-bind--aria-expanded=\"state.isMenuOpen\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.toggleMenuOnClick\" aria-label=\"About submenu\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__submenu-icon wp-block-navigation-submenu__toggle\" ><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\" fill=\"none\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M1.50002 4L6.00002 8L10.5 4\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button><ul data-wp-on--focus=\"actions.openMenuOnFocus\" class=\"wp-block-navigation__submenu-container wp-block-navigation-submenu\"><li class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/statement-of-purpose\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Statement of Purpose<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/contact\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Contact<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-navigation-item wp-block-navigation-link\"><a class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__content\"  href=\"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/bulletins\/\"><span class=\"wp-block-navigation-item__label\">Bulletins<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\"><strong>June 5, 2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-right\">By Dr Gemma Farrell<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-border-color has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4c96c1b2 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-color:#752121;border-width:1px;border-top-left-radius:15px;border-top-right-radius:15px;border-bottom-left-radius:15px;border-bottom-right-radius:15px;padding-top:0;padding-right:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0\">\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);font-style:normal;font-weight:600\">Formed in 1977 by brothers Tim and Jim Smith, rock band Cardiacs\u2019 genre challenging psych-rock has a \u2018dirty\u2019 authenticity that has gained them a cult following over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);font-style:normal;font-weight:600\">After the sudden illness of lead singer and composer Tim Smith in 2008 and his death in 2020, the band has experienced a revival, finally releasing their 6th album, LSD, in 2026, which they had been working on at the time of Smith\u2019s illness. This talk explores the band\u2019s discomfiting musical psychedelia, their utilisation of &#8216;traditional&#8217; psychedelic elements versus their dark-carnivalesque sensibility and the bricolage of style and symbolism that leads to \u2018Eureka\u2019 moments of realisation for the listener.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);font-style:normal;font-weight:600\">The talk acknowledges Cardiacs\u2019 music as a distinct thread of English psychedelia which, though it emerged concurrent to the &#8220;Second Summer of Love&#8221; (1988-89) and rave culture, has been neglected in academic discourse both contemporaneously and to the present day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);font-style:normal;font-weight:600\">Analysis of references to England, its geography and ways of life, in Cardiacs\u2019 music, teases out an \u2018Englishness\u2019, that is, their sense of what it means to be English. Extramusical circumstances are also discussed, for example, that Cardiacs did not follow the trajectory of bands like Blur (who they influenced) in riding the &#8220;Cool Britannia&#8221; wave to commercial success in the mid to late 1990s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);font-style:normal;font-weight:600\">The main discussion centres on the band\u2019s working-class origins versus the \u2018musical genius\u2019, that has led to their canonisation in the minds of their audience and the tensions in their music which reveal their critique of capitalism and authoritarianism. Musical examples are given to demonstrate homologies, for example, the use of na\u00efve and nonsense elements versus \u2018high art\u2019 composition, including complex tempi and shifting, unstable tonality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);font-style:normal;font-weight:600\">Examining the &#8220;Alphabet Business Concern&#8221;, the band&#8217;s fictional corporate overlords, this talk argues that Cardiacs use satirical authoritarianism, including fascist iconography, to induce a feeling of subjugation in their audience, revealing it as an experience that we have been conditioned to accept as normal in everyday life. As a counterpoint, the talk asks whether addressing these issues through the \u2018back door\u2019 of humour constitutes a sidestepping of politics, an argument that has been levelled at other iterations of psychedelic music in existing literature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);font-style:normal;font-weight:600\">Keywords: Cardiacs, Psychedelia, Alphabet Business Concern, Authenticity, Class, Capitalism, Fascism, Satire, \u2018Englishness\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">Speaker<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);font-style:normal;font-weight:400\">Gemma Farrell is an Associate Researcher in the Department of Music at the University of Sussex. Her scholarship investigates the ethnomusicology and embodied phenomenology of popular music cultures with specific focus on psychedelic music. They are the editor of the volume Musical Psychedelia: Research at the Intersection of Music and Psychedelic Experience (July 2023). See more at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gemmafarrell.com\/\u00a0\">https:\/\/www.gemmafarrell.com\/\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>June 5, 2026 By Dr Gemma Farrell Formed in 1977 by brothers Tim and Jim Smith, rock band Cardiacs\u2019 genre challenging psych-rock [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":147,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1382","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/147"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1382"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1382\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1434,"href":"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1382\/revisions\/1434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/statesofculturalanalysis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}