Black Rainbow by upcoming.studio

BLACK RAINBOW

CONTENTS

4 Watch me as I love

Story of a girl who was, is, and

Keana Korn

will be.

12 Lost And Found

A Selection of photographs taken by photographers.

18 Progressive

A provocative commentary on

Backpedalling

our attitude to development.

Jonas Le Thierry

21 Remember Youth

Tokyo life, on the rising sun for

Riomar McCartney

sub culture youth.

29 Hollow Bliss

What if everything was just a

Cyrus Korn

substitute.

41 Stubborn Life

What it‘s like to move to

Stevie Ango

London being a french dropout.

Watch me as I love

W O R D S & PH OT O G R A PH Y BY K E A N A KO R N

W atch m e as I lo v e

BERLIN, GERMANY

The wind didn’t spare any souls. She took the color of the sky, as it went black into the night. Nowhere could she be more safe. And though her spirit was elsewhere, her bones felt the cold of the evening breeze and collapsed at the sound of a branch. It rushed through her blood and made up her mind. She wouldn’t let go.

W atch m e as I lo v e

Somehow that didn’t feel right. The clouds surrounded her, leaving the church out of question. The rocks all around were shouting a suggestion. Give it up. Give it up, it isn’t worth it. She began to trust them, altogether they made sense. Why would she continue? She couldn’t hide forever anyway. All went black. Everything felt so heavy. Why the need to always search for something better? Just leave it, it’s too much work, you wouldn’t understand. The grass bent under her, as she slowly hit the ground. You don’t have a problem anymore if you just let it go. The voices were one too many. God if she could just sleep for a minute.

Her lips were pale and closed. Her face went white as her mind loved for the last time. She wasn’t that bad in the end. A bit thicker but lovely curves, a lot more to give, always a smile for one another. But they wouldn’t leave her alone, always something mean to say. If only they had stopped, she wouldn’t be lying there. But she’s alright, it’s finally quiet.

it’s finally quiet. it’s finally quiet. it’s finally quiet.

Lost And Found

A selection of photographs taken by photographers.

L ost A n d F o u n d

DNUOF DNA TSOL C

DNUOOF DNA TSOL

L ost A n d F o u n d

LOST AND FOOUND

Curated by Cyrus Korn from the VSCO grid. A

idyllic

noahpriebe

riomarmccartney

D faithmichael

alexandernalesny

mia-breit

G kasiasykus H riomarmccartney I

daftjunk

ccbroonie

rodagenic

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M allyheyally N daftjunk

Progressive backpedalling

WORDS BY JONAS LE THIERRY

P rogressi v e backpe d alling

A letter to my little sister, Salomé.

Dear Salomé,

tronic things have made us more free. Now

as time passes by, they tell themselves the-

Have you ever heard of any of these words?

people can talk to each other all the time,

re has been progress to give purpose to the

Liberal. Free. Conservative. Modern. Advan-

they can take pictures of all the dolls they

moments they ’ve spent and the energy

ced. Democratic. Do you know what they

see, find out something they don’t know

they’ve invested.

mean?

without having to find the right book and

I’m writing you this letter, because my love

They definitely all sound very complicated,

skimming through it, and they can do a lot

for you is infinite. I’m writing you this letter

but I’m sure you’ve already heard them this

of other things that they never thought

because I fear the way the world is chan-

week on the radio or when dad was talking

would be possible! But now, a bit like dad,

ging, and therefore I’m afraid of the world

about politics at the dinner table. I like to call

they are always with those machines and

that you are going to have to live in, longer

them “labels”. But don’t worry, I’m also not

they don’t look around them. Although they

than I myself will. So, I invite you to question

too sure how to define them, as everyone

can talk to everyone, they’re physically alo-

the immediate link between development

chooses how to use them for themselves…

ne with these screens everywhere. And you

and progress, and want you to ask yourself:

and sometimes even choose what they

know what’s even worse? Those machines

are the changes I am making day by day

mean, depending on how it fits into their

know your name, and they save everything

progress? Are the things people see to be

sentence. Some of them are seen as better

you do with them. So although you can be

good or bad always the way the majority

words, than other ones. For example, if you

really free using them and do so many cool

sees them? Changes will always happen,

hear the word “free” or “liberal” it’s usually

things, they can make sure you do what you

because of course, as time goes by things

a positive thing. When we talk about the

want them to do. Because, they will know

change. You see dad’s hair is grey now; I

future... my future, but also yours — which is

that you, Salomé, really like strawberries —

don’t live at home anymore; you need to do

bound to be longer than mine — we like to

they know you always look at pictures of

homework every day now, and so on. But I

say that we need to increase our freedom,

them, always talk to Anna about them, and

encourage you to, please, make sure that

become more liberal or democratic, we must

love looking at strawberry cakes — so as

you don’t always look at changes in a good

embrace modernity and gently neglect con-

soon as you are close to a strawberry shop,

way… just because they are changes. Ensu-

servatism.

they will tell you “Hey! You are next to

re that the changes you can control yourself

Conservatism... Often, when something or

Peter’s strawberry farm and he will give you

are positive, and if you are against a deve-

someone is described as “conservative”, this

3 free strawberries, if you only have money

lopment then say it and tell people who sup-

has a negative connotation — something is

for 1” — who would deny that offer? But now,

port it (politely and respectfully), that they

lagging, not open to adaption, stuck in an-

as you can see, you didn’t buy the strawber-

are wrong; and why they are wrong.

cient ideals and so on. Remember when the

ries because you wanted to, but because

Salomé, stay the angel you are to this world,

friends that came over for lunch last week-

your phone told you to! So, although there

keep the smile in people’s eyes who see you

end were talking about this old, grumpy,

are a lot of really nice things we can do with

before it fades behind a screen; keep your

conservative friend of theirs? People most-

all those electronics you need to be really

mother blushing to your kisses before sen-

ly use that word to talk about old things, and

careful with them, because instead of giving

ding them to her. Dear Salomé, keep on rai-

therefore old things often sound bad. But

you freedom, they can also take it away from

sing your beautiful voice against the loud

why do people always think that as time

you — without you noticing (because at the

majority.

goes on we necessarily improve/advance/

end of the day, you did get a good deal on

progress? Of course, some developments,

some fresh strawberries, that you still love).

for example many scientific findings — like

If we go back to my example of how the

when humans realized the earth was round

world was when I was your age, before you

— are evident progress. But I don’t think

were born, many people would say that the

that’s always the case. You’ve seen the com-

ideas from then are really conservative to-

puters, phones, the television and the other

day. If mum and dad didn’t have a phone,

electronic machines we have at home. What

they would be seen as “crazy” and maybe

do you think the world was like before they

also “conservative”. But, wouldn’t you agree

were there?

that some things sounded better before? I

Before, when you weren’t even born yet,

think that nobody is in the power to claim

mum was never at the dinner table with her

that being stubbornly “conservative” in

phone… and neither was I! You know why

one’s way of communication (considering

I’m good at football? Because I didn’t have

this may indeed mean sticking to more an-

a television or a tablet to play games, and as

cient habits), is a worse decision than fol-

soon as I had a free minute I would go out-

lowing modern, “better”, trends… and so I

side and play football. Let’s go back to the

also think that nobody can say that change

word “freedom”. You have an idea of what

and development is always an improvement.

that means no? You always say: “I want to

To be honest, in my opinion, humans are

be free to choose how much cake I can eat!”

very selfish. They cannot accept that there

Well, many people think that all these elec-

is no improvement during their lives, and so

SEPTEMBER 2017

Remember Youth

W O R D S & PH OT O G R A PH Y BY R I O M A R M C C A RT N E Y

T O K Y O , J A PA N

R e m e m ber Y o u th

It’s 4:36am, now west bound in Shimokitazawa. Oh dawn, it’s happening and traffic is getting heavier as commuters come along. They are so damn early I’d say. We are half asleep, but enjoying the sesh after that nice ramen, it kept us going, pushing through the city and never stopping. It feels like we can keep going, pretty much forever until we can’t. Night sesh here is one of a kind, the crew have no drama, and the vibes are very legitimate.

It’s 5:00, it’s sunrise land. We are damn beautiful.

Hollow Bliss

F E A T U R I N G C A R A LY N N PH OTOGR A PH Y BY C Y RUS KO RN

HAMBURG, GERMANY

Hollow

noun An enclosed space within something.

H ollow B liss

Never felt so small under the houses of trees.

A few words with Stevie Ango about life in London as a french dropout.

PH OTOGR A PH Y BY ST E V I E A N G O

S t u bborn L ife

Before he left for London a year ago, Stevie was living in a small town somewhere in the south west of France called Hossegor, where most of his days included chilling, surfing, and drinking beer. Now he’s working as a barista for Allpress at Dalston Junction. I thought it would be fun to know a little bit more about how he survives there. Besides, Stevie likes to shoot on 35mm film so I asked him to send me a few scans too. When I first tried to contact Stevie, I had no answer for 2 weeks and I was starting to think that he was dead. Then I got through another friend there who told me that he broke his computer — that was the only working device he had. Fortunately, I got the number of his shitty prepaid phone, and got to hear his voice for 30cents/ min. Apart from all the bullshit friends talk, I got to ask him a few “serious” questions about his life in London. Here are his answers.

Why did you leave the French coast to go living under the rain? Well, where I used to live in France, it ’s kind of a 4000 people town. And you obviously know everyone. That means you have no secrets and you’ll realise some people got a “big mouth”. With enough time, you quickly get who’s your friend or who’s your ennemy. And then you live in an unhealthy routine for the rest of your life. Fuck that! The world is bloody huge. I just needed to breath somewhere else...

What do you think about life in London? It’s ridiculously big... Everyone’s walking fast. And that ’s a good reflection of the political situation of London. You need to keep walking or dying trying to. Believe me, walking is really exhausting after a while... You got to work stupid hours to live decently and work even more to chill a bit. That’s quite annoying. Next time, I’ll move somewhere cheaper for sure.

What about friends? How do you deal with the fact of arriving without knowing anyone? When you think about it, most of your buds are old schoolmates. So basically, it’s a bit the same when you get into this weird adulthood phase. You get a job and your colleagues become your new mates. And then before you even realise, you are in that painfully British pub with your bunch of drunk lads, having some shitty pints of cider during this “manly ” afterwork party. It’s kind of depressing, but it’s probably one of those “step of life” I guess...

Do you see being a stranger as a disadvantage? Yes. Obviously. I mean, it ’s too easy, it wouldn’t be funny otherwise, right? When I landed here, I had no phone, no credit card (lost in an ATM in Zurich 2 weeks before). All I had was an 80€ fine from the German train company... It was kinda rude, but fun.

What do you do in your free time? I do drugs and shoot photos most of the time. But I like spending my days in museums, cinemas, exhibitions and stuff.

S t u bborn L ife

Something you miss? The fucking ocean of course.

The best and worst thing being a dropout in London? The best thing you can get is the 30% off on your transport card. Otherwise, life is really expensive.

Last and most important question, how’s the beer? We do have a few local breweries. But nothing crazy. You guys from Hamburg don’t have to worry too much about the competition from London.

BLACK RAINBOW /

CONTRIBUTING REDACTORS

ISSUE 01

Keana Korn Jonas LeThierry Riomar McCartney Cyrus Korn

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Keana Korn Riomar McCartney Cyrus Korn Stevie Ango

COVER IMAGE