One biographical curiosity has loomed large in discussion of the musician formerly known as Manitoba and now recording under the name Caribou: his mathematics PhD.
While studying at Imperial College, London, Dan Snaith submitted a thesis titled Overconvergent Siegel Modular Symbols, a contribution to the field of complex analysis.
He was, in effect, joining the family business: his father Victor is a professor of maths at Sheffield and his sister Nina is a reader in the same subject at Bristol, though Snaith himself grew up in Canada. This is exotic stuff in the world of electronic music, or at least the world of electronic music with an audience, so interviewers and reviewers can hardly be blamed for using it as a peg for their articles.
They might, for instance, suggest that the stylistic restlessness of his output has something to do with his analytical training or ask him how the satisfactions of manipulating notes and numbers compare. Then again, they might get carried away. The British website The Quietus wrote that Snaith's work was an "investigation into the mathematical structures of music", a statement which is either trivially true (all music has a mathematical structure, and all musicianship might be thought of as investigating it) or else very doubtful. Is the idea that Caribou records represent a sort of catalogue of possible sonic forms? Odd that Snaith should have lingered so long over the psych-rock end of things, in that case. From the casual listener's perspective, his output is about as credibly the product of a rational research programme as Hawkwind's.
Snaith, for his part, indulges his questioners. "I started enjoying math at the point where it became more abstract and much more imaginative," he told The Sunday Times recently, in a story headlined "Caribou cracks the equation". "Say you're trying to piece these two ideas together, and you're kind of fumbling around with these mental structures, and you only have a glimpse of what you're working with - and then you get a flash where everything makes sense. It's that same sense of searching for congruences that you get with music."
Up until fairly recently, this wasn't a sense that you got very strongly with Snaith's music. Back when he was Manitoba - before, that is, Handsome Dick Manitoba of the New York Punk band The Dictators threatened him with legal action and forced him to change his name - he specialised in a kind of soft-focus style that has steadily shifted from minimalism to maximalism. His 2001 debut album Start Breaking My Heart was a suite of gently bucolic electronica. But by the time of his 2003 breakthrough LP Up In Flames, Snaith's sound had become dense with foggy guitars, banks of percussion, squiggles of synth and flute and the sighing, backwards-reverbed vocals made popular by My Bloody Valentine. Up In Flames was a shaggy, shambling thing, looping contentedly through its clouds of noise, free of any trace of premeditation.
A couple of albums later Snaith was experimenting with a more deliberately classic approach to popular music. Andorra is billed as his tribute to the sharply arranged guitar pop of the 1960s: it is an LP of intros, verses, choruses, bridges - all the traditional virtues. Snaith, by now trading as Caribou, even managed a serviceable Brian Wilson impression. For long stretches it is only the teeming production, as thick with detail as the sample-collages of The Avalanches, that places it in its correct decade. The last couple of tracks, however, move into more ambiguous territory. Somewhere between Irene's wobbly synthesizer ostinatos and Niobe's stealthy pulse, the pull of the dancefloor is felt.
This is where Snaith's fourth and latest album, Swim, picks up, but before we get onto that, it's worth noting a couple of points. Firstly, even if the relatively sophisticated songwriting of Andorra bears comparison with the "fumbling around with mental structures" that Snaith associates with maths, it clearly isn't the kind of thing you need a maths PhD to do. After all, Snaith learnt it from 1960s bands like the Zombies, and none of the Zombies have one. QED.
Secondly, and more importantly, it doesn't seem to have much to do with his previous work either. And if you leave aside its anomalous last couple of tracks, Andorra doesn't sound like it has much to do with the record that followed it. In his unassuming way, Snaith is shaping up to be something of a chameleon - not a master of reinvention in the theatrical manner of Bowie and Madonna, but a man who seems content to move from task to task without getting too caught up in any of them. He learns how to make glitchy electronica and fuzzy psychedelic rock on his laptop, then he learns some classic songwriting moves, at some point he figures out what he thinks about Overconvergent Siegel Modular Symbols, and then he goes dancing.
Thus Swim. The album opens with Odessa, a disco-funk track that sounds like it was recorded in a refrigerated hangar. The bassline slops about like a waterbed, cowbells echo and Snaith's vocals imitate the late avant-garde cellist and alt-disco pioneer Arthur Russell at his most glumly ethereal, which if nothing else demonstrates good taste. Snaith has put it about that the record was inspired by the swimming lessons his wife bought him recently. He told the music website Pitchfork: "Everybody's familiar with how the sonic sense is different underwater and above water, and so you're in this weird kind of sonic space that rocks back and forth. And I thought, that's an interesting idea to do that with some sounds on the record."
Yet it's not so much the faintly aqueous effects as the empty space that distinguishes this track from Caribou's past output, and as the album progresses it becomes clear that Swim is, well, awash with it. Sun opens with a sampled vocal singing the word "sun" five times a bar, rising and falling in the mix as a jazzy house beat comes in and organs borrowed from Joy Orbison swell to a crescendo that doesn't quite come. That's it, barring a few broken synth chords and a bit of filter modulation. It is one of Snaith's most restrained performances, and if the rest of the album doesn't quite live up to its spartan example, its point is still well made.
Along with the economy of means displayed on Swim, Snaith reveals an unexpectedly sinuous rhythmic sense. Found Out revisits Russell's sighs and cello tones, but skips along on bitcrushed high-hats and out-of-sync Afropop guitars. Bowls samples the sound of two Tibetan singing bowls knocking together, fills the room with a cascading harp and then settles into a brooding techno riff that throbs along for several enjoyable minutes.
One could guess that Snaith has been spending time with his friend and mentor Kieran Hebden, better known as Four Tet. Hebden persuaded Snaith to start making music in the first place and Four Tet's recent album, There Is Love In You, is full of soulish vocal samples, grainy synths and hypnotic drum loops, achieving a similar tone of sultry abandon to Swim. Alas, Four Tet's love of protracted grooves too often succumbs to tedium; something that Snaith's maximalist streak seems not to permit. Instead, the ravey chords of Kaili give way to squalls of brass and saxophone; Leave House, a menacing disco cut for most of its duration, includes a woodwind interlude that could have been lifted from late-1990s Mercury Rev.
Swim's closing masterstroke marries all of Snaith's accomplishments - the spareness, the poise, and the willingness to sacrifice both in the interest of fun. The closing Jamelia features an attractive, Vampire Weekend-style vocal from Luke LaLonde of the Born Ruffians, jazzy arpeggios from the left-hand side of an electric piano, a ticking drum track and, to use a phrase from the recurrently influential Russell (who, incidentally, recorded a song titled Let's Go Swimming), a world of echo. Bursts of orchestral noise float in and out, then the track lifts off in a whirl of luminous keyboards. It is Caribou's most striking moment yet. I don't think there's any science to it, though. Snaith is just a guy with a very low tolerance for boredom.
Ed Lake is The National's arts critic.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Profile of Whizkey
Date founded: 04 November 2017
Founders: Abdulaziz AlBlooshi and Harsh Hirani
Based: Dubai, UAE
Number of employees: 10
Sector: AI, software
Cashflow: Dh2.5 Million
Funding stage: Series A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
The%20specs
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German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
How to invest in gold
Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.
A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.
Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”
Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”
Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”
By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.
You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.
You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
Related
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
HAJJAN
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The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
IF YOU GO
The flights: FlyDubai offers direct flights to Catania Airport from Dubai International Terminal 2 daily with return fares starting from Dh1,895.
The details: Access to the 2,900-metre elevation point at Mount Etna by cable car and 4x4 transport vehicle cost around €57.50 (Dh248) per adult. Entry into Teatro Greco costs €10 (Dh43). For more go to www.visitsicily.info
Where to stay: Hilton Giardini Naxos offers beachfront access and accessible to Taormina and Mount Etna. Rooms start from around €130 (Dh561) per night, including taxes.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
'Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower'
Michael Beckley, Cornell Press
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
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Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
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Dubai Rugby Sevens
November 30-December 2, at The Sevens, Dubai
Gulf Under 19
Pool A – Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jumeirah College Tigers, Dubai English Speaking School 1, Gems World Academy
Pool B – British School Al Khubairat, Bahrain Colts, Jumeirah College Lions, Dubai English Speaking School 2
Pool C - Dubai College A, Dubai Sharks, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Al Yasmina
Pool D – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Deira International School
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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