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The Communiqué News

METALLICA HEADLINE DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL - JUNE 8TH & 10TH


Metallica's magnificent 12th studio album, 72 Seasons, was released on their own Blackened Recordings label.


Swati Bhat


The album includes songs like "as “If Darkness Had a Son”, “Screaming Suicide” and the first single "“Lux Æterna”. " The 12-track 72 Seasons, produced by Greg Fidelman with Hetfield and Ulrich and measuring in at over 77 minutes, is Metallica's first full-length compilation of new material since 2016's Hardwired...To commit suicide.

Metallica was critically acclaimed and hailed as "a ringing success" by Classic Rock Magazine, Uncut announced that they had discovered "ageless redemption," and The Arts Desk sums it up nicely, noting simply that "Metallica continue to deliver."

The album is available in two formats: 2LP 140g black vinyl with limited edition versions, CD digital, and Dolby Atmos (streaming where accessible).

Go to www.metallica.com/store/72-seasons/ for a complete list of configurations, pre-orders, and more information.

Single-day tickets for Metallica's M72 global tour are now available at ticketmaster.com M72 will be presented internationally by Liquid Death and Blackened American Whisky (in North America only) and marketed by Live Nation, with the band performing two nights in each city, with each No Repeat Weekend having two completely distinct setlists and support lineups. The M72 tour will include a stunning new in-the-round stage design that moves Metallica's renowned Snake Pit to centre stage, as well as the I Disappear full-tour pass and other surprises. Visit Metallica Tour for additional information on single and two-day tickets, expanded experiences, and more.


METALLICA: M72 WORLD TOUR 2023-2024


April 2023

Thur 27th Amsterdam NL, Johan Cruijff Arena Sat 29th Amsterdam NL, Johan Cruijff Arena

May 2023

Wed 17th Paris FR, Stade de France* Fri 19th Paris FR, Stade de France Fri 26th Hamburg DE, Volksparkstadion Sun 28th Hamburg DE, Volksparkstadion

June 2023

Thu 8th Castle Donington, Download Festival

Sat 10th Castle Donington, Download Festival

Fri 16th Gothenburg SE, Ullevi Stadium** Sun 18th Gothenburg SE, Ullevi Stadium

August 2023

Fri 4th East Rutherford, NJ, MetLife Stadium Sun 6th East Rutherford, NJ, MetLife Stadium Fri 11th Montreal, QC, Stade Olympique Sun 13th Montreal, QC, Stade Olympique Fri 18th Arlington, TX, AT&T Stadium Sun 20th Arlington, TX, AT&T Stadium Fri 25th Inglewood, CA, SoFi Stadium Sun 27th Inglewood, CA, SoFi Stadium

September 2023 Fri 1st Glendale, AZ, State Farm Stadium

Sun 3rd Glendale, AZ, State Farm Stadium

November 2023 Fri 3rd St. Louis, MO, The Dome at America’s Center Sun 5th St. Louis, MO, The Dome at America’s Center Fri 10th Detroit, MI, Ford Field Sun 12th Detroit, MI, Ford Field

May 2024 Fri 24th Munich DE, Olympiastadion Sun 26th Munich DE, Olympiastadion

June 2024 Fri 7th Helsinki FI, Olympic Stadium Sun 9th Helsinki FI, Olympic Stadium Fri 14th Copenhagen DK, Parken Stadium Sun 16th Copenhagen DK, Parken Stadium

July 2024 Fri 5th Warsaw PL, PGE Narodowy Sun 7th Warsaw PL, PGE Narodowy Fri 12th Madrid ES, Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano Sun 14th Madrid ES, Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano

August 2024

Fri 2nd Foxborough, MA, Gillette Stadium

Sun 4th Foxborough, MA, Gillette Stadium

Fri 9th Chicago, IL, Soldier Field

Sun 11th Chicago, IL, Soldier Field

Fri 16th Minneapolis, MN, US Bank Stadium

Sun 18th Minneapolis, MN, US Bank Stadium

Fri 23rd Edmonton, AB, Commonwealth Stadium

Sun 25th Edmonton, AB, Commonwealth Stadium

Fri 30th Seattle, WA, Lumen Field

September 2024

Sun 1st Seattle, WA, Lumen Field

Fri 20th Mexico City MX, Foro Sol***

Sun 22nd Mexico City MX, Foro Sol

Fri 27th Mexico City MX, Foro Sol***

Sun 29th Mexico City MX, Foro Sol


Show 1 Support Europe: Architects & Mammoth WVH**

Show 2 Support Europe: Five Finger Death Punch & Ice Nine Kills

*Five Finger Death Punch/Ice Nine Kills play show 1 in Paris,

Architects & Mammoth WVH play show 2 in Paris

**Volbeat replaces Architects on show 1 in Gothenburg

Show 1 Support North America: Pantera & Mammoth WVH***

Show 2 Support North America: Five Finger Death Punch & Ice Nine Kills

***Greta Van Fleet replaces Pantera on show 1 both weekends in Mexico City






Buzzword of the moment ‘AI’ – or artificial intelligence – is getting a moment in the fashion spotlight this week, with the launch of the first AI Fashion Week (AIFW), hosted by Maison Meta. The event will take place from April 20 to 21, and sees a huge mix of participants take to the machine-made stage to showcase their digitally-powered collections.


Swati Bhat

AI Fashion Week in partnership with Revolve and Spring Studios, 2023. Image: AI Fashion Week, Maison Meta


What began as a small Instagram campaign has quickly spiralled into a two day event, set to be held in New York’s Spring Studios – which typically serves as the home of the city’s globally renowned fashion week. Now, the venue will house Maison Meta’s creation, where the company’s growing community as well as those simply intrigued by the concept of machine-made creation will witness the power of AI in fashion. While no physical runways are set to take place for this edition, visitors can view a curated exhibition of AI collections, as well as panel talks which will discuss the concept in depth and how such technology can be used in the creation process.

The central part of the initiative is its competition, which has already welcomed around 350 submissions and consists of two stages – the first being an online vote where the general public can pick their favourite designer. Here, the 10 finalists will be selected to then go on to the second stage, showing in front of a jury. Despite being in its infancy, the fashion week already boasts a selection of high-profile fashion figures for its judging panel, including the VP of Adidas’s Three Stripes Studio, Erike Wykes-Sneyd, head of men’s casting at Celine, Natalie Hazzout, make up artist, Pat McGrath, and Vogue Japan’s head of editorial content, Tiffany Godoy, among others.

Winners to develop own brands via Maison Meta x Revolve AI Fashion Incubator

Another jury member is Michael Mente, the CEO and co-founder of e-tailer Revolve, AI Fashion Week’s prime partner. The fashion company will be backing the prize for the three winning designers, who will each take part in a fashion and technology incubator supporting them through the launch of their own brand and producing their AI collections. The winners will have access to Revolve’s own Los Angeles-based in-house studio, where the samples and collections will be developed to then be sold on its e-commerce platform.

In order to take part, applicants were provided with a series of guidelines to follow, like the requirement to create the quality of images one would typically see in a publication like Vogue. There also needed to be consistency in not just the collection, but the world itself, with those taking part also urged to submit imagery from beyond the runway, such as from a fictional backstage, the front row and on the streets outside, in order to fully encapsulate the identity and vision of the brand.

However, as the end purpose is to eventually produce the garments, a key requirement was that the designs were able to be physically made. While applicants were encouraged to explore various creative angles, it was also important that there were designs that could feasibly be created with the facilities available. “One of the things to emphasise is that what we are doing is very separate to Web3 and the metaverse that both initially offered this promise of fueling the creator economy, which we haven’t really seen happen,” Cyril Foiret, founder and creative director of Maison Meta, told FashionUnited. “Through this occasion, we wanted to make the creator economy really work in practice. The competition was free to enter, so that broadens the field for entrants, and with Revolve, it is really a matter of taking a designer’s creativity and allowing them to create a brand and monetise with the support of an e-commerce giant.”

Those applying for the competition range in both professions – from lawyers to students to UX designers – and age, with applicants in the scope of 16 to 68 years old. The same could be said for those who will be present at the event in New York, with representatives from companies such as Cartier, Google, Spotify and MasterCard expected to attend. “We see these AI tools as democratising creativity, especially in the fashion space,” said Nima Abbasi, a partner at Maison Meta, when asked about the reach. “It’s really about flattening the creative field, and in the end, like all good things, the people with the most creativity and imagination are able to come through. They don’t need teams or education in this space. They just need great imagination and a feel for what a collection could look like.”


Maison Meta looks to dismantle misinformation surrounding AI

For Maison Meta, AIFW is just as much about promoting creativity as it is about backing this form of technology throughout a company’s value chain, with the firm hoping that others feel inspired to also adopt this tech. The fashion week is not the final stop, however. AI is still in its inception and offers up a multitude of benefits, many of which are still yet to be explored. While the presence and skill of a human is something that could never be replaced, implementing such technology can speed up production processes, provide a consistent source of inspiration and cut the need for extensive resources when it comes to creating a collection. This in turn allows designers to turn their attention elsewhere, giving them the time to divert their focus towards craftsmanship and artisanal work that requires physical labour.

Despite these elements, conversations surrounding the topic continue to spiral online, with a sense of hesitancy often forming around AI and what it could mean for the future. This is an element that those at Maison Meta are aware of, as they hope that the fashion week, and its future plans, will also alleviate some of this scepticism. Abbasi noted: “Like a lot of elements in technology, sometimes the hesitancy comes from misunderstanding what’s possible. A lot of what we do is helping people understand how this works in order to take away from all the misinformation out there, because the reality is different. Compared to other areas of digitalisation, like Web3, where there was a lot of hype in the beginning but very few people actually executing, we see the application of AI being much more immediate. The results are having a greater impact.”

Maison Meta plans to continue being a leader in promoting AI’s development. In terms of next steps, Foiret reckons that such technology will become increasingly available for video, while there could also be a rise in more accessible forms of platforms that provide AI services. This is an area that Maison Meta hopes to cater to itself, with the company currently working on building up its own AI platform, despite being a young small studio itself. While information on the platform is still limited, Foiret said that it is likely to be for private use, offered to clients or in-house purposes as a source primarily focused on making the sector easier to enter.

In the meantime, however, AIFW will be the company’s primary focus. While the event is taking place in a physical format, those interested in getting involved are able to access the event’s app or website in order to browse and vote for the top 30 applicants, each of which will be on display during the fashion week’s exhibition. Over the coming weeks, the finalists will be revealed through the site and will go on to develop their brands as part of the Revolve incubator.



Know about the feature films chosen for Competition, Un Certain Regard, Out of Competition, Midnight Screenings, Cannes Premiere, and Special Screenings.

Cannes official



JEANNE DU BARRY by MAÏWENN – Opening Film Out of Competition

IN COMPETITION


CLUB ZERO by Jessica HAUSNER

THE ZONE OF INTEREST by Jonathan GLAZER

FALLEN LEAVES by Aki KAURISMAKI

LES FILLES D’OLFA by Kaouther BEN HANIA (FOUR DAUGHTERS)

ASTEROID CITY by Wes ANDERSON

ANATOMIE D’UNE CHUTE by Justine TRIET

MONSTER by KORE-EDA Hirokazu

IL SOL DELL’ AVVENIRE by Nanni MORETTI

L’ÉTÉ DERNIER by Catherine BREILLAT

KURU OTLAR USTUNE by Nuri Bilge CEYLAN (ABOUT DRY GRASSES)

LA CHIMERA by Alice ROHRWACHER

LA PASSION DE DODIN BOUFFANT by TRAN ANH Hùng

RAPITO by Marco BELLOCCHIO

MAY DECEMBER by Todd HAYNES

JEUNESSE by WANG Bing

THE OLD OAK by Ken LOACH

BANEL E ADAMA by Ramata-Toulaye SY | 1st film

PERFECT DAYS by Wim WENDERS

FIREBRAND by Karim AÏNOUZ

BLACK FLIES by Jean-Stéphane SAUVAIRE

LE RETOUR by Catherine CORSINI

ELEMENTAL by Peter SOHN Closing Film Out of Competition

UN CERTAIN REGARD


LE RÈGNE ANIMAL by Thomas CAILLEY – Opening Film

LOS DELINCUENTES by Rodrigo MORENO (THE DELINQUENTS)

HOW TO HAVE SEX by Molly MANNING WALKER | 1st film

GOODBYE JULIA by Mohamed KORDOFANI | 1st film

KADIB ABYAD by Asmae EL MOUDIR (THE MOTHER OF ALL LIES)

SIMPLE COMME SYLVAIN by Monia CHOKRI

CROWRÃ by João SALAVIZA, Renée NADER MESSORA (THE BURITI FLOWER)

LOS COLONOS by Felipe GÁLVEZ | 1st film (THE SETTLERS)

OMEN by BALOJI | 1st film

THE BREAKING ICE by Anthony CHEN

ROSALIE by Stéphanie DI GIUSTO

THE NEW BOY by Warwick THORNTON

IF ONLY I COULD HIBERNATE by Zoljargal PUREVDASH | 1st film

HOPELESS by KIM Chang-hoon | 1st film

TERRESTRIAL VERSES by Ali ASGARI, Alireza KHATAMI

RIEN À PERDRE by Delphine DELOGET | 1st film

LES MEUTES by Kamal LAZRAQ | 1st film

ONLY THE RIVER FLOWS by WEI Shujun

UNE NUIT by Alex LUTZ Closing Film Out of Competition

OUT OF COMPETITION


INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY by James MANGOLD

COBWEB by KIM Jee-woon

THE IDOL by Sam LEVINSON

KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON by Martin SCORSESE

L’ABBÉ PIERRE – UNE VIE DE COMBATS by Frédéric TELLIER

MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS


KENNEDY by Anurag KASHYAP

OMAR LA FRAISE by Elias BELKEDDAR | 1st film

ACIDE by Just PHILIPPOT

HYPNOTIC by Robert RODRIGUEZ

PROJECT SILENCE by KIM Tae-gon

CANNES PREMIERE


KUBI by Takeshi KITANO

BONNARD, PIERRE ET MARTHE by Martin PROVOST

CERRAR LOS OJOS by Victor ERICE

LE TEMPS D’AIMER by Katell QUILLÉVÉRÉ

PERDIDOS EN LA NOCHE by Amat ESCALANTE

L’AMOUR ET LES FORÊTS by Valérie DONZELLI

EUREKA by Lisandro ALONSO

SPECIAL SCREENINGS


MAN IN BLACK by WANG Bing

OCCUPIED CITY by Steve MCQUEEN

ANSELM by Wim WENDERS

RETRATOS FANTASMAS by Kleber MENDONÇA FILHO (PICTURES OF GHOSTS)

LITTLE GIRL BLUE by Mona ACHACHE

BREAD AND ROSES by Sahra MANI

LE THÉORÈME DE MARGUERITE by Anna NOVION

AS FILHAS DO FOGO by Pedro COSTA | Short Movie

STRANGE WAY OF LIFE by Pedro ALMODÓVAR | Short Movie




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