THE HOT 100
5 ECLAIR FIFI STIRLING SOUND AND VISION
4 TRAVERSE THEATRE 50 YEARS OF NEW WRITING
She’s been blending sublime Italo, Chicago house, rap, slow jams, trap and techno in her sets for years, but in 2013 Edinburgh-born Eclair Fii (real name Clair Stirling) surfaced from the underground. Alongside her own Radio 1 slot, she DJed on LuckyMe’s shows for Rinse FM and took residency at Social Club, Paris and Hoya, Manchester. Besides her rock solid mixtapes and remixes, the artist (currently studying illustration and visual communication at ECA) plays a key role in LuckyMe collective’s aesthetic, styling and designing artwork, shoots and merch. (CS) It’s no accident that the Traverse shares an anniversary with the National Theatre: both emerged from creative energy generated by the fresh breed of 1950s playwrights. For the past 50 years, the Traverse has celebrated new writing, expanding its remit to include dance and becoming a Fringe powerhouse in August. To celebrate its i ve decades, the Cambridge Street institution supported 50 emerging playwrights, brought new writers into theatre and sustained an energetic tradition that has made it one of the UK’s most iconic spaces. (GKV)
3 CHVRCHES
RESURRECTING OUR FAITH IN POP
The undisputed Scottish pop breakout success of 2013. Chvrches’ debut album The Bones of What You Believe notched up excellent reviews and went top 10 in the UK and top 20 in the US. Lauren Mayberry has distinguished herself as a voice of rare, non-bullshitting guts and identity in the mainstream music world. That voice, wed to Iain Cook and Martin Doherty’s minty-fresh synth lines and beats, has propelled ‘Lies’ and ‘The Mother We Share’ into becoming two of the year’s most essential tracks. (MJ)
38 THE LIST 12 Dec 2013–23 Jan 2014