SPACED OUT #9
LETTER FROM THE EDITORS To IZE, the words ‘Spaced Out’ means the place that you go to get away, to relax, to daydream, your own personal mecca. The ability to space out and disconnect is an important ability, and there’s no better time to do so in the long and sweltering summer months. This issue plays on everything to do with the words ‘Spaced Out’, from boho and space themed editorials, to articles on the Sea Punk trend, the Beat Generation and Dazed & Confused the film.
Founders
CAITLIN LOW Journalist My name is Caitlin and for this issue I’m overanalysing a breed of turquoise-clad mermaid fanatics. When I’m not doing this I love watching my favourite bands kill it around Brisbane. You can catch me daydreaming about life as various fictional TV characters (namely Ash Ketchum). To me being spaced out is a pair of headphones, a sketchpad and a stormy afternoon.
Nicole Pires (Editor) nicole@izemagazine.com Madeline Hay (Art Director) madeline@izemagazine.com
regulars Thea Halpin (Feature Writer) Caitlin Low (Feature Writer) Matt Meintjes (Film Writer) Caitlin Puplett (Music Writer) Lucia Stein (Literature Writer)
DISCLAIMER Any views or opinions in this magazine are of the authors and not of IZE as a whole. We endeavour to bring you the most upto-date and accurate information, though we cannot guarantee that inaccuracies will occur.
THEA HALPIN Journalist My name is Thea and for this issue I wrote about the influence of the Beat Generation over the past 60 years. When I’m not doing this I love drinking too much (beer and/ or coffee). You can catch me daydreaming about future travels. To me being spaced out is Tyler the Creator -- he is either a genius or has no idea what is going on.
CONTRIBUTORS
IDAM ADAM Graphic Artist My name is Idam Adam and for this issue I created a number of kaleidoscope designs based on pictures taken from satellites. When I’m not doing this I love taking photographs of beautiful places/people. You can catch me daydreaming about travelling to far away places. To me being spaced out is taking the time to disconnect from society and just hang out with your own company.
MALACHI MORSE Model My name is Malachi Morse and for this issue I was apart of a 70’s themed photo-shoot. When I’m not doing this I love surfing and the chilled life associated to it. You can catch me daydreaming about my future ambitions and the fun times ahead. To me being spaced out is about taking some time to enjoy life in a simple fashion.
AIMEE STODDART Photographer My name is Aimee Stoddart and for this issue I was too excited to create something fun. When I’m not doing this I love to get downnnn. But seriously, when am I NOT doing this? You can catch me daydreaming about living in New York and Elvis Presley. To me being spaced out is freedom.
LUCY BILLIAU Stylist
Photo by Elise Walsh (Off Beat Imaging)
My name is THE HAUTE MONSTER and for this issue I’ve sharpened my claws to style the Gary Glitter out of the Spaced Out 70s. When I’m not doing this I love challenging society on the appropriate height for household shoulder pads (hot tip - shoulder pads can never be big enough, bold enough or high enough). You can catch me daydreaming about my favourite European MONSTER hideaways. To me being spaced out is all about tearing down the walls of expectation and letting go of your inhabitions - LET YOUR MONSTER ROAR.
contents 6 8 10
18 21 22 24 34 36 38 40 48 52 55 56 58 60 62 71
IZE Loves Spaced Out Trend Report Space Jump, by Shana Trajanoska
A Seapunk Spotting Guide, by Caitlin Low Sourced Grocer Behind Closed Eyes, by Rachel Abad Salt of the Earth, by Yazzi Williams The Greatest Movement You’ve Never Heard Of, by Thea Halpin Guide to Avoiding Scumminess at Music Festivals, by Nicole Pires Yazzi Williams Brighter Than Gold, by Ingela Furustig Jeremy Neale New Brisbane Releases Woodford Folk Festival, by Lucia Stein Gravity, by Matt Meintjes New Film Releases, by Matt Meintjes Dazed and Confused, by Nicole Pires Space Oddity, by Aimee Stoddart Spaced Out Playlist
IZE LOVES byron bay Byron Bay, located just past the New South Wales boarder, is easily one of the most spaced out areas of Australia. Home to Splendour in the Grass, this beautiful beachside town harbours a chilled out vibe all year round. Whether you’re a beach person or not, there is an array of unique and eclectic shops to keep you busy. A big highlight of Byron is the amazing organic and locally sourced food cafés that serve up delicious food. An IZE favourite is Bayleaf Café for the freshest food and great customer service.
o-mighty Don’t let the obnoxiously Sea Punk-esque website put you off, O-Mighty is stocked full of gloriously spacey clothing and accessories. The brand completely perpetuates the kawaii/hipster trend with clothing including lots of pizzas and marijuana leaf covered items to all your favourite Pokémon and Disney cartoon characters. O-Mighty have probably slapped every hipster icon you can dream of on a skirt, shorts, top or backpack.
isobel badin Designer Isobel Badin has been described by Gemma Baxter as “a free spirit, a yeasayer, a firefly, a crafter, a warm reminder to skip, sing and smile.” Her designs encompass that exact same sentiment. Badin’s latest collection ‘Aquarium’ features beautifully structured necklaces, earrings, chokers and bags. Each item is eloquently designed with bold colours that will make you feel like a mermaid. An Isobel Badin piece is a necessary addition to any summer wardrobe.
infinity Infinity is a Gold Coast attraction that describes itself as a “maze of mind blowing futuristic worlds of wonder”. With over 20 different multi-sensory environments, Infinity really will blow your mind. It’s the best way to get ‘Spaced Out’ and experience different worlds. Located in the Chevron Renaissance Centre right in the heart of the Gold Coast, Infinity is always a good time.
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles
The ‘Spaced Out’ issue would not be fully complete without a mention of the amazing Beatle’s album that transfixed the world with its psychedelic vibe. It paints kaleidoscope images and has the ability to transform anyone into daydream land. Each song on the album is a gem, but one cannot fail to acknowledge the beauty of Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds, Getting Better, A Day in the Life and the album’s title track. Make ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ your spaced out summer soundtrack.
Spaced out
TREND REPORT
Alien invasion Space age clothing has made a major comeback. Expect your wardrobe to go full NASA x The Jetsons, in the best way imaginable. Expect lots of silver, glitter and interestingly structured pieces. Make-up is also a big essential, purple and green lips and crazy face stickers galore. Crazily coloured hair will also not go amiss. It’s time to get spacey.
STYLE
boho
The bohemiam trend is closely alligned with the boho lifestyle - laidback, gypsy and full of sun-drenched goodness. The whole boho look makes you look like you’ve stepped off the golden sands of the beach even if you’re in the middle of a busy city. Think flared pants, bright prints, long floaty dresses and skirts, ecclectic headpieces and beach hair.
tie-dye
Tie-dye is one of those prints that just never ages. It’s made a particular resurgance this summer with cut-off muscle tie-dye tanks being a wardrobe essential. Take the trend to another level with tie-dye rompers and matching socks. It’s such an easy trend to DIY at home too.
Space Jump PHOTOGRAPHER // Shana Trajanoska MODEL // Frances @ London Model Management STYLIST // Julia Zaikin HAIR & MAKEUP // Bethanii Ridley
MLM top, Tiny Dancer jumper, August Street pants, Converse shoes, Stylist’s Own visor
MLM top, Tiny Dancer jacket, Minkpink sunglasses
Minty Meets Munt dress, Chalice top, Lana Volkov Designs shoes, Lespecs sunglasses, Stylist’s own visor
MLM top, Tiny Dancer skirt, Lana Volkov Design Shoes
Tiny Dancer top, Mossman skirt, Lana Volkov Designs shoes, Minkpink sunglasses
MLM top, Tiny Dancer jacket, Uscari pants, Betts shoes, Minkpink sunglasses
a seapunk spotting guide for the clueless internet explorer Fashion Can’t Die - Norelle Rheingold
STYLE The seapunk is an enigmatic species of hipster, spawned from the mysterious abyss of the World Wide Web. These turquoise-obsessed individuals belong in the same genus as the Riot Grrrl, the Nu Raver and the Vaporwave fanatic, but are heavier handed with the glitter. Despite their blindingly-neon appearance, seapunks are almost as elusive as the mythical creatures they wear on their printed knee socks. This guide will prepare you for a seapunk encounter – whether it be in real life or in the wilderness of your Instagram feed.
Evolution Some say seapunks are descendants of The Little Mermaid, Sailor Moon or even Gwen Stefani, but there is no scientific evidence to support such theories. It is most commonly held that the seapunk originated during the tumblr revolution, as a satirical excuse to make montages of dolphin GIFs and jelly sandals. This online injoke soon permeated into the wardrobe of hip young things and it became the norm to dress like a walking tumblr dashboard.
Gwen Stefani
appearance Seapunks are typically adorned in psychedelic tie-dye garb, emblazoned in ironic symbols like emojis, peace signs and nostalgic Windows ‘98 icons. Their hair is dyed in a rainbow hue with eyebrow-skimming bangs and a bun (or three), and their immaculately groomed faces are embellished with bindis, nose
piercings and a generous dash of blue-black lipstick. It is rare to glance into a seapunk’s eyes, as they are almost always obscured by reflective round glasses. Be vigilant for the presence of edgy stick-and-poke tattoos – this is the most telling sign of a genuine seapunk.
WORDS Caitlin Low
Behaviour
Seapunks have an inexplicable attraction to all things garishly nostalgic. Aliens, smiley-faces and dolphins are their kitsch decorations of choice, scattered across their clothing and blogs as a mating call to fellow #seapunk hashtag trackers. Approach with caution – a hungry seapunk may secretly stash away your jewellery candy in its iridescent Etsy-sourced tote bag.
Azaeliea Banks
habitat
Seapunks live in front of their webcams, against a backdrop of retro band posters, fairy lights and ocean-themed wallpaper. It is here that they converge with their peers, reblogging photos of platform sneakers and ‘90s cartoons. When they do log off and venture out of their dens, the seapunk can be found raving at underground hangouts or coordinating aquaticthemed photo shoots for alt online zines.
notable seapunks Gwen Stefani Grimes Chloe Norgaard Charlotte Free Azaeliea Banks
Grimes
Caitlin Low is young Brisbane journalist who writes about music, film, 90s popular culture and everything in-between. You can catch her musings on her blog Freak Geek Etc. freakgeeketc.blogspot.com Chloe Norgaard All images found on Tumblr ‘cause, where else?
sourced grocer Located in the uber hip Brisbane suburb of Teneriffe, Sourced Grocer is the answer to your prayers for an affordable, delicious and guiltfree brunch. With the greenest of smoothies and amazingly fresh food, you’re going to struggle not to Instagram your meal. Sourced, as it’s affectionately referred to, is located in a big warehouse space like the other buildings in the Newstead/Tenerife area. The back section is a food shop that sells local and organic food, and the kitchen is on the right-hand side. Milk crate seats and tables spill out of the steps from the warehouse and there is also a communal dining table and deck seating. The menu is written in whiteboard marker on a tiled wall. The whole place has a very laid-back, easy feel. The menu items at Sourced are
like the names suggests, sourced and grown locally. From delicious bircher muesli to your traditional smashed avo on toast, the menu has your healthy breakfast options covered. However, it’s their more off-beat, but still very healthy, menu items that are the real winners. Their delicious homemade felafel salad is unreal and their smoked salmon salad on quinoa with chevre really is something else. They have daily specials, interesting smoothies and great coffee. Because they use local produce, new seasonal items also appear on the menu throughout the year. Sourced Grocer is at the top of the list of Brisbane cafés that are sourcing their ingredients locally make top quality meals. Their staff is always friendly and informative of the menu which makes for
11 Florence St, Teneriffe
a great dining experience. The only criticism that Sourced often receives is that it’s so great that it’s busy all the time and hard to get a table! People also quote the discomfort of sitting on milk crate seating, but at IZE we think that’s all part of the experience of eating in the converted warehouse. Sourced Grocer is one of the many new hip eateries that are popping up all over Brisbane. Whilst it’s normally Melbourne that is renowned for their whole-in thewall organic cafés, but it seems that little Brisbane is catching up.
Photography - Hannah McCawley Model - Paige Craswell HMUA - Rose Moffat
WORDS Rachel Abad
Behind closed eyes The weight of your body subsides and all your thoughts, all your feelings reside within your relaxing body. Your muscles unwind, from the tip of your fingertips to the miniscule muscles in your toes. So quiet and so peaceful. Your body is now the core for your mind and with your eyes shut you’re free to float. Motionless and silent. Your eyelids slowly fall and your eyelashes flutter to a crash, as the darkness overcomes. This silence is now a comforting shelter to the doorway of your thoughts. Your mind livens as you become more silent and still as you continue to drift. Behind closed eyes these magical swirls of light appear, which flicker in the darkness as you go deeper and deeper into nothingness. As the stillness overcomes you, you unknowingly twitch and your body fights this deepening dream state. The further you fall into the darkness, your imagination floats more freely and your daydream truly begins. It’s as if your body is nothing, only a harbor for your emotions. Your emotions are so awake, so vivid, so entranced in the thoughts that are behind your closed lids that you crave more. Your memories, your imagination, your mind continues forming thoughts, some you’ve never experienced, some you’ve only ever wished for. You unknowingly control it, your heart and your mind steer your thoughts, as your body lies submissive and silent. In a moment, your mind floats and soars so high but can crash into reality with the slightest disruption. The moment can disappear so quickly, along with your dream. One moment passes and your mind jolts and your body awakens with the opening of your eyes in a confused haze. Your eyes peer into the light and accept this bright reality. You peer around the room, recognizing the walls, the floors, the place your sit, the things you were to do before your escape. Your dream is now forgotten. But always in the back of your thoughts is the silence, waiting for you to close your eyes again and return into the darkness.
Salt of the Earth
PHOTOGRAPHER/MUA // Yazzi Williams STYLISTS // Lucy @ The Haute Monster and Kirby @ You Are What You Wear MODELS // Malachi and Tayla @ Viviens
WORDS Thea Halpin
An image from the 2012 film adaptation of On the Road
The greatest movement you’ve never heard of Finding oneself on the road has been a rite of passage since Jesus trekked through the Middle East gathering disenchanted young men. While taking the journey on foot has long been abandoned, setting out whether it be on a motorcycle Che Guvera style or a Contiki tour bus, is still embraced by twenty-somethings the world over. Jack Kerouac’s semiautobiographical 1957 novel On the Road recounts of the restless cross-countries journeys that span three years of his youth. On the Road subtly tells the story of nothing much at all, except the encounters, characters, dramas,
personalities and endlessly shifting landscapes of life on the road. The novel became one of the most prominent pieces of American literature to come out of the Beat Generation of writers and artists that emerged in the late 1940s. Driven by dissatisfaction and a growing rebellion against conformity, the Beats became an oppositional cultural force in booming post-World War Two America. The Beat Generation has become one of the most influential and ingrained movements in popular culture ever since. The legacy of Beat Generation writing carried long past the 1950s. Central figures of the
movement like Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William L. Burroughs have worked with, and been cited as influences of Tom Waits, U2, Joy Division, Jim Morrison, Lou Reed, Kurt Cobain, Sonic Youth and Patti Smith. Beat Generation references have littered popular culture for the past 50 years including— most famously for the name of the Beatles being spelt with an “a” in reference to the movement. During their prominence Beat writers influenced musicians like Janis Joplin and Bob Dylan, who went on to evolve rhythm and blues into rock ‘n’ roll. Despite few members holding any musical ambitions, their far-reaching influence throughout the second
Pictured from left to right Neal Cassady and Jack Kerouac, prominent figures of the Beat Generation
half of the twentieth century may have spared us all from years of listening to experimental jazz. Hipsters may be the shamed subculture that shops at Urban Outfitters and wears bucket hats to nightclubs, but in the 1950s they were the catalyst figures of a post-War, pre-civil rights social movement. First coined in the pre-war Jazz era, a literary scene grew around the subculture that was dominated by middle-class white youth that hoped to emulate the black jazz artists of the age. Kerouac’s hipster was, “rising and roaming America, bumming and hitchhiking everywhere (as) characters of a special spirituality.” While hipsters may take a slightly more grounded form these days than Kerouac’s initial vision, the revival of the hipster in the early 2000s has been attributed by Matt Granfield, author of HipsterMattic, as a response to “mainstream society of the 2000s…busying itself with reality television,
dance music, and locating the whereabouts of Britney Spears’s underpants.” Which is essentially a contemporary reproduction of the consumerist culture the Beats were trying to rebel against in the 1950s. While shopping in Urban Outfitters may be a contradiction to Beat Generation original mantra somewhere in the hipster culture that increasingly becomes more mainstream, there is still a whiff of that liberation that the Beats embraced so passionately.
get predictably mellow. The Beats often took drugs with no actual idea of what the effects would be and have been credited with the demystification of drugs like cannabis. Sexual experimentation became another core part of the Beat Generation with most of its most well known members identifying as openly bisexual or homosexual. Beat acceptance of alternate sexualities slowly began a revolutionary liberation of sexuality and gender.
Beat Generation influence stretches beyond the realm of popular culture. They pre-dated and laid the foundations for what would become the 1960s counter-culture, with experimental drug taking, sexual liberation, rejection of materialism, and frank descriptions of the human condition. The Beat Generation became well known for its experimental drug taking. And not the kind of experimental where you smoke some pot at a party for the first time and just
Despite fading slowly behind the prominence of the counter-culture movement in the 1960s, the Beat Generation’s influence still runs through the veins of every disenchanted youth trying to find themselves.
WORDS Nicole Pires
Guide to
avoiding scumminess at music festivals this summer
When summer hits (in the already always sunny) Australia, your Instagram feed is going to be clogged up with pre-drink photos of scantily dressed girls and shredded boys getting shitfaced before heading to a music festival they’re not going to remember. The summer musical festival is like an Australian rite of passage. However, when you throw thousands of wasted 18-20 something year-olds in a field, racetrack or showground, a whole lot of scumminess is going to ensue. Add in some torrential rain and you’ve got yourself a real winner. But with some of the festivals having amazing acts and artists on their bills, you’d be missing out if you didn’t attend at least one festival in the hotter time of year. This is my guide to avoiding the inevitable grossness you’ll encounter at music festivals.
Don’t go and party in the alcohol sponsored pop-up bars and clubs You’re going to be surrounded by people who enjoy spending their time at a festival listening to a relatively unknown club resident DJ and drinking $10 mid-strength beers. Enough said.
The same goes for silent discos Anyone who decides to spend their $140+ ticket dancing around in a room with headphones on their ears while there is a shit load of live music going on outside actually confuses me. How? Why? Stahp it. Silent discos do not attract the right kind of festivalgoers. Although watching silent disco dance-offs is such a laugh – you look like idiots.
If it’s raining, wear gumboots You’d think it would be a common sense thing to do since the tiniest bit of rain accompanied with thousands of trudging feet will turn grass to absolute mush. You will lose your shoes within seconds of walking in mud and will spend the rest of the day with cold and wet feet. Not to mention you’ll probably catch a disgusting foot disease and find yourself on the next season of Embarrassing Bodies Down Under.
In fact, if it’s raining just don’t go to the festival I don’t care how much you spent on the ticket, not going is going to be more value for money than going. Have you ever heard of mud worms? Yeah, yuck. People can be so festy.
Probs avoid Stereo hey No criticism of the wicked line-up of international EDM artists and DJs they bring out each year, but it’s a pingas festival. If you enjoy taking pills, dancing around like a loon, or being around people on pills who are dancing around like loons then you’ve struck the jackpot.
PHOTOGRAPHY
YAZZI Williams
Yazzi Williams is a talented young Brisbane photographer who has been making waves all over the country with her stunning portrait shots and fashion photography. IZE was first captured by Yazzi when she shot the ‘She’s a Riot’ editorial for the Trash Issue. One year later with another IZE editorial up her sleeve, IZE talks to Yazzi.
When did your love of photography begin? My love of photography began when I was in grade 10 and started going to concerts. I used to take my mum and dads first digital camera to shows with me to capture the moment & make some memories, posting them on forums afterwards. Several people told me I had a knack for framing, so i took film & tv in senior, and realized I was better at story boarding & capturing a single moment, so I applied to study it at university & it all took off from there. Can you remember what your first camera was? My first camera was a Panasonic lumix, which I took overseas with me to Canada when I went on exchange. When I came back and started Uni I got a Canon 500D, upgrading to a Canon 5D Mark II in my third year. In shooting photographs and editorials, what is your favourite emotion to capture or does it vary by shoot? I think I just love capturing the reality in front of me. I like working with how the model is feeling and bringing out a genuine emotion in them. It’s important to understand the people you’re working with, and I love being able to capture that!
How have you found establishing yourself as a photographer in Brisbane? Establishing myself in Brisbane has been an interesting journey. It started off slow, but spread faster than I expected by word of mouth. I’m so psyched that I’m solely freelancing now! I have several repeat clients and agencies that I work with who make my job easy and fun. Do you prefer shooting on film or digital? I prefer shooting with digital, but I love the way that film works! I’ve had my share of film cameras which I’ve loved, especially my holga which I used to shoot color transparency film on! What does the foreseeable future hold for you? Hopefully the future will take me travelling and working overseas! That’s the one thing I haven’t done much of yet, and I really want to get the ball rolling in America next year, probably LA, so my goal is to hook up with an agency over there & do a 6 month internship! In the mean time, I guess I’ll just keep shooting & making connections here.
Brighter than Gold PHOTOGRAPHER/STYLIST // Ingela Furustig MODEL // Holly Brailsford @ Viviens MAKEUP ARTIST // Emma McCarthy
Cameo dress
Topshop dress
I found Lucy. dress
House of Cards dress
jeremy neale
INTERVIEW Caitlin Puplett
Jeremy Neale From his witty Facebook updates, to his riveting live show, Jeremy Neale is making and breaking hearts like a true fifties crooner. With the recent release of his new EP ‘In Stranger Times’, Jeremy has charmed his way up and down the country promoting a fresh sound bursting with doo-wop and indie stylings. IZE had the chance to catch up with Jeremy to discuss a wide array of important current affairs ranging from the narrowness of pugs nostrils and the logistics of inviting Bert Newton to make a guest appearance at his home coming show. Not to mention the beauty of the Brisbane music scene and the importance of dreaming big in a small town. He’s Brisbane’s resident good guy, fighting the good fight.
Hey Jez, congrats on the recent release of your EP ‘In Stranger Times’. I’m sure it’s an incredibly exciting time for you, how has the release gone so far? JN: Pretty well, hey! I mean, I guess we had a pretty big lead up to, like a lead up campaign to the tour, but like you know, remarkably well. For the first time we’ve been playing really full rooms in Melbourne and Sydney, and Brisbane is still to come this week. And the EP charted yesterday! Number 39 on the Aria charts, which is pretty funny. Plenty of work would have gone into this EP, care to share some light on the inspiration and hard hours you underwent to create it? JN: Because I recorded so many songs for the EP that I didn’t end up using, a lot more time was necessary to actually have crafted the six songs that were on there. So I recorded like fifteen songs, because every time I wrote a new song I was like oh, this is it, this song is great, so I will chuck this on the EP, or at some point as well
I thought I was writing an album so it made sense to be recording that many songs, and then an EP seemed more appropriate as an introduction to Jeremy Neale as it is, and as more of a platform to do an album on later. If I put out an album and it kind of fell on deaf ears I would have been, probably really destroyed. So an EP, as my friend Ben Salter once said, you can release as many EP’s as you want, it just really really counts when you get to the album. You’re currently touring around Australia to promote the EP’s launch, have there been any particularly ground breaking moments along the way for you and your supporting band? JN: Well, you know, Jake and Izzy they really put their minds to it and they got drunker then they’ve ever gotten before and they could still play the set, so that’s testament to muscle memory! People really pushing the limits as much as possible… Your last stop is Brisbane, on the 16th of November; do you look forward to playing in your
hometown again? Any special guests lined up? JN: Yeah, I love the home town shows, special guests, uhm well maybe I will put a call out on twitter to any minor celebrities that just want to maybe make a guest appearance, Ray Martin, or Bert Newton, that kind of like. But other than that you know, it will be the same great live show only better because I’ve practiced it heaps more, there’s new songs, there’s an ironic cover, there is great support bands, have you heard Rolls Bayce yet? They are going to change everything. You recently teamed up with Brisbane girl band, Go Violets, for the EP title single In Stranger Times can you tell us a bit about the Brisbane music scene, the importance of working with your surroundings and fellow musicians? JN: I think we are really quite fortunate in that, the Brisbane music community is just the right size. It’s probably considered small on a national scale, but it’s close knit enough that you kind of support
what everyone else is doing, I’m sure that’s the same in other cities as well but for me in Brisbane it’s like, it’s pretty amazing because I think it’s big enough that anything you dream that you want to make happen you could actually make happen, but small enough so you don’t get lost in the mix. The music videos you have made for not only this solo project, but for many of your other bands such as Velociraptor and Teen Sensations, are so quirky and creative, what kind of process do you go through to make these film clips? JN: Usually it starts with any idea that then gets handed back between me and Jeff Anderson Jr.
a lot of the time, or me and some of the other guys, and then at some point we really butcher that idea because we realise we don’t have that much money. So the idea was very grandiose in it’s scale and then it gets cut down to like just slightly more… to budget. Which is fine because I think the intention is still there and if you are watching it closely enough you will see what it was meant to be. Can you tell us a bit about your pug; Jemimah Shortt, which features in one of your very early single film clips Darlin’? JN: Oh Jemimah, well she has had a very intense twelve months. She’s had about three surgeries; she’s had two knee surgeries, one
MUSIC
breathing surgery, because pugs can’t breathe real well, so they have to open up their nostrils better! And then they just did the second knee, the operation, and they realised it wasn’t holding so she had to go back in again, so she’s had a crazy twelve months. Other than that she’s good, she’s full of love, and she will probably make her return to acting in the next few months once she has recovered. Can we expect to see any more film clips released soon in the light of the EP release? JN: Swing Left, which is the latest single, is going to have a film clip coming out next week. So a little late to push the EP tour, but still
good for the internet. And then we are going to do a film clip as well for my favourite track on the EP, it’s called Lone Tiger, so not as a single, but I would just like more of the world to see it. What does the future hold now for Jeremy Neale and friends? Are there plans to start work on an album, or is there possibly a new direction you’d be interested in taking? JN: I’ve already started writing for the next release, whether that’s an EP or an album, it’s definitely still me but it’s a change in sound it’s a little more beat driven, so you know I can’t let away too much right now, but a little more soul
and a little more RnB in ways, I mean like sixties RnB. Also I’m going to go back in and finishing off a Velociraptor record, like a full album, which will come out in the next year, and a whole lot of other stuff in the background. Teen Sensations are working towards an EP and Tiger Beams are going to return with another EP and I’ll probably start another band over summer, I mean, what else am I going to do?
NEW Brisbane releases
Hungry ghost - violent soho After their brilliant first self-titled album, Violent Soho somewhat disappeared from the music scene. However, they did not waste their time away from the scene and Violent Soho have returned with a stellar second album ‘Hungry Ghost’. A lot of expectation was put on the band, especially in following-up to their brilliant tracks like Muscle Junkie and Jesus Stole My Girlfriend. However unlike their first release this album is far more contemplative; you can tell that the Brisbane band has done a lot of growing up and maturing. The opening 5-minute track Dope Calypso begins with a continual
sliding chord guitar before smashing into heavier guitar and drums in true Violent Soho style. The song is emotive and heavy, a good introduction to the darker tone of ‘Hungry Ghost’. In the Aisle is the most commercial track of the album with a catchy melody and shout-a-long chorus (because who can really sing a Violent Soho tune). In saying this, the band strip it back on multiple tracks on the album, straying away from their heavier rock beginnings. Covered in Chrome, OK Cathedral and Hungry Ghost have a rock-ballad feel to them and are far more melodious than anything they’ve
released before. But with lead vocalist Luke Boerdam’s twangy voice, these songs have a raw and harrowing feel to them. However, the real standout of the album is Fur Eyes, embodying a 90s rock vibe layered with typical Violent Soho edge. It is clear on ‘Hungry Ghost’ that Violent Soho have taken inspiration from their many rock inspirations. They’ve channelled these influences to make a record unlike anything that’s been done before. Violent Soho are unique in their sound and are one of the few bands today making authentic and hearty rock music.
MUSIC
heart slice ep - go violets
Go Violets have well and truly stolen a piece of Brisbane’s heart with their debut EP ‘Heart Slice’. This all girl group have yet again proven their ability to write catchy upbeat pop tunes full of vigour and attitude. The EP features the already popular tracks Teenager and Josie. Runner, which has already been released, has a distinctly 60s feel, but with typical Go Violets sass. The latest track to be released Wanted is sweet and darling, with a bit of kick in the chorus. Can’t wait to see more from this talented group of groovy youngsters.
weird season ep - major leagues Another band of Brisbane sweethearts, Major Leagues, have been delivering indie-pop goodness since 2012. Their first release ‘Weird Season’ is an EP full of teenage angst/heartbreak sounding tunes, despite none of the members being teenagers themselves. It’s the sort of release
northern lights (single) - dz deathrays Northern Lights is the first single off Brisbane outfit DZ Deathray’s upcoming sophomore album. DZ are known for their electronic infused heavy thrash tunes, which they established on their critically acclaimed debut album ‘Bloodstreams’. Northern Lights
marks a more melodic sound for the duo, while still maintaining a distinctly grungy 90s rock vibe. If this is any indication of their next release, scheduled to come out in the first half of 2014, then we are very excited for what other surprises they have in store.
that we wish was around when we were navigating our way through high school. ‘Weird Season’ features released tracks Teen Mums, Creeper and their most recent track Endless Drain. Add this EP to your summer playlist and sing out loud to these yearning tunes while driving in your car.
second summer issue is themed ‘BAD’ Live fast die young bad girls (and boys) do it well. To be released in February 2014.
WORDS Lucia Stein
Photo by Martin Ollman
woodford folk festival
When I think of the sixties I think of two things: hippies and activism. Odd to think that these two definitions could work together in such harmony but in the sixties they worked like a tie-dye masterpiece. Sit-ins and protests were blended with a concern for nature and easy living to create a bright fabric of human history. Unfortunately, flower power has become as meaningless as hashtag YOLO or swag. The sixties lifestyle has been lost, unless you’re lucky enough to attend the Woodford festival. One step onto the muddied aisle ways is like travelling on a time machine back to the days of Hippie glory. The clichéd line that first impressions can be deceiving applies in full force to the folk festival. You are immediately struck by the mismatch of relaxed attitude and
frenetic activity. At any time of the day something is going on, be it a music act, political lecture or cultural activity. Yet you wouldn’t know it by the way people walk or talk.
At Woodford, everyone has all the time in the world. It’s certainly a step outside of the busy, ever moving lifestyle of ‘city folks’. The mellowed indifference makes it quite unique to other festivals. Usually camping festivals are all about late nights, with a quick walk out of the campsite and a frantic rush from one act to the next. At Woodford, everything is done at your own pace and a missed act is part of the course and not a travesty of poor timetabling. This might not seem like the festival for you. In fact, it probably isn’t. It’s a step outside your comfort zone. A way of experiencing something completely at odds with your
everyday life. It’s the place where shoes are optional, clothes are Eco friendly and pop-up stalls are the perfect place to conduct in depth conversations. Embracing the lifestyle and the spaced out atmosphere is your one-way ticket enjoying Woodford. All you have to do is embrace your inner sixties self. If you’re eager to go, the festival is on this year from 27 December to 1 January and is located in the beautiful Queensland location of Woodfordia, just one hour out of Noosa. Some of the great acts on the lineup include: Matt Corby, Busby, Marou, Chance Waters, Thelma Plum and Blue King Brown.
WORDS Matt Meintjes
GRAVITY A Review and Analysis
As children we find space to be this vast expanse of mystery and the unknown. Its very existence forces ask to ask many questions – Are we alone in the universe? What else is out there? How big is the damn thing? All are questions we cannot answer, hinting at the underlying fact that space itself is a very obscure concept to the likes of us everyday human beings. Yet as children, we all at some point dream of being in space. Wouldn’t it be cool? Zero gravity, up above the earth; what an experience! However as we grow older space becomes less appealing to most. Why? Here’s the underlying fact: Space is scary. If things go wrong, they go wrong. You’re stuck by yourself up there. Isn’t that enough to just put you a little on edge? This is the premise on which
Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity operates. It exemplifies the horror of space – not the fictional extra-terrestrial horrors imagined in movies like Alien – but the horror of feeling truly alone, floating above the Earth’s atmosphere. However the film is more than just ninety minutes of tension; Gravity hides some pretty significant motifs behind the veil of space it portrays. If you haven’t seen Gravity already, it tells the story of medical engineer Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) as they try to survive after space debris hurling around the Earth collides with their spacecraft. With only two characters for almost the entirety of the movie, Bullock and Clooney provide for a near perfect contrast as co-
stars. Stone is a quiet introvert, choosing to bury herself in her work after the death of her child. She is uncomfortable in space, exhibited by her faster oxygen consumption and heightened sense of panic during the moments of disaster in the film. By comparison, Kowalski’s reality has become space; he belongs there. His constant ramblings to his coworkers with his sarcastic stories of his somewhat mediocre life displays that life back on Earth is one he would rather not return to. Thus he becomes at peace whilst in space, something exhibited by his calm demeanour during the events that unfold during Gravity. This allows him to guide Stone through the turmoil that unfolds during the film. The contrast of calm vs. freaked out through the
duration of Gravity allows the film to function so well, despite only featuring two main characters (and at times, only one). Plot-wise, the film keeps you constantly on the edge of your seat and holding your breath from about twenty minutes through to the final closing moments. It is by no means an outstanding example of a well-crafted cinema story, but when explored deeper hidden themes become evident. The most prominent theme within Gravity is one of rebirth, or if you’re familiar with the high school English curriculum, the Hero’s Journey. Stone is a fragile shell of a human being by the start of the film. The events following the shuttle’s collision with space debris challenges her and forces her to reassess her life. From the onset she panics, afraid she will lose her life in the events immediately following the initial accident. This proves that she still has some belief in the life she lives, a life suppressed by the pain of her child’s life. As the film progresses and setbacks put the possibility of returning to Earth as increasingly unlikely, Stone is pushed to the limit and begins to consider if it is truly worth forging onwards. But without spoiling the movie, one moment signals the rebirth of her character. In part, Clooney’s character is responsible for this change, forcing her to change her perspective on life. Several visual motifs throughout the movie hint at this underlying theme, including a moment where Stone floats in the foetal position, silhouetted by the spectacle of the Earth shown through a window on the spacecraft. It’s reminiscent of a child in their mother’s womb, indicating that soon she will be born again. As I alluded to earlier, Gravity generates tension in its depiction of space drama; however in some ways it does this in an unusual manner. Music and soundtracks
FILM
in films are used to emphasise or accentuate particular moods or senses that a movie tries to give off to its viewers. Gravity however, utilises the lack of audio to generate a higher level of tension than one may expect from such a directorial decision. In space there is no sound and therefore it is very strange to see a spacecraft being ripped apart on screen and not hearing anything at all, apart from the screams of its crew. The famous tagline from Alien, “In space, no one can hear you scream”, is almost reversed here as the sounds of the astronauts pleading for their lives along with their frantic breathing adds greater tension to scenes than could have been achieved with a soundtrack. This isolation of audio throughout most of the movie creates a very unique cinema experience that undoubtedly achieves the vision that Alfonso Cuarón set out to achieve. Gravity is beautiful in its visual design; every scene is depicted in incredible detail, resulting in a very realistic cinema experience. So realistic in fact, that a Mexican reporter had to ask what were the “technical and human difficulties of filming in
space” – a legitimate, honest and sincere question from the member of the press to Cuarón. Gravity’s tension is made to feel more realistic through both these audio and visual outlets. The realism of the film brings you out of your seat and into space along with the characters, and the audio design choices prevent you from distinguishing Gravity as an actual “movie” so to speak. There is plenty more that can be said about Gravity and the fantastic way it tells its story. But there is simply not enough space here for me to tell it. If you never saw the film in cinemas you have missed out on the most immersive experience it can offer viewers. I would say however, that it is still most definitely worth a pick up from the video store when it releases early next year. It has now become the most successful movie of both Clooney and Bullock’s careers and will undoubtedly snag a number of nominations come awards season. With all that in mind, Gravity would have to be one of my top picks for best film of 2013.
WORDS Matt Meintjes
new Releases
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire The first instalment of The Hunger Games left me somewhat unsatisfied as a movie, failing to live up to what I had hoped after reading the books a year prior to its release. It was a more censored version of what the novels told; understandably due to the fact that cinema violence vastly outweighs book violence in terms
of the effect it leaves on viewers. Catching Fire restored my faith to Hollywood’s newest teenage blockbuster franchise, bringing a much darker edge to the story of Katniss Everdeen. It emphasised the dystopian theme of the districts much better than the original film, which is most definitely a good thing given the direction the next
Thor: The dark world The original Thor was another film that left me leaving the cinema feeling as if my expectations hadn’t quite been met, and once again its successor seems to have filled the void of what was missing. The storyline offers much more tension, drama and twists this time around, adding much more depth to the characters of Thor and Loki since we last encountered them during The Avengers. Asgard is visually stunning and the special effects
used are much more effective this time around, providing for an experience that, whilst not perfect, feels like it suits the God of Thunder much better than the first instalment in the franchise.
film will take. Overall, despite still capturing the mass teenage demographic, Catching Fire has added more tension, violence and general edge to the series that the first movie had lacking, making it a surprisingly excellent film.
past three months via instagram @izemagazine
WORDS Nicole Pires
dazed and confused I happened upon watching Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused completely by chance. In Chuck Klosterman’s beautifully articulated piece ‘Dazed and Confused: Not So Long Ago, But Very Far Away’, he explains his heightened anticipation for the film’s release and how he desperately tried to rent the in-demand VHS of the film from the video store. I had none of this kind of pre-watching excitement. In fact, I wasn’t even born when the film was released. The only kind of trouble I faced was finding an online link of the film with fast streaming so I didn’t have to wait for it to load. I first watched Dazed and Confused at the age of fourteen because it was on a list of ’25 High School Movies You Have to Watch’. I’ve always been attracted to lists, maybe in part due to some of my OCD tendencies. If there is a list on something that interests me I have most likely watched, listened or read my way through it. On this particular high school movies list, I had already seen some brilliant classics. Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Breakfast Club (which topped the list) were just a few. Everything had been a hit, until the evening that I streamed Dazed and Confused on my laptop. After the first ten minutes of the movie I found my interest waning – I didn’t get it at all. I had not
yet gone through my nostalgic teenager phase, so I had no idea that the opening track was the enchanting Sweet Emotion by Aerosmith. I watched in confusion at a girl rolling what looked like a cigarette with green grassy stuff. In fact, through the thirty minutes I actually made through the film I had no idea that most of the characters were perpetually stoned. I half heartedly watched some of it, probably distracted by being on MSN at the same time. Fast-forward three years into the future and I decide to give Dazed and Confused a second go. The film rendered me speechless and made my mind swell with wonder. Dazed and Confused follows soon-to-be seniors and incoming freshman on the last day of school at Lee High School in the suburbs of Austin, Texas in 1976. Close to graduating from an all-girls high school in the leafy suburbs of Brisbane in 2011, my experience was totally different to theirs. Dazed and Confused is an amazing movie, not because it tells a classic high school movie tale of love, friendship and fitting in, but because it represents a moment of time that no one can identity with, but everyone wants to experience. It’s a timeless movie that speaks to generation after generation who yearn for their own 70’s rock-drenched, pot-infused, beer drinking, bell-bottom wearing
high school experience. Watching Dazed and Confused is about as close as any of us will get to it. Shot in 1993 but set in the 70s, the film featured a star-studded cast who gave performances that launched long-standing film careers. Jason London plays the shaggy haired heartthrob of the film Randall ‘Pink’ Floyd, your not so typical star quarterback with a penchant for weed. His girlfriend is played by Joey Lauren Adams, who recently played Pammy in the brilliant drama-series The United States of Tara. Other notable actors include the beautiful Milla Jovovich playing the flower-child girlfriend of the cast’s pot-dealer,
FILM
Shawn Andrews. The film also sports a young Ben Affleck playing the resident dickhead of the film who took pleasure in beating the incoming freshman for a second year in a row after failing high school. However, the most memorable performance of the film must go to Matthew McConaughey. He plays a much older graduate from their high school whose favourite pastime is dating high school girls. Somehow McConaughey manages to get away with it without seeming like a creep. He utters arguable the most seminal line of the whole film, “That’s what I love about these high school
girls, man. I get older, they stay the same age.” In a society where P Plater’s are on complete zero-tolerance, watching the unassuming teenagers of Dazed and Confused cruise around in their cars drinking and smoking is a completely different world. There are no limits, no rules and no cares. The carefree attitude of the teenagers in the film is completely different to the ‘YOLO’ generation. Their end of year celebrations was wandering around the town, drinking beers and getting stoned whilst they waited for a keg party to get organised. Their biggest problem was where to party that night and securing Pink Floyd
concert tickets the next day. They pushed boundaries, but they were rebels by nature, not by choice. Dazed and Confused is a movie everyone should watch at least once in their life. Maybe not everyone who watches will experience the overwhelming nostalgia that I felt. It’s highly possible that their high school antics are their worst nightmare. But it’s undeniable for anyone to watch the film and not feel a desire to live in an untroubled, technology-free society where it was all about the music, getting kicks and having a sweet time. Check you later.
SPACE oddity PHOTOGRAPHER // Aimee Stoddart MODEL/STYLIST/HMUA // Ellie Rose Giddings
y
submit to our next issue IZE is looking for talented youngsters to be featured in the Summer issue of IZE. Whether you take photos, make art, write stories, direct movies, design clothes or play in a band - we want you! So send your work and relevant details to
info@izemagazine.com for a chance to be featured! Submissions are now open for our blog and Summer issue.
SPACED OUT playlist Father Time – Animal Collective Kokomo – The Beach Boys Something – The Beatles Wooo! – Dune Rats Maps – High-Tails Man I Need – Jagwar Ma Everything’s a Thread – The John Steel Singers The Bucket – Kings of Leon Sleeping At Your Door – Lime Cordiale Jessica (ft. Ezra Koenig) - Major Lazer 3AM Spiritual – Smith Westerns It Is Not Meant To Be – Tame Impala From the Sun – Unknown Mortal Orchestra Blister in the Sun – Violent Femmes All I Know – Washed Out
LISTEN HERE By Idam Adam
www.izemagazine.com www.facebook.com/izemagazine www.twitter.com/izemagazine www.izemagazine.tumblr.com Instagram: @izemagazine By Idam Adam