Hey friend, welcome back! How have you been? It’s great to see you again! Welcome to the 3rd issue! We have a bunch more super fabulous people to show you! We hope you enjoy their work As much as we do! Hope you have a FUN time! And always remember THE FUN TIMES!
www.facebook.com/funapparel
Hi, who are you? My graff tag name is Dingo, it’s named after a mad sick aussie critter. We’ve got heaps of tip top animals down under. A while ago I got dropped in the 1LS and TBE crime syndicates. I’m also an equestrian enthusiast and member of the infamous H.O.R.S.E famiglia. Where are you from? A dope ass city on the east coast of Australia called Boomtown AKA Brisbane. It’s near the beach and the chicks. What do you do? I get street fame and recognition through writing my rap name on various surfaces, apart from that i spend my time tuning sprouters and getting pissed. What is your favourite food? Can’t beat a grouse BBQ with the boys — red meat steaks and snags washed down with some bundaberg rum or XXXX bitter.
When and why did you start making art?
If you could be any inanimate object what would it be?
Growing up i used to always see graff on the Cleveland Line and trip on that shit. Later I got into Aussie Hip-Hop, starting rap drawing and met all my sick mates.
Some kind of rusted box-cutter (still heaps sharp but)
What animal represents you and why? Some kind of true blue Australian wild dog crossed with a free roaming feral horse . What motivates you in your art making? Mate, to be honest I do it for the chicks. Like Sofles says “Girls wanna pash me, guys wanna bash me” I think that speaks true of any Real Aussie writer. Are there any artists in particular or anything else that influences your work? I admire anyone out there still mixing dymarks to do yellow keylines, apart from that my courtapproved psychotherapist reckons I’m influenced by the copius amounts of shard I blaze on the reg.
Are you currently working on anything, and do you have anything planned for the future? I’m working on crushing shit and my plans for the future involve dope tags and wicked burners. Lastly, if you were stuck on a desert island for 2 years and you could have 5 items(food, water and clothing is included) and one person you’ve never met, what and who would they be? I’d have to take my swag to snooze in, a pony to get around with, couldn’t forget my beuge or pipe (probs pipe) and a heap of Australian Export spraypaints to do burners on the island rocks with (can’t live without graff ). As for a person it’d have to be either a skitz sheila with big blobs or the late Mark Brandon “CHOPPER” Read (RIP) I always wanted to spin a yarn with that legend. Website/blog etc? http://graffiticreator.net http://www.obeserecords.com http://mostoften.tumblr.com
Hi, Who are you? Just another girl/woman on the internet. Where are you from? England. I was born in Stafford, raised in Bristol and have recently been living in London. What is your favourite food? Apples! My favourite are Granny Smith and Braeburn. When and why did you start taking screen shots from street view? Summer 2012. I’d wanted to start a nature blog for a while. Instead of using other people’s photographs, Street View gave me the freedom to take my own. I’d seen other Street View blogs before but they seemed to concentrate on people, whereas I wanted to use it to explore the natural beauty of the world. The blog is like a diary of my travels and discoveries, somewhere for me to save the views I find along the way.
Has exploring these places online inspired you to travel? If so, where to? Yeah I’ve wanted to travel for a long time but it’s so expensive. So the blog is an antidote to that until I can go myself one day. It has definitely improved my geography and added a few more places to the list like Croatia and Norway. What animal represents you and why? It sounds like a cliché but a cat, sleep all day be up all night etc If you could be any inanimate object what would it be? An Ocean liner.
Did you expect your blog to be as popular as it is? No definitely not. But it’s kind of cool. It brings another level of enjoyment to it, sharing these places with people. Sometimes we all need a little reminder of just how beautiful the world really is because it’s so easy to get lost in our own problems. Lastly, if you were stuck on a desert island for 2 years and you could have 5 items (food, water and clothing is included) and one person you’ve never met, what and who would they be? Probably practical things like rope, an axe, matches, cigarettes and wine. And Johnny Depp circa 1990. Website/blog etc? oessa.co.uk
“Oh you have to be fucking kidding me!” On hold again. Every single fucking time. Was it that hard for a phone company to pick up the phone? You’d have thought otherwise. “What does a man have to do to get served around here, blow his fucking brains out?” He had ought to be quiet though, it was getting late. His neighbour, separated by only a thin plaster wall wouldn’t be too pleased in the morning. He didn’t mind living next to her. She was quiet, good looking, the typical girl next door stereotype. They had fucked once or twice but decided to break it off before they became too emotionally attached. Great minds really do think alike. Now his mind was just wandering. Twenty three minutes and thirty eight seconds. That’s how long he had been on hold for now. The bastards! They would probably charge him for this phone call too. Going over his cap. Then he’d have to call them again to sort it out. A bitter and vicious cycle. The mundane hold music was suddenly interrupted by a dial tone, and then another voice. Somewhat familiar. The operator had probably served him before. “Hello, thank you for call--” Not even enough time to finish the introductory sentence. He was what they would describe as a ‘troubled’ caller in company orientation. “Hold on just a minute, you little fucker.” Four seconds in and he intended to make use of all the twenty four minutes and fifty one seconds he had been kept waiting. He didn’t care at all if this was being recorded for training or quality purposes. “You and your company have got some explaining to do! First, you bloody kept me on hold for the better part of my entire evening, and secondly, you overcharged my account by a whole forty two dollars! Daylight fucking robbery, let me tell you!” Hopefully this call wasn’t being recorded for training or quality purposes. No-one wanted to listen to that. “Well sir, let me just say that I am terribly sorry and if you would just hold the li--” Taps at the plaster wall from his neighbour. A signal that he should probably keep it down. “No I will not for one second hold the fucking line!” Too late. That over enthusiastically horrible hold music returned. Louder tapping coming through the wall. Maybe she was sexually frustrated. God knows he was after this little incident. Even emotional attachment was better than being on hold. A year or two ago, on holiday in Bali, he picked up a replica PPK from a salesman outside the Skyfall screening. He’d always had a soft spot for Ian Fleming’s novels. He liked a touch of ‘contemporary literature’ now and then. At least that’s what he told people. Girls seemed to like it. He picked up the PPK from the glass coffee table and held it against his temple. Well weighted for a fake. Dial tone. “Welcome bac—” “What does a man have to do to get served around here, blow his fucking brains out?” The operator wouldn’t see it, but he liked theatrics all the same. The taps had turned into knocks. His finger pulled the trigger of the pistol. Click, crack, thump. Pretty good replica.
Hi, who are you? Hi, I’m Caroline aka Roca Balboa. Where are you from? I’m from France, I grew up in Burgundy but now I live in Paris. What do you do? Most of the time I doodle and draw in my sketch books. Sometimes I paint and I also embroider and print on fabric. Otherwise I sleep late and party. What is your favourite food? This is a really hard question because I just LOVE food, especially bacon and French cheeses. And I think I could kill for a blueberry pie. When and why did you start making art? I’ve always been drawing since I was a kid and then I took applied art classes, but it wasn’t really art so I start drawing as Roca Balboa to show my own work.
What animal represents you and why? The squirrel, definitely ‘cause I always start doing too much stuff at a time but I never finish one and I kinda like hiding things thinking I would get them later but I often lose them. Yes, I’ve got the efficiency of a squirrel... I also have a little bull side, sometimes I get upset really fast and I’m a bit stubborn.
What motivates you in your art making? Life generally, observing people and listening to music gives me ideas of pictures I can draw. Drawing is also a need; it’s helping me keep calm. Well sometimes it doesn’t work but it’s still a good way to express feelings. Are there any artists in particular or anything else that influences your work? I’m really influenced by childhood, the Tex Avery cartoons and things like that. If you could be any inanimate object what would it be? I think it would be a mug of coffee. I’ve got many mugs and I’m constantly drinking coffee in it (but I never finish any of them). What are you currently working on, and do you have anything planned for the future? I’m trying to make funny comics and more DIY prints on fabric. I’d like to try graffiti and tattoos.
Lastly, if you were stuck on a desert island for 2 years and you could have 5 items (food, water and clothing is included) and one person you’ve never met, what and who would they be? I would go for a good punk compilation, a drawing book, pens, cigarettes and monoi. And I pick John Waters, I am a super fan of all his movies, he seems to be hilarious and plus we could celebrate our birthday together! Website/blog etc? rocabalboa.com
Who are you and where are you from? My name is Morgan and I’m from Sydney, Australia. When did you guys form as a band? Stories formed mid 2010, but we didn’t really start to take things seriously until late 2011 when we all finished school What type of music do you play? We play progressive metal-core Do you have many influences in your music making? Yes, our music is influenced by a range of things, from a wide array of music styles, to art, history and life experiences. What do you all do for fun outside of the band? Hangouts, play games, talk shit and eat pancakes.
We’ve noticed that you’ve been touring quite a lot lately, how’s that been? Any highlights? Couldn’t really ask for anything more. This year’s been amazing. Met so many awesome people, travelled to places we had never been, played with some of our favourite bands, and got to play to lots of new faces. What have you released so far and do you have anything else planned for the near future? We recently released our debut EP ‘Void’ in March which had an awesome response. Other than that we’ve gotta couple of other things in the works for the rest of this year which should be awesome too. Website/blog etc? facebook.com/StoriesAUS
Hi, who are you? S-Dawg aka smotersaurus Where are you from? A lil’ ghetto town on the west side of Neptune, which I’d prefer not to name. Got its own metro yard and a few dope pizza shops.. it’s chilled. What is your favourite food? Pizza, definitely pizza, they make pretty bangin’ pizza on Neptune. When and why did you start making art? I kind of got into graffiti before anything else, and realised the creative levels I could get with it and kind of got me into making art. My high school art teacher was hell supportive of it as well and bought me paint quite a bit. What animal represents you and why? I’d say jellyfish, cause there so squishy and smooth. I love the way they move. Rhyme intended. What is your preferred medium and why? Definitely sprays, when I’m using a marker or a brush, I only get movement from my hand, which is sweet but when using a tin, you can boogie and dance around and the movement comes from the whole body even the way you’re standing can affect how you paint, so there is a lot more freedom on a large scale with a can of paint.
What motivates you in your art making? Back alleys and train lines, I love being out when everyone else is snoozin’. The vibe from the tracks is really relaxing and my mind kind of runs free when I’m walking along. Back alleys as well, I really enjoy exploring places I have no real need to go. I love them both for the variety of tags and throwups - seeing dope bombing always gets me buzzing. Without graffiti I really couldn’t be f#*ked to get outta bed. Are there any artists in particular or anything else that influences your work? My mates definitely influence me the most. I guess that’s probably because I’m always hanging out with them. I love Ai Wei Wei and his bad ass concepts. My homie Eleven from Melbourne always keeps my web lurking amusing, he’s always doing something cool. Utah and Ether, I’m super jealous of the whole Bonnie and Clyde situation they’ve got going on. As well as lurking the streets and abandon places they always gives me inspiration.
If you could be any inanimate object what would it be? Maybe a tin, so I could blow my load over shit all day. What are you currently working on, and do you have anything planned for the future? Besides the everyday illustrations and painting, I’ve just been helping out with designs for my mates label ‘Out of Service’ check them out on Facebook, bunch of cool cats Lastly, if you were stuck on a desert island for 2 years and you could have 5 items (food, water and clothing is included) and one person you’ve never met, what and who would they be? Some fat blunts, a marker, ream of paper, a pot of peyote, and I’ll leave the 5th one up for suggestion, as far as the person I’ve never met, I’d probably pick Zooey Deschanel, just purely for being a cutie. Website/blog etc? Reginaldfruitloop – on instagram Or check out ‘Out of Service’ on Facebook.
Hi, who are you? I am Cam Floyd - a humanoid residing in the north-western hemisphere in the metropolis at one time known as El Pueblo Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula. Where are you from? I was born in the Deep South and grew up in North Carolina where I spent a lot of time making forts in the woods behind our house. What do you do? I am a freelance artist and illustrator making pieces for magazines, galleries, a few books, some films, and many musicians. I also make and release club music for aliens. What is your favourite food? Chips and salsa and any variations thereof
When and why did you start making art? I’ve always drawn since I was a little kid which can probably be attributed to my parents. I had a collection of Great Artists books for kids which turned me on to the big names pretty early. I was also drawing giant battles, weapons, castles, and other epic badass-ery in my oversized, ringbound sketchbook with a sticker of an alien throwing up the peace sign on the cover.
What animal represents you and why? A banana slug because I am slimy and like bananas What motivates you in your art making? Pursuing the New - exploring the infinite possibilities of the Universe Are there any artists in particular or anything else that influences your work? There is a ton. A few groups and individuals that stand out are the Pre-Raphaelites, the whole Northern Renaissance, Ukiyo-e prints, and more contemporarily: Suehiro Maruo and Uno Moralez, among countless others. If you could be any inanimate object what would it be? Do stars count? Any piece of dead rock or cosmic debris hurling through space would work.
What are you currently working on, and do you have anything planned for the future? I’m currently working on a client project of a series of 100 images of masks that have slight animation to them. I’d like to do more narrative work in the future and would love to work on sci-fi book covers. Finding the right clients is the challenge now. Do you have any interesting stories to share? (art related or not) Once while surfing near the jetty of Venice Beach in the early winter near sundown I found myself in the midst of bioluminescent bacteria that glowed intensely in reaction to my movements. The movement of my hands and feet through the water created brilliant trail of aqueous blue. Then some dolphins showed up. It was kinda magical. Website/blog etc? camfloyd.com camfloyd.tumblr.com
Who are you and where are you from?
What do you all do for fun outside of the band?
Young Bchan from Sydney and I sing in MOOD SWING.
Can’t speak for the others but I like to play/watch basketball, eat a lot of food, take photos, hang out with my friends, dance to Sean Paul, travel to new places/travel to different countries and eat fish burgers (not really but Jem and Josh are forcing me to do this right now. It’s like 1am and we’re in Singapore airport on the way to Hong Kong)
When did you guys form as a band? We formed at the start of this year when my friends and I wanted to play music together. What type of music do you play? Hardcore punk Do you have many influences in your music? We obviously have the whole ‘lockin’ out’ vibe going on in our music but I also listen to a lot of hip hop, 90s emo, RnB. The latter is probably not as obvious but I guess it gives me more ideas to draw upon when I write songs. Our writing process isn’t complicated. Josh, Maddo and I will usually come up with a bunch of riffs and then bring them to practice to jam. I then write lyrics and try a whole bunch of phrasings that would sound cool.
What have you released so far and do you have anything else planned for the near future? So far we’ve released a demo which is online at the link below and it should be coming out on tape soon on Death’s Grip records with some other cool pre-order stuff. Our next release is a split with Frozen Over from Melbourne. They are a fucking GREAT band and you should be listening to them. Website/blog etc? moodswinghc.bandcamp.com
Hi, who are you? Hello, I am Grace Pelham-Dann Where are you from? From my mother’s womb, almost 19 years ago . What do you do? I eat too much, I read lots of comics, I visit exhibitions, I make art, I study Fine Art
What motivates you in your art making? Well uni pressures me a lot, but not all of it is fun to do. That’s the only time I really need motivation to make art though. I usually just make art because I want to. Are there any artists in particular or anything else that influences your work?
Every food is my favourite, but especially a spanakopita from Melissa’s cake store on Smith Street.
Yes yes yes, a few artists under the name htmlflowers and girlmountain who coincidently sometimes collaborate. The most important thing to me is enjoying the making of the art, even if I’m not happy with the end result.
When and why did you start making art?
If you could be any inanimate object what would it be?
I started making art as soon as I could grasp a pencil, mainly because I didn’t have a brain. I probably didn’t even know I was making art when I was three. I make art now because it’s fun!
A comic book
What is your favourite food?
What animal represents you and why? Dogs because they’re the fucking sickest!
What are you currently working on, and do you have anything planned for the future? Currently I’m working on a small ink drawing about the events that occurred last night, mainly bad feelings and little things that make it hard for you to fall asleep (clocks ticking, deep thoughts, someone coughing). So many plans for the future, the list is too big to write down. I mostly really want to create more comics/zines. Do you have any interesting stories to share? (art related or not) Once I was eating marshmallows and I accidentally lost one down the end of my bed. I went to sleep, forgetting to turn my electric blanket off. In the morning I tried to get out of bed but I was stuck to my sheets by a melted pink marshmallow. I spent ten pickings picking at it before I could free myself. Sorry that wasn’t interesting at all haha.
Lastly, if you were stuck on a desert island for 2 years and you could have 5 items (food, water and clothing is included) and one person you’ve never met, what and who would they be? Art supplies Some sort of musical instrument One really really really long book A camera to take photos and film A pack of dogs and Tom Waits Website/blog etc? slugslime.tumblr.com (where I sometimes post my art) fa-rt.tumblr.com (things that inspire me) calcifersfire.tumblr.com (something a little more personal)
So after a tough weekend, I came home and decided to unwind by listening to my favourite deceased musical crush: The King, Elvis Presley. So after a nice run through of King Creole, I started thinking about the big guy and then remembered how he died – a cardiac arrest on a toilet; how romantic. After that, I remembered about all those rumours of people seeing Elvis after his death and did a little research on the Elvis Conspiracies and boy, did I stumble upon some major shit. So here we go with another conspiracy breakdown. So sit down, get in the spirit of the King with a fried banana, peanut butter and bacon sandwich and let’s begin. Background It’s the 1970s. Elvis’ divorce with Priscilla, his wife of six years, comes through and he gets super into pharmaceutical drugs, gains a fuckload of weight and reportedly starts falling out of limousines and singing gibberish at shows. A little later on, Elvis buys a $10 million plane from a group called “The Fraternity” – who are associated with the mafia. All in all, the King has become a drugged up, grossly obese guy who stands around in white jumpsuits trying to sing.
Death Of The King On the 16th of August, 1977 Elvis went to the bathroom after telling his fiancée, Ginger Alden that he was feeling “uncomfortable”. Later on, Alden found him on the bathroom floor unresponsive, and paramedics failed to revive him. It should be mentioned that he customised his toilet so it apparently looked exactly like a lounge armchair. His funeral was held two days later, at his extensive mansion Graceland, in Memphis Tennessee. Outside the mansion gates, a car ran into two women, killing them and injuring a third. Around 80,000 people came to the funeral, and his newly released song “Way Down” made it on both the US and UK top hit charts. For five years straight, Elvis was the most top earning deceased celebrity with an income of $45 million and a collection of over 15,000 pieces of merchandise. Faking His Death: The Reasons With his health declining and a huge debt owed to the mafia for his private jet, it’s speculated that Elvis wanted to fake his own death to get away from the mafia who were known to be threatening his wife and daughter. He was also asked by the US government to work undercover in the DEA, to bust the mafia and the extensive drug network within the music business at the time; this would add up with Presley’s extensive military record. Alternatively, he just didn’t want wither away as a gross old guy in front of his fans, and decided to end his career while he still looked reasonably good.
The Evidence
After The Death
For starters, Elvis’ tombstone has his name spelt incorrectly, born as Elvis Aron Presley, the tombstone features his middle name with two a’s. Apparently on his birth certificate, it was also incorrectly spelled as ‘Aaron’ and his father went to great lengths to see this changed, why would his tombstone be any different? Also, around the time of his death, Elvis had gained over 50 pounds, making him a complete 250 pounds. His death certificate, which is also dated two months after his death, shows him at 170 pounds. The official coroner’s report on his death was never released. To add, he also fired many of his close employees just before his death, including his bodyguards who he had known since the 1950s and started saying goodbye at the end of concerts, which was something he had never done.
Two hours after Elvis was reported dead, a man who apparently looked remarkably like him boarded a plane to Buenos Aires, purchasing the ticket in cash, using the name John Burrows; an alias Elvis had regularly booked planes and hotels under. His manager, a man named Colonel Tom Parker who he had met during his run in the military apparently had access to passports, driver’s licences and social security numbers and would’ve easily been able to forge a new identity for Presley. His favourite books on pharmaceuticals, death, numerology and spirituality also mysteriously disappeared after his death, hinting that they may have been taken or removed. RCA, Elvis’ recording label had also begun to produce an incredible amount of merchandise just before his death – these sales successively skyrocketed after the King’s death was announced.
Wax Body Another interesting theory tied to the death of Elvis is the hypothesis of a wax body. At the funeral, it took several pallbearers to lift the coffin which weighed around 400 kilos. According to those who carried it, it was surprisingly cool which hints to an inbuilt air conditioner to keep the wax from melting. The fact that the Presley family had a custom built 400 kilo coffin ready to go, two days after Elvis’ death is strange enough. Those who saw the open coffin reported that Elvis had arched eyebrows, an odd looking nose and soft hands; compared to the calloused hands an 8th degree black belt should have (he was super into karate). Apparently his sideburns also fell off at one point and had to be glued back on but that seems like a bit of a stretch too far; it’s your call.
After Elvis One of the most interesting pieces of information I managed to pick up while researching Elvis’ death was a masked musician called Orion who became known after releasing a single of “That’s All Right (Mama)”/”Blue Moon of Kentucky” (two Elvis songs). Fans began to speculate if this single was in fact an alternative recording of Elvis Presley, due to how similar Orion’s voice was – to add to this, Orion was the same height and build as Elvis, but kept his face hidden through the use of a mask. His identity was based on the main character from Gail Brewer-Giorgo’s “Orion”, which was written on 16 August 1977 (ey?). The book tells the story of a popular rock musician who fakes his death to escape from fame. In 1981, a news company ran an investigative story on the death of Elvis – within weeks of the report, the book “Orion” was pulled from shelves and was taken out of printing. It was later revealed that the publisher was associated with the William Morris Agency, the same agency Elvis had been under during his career. Two years after the report, a man named Jimmy Ellis made a public confession that he was actually Orion; afterwards he pulled from his record label and disappeared for ten years. At shows, fans recalled seeing a second “Orion” who would swap with the original; this double could’ve easily been Jimmy Ellis.
To see for yourself, jump on the web and have a look around for videos of “Jimmy Orion Ellis” – it’s pretty intense. So there you have it. Either Elvis really is lying in the ground at Graceland Mansion in Memphis or he’s busting criminals for the DEA and singing country music in a dingy bar in some backwater town. Please report any sightings to the elvissightingsociety.org
Isabella Mason isabelladenyst@gmail.com
Hi, who are you? Uplift // General Dirt (_Daniel Bashin_ - Curator + Art Director for DIRTY TAPES) Where are you from? Originally - Moscow, Russia (Former USSR). Immigrated to the US during the early 90’s at the fall of communism. I grew up in Las Vegas, NV then moved out east and finished school in Manhattan.. currently reside in Brooklyn, NY.
Could you tell us a little about dirty tapes and what it is? Dirty Tapes is an imprint and artist community focused on experimental and tape-driven music. We put out limited cassettes.. Its really a whole culture and has been relatively underground for the most part, up until the recent revival of the cassette labels... before that, its was just heads sharing their beats and production, exchanging tapes, making stuff in their bedrooms, different things.. collage art.. photography... beats.. experimenting with VHS videos and whatever. Dirty Tapes is just an outlet to get those projects out there.. its basically like an ongoing curation project.. we want to push the art of music and put out things we enjoy listening to. Its really more art-driven to me.
What made you want to start up something like dirty tapes? Basically all came from growing up in the 90’s as a kid - our generation had cassettes and VHSs, CD’s later too but we would always be making mix-tapes off the radio or recording music videos to tape our favorite shows, cartoons, skate videos.. just making raw tapes. That what really influenced my taste and understanding of music culture early on, its shaped how I make music now taking samples, messing with shit everything straight to tape. I feel like having that physical connection to the music is getting lost with digital format. Playing tapes or record is a physical process, so naturally its more intimate and direct. People want that connection with the music- to see and feel the artwork in their hands. Tapes are perfect for that. I started the idea of a label with cofounder and fellow artist Delofi. We both came up under Cleveland Tapes a DIY label based out Cleveland, Ohio. The artists out there were a huge influence on me, and the type of aesthetic I wanted to establish for a label, and Leaving Records at the time was also just building up, and that was really where I saw the shift towards cassette culture and pushing the art of music and experimenting. There were a handful of tape labels around who were pushing cassette but mostly it was an underground thing.
I always wanted to connect all the beat heads that were scattered about the east coast and in little pockets around the world who were doing similar things with art and music. LA already had an established beat scene. The east coast didn’t really have a scene of any kind.. it was just scattered around. I remember being up on early KlipMode and underground cats like ‘Bliv and Ahnnu, who were all coming out of Philly, Jersey, Virginia. At that time no one was really paying attention to beats though, especially not in New York (were talking Iike 08’-09’). NY had a stale and dated Hip Hop scene that was really heading away from the art becoming more redundant and ‘image-driven’. I wanted to see that same type of creative excitement that was going on in LA, with unheard local eastcoast based artists involved with the scene. We’re still underground though, and will probably remain that way. Its a tight knit community, but I feel like were really cultiivating something unique.
So, who’s involved? There are so many cats who are starting to come out of the woodwork, and guys who I have been building with for a minute. Everyone does something unique, whether it be music or art or video. Our foundation is here on the east coast, but we connect with guys all over the county, got heads out in Europe, Russia, Japan.. all over the place really. Asonic Garcia just recently had a Dirty Tapes beat showcase out on the west coast with Lomaji, Mark Aubert, Bluezr, Mndsgn, and others involved in the scene. Its crazy how connected we all are through the music, even though were clear across the other side of the county. We also do beat showcases out here in Brooklyn with our local affiliate labels like Paxico Records and Astro Nautico, its always fun. There are a lot of slept on cats on the East Cost though that are making the rawest shit. Over time, we gained friends and supporters through online platforms like Soundcloud, Tumblr, Bandcamp...etc, where I discovered many of the artists. The whole goal is to give an opportunity to the up and coming undiscovered guys to be heard. Look at Tuamie for example, we put out his first tape before anybody was really up on him and now hes got a new tape out with Grand Garden and working with on a vinyl release with House Shoes. Its really like a building block, I wanna see those underground cats get noticed and get bigger opportunities.
Are there any projects you are currently working on, or anything planned for the future? I’m constantly recording with different artists and doing little collaborations with beat makers, vocalists, MC’s, so there always a ton of things building up and old projects on the back burner. Theres a long laundry list of split tapes that are in the works ( Mndsgn / Ahhnu, 1618 / Youtaro, Bessedof / Dj Purple Image, Andre Biggz / Broke , TOP$ / Paul Hares - just to name a few) plus a whole gang of other releases that I’m sure will manifest over time with various cats. Plus I got my own material I been working on - a split with Delofi, the General Dirt tape, and side projects like D’FLower, African Diplomat, Organ Donor, and some other alter-aliases. I try not to rush anything and let projects come together organically. I been sitting on a lot of production that has to see the light of day eventually, so we’ve barely scratched the surface of where I want to take Dirty Tapes.. What do you look for in beat makers when looking to release a new tape? Artistry, above all else, and raw talent.
Are there any beat makers we should keep a look out for?
If you could be any inanimate object what would it be?
Of course, the list keeps growing and there are too many to mention but here a list of cats that I’ve been building with personally that are incredible and that you’ll most likely see a release from: 1618, PAUL HARES, ILLER, TOP$, LAMPGOD, BESSEDOF, YUNG AOL, TUAMIE, AHNNU, BUN, DISE187, BLK WZRD , JOHN DOPE, BROKE, JWUSH, VIRTUAL FLANNEL, BLUEZR, MARK AUBERT, DIL WITHERS, BRRD, DEVOYE, TROPES, JARROD, FOWLER, LOMAJI, WODOO WOLCAN, ICE WATER METALLIC, REZ, DINK, OHBLIV, DELOFI, ANDRE BIGGZ + many many more.
The Sun (Star) - to give energy and make things grow.
What do you do for fun outside of dirty tapes? Outside of playing shows and making tapes, I mess with art primarily I’m huge on photography, Delofi got me heavy into Polaroid photography and I love shooting 35mm film on my Pentax Super ME. Graphic design has been my primary muse, so I balance that with making music. I started out doing MF DOOM’s ‘Vomit’ 12” back in 06’ and just been doing all the art direction for the label. Recently been getting more into collage art myself, guys like deMilo, Dil Withers and Bessedof are really killing it with the collage game out here. I actually work full time as an architect also, so I’m constantly busy with design work. I really enjoy the design aspect of creating beat tapes though... I try to do a unique concept for every tape release.
What is your favourite food? Probobly Mexican, growing up on the west coast and Vegas had the best mexican food so yeah thats like hella comfort food to me. Plus BBQ, and traditional Russian food - can’t turn down a bowl of hot borsht! What animal do you think represents yourself? Leo/Lion of Judah. (my astrological sign) I have always been drawn to lions, reflective of my own personality. Lastly, if you were stuck on a desert island for 2 years and you could have 5 items (food, water and clothing is included) and one person you’ve never met, what and who would they be? Man two years is a long time... I’d probably need something to keep me sane so I’d just ask for tools so I could build stuff and hunt... a fishing net, water goggles, a good axe or hatchet, some rope, Idk my Pentax and a shit load of film. I wouldn’t need a lot really, just survival stuff. As far as the person, that’s a hard one.. maybe a guru from some ancient past that would teach me about meditation and inner strength. That would actually be a great 2 years spent... to get away from all the technology and bullshit and really live. Website/blog etc? dirtytapes.bandcamp.com/ dirtytapes.tumblr.com uplifteverytime.tumblr.com uplift-studio.com
Hi, who are you? Hi, I am Lugosis Where are you from? I’m from Brescia, Italy. What do you do? I do graffiti and I draw. What is your favourite food? Meat.
If you could be any inanimate object what would it be? Ahahah spray!! Are you currently working on anything, and do you have anything planned for the future? I’m working with Caverna-Prints and Artwork for t-shirts, with my sponsor FriscoShop for t-shirts and skateboard. I’ll start a collaboration with Smithe Papas from Mexico.
I started making “art” when I was very young and graffiti in 2009.
Lastly, if you were stuck on a desert island for 2 years and you could have 5 items (food, water and clothing is included) and one person you’ve never met, what and who would they be?
What animal represents you and why?
Sprays, a train, a wall, paint and my cat. Doraemon ahahah!
The cat because I love their nature.
Websites/blog, etc?
What motivates you in your art making?
Fb: Luca Lugosis
It’s a way to push out my ideas.
Tumblr: duecentos.tumblr.com (bimbi nel pozzo)
When and why did you start making art?
Are there any artists in particular or anything else that influences your work? I really love Hanna-Barbera because I like their simple designs.
Website: Friscoshop(skateshop)
Hi, Who are you? Howdy, I’m Max from Play History Where are you from? I’m originally from London, but I live in Melbourne now What do you collect? I collect video game consoles and games. From Atari to Nintendo to Sega to Playstation to Xbox and all the weird and wonderful contraptions in between. What is your favourite food? I’m pretty easy going when it comes to food, but I like variety so I can never pass up a good Bento box.
When did you start collecting video games, and why? I started collecting video games a couple of years ago, so I am actually quite fresh to the scene. I found an article on Kotaku about a listing for a large collection of video games on eBay that the seller had taken down after a lot of interest. He turned out to live about 5 hours from Melbourne so I contacted him 6 months later to see if he still had the lot. He did, so we started talking via email, which prompted the question in my head... what would I do with it all? I figured that a collection that large would be deserving of a historical space. As old gaming gear becomes harder to get and more and more falls into private collections. There needs to be a public space where people can experience the nostalgia and history of our most modern artistic medium. The initial collection I was trying to buy fell through but my collection continues on and the plan to open up a dedicated venue is ongoing.
What animal represents you and why?
What do you do for fun outside of collecting video games?
Probably a housecat, I laze around and am generally pretty content with things, followed by skulking & planning and then intense activity.
I play them too, when I get the time! I have way too many on my ‘to complete’ list
Do you have any personal favourites within your collection? The Neo-Geo is a favourite but the games get pretty crazy in price so that’s a bit of a downside. The Sega Mega Drive I hold pretty close to my heart as it was the console I grew up with. And my Vectrex, which is a bit hard to get hold of, is the only console to have vector graphics; it has arcade style visuals and was only produced for a few years before the ‘83 video game crash.
Do you have any advice for anybody interested in collecting video games? Give yourself boundaries. Many people start buying what brings back nostalgia and then progress to buying whatever catches their eye which can quickly escalate. Pick a console or franchise and try and complete that set before moving onto the next set. Every video game collection begins with 1 game or 1 console. If you could be any inanimate object what would it be? I’d be anything as long as I belonged to a child with imagination
Do you have any stories to share (video game related or not)? I had to ask my girlfriend as to what stories (if any) I had that were good. She said that this one was a nobrainer. Back in yr10 at an unnamed school with a particular purple uniform I was bored and on msn messenger, back in the days before facebook, chatting to a friend about what might be amusing to do for my site. A few months prior I had set up a blog site and talked a few of my friends into writing regular blog posts which were essentially rants about whatever.
He suggested doing something to the school’s public website, so I did some research and began subtly ‘re-decorating’ the school’s site; changing the context and meaning of written text, altering photos, adding unsavory links, etc. Within a month of my new and improved school website going live, the school twigged onto what was happening but the site had already become popular. The re-formatted site had done the rounds throughout the 3 campuses and other schools, scoring up thousands of hits. I had stupidly linked my blog site to it hoping to scrape some traffic from the prank towards the blog. The school grilled one of the other writers of the blog (who had used his surname as his pseudonym) and he rolled on me. My parents were ultimately given an option, even though they pretty much had no idea what was going on; that I could leave immediately without consequence (except for not completing Year 10 and potentially having to re-do it), or I could remain at the school for the rest of the year and then be expelled and sued for copyright infringement and slander. Safe to say, I didn’t finish yr10 and I went to St. Kevins after that...
What is the rarest thing you’ve collected? Are there any items you been searching after? *RARE!!* Is a pretty big annoyance when it comes to video game collecting as it seems every other listing has rare in the title regardless of whether there was hundreds of thousands made or even millions. If you have enough money and a little patience most things can be found. Some harder to get items I have are a CIB (Complete In Box) Wild Guns on SNES, a boxed Neo Geo console, a press release Vib-Ribbon on PS1, James “Buster” Douglas boxing on SMS, U-four-ia on NES and a boxed Intellivision console.
Lastly, if you were stuck on a desert island for 2 years and you could have 5 items(food, water and clothing is included) and one person you’ve never met, what and who would they be? I’d need an unlimited supply of good Caipirinha for after a swim. Probably an unlimited supply of Jack Daniels too for when it got dark. A selection of Rekorderlig as a change of pace. A magic machine that makes the perfect wet and dirty martini with 3 olives for a breakfast tipple. That’s it, I don’t need the 5th thing. And I’d pick Sarah Silverman because I reckon she’d keep my laughing for 2 years especially if we’re wasted, actually she might want something a bit more mellow so that can be my 5th item (papers included). She’s also pretty hot which can’t be a bad thing when you’re stuck together for 2 years Website/blog /contact etc? If you have any gaming gear that you’d like to get rid of or if you would like to contact me in relation to my future plans on opening a retro gaming venue please feel free to contact me at: maxaboudara@tpg.com.au
Hi, who are you? Hisashi Okawa Where are you from? Hyogo, Japan What do you do? Illustrator and Designer What is your favourite food? YAKISOBA When and why did you start making art? I liked drawing pictures since I was a little kid. I don’t know why. What motivates you in your art making? Probably it is the future. Are there any artists in particular or anything else that influences your work? Comic, Design, Japanese Kansai Culture, etc
Website/blog etc? pon-chan.tumblr.com
What type of music do you play? Emo ultimately. But I’d also call us an Alternative Rock band, influenced by a lot of 90’s and early 00’s bands. Do you have many influences in your music making? A lot, but we don’t try and overdo it incase we spoil a song/s and they turn out sounding completely different. We have a lot of influences musically and aesthetically. Musically - a lot of 90’s and 00’s rock and emo bands like Sunny Day Real Estate, Memorial Day, Screamfeeder, Everclear and Incubus. Aesthetically, a lot of 90’s imagery, more than just of bands too, skate films, and clothing labels. We like to do all our imagery ourselves because we know exactly what we want and don’t believe in having to pay someone copious amounts of money to give us some ‘ballpark’ idea. What do you guys do for fun outside of the band? Maurice plays Grand Theft Auto V and likes to kick the footy with a few boys, Jake likes to wear street wear and row boats in the surf, Reece loves going out to clubs, and Brad like skateboarding and hanging out with his friends ...
What have you guys released so far and do you have anything else planned for the near future? Released an EP in December 2012 called Leave Home and it was basically just a demo, we don’t play that stuff anymore, but in a few weeks we release our first 7” called BLEED! We are so f**king excited, these songs mean a lot to all of us and sound exactly how we wanted them too and a very reflective of a lot of our favourite bands. We have gotten a really good response so far from our song ‘Silver’ that will be on the record and I think if people enjoyed that, then they will enjoy this. The problem is, because we are pretty much no ones, we have to promote it somehow, so we are hoping people like it enough to share it around and buy the record etc. We are going to be doing a few interstate shows in the new few months and are looking to make this summer the most fun we can. Going to release a split with a sydney band in January on tape. This one will end up happening, I promise haha.
Tell us about Lacklustre Records and Jordan Leekspin, he is putting out your record, right? Jordan mother fucking Leekspin is the king. Lacklustre is a label we really wanted to be involved with for our release because not only is Jordan is a sick vegan edge mother fucking mad dog, but he understands what we are going for as a band, listens to all the shit we do, and knows what we want to do aesthetically. We couldn’t be happier with him, I urge a lot of people to get in contact if your want your record or tape released. Support LLR. Anything else? You don’t have to buy our record, but just listen to it Website/blog etc? sundialband.bandcamp.com
Hi, who are you? Brett Randall. Where are you from? Wollongong / N.S.W / Australia. What do you do? Freelance designer, photographer, videographer, As of late event coordinator & band booking agent, Skate n Slurp Exist in time & space. What is your favourite food? Guacamole When and why did you start making art? Can’t pinpoint an exact time ‘When’ & as for ‘Why’ I enjoy maintaining a creative flow as much as possible, be it with work, personal projects or hobbies such as skateboarding & guitar. Avoiding being stale, repetitive & boring are the underlying essences of the question ‘Why’.
What motivates you in your art making? Black Coffee. Are there any artists in particular or anything else that influences your work? In no particular order - Renaud Vigourt, Brian Kanagaki, David Rudnick, Alana Paterson & Bryan Schutmaat just to name a few that I tend to always check in on but to be honest I like to remain naive to what everyone else is doing in the art world, really feel that I get a whole lot of my influence from not letting other artists influence me, for example things that have nothing to do with anything would influence me more or give me an idea like rubbish moving in the wind or the way a ripe peach tastes or dust particles floating in a sunlit room or a piece of gum stuck to a wall or catching part of a strangers conversation as they pass you in the street...
If you could be any inanimate object what would it be? A light that never goes out. What are you currently working on, and do you have anything planned for the future? Currently working on a 35mm photography zine with Barry Mansfield which will be out very soon, freelance design jobs come and go week in week out, I’ve always been interested in film/video & lately have been dabbling in filming skateboarding with a recently acquired VHS camcorder, feature length film in the works.
Lastly, if you were stuck on a desert island for 2 years and you could have 5 items (food, water and clothing is included) and one person you’ve never met, what and who would they be? - Guess Who - Connect Four - Mouse Trap - Jenga - Operation + Bill Murray for the good times. Website/blog etc?
cargocollective.com/brettrandall hypnagogichallucination.tumblr.com
Hi, who are you? I am Liam from Sunroom Press Where are you from? I am living in Tasmania Could you tell us a little about Sun Room Press and what it is? Sunroom press began around 2011/2012 with the desire to work outside my own art practice. It is a format for producing limited run printed material with artists. Mostly zines. How long have you been running it? Sunroom press began around 2011/2012. I had an even smaller label when I was in high school. It was called losing streak press. What is your favourite food? Japanese. And coffee to drink (separately)... What made you want to start up a publishing press? I have produced zines and prints for myself and friends, and publishing seemed like a good progression. Zines are an attractive format.
What do you look for in artists when wanting to release a new zine? There is no criteria or a way I approach artists. I contact people whose work I admire or collaborate with friends. Submissions are always welcome. What do you do for fun outside of making and publishing zines? I am studying something non-artrelated which takes up a lot of time. I spend small amounts of time working on my own art and riding my bike around the city or country side and surfing when I have the chance. Are there any projects you are currently working on, or anything planned for the future? More printing. I have some projects lined up which I am releasing in the near future. For the long term, I hope to make everything from inside a home studio. I am slowly collecting materials and tools.
Are there any other publishing houses we should keep a look out for? So many to mention but here are some that cannot be missed: small house books, heavy time, jordskred, nos books, nieves, museums press. There are so many others that cover a lot of different work. Website/blog etc? sunroompress.com sunroompress.bigcartel.com sunroombooks@gmail.com
Hi, who are you? Slug boy Where are you from? Lemuria What do you do? Draw, and paint. What is your favourite food? Potato gnocchi When and why did you start making art? I remember when I was really young I would draw my bed room and I enjoyed the feeling of adding things that didn’t exist in there. What animal represents you and why? Giraffe, self-explanatory. What motivates you in your art making? To be able to share with other people things that I might not be able to otherwise, and to see the familiarities between our human experience.
Are there any artists in particular or anything else that influences your work? It’s probably mainly unconscious influences, but I love anything that resonates with the love my mother gave me and the love I saw as a child watching the Simpsons, Ferals and all that kinda stuff. Nature, people who are brave and anything that my experience resonates with. As far as other artists, I love Horfee’s art, my friend Dave Crystalface and you guys. Anyone who’s doing what’s right for them and helps them grow as people. If you could be any inanimate object what would it be? Bodyboard, to be ridden through massive kegs. Are you currently working on anything, and do you have anything planned for the future? Yeah, I want to do kids clothing and start getting into doing more stuff with more people. Basically push myself to be around people and overcome my fears etc. Do you have any interesting stories to share? (art related or not) Nah not really, except once I was out late at night painting and I found a guy strapped naked or in undies to a tennis court fence I asked if he was ok and he said yes. And there were a couple of times were my angel definitely helped me out of some potentially bad situations. Also once I came across this guy in this park at 12 after an early paint and long story short the last image I saw of him was giving an old guy an blowjob before I left shocked...
Lastly, if you were stuck on a desert island for 2 years and you could have 5 items (food, water and clothing is included) and one person you’ve never met, what and who would they be? Hectic, bodyboard, fins, UFO craft (this solves everything), horse, hotdog maker, and the person would have to be myley cirus (couldnt think of any celebs) so we could reproduce and just have sex.
Hi, Who are you? I am the infamous Thomas Hancock. Where are you from?
Are there any artists in particular or anything else that influences your work?
From the South West of Sydney what do you do?
Prettypuke is on point and ysociety. tumblr/IG: Jetjaguer, and mykey (quadici)
I take really bad photos of my friends doing stupid shit.
Do you have any interesting stories to share? (art related or not)
What is your favorite food?
umm not really, the other day we were going to this underpass and I had to duck from a train and I literally fell down this hill, like u no when both ur legs fall out from underneath u. it sucked.
I like free grapes from coles but if not im heaps into Lebanese food atm, fuck ur hype Mexican food. (Mexican is good if cooked correctly in San Diego) When and why did you start making art? About 2 years ago i dont know why my friend just sold me a camera and i figured out how to use it and here i am. What animal represents you and why? An echidna (I cant run but i will be an asshole and stab you) What motivates you in your art making? I don’t know things that look cool or just stupid shit that i can be like hey look ur an idiot but this photo looks cool.
If you could be any inanimate object what would it be? Umm itd be cool 2 be an iPHONE of some famous chick and just fuck w/ people all day. What are you currently working on, and do you have anything planned for the future? Im currently working on a zine/ maybe a series called “Reasons not 2 Die”. Website/blog etc? ythnomore.tumblr.com thmshnck.tumblr.com