Westerworld Issue 1

November 2012

01

Exploring Arts, Culture, Music & Film within Bristol.

WESTWORLD INCLUDING

FREE

Uwe English Society's poetry Nathan Moss-Bezzina Hot Chip Bat for Lashes FEATURED UWE ARTISTS

Oliver Hamilton Edwin Fox

2

Featured UWE artist

Oliver Hamilton I am a third year animation student at the Bristol School of Animation.

Although creating animation is a primary goal of mine, my real passion lies within designing characters and worlds to set stories in. I also enjoy creating illustrations in my spare time.

My inspiration comes from anything that is playful, strange and well designed, being an avid hoarder of children's illustration books and comics.

My ambition lies within working in animation for children, the pre-production and design stages in particular.

Editor

Join us on

Creative Direction

Contributors

Special Thanks

Contact

Emma J. Hardy

Facebook

& Design

Khoi Nguyen

UWE English

Western Eye

westworld@westerneye.net

facebook.com/westworlduwe

Monica Giunchi

Owen Chambers

Society's Poetry

Frenchay Campus

Twitter

monicagiunchi.com

Oliver Hamilton

Coldharbour Lane

twitter.com/westworld_news

design@westerneye.net

Edwin Fox

Bristol, BS16 1QY

O. J. Tong

Typeset

Myrna D'Ambrosio

Tess Henderson

Grotesque MT Std

mybitsnpieces.tumblr.com

Ben Squire

Berthold Akzidenz Grotesk

myrna.dambrosio@gmail.com

Nathan Moss-Bezzina

& Warnock Pro

Tumblr westworld-news.tumblr.com

Music Reviews

3

MUSIC REVIEWS HOT CHIP O2 Academy Bristol Khoi Nguyen Hot Chip makes you dance. That’s one of the undeniable

Merucry Prize award, so it is safe to say that we will be

facts of life. Cats meow, dogs bark, footballers fall over

hearing more of these Edinburgh boys in the future. And if

quite easily and Hot Chip makes you dance. Whether one

that isn’t enough to convince you, I still stand by my opinion

remembers this rather loose philosophy when attending one

that one of the members looks like a twenty something

of their shows will no doubt never forget it by the end of the

version of John Major. Bizarre, to say the least.

night, with their heads still swimming with main vocalist

Bizarre seemed to be the order of the night, as Django

Alexis Taylor’s smooth vocals and irresistible retro style

Django left to a deserved round of applause, Hot Chip would

dance-pop beats.

then saunter on, looking like characters released onto the

Fitting then, that the night got off to a superb start with

Picture: mihal_o

world by Timmy Mallett, but before anyone could sneak in

an equally impressive new sound by the support band,

unerring confidence, mixing what will probably be their

a ‘You look ridiculous’ comment, Hot Chip hit the ground

Django Django. With their debut album making a lot of noise

trademark of African wildlife sounds and the traditional

running with ‘Shake A Fist’; the album opener from ‘Made

within the industry, you couldn’t help but feel that the hype

setup of guitar, bass and drums, creating a musical force to

In The Dark’, and pretty much from there, you knew that the

was justified, as the four-piece band took to the stage with

be reckoned with. They have been nominated for this year’s

night was going to be a hugely entertaining one.

Twenty minutes later, when they broke into the simplistic but engrossing opening of ‘One Life Stand’, I noticed a weird

BAT FOR LASHES

Bristol Anson Rooms It is an effervescing and high spirited Natasha Kahn that

“Glass” before taking a well needed breather in the form of the

takes to the dimly lit stage in Bristol University’s Anson

achingly beautiful “Travelling Woman” in which the singer

rooms. Not the sort of entrance you would normally expect

retreats behind her piano to deliver the ballad from 2009’s

from a performer at the tail end of an extensive UK tour but

terrific “Two Suns” album with tangible emotion.

then again Natasha Kahn aka Bat For Lashes isn’t a normal

Saying very little to the audience but with a permanent

performer.

mischievous grin plastered to her face, Kahn cuts an imposing

Over the course of her three albums, the singer has blazed a

figure on the darkened stage with the backlighting throwing

trail from freak pop cult sensation to the Coldplay supporting

contorted shadows of her strange dancing high onto the

multiple Mercury Prize nominee she has become today. Along

Picture: Thomas Barnes

walls. New single “All Your Gold” gets a huge cheer as does

the way Kahn has perfected some of the most cinematic and

sputters to life amid sparkling synths and a thunderous bass

“Horse And I” from the first Bat For Lashes album but it is the

haunting music released this side of Kate Bush’s “Hounds Of

line, the crowd falls into an awed hush. I’m assuming that

knockout blow of “Laura” that receives the warmest reception.

Love” and established herself as the new queen of pop music’s

they did this due to the mesmerizing music emitting from the

As the song’s opening piano strains echo round the venue,

alternative side.

PA system but it could have just as easily been due to Kahn’s

the backing band exits the stage leaving the singer alone with

The above paragraph aside, it’s evident from the very first

hypnotically robotic dancing which make her seem like she’s

the spotlights and the pianist, to give a stunning run through

notes that we’re in for something special at the gig. As “Lilies”

been wired to the mains. The gig continues in the same epic

of what has to be one of the most affecting songs released

from the singer’s most recent album “The Haunted Man”

vain with rousing versions of “What’s A Girl Got To Do?” and

this year. She really seems to be putting everything she’s got into it which results in the audience erupting in clamouring

6

Featured UWE artist

Interview by Emma J. Hardy

Edwin Fox Graphic Design, UWE Bristol

Tell us a bit about your background

I went to a very ruff, low-end school in Bristol, and left with very basic qualifications and not many prospects for the future. I decided to take the avenue of the working world and see where it may take me.

What did you start off doing?

My first full time job at seventeen was with a local handmade shoe manufacture, where I cut the leathers for the shoes. I soon got bored of this line of work and wanted something a little more stimulating, creative and perhaps something I could get my teeth into.

I managed to obtain a position at a school, fulfilling the role of Technology Technician. I soon discovered my love for carpentry and general manufacturing/ construction abilities, so naturally wanted to follow this line of work. Shortly after making this decision, I wanted to learn more about carpentry and eventually become a carpenter. So I took on a role at a kitchen unit manufacture, producing bespoke kitchen units to specific requirements. This job role instantly didn’t fulfil my creative needs what so ever, as it was merely a machinist’s job, and didn’t possess any carpentry aspects to it.

After feeling disillusion with my poor attempt into the carpentry trade, I fell into a whole array of jobs just to pay the rent.

I worked as a garden landscaper then I worked as a waiter, barman, salesman, warehouseman and so on, until I came to the obvious conclusion that I needed to do something with my life. I needed to get creative again, and do something with my artistic skills.

After much encouragement from my sister and father, I pursued the direction back into education. In 2009 I started an Art & Design foundation course at Filton College in Bristol. I was finally filling a void in my life that had been there for a long time and I was becoming artistically creative again.

After my foundation year, I applied for the Graphic Design degree at UWE, and got in. This is where I started my career as a Graphic Designer and creative fulfilment.

Who are your influences?

After five years of working in various jobs, I picked up a lot.

Much of the influence I currently use in my practise and many of the skills will probably continue to be used throughout life. When designing I take much influence from my other interests and hobbies, such as my obsession for classic cars. People who know me, will have noticed that I can’t help but drop in something about cars into the conversation. I find this as a creative pastime and it’s most certainly something I will be continuing as a hobby throughout my life.

What other things interest you?

My other main interests are, music and dj-ing, House, Drum & Bass, Dub, Reggae and electro 80s such as Kraftwerk & The Human League. I go travelling where ever and when ever I can, and have recently been to Abu Dhadi in the UAE. Check out my motion piece I made of my experience- www.vimeo. com/36446229

What style do you like to work in?

Where design is concerned, I like to work with an aesthetic that represents the human touch. I suppose I sometimes work postmodern in style, as I have always admired the early Graphic Designers and Artists. A.M Cassandre, Josef Muller Brockmann, Marcel Breuer and other members of the Bauhaus movement, and styles such as Russian constructivism.

I often work with photography, as its also one of my creative passions and find it an extremely creative medium to utilize. I feel that getting an equal balance of imagery with typography,

Poetry

* Let me inhabit vast expanses, Open doors, empty glances,

7

“The UWE English Society's poetry�

I did not ask for dull romancing, Let her rot and leave her rancid, Inspiration - do not bother me, or any of my other bodies. Bloody, is this Mary?: Celery and red as cherries.

Security, I'm in-, and very happy to be here, and wary of Death's inevitability, in Life, in Love, in Victory. ***

Chestnuts

P.S, - *

In a moment, weary eyes grow

Melons, Cauli-

heavy. Staring as I should, at the

Flowers within me,

sorry procession of black. She

Vegetate my gait

was brittle and translucent, The

Then tin me.

paper that bore her image; at once together and alone. I clasp

Made the whites of the eyes of the whites in the cars wail,

Caster sugar solvent trickled treacle on the pavements, Clouds spit blue skies, gasp magnificent,

The Sun has got his blowtorch, he's melting all the ice,

my soft tendons, condensing a form of water. And I saw, in

This was more than rebel rain cells, was the Hell of all Hails,

Pearls of lightning form above you,

The Sun has got his blowtorch, Sugar, everything's alright.

A necklace stuck to clouds and rain and endless stars and sky,

Running Away Constantly moving, Picking up, dropping.

Trying to forget The time we met.

Leaving behind, Looking ahead, Falling into a net, Pausing to regret.

Various lips, Wandering eyes That met

Which repeats itself in tears that glaze the corners of your eyes, ***** Thunder makes you shiver into broken glass, So let me pacify these fears and overcast A spell to calm your nerves and sinew, Let me Kiss you, Let me Rain inside you, Let my Tongue reign you, Then I'll pick up all your pieces and I'll make you into mirror, So we can reminisce about the times we got reflective, ***** Which is married to the moment when we found ourselves connected, Collected, like two carnation pressed inside a novel, Let me travel down your Highways that are warm and worn and cobbled, Let me revel in your Meadows, let me battle with your troubles, Let me squeeze out all your Sadness, watch it float away in bubbles,

Submarine babies ripped From wombs that split tectonic plates, You call it 'Fate', 'An act of God', I call it 'Iminami', odd This Babe will burn All in its wake Then leave all pure For goodness' sake.

Seas have salted the Earth, Praise the Shells in Neptune's Beard,

And let

Seas have salted the Earth,

Guilty hands

Praise Shells! Praise Shells!

Feverishly grab For some respect, But just regret.

Variations on a Theme by Lord Byron:

Was it pretend?

The way we were;

She Sweats in Beauty.

Smoothing the sand,

If she walks in beauty,

Both of us land

May she sweat in beauty,

8

Creative Writing

Creative Writing Nathan Moss-Bezzina English & History UWE Bristol

Dear Owner,

I do not miss you. That sounds wrong, I know, but I don't anymore. At first I did, at first it ached to be away from you, you were always hovering at the peripheries. Every single thing I saw sent you hurtling into my thoughts, everywhere I turned, you were there like a faithful hound, but not now. See, you were my drug, before I met you I was fairly happy, I was alright,I would've been okay. But then we met and it felt like my world had been blown into trillions of twisted fragments. I didn't know how to process this feeling you had instilled in me. I was an unloved mutt shown a home, every fiber in my body was screaming at me to leave, telling me that this was too good to be true. Imagine my euphoria when I discovered that my reflexive extinct was wrong, that it wasn't too good to be true; that you did love me. That feeling didn't last long.

To me, love is chemical. That sounds clinical, almost cold. But that's just how I feel. So when we happened to be a good match, when we clicked, when my life was consumed with torturous thoughts of you, I didn't know what to do. It would have been fine if I could've seen you everyday; my addiction would've been fed. But unfortunately I was a starving junkie falling into a pit. Every second of my day was dedicated to wishing that I was with you. All other things were put aside, while my body would be systematically performing a task, my mind would be miles away, naively floating atop a volcano of adulation, waiting for it to explode.

Reflecting on our time together, I'm unsure of the accuracy of the word 'love'; to me it had