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New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer

Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer, Arts Editor

Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer is a senior double-majoring in journalism and cinema studies. He has written for Le Cinéma Club and ScreenSlate, as well as programmed for Spectacle Theater and the Film-Maker's Cooperative. Nico is also an avid consumer of media: film, music, books — you name it! You can follow him over at @nicopedrero on Instagram, stalk his audiovisual habits by way of @nicolaspsetzer on Spotify and Letterboxd, or track his ramblings on Twitter at @NicoPSetzer.

All content by Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer
Jackson Craig performs for Summer Love Fest at the World Cafe back in July, 2019. A year later, Jackson continued to experiment with developing a persona through his music. (Photo by Gabriela Mancini)

Clive First-Year Crushes Musical Conventionality with Charisma

Getting ready to mount his second concert in the city, Jackson Craig talks about his music and what it means to be a storyteller in today’s day and age.
Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer, Music Editor February 10, 2020

Sporting a puffy yellow jacket and an unguarded smile, Jackson Craig sits before me, ready to distill his knowledge of dad-rock and good vibes. Hot off the release of last year’s...

Dan "Destroyer" Bejar moves past middle-age exhaustion in his newest album. (Staff Illustration by Charlie Dodge)

Destroyer Celebrates Middle-Age Despair in His Latest Album

A review of Destroyer’s latest album: “Have We Met.
Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer, Music Editor February 7, 2020

A jolly submission to the troubles of the middle age echoes in the poesy of Dan Bejar’s latest work of despair. From the droning synth work that opens the album, it seems Bejar...

Weekly Radio Roundup: Jan. 31 - Feb. 3

Weekly Radio Roundup: Jan. 31 – Feb. 3

The most exciting singles that came out over the course of the week.

In a week of wonders, Porter Robinson is back after a long hiatus and Elon Musk is now an aspiring artist? I guess if this edition of Weekly Radio Roundup proves anything, it’s...

Swedish singer Molly Nilsson captivates Brooklyn audience with synth-driven solo performance. (Staff photo by Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer)

Molly Nilsson Mystifies Market Hotel

A look at Molly Nilsson & BDX’s recent performance at The Market Hotel in Brooklyn.
Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer, Music Editor February 3, 2020

Somewhere in Brooklyn, a square room lit by a single disco ball hosts around 300 individuals as they gather to listen to the mystical synth-pop of Swedish singer Molly Nilsson....

WSN recommends some singles you may have missed this week. (Photo by Divya Nelakonda)

Weekly Radio Roundup

Here’s the first edition of our weekly round-up of singles, meant to cover a variety of genres and artists.
Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer, Music Editor January 31, 2020

From the Spanish flair of Rosalía to the punk aesthetic of Porridge Radio, I’ve weeded out this week’s best and worst singles in an effort to shove more music down your ears....

The arts desk is back with some recommendations of singles you may have missed this week.(Illustration by Rachel Buigas-Lopez)

Seasonal Singles Survey

An overview of singles you might have missed that came out over the break.
Henry Carr, Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer and Charles Smith January 28, 2020

Winter break has ended and as you find yourself trudging through the snow (or lack thereof) en route to your first class of the semester whilst listening to the same-old wintry...

Black Dirt Rests is Null Pattern's first album release of 2020. (Image via Instagram @null_pattern)

Tisch First-Year Says Goodbye to Youth in Debut Album

Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer, Music Editor January 27, 2020

Sporting a kimono and a pair of round spectacles, Tisch first-year Benji Jung, also known as Null Pattern, sits before their desk — a workstation consisting of a desktop, a myriad...

Released Dec. 6, In Fabric is a British horror comedy film. (Via Facebook)

‘In Fabric’: Strickland Spins the Giallo Genre Afresh for a New Generation

Director Peter Strickland blends British comedy and Italian horror in a deliciously terrifying flick.
Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer, Contributing Writer December 4, 2019

Fetishizing every single inch of the frame, Peter Strickland has crafted a loving ode to retro Euro horror that would make Italian horror legend Mario Bava exclaim “Bravo!”...

Give Me Liberty is a fast-paced film following a medical transport driver across Milwaukee. (Via Music Box Films)

‘Give Me Liberty’ Acts as a Manifesto for a New Style of Madcap American Cinema

Kirill Mikhanovsky’s pseudo-autobiographical film stars unprofessional actors in a bold new fashion for American filmmaking.
Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer, Contributing Writer December 3, 2019

“Give Me Liberty” never comes to a halt. From its title card to its final one, director Kirill Mikhanovsky doesn’t allow you to breathe, kidnapping the entirety of your being...

‘An Elephant Sitting Still’ is Hu Bo’s entire legacy condensed into his first and only film. (Via KimStim)

‘An Elephant Sitting Still’ Is a Portrait of Sadness for a Hopeless Generation

Director Hu Bo’s first and only film before he tragically took his own life ruminates on a nihilistic worldview.
Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer, Contributing Writer November 19, 2019

Richie Tenenbaum put it best: “Of course it’s dark, it’s a suicide note.” Completed shortly before he took his own life in 2017, “An Elephant Sitting Still” will forever...

Primarily set in an opera house, “Varda by Agnès,” is the renowned documentarian’s posthumous film that beautifully accounts – and transcends – her life and her career. (Photo Courtesy of Mk2 Films)

‘Varda by Agnès’: a Revolutionary Retrospective

Agnès Varda’s posthumous swan song is an inspirational love letter to the cinematic arts.
Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer, Contributing Writer November 11, 2019

Whether you remember her as a fierce documentarian, French New Wave pioneer, fervid feminist, installation-piece wizard or potato-lover, there’s no doubt AgnèsmVarda has etched...

Singer songwriter Ariel Pink seeks to redefine his previous work in a series of three installments. (Via Twitter)

‘Ariel Archives Vol. 1’: Ariel Pink Exhumes His Poltergeists in Three-Album Re-Exploration of His Career

The singer-songwriter sets out to recontextualize his Haunted Graffiti era in the modern day.
Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer, Contributing Writer November 3, 2019

Musician Ariel Pink’s fixation with having to constantly reinvent his image has always pointed to him being troubled by the potential constraints of each new persona moments...

Synonyms is a drama film directed by Nadav Lapid that was released on Oct. 25, 2019. (Via Twitter)

‘Synonyms’: A Hymn for the Idealist Emigre

Nadav Lapid’s semi-autobiographical French-Israeli co-production tracks the development of the concepts of nationhood and language from the perspective of an Israeli immigrant in Paris.
Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer, Contributing Writer October 30, 2019

Dashing through Paris in an uproarious and unpredictable fashion, Yoav (Tom Mercier) taps into the frenzy of France’s spirit as he joyously flirts with the notion of liberty...

Shintaro Sakamoto played the greatest hits from his discography in a dreamlike performance at Elsewhere. (Via Bandcamp)

Shintaro Sakamoto Dazzles a Swarm of Fanatics at Brooklyn Concert

Japanese psychedelic rock artist Shintaro Sakamoto delivered a characteristically groovy performance in Brooklyn on Sunday night.
Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer, Contributing Writer October 29, 2019

Describing Shintaro Sakamoto’s performance at Elsewhere Sunday night is as futile as attempting to reify a dream.   Sakamoto’s show was prefaced by Brazilian soul singer...