LANDSCAPE FANZINE II
Feel free to talk to me on instagram @nrr.esxz // @landscapefanzine or email me at narelrising@hotmail.com to get a physical copy of this zine. I wanted it to be available for everyone, so here it is. But don't forget that you can also get it on the real realm, keep it on your bookshelf, or throw it out your window once you’re done reading it. You just have to ask. This is also a way to show you guys what I'm available to do if you happen to like any of the illustrations, collages, whatever that you see here. I'm 100% up to work with anyone who requires it, and I'm sure we'll make it all work out. This time I interviewed Michael Cashmore, Amy Dorian, Ben Charles Trogdon, Sematary, Dasychira and Elizabeth Jane Baldry. The idea behind my interviews is and will always stay the same. I want to mix different artists no matter how different they're from one another. No matter how different their works are, I just enjoy mixing them all together. Wouldn't it be awesome if everyone had a zine or a personal page to show direct support to the ones they enjoy paying attention to? I like thinking that probably, someone will read these interviews and feel curious about them. Don't forget to check out everyone involved in this, on your own way. You'll also find my cut ups, drawings, collages and pictures as usual. The ones that I chose to show in between these artists. The meaning behind it all is subjective, like almost everything in this world. So feel free to imagine whatever you want. And maybe there is no meaning, who knows. One thing that came to my mind while doing this issue was childhood. Reading fairy tales, worrying about not missing your favorite cartoons on tv, dressing like a princess and wearing dresses around the house, playing horror videogames, and hoping to find your favorite cookies at the supermarket because, if it's all sold out, your tea time could be potencially ruined. There's something really freeing about doing whatever you want, not thinking that much. Just like when you were a kid. Not overthinking, not worrying...about serious stuff. Just doing things because you like them that way. I hope you all enjoy my work, specially this one. It was made with tons of patience and love, like everything I do. And I hope everyone is doing just great. Stay safe and don't be (so) stupid, take care. Narel.
TATTOOS
I want you to tell me the story behind All of your tattoos The ones you designed Chanting for your beauty And for the animals that are all around us--too You seem to know all about fixing wounded hearts You're giving me something to dwell on A sense of your heartbeat, sudden connection A source of comfort, experiences I might not have otherwise known On a hot hot hot summer evening A healing process occurs Giving us both a second chance Not to question our feelings
A NEW BEGINNING
He waited and waited Despite his love for the simple These symbols and the rhythm of seasons Meant a new beginning
Is there a word to describe the feeling of liking a piece of work because it gives you the feeling to be seeing something really personal?...something that this person would do for fun, put in between the pages of a journal, or something that would be sent as a gift to whoever appears on the pictures or video. But you get to see it somehow, scrolling down the feed, or going through the pages of a magazine you just felt like picking up. Ben's work feels so intimate, so personal, I don't know why. Maybe it's the way he mixes his analog pictures with drawings. It makes me feel nostalgic for memories that are not even mine. Concerts I didn't attend, people I never met. It also makes me think about friendships, adventures, or simply having fun. He is the number one inspiration behind this zine, since I didn't even know what a zine was until I bought one of his. So I thank him for introducing me to this world, and taking the time to answer these questions.
LF: I remember going to Material World and grabbing a copy of Rock 'n' Forever without knowing what it was. I felt amazed, as well as confused. I discovered the wonderful world of fanzines thanks to your work, when/how did you get started?
BCT: Wow thank you! So glad you picked it up ! I got into making fanzines when I was a teenager. I started by making a webzine when I was 12 and then eventually found that doing a fanzine on a photocopy machine in real life is so much more fun than on the Internet. I switched to making a real zine when I was 16 in Arnold, Maryland. I ended up living in Olympia in the early 2000’s and was so excited about the punk scene that was going on there at the time I decided to do a newspaper about it. That’s when things kinda took off. The paper got bigger and bigger and more and more crazy. LF: And with your work came a lot of bands I've never heard of, since I only knew about Hank Wood, Mommy and Crazy Spirit, are there any new artists I should be paying attention to right now?
BCT: Chile has one of the best punk scenes in the world right now! Everyone is so energetic, heartfelt and know all the words to everyone else’s songs! The shows are outside using stolen power from street lights or they’re inside at squats. I love a lot of the bands that are active there - D.I.N.A. , Tension 73, Garrapata, Ignorantes, Menores Posidos, Caos Final, Basura, Ediondo, Enfermo, Gengar… I went to Chile for the first time because I met a woman from there, here in New York and I decided to go visit her. The trip went really well and long story short - now I’ve been to Chile 5 times and I’m married to that woman! We went to Buenos Aires last year and loved it! Can’t wait to travel around more of South America. I Really want to go to peru. LF: I'm IN LOVE with the way you combine illustrations and photographs, it turns everything into something personal, so diy/old school. It feels like you're showing an intimate book, have you ever surprised your friends by giving them collages/pics as gifts?
BCT: Thank you! Yes, I love giving presents to friends. I’ve made a lot of little framed collages as birthday presents. Def one of my favorite things to do :) LF: And when it comes to working with other illustrators/friends, do they have the freedom of doing whatever they feel like doing? or do you give them an idea of what you want. Are there any names you want to list?
BCT: Some of my favorite new bands are Pinocchio, Twisted Thing, Electric Chair, D.I.N.A. , Pobreza Mental, Kaleidoscope, Tension 73, Garrapata, Ignorantes and Caos Final. LF: What's your relationship with the chilean scene? for me it was such a surprise to see you posting about being here in south america!
BCT: I’m blessed to have so many amazing artists as friends and we’ve worked on so many projects together for so many years. I guess it depends on the project but sometimes I give direction and sometimes not. Most of my friends know what the end product will look like so they gimme stuff that fits into that. My old friend Lauren O’Connor has been such a huge source of encouragement and inspiration in my life. She and I have collaborated for over 15 years now! Virginia Zwanzger, Cecilia Calderia, Eugene Terry, Anahit Gulian, Nadine Rosario, Collin Buhr, Emma Hendry, Sam Ryser, Somer Stampley, Jason Lee, Christina Gemora, Sara Abruna, Rhylli O, Heather Benjamin, Dracula Orengo, Keegan Dakkar, Mateo
Cartagena, Robin Pak, Olivia Kates, Shiva Addanki, Wombat, joe B and so many more!!!
LF: I bet you've met a lot of interesting people and had a ton of amazing experiences, are there any special events you want to recall? BCT: oh man I don’t know where to begin. I’ve for sure been thru some crazy times. Once at a packed house show in Virginia there were so many people dancing that the floor caved in ! So we picked up the gear, moved it to the next room and the show kept going! I hitchhiked across the USA in 6 days. That’s one of the coolest things I think I’ve ever done. I rode my bike the length of the north island of New Zealand. I’ve Been on tour a lot ! Lots and lots of broken down cars and sleeping on the side of the road. There are too many stories to type. I’ll have to tell you more in person!
LF: Even though you're not in a band/playing gigs/going on tour, it is almost as if you did, right? what is it that you've learned about this kind of world that you would like to share? thanks for the interview and taking your time! BCT: I’ve actually played drums in a lots of bands and been on tour so many times with my bands and other people’s as a driver and roadie. What I’ve learned is to keep an open mind and love in your intentions and you can really go anywhere and do anything. Thank you! Can’t wait to read your zine!
LOVER
A good accompanist, different Sensitive and persistent As soft spoken as he was "Can I be the one to show you how to care for each other?", he asked "Words are beautiful, but they're limited" I wanted to experience love, so we looked for maps and silver signs Inside our cyber games, consols and real life And we hid inside his bedroom at the top of his stuffy white house Surrounded by books See-through guns Unsolved cases As close as I could come To see things I ordinarily wouldn't Seasonal traces of his past Captivated by the bewitching study of his real nature Instead of chasing after imaginary ones "How can you be in love with someone you don't even know?" "Even when he's from the other side of the world"
HONEY
"There will be development, the question is what kind" "I hope you feel what I feel" This battle of emotions Endless and deep Hiding away from the approaching city The next morning at breakfast it's clear Cherries, tea, oranges Everything I value in life can be found here
Dasychira reminds me of childhood in the most positive way. It's not just the sound, it's everything. It's the dreamy atmosphere, innocence, sweetness. It sounds genuine. But it also reminds me of nightmares, and the feeling of being half asleep and awake. It's a constant exchange of energies, like being in two worlds at the same time. Or even more than two worlds, because there are too many things happening. And you don't want to miss a thing about what's happening, so you pay attention closely to the songs, and discover something new, hidden from the last you played it. It's full of details. There were times when I would listen to xDream and think of it as the representation of a tiny automaton-ballerina’s adventure, and the things it would have to see and encounter, to finally get to it's destiny. Dasychira reminds me of Dasychira, and no one else. And this is a feeling I wish I could encounter more often, when it comes to sitting down and searching for new artists from nowadays. This is why it's so important to embrace your own vision. To commit and bring something that comes from the core of yourself. To bring something truly new. To get to know a little bit of someone else's hidden vision, is to discover a whole new world. So I thank Dasychira for letting us all be closer to this particular world. And for taking the time to think about these questions.
LF: The Puppet Ballerina Edit music video was my introduction to your ethereal world. I just couldn't believe my eyes, what can you tell me about the whole process of filming it? D: The whole process unfurled really naturally, like a jacaranda tree flourishing through the seasons. Initially, I was discussing a collaboration with multimedia platform O FLUXO. We were excited to make something together that was immersive and “audio-visual�. They put me in touch with Anna Slama and Marek Delong, an incredibly talented artist duo living in the Czech Republic. We started brainstorming ideas, and I sent over bits and pieces of the album as I was stitching it together. In our email exchange, we shared influences of folklore and anime stories
(all time favorite being Made in Abyss). I had already been planning the music videos for xDream and Let’s Share Your Memory Together, and I thought Puppet Ballerina Edit was a sonic narrative Anna and Marek could expand upon visually and bring the fairytale to life. They filmed the video on a small island in Sweden next to Stockholm, and when you watch the video you can really get a sense of magic from the environment itself with all the flowers and Stone formations. Their costumes and special effects elevated the feeling of fantasy and playfulness. Once they had the cut, they got Kristyna Kilikova to create the graphics and titles. Everything fit the mood of xDream so perfectly, because the video is imbued with this sense of hope in what seems like a dark external environment reflecting the conflicts of an internal world. When we published it, I wrote a poem inspired by the visual:
hide in the dark to escape i start over again life cycles are death cycles. phoenix flower through the seasons rot away dusty ash paving way for the light the enchanted candle in the night
when my veins grew out their roots soil stiffly forced its truths little fledgeling throbbing seed cut its tendrils lie and bleed coagulating in despair dissolve its essence pollute its air decirculate i forget where i am it's cold here to get back home i tap my feet i shed my bark the monster watches
LF: Is there any place that you consider to be a magical place? D: In the physical world there are so many, New York was the first where I felt a true sense of connection to all spheres of inter-connected reality, especially in terms of the underground music community. I found a lot in person that I discovered on the internet, which was a surreal experience, and even more surreal than that was meeting many of the artists behind it. I also consider where I grew up in Johannesburg a place of magic since it was a place to dream and get excited about what was out there, the sky just felt so much bigger there than anywhere else in the world. I also shot a music video in a cave at this beach called El Matador in Malibu California which felt like a portal to another world. The most magical place I can think of though, is an empty one, because the lengths of the imagination are truly boundless.
LF: Your debut lp xDream is one of the best things I've heard in a long time. What are your ideas, fairy tales, stories, beings behind this piece? D: Thank you! That’s so sweet to say ♡ There was a lot of inspiration both personal and external that informed the narrative of the project. I think the starting point for me was stumbling on this trend of people finding ghosts with Snapchat filters. There was something that excited me so much about accidentally unearthing something dark through playfulness, and also intentionally scaring yourself. I think that lit the spark of uncovering the ghosts of a childhood past, along with the discovery of internet mystery game Petscop, and legendary anime Cat Soup. Diving back into the worlds of Pokémon, Digimon, and Disney really influenced the project too.
LF: Are there any new visual artists/musicians/friends you would like to recommend? D: So many, I’m really lucky to know so many of my favorite artists in real life, and also collaborated with many on my project or through unseelie. Yikii, Baby Blue, Malibu, Embaci, Emily Glass, 7038634357, Himera, DV-i, Sentinel, dj shshunj, CHAi-t, Golin, I could go on... LF: I'm sure that your career as a musician led you to some amazing experiences and opportunities. Are there any special moments/gigs you want to recall? D: My Asia tour last year was right out of a storybook, I performed at some of my favorite venues in the world like All Club in Shanghai, FINAL in Taipei, Forest Limit in Tokyo, met some really next level performers and DJs, went to Disneyland in Hong Kong, and the biggest thing of course
was meeting Yikii for the first time and performing together. The memory of every show we did together will always live on in my heart.
LF: You make the line between fantasy and reality to be thinner and thinner. What inspires you? Is there any movie, book or particular thing that moved you enough to follow this path? D: There is a text by English artist Matthew Stone called “Everything is Possible & Love Changes Everything” that a friend shared with me shortly before I moved to New York. It basically talks about love and positivity as a “radical act” in a largely pessimistic world. I think consciously or not, people often put themselves in boxes with limits to what they can do. I am a firm believer that the attitude you have towards life dictates your possibilities, and for the last few years I have been thinking about how art imitates life and vice versa. Seeing your own life as art has helped me zigzag between fantasy and “reality” since I have taught myself to view every interaction, conversation, and experience as an opportunity to extract inspiration and ideas from things that may seem “everyday” or mundane. Once you really notice the iridescence shining in an oil slick on the road, or the sound your boots make on a crisp layer of snow, you can absorb that magic and morph it into a brand new expression of being. LF: Dasychira exists in at least three different worlds: the imaginary one, the one we're all able to spy through your finished/published works, and the real one. What is it that you would like to transport from your imaginary world to the real one? Thanks for the interview!!! D: All of the creatures that live on the psychic playground in my mind!
MARRIED
They say it's murder But for me it will always be a doorway I do control what you see Neither completely in your head Neither completely in this world, server or level Belonging to both and belonging to neither Is it possible for you to see me now? Even when you're invisible among the rest I see you Indulged in your world of deaths Deranged unarmed knights If you can't put it in a cage and put it on display It may not exist But it does Now we are all alone, together We won't get tired of our own silence And I'll insinuate myself into every corner of your life
Keeping an open mind is always fun. It allows you to discover new characters and to connect with them, even when you probably never thought you would be doing so...and that's how the Sematary interview came to be. After hearing my friends talking about his mixtape Rainbow Bridge 1, and binge watching his music videos, a few clicks here and there led me to multiple tweets and reviews of people making comparisons, memes, comments about the way he dresses, and the most important part: people showing him support, and claiming he had something worthy to be checked out. Little I know about this soundcloud scene of kids born in the early 2000's, but Sematary has something really interesting (and different!) to offer, whenever it is visually, musically, or both. It's so easy to feel almost brainwashed by his sound, and to have his songs stuck in your head for days. Not to mention that I love his sense of humour, something that everyone can easily see on his videos. I don’t know, this is truly hard to explain, it’s something you have to see for yourself. He was kind enough to make this little interview with me, that I consider to be a bonus track on this zine, and a gift to my friends who love/support him. We thank the keeper of trees for that. And It's up to you to enter his world right now.
LF: While entering the Grave Man super haunted world I encountered dogs and cutters. I love it here, what else should I expect to find at the end of the Rainbow? S: Im just Gonna keep making Music & videos & everything until I cannot Breathe Anymore, i Love doing it and dont intend to stop. You can find Me Still Going In Past the rainbow bridge . LF: Is your interest in black metal/any kind of metal something that you grew up with? S: No , i Didn't really grow up listening to black metal, but i always liked certain songs i'd heard with simple, loud, kinda droning guitar riffs. Later on i discovered black metal and some styles of it have big heavy droning kinda Rocky riffs so i sample those alot. Lifelover and happy Days are My fav dsbm Bands :)
S: When we were filming the Bunny suit Video for the rainbow bridge 1 Mixtape we went up on a Railroad track at like 1am In our bunny suits with knives and bats and some Dude with his dog in the night Shined his flashlight on us and said he was Gona call the cops if we didn't leave Lol . It must have Been extremely Disturbing for him to shine his light into the dark and see Dudes in bunny suits In the shadows Hahaha LF: Ghost Mountain features in a number of your songs and those videos. Do you know him from before the idea of making music first came to be?
S: Yea me and Ghost Mountain have been friends for like almost 8 years now, i always used to talk to him about my ideas for making music before i ever started . Im very blessed to have him to do art with . LF: Are there any new artists/friends of yours I should be aware of? feel free to recommend them.
LF: Did you ever get caught while filming your music videos? Cemetery guards sure don't like people lying on their graves. I know that from personal experience.
S: Everyone should listen to Ego Mackey . His music isnt that similar to mine Besides being Super misanthropic ...He's real black metal and he should be bigger
then marilyn manson . I really liked rushhy bandxz, thats Probably the newest rapper i really really liked . FREE RUSHHY FUCK 12 !!!!! Otherwise No Most of the music i listen to is from a few years ago or older . all my favorite rappers fell off, and mostly everyone else is Kinda boring now. Im always looking for artists to work with and listen to tho .
LF: I don't get any kind of negativity from what you create, it feels like...you're actually freeing from it. Am I right? May all angels and dogs guard you. S: Personally A lot of my music is fueled by alienation and rage and hate, but i try to express it in a variety of different ways I guess. Im glad it dosent come off solely negative. I believe music is largely intrinsically positive regardless of What Its About...Its definitely therapeutic to make. If your feeling negative its way better to put that into a song instead of taking it out on people around you or whatever . I try to do that in my life on this earth . Thanks for Having me For this interview , New shit is always on the way !!! Haunted Mound Sematary grave man Fuck the World ** Stay True *** S/o Argentina
WET
A more intense signal Harmless, non-shaped I'm voraciously note taking Going downwards Our own trace of slime We circle one another Casting a circle on the ground
There was a time when I firmly believed I didn't need anything but music...in order to survive. Seriously. No people, no anything, just hours and hours of personal classics and new, but old at the same time, multiple artists that I felt so glad to find. I wouldn't reply to any messages, I wouldn't turn on the lights in my room. I would stay up late reading at candle light, and stay inside as much as I could. Michael's music marks the line and difference between this reclusive mindset, to a whole more positive one. Don't get me wrong, I still need endless hours to myself, away from everything and everyone. But now I value everything that surrounds me. Nature and Organisation, Current 93 and Michael solo work was there for me when nothing and no one else was. It's a great companion. Outside and inside my house. And this situation that we're all going through right now...probably did bring me some memories. I have this feeling, this feeling that won't go away. I believe Michael is not being correctly appreciated, or that not many people actually knows the name of the highly talented composer behind what they're hearing. Forgotten at times, maybe. I could be wrong. Maybe it's just me wishing to see his work coming up on my feed more often. Maybe it's just that I'm not following the correct people. I just wish his name would come up as often as you would see the names of the people he worked with for years. He deserves so much more recognition. His work is simply beautiful. This interview was a way for me to finally get closer to him, talk to him and let him know how special he is for me. And of course I wanted to share this with everyone. Because you can see exactly what I mean just by reading it. I feel like Michael's work is all about constant grown and being on different paths, not hesitating to move into the next thing. It is what his sound makes me think of. I thank him once again for taking the time to write this, while being on the middle of the recording for his next album.
LF: I first found out about you thanks to David Tibet. You two have been working together for years and years, are there any special moments with him you would like to recall? As friends, artists, and humans. MC: Well, we first came into contact around 1986, I'd been offered to release a 7" single with a German record label under my project name Nature And Organisation and I asked David if he would be interested in working with me. In some ways we are very different people with different backgrounds but at the same time we found this immaculate connection in our souls that made us really compatible as individuals and artists together. David has helped me in so many ways, not just artistically but as someone who has helped me through so many hard times in my life when I needed someone, he was always there for me and always understood the nature of my suffering.
LF: You're a gem, Michael. Your music has been there for me in times of pure isolation, when I was still trying to figure out who I was. Your creations go from one style to another, and so do you as a person. What is it that helps you to reconnect with yourself? or recreate yourself!
all exists for a reason in the Sacred Formula of Opposites, nothing exists without purpose, everything has meaning.
LF: You exist in at least three different worlds: the fantasy one, the one we're all able to spy through your finished ideas, and the real one. What is it that you would like to transport from your fantasy world to the real one? MC: No, I exist within a single sphere where my physical Consciousness is connected to my Cosmic Consciousness and this took a miracle to happen almost, it took years of concentrated Transformation through Love for this to transpire. We can all do this, we simply need to stop being distracted by the mundane daily things in life, the media, our physical needs, smartphones and so on and simply wake up and to realise that we are more than this. In my work I attempt to make the listener active and not passive, this is the purpose of my work, to make people wake up!
MC: Love, simply that. I am constantly in a state of Personal Transformation, Transformation through Love to reach my highest, personal potential, to connect my physical state of Consciousness with my Eternal Cosmic Consciousness and this creates Kinetic Consciousness, the way to Transform Cosmic Consciousness into physical Conscious action and to create and recreate myself through Transformation. My music is of course a reflection of my Personal Transformation and in turn it helps me to Transform, I wouldn't be sincere and true in my work otherwise. LF: Is there any place that you consider to be a magical place? MC: Well, believing that magical places exist implies that there are also non magical places which I don't believe to be true. All is Divine, all has purpose and
LF: You've worked with/produced/been part of/wrote music for artists like Current 93, Nick Cave, Rose Mcdowall, Bill Fay, Marc Almond and so many more. What did the whole process of working/spending time with them leave you?
MC: It left me with an enormous feeling of Love, gratitude and humility to work with such extraordinary and amazing people, the sense of being valued and appreciated. I truly value everyone who has ever helped me along in my personal journey, for all that they gave me and for all that we shared together through such wonderful and informative times. I learned to Transform myself through Love, I learned how to turn suffering into something positive and I have now formed a movement called The Hidden Throne which is there to inspire, inform and motivate others to wake up and find their own, true full potential.
LF: What's going on in your inner world right now? What's next? musically speaking. Thanks for the interview! MC: Well, obviously those who can are self isolating right now, so I have just finished my next album "The Night Has Rushed In" and I am looking for a record label for that, and around a quarter of my next album after that "Shadow Transformation of the Yellow Warrior" is already written. Apart from that I am working on texts for The Hidden Throne and just practicing Positive Thinking and Transforming through Love. Thank you for your attention, sending much Love...
EBONY
Strikingly attractive Very clear pale skin Our conversations helped to connect the dots He was always willing to talk Particularly effective at night The rough tongue cleans up every last morsel from my bones And I have my own desires White, Blue, Ebony
After watching a BBC documentary about fairies named "The Fairy Faith", during my phase of being interested in everything related to nature and it's lore, I discovered Elizabeth Jane Baldry's work, and I knew I had to get in touch with her. She is like a real fairy tale character, someone you could listen to for hours. While she tells you stories, and does spoken word over the sound of her harp. Such pure and relaxing sounds. Her voice is soothing, not to mention her victorian like music, since she's an incredible composer known all around the world. I thank Elizabeth for taking the time to write all of this down, despite probably being always so busy and full of work. And for making me go back in time to so many nice memories as a younger self, a little girl interested in everything related to magic and mysteries. A little girl that would get so incredible happy when encountering fungus while walking around in hidden places outside the city.
LF: I found out about you thanks to a documentary about fairies called "The Fairy Faith" while I was searching for more info about these beings. How would you describe your relationship with fairies? And how did you first get interested on this topic? EJB: I've loved fairies for as long as I can remember. I used to see them all the time when I was a little girl. I also had a big book of fairytales which was so precious to me that I used to take it to bed to hug instead of a teddy bear! In adulthood, my relationship with fairies has changed. Sadly, I rarely see them now, but sometimes when I'm out in the beautiful landscape of Dartmoor where I live, they seem very close, just on the other side of the air. There are places where the veil seems very thin between the world of man and the world of faerie. I love to sit in these places and become very still, opening my heart to the magic of the land. LF: A few clicks here and there and my curiosity easily led me to your website, where I found out even more about your work and life. I would love to know more about the woodlands you create and your cottage!
EJB: Pigwiggen Wood is a ten acre hidden valley, very green and lush, about fifteen minutes walk from my cottage. Caring for this magical place is one of the most sacred duties in my life. I think of myself as its guardian, rather than the owner. It feels as if Pigwiggen Wood has far too much of its own personality to belong to a mere human! When I bought the land at auction fourteen years ago, there had been quite a bit of new tree planting. One section was just a field with regimented rows of green tree-guards and almost no magic except for a scraggy little wild apple tree in the hedgerow. Watching this field transform into a young wood has been incredible. There is now a little dancing meadow, a fire pit, and a place to camp.
Further up the valley, the wood is well established. Some of the trees are centuries old. There is a stream and some glorious old mossy boundary walls. After a heavy snow fall last year, I found a perfect circle of grass about two metres in diameter. No snow had settled there. It was green as green could be in the middle of the virgin snow. This was a natural spring. I had long suspected there might be one in this spot because the ground was always wet even during a dry summer, but the snow showed me the location. I found it on February 2nd, and so I named it St Brigid's Spring after the Celtic saint, Brigid. She is one of those interesting early saints who is seen by many as a Christianised version of an ancient Irish goddess. One day I want to turn the patch of boggy grass into a proper holy well. My cottage is tiny, and very old, full of lots of books and harps. It's built of granite, and is a very cosy place, all joined up with other cottages in an old narrow street with lots of lovely neighbours.
LF: I'm pretty sure that your successful work as an harpist led you to amazing opportunities and moments, are there any special events you want to recall?
EJB: I've had so many adventures over the years. I really enjoyed some performances I did at the Royal Academy of Art during their exhibition on Victorian Fairy Paintings. I've done quite high profile concerts including for royalty, but some of the tiny performances have been most rewarding. I love performing in ancient country churches; these are always magical. I once gave a little concert in a private home where the father of the family was in his final days of life. It was so poignant. He loved the concert, and all his family wept at the beauty of the harp. He died two days later.
LF: I've heard and read so many things related to fairies. The existence of Fairy Rings is one of them, surrounded by so many different beliefs and tales...what do you know about them? EJB: I'm lucky to have a lot of books on traditional fairy lore which I've collected over the years. I find the whole subject really fascinating. In particular, the associations with fairies and the dead. There are many stories in which a recently dead person is seen with the fairies, especially when individuals have died before their time. For instance there's a strange story from Cornwall about a Mr Noy who saw his dead sweetheart with the fairies. He was a well-liked young farmer, still a bachelor, who'd been engaged to a neighbour's girl, Grace Hutchens. She had died suddenly some years before, and no one had taken her place in his heart. One evening when he was out at twilight he saw lights ahead of him and heard distant music. He went through a beautiful orchard with all kinds of fruit growing in it, and discovered hundreds of tables set up on the grass with richly dressed people sitting and eating and dancing about. They were very small people, and their tables and dishes were small too. There was a girl there, taller than the rest, playing a tambourine. Mr Noy would have liked to join in the dancing, which was the liveliest he'd had ever seen, but just as he was going to step forward, the girl caught his eye and signed to him to keep back and follow her into the orchard. There, in the quiet, away from the dazzle of the lights, he
recognised her as his love Grace Hutchens, whom he had mourned for many years. He would have taken her in his arms, but she earnestly cautioned him against touching her and against eating any of the fruit in that enchanted orchard. The dead Grace told her living lover many things about the fairies. It's a really fascinating tale.
Eventually your music will be a source of solace and strength for you in difficult times, a priceless avenue of creative expression, an antidote to loneliness, and a way to turn strangers into friends. And what greater rewards could you wish for than that!
LF: I've seen you wearing some beautiful long dresses, your style reminds me of movies like Peau D' Ane and Picnic at Hanging Rock. Where does your inspiration come from? Are there any movies or books you would like to recommend following that soft, Victorian/medieval style? EJB: I've always loved the Pre-Raphaelite art of the nineteenth century. It's a continual source of inspiration. And Picnic at Hanging Rock is actually one of my favourite movies. I enjoy films that are beautifully crafted with rich cinematography and embodying a sensual quality. Jane Campion's The Piano is another haunting film, as well as Girl with a Pearl Earring and Elizabeth. One of my favourite books is Possession by AS Byatt, which works on so many levels, and incorporates the whole Victorian obsession with fairies. LF: I think I feel inspired enough to experiment with music for the first time in my life. I consider your sweetness, dedication and creations to be a great font of inspiration, is there any advice you could to give me? Thanks for the interview! EJB: Thank you so much for your kind words! You've made my day. The best advice on experimenting with music is to choose an instrument the sound of which touches your heart. Learning the piano is also a great place to start; you can pick up a keyboard quite cheaply, or sometimes people give away their old pianos. And there are lots of helpful YouTube videos to help you get started. Everyone can learn how to play an instrument. Whatever effort you put in will be amply rewarded.
N
Long, slender legs a myriad of possibilities Lonely, with a violent past He garnered a reputation for the uncanny The doors of his place are always open Because there are no doors at all It turned out to be a psychiatric hospital
I've been struggling to find the right words to describe what is it exactly that I love so much about Amy's work. There isn't many people around making this kind of illustrations, something that is sensitive and "strong" at the same time. I love the way she mixes classic metal and punk bands, with such feminine touches attached to it, and old school like details. I've seen a tone of magazines from the 70's and 80's, in fact, everytime I make an issue for the zine, I destroy hundreds of them to make collages. And these magazines remind me of her work, and all the illustrations of armoured girls I would see, with swords and crazy hairstyles. My personal favorite is one of her latest designs, an Anti Cimex tee with two girls kissing. I thank her for being kind enough to think about these questions.
LF: It's not rare to see someone making shirts, but Rare Boots has it's own style. How long did it take you to establish it? AD: Thank you, wow. I'd say the branding is still being established day by day, It's been a year since I decided to turn drawing for work into some sort of brand. Aside from developing ideas inspired by media I enjoy, I mostly just try to be honest in my work. I make what I like, and what I think is fun without worrying so much about other peoples opinions.
LF: I love the way you're able to mix ballet dancers, fairies, butterflies, Death and Sepultura designs, all in one place. Your world has it all. What does inspire you? and I'm not talking about music or movies.
AD: Haha, strange contrast right? So many things inspire me, and feeling the need to produce a lot of work has me looking at everything differently. I love old magazine adds, patterns in nature, hand painted signs, and almost always theres an element of femininity included in the illustrations that would otherwise be hyper masculine. I do kind of enjoy softening the ideas of these very malecentric genres.
AD: Natalie Lerner, Laura Medina, Tara Atefi, Jesse Feinman, Blair Whiteford, Jean Aguilar, Matt Bellosi, Jeffrey Rose are all painters/drafts people/photographers/designers and friends that I enjoy, and who regularly inspire me. There are really too many to mention.
LF: Of all the commissions you've been asked to do, is there one you consider to be your favorite? AD: This is difficult to answer. I've done some work for a band called Protocol from Tallahassee, FL. They asked me for some small graphics for a 12in. insert and gave me a lot of freedom for it so I had fun and loved the outcome. Also recently did a job for OBEY and I think just being hyped on it pushed me to think of some really fun drawings. There have been a lot over time, drawing is always fun.
LF: Have you ever been involved in any musical project? AD: I haven't, but the idea is nice. I know so many insanely talented musicians but I've never had the patience to learn myself. Being under a spotlight has also never been for me. LF: I think I feel inspired enough to experiment with designing/making shirts. Is there any advice you could give me? Thanks for the interview! AD: Google forums are your best friends for print and design. Ask questions, and don't get discouraged if things go wrong, because they will. There is a lot of trial and error and disliking your own work but that's how you get better. Have fun experimenting, creating, and learning :)
LF: Are there any new artists (musician/visual/artists/friends!) you would like to recommend?
WHENEVER I SEE YOU POSTING, I KNOW IT’S YOU
CREDITS
The importance of sharing/posting works that are truly ours, following our own lines traced almost subconsciously, keeping that little touch that makes other people recognize it immediately. As soon as they see it, they know it's yours. Whenever I see you posting, I know it's you.
Thanks to everyone involved in this second issue of Landscape Fanzine.
It's so normal for me to see something and not being really sure about who was the person that posted it. Who did that? I've seen that before, more than once. I see it everywhere. Did you do it under pressure? Did you do it because you knew it would get attention? even from the people you don't even care about. It's also so common to recognize something you've already seen somewhere else, but represented in a different way. I get bored, I stay away from social media, I go back, I get surprised with something fresh, and I feel glad to be seeing it. At some point I ask myself how awesome would it be if everyone, absolutely everyone, were way more sincere about what they wanted to show, if they were more open about what they truly feel like showing, not fearing what others could think or say. It would be chaotic, it would be awesome.
X Joachim @joachimschoones
I'm really glad to enlist the names of the people I've paying attention to the most for the last couple of months, or even years. Their works remind me of their own works, or at least the themes they represent in their own ways. They have their own style, that's it: X Niccolo from Peer Pressure Press. @keepertorture @sweetsusantees X Jonatan from Veneno. @amoysenhor @corona_rx X Denise from Farmaco, Educación Cínica Zine. @farmacopunk @cromisita X Ami from Gut Magazine. @thegoblinmilk @gutmagazine X Nokkena from Gag Reflex, Children’s Book. @nokkena @ggrflx
All words, texts and collages by me @nrr.esxz Tattoos, earrings pic submissions and help by the lovelies
X Sofia @blxndinese X Hanna @hanna.here_ X David Williams (Dogfood) X Nicolas @elviruseslapalabra @joujoukaediciones
Landscape Fanzine, September 2020. Buenos Aires, Argentina.