OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE XII

VOLUME XII

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE

FIFI RONG _________ XANTHE KITTSON AGNES _________ NAILIA SAFARLI PRINCESS CENTURY

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE VOLUME TWELVE - QUARTER FOUR

FOR PASSIONATE CREATORS WHO WORK TO FLESH & BONE IN ORDER TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT SHOWS THEIR HEART.

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE C R E AT I V E T E A M

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R Brandynn L Pope DESIGN Brandynn L Pope WRITERS J a m e s L i a m Wa rd PHOTOGRAPHERS Brandynn L Pope Cassie Deadmond Sean O’Day

W W W. O B S E S S I V E C O M P U L S I V E M A G . C O M E M A I L fleshbonemagazine@gmail.com I N S TA @obsessivecompulsivemag

INDEX 06 10 14 20 26 30 36 40

S A LT C R E E K MUSICIANS S H E R E T U R N S F R O M WA R SINGER / SONGWRITER N A I L I A S A FA R L I E M B R O I D E RY P R I N C E S S C E N T U RY MUSICIAN AGNES MUSICIAN XANTHE KITTSON PHOTOGRAPHER FIFI RONG MUSICIAN ALBUM REVIEWS W RT N B Y J A M E S L I A M WA R D

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Salt Creek

First, let’s dive right in and talk about the release of Out of the Sky. How long have you been working to put this record together?

We started working on this record almost two years ago now.

What did the process look like when you took it into the studio?

We had almost the whole album written and demoed out before we even started recording anything which was super helpful. Instead of spending time writing in the studio we were able to use our time getting “weird” with more sound and production stuff. Doing it this way made it more of a less stressful time tracking.

What was a big push for you to work on a full-length versus sticking with more condensed EP’s? How did you find the process of allowing more work to be released together affected the process of building a release in its entirety?

I think it was just time for us as a band to take that step. We put out more music in the last two years than we had out as a band since we started.

It made it easier to build this cohesive piece of art that can be listened to from front to back. I also feel like we had this mindset where if it was going to be a full length every song has to hit on a level where it could be a single, and I feel like we accomplished that.

What were some of the lyrical themes that you explored on the record? What did you feel most compelled to write about?

I think the state of the world had a big impact of what we were feeling at the time. Isolation, needing your friends, and also knowing exactly who your friends aren’t are a few. I like to leave it up to the listener to form their own ideas on how or what it makes them feel.

How have you felt that being from Lincoln, Nebraska has affected you as musicians? What is the local music community like for you?

Lincoln’s music community is super eclectic, everyone does exactly what they want to do with their art and that has always been inspiring to us.

We’ve learned from others & figured out what works best for us through the community as well.

When it came to your album art, who did you work with and why do you feel the imagery works as a visual of your music?

We had a general idea of what we wanted, but we left most of the process up to the designer (Colin Crane). We like to give as much creative freedom to anyone we commission work to, because that normally ends with the best result. We did specifically pick him because we knew he could execute exactly what we were envisioning. Our goal was for the cover to be loud & stand on its own.

Now that the record is out, is there anything else that your audience should be on the lookout for?

We will have some music videos out soon for songs off this record. We are going to play as many shows as we can as long as it’s safe for us and the people going to them. We also have been doing Instagram live hangouts with our homies so feel free to tune into that when we do them!

SHE RETURNS FROM WAR First, let’s dive right into this new record release that you are in the process of releasing. How long have you been working on the songs that will be featured on Ruthless?

The songs have been in the process of coming together for about three years. I had the intention of releasing the record earlier but like many people the pandemic rerouted a lot of our initial plans.

Who did you choose to work with on the release, whether that was engineers, producers or other musicians and why did you go about this route?

Wolfgang Zimmerman (Susto, Band of Horses) and Joel Hamilton (Mechanical River) co-produced this record with help from quite a few local musicians dropping by the studio. All of Charleston is fabulously and richly connected to each other’s art forms. We work together. The dream team of Wolf and Joel was the cherry on top because of the way they both have such amazing and individual ways of piecing together a whole song.

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What were some of the themes and subject matter that you decided to venture into on this record?

The overarching of independence. The last record was a show of heartbreak and was darker thematically. This record says mama is staying fine without you boo.

The visuals for ‘Snakeskin Boots’ have that very classic Western Cinema look to them. Is this something that we should expect throughout the release roll out for Ruthless? What made you lean into these visuals for this specific release?

I love the kitsch of spaghetti western, it’s shown up before in my writing.

I will say this song stands on its own in that way. I wanted to show people I can still write a country song while expanding further into what this record becomes.

With everything finally opening up some more, do you have some ideas on how you might celebrate the release once it comes out?

My hometown release shows are always very special times, I feel like everyone in the music community has something to do with SRFW so it’s a cause of celebration!

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Would you say growing up in South Carolina has had a large impact on your music and the sort of songs that you like to create?

Absolutely, From Charleston to Greenville and everywhere in between there is music coming out of SC that defines the new south and what good it stands for. Listen in and see - check out Scene SC playlists!

What was the music community itself like when you first started getting into your music career?

I started plugging into the scene around the time I was finishing college.

I’d asked another musician Rachel Kate if I could help her on her weekend run shows, which led to me helping her go out to South by Southwest, New York, and several amazing places. I owe a lot of my strength and conviction as an artist to her teaching me to put my time in.

Learning in that way had enriched my career endlessly because it started by seeing what I could to make one hell of a show at home.

So far, what achievements are you the most proud of? What truly felt like a milestone moment for you?

Being asked to open for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was surreal. Obviously the political arena was a tense one in the past few years, with other sided oppressive values being spread like wildfire, getting to meet him and support him musically was a gift.

My tour opening for Band of Horses on the west coast was such an insane experience as well because their audiences are so loyal and it was such a beautiful way to be welcomed out west.

Is there anything else that you are able to tell us about that you are excited for?

Now that the world is working under its new normal, I’m excited to tour!

I have already been starting to play the new songs out, it’s taken a while but that’s OK, when things take a while it means more new ideas (for songs, performances, art, magic) are appearing quicker. I just want to put on a great show for you!

Nailia Safarli (thready.beady)

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Hello, and thank you for taking the time to talk with us!

Hi. Thank you for having me. It is so honourable for me to appear in your winter volume.

Tell us a little bit about you as an artist and your journey going into the arts, especially since you are self-taught. What was one of the first things that peaked your interests and lead you towards embroidery?

I am 24. I live currently in Berlin, originally from Baku. Azerbaijan. It’s almost 2 years, that I [have been] in embroidery, but I am a learnt architect. I didn’t find myself in architecture, though I have tried my best to do so. I was always a rather artistically inclined person. I was always a good drawer, but as I was drawing Ii had an overwhelming feeling of lacking some depth on the plane paper.

Suddenly an idea as fast as a lightning pierced came to my mind. I realized that only embroidery can offer the texture and the tactile depth, that paper cannot. Since then I am embroidering and never had a single regret. And, by the way, I recently found it out, that my great grandmother was also embroidering. So, genes matter.

When it came to teaching yourself, what were some resources or process that helped you along the way?

Curiously enough in our age of youtube learners, I didn’t use the video tutorials. I stumbled upon a pair of photos of fine embroidered works done by other artists and I figured it out how it all works, how stitches come together to form a fully accomplished and comprehensive image. I still learn on my own and develop methodology that helps me during my work.

It’s safe to say that there are a bunch of different styles within embroidery now more than ever. How did you come to decide that you wanted to go in this particular direction, stylistically speaking?

You are right. There are plenty of embroidery styles out in the market.

Some of the artists have their own styles, many more are just imitators. If you ask me, the main characteristics of my personal style are my selected color palette, hyper realism and a high level of detail. A certain emotional response comes along with almost all of works. So it could also be named a part of my style.

I’ve noticed that there’s quite a few references to works of art history in your own work. What is it about these traditional pieces that you are attracted to? Do you have any background in studying art history whether it’s formal or on your own time?

Oh yes. The classic masterpieces are inspiring me, but also some epic movie scenes. My process looks like this: I am looking at the art or a movie scene and II am making a quick sketch-but not exactly of this scene, but rather an alternative version of it, which looks surprisingly unusual. This is how it starts.

As [for] Art History, I indeed studied it during my architectural education period. It certainly was the good introduction to the vast world of art and did inspire me to learn it further for myself.

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What are some of the the different subject matter that you like to needle together specifically? When it comes to final product, do you prefer converting what you’ve created into another useable medium or as a wall hanging?

At the start of each work i already know what it should like and , not less importantly, what it should be used for. This initial determination helps me keeping my process crystal clear. My last works are mostly planned for the wall hanging.

When it comes to materials, are there any particular tools, hoops, or thread that you swear by specifically?

Now when you asked me about my favorite tools and materials, I want to emphasize the importance of having a separate sketchbook for embroidery.

Also I want to mention that the quality of these tools and materials is affecting the result. But, I don’t have a particular preferences and I always use that which suits the project well.

How long does it typically take you to finish a project, start to finish?

If I am not procrastinating it takes around five days or sometimes a little more. Now [that] I am embroidering in larger sizes, the working time increases.

Have you found that any of your time spent in either Baku or Berlin has had any affect on your work?

Absolutely! My recent time in Berlin brought a second breath and plenty of new ideas and inspirations. I revised my instagram profile and made a bunch of important decisions about my future development on this platform.

Are there any projects that you are working on right now that you are particularly excited about? As well as, is there anything else that you are hoping to learn or incorporate into your work in the future?

I happily want to inform you and your readers, that the opening of my online shop is around a corner. As of the future I am looking forward to organize personal exhibition as soon as I would be ready for it.

PRINCESS CENTURY PHOTO CREDITS: Katja Ruge

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Congratulations on the release of Surrender! Tell us a little bit about this release. What were some of the themes that you explored throughout the record?

Thank you! It was a long and slow process for me to get this out. I think there was about a 5 year gap between the release of Progress and surrender during which I did a lot of soul searching. I stopped working with Austra, which was a big shift as we had been friends and colleagues for about 13 years before we split. That left a big hole in my life and it was difficult for me to adjust to not being in a band, being on the road constantly, etc. I was living in Brussels with my partner and I dabbled in making demos, I had a regular DJ slot at Kiosk Radio, and I also produced the final album by Soldout- Forever. I didnʼt know where to go from there on my own, and I collaborated with Antilope and we made a Belgium ghettotechno album that is also slated for release. Basically I felt like I had no clear direction and wandered around the city a lot writing. After my partner and I broke up I moved to Berlin and felt alone and heartbroken, so I applied to a bunch of weird Artist residencies and traveled to strange places to find some inspiration, some grounding. Then the music started pouring out, one drop at a time and I think the album summarizes a very nostalgic, romantic and bittersweet emotional state.

Both lyrically speaking and sonically speaking, what sort of imagery did you want to evoke through your song writing?

What brought on the change to start adding your own voice to your recent work?

It evolved naturally through the process of traveling, writing in strange places.

In the end there is the typical style of my older work- some instrumental pieces with strong nods to my Steve Reich days in Uni, as well as cinematic landscapes which definitely came from me doing film scores (Kokon, Leonie Krippendorf). I love synths and drum machines but the surprising new territory of using my voice in a very exposed way was an evolution. I got a studio in Berlin at Riverside Studios and I sat there all winter through the big Corona lockdown with my dog Booty, and the vocals just flowed like a waterfall. I started recording myself at night, like a secret mouse, nobody around. I had a lot of fun and learned that I could actually do it.

Previously I was very uncertain and timid with my voice because I have always been a drummer, a live musician working with and supporting “real singers”. I never thought I was a singer either, and I am certainly not the best by any stretch of the imagination, I have no formal training and the way I sing is very simple, natural, a bit childish. At the age of 35 I finally got over some deluded fear of my own voice and I allowed it to come out of the broom closet. It was really fun and surprising, I still donʼt recognize myself in the tracks with vocals because it was kind of a trance-induced awakening. Even the lyrics flowed naturally out of those recordings and I didnʼt spend much time consciously thinking of re-working lyrics, I almost didnʼt write any words down and just pressed record. The lyrics are naive, romantic, and easy to relate to. I guess itʼs a breakup record (how original).

You’ve made reference to how your main musical instruments are drums and synths, and your love of finding landscapes within them. How did you come to learn these instruments, and what was the initial draw to them?

I studied piano as a child and it gave me a great fundamental for melody and rhythm. The Piano is actually a percussion instrument because of the mallets that strike the strings when you press the key. So itʼs no surprise that I continued and ended up studying drums at the age of 9. I became obsessed. It was a true calling. Previously I was quite frustrated as a young person because at school I didnʼt really understand anything except art class, photography, some creative writing and MUSIC. It was the only subject where I truly excelled and felt confident, all my teachers praised me and I had great scores. But when it came to math or anything else I was a bit of a dumb-dumb. So it went on- I decided to study Percussion at the University of Toronto. I remember the audition process, I was extremely nervous and itʼs quite formal. My professor Russels Hartenberger became a great mentor and inspired me a lot. He plays in the Steve Reich Ensemble so that naturally became a huge focus for my studies. I loved the cyclical, trance like exploration of his works, and I performed a lot of them on my Juries. This is important because in a way it related to Techno, which I was also a huge fan of. I was also studying Japanese Taiko drumming which is very repetitive and meditative. So it was all tied together and eventually I began learning about drum machines, sequencers, and synthesis. I love the celestial spaces that synths can take you, theyʼre extremely magical and cosmic instruments with infinite possibilities and amazing character.

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When it comes to making something that is completely for yourself how do you find the process of writing differs from when you are working on something that is a part of your production for someone else?

I think I need to really motivate myself to finish my own projects, which is a syndrome that every music producer knows very well. Finishing tracks or getting them to a stage where you commit to them and prepare them for the next stage of Mixing and Mastering seems impossible sometimes when you work alone. So I had to make a schedule and set clear goals, I had a spreadsheet and everything!

In collaboration, for example when I write with Robert Alfons on our project TR/ST, there is a limited amount of time that we can spend together because he lives in Los Angeles, and Iʼm in Berlin. That immediately creates a very narrow window of time where I go meet him, we have 2 weeks, and we drop every other aspect of our lives to focus and be together. Itʼs an incredible joy to work together and we have always had a very interconnected music language. Our work comes very naturally and we get a lot done when we meet.

When Iʼm producing for other singers that perhaps I donʼt know as intimately, or doing paid songwriting, arrangement, and production work itʼs also very similarI guess because itʼs more of a “job” type situation where I get paid a fee and the person expects me to help them finish and improve their music, it puts the pressure on me to show up and get things done. At the end of the day it has to evolve and the timeline has to be respected, just like a day job.

Tell us a little bit about your time at Residency in Narva, as well as all the various traveling you did between writing this record. What did a lot of those days look like and how did these different places compare to one another with your flow?

Narva was a really magical experience. Itʼs a very strange place to go, the very eastern edge of Estonia, literally there is a pedestrian bridge across the river that gets you to Russia on the other side. It is a historical place that was ruled by Sweden and then Russia, and there is a famous old abandoned textile factory called Kreenholm which is very impending and spooky. Of course I went there with some friends and it was terrifying, very impressive and cinematic. You could definitely set a horror film there. But at the same time the surrounding cliffs and river create a beautiful and romantic landscape, there is Ivangorod Castle and a strong sense of chivalry, deep roots. But it was sad because the popular is almost entirely old Russian people, I saw no young people ever and the only place I could go to was the giant Supermarket called Maxima XX. Other than that I spent my days locked in the old mansion where the Artist Residency is- it was the house of the factory president back in the days. Itʼs a big place, and I was literally there alone. Anne the coordinator met me at the train station one dark, cold, night in a snow blizzard. She walked me across the train tracks and showed me the place, gave me they keys and said “Have Fun!” and then she left.... Suddenly I was alone in a giant mansion at the Russian border, in the middle of January, with snow outside up to my knees, literally. After the first few sleepless nights, listening to the howling wind and creeping myself out completely with imaginations of ghosts from this massive history of the space...I settled in and got to work! I only had a little bit of daylight so I got used to having allllll of the lights on so I wasnʼt totally afraid. There were some places where I could definitely feel a strong energy, like the stairwell from the kitchen. Anyhow, I got my synths all set up nicely in a giant empty space with huge windows facing the river and factory. It was where I wrote most of the original demos for s u r r e n d e r.

After that I planned a trip to the Sahara Desert in Eastern Morocco, close to the Algerian border. I guess that would literally be the Yin to the Yang of Narva. It became a complete circle somehow. I walked a lot in the desert and found it very peaceful, empty, a strange landscape of seemingly endless sand.

The cover of the album is a Polaroid of a plant that I found really beautiful.

Thereʼs not a lot of plants in the desert, so I found it so cool how this one was standing proudly in the middle of a sea of Dunes. I walked to the plant every day after breakfast and laid in the sand nearby, letting the sun warm my face. I called this spot “Oasis House”. I wrote in my diary and got used to the slowness of the days, the long periods of nothingness...oh yeah there was no wifi or phone connection. I had to ask for a ride to the nearest hotel on the highway about 30 mins away in a Land Rover...once I even walked back from the hotel for 3 hours. They secretly sold wine there from a back closet that was locked with a padlock! I wouldnʼt say it was the most fun experience of my life, as I was there for a whole month and it became a little bit like a prison sentence towards the end, the other artists became really annoying and there was a bit of a high school drama situation and a big blow out one night over dinner- then I found out that literally they had filmed a season of Survivor in the nearby Oasis! It felt a bit cuckoo to be honest, and I much preferred the quiet romance and solitude of Narva. Oh well, it was interesting.

In Berlin I got really lucky to get a room at Riverside Studios last winter and it became a real saviour for me. It felt like a little spaceship, a secret closet that I would go to every day religiously and hide away from the Corona pandemic, enter my own reality. Thatʼs where I completed all the tracks, recorded my final vocal takes, and kept my sanity through the terrible lockdown.

When it comes to the imagery surrounding Surrender, you’ve taken a minimalist film-photo approach. How do you feel these images reflect the work that you have created on the record?

With your music videos, do you find that they are something that you like to have your hands in a lot of the crafting or rather something that you like the director to take hold of and create into their own alongside your music?

The cover image is the plant, as I mentioned earlier. This Polaroid photo was taken by my friend and collaborator Laura Hypponen. Sheʼs a Finnish film-maker who I met at Berlinale Talents about 4 years ago. We met at the Professional Speed Dating event (haha) and became close very quickly. Since then we have spent quite a lot of time together and she has been a great friend to me throughout the process of making the album. I love minimalistic imagery, classic design and typography. But- Iʼm not a visual artist. In the past I have collaborated with artists such as Anna-Sophia Vukovich, Faye and Gina, and Alex Durlak. I love to let artists feel free to take inspiration from my music, and create the visuals for my album covers and music videos.

I let Laura make all the decisions for the videos so I didnʼt contribute much except for doing the catering and production side of things (basically running around and driving people, hiring camera gear etc). She has a great sense of narrative, storytelling, and has very clearly defined characters and emotional drive. Making music videos is not very easy because itʼs such a short format, and you have to try and make something happen in the span of 3 minutes, so I was very impressed. Iʼm extremely happy with the videos for this album because they are at once nostalgic, emotional, but also playful and light. The first single- Still The Same- has a very beautiful video shot at a lake outside of Berlin and it was directed by my friend from Brussels- Frederike Migom. She and I spoke on the phone for a long time about the feeling of this song and I think the video she made is beautifully tragic.

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The video for Desperate Love was shot on Film with DP Amandine Klee who did an amazing job in collaboration with Laura. Itʼs not easy to shoot on film because of the costs involved and the very nature of getting the right exposure and only a few takes for each shot. It was really cool to see that process first hand and I loved the nerdy side of loading the film and learning from Amandine. Geeks!

Now with the release of Surrender out of the way, is there anything else that you are hoping to share with your audience or that you are working on?

Yes! I have an EP ready called Waypoint that is done, it was mixed by Julia Borelli who also did the s u r r e n d e r album. Itʼs a juicy and slightly weirder exploration, more cinematic and instrumental. Thereʼs one track as homage to Narva and one for the Sahara. Iʼm really excited about that and itʼs on the way to final stages of artwork and the usual release specifications.

Iʼm going to Japan in a few days touring with Emel Mathlouthi and I have a mandatory 2 week quarantine in a hotel in Tokyo so I need to not lose my sanity. I will have my synths with me and I think having a good structure and schedule with music work and exercise will let me enjoy this time. So thatʼs my plan for now- maybe Iʼll make a whole new album over there! Iʼm actively trying to make sure that my next release isnʼt in another 5 years, so youʼll hear from me soon!

AGNES

PHOTOGRAPH: Fredrik Etoal

Jumping in, since this is our first time speaking together. Tell us a little bit about your launch into music. What made you interested in pursuing it on a serious level?

For me, things started when I was pretty young. I was 17 years old when I released my first album and everything happened very fast. It was not overnight but close to it. For me, singing has been a part of me since I was a child but I didn’t think everything would start that early.

Having been active in your career since such a young age, what are some lessons that you had to learn quite quickly?

It’s important to have time for doing/making and time for reflection. If theirs an imbalance in those two then you start to lose yourself. It’s a constant flow of putting energy out their and to ”come back home” and build up energy.

Who were some of your greatest inspirations that brought you to work within the expansive genre of Dance Music?

What is or was it about them that you admire so much?

When I started out writing for this album I didn’t know where it would end up or sound like. In the beginning I didn’t have a clear vision of what I wanted to do. But As time passed by everything got clearer and clearer. I wanted to make an album with spiritual philosophic lyrics but productions underneath that lift you up. I wanted to make music that made me feel stronger so that’s why I started to digg into disco music, disco for me stands for freedom and seeing the light in the tunnel. A lot of inspiration came from the 70’s disco such as Donna Summer and Moroder but also Solange’s Album ‘When I get home’ is a big inspiration as well as Robyn’s album ‘Body talk’ such as Roisini Murphy´s album she released in 2020.

How have you felt that being from Stockholm has affected you as an artist? Was there a music scene there that you were involved in, or a community of people that affected your pursuit?

Making music and coming from Sweden is beautiful in that sense that people are into making things “underground”. Building it up. I have been working a lot in USA and it’s a difference. Also the hierarchy is not as strong as compare to America so it’s very easy if you wanna work with someone to just pick up the phone and ask. Things happens very organicly that way. I had some time off from music and the public and during that time I met a couple of friends witch I love. We call ourselves “the women circle” ( Vaz & Lune) and we are all in the music business , and they healed my relationship to music and widened my perspective.

With your recent release, “Here Comes The Night,” You’ve commented that the song is a homage to all who are longing to let go. Do you find that many of the themes of your music have this similar topic behind them? What other themes do you like to explore through music?

A lot of my songs are about finding that freedom and that inner peace.

Making this album has been a journey. My album is a collection of my thoughts of being a human and trying to find meaning, trying to understand but also craving for something more. I was very lost when I started out making this album and I wanted to share my struggle but at the same time I wanted to make music that made me feel stronger afterwards.

When it comes to your visuals, you use a lot of nostalgic imagery. What is it about these visuals that you feel really set the tone for your work?

When I create I wanna create not only songs or pictures I wanna create a world that I invite you to. So I get inspirations from all around. From 70s disco queens to Sun Ra and Hilma Af Klint as well as from books I read, movies I watch and all of this together create the sound and the visuals.

When it comes to things such as Music Videos, how much do you personally put yourself into the project? Is it something that you like to have more control over, or do you prefer to let whoever you’re working with create a piece of art on their own?

With pictures, music videos and visuals often everything starts from an idea I have and then I bring it in and work with amazing people who take my ideas and put their magic into it and then it becomes something bigger.

So With this album everything has in some way or another started from me or an idea I have , otherwise I find it hard to connect with it.

Is there anything upcoming that your audience can look forward to, or any projects that you are looking forward to?

Right now we are planning the live performances , it’s just a matter of when and where!

XANTHE KITTSON ______ 30

Hello, and thank you for taking the time to talk with us!

Hello! Thank you so much for this opportunity to talk about myself and my work!

You’ve been attending Emily Carr University in Vancouver, BC to further your photography. What made you decide that you wanted to get some formal education on the subject?

During my last few years of high school, I knew that a career in photography was the path I wanted to take. At the time, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I knew that furthering my skills and developing my artistic practice was a step in the right direction.

What have been some of the greatest benefits that you have had from your experience in post-secondary for a creative field? What were some of the things that you wish you got more out of it during the time?

Meeting and working with like-minded artists was the greatest perk of my time at Emily Carr. Looking back, I wish I had taken advantage of more of the student resources the school had to offer.

What initially made you interested in photography?

When I was 12 years old, my grandfather gave me a few of his old cameras. This is what sparked my interest in photography! I loved the idea of being able to travel and create art using something so accessible.

A lot of your work has historic or mythical references specific to the pieces. What is it about these different people and topics that you are so inspired by? What aspects of these different people do you specifically like to embellish into?

Currently, one of my biggest inspirations is Greek Mythology. I am fascinated with how these myths came about – back then, people were so inclined to understand their world and the way it worked, so mythology was the perfect way to do that. Gods, goddesses, nymphs, and creatures were created as a means to explain how parts of their world worked. For example, the tides, winds, crops, and more.

With the surreal aspect to your work, how much goes into building the sets and styling for the initial image?

Over the past few years, I have had the amazing opportunity to work with so many incredible makeup artists, hair stylists, and costume designers, who have helped me bring my surreal photographs to life! A lot of time, work, and energy goes into the styling, and creation of the sets. It’s always an incredible experience seeing the sets come to life!

How do you approach building your concepts from beginning to end and how much time does it typically take you to bring a concept to fruition?

When I decide on my general concept and figure out how to execute it, I reach out to any models/makeup artists, hair stylists, and costume designers to see who may want to work together. From here, I spend a lot of time speaking with these other artists to ask what they want to see with the final work, because it’s just as much of their artwork as it is mine!

From the initial concept, to the final edit, some concepts may only take a few weeks to complete, while others sometimes take months to finalize.

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How much are you comfortable leaving to postprocessing work?

A lot of my photographs go through hours upon hours of post-processing – I leave a lot of aspects to post-processing! This can include something as simple as chipped nail polish or a hair out of place, to something as grand as completely altering the background of the photograph.

What has been some of the best advice that you have been given or crept upon in your artistic journey?

Allow yourself to experiment! If you want to try something different, don’t hold yourself back simply because it “isn’t your style” or you’re afraid of failing. Even if it doesn’t turn out as well as you initially thought, there will always be something great that comes out of it.

What are some of your ultimate goals that you want to achieve with photography?

Ultimately, my overall goal is to travel the world and work in various artist residencies. I absolutely love the idea of being able to share my artistic practice and my artwork all over the world.

Are there any projects that you are currently working on going into the New Year?

In April, I have planned a 3-month trip to Italy, where I will be exploring the country, and working with various models, and different stylists! I have no specific concepts in mind yet, so I’m hoping the next few months will bring some inspiration my way.

PHOTO CREDITS: Dylan Chubb

FIFI RONG Let’s dive right into your release There’s A Funeral In My Heart, For Every Man I Loved. How long have you been working on these songs?

These are songs selected from 100 plus demos. The earliest of this collection is distance, which was written almost 9 years ago. However to fully finish the writing, recording and producing the album, I would say 5 years for the whole process. That includes mixing and mastering too.

You made the choice to also produce your record as well and then outsource the mastering. How was it having full-hand control over your own production?

I feel this album is the most representative body of work to date, so it has to be produced by myself. To be fair, for my solo records, I rarely use other producers. However I do collaborate with others a lot when I feel like taking a ‘holiday’ musically. Producing my own album is a long process. During the first part of the lock down, I was producing this album, and I think in 6 months I didn’t have a conversation with anyone, and I didn’t even have the ability to string a sentence together at that time.

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What were some of the themes and subject matter that you wanted to explore on this record?

Melancholic Romanticism, or Romantic Melancholy. I wanted to bottle it up and isolate it out of context and make me, and everyone who likes it, feel that concentrated dose of emotions that specifically that. Like a perfume, it will instantly take you to a certain feeling, memory, emotion. It’s an universe I created that people can really get a hit of that feeling whenever and wherever they are.

This record was completely funded by yourself and your audience, very exciting! What brought you to taking this route to build up and release your music this way?

The amount of funding I raised from 130+ people to date is equivalent to 14million streams. No label, indie or major would give me Freedom + Funding except doing it by myself. It’s simple maths, and it brings me and my supporters even closer, no middlemen, no filter, and no compromises.

When did you decide that you also wanted to include NFT’s and licensing in the space of your music? And what was the thought process behind opening this up to your listeners?

As I became more and more integrated into the NFT community, and started our own lane of NFT music community, I learned so much daily from the ‘legends’ around me. I’m an artist entrepreneur, it would be a crime for me to know the potential of something and not try it out myself. NFT and Blockchain is a far superior technology than centralized web 2.0 as we know it, and it’s a tool for the people who understand it to use it. I simply took what I learned and applied it in real time and I happened to manage to onboard a lot of my supporters into the NFT world too and got quite a lot of the NFT community to go to my crowdfunding to support me as well. So I did the right thing in retrospect.

How do you feel that both Beijing and London have affected your work as an artist?

I was only born there, not connected to that place but I grew up in Shenzhen mainly, and my musical roots are very much in Chinese folk, opera, Chinese rock and Brit Rock growing up. I’m blessed to have half Chinese and half British Cultural influences. It gave me the uniqueness and authenticity in both cultures and I can now act as the bridge between two cultures and between web2 and 3, that’s what I do naturally.

Tell us a little bit about your music videos. They have this cinematic and atmospheric feeling to them. How much say did you have going into the direction of these music videos?

I have worked with Zee Marla Osh for many years now. She has worked on 12 videos of mine. She understands my music so we usually don’t have to discuss extensively and she intuitively knows what I like and goes deep into it. The main thing about all my videos is that this is video art, so editing takes a huge part to express the music and emotion. That part I can’t tell someone how to do it, it’s a feeling, and Zee is extremely intuitive on that.

What was the main feeling you wanted to get across in these music videos, especially with “Out Of Clock,” which was released the same day as the record?

The feeling is: to give a funeral to every broken heart, acceptance, closure and transcend. It’s to say: (1.) I know your pain (2.) It’s ok (3.) we’ll be just fine.

Now that your record has been released, is there anything else that people should be on the lookout for in the near future and heading into the New Year?

Yes, ‘Out Of Clock’ Video will be my first ever 1/1 NFT music video on Zora that’s coming out very soon, and I have my first Catalog 1/1 NFT of a song ‘Ready For This’ coming out too - it’s a great song that somehow falls outside the double album for various reasons. And then there’s the other Chinese album of the Double Album not yet released. So people can really look out for that one, so come to my indiegogo page (currently InDemand mode, meaning shop is open for standard merch and double album) and buy the double album exclusively there prior to its public release TBA.

A

LBUMS OF REVIEWS

WRITTEN & CURATED BY JAMES LIAM WARD

AMINÉ

11.05.2021

6.6

TwoPointFive CLBN

TwoPointFive is the second of Amine’s series of projects where the Portland rapper takes a more carefree and spontaneous approach to his material.

Contrary to the diverse nature of his last LP Limbo, TwoPointFive remains sonically consistent throughout, presenting a string of up-tempo hip-hop tunes infused with elements of dance and hyper pop.

Like the beginning of OnePointFive, TwoPointFive opens with another iconic introduction from Rickey Thompson, but as “YiPiYaY” plays out, it’s clear that this is the weakest first track of any Aminé project.

There’s nothing wrong with the plucky keyboards and grinding bass on the instrumental, but the hook is trash and doesn’t set a high bar for the rest of what Aminé calls an “EP/LP/Mixtape/Album”.

The watery melodies, zippy tempo and unique lyrical focus of “Colors” makes for a much stronger opening. Aminé’s verses are all colour-centric, and the vocal manipulation on the hook is clever and sticky. The pitch-shifted refrain on “Charmander” is another highlight, especially when the galloping beat ducks out and comes blasting back into the mix.

Many of the instrumentals on TwoPointFive have demanding tempos, and Aminé matches this energy with charisma and technical skill; the verses on “Twisted!” and “Dididumduhduh” are charming, multifaceted and often hilarious, but the hooks on these tracks and many others are lacking. The chorus on “OKWME” is a notable exception, where the rickety instrumental only works because of Aminé’s smooth singing throughout.

Towards the end of the tape, the aesthetic of TwoPointFive begins to wear thin. The instrumental of “Van Gogh” sounds entirely redundant and not even the jazzy keyboards of “Between the Lines” can save the track from its poor drum mixing. The closer “Meant2b” is a solid surprise because Aminé

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saves his best performance for last; this finale is the perfect mix of colourful, fun and hard-hitting that TwoPointFive strives for and leaves the project on a high note. Not every song on TwoPointFive is a hit... far from it. But since no track passes the threeminute mark, even the weaker songs breeze by, and it’s entertaining to hear Aminé freely exploring new sounds and ideas between his more ambitious projects.

BEST TRACK: meant2b WORST TRACK: YiPiYaY

THE ALCHEMIST 10.08.2021

8.5

This Thing of Ours 2 ALC

Only six months after the release of The Alchemist’s excellent EP This Thing of Ours, the American producer has delivered a formidable sequel. This Thing of Ours 2 is a brand-new batch of tracks featuring hip-hop heavyweights Danny Brown, Vince Staples, MIKE and more. The project begins with MAVI on “Miracle Baby”, as a transcendent tapestry of soul vocals raise the Charlotte rapper up like a heavenly choir. The drums are skeletal and the bass is simple, jumping between only a few notes, but that’s all the instrumental needs because MAVI’s mind-blowing verse is the driving momentum.

On numerous occasions it sounds as though he might run out of breath and fall off the beat, but he never does; MAVI’s performance on this track is so impressive that he could’ve done the whole thing acapella and it would be just awesome.

Following the fireworks of the opening track, The Alchemist guides the listener to the next song with a miniature interlude full of cryptic and archaic vocal samples. “Lossless” slowly ascends into its key, subtly building tension before MIKE’s vivid verse kicks in. The instrumental is subtle and gorgeous; mournful horns and a sombre vocal line weave around one another above a simple yet punchy drum groove. It’s an intoxicating moment that’s over all too soon, as Uncle Alchemist is already transitioning into the next track with a set of fuzzed out synthesizers and old-school samples. The wah-heavy guitar and quivering keyboards of “Flying Spirit” waste no time in getting going and make for a perplexing and busy beat for the Bruiser Brigade. Danny Brown, J.U.S, and Fat Ray all deliver great verses, building momentum as they duck in and out of the song, but it’s Bruiser Wolf’s ending verse that steals the show with bizarrely clever lines like “I’m tryna sample your soul, I’m just waitin’ on the clearance”.

The sinister tone of “Wildstyle” takes This Thing of Ours 2 in a noticeably darker direction. The chilling horn sample that intermittently cuts through the mix like a foghorn sounds effectively grim, and pairs well with the reversed synthesizers that warble over the beat. The spider-like, atonal piano that skitters through the mix also sounds great; just when you start to feel it, it’s already scurrying back into the gloom. The nimble bassline and breezy piano notes of “6 Five Heartbeats” is an immediate shift in instrumental tone, but Vince Staples’ stark lyrical imagery keeps the vibe cheerfully cold-blooded. The short runtime and lack of structure on a lot of these tracks makes them feel more like vignettes rather than actual songs, but this does little to hurt the enjoyability of these moments. Every performance on This Thing of Ours 2 is a great one, and Alchemist is the glue that holds everything together.

BEST TRACK: Miracle Baby WORST TRACK: 6 Five Heartbeats

CIRCA SURVIVE 10.22.2021

7.2

A Dream About Love Rise Records

A Dream About Love is a collection of six new songs from American post-hardcore act Circa Survive.

This new EP sees the band integrating an array of immersive synthesizers to take their sound in a notably fresh direction. The change is obvious right away, when “Imposter Syndrome” opens with cavernous synth notes and electronic percussion.

Anthony Green’s vocal melodies wind up the tension while sparkling guitar notes fade in, however, once the driving drum groove is introduced, it feels like something is missing; the mix is hollow and lacking low end. Once the bass guitar is introduced in the second refrain, the song goes off without a hitch, but “Imposter Syndrome” feels somewhat empty up until that point.

The sparkling synths that introduce “Drift” are mystical and ear-grabbing, reminiscent of the sonic palettes that electronic artists like Disasterpiece use as their bread and butter. The chord progression in the verses are infectiously groovy and tense, but the refrain passages aren’t nearly as compelling and leave the track feeling disjointed overall. The blissful keyboards and twinkling guitars of “Our Last Shot” make the song easily mistakable for a Beach House tune, if it wasn’t for the amazingly grimy bass tone the band uses – if you’ve got it, flaunt it. The track builds and builds, layering in glitchy electronics and intricately detailed percussion, but due to a lack of prominent guitars and live drums the ending simply falls flat. “Sleep Well” has the same problem, but remedies this with the introduction of a prominent acoustic drum groove towards the track’s end.

The strongest offering from A Dream About Love is the blissful and harmonious “Even Better” which kicks off with a set of watery detuning synthesizers before the whole band busts in. Despite the more laid-back feel of this tune, Anthony Green isn’t afraid to put some grit into his voice on the refrain, and

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it sounds fantastic. “Gone for Good” is the token ballad, featuring cascading acoustic guitar notes and some pleasant slide guitar work. Green’s chorus is full of longing, and the layers of backing vocals really elevate the sombre tone of the track. I’m finding a lot to like about this project and can’t help but applaud Circa Survive for this bold step forward in their sound, but there is one thing missing: guitar. I’ve been consistently drawn to Circa Survive for their colourful and intricate guitar work, something A Dream About Love has very little to offer. It’s as if they wrote all these great songs without any guitars, and then forgot to work them in after everything was finished.

Other than that glaring issue, I would argue that the band hasn’t lost much of their mystique and are still capable of cranking out compelling rock songs with a unique sound.

BEST TRACK: Even Better WORST TRACK: Our Last Night

SNAIL MAIL 11.05.2021

8.0

Valentine

Matador Records

Valentine is the sophomore album from American Indie rock band Snail Mail. Every track across the LP’s half-hour runtime was written and produced by the band’s sole member, Lindsey Jordan. I was immediately struck by the energy and dynamics of Valentine’s lead single and title track, leaping from nostalgic eighties balladry to an exhilarating arenarock chorus. The contrast of gentle synthesizers and swaying verse rhythms with thunderous drums and distorted guitars only works because of Lindsey’s heartfelt vocal performance, which picks up in energy just before every explosive refrain. The following “Ben Franklin” forgoes dynamics for a meditative groove and effective bassline, slowly adding keyboards and guitar embellishments as the song goes on.

The bending guitar riff and bassline of “Headlock” feels predictable at first, but the reverbed piano and unconventional structure quickly makes this track a standout. The best moment is after the first chorus, where the song focuses on Lindsey’s gorgeously lush layers of vocal harmonies. “Light Blue” is the first of a few acoustic ballads on Valentine and lends the opportunity to slow the record down for an even more personal feel. Lindsey carries these sections flawlessly, and the use of gentle piano notes and warm strings bolster the mix and compliment her emotive vocals. The jangly guitars and melancholy tone of “Forever (Sailing)” make it an instantaneous highlight, and the bridge’s backing vocals flow through the mix like a warm breeze, sweeping the song towards its blissful end.

The second half of Valentine is remarkably strong; the finger-picked acoustic performance on “c. Et Al.” is simply mesmerizing and the sparsely twinkling piano on “Automate” compliments the sharp groove perfectly. The fuzzed-out guitars and rolling percussion on “Glory” keep the end of Valentine from getting too sleepy, and really drive home how

well this album is paced and assembled. “Mia” is an excellent closer, reinforcing the lovesick lyrical themes of Valentine while simultaneously delivering one of Lindsey’s most captivating performances on the entire album. Clocking in at just over half an hour, Valentine has a solid range of emotions and sounds, and is the perfect soundtrack for a breakup.

Whether you’re weeping bitter tears or dancing your sorrows away, Snail Mail’s second album has got you covered.

BEST TRACK: Forever (Sailing) WORST TRACK: Madonna

Silk Sonic 11.12.2021

8.3

An Evening with Silk Sonic Aftermath / Atlantic

An Evening with Silk Sonic is a brand-new collaboration between industry titans Bruno Mars and Anderson. Paak. The album is a nostalgic fusion of Motown, soul and R&B hosted by funk legend Bootsy Collins, who named the duo and appears on every song. “Silk Sonic Intro” sets the tone of the album perfectly with a lively introduction that features a kaleidoscopic tapestry of horns and guitars layered with nimble bass and a driving rhythm. This psychedelic sound palette permeates through An Evening with Silk Sonic, effortlessly flaunting its old-school influence without feeling recycled or derivative.

The album really kicks off with “Leave The Door Open”, a remarkably assembled tune layered with dramatic pianos, shimmering glockenspiel and a pronounced groove. Anderson .Paak’s verses are velvety smooth and packed with personality, while Bruno Mars’ powerful chorus soars over the richly soulful instrumental. Every single element of this song screams “#1 Hit” and I would be floored if “Leave the Door Open” doesn’t walk away with the Grammy for “Record of the Year” in 2022. Fireworks continue on the following “Fly As Me”, where an addictive groove and slick guitar line come together for a legendary funk banger. Anderson .Paak’s braggadocious verses and near André 3000 delivery are incredibly infectious, but the bursts and blossoms of instrumentation are what keep me coming back to this track again and again.

Bootsy Collins’ contributions on “After Last Night” add a ton of quirk to this sensual slow jam, and Thundercat’s expressive bassline pushes the track without being too flashy. Mars and .Paak are the real stars of this track however, as their layers of harmonies are completely divine. The distantly wailing electric guitar and ending intricacies in the final chorus also keep this song fresh until the last

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second. The sharp guitar lead of “Smokin Out The Window” is reminiscent of Dr. Dre’s “Xxplosive”, while the romanticism surrounding the lyrics begins to hilariously degrade as the album progresses to “Put On A Smile”. The verse-centric “777” picks the energy way back up with its playful layers of synchronized horns and bass, and the danceable grooves and understated hook of “Skate” makes for a fun and sticky penultimate track. The album ends with the luscious strings of “Blast Off”, and while this track does little to distinguish itself from everything that precedes it, the dreamy balladry caps off this collaboration with a suitably interstellar ending.

BEST TRACK: Fly As Me WORST TRACK: Blast Off

KAYTRANADA 11.19.2021

7.3

Intimidated RCA

Intimidated is KAYTRANADA’s latest EP, featuring vocal appearances from H.E.R., Thundercat and Mach-Hommy. Over the last few years, the Canadian electronic producer has formed a slick and bubbly sound of his own, mixing smooth soul and hip-hop influences with house and electronic music. This unique sound is on full display for the opening song and title track “Intimidated” featuring H.E.R. The melody fades in with a set of jaunty piano chords and sharp clap samples, detailed with an ethereal panning synth lead that suspends over the mix like melting icicles on an overhang. Almost a minute into the song, a punchy four-on-the-floor kick pattern is introduced, followed by crisp percussion and prominent bass that make up the beat’s backbone.

H.E.R.’s contributions are gentle and wraithlike, making a stark contrast to the rigid, driving instrumental that KAYTRANADA has composed for her. The slathering of reverb and delay on H.E.R.’s vocals make the performance a bit difficult to connect with, but after repeated listens I’ve come to appreciate the unique vibe that the two have created on this single. Crackling vinyl effects, popping percussion and rattling hi-hats introduce “Be Careful” whose instrumental highlight is a rubbery synth bass that detunes and deflates like an old rubber dodgeball with every hit. Thundercat’s instantaneous falsetto is introduced in tandem with a set of timid yet suave synthesizers. The virtuoso’s lyrics are brash and clumsy but endearing in a way that only Thundercat can pull off; “You look so good, I think I’m gonna pass out – I think I’m breathing too hard (huff huff)”. Despite the personality coming through in the vocals, the more interesting instrumental elements feel buried in the mix and as a result, very little of KAYTRANADA’S contributions stand out on “Be Careful”.

“$payforhaiti” opens with KAYTRANADA’s familiar hi-hats and soulful piano chords, but with a more upbeat tempo. Mach-Hommy’s performance is reserved and understated in delivery, but the flow is relentless; leaping back and forth between melodies, octaves and even languages, Mach-Hommy’s appearance is far and away the most impressive on the entire project. The hook is a clever callback to the Haitian MC’s most recent album “Pray for Haiti”, and is elevated by the shimmering synthesizers that KAYTRANADA subtly fades into the mix. Overall, this is a solid trio of tracks, but KAYTRANADA does little to truly distinguish himself on these songs.

He remains in the background, providing ample sonic tapestries for his vocal guests, but without heavy hitters like H.E.R. bringing their A-game, this project would have ended up sounding bland and indistinctive.

BEST TRACK: Intimidated WORST TRACK: Be Careful

SILENT PLANET 11.12.2021

6.8

Iridescent

UNFD / Solid State

Over the span of four studio albums, Silent Planet has developed a distinct style of metalcore that includes elements of post-rock, math-rock and ambient music.

I’ve always enjoyed Silent Planet’s cerebral approach to metal, but have struggled to enjoy the band’s clean singing, which has remained hit-or-miss at best. Case in point, the lead single “Trilogy” opens with tremendous momentum, but the chorus dominated by Thomas Freckleton’s boyish singing brings down the intensity far too much. The intricate guitarwork, frantic drumming and climactic end keep the song from being a total dud however, and screamer Garrett Russell’s performance is powerful and intense throughout. To Freckleton’s merit, his contributions are considerably more tasteful than on previous releases, but “Trilogy” is an instance where his vocals take away from the overall quality of the song.

Freckleton’s singing works better when it’s layered with Garrett’s screaming on “Anhedonia” or when the two are trading back and forth on songs like “Translate the Night” and “Second Sun”. His whining tone simply doesn’t have the oomph to make the band’s colossal choruses impactful. Silent Planet shine on Iridescent when they are at their heaviest and most despondent.

The sludgy spiraling riffs and unconventional structure of “Panopticon” are a destructive delight, and “Alive, as a Housefire” firing on all cylinders makes an explosive impression, despite its repetitive end. The depressive atmosphere of “Terminal” is another ironically high point on the album, mainly because of the melancholy chord progression and gloomy singing. The vocals are mixed low on this song, making them difficult to connect with, but the effect suits the atmosphere and lyrics of the song well; “All these pills won’t scratch the surface if the cancer is in my soul.”

The final third of Iridescent is noticeably weaker than the rest of the album. “Till We Have Faces” shoots for a more melodic tone; Garrett’s sing-screaming sounds great as well as the winding and technical riffage, but it doesn’t compliment the simple and spacious guitar

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work that prevails throughout the song. The closer “Iridescent” is also a perplexing finish, building for half of its runtime only to jump between passages that make for a disjointed and rushed ending. Silent Planet’s unique sound and technical talent always make for a solid listen, but the shoddy pacing and shoehorned singing consistently holds their projects back from greatness.

BEST TRACK: Panopticon WORST TRACK: (liminal);

BEACH HOUSE 11.10.2021

8.0

Once Twice Melody Sub Pop

The latest EP from Beach House makes up the first quarter of their upcoming double album entitled Once Twice Melody. In the vein of Hayley William’s debut Petals for Armor, or Moses Sumney’s remarkable græ, Beach House has split Once Twice Melody into four distinct chapters that will precede the release of the full project in 2022. Beach House seem determined to change their approach with this LP, as Once Twice Melody is the first album to be produced entirely by the band and the first to incorporate a live string ensemble. These changes are noticeable right from the beginning of the title track, a densely layered and detailed opener that is constantly changing throughout it’s near five-minute runtime. The more evolving nature of “Once Twice Melody” and the other songs on this EP are a compelling progression from 2015’s Depression Cherry, which felt static and skeletal even during its best moments.

Beach House’s familiar wall of luxurious synthesizers, twinkling guitars and gentle percussion are all on display here, but what keeps these songs feeling fresh and new is their progressive nature. The live strings sound great as well and serve to reinforce Victoria Legrand’s reserved vocal melodies. Victoria’s singing is sampled on the track “Superstar” and is used as an effectively haunting and melancholic texture throughout the song. Palm muted guitars, heavenly synthesizers and a tom-heavy drum groove propel this song with the help of prominent string melodies, creating one of Beach House’s most engaging and detailed songs in years. There’s an intoxicatingly hopeful tone to this track, one that invokes feelings of driving endlessly on into a psychedelic sunset.

“Pink Funeral” is another standout, and one of the most unique songs the duo has ever written. The staccato strings and swirling keyboards that begin the song are reminiscent of an old John Carpenter score, and the hard-hitting 808 percussion is also

unusual for the band. There is a sense of macabre beauty that makes the song’s title remarkably fitting, and there are so many creative sonic details; the fluttering keyboard loops that flourish and bloom throughout the mix like flowers, the swooning strings, and the wailing guitar solo that ends the song all make “Pink Funeral” a singularly special moment for Beach House. The band continues to take risks on “Through Me”, working in tons of guitars with a light dust of distortion, as well as a constantly ascending and descending keyboard melody that gives the song a beautifully kaleidoscopic feel. Beach House are clearly trying to make Once Twice Melody one of the grandest statements of their career, and based on these four opening songs, the band is poised to do exactly that.

BEST TRACK: Superstar WORST TRACK: Once Twice Melody

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