DJ Shadow's last tour pushed many an uber-serious hip-hop nose out of joint because of its drive towards more vocals, more bravado and more pop; the UNKLE anthems on which his dedicated followers hoped to feast were an afterthought. It would be a curious -- but unwelcome -- parallel to see Philadelphia's RJD2 go the same way. His lush hip-hop instrumentals and occasional dalliances with electronic and trip-hop sounds have rightly won him plenty of admirers and an enviable bunch of collaborations including Mos Def, Massive Attack, Diplo and post-Shadow UNKLE. However, in spite of some brilliant use of hip-hop production methods to illuminate more indie and ambient sounds on 2004's Since We Last Spoke (Definitive Jux), RJD2 is now facing some acidic and righteous ire after describing some of his previous work as "moron music". This rather shaky causus belli is being used to inform RJD2 that his attempt to add a bevy of live instruments and vocals to his latest album, The Third Hand (XL), is an idea far above his station. That would seem to be a criticism too far: all the elements that made older tracks appealing are still there and even with pop elements the latest turn is still firmly on unusual and inventive ground.

Not to be confused with the American author of Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, John Gray has been described as "the most important living philosopher". His new book, Black Mass: Apocalyptic Religion And The Death Of Utopia, argues that rather than originating from scientific thought, modern political ideologies are disguised forms of religion. Religion has reappeared in a distorted mould: it is a "black mass" of political myths. The war in Iraq has not produced a democracy but rather has ensured that religion is now a major component in global conflict. AC Grayling, another philosopher and prolific author of What Is Good? The Search For The Best Way To Live and Against All Gods: Six Polemics On Religion And An Essay On Kindness, contends that a principle based on a sincere respect for life is far more valid than one based on religious superstition. But paradoxically "all the major religions have become more aggressive, more vocal, more demanding and therefore more salient in the public domain". Gray and Grayling come to the ICA to discuss their views on religion and secularism -- a topical and important talk if ever there was one.

NB: for literary flashers also of note is Alastair Campbell's book signing and Q&A at Foyles (19/07, 7:30pm) and for John Gray fans catch him for dinner and a lecture at Miller's Academy (23/07, 7:30pm).

With their urban interventions and gallery-based projects art collaborators CutUp sit somewhere between the Banksy of legend and the less specific territory of the "emerging artist". Whether making subtle alterations to the advertorial street matter so often taken for granted, or causing a sonic ruckus with site-specific audio works, the group inject a much-needed sense of political tension back into the London landscape. CutUp's latest project is all about the Olympic-fuelled revamp of Hackney Wick: a weekend multi-media spectacle designed to question the rationale behind the portioning of public funds, civil liberties and the social impact of mass-gentrification on the locality as a creative site and London at large. A selection of familiar and unseen works will be installed in and around the location of their gallery Seventeen on the Kingsland Road, featuring new versions of their trademark "reordered billboards and bus shelter interventions", plus sound and film pieces comprising recorded and found local data and even a "Raft" performance stage crafted from inner city clutter -- a reclaimed piece of Hackney bobbing insouciantly on the canal.

NB: the private view and performance takes place on 19/07 from 7 - 11pm and their work remains on view through the weekend till 21/07. More details about the opening night will be available on the website the day before.

When the short lived hipster punk band Test Icicles split up last year citing boredom and explaining their band had been an elaborate joke, not many people expected much to come from any future projects. However, frontman Dev Hynes has seemingly confounded the cynics and put together a project that is as impressive as it is intriguing. Following the split of his former band, Hynes relocated to Omaha, Nebraska and made an album with legendary Saddle Creek producer Mike Mogis (also a member of Bright Eyes). The result, illustrated by debut single "Galaxy Of The Lost" (released on 30/07), is a near-revelation -- a life-affirming and reflective acoustic folk song containing heart-warming melodies and thoughtful lyrics. This is Lightspeed Champion's debut headline gig; when supporting Bright Eyes a few weeks ago there was a tangible sense of Hynes revelling in his new more mature sound. Support comes from the cherished London based folk-singer-songwriter Emmy The Great (who also sings with Lightspeed Champion). Ultimately, this night should be a fascinating showcase of two singer-songwriters at the beginning of what could become rich and defining careers.

How on earth did it come to this? Barely two decades ago we were all hugging and kissing and blathering on about how house music brings us all together and if the world's leaders would just take pills there would be no more wars. Twenty years on we have Overkill, a night that aims to take an already pretty dystopian venue like Electrowerkz and do its best to turn it into a sonic hell on earth; it all says something about our collective state of mind. Anyway, with the threat of TERROR being constantly shoved in our faces, Joe Smooth's "Promised Land" seems further away than ever and Overkill's mix of extreme noise, acid and gabba is much more in keeping with our apocalyptic times. Headlining is one of the few new electronica acts to have emerged in recent years who can regularly sell out venues this size, Venetian Snares, a man who could easily be mistaken for an angry bear roused from his hibernation, stuck in a Viking costume and pushed out on stage. And if Snares' own particular blend of hyper-kinetic hardcore doesn't finish you off, there's still the likes of Enduser, Berlin's Voltek and Detroit's ambassador of ghettotech, DJ Assault, on hand to deliver a knockout blow.

NB: this event is a warm-up for Overkill's special tent at this weekend's Glade Festival.

This film has auspicious written all over it. Directed by Alain Resnais -- most famous for Hiroshima mon amour and the peerless Last Year in Marienbad -- it is also based on a play by Alan Ayckbourn -- a man so popular that only Lloyd Webber has had more simultaneous shows on in the West End. Indeed it won both the Silver Lion for Best Direction at last year's Venice Film Festival and the Critics' Award from the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics this year. How you appreciate it though may depend on your view of writer and director -- Resnais delivers a stylised and visually striking film, frequently bringing back memories of his seminal works, and Ayckbourn provides a highly theatrical story following the unfolding and at times interweaving dramas of three couples sorting out their lives, or trying to, in contemporary Paris. The theatricality of the story may not be to everyone's taste, but it is undoubtedly intelligent film-making.

NB: Private Fears In Public Places is released in London 20/07. Other films of note released on the same day are Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal and Ghosts Of Cite Soleil.

If you ever needed more proof that dire social deprivation leads to alienation and ultimately violent behaviour, then look no further than this powerful documentary from Danish director Asger Leth. Bathed in the bleached out colours reminiscent of Fernando Meirelles' City Of God, and featuring some outstandingly courageous camerawork from the cinematographer and co-director Milos Loncarevic, Ghosts Of Cite Soleil tells a tale of two brothers living life as gangsters on the streets of Cite Soleil, a shanty-town district of Port-au-Prince, in the hell-hole that is President 's Jean-Bertrand Aristide thoroughly corrupt Haiti, circa 2004. The brothers, 2pac and Bily, are gang-leaders of young, heavily armed men, the chimeres ("ghosts") -- in effect the secret army of Aristide, set-up to attack, or murder if necessary, those who disagree with his government. There's precious little food or water about, no education, dirt-track streets, children running around with no clothes and makeshift housing. But everywhere there are guns. In Aristide's Haiti "power is a gun". With Wyclef Jean (Haitian-born) and documentary-great George Hickenlooper on board as exec producers, this exploration of despair, pain and unattainable dreams comes bearing all the right credentials.

NB: Ghosts Of Cite Soleil is released in London on 20/07. Other films of note released on the same day are Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal and Alain Resnais' Private Fears In Public Places.

Findlay Brown has threatened to "break" as a well-known singer-songwriter for the last 12 months as his soothing brand of sensitive acoustic folk has attracted admirers across a broad variety of music fans. His occasionally psychedelic and emotionally driven blend of folk-pop has earned him a cult following, but has yet to truly reach the mainstream. This is the gain of music fans across London, since it allows him to play this low-key and intimate gig, promoted by the good people at Knom. Recent album Separated By The Sea is a critically acclaimed masterpiece; standout tracks include the beautiful opening track "I Will (Ghost Ship)" and the achingly wistful "Losing The Will To Survive". An impressive support bill includes the plaintively powerful and emotionally resonant Thirty Pounds Of Bone and the technically melodic Dylan-esque Freddie Keen. This gig showcases honest song- writing at its best, a world away from the hype and style which afflicts most contemporary music; there's unlikely to be better value in London this Friday.

If you go to Tate Modern this Saturday evening, be warned that fights are expected to break out on the bridge over the Turbine Hall. No, the realists are not finally "taking on" the abstract expressionists. Rather this pugilistic display will happen with Tate's blessing as it is part of a series of workshops conducted by Panamanian, UK-based artist Humberto Velez. Don't bother to show up with your gloves, though, as the programme will include five amateur fights involving members of the Fitzroy Lodge, Fisher Downside and Lynn boxing clubs. They will be jabbing and punching to the music of Mc Mic Assassin and a choreography created by the street dance company Flawless. You can probably enjoy the show just as much by standing ring-side and taking bets. Hopefully, no ears will get bitten off...

NB: this event has been programmed in conjunction with the Helio Oiticica exhibition which runs till 23/09.

Musical trends may come and go, smoking bans may be implemented but Fabric trundles on serenely, seemingly unaffected by the vagaries of club fashions. This Saturday will see more lengthy queues stretching down Charterhouse Street as the poster boy for minimal techno, Ricardo Villalobos, drops in to play his 18-minute barely changing tracks of mesmerising clicks and pops alongside mysterious Berlin techno legend Monolake. If that sounds all a bit... sparse then you're out of luck as things get even more stripped down in Room 2 as dubstep pioneers Vex'd and Digital Mystikz are surprisingly joined by the British Murder Boys (aka Surgeon and Regis). Meanwhile, Detroit's Omar-S (only the second time he plays in London) goes head to head with DJ Kaos in Room 3 to complete a line-up that shimmers with a thousand shades of grey.

Maybe making up for a less-than-stellar night out back in May, this week, Lost is putting on a show that might be mistaken for a minimalist's wet dream. The red room promises a veritable onslaught of big names from Richie Hawtin's Minus label that are known to pack a place out, and for good reason. This is a very rare opportunity to catch the likes of Marc Houle, Heartthrob and Gaiser each playing live sets -- beefing up an already fat and juicy line-up. Bright (dark) spark Hawtin will be bringing his powerful and penetrating minimal beats and, unsurprisingly, will be accompanied by the stripped down and savvy stylings of Berlin's Magda and Troy Pierce, both long-time partners in crime. So, don't make any plans for Sunday 'coz Saturday night is going to be an absolute feast of bare-bones techno treats.

Festivals in London are always a weary prospect at best -- IT salesmen indulging their far fetched ideals about how it goes down at Glastonbury by sinking several too many pints of the sponsor's lager and leering at some secretaries in fairy wings whilst shuffling unconvincingly to Reverend And The Makers. One of the only good things to come out of this relatively sudden rise in London festivals is the opportunity for London promoters to throw some lively afterparties, official or unofficial. So whether you dare to brave the Lovebox Weekender or not, one of the more discerning ways to see in Sunday morning is to head to the Mulletover party at one of London's fabled secret locations. Performing live are Berlin duo Plasmik, responsible for one of the warmest bits of minimal techno right now in "Pearls On A String". Mulletover resident Geddes has also handpicked two rising talents to join him on the turntables. Daniel Stefanik has put out releases on respected techno label Moon Harbour and is known to get lively in clubs throughout Europe, whilst Adam Shelton has been doing his bit for the underground party thing in Birmingham with Below for several years now.

Very simply, Varda Caivano makes paintings. There are no tricks here, no attempts at thinking in new media, no re-imagining how to construct a painting, no Po-Mo theory; that is, there are no endgame strategies. There is just mere oil paint on canvas. Instead these dry and scumbly, mute-coloured surfaces ask more questions than provide emphatic answers. Each seems to suggest an image, perhaps a glimpse of something once seen. They are neither representations nor non-representations; instead spaces or structures struggle to come into focus. How can we confront these handsome objects without feeling another time, a more traditional feel for an abstraction derived from the world? Like that other woman painter, Tomma Abts, Caivano, by restricting her means of production to these most basic qualities, reminds us how painting can still be rich and diverse without tricks. But unlike the definitive statements of Abts, Caivano's seems to doubt; to question in that space between what is seeing and what is made, thus arriving at a space akin to late-Braque or Bonnard.

NB: runs till 22/07.

The great Ingmar Bergman's film masterpiece The Seventh Seal, first released in 1957, has for many years now lived in the shadows of light entertainment TV minnows -- such as French And Saunders -- thinking it's incisive to poke fun at it. It seems to be the case that the cross-fertilising, ironic playfulness of post-modernism was determined to knock the stuffing out of art that unashamedly wanted to wear its heart on its sleeve, art that's prepared to be so bold as to question the very existence of God. Sad really, as parody is clearly no replacement for philosophical exploration. Max von Sydow plays a world-weary knight, Antonius Block, returned from the Crusades, who finds himself visited by Death (Bengt Ekerot). They embark on a game of chess; at stake is the knight's life. As the game progresses, the knight journeys through a plague-ravaged homeland ever nearer to his castle, picking-up a troupe of fellow travellers along the way. Block's folly is that he wants absolute knowledge, not faith. Bergman makes full use of glorious deep-focus cinematography, long, haunting dissolves and the knight as a wonderful mouthpiece to explore the meaning of faith, fear, love and life.

NB: The Seventh Seal is re-released in London 20/07. Other films of note released on the same day are Alain Resnais' Private Fears In Public Places and Ghosts Of Cite Soleil.

It's probably safe to say that if you haven't noticed the Antony Gormley army ominously/ serenely/imposingly/protectively stationed atop buildings along the Embankment, you are most likely a professional naval gazer, a raging philistine, or blind. If none of the above apply, but you've somehow still managed to miss this wildly impressive sculptural ornamentation of London's skyline, make your way to the Southbank for the artist in conversation with the laconic, long-limbed novelist and journalist Will Self. The latter is one of authors of Antony Gormley: Some Of The Facts, so it should be a witty, insightful and illuminating exchange of ideas. You'll also be able to have good snoop round the rather flash new Southbank Centre, and up your cultural kudos that little bit too.

NB: Antony Gormley's exhibition runs at The Hayward till 19/08. While at the Southbank Centre make sure you check out Klaus Weber and Jeppe Hein's water fountains.

Toronto's Leslie Feist -- the wild Calgary punkette-turned-smoky-voiced chanteuse -- has certainly paid her dues. Eclectic apprenticeships served with the likes of Peaches, Broken Social Scene, Gonzalez and Nouvelle Vague have added an edge of experience to a God-given set of pipes that most closely resemble the gravel-and-molasses tones of the late, great Karen Dalton. Thus, Feist (her preferred appellation), is nowadays equally capable of kittenish pop playfulness as she is emotional gravitas and Grand Guignol balladeering, and reviewers are as liable to compare her to one or other Burt Bacharach interpreter as they are Nina Simone or Nico. That said, it took her 2007 The Reminder album to establish Feist as something more than a colourful Canuck cult. Recorded on the outskirts of Paris, that self-styled "lo-fi, low brow" collection was a thing of considerable charisma and undeniable maturity -- both facets that Leslie Feist brings to her live performances. Expect an evening of wildly divergent, if agreeably lived-in, charm.

In a recent Time Out interview, artist-cum-documentarian Marcus Coates described the process of researching his curious guise of contemporary shaman as potentially disingenuous -- a label he has yet to be trapped under. For the level of humour, self-ridicule and personal commitment to the societies he investigates in these bizarre, ritualistic films sets up a tension that cannot be explained away by the comparatively crude media phenomenon of the "mockumentary". This deserved solo exhibition follows Coates' performative relationship with the ancient animal rites of shamanism and their curious parallels with the modern world. Coates literally "becomes" members of the animal kingdom to identify and resolve contemporary ills. Along his circuitous geographical and ideological route through pre-modern and present-day Britain, Coates sensitively exposes the social problems endured by the residents of a housing estate in Liverpool, which are for a moment forgotten as they witness, open-mouthed, his absurd transformation from bespectacled stranger to stag-pelt wearing saviour. Far from dominate the proceedings, Coates performances force us to become one of his "congregations" and bridge the stereotypical gap between them and us.

NB: runs till 05/08.

The funniest thing about New Rave (apart from the government blaming Hot Chip for the rise in countryside raves) is the fact its protagonists were more interested in garming up as dayglo fools and discussing the intellectual qualities of Golden Skans than actually necking pills and raving their socks off to some acid house. Leave it to the professionals then to keep the rave spirit alive, as Warp affiliates Wheels Instead Of Hooves gear up for their 4th annual Acid On Sea boat party with an extra special line-up. Headlining the nautical trip down the Thames are Berlin Glitchhopelectro monsters Modeselektor, fresh from smashing it at Sonar by Night last month. And with their eagerly anticipated new opus Happy Birthday due to drop this autumn, Acid On Sea is an all too rare opportunity to catch them play live in London Town. Joining BPitch control's finest is Tigerbeat6 mentalist Kid 606, whose talents extend across the gamut of electronic music. Any sort of Acid tinged event in London would not be the same without Luke Vibert, and sure enough he's also on hand to deal out some of his typically diverse wonky sounds, alongside Ceephax Acid Kru and the Doubtful Guest. Tickets are restricted to a rather splendidly acidic amount of 303 so act quickly!

The Great Theatre Of The World by Pedro Calderon de la Barca is an early 17th-century mystery play based on Danse Macabre. This post-medieval allegory of life, death and attachment to material possessions seems surprisingly relevant in our celebrity driven world fed daily with news of power hungry leaders, Paris Hilton and growing poverty. Adrian Mitchell's adaptation of the text, directed by the renowned British theatre director William Gaskill, does not try to be pretentiously modern and emphasises the plain symbolism and character of the original genre. God appears on stage as a theatre director and the World becomes his stage manager, while the mortals are portrayed as a group of actors, who are given just one chance to perform their parts well. The play is short and effectively simple yet powerful and entertaining. The young, diverse cast give confident performances under Gaskill's skilled eye. An uncomplicated design with symbolic use of props helps to concentrate on the universal character of the text, surprising and pleasing the audience when necessary. The production offers a surreal mix of theatre and music while dealing with basic philosophical matters.

NB: runs till 18/08.

Gavin Turk is a master of the one-liner, for better or for worse, having reduced his work to the barest conceptual platform -- the juxtapose. Although hardly a conceptual purist, his work is clean, simple and decisive: it is what it is and you either take it or leave it. His trademark style functions well with Warhol's iconic multiples, and Turk's unique spin on the portrait as a double original makes the overlay a nearly seamless conceptual merger. And Turk actually kinda looks like Warhol. If you squint. It's not what you see in the gallery, but what you already know combined with what you take away with you that makes "Him as Me" successful, so don't expect to be "wowed" upon entry. For those who like to dig a little deeper, there are some interesting twists available if you indulge them. The camouflage element opens some cagily ambiguous conceptual doors, and points to larger questions about politics and identity. It's also what the kids are wearing these days. How very now. At the core of both artists' work lies a vaguely imperfect paradox between meaning and emptiness, ego and icon, and that's what stands out. Or rather, it's what follows you home.

NB: runs till 08/09. Upstairs, Maharishi's Hardy Blechman has created an installation using a single US Army WWII camo cargo chute. Woodland Nations is an excellent complement to the Warhol theme, giving a little more insight into the evolution of the artist's practice in a contemporary context. (For camo fans make sure you check out Camouflage at the Imperial War Museum, which runs till 18/11.)

This new album from Mark Barrott, the creative force behind Future Loop Foundation, is the latest musical reinvention in a career that has touched upon atmospheric drum and bass, downtempo music that has veered dangerously close to the dreaded chill out tag, and soundtracked several adverts (in the current age of mp3 blogs and constant warnings about the impending death of the music industry, surely the best way for a musician to make some money!). Citing the use of spoken word by Boards of Canada as an influence, Memories From A Fading Room splices recordings from his family's history with electronic and acoustic arrangements. The album as a whole flows very nicely, with several tracks standing out on first listen. "Homegrown Dynamic" is built around some lovely synth dynamics and could be mistaken for Boards of Canada if they had forgotten where the glitch filter was. "Sunshine Philosophy" ambles along nicely for a few minutes before drums unexpectedly crash in, complemented by the string arrangement. If there is a weakness with Memories From A Fading Room, it's that, while there is very little to fault in the execution, it's not the most challenging of listens. Consequently, the spoken word excerpts don't exactly register, discounting the artist's intention to highlight his family's life in the 1970s.

To buy Memories From A Fading Room online click here.

NB: on 18/07 (7pm - 12am) at the Big Chill House (257-259 Pentonville Rd., N1) catch the free Future Loop Foundation album launch party.

KultureFlash is a free, weekly newsletter covering contemporary culture in and around London. Each week we track down some of the more unusual and interesting events taking place in the capital and deliver them straight to your inbox. Featuring art, gigs, films, talks, clubs and more -- we are committed to bringing you an eclectic mix of the most stimulating events in London.

If you want to tell us about an upcoming event please do so by sending an email to: events@kultureflash.net. We receive many emails and thus please realise that sadly we cannot reply to all of them. Every single email receives attention and we will contact you if we need anything further. Please note that KultureFlash is not a listings ezine and we do not receive any payment from venues, artists, managers or promoters.

Please send all press releases, invites, books and CDs to:

KultureFlash Ltd.
52 Cranmer Court
Whitehead's Grove
London SW3 3HW