ROC June 2021

ROC

INTERVIEWS WITH CARO ARROBA DJ CA$HERA LIZ GOMEZ SUPERKNOVA

O N E

C H I C A G O

VISIT WWW.RADIOONECHICAGO.COM

ISSUE 3 / JUNE 2021

R A D I O

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Humbolt Flags

E THEL ALEGR IA

Instagram @ethela_photo www.ethelalegria.com

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 10

LIVING WALLS

We venture to the northside to find a colorful and life-like portrait of holistic wellness coach in the LGBTQ community

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THIS IS THE WAY

An editorial.

15 G ABE’S CORNER WITHDJ CA$HERA ON THE COVER

Living Walls mural - read more on PAGE 10

A video interview with WeekendGabe.

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LIZ G OMEZ ON ART, CHIC AGO AND HOLDING SPACE FOR EACH OTHER

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A conversation with Afro-Indigenous artist, activist, and educator Liz Gomez about their visual manifestations of divine gratitude.

B U T F I R S T, C O F F E E . . .

This month: coffee thoughts, opinions, and a small Latin lesson thrown in.

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SU P ERK NOVA

SuperKnova uses her music and visibility as a voice and an anthem for activism.

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JU ST A FRIEND

An original poetry piece by Rose.

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M A KING TEC H HO U SE A N DINO IN CHIC A G O An interview with Caro Arroba, a master in creating electronic music that embraces indigenous components

J U N E P L AY L I S T

A collection of songs curated by Jax.

Quercus gambelii ILLUSTRATION BY ALISHA HUBBELL

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OUR TEAM

Alex Alvarez

Jax Allos

Rob Katt

Hex Hernandez

she/her/ella Alex is a Chicago based adventurer and supporter of the arts. She does a little bit of everything these days, documenting as much as she can with her trusty Pentax and contributing to a number of locally driven projects that highlight some of the best artists, musicians, and events throughout the city. You can hear her on a new, monthly podcast called “Yo. Check This” with friends at Pursuit of Dopeness, and tag along on her adventures and art walks via Instagram at alvarezfotos. She proudly contributed the mural section of this magazine and is excited to share more of the city through her eyes with everyone.

she/her/hers Musician, multi-media artist, and currently the vocalist for [melter] and Aviatrix on Fire. Jax has played bass in local bands spanning a variety of genres including post-rock, witch house, darkwave, and Spanish rock. Before the pandemic, Jax could be seen regularly attending live shows and events. She has been spending much time in her music and art studios with her Eskie, quietly working on a number of projects.

he/him Hailing from Chicago, Rob found his passion and meaning through art.

Dipping his toes in music, photography, writing and even finding his voice (all that talking finally paying off) as a loud radio co host. While growing up in Chicago, drumming in bands became his number one focus before moving to the West Coast bouncing back and forth between the Golden state of California and the scorching valley heat of Arizona. Out west his focus on writing became much stronger as he searched high and low for himself. After four and half years out west working with peers and classmates it was time to head back home. Upon his return to Chicago the search for himself continues; he documents stories in the city while working on modern noir short stories.

he/him Hex is a Chicago native who is continually exploring the city with his camera in hand. Once embedded in the Chicago music scene, he continues his love for local musicians and artists through Radio One Chicago and now through ROC. Hex has always striven to bring equity to the art scene by working to bring attention to the diverse range of artists that inhabit Chicago and its surrounding area. Hex has been proud to collaborate with the R.O.C. Team in bringing awareness of the rich culture that Chicago has to offer.

Cat translation: Meow.

Give Alex a follow Instagram @alvarezfotos

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Give Jax a follow Instagram @jax.allos Instagram @meltermusic Twitter @aviatrixonfire

Give Rob a follow Twitter @heykiller

Give Hex a follow Instagram @HexHernandez Twitter @HexHernandez and find his work at www.hexhernandez.com

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Alisha Hubbell

WeekendGabe

Sandra Treviño

she/her Alisha is a landscape designer and small business owner in Chicago. Originally from the Navajo Nation and desert southwest, she has been learning the Midwest plant palettes, Chicago landscape architecture and streetscapes, and the rich diversity found within Chicago. She is enthusiastic to contribute to ROC magazine by making connections to design and handmade community.

he/him Gabe aka WeekendGabe is a veteran music journalist with nearly 10 years of professional experience and has worked with WGNAM, 720 and Vocalo, 91.1f in Chicago’s media market.

WeekendGabe is the Senior Hip Hop Correspondent for Vocalo, 91.1f and has reviewed more than 1000 albums and projects during the past decade. Gabe spent 5 years from 2014 to 2019 on-air with WLUWFM, 88.7f as both a host and producer for several shows including Radio One Chicago and The Morning Rush with WeekendGabe.

Gabe currently hosts and produces Weekend at Gabe’s with WeekendGabe on Twitch TV every Tuesday and Friday evening where Gabe talks with industry insiders, artists and entertainment actors and performers. Gabe in addition also is part of the Pick UR Brain Podcast with Johaz and WeekendGabe that focuses on the history of Los Angeles and California hip hop culture.

she/her Sandra Treviño is a music journalist based in Chicago.

You can find her writing on Enchufate.com and Gozamos.com. She is a contributor to NPR’s World Cafe Latin Roots, Contratiempo, Vocalo, Lumpen Radio, and the Chicago Reader.

Give Alisha a follow Instagram @loveabellstudio Etsy Loveabell Studio

Give WeekendGabe a follow Instagram @WeekendGabe Twitter @WeekendGabe

Sandra covers Latin alternative music and culture.

CONTACT US Visit ROC online at www. radioonechicago.com Follow us on Twitter @ RadioOneChicago Instragram @ RadioOneChicago Email us at radioonechicago@gmail. com Scan the QR Code below to send ROC a donation.

Give Sandra a follow Instagram @sandstrevino Twitter @sandratrevino and find her work at www.enchufate.com

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GUEST WRITERS Rosie

My name is Rosie and I’m a human who is scarily approaching 30 years old and pretty terrified of it. I was born and raised in the Humboldt Park neighborhood in Chicago, IL where blaring reggaeton on a warm Sunday afternoon in the park was the highlight of my childhood. I went to Columbia College Chicago and majored in Music with a minor in Creative Writing. Yes, I was one of those art school kids. I’m a lover of all things creative, but the ones that really stick with me are film photography, writing sad poetry, and creating halfway finished songs. In my spare time I like to run, play video games, and lay on the floor as all three of my cats pile on top of me with little consideration of my allergy to cat hair.

Give Rosie a follow Instagram personal @disco_hoe | Instagram photography @minolta.mamii

Gabe Nye he/him Gabe originally hails from the Detroit area and after tiring of living in and near cornfields of Wisconsin has become one of Chicago’s newest residents. Known by friends, family, and acquaintances as the go-to person for all things coffee, he is thrilled to share the knowledge he has accumulated over the years. In 2016, after years spent learning about brewing the perfect cup of coffee, he decided to dive into the world of roasting coffee. Contributing to ROC Magazine is an exciting opportunity to merge his love for both music and coffee.

When not spending time working in higher education or learning about the latest trends in roasting and brewing coffee, Gabe can be found creating playlists of his latest favorites, curating his vinyl collection, exploring, and streaming his favorite podcasts.

Give Gabe a follow Instagram @ gabidhasselhoff7 | Twitter @beansandbeats

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TOP Liz Gomez with her artwork. see PAGE 18 | Photography By Hex Hernandez BOTTOM Looking into Ipsento 606 on Milwaukee Ave., see PAGE 22 | Photography

By Hex Hernandez

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This month’s issue of “Living Walls” took me farther north than my typical commute to see one of the most life-like and stunning murals I’ve come across in person, located in the Boystown/Lakeview neighborhood. Between the colorful waves and the gold leafing throughout, I found it hard not to spend just a few extra minutes embracing the story, culture, and community that comes to life from what is, at its most simplistic version, just a wall. “The Love I Vibrate” looks to honor our city’s queer culture and the non-binary community members and stands where it is as a means to open the conversation of queer creatives and leaders in Chicago. As we look to celebrate Pride Month, it is important to remember that Chicago is home to so many strong and amazing people in the LGBTQ community and I hope that you find the opportunity to explore the neighborhood and appreciate and learn more about the stories that build up this community.

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY ALEX ALVAREZ

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LIVING WALLS

STREETVIEW Boystown / Lakeview Neighborhood 3245 North Halsted Street

Mural Artists Sandra Antongiorgi | @santongiorgi Andy Bellomo | @andyBmix Sam Kirk | @iamsamkirk Portrait of Kiam Marcelo Junio | @iamkiam

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LEFT Local developer flies Chicago’s largest progress pride flag | GoPride.com

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THIS IS THE WAY

I don’t believe I know how to go about writing this next column, which if this is the case it’s already a bad way to start. But I digress, let’s go for it together.

With the month of June underway we enter one of my favorite times of the year, Gay Pride Month. The thing is, people like to keep things with themes and with this I’m expected to write about Gay Pride. I don’t know if I can properly give it the justice and attention it deserves. I’ve never experienced the struggles and hardships that the LGBTQIA+ community has to undergo in this country and the world. I know of the problems but I can’t say I can feel what they feel of what it’s like to be persecuted and live in fear of hate and intolerance. But I most definitely understand it.

I think what’s stuck up my ass at the moment is the need to force myself to write something about it, just to keep the theme of these monthly articles going.

Keeping a theme and following a routine is something that’s always felt dangerous to me. Getting stuck in the same habits and schedules we get comfortable with just to get by another day. Do we do it because it’s expected of us, not only from others but ourselves?

That may be, but what if it’s something worse, what if it’s something we aren’t aware of? What if we’re just stuck? If that’s the case, something needs to change. Stoicism suggests that the obstacle is the way (Mandolorian theme plays in the background).

This goes to say, what stands in the way becomes the way (thank you @daily_stoic on IG and tiktok for that beautiful fruit of wisdom that found me at the right time). Whatever is on our path creating this mental

block, congested with repetitive outcomes is not necessarily bad. Bad things will always happen but it’s learning how to use these things to further better ourselves and the situations we find ourselves in.

I’ve heard from friends that for a long time they didn’t accept themselves due to the fear that others wouldn’t either. This made it impossible for them to come out and start living their lives. The doors to an honest freeing life were there and in eyesight but were shackled with chains of ignorance and prejudice, guarded by a hell hound named Fear. This got me thinking that’s precisely what routine is; it’s fear. It’s being comfortable on the severely beaten path, it’s believing that if you don’t make waves you won’t have to struggle to swim. I think this goes against human nature, if something isn’t working we don’t leave it alone and continue to walk around with rocks in our shoes. We shake out the problems, we invent the wheel, and cook with fire.

On June 28th, 1969 The Stonewall Riots took place outside the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in the Greenwhich Village area of New York City. Please tell me this is being taught and still is being taught in school because I’m embarrassed to say it wasn’t taught to me till much later in life. This movement began after a police raid that took place at the Inn, and would ultimately be the straw that broke the camel’s back. The employees, frequent patrons and passerby civilians stood their ground and had (CONTINUED...)

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enough. All the hate and bigotry had put the people of this neighborhood (and others) at their wits end and fought back when the police would not give up on their discrimination and harassment. I have to imagine that the people back then in the gay community complied for too long and allowed themselves to accept that this is just how things are going to be.

That is until a switch was flipped, one that recognized, wait this shouldn’t be normal, and no one should have to live in fear. For decades in this country the gay community had been subjected to anti gay-laws but it’s because of the heroes of the civil rights movement and progressive forward thinking regions around the country that movements like the Stonewall Riots could even occur. If it had not been for these forward thinkers and routine breakers, we may not have these celebrations of equality and freedom that we so fortunately have the right to express today. Things aren’t perfect but the progress we’ve seen throughout the years is beautiful and promising for even better years to come.

wish you all a very Happy Pride Month! Be safe, have fun and look out for one another. Meow meow.

WRITTEN BY ROB KATT PHOTOGRAPHY BY STERLING BAY

They stood up and broke routine. Those brave souls saw that the system was keeping them in line and in fear and they changed their reaction. So I say this; break the routines that keep you in place; break the routines that yourself and others have placed for you to keep you down. Step out into the light and do what scares you. Be brave enough to challenge the manufactured normalcy that the powers that be have boxed you into. Be strong enough to be scared and make change.

Maybe in my case it isn’t routine after all. That could very well be what my routine is, just being defiant and not willing to change. Perhaps I have to start challenging myself and start doing things that make me uncomfortable the way I once did as a fearless kid. Break the routings that have you depressed and bored. Walk down that proverbial unbeaten path to make a change in the world and in your life, that’ll surely inspire others to do the same.

It’s been a hell of a year so far but as I keep saying it looks like things are shaping up. Summer is just around the corner and we all have a lot to look forward to. On behalf of ROC, we’d like to thank you all again, for all the love and support we’ve received since the release of our first issue. We will do our best to continue to bring and share all the wonderful stories, music and art this city has to offer. We would love to

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GABE’S CORNER WITH DJ CA$HERA Here’s the video interview with DJ Ca$hEra. Take a look please.

CaSera “DJ Ca$hEra” Heining , a Chicago based Queer DJ, Radio Producer and Media Personality shares with WeekendGabe what Pride month means to her and what more the country and city can do to support the LGTBQ+ community. CaSera shares her experiences trying to break through into some of Chicago’s most popular clubs while experiencing prejudices and discrimination. Staying determined, CaSera talks about working with young students and standing strong to fight for Queer artists in a male dominated industry.

FIND DJ Ca$hEra Visit DJ Ca$hEra online at Instagram @DJCashera Twitter @DJCashera Events Wind Down Wednesday on Twitch

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L I Z G O M E Z O N A R T, C H I C A G O, A N D H O L D I N G S PA C E F O R E A C H O T H E R In a recent phone conversation, we learned how artist Liz Gómez began their professional art career and the ideas that give way to thought-provoking pieces and concepts displayed in bold colors across different mediums. Their work advocates for self-love and introspection, for taking care of one another and the planet we live on. Ultimately, they hope their work serves as a way to share the “range of representation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Culture.”

From screen prints and abstract pieces (The Joy of Freedom) to portraiture (Divine Gratitude Portrait Movement), among some of these series, Gomez’s creations exude healing, pride, love, and resistance.

They serve as inspiration in holding space for one another.

One of Gomez’s recent presentations is the Divine Gratitude Portrait Movement, a series presented in portraits and film that tells the stories of those who support their communities as educators, humanitarians, artists, activists, and spiritual guides.

The portraits and films bring visibility to these community caretakers and also shine a spotlight on their platforms.

The Divine Gratitude Portrait Movement.

The first episode of this series, titled Lake Journeys to the Ocean, is being exhibited in person through the end of June 2021 at The Honeycomb Network.

After the successful premiere of the first installment of Divine Gratitude, Gomez is preparing to temporarily relocate to the Basque Country of Bermeo in northern

Spain, as a teaching artist and educator.

There was a time, before all of this when Gomez doubted their artistic abilities. They put art into question, recalling the moment in fourth grade when they started comparing their art to others and a realization hit them. “I was terrible at it! I felt like other kids and students essentially had an effortless knack at it, that there was something intrinsically natural for them and then I would look at my work and think ‘there is just a disconnect.” They pushed beyond the discomfort feeling and switched the negative notion and turned it into a challenge, instead. They would do better.

A few years later, Gomez, who grew up in San Antonio, Texas, became a professional artist by doing portraiture work across different theme parks. Gomez felt a connection to the families, and others, whose annual theme park trip required updated portraits.

Why portraiture?

“It was the beauty of it, and the difficulty of it. It takes a lot of time and skill to draw portraits. And then once I actually started to do it, I felt this connection and this intimacy. I think it’s just super rare. And at first, it’s a bit unnerving, and they’re unnerved, and there’s a moment where it just takes an acclimation. And, it’s then I just realized that I think it was my first dip into spirituality because it was my first dip into being really present with another person. That feeling of intimacy and connection is like the seed for a lot of the things I do now.”

“There’s that connection of being able to be part of (CONTINUED...)

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people’s lives. People would come back year after year, and I’d draw one kid, and then draw them at a different age, and then go draw Abuela. It was also part of archiving this beautiful family and these pictures that last so much longer than us. There was just something beautiful and special about it that just kind of stuck with me.”

Eventually, Gomez relocates to Chicago to study at SAIC, appreciating the school’s opportunities to delve into different interdisciplinary arts. They also appreciated the city’s uniqueness, its diverse population, and its history with music. “I had never been to Chicago and I was just like, I have a feeling that Chicago is the place for me. It’s a little bit more chill than New York and bigger than Boston so I kind of just went for it.”

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Gomez’s portrait practice combats generations of systematic erasure by representing those whose legacies have been minimized or misrepresented. - Artist Statement

In Chicago, Gomez has connected deeply within the community. Surrounded by fellow creators, they speak enthusiastically about Chicago’s artists. “It is one of the most supportive and dynamic, vibrant communities I’ve ever been a part of. I feel like it was an incubator for me - I was painting, performing, and working in nonprofits interested in sustainability.

Where I am now, I found the community that feels right for me and they’re often black and brown, indigenous and queer. I feel like those are the places that I feel more free, and I don’t have to worry, luckily, about a lot of these pressures of these dominated spaces, and places where you’re kind of just a body before you are a person or before your talent is seen.”

Much of your work has to do with healing, along with the use of sustainably sourced materials, how did you come to be so passionate about this specific type of work?

“It comes from my heart, that leaked into my confidence and mental health. And being on that journey, sketching and music were my particular escape. For a long time, I was making a lot of things sketches and painting because that’s how I processed.

That’s where my spirituality first started to come and so it’s always been intertwined. It is how I process my life. Working with sustainably sourced materials - it’s my responsibility.”

Have you always been a spiritual person, or did this grow with your art?

I saw that they had been intertwined. When it came (CONTINUED...)

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to growing up, just having a lot on my heart, that kind of leaked into my confidence and mental health, and being on that journey, sketching, and music were always kind of my particular escape. It sounds really cliche but it’s really, really true. And so for a long time, in San Antonio and Chicago, I was making a lot of things… a lot of sketches, a lot of paintings. Because that’s how I processed, and I wasn’t even particularly showing it but that’s where my spirituality first started to come. They’ll always be intertwined. And so now it gets to the moment where it’s like, it is how I process my life.”

Tell me about using sustainably sourced materials in your work…

I feel it’s my responsibility as a person who lives on this planet to care about it. I started working at The WasteShed, which is a nonprofit organization and creative reuse center. I was the director of education.

Everything there is donated, second-hand, and it just really affirmed that was the path that I was interested in. Just seeing the amount of waste, and the fact that people have so many amazing resources that they literally don’t know where to take. You can’t really just

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take our things to Goodwill, and there’s not a lot of places for these materials to get a second life.

So when you combine that with the defunding of our education system, particularly around creative folks, I saw where these art materials went. They went back into the community, they went back into the schools and they went back to the students. I don’t think it gets better, or more impactful for me than that.

Also just understanding that we see everything that’s happening with our indigenous communities around the world. You know what’s happening with Palestine is happening with my indigenous family, and all of us are connected, but it’s just a lack of support of the people and of our communities.

So I very much believe that I cannot rely on these larger structures to actually care for me or care for the earth. They see me and this land as resources to expel until we are gone. I don’t want to be a part of that process. [...] I’m interested in doing as much as I can in sustainability - sustainable home building, sustainable

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farming. And so as an artist it felt like it made sense to just start connecting the artwork to that philosophy which I hope to be in more places in my life.”

How did your collaboration with The Honeycomb Network come about?

We got connected in the community. I was also helping Veronica Isabel Giraldo, with who I have kind of like an artist collective. We do work, same with Gloria Gloe and Tracie D. Hall, and we did an exhibition together and were just in the community together, doing different projects together. I was helping Veronica do a mural on The Honeycomb just before it was open and I got a chance to meet Denise and Cristina who are the cofounders. The place felt amazing and continues to feel amazing. There’s just a vibrancy to The Honeycomb.

And so I’ve been in Chicago for about 10 years now, and then I’m heading out in July, and I knew I wanted to have an exhibition to showcase everything I’ve learned, to say thank you to the community, and to show… to show it off. And automatically I knew I wanted to do it at The Honeycomb because of the relationship that we established and the way that we communicate. It feels like home, it feels like family. And it’s vibrant, the walls are beautiful, it has the vibrancy of my people on the walls and when I go in there, there are other brown and indigenous people. It was just a really easy choice.”

You’re leaving in July for Spain. Are you excited?

Yeah, I’m really really ready. I was trying to decide if Chicago was going to be my forever home and I decided that if it was going to be my forever home that I needed to branch out and see if I’d come back. I just kind of want to explore and see if I make my way back to the city. There’s just a bunch of things I need to do and I know that this is just one step in the many because I want to be global.”

We appreciate Gomez’s manifestation to go global and cheer them on in their journey.

We also appreciate that we live in a city like Chicago that continues to be a source of motivation and support for so many artists.

WRITTEN BY SANDRA TREVIÑO PHOTOGRAPHY BY HEX HERNANDEZ

FIND Liz Gomez For updates on their travels, or more information on their projects, visit Liz-Gomez.com Their exhibition, Lake Journeys to the Ocean, will be on display through the end of June 2021 at The Honeycomb Network (2659 W. Division).

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BUT FIRST, COFFEE...

“Hot town, summer in the city Back of my neck gettin’ dirt and gritty” - The Lovin’ Spoonful, “Summer in the City” I’m back once again to bring you a “Lovin’ Spoonful” of coffee! Hugging the border between Wicker Park and Bucktown, on Milwaukee Ave. is where you will find “Ipsento 606.” A hip shop that puts an artistic and philosophical spin on their coffee and nosh. As I walked into the shop, the first thing I noticed was the aesthetic—it nicely straddles the line between “rustic,” and “minimalist.” Though the shop’s physical space is somewhat narrow due to the building being a typical Chicago building (long and narrow), both seating and the shop overall are set up in such a way that there is still a sense of spaciousness. At the same time, Ipsento achieves an airy feeling without sacrificing any of the coziness that one hopes to find at their neighborhood coffee shop. Throughout the entire space, the ceiling is covered in copper tiles with Elizabethan designs, giving the shop’s aesthetic a splash of European flavor. The brilliant natural light, houseplants on shelves and in planters add to the chic profile of the store. Additionally, throughout the shop you will find pen and ink art pieces done by local artist Jordan W. Now that we’ve had our “amuse bouche,” let’s have the main course—the drinks! Once again, I order a regular drip coffee while my girlfriend orders something a bit more exciting—an iced Nutella latte, one of Ipsento’s signature drinks. The Nutella latte is sweet, of course, and has a nice mouthfeel. The notes of espresso both cut through the sweetness and combine nicely with the nutty notes from the Nutella. Overall, it is a wellbalanced drink and it is easy to see why it is one of their signature drinks.

My coffee is not a pour over, it is nothing fancy. Over the past five or so years there has been a shift in Third Wave coffee shops—many that either used to,

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or would have, exclusively brewed via pour over or press-pot (French press) have adopted serving the once dreaded drip-brewed coffee. The reasons for this shift are two-fold. First, you can imagine how hard it is to keep up with demand if you are manually brewing every single cup of coffee and second, the technology to brew good tasting coffee on drip makers has vastly improved. The cup of coffee has a well-rounded flavor and though this is purely personal preference, I would prefer a slightly altered coffee-to-water ratio and stronger cup of coffee. As I tend to consume my beverages slowly, I continue to drink my cup of coffee even as it becomes lukewarm and even cold—and this is where the quality of a coffee is showcased. The hallmark of a well roasted and brewed coffee is that it still tastes good after it has gone cold—this is on account of taste receptors in the human mouth not being able to register bitterness or sour notes when a cup of coffee is piping hot. This can also help explain why so many folks have disdain for hot coffee that has gone cold—because if they’re brewing things like Folgers, etc. It’s simply inferior and therefore tastes awful once it has gone cold.

We will once again finish with a little background on the shop in discussion. Founded in 2006, this shop is unique in that their name is taken from the Latin roots of two words: “ipse” for self, and “sentio” for to discover. The story behind the name is rooted in the owner’s belief that we are all on a journey of selfdiscovery. Their overarching goal is for their coffee and snacks, crafted with quality, to be an experiential part of each patron’s self-exploration and discovery.

As I found myself appreciating the aesthetic, the coffee, and service this is a shop I can recommend with confidence.

WRITTEN BY GABE NYE PHOTOGRAPHY BY HEX HERNANDEZ

FIND IPSENTO 606 1813 N Milwaukee Ave. Chicago, IL 60647 www.ipsento.square.site

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S U P E R K N OVA In her own words, Ellie (Superknova), discusses her music and how she uses it as activism and awareness.

Ellie, give me a snapshot of what your relationship with music was when you were younger. What was your relationship to music before you actually started to learn an instrument.

Honestly, I really don’t remember. I honestly can’t remember my life before I started playing music. I feel like my life started when I started playing music.

And also because I started so young. I think I started piano when I was like seven or eight. And, then I think I started guitar when I was like 10 or around that time.

So I really honestly don’t remember. Music is just something that’s always been in my life and playing music has always just been such an integral part of who I am and what I do in one way, shape or form. So yeah it’s, I honestly don’t remember.

When you first started music, did you have a longterm goal? If so, what was it, did it change along the way?

When I first started playing music the first love I had was with playing guitar and I just loved playing guitar so much. I just wanted to play in bands. I was enamored by the concept of bands, of playing in a band, of being a guitarist. And it doesn’t even matter what style, like I loved playing guitar so much like I love playing guitar in rock music and blues and jazz, you know so many styles and that’s also why I played in so many bands between like, you know as young as grade school to college. I played in so many different genres again from pop to rock to blues to jazz, to meddle too, you know electronic stuff. Because, I just loved music and I just love playing guitar no matter what form it took.

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I think eventually my goal was, you know, it would be awesome if I didn’t have to have a job and be able to do this for a living in some way, shape or form. And I’m actually getting pretty close to that, which is very exciting. But also I really learned the opposite of selfsufficiency and being able to play my own music and right songs and be my own band.

I found is like, even more exciting, with the power of MIDI, the modern technology we have today to be able to program my own drums or play my own drums and write my own songs and lyrics and hooks and play the piano and play the all the other instruments and arrange it and mix it and master it even, which is what I do. I, you know, I do pretty much everything, it’s kind of that same love for music has never changed and same love for all the different styles, but what I can do as a solo artist, that has kind of changed has been really exciting. And finally, also just really recognizing just the power that music has for social justice and change and to influence people’s emotions and things. you know, I’m really blessed to make queer pop music and get messages from people on how much you know, my music has been able to possibly impact their lives and help them to their own transitions just as music did for me when I was going through transitions and when I was younger, you know, in the way that inspired me. that’s just like another new goal that I realized of how I can use music to help other people in addition to myself in addition to just making good music and having a good time, it can be something even bigger and more powerful again as it was for me when I was growing up and for key moments in my life as well.

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bit of that punk rock spirit.

Would you say that much of your music is selfexplanatory? (If so could you tell us how/why) Yeah, I would definitely say that my music is selfexplanatory. You know, I think there’s not a lot of nuance and subtlety to my songs. I mean my second home was called American Queers. I make what I tell people. I’m a queer pop music and that’s definitely, you know, partially intentional because you know, I make music as a queer person and you know obviously I for everyone, but also first and foremost for queer people for people like me and you know, I think it’s getting better in our society, but it used to be so much that and sometimes still is that queer things or even queer positive messages are kind of like hidden or implied or you know in this very subtle way and you know I want with what I do to be very blatant and Blash very proud, loud and proud about who I am and what I do. part of it also is to just like, you know, I started you know my first band that played in more punk rock bands and punk rock is all about you know being very loud and blatant and obvious and you know if I think something comes through and what I do still comes through and what I do in my music and my lyrics as well. So, a little

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Beyond the actual music, lyrics, are there any other ways you try to express your creativity?

(Discuss your video, and/or your photo shoots) Yeah, absolutely. I think another outlet for me for creativity that kind of ties into my music is through YouTube and through videos. I recently started doing some kind of tutorial videos on YouTube.

Partially just because I completely do everything myself. I record, mix and master myself, and I’m pretty much completely self-taught in that aspect.

Like, everything I know about mixing and mastering pretty much comes from YouTube or some other guide on the internet that there’s so many of now.

Which is amazing, you know! It’s never been a better time to be a self-produced, self-recorded, self-mixed musician. But, you know, the vast majority of them, obviously there’s some exceptions, some great exceptions, but the vast majority are, you know, made by white, just men, white men on the internet.

And so I want to just be like one queer trans woman making tutorial so that people could learn about mixing and recording without listening to cis-white man talk with them. So, I try to make those videos. I like being creative in how I film in them and kind of like the look of them. And also, I talk about them…

For example, I did a tutorial on how to make a like a D. I. Y. microphone out of a vintage telephone, like a telephone as a microphone. It’s actually really easy to do and actually pretty cheap if you’re like bio thrift stores that have those phones. And you know a lot of those videos they talk about like cables and plugs and like in electronics and electrical engineering or whatever and plugs they called like the pin end the male and the plug in the female. And it’s really gross and fucked up. And so, like I just talk about that in the video and I’m like, I don’t call it that lets you know, like, please start calling it the pin end of the plug in. Don’t bring genitals, especially this transfer of glens of genitals into cables and music equipment. But yeah, so I just always try to bring those things into the videos and that’s been like a really fun, great way, to give back a little bit to the community that I learned a lot from, and also to just be another voice in that arena. Yes. Last June you were raising money for Black Justice & LGBTQIA+, what experience was like for you?

I was honored to be able to give to the movement, JUNE 2021 / WWW.RADIOONECHICAGO.COM

in that way to be in a position to be able to donate to raise money and to contribute to the movement through social media and through funds. Obviously, that’s only one relatively small way that you can contribute to the movement. But yeah, I’m just honored that I could be a part of this very special moment for the fight against racism in this country.

Obviously, it is very unfortunately, very tragic events that brought about this large boost that happened last year. But, it’s also really beautiful how the community and several communities came together to really build momentum for the movement. And I hope it just continues to grow and build, this year, as more communities come together, and people start to learn about the deep team play rooted, systemic and structural racism that is in this country and in the world.

Last year along with your fundraising you also participated in protests. What was that experience like? What did you learn that you never thought of from participating in protests?

It was incredibly powerful and inspiring to see what Black activists in this country and all over the world, activists in general. Obviously, particularly Black activists have done to bring this moment together, and just the power that they have and the power of the communities to make this moment happen, and to help bring about some structural change against racism in this country. Obviously, we’re a long ways away from the end of that fight, but I’m just honored to be privileged to be there and be a part of their movement, and can you continue to grow and build that momentum into 2021...

It’s been a year since you were raising money and not a lot has changed. What are some things that we can do to help push things in the right direction?

It’s not all of us to fight white supremacy in all spheres of our lives, too... Continue to fight petition, protest racist institutions, and divert funds from those institutions into Black communities, support Black activists and contribute in whatever sphere or any space you have a modicum of control over, you know, hire Black people in non-tokenized power and leadership positions, highlight black artists or voices within your communities. Buy from black owned businesses, put money into Black neighborhoods, you know, call out racist, white supremacist behavior within your work with whatever sphere of influence (CONTINUED...)

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your family that you have control over, you know, educate yourself and others to take that labor away from Black individuals and Black activists, to spread the word and to increase the numbers within our fight in our community. You know, it’s just about whatever doing. You can do, any of us can do, and have the ability to continue to fight white supremacy.

The US has been increasingly more volatile, where do you think people can search for hope? (Should they be searching for hope, or acting) You know it’s hard to say if it’s, I think in some ways it’s become more volatile but in some ways it’s, you know, it’s just that we’re hearing more about the things that have ever existed. I can speak for my own personal experience as an Asian person with all the Asian American violence. You know people like all this new Asian American violence, I mean that violence has been a racist violence has been in existence in America since the beginning. You know this thing about Atlanta, the horrendous murders in Atlanta and people are talking, you know the police saying oh he was just having a bad day and oh you know it’s not racist because the killer said it wasn’t racist. I mean that reminds me just of the exact same thing that happened With Vincent Chin in the 80s. You know of Asian American man who was out celebrating his bachelor party for his upcoming wedding and these two laid off auto plant workers mistook him for a Japanese man, he was Chinese American and they murdered him in cold blood because they blamed him for their job loss over you know the recent auto industry you know economy and the same exact thing happened the jury, the police said oh it wasn’t racist because they said they said it wasn’t about race and they sentenced him to $3,000 fine for murdering a man in cold blood in broad daylight. And so you know that you know Asian people have known that this is not new police violence against Asian people is not new racism against Asian American people is a new and white supremacy and these alt-right people. I mean, those people have existed for a long time, they’re just given more attention. So that’s my take on that particular point. I think we can draw some hope from the fact that also on the flip side that communities of color, marginalized voices, activists are getting more of a platform as well, so more people are becoming aware of the issue is becoming less covered up. You can’t really start to solve the issue until people know about, and you and admit that there’s an issue. And I think for a long-time people you

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know worked under the skies of like, oh you know, we’re not racist, you know, America is better and things you know this, this and that. And I think now that it’s kind of more out in the open, it’s a little bit easier to fight. And that’s a, you know, on a positive note, a good turning point from some of the recent events.

INTERVIEWED BY HEX HERNANDEZ PHOTOGRAPHY BY LIZ (@lili_fang)

RELEASED

4/31

FIND SuperKnova Visit SuperKnova online at Bandcamp SuperKnova Instagram @superknovamusic Facebook @SuperKnovaMusic SoundCloud superknovamusic Twitter @SuperKnovaMusic YouTube SuperKnovaMusic JUNE 2021 / WWW.RADIOONECHICAGO.COM

JUST A FRIEND Yes mom, she’s just a friend.

Just someone I met in class when I was no more than twenty.

Someone who had the deepest brown eyes that made those stereotyped butterflies flutter up into my lungs & out through my nose.

This was the first breath I took with her completely in mind.

Yes mom, she’s just a friend Just a girl who I got drunk with at a party and put my lips on in a back alley as a cigarette hung lazily from her fingers.

And if she would’ve pulled away I swore I would’ve ran home with tears in my lids, but she didn’t.

She stayed ; We stayed.

Yes mom, she’s just a friend Just a human who dips her fries in her milkshake on our first date.

And she swears that it’s good and the funny thing is I believe her.

Because surely someone that beautiful could never tell me a lie, right?

Yes mom, she’s just a friend Just a woman who had her hands in my hair last night mom.

Just a person who was moaning my name last night mom.

Just a pair of thighs I was in between last night mom.

Yes mom, she’s just a friend At least that’s how you will always know her.

Just my friend.

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY ROSIE

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MAKING TECH HOUSE ANDINO IN CHICAGO Chicago is home to artists and musicians from all around the world whose exquisite music foundations converge effortlessly to become the sounds of the city.

Caro Arroba is one of those musicians.

I admire and continue to appreciate the music created by womxn. Producers, for me, are #goals.

That group of creatives is part of a large and diverse network of people doing great things in art, in music, in the community, and specifically, in Chicago. It is a pleasure to highlight people with roots in the Américas, like Caro Arroba.

After seeing recent maquinitas nuevas (new analog machines) made by Caro and posted on her social media, I reached out to ask her more. Caro is a producer. She creates enchanting electronic music with a unique take on techno with influences of Andean sounds and culture. This style of techno easily blends in to form part of a Chicago dance soundtrack.

It exemplifies the diverse sounds happening in the city.

Originally from Quito, Ecuador, Caro has been an active participant in the local music community and has performed in different venues across Chicago, like Navy Pier as part of LatiNxt, The Whistler, etc.

pandemic? How’s your music and what’s up now?

Tell me everything!

Well, look, the truth is that it was like space to reinvent a lot of things, for example, new concepts, new rhythms. Basically, I’m doing new things.

I also released something with a Chilean label for New LatAm Beats from Ecuador. I released a track with a label from Los Angeles called MojoHeadz Records in 2020 just as the pandemic started. You know, people were and are releasing a lot of music. It has been a time to release new things, new songs, and give a little chance to the virtual side of things, and all of that.

During most of 2020 were you satisfied creatively?

Yes, yes, I think so. I think that some of that time, during the pandemic, allowed for good ideas to take place, and like I mentioned, to take on some sort of reinvention. Because then you had to think about things virtually, how to prepare things for a virtual presentation and the live sets from your studio, and all that, right? So it was like starting something new because now you had to prepare not for an audience that was going to dance, but for an audience that was going to really listen to you. After all, they’re listening from home.

(Translated from the original conversation en español).

Have you been enjoying virtual presentations?

Oh, yes! The truth is that I love them! Yes. Caro goes on to explain the purchase of a new sound card for their phone so they could record their sets directly. Then we jump into a conversation about doing new things and she excitedly tells me about

How are you? How were things for you during the

(CONTINUED...)

Caro told me all about current music endeavors and what the month of June means to her.

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taking an ethnomusicology course.

“I bought a sound card and you record your sound directly to the phone because recording with the cell phone is lousy, you know? And I can also record and make videos, on my cell phone, and do that on YouTube, Facebook or Instagram with these cards.”

“I am back in school and going into a career in Classical and Popular Native Music of the Americas.

It’s been super interesting. The course covers everything regarding the colonization of music in America, and well, basically talks about art, sacredness, and transcultural theory. Many things that one sometimes forgets when you are, say, in your creative processes. Well, I always had it in mind, to have your own identity and all that, but it is very interesting because it makes you realize many things.

For example, we have an incredible wealth of music in Latin America that has not been recognized because everything we listen to is Eurocentric. All music that is not European becomes ethnomusicology, or it is simply left off the map, so nobody studies it anymore.

But there have been many pioneers like Isabel Aretz, I don’t know if you know who Isabel Aretz is. She is an Argentinean who, in the ‘30s, created a whole ethnomusicological study of indigenous music from all over Latin America. She is a pioneer in recording.”

Caro is enthusiastic about Aretz, her pioneering ways in recording so many indigenous sounds and instruments, as well as her many travels around the world to capture all of it. “She (Aretz) tells stories of recording and going from Patagonia to the Chilean Andes and then the Andes of Ecuador and just everywhere, to so many different countries. She was recording so many sounds, it’s like an entire science because we have so many cultures with so much music yet to discover.”

Where can we start learning about these types of sounds?

Well, you can listen to some of it in projects like mine. And many record labels in Latin America are dedicated to disseminating the sounds of indigenous peoples, whether it’s electronic like I do it, or through symphonic orchestras. But like I said, watch the documentaries about Isabel Aretz because she was a pioneer in this.’

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Tell me all about your machines!

Yes, mis maquinitas. I bought new modulars synths.

They are analog in principle but in reality they are already digital. For example, in the 60s they were analog but now with technology they’ve become digital modules. Not all, not all, obviously, there are still analog machines, I have three analog synths but the rest are digital.

The sound... it’s like, it’s a super pure sound. I mean, it’s like, I don’t know how to explain it to you. See what happens is that the synthesizers are electric energy and some sounds are extracted from that electric energy. So what I’m doing is making a little bit of organic electric sounds like these. And also sampling Andean sounds, that’s why I’m saying that it’s a music with a sense that it is not only new but also dependent on technology. Mixing technology with something organic is something incredible.”

What does this month of solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community mean to you?

Ah, well, that’s kind of completely my theme because I am part of and from this community. I think that inclusion does happen here in Chicago. But, in other parts, there is no inclusion for LGBTQ+ artists. It’s like everything is very segmented. In Chicago, though, there is inclusion. I like that because I feel part of something. And obviously, from the point of view that we all have rights, that’s something that should be done. We should always have inclusive spaces for queer people, for everyone.

In Ecuador, I also felt included because I got along with all of the people who are in this struggle. But in general, it was not so inclusive. If you wanted to play in other places it was not so inclusive and it was only all-in when it was an LGBTQ+ event. Here in Chicago, everything is inclusive. I like that a lot.

Let’s hope that the world continues to open up to our artists and other concepts. That it doesn’t continue to be just the heteropatriarchal standards that drive art.

Because that is typical, you know how it is.

Finally, which one of your tracks should we hear?

“Pasillo,” on the LatAm Beats from Ecuador compilation. Basically it is an Ecuadorian pasillo as the name says but completely deconstructed. It has the essence of a pasillo because it has some traditional scales but it’s not traditional because it’s a fusion. I JUNE 2021 / WWW.RADIOONECHICAGO.COM

deconstructed it with samples and the machines and very interesting sounds were produced. I also play a little bit of the typical pasillo guitar on the track and I added my voice.

On this track I try to put a spotlight on the vocals because I sing in Kichwa. I also include the postColumbian music of Ecuador, because the pasillo is post-Columbian. It is mestizo music.”

You can find “Pasillo” on New LatAm Beats from Ecuador: https://newlatambeats.bandcamp.com/ track/pasillo You can also hear the track “You Drive Me” featured on MojoHeadz Records.

INTERVIEWED WRITTEN BY SANDRA TREVIÑO PHOTOGRAPHY BY HEX HERNANDEZ

FIND Caro Arroba Visit Caro online at Instagram @caroarroba Facebook @carolina.arroba SoundCloud carolina arroba

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N EW R ELEAS ES

POIS ON BOYS

Can’t Get You Out Of My Mind | Released May 21, 2021 | New Album - ‘Don’t You Turn On Me’ - Releases Summer 2021 | Rock

DAMIAN A

Sunken Lupines | Released May 2021 | New Album - ‘Vines’ - Releases July 16, 2021 | Ambient Experimental

MEAT WAVE

Tugboat | Released May 26, 2021 | New Album ‘Volanco Park’ Releases June 11, 2021 | Punk

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JUNE 2021 / WWW.RADIOONECHICAGO.COM

J U N E P L AYLIST

HID E

Interior Terror (Album) | Released May 28, 2021 | Do Not Bow Down (New Single) | Released May 28, 2021 | Industrial Noise Punk

P IXEL G RIP

Pursuit | Arena (Album) | Released May 21, 2021 | Dark Wave Minimal Techno

GL AD RAGS

U Say (New Single) | Released May 28, 2021 | Alternative Bedroom Synth Pop

GAN SER

Look at the Sun (Remix Album) | Released May 7, 2021 | Alternative Art Rock

BODY MER R A

The Work is Slow (Album) | Released May 28, 2021 | Horse Flower Storm/Fabuloso (New Single) | Released May 28, 2021 | Experimental Body Music

JAMIE BRAN C H

twenty-three n me, jupiter redux (New Single) | FLY or DIE LIVE (Album) | Released May 21, 2021 | Experimental Folk Jazz

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J UN E PL AY LIS T

N EA L F RA NCIS

Put It In His Hands (Instrumental) | Changes (Album) | Released May 14, 2021 | Soul Rock

F IRE TO OLZ

I Can’t Die (Album) | Shitting Into Gaia’s Heart | Released May 7, 2021 | Electronic Avant-Garde

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2 MIN UTE MIN O R

LOCAL MOTIV E

My Side of the Story | Released May 14, 2021 | Hardcore Punk

D&E CH ICAGO

How I Miss You Momma | Released May 9, 2021 | Electroacoustic

Feel Happy Gospel (Remix) | Released May 7, 2021 | Afrobeat Nu Disco Gospel

MELKBELLY

Prehistoric Worm (New Single) | Released May 7, 2021 | Noise Rock

JUNE 2021 / WWW.RADIOONECHICAGO.COM

J U N E P L AYLIST

S P EE D B A BES

dance until it’s over (New Single) | Yellow+ (Album) | Released March 19, 2021 | Garage Punk Rock

M O D EL S T R A NGER

Breaks My Heart | Released November 13, 2020 | Psychedelic Grunge Rock

SUPERKN OVA

Goals (New Single) | Released April 30, 2021 | Queer Pop

AIRIEL

Bloom | Released September 4, 2020 | Shoegaze

REZN

Mirrored Mirage Dub (Album) | Released February 5, 2021 | Doom Drone Metal

IMPULSIVE HEARTS

Dearie | Released July 20, 2020 | Shoegaze Surf-pop

“DEARIE” by Impulsive Hearts is featured on Cavity Search Records 2020 compilation. Pressed on orange vinyl.

CSR140, Various Artists - Cavity Search 2020.

All proceeds of “DEARIE” will be donated to Chicago’s Brave Space Alliance - the first Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ Center located on the South Side of Chicago, dedicated to creating and providing affirming, culturally competent, for-us by-us resources, programming, and services for LGBTQ individuals on the South and West sides of the city. www.bravespacealliance.org

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J UN E PL AY LIS T

T WIN P EA KS

Any More Than You Want | Side A (Album) | Released July 3, 2020 | Americana Punk Rock

VARSIT Y

Runaway | Fine Forever (Album) | Released May 29, 2020 | Lo-Fi Indie Pop

TH E MOSES GU N

Nicotine Refugee | Released March 9, 2019 | Afropunk Rock

C HRIS G REEN QUA RTE T

Speak No Evil | Released February 1, 2019 | Jazz Funk Fusion Chris Greene Quartet at SPACE in Evanston, IL | LOWER CAP EARLY SHOW | Doors: 6pm | Show: 7pm Buy tickets here

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F EAT U R ED LO C A L L ABEL

HAUSU MOUNTAIN RECORDS

HMRC ARTISTS

BODY MERRA

Founded in Chicago by musicians and roommates Doug Kaplan (who records as MrDougDoug) and Max Allison (who records as Mukqs), this local label releases “everything from otherworldly synthesizer composition to frantic beat production in the IDM tradition to strains of free jazz infused with electronics alongside horns or drums – onward through any number of genre-bending mutations you might find in the “???” or “Avant/Noise” bin in your local record store.”

Recently featured on Bandcamp Daily - check out the article here www.hausumountain.com

Horse Flower/Storm Fabuloso | The Work Is Slow (Album) | Released May 28, 2021 | Experimental Body Music

DAMIAN A

Sunken Lupine (Single) | Released May 2021 | Vines (Album) | Releases July 16, 2021 | Ambient Experimental

FIRE TO O LZ

Rainbow Bridge | Released May 8, 2020 | I Can’t Die (Album) | Released May 7, 2021 | Electronic Metal Avant-Garde

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Art Mart Pride | E TH EL ALEGRIA

Instagram @ethela_photo www.ethelalegria.com