The Lead Digest: Wicked, Techno and the Orbanisation of the far right
Our round-up from The Lead’s team – everything we’ve been reading, listening to, scrolling and watching each week.
Here at The Lead, we like to consume just as much as we create, which is why we spend a little time each week rounding up our favourite stories, books, podcasts and films to offer our readers a sample of the work that informs our world.
Zoë enjoyed
’s Substack about the Orbanisation of the radical right in the UK, and Reform’s deepening ties to Hungary’s autocratic regime.Ella recommends God Said Give ‘Em Drum Machines, a documentary about the origins of techno in Detroit. If you’re into electronic music and don’t know the history, it’s fascinating. This is a great watch with interviews with all the pioneers, and it’s free to watch on Tubi.
She also enjoyed
’s article about the Faversham flag drama (her favourite niche subject) which dug a little deeper into the politics of the town.Luke is recommending this video by Second Wind, on the use of AI in video games. At The Lead, we have lots of discussions about AI and its impacts – the benefits and the consequences – but Luke has seen very few takes on how it affects the gaming industry. This take unpicks how it’s being used in gaming, where roles are being taken out and how consumers are reacting. Gaming is going for it on AI pretty proactively, so it’s a good analysis of what can happen.
Natalie watched Wicked: For Good over the weekend with her sister (and cried – because the songs are aggressively nostalgic for them and because stories about intense female friendships always pierce her soul). But it was far from perfect – and this critique from
is the most interesting review she’s read so far (beware, it contains spoilers).Watched, read or listened to something you think we’d like to feature? Drop ella@thelead.uk a line and we will consider for inclusion. And feel free to share this post to a friend or family member who you think needs some reading or listening inspiration!