The Moby Gazette (A&Gazette #1) by My Own Business

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Vol. I – Nr. 1 – 2011

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www.angels-ghosts.com – @AndGallery

MOBY DESTROYED May 18 – JunE 4, a&gaLLEry, gHEnt

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HELLO! 2

greetings, earthlings

The Moby Gazette

Vol. I – Nr. 1 – 2011

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Vol. I – Nr. 1 – 2011

The Moby Gazette

Up until today, Angels & Ghosts was just a photography project – converting silver salts to metallic silver in order to preserve modern-day Karlheinz Stockhausens for eternity. In other words: we were busy taking black and white photographs of electronic musicians with our vintage Nikon F camera1!

(graphic) artists we like. In other words: we’re opening up shop and calling it A&Gallery.

As of Wednesday May 18, Angels & Ghosts will also become a tangible playground – a place for us to exhibit the work of photographers or other

This ﬁrst issue of A&Gazette (like an iPhone app, only on paper) is largely dedicated to our very ﬁrst exhibition: Moby’s Destroyed – also the name of the artist’s new album2 and photo book. Moby is one of many electronic musicians we have shot over the years; and the only one who has returned the favor. In fact, that’s how we found out about his lifelong pas-

greetings, earthlings

sion for photography: he knew how to work our analogue camera – a rarity these days. So when the occasion arose to present his first photo exhibition, we were like ‘maybe we should order some paint3 and finish that gallery we’ve been talking about’. On May 18, that paint should have dried – in time for the grand opening and the official after party (at Avenue L) with Moby, Aeroplane4 and Fredo. Exactly one week later, we will also open a second exhibition: a vastly

personal selection of photographs from Sophie Van der Perre, one of our favorite young photographers. Also, during our ﬁrst three weeks, we’ll throw a vegan barbecue5; sell books, LPs6 and other cool stuff; talk business; drink cocktails; and do a variety of other random things7. X PS: As Moby explains on page 10, the title of the album, book and exhibition comes from an airport sign

that said “unattended luggage will be destroyed”. Apparently it only ﬁt one word at a time and luckily Moby clicked at the right moment. Otherwise, this exhibition might have been called Unattended or Luggage – which would have actually been more appropriate, given the subject matter (see page 4), but also a bit less appealing. Plus: it wouldn’t have given us the chance to destroy a whole bunch of things.

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interview

The Moby Gazette

Vol. I – Nr. 1 – 2011

MUSICIAN TURNS PHOTOGRAPHER

Moby: “Excuse me! I’ve been taking pictures for 35 years.”

You undoubtedly know him as a musician but what you most likely didn’t know is that Moby has also been a keen photographer ever since he was a kid. “I was a real darkroom rat”, he told us when we met up last month in Brussels. “So it’s not like I’m celebrity #376 picking up a digital camera and taking some photos – I’ve paid my photo-chemical dues!” Words: Ben Van Alboom Photography: Wouter Van Vaerenbergh I first met Moby in the summer of ’99 when he was playing at Les Nuits Botanique – a not too big, not too small indoor festival in Brussels. The album Play had already come out but it had yet to sell the millions of copies it eventually ended up selling – which is probably why I got the interview in the first place (because I was only working for a student radio station at the time). Ever since, I had the pleasure of talking to Moby every couple of years, about music and stuff. Then, in the summer of 2008, we photographed him for our black & white series Angels & Ghosts – the result of that shoot you can see on this page. Three years later, it seems like the roles have been reversed. Or at least, they’re different. Angels & Ghosts is about to be transformed into a gallery; Moby is about to publish his first book as a photographer. The book is called Destroyed and Italian art book publisher Damiani (which recently also put out photo books by Tom Munro, Yelena Yemchuck and Harri Peccinotti) describes it as “a litany of intriguing photo images taken all over the world – a by turns stark, poignant, amusing and beautiful cavalcade of surreally deserted

cityscapes and urban ‘non-places’; airport buildings with endless corridors that seem to lead nowhere; and semi-abstract compositions of cloud forms and landscapes shot from airplane windows.” At the same time, Destroyed contains a vast number of crowd pictures, as snapped from the stage. As Moby puts it, “Touring is all contrasts and strangeness, and that's what I'm trying to convey in these pictures.” Destroyed is also the title of Moby’s new album – “a soundtrack for empty cities at two in the morning,” according to the artist’s copywriter. “It ﬂuctuates with nocturnal feelings of anxious isolation and comfort in quiet solitude. The songs on the album were written mostly late at night; in hotel rooms around the world when cities had gone to bed and the insomnia that worldwide travel can induce fueled Moby’s need to create.” I remember writing a review about your previous album Wait for Me and calling it dark and melancholic. Then I read the press release of Destroyed and it’s like Wait for Me was a joyous pop album! Moby: “Well, I think they’re both fairly melancholic records. Then again, I’m the worst judge of my own music. When I’m making a record, I pretty much do everything by my-

self: write the songs, play the instruments, do the engineering. So by the time the record is ﬁnished, I have no objectivity and no perspective whatsoever. Sometimes I’ve made albums whose meaning have changed drastically over time – I hear them completely differently today than when I made them. Having said that, I think Destroyed deﬁnitely has a certain quality of melancholy and loneliness to it but at the same time I was trying to make an album that has a sense of warmth and comfort to it as well.”

“Most books about touring show either the gritty or the glamorous side. I document the strange side.” A year ago, you told me you were thinking about making a double album – one side electronic, the other acoustic or maybe even orchestral. What went wrong? Moby: (laughs) “I still want to make an all-acoustic album one day because that’s what I grew up playing. When I was very young, I played classical music and even today I still really like the idea of making a completely non-electronic album. At the same time, I really love electronic music and when you’re making an album in hotel rooms late at night, it sort of limits the possibilities in terms of working with a lot of instruments. But even though it’s really electronic, there are a lot of orchestral elements in it. I guess you could say the idea of doing something acoustic didn’t make it but I did end up combining electronic and orchestral music.”

BE THE FIRST TO SEE MOBY’S EXHIBITION AT A&GALLERY Both Moby’s new album Destroyed (distributed by PIAS) and accompanying book of photography (published by Damiani) are set for release on May 16. However, the book, the deluxe CD and the deluxe LP will already go on sale at A&Gallery in Ghent on Thursday May 12 – from 22:00 till 01:00! That same evening, you will get a chance to see the Destroyed exhibition for the very ﬁrst time and buy limited editions prints. This event is open to all. Go to page 7 for more.

In a recent interview with Wired, you said ‘it really helps if you only know how to do one thing because then you have no fallback plan – I think it’s a key component for success’. Of course, you were talking about making music but now you’re also proclaiming to be a photographer. That’s two things. Moby: “I think the key to success is twofold: to only know how to do one thing and to love what you do. For example, there have been so many times in my life when my career as a musician didn’t work out. In the late eighties, I was living in an abandoned factory, in a crack neighborhood and I was making about 6,000 dollars a year. I was broke, I was hungry, I had no running water and I didn’t know how to do anything else so I just kept working on my music. I’m glad I did. (Laughs) About me being a photographer, now that’s a whole different story. Destroyed is my ﬁrst photo book but I’ve been a photographer since I was ten years old. I grew up working in dark rooms, shooting ﬁlm,

being a photo assistant; I just never felt the need, let alone comfortable sharing my work with anybody else. Even now, 35 years later, it still feels strange but I’m glad I’ve made this book.” I’m a bit puzzled though because when I talked to you around the same time last year, I asked you whether you would ever publish a photo book. Your answer: ‘I don’t think that will ever happen.’ Moby: (clearly puzzled as well) “Huh. I guess it shows that up until recently, I never thought of actually doing anything with my photography. It’s only when I showed some of the images in this book to a couple of painter friends of mine in New York that the idea of doing a book slowly started to grow inside my head. They really encouraged me to look into it while I never – in all those years – started seeing myself as a professional photographer. Now my uncle, he really was one – working for The New York Times and National Geographic. He

interview

Vol. I – Nr. 1 – 2011

The Moby Gazette

was also the one who gave me my ﬁrst camera: an old Nikon F camera, the standard workhorse camera for professionals in the '60s and '70s. Compared to what he did, I was an enthusiast, not a professional.”

like people. It’s just that, esthetically, I like formal compositions. So if you look through the photo book, you’ll see most photos are exactly that: formal and conventional. And it’s hard to do that with people. People don’t have angles. Also, as a species, when we see a photograph of a human, we don’t notice their environment. Our eyes immediately go towards the human. We look at their facial expression, we look at what they’re wearing – things I’m just not that interested in. I’m really much more fascinated by our environment. So I think that’s one reason why I – for the most part – left humans out of the book. But I also really wanted to create that strange juxtaposition of empty spaces and spaces ﬁlled with a couple of thousand people because that’s deﬁnitely the single strangest thing about life on the road.”

But you also studied photography, right? Moby: “Right. When I was in college. They had these annoying darkrooms that led me to develop obsessively so other people wouldn't steal my chemicals. It kind of reinforced my belief in the DIY aesthetic.”

“Models in clown costumes submerged in tanks of water? That might actually be a good idea!” What really struck me about the photos in the book is that there are a lot of people in them but no real persons. It’s like you prefer big crowds to intimate encounters? Moby: ‘Or maybe I’m just really shy? (Laughs) Actually, I am kind of shy so I never take that many photos of people. But it’s an interesting point you make because I feel that is exactly what Destroyed is all about. The book is a quite formal documentation of what I experience when I go on tour and yet it’s also a very unconventional touring book. Most books about touring involve guitars, sweaty musicians and packed tour busses. They show either the gritty or the glamorous side of touring. I document the strange side of touring: empty hotel rooms, weird airports, ﬂying over odd deserts in Chili, the strangeness of being backstage in an anonymous dressing room and then suddenly being in front of 50,000 people. So in all honesty: on my tours, I don’t ‘experience’ that many people. It tends to be either 50,000 people or nobody – which I’m sure, psychologically, can’t be very healthy.” Yeah, but surely you must have some friends while you’re on tour? Moby: “Well, just to be clear on this: I

So models really needn’t bother? Moby: “Oh, I’d like to work with models. I just wouldn’t know what to do with them – apart from putting them in clown costumes maybe. Wait! That might actually be a good idea: models in clown costumes submerged in tanks of water. I could make a whole series! Okay, that’ll be my next project.” Yes, well. Let’s talk about André Kertész, who you list as a major inﬂuence on your work. Do you know that Kertész – despite being one of the most inﬂuential photographers of the 20th century – considered his body of work to be hugely overlooked? Basically, he wanted more recognition. What about you – as a photographer? Moby: “Do I want to be recognized as a photographer? No. Just like I was never hoping to get recognized as a musician. I just really love making music and I really love taking pictures. Of course, I also really love that I have an audience; that there are people willing to listen to my music and look at my pictures. The fact that they also talk about them makes me feel really humble and thankful. Bottom line though: I just love the medium of photography and how ubiquitous it is, how powerful it can be, how it can take our world

and show it back to us or how it can even create worlds that have never existed. For me personally, part of the appeal of photography is to better understand the world I live in and to better understand those moments of my life – to document experiences that are odd or personal and to reexamine them.” Right, but all of that was fine when you just took those pictures for you and your friends to see. You might have even put them on your website or Facebook without anyone really noticing. Putting out a book changes all that. Now, you’ll have photo critics judging your work. Moby: “And I’m a little concerned about that. There’s a long tradition of musicians trying to be visual artists or putting out photo books. Usually, their work isn’t very good. The only thing that makes me feel qualified to do this is that I’ve been shooting photographs for so long. And also, strangely enough, the reaction from the photo world thus far has been surprisingly good. I’m pretty sure somewhere down the line there will be someone who does not like what I do but so far I’ve had no complaints.” (Laughs) What is it about André Kertész that appeals to you most? Moby: “His ability to combine spontaneity with composition. He’d be in a hotel room taking a picture of the street and it would be accidental but the composition would be very formal. I appreciate people who approach photography almost like set design, but I also love the idea of finding that which is strange or disconcerting or beautiful and documenting it.” Which other photographers have been important to you? Moby: “Well, my biggest inspiration, from the time I was about five years old, is Edward Steichen – because the only art book we had at home was a Steichen book. I used to go through it obsessively, to the point where the images are burned into my consciousness. A more recent influence has to be Wolfgang Tillmans. Why? Because in the ‘70s and ‘80s, photography

techniques almost took precedent over composition. Then Wolfgang Tillmans came along and said: ‘by the way, if you have a crummy little instamatic camera you can make remarkable images as well.’ There’s something really liberating about that.” If you could ask any photographer on earth to take a picture of you, who would that be? Moby: “That’s a hard question. (Thinks for about four seconds) Wolfgang Tillmans already shot me a couple of times so I think I will go for Sally Mann. She’s definitely one of my favorite photographers. Or you know what would be interesting? There’s this Japanese photographer called Hiroshi Sugimoto, who shoots very minimal, very abstract photographs. It would be fascinating to see what he would do if he took a portrait of someone.” You told me you started out as a darkroom rat. Do you still shoot on film? Moby: “No, I don’t anymore. The first and primary thing is the environmental aspect: developing film stock exposes you and the environment to a nasty array of chemicals. So the less film I use, the better off we all are. Digitally, I can shoot as much as I want – without having to worry about the cost to the environment. Other than that, a lot of what I shoot is still SLR. I also continue to shoot manually even though I have an automatic digital camera. I just like to be able to control exposure and depthof-field. When it comes to the actual processing though, I’m a bit clueless. I have photographer friends who are real Photoshop wizards: they’ll chop up a photo into its component parts, brighten some, take some out of focus and move things around. Maybe it’s laziness or respect for the original image, but I don’t touch the image very much.” I was rather surprised to find out you’ve moved to Los Angeles recently. I always pictured you getting a statue next to Lady Liberty one day. But then I remembered something David Lynch once said to me – something about the light

in LA being absolutely perfect to shoot movies in. So you’ve moved to LA because of the light? Moby: (laughs) “If you mean sunlight, you might actually be right: I like to be warm in winter. But the most important reason for me moving to LA is that New York has become so expensive that artists can’t afford to live there anymore. When I moved to the city in the ‘80s, it was all falling apart. New York was edgy, dark, fascinating and attracting thousands of writers, musicians, all sorts of artists. Over time, New York has become a very rich place. My neighborhood used to be populated with artists; these days there are only hedge fund managers and Wall Street employees. That’s why the eastside of LA, where I moved to, feels like coming home. It’s this really fascinating creative community with lots and lots of artists. Plus: LA is such an inexpensive city – anyone can live there. You can get a big enough space to work in and still be able to pay the rent.” Okay, but seriously: is LA light better than New York light? Moby: “I think … (Pauses) You know, I think I like LA better at night. In a strange way, David Lynch might have also been talking about how this city looks at night – with its strange ﬂuorescent lights that make for interesting illumination. There’s a real emptiness to it at night because it doesn’t have the concentration that other cities have. After dark, some of the streets really empty out. Like if you watch Inland Empire, David Lynch shot most of that movie at night, when LA becomes an even more messed-up city than during the day. I mean, it’s warm and beautiful in some places but it’s also this strange, crumbling, almost apocalyptic city as well. And then there are so many different cities within LA. There’s downtown, which actually looks like a city. There’s Beverly Hills, which is strange, sterile and manicured. There’s Hollywood, which still has crack heads and trannies walking down the street. And then you go up in the hills and there are mountain lions, coyotes and rattlesnakes. These are all reasons as to why I just have to live in LA right now.”

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THE GOLDBERG SISTERS

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AMON TOBIN Isam

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Smoking in Heaven

(a.k.a. Adam Goldberg)

Eleonore

DAVID LYNCH

JOSH T PEARSON

bon appetit

The Moby Gazette

GHENT: THE VEGGIE CAPITAL OF EUROPE Moby might very well be the world’s most famous vegan (or he’s definitely playing in the same league as Morrissey, Thom Yorke, Alec Baldwin, Erykah Badu, Anthony Kiedis, Jared Leto, Ed Templeton and – okay, this guy might actually be a tad more famous – Brad Pitt). So it’s only fitting his first photo exhibition is traveling to Ghent, ‘the veggie capital of Europe’!

oor kiest v

Some people may ﬁnd it hard to believe but Ghent has more vegetarian restaurants per capita than major cities like London, Paris and Berlin. According to the website HappyCow.com (which Moby often uses when he’s on tour to ﬁnd vegan places to eat) there are seventeen vegan, vegetarian or veg-friendly restaurants and organic supermarkets in Ghent. That’s a lot for a city of 247,000 people – though Moby would probably argue there could still be more. Right? “Well, I have had long periods of my life where I've been insufferable and sanctimonious about animal rights and being a vegan,” Moby once told the American newspaper The Oregonian (which is, despite its fairytale-like name, a real newspaper). “The only thing I accomplished was irritating my friends and family. To change people's minds, you have to respect the people you're talking to. Part of that is presenting the facts and not being pedantic or judgmental.”

And that’s exactly what the musician did when he ‘edited’ the book Gristle – a collection of essays that explore issues of food safety, factory farming, compassion for animals and how the food we eat effects the environment (see page 9). But it’s also what the city of Ghent has been doing since 2009, when it jumpstarted Donderdag Veggiedag (Thursday Veggie Day) – effectively encouraging its citizens/restaurants to eat/serve vegetarian meals on Thursdays and informing people about the health and environmental benefits of a vegetarian meal. The results are impressive; with one in five inhabitants not eating meat or fish anymore one day of the week and over forty percent indicating they’ve already ordered a vegetarian dish when out eating. Now, to persuade even more people, the city of Ghent is inviting everyone to come taste a variety of vegetarian appetizers from ten different restaurants on May 19 at the loveliest spot in town – for just €2. Admit it: that sounds like the perfect way to shake of that hangover from Moby’s party the night before (see page 7)! Veggie Afternoon, May 19 (16:30 – 19:00), Korenlei & Graslei, Ghent, gent.be/donderdagveggiedag

Vol. 1 – Nr. 1 – 2011

POLENTA SNACKS wITH TOMATO TAPENADE AND OLIVES

In case you can’t make it to our vegan BBQ on June 4 (see page 7) or Veggie Day on May 19, Ghent’s excellent vegetarian restaurant Avalon has slipped us this recipe (for twelve people; gluten-free). “A delicious yet simple dish that tastes like the sun”, say restaurant owners Tine and Kevin, who will also grace our Moby opening night with vegan appetizers. Bon appétit! Ingredients Polenta Snacks: • olive oil (2 tablespoons) • garlic (1 clove; crushed) • instant polenta (125 ml; ½ cup) • vegetable bouillon paste or powder (1 teaspoon) • water (375 ml; 1½ cup) • fresh basil leaves (4; shredded) • black olives (sliced) Ingredients Tomato Tapenade: • sun-dried tomatoes (4 tablespoons) • onion (¼; minced) • neutral or olive oil (3 tablespoons) • rice syrup (1 tablespoon) • chili powder (some) • salt

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Heat up the oil in a saucepan. Fry the crushed garlic for just two seconds and immediately add the polenta. Stir the polenta over so that it can absorb the oil. Add the vegetable bouillon paste and slowly drain the water. Stir vigorously with a whisk until the polenta cooks. Let it simmer for at least 4 minutes. Pour the polenta into a flat, low bowl and leave to cool. Cut out circles with a cutter and place on an appetizer plate. Prepare the tapenade by mixing all ingredients. Top each slice of polenta off with a little tomato tapenade, sliced black olives and some fresh basil. Tip: make polenta croquettes the next day by kneading the leftovers; turning them into burgers and frying them.

Avalon (Geldmunt 32, 9000 Gent) is just a stone’s throw away from the medieval castle Gravensteen. The restaurant is open from Tuesday till Saturday between 11:30 and 14:30. Every first Friday and Saturday of the month, you can also visit the restaurant for a five-course dinner. Info or reservations: +32 9 224 37 24 or www.restaurantavalon.be

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The Moby Gazette

Vol. I – Nr. 1 – 2011

THURSDAY MAY 12

wednesday MAY 25

opening A&gallery

20:00 – 23:00 (invitation only) Time to make it official with speeches, bubbles, oversized suits, too much perfume and lots of vegan appetizers from Ghent’s #1 vegan restaurant Avalon. Life is sweet.

22:00 – 01:00 One week before Moby’s Destroyed exhibition opens at A&Gallery, music fans and photo enthusiasts will already get a chance to visit the exhibition. On Thursday May 12, A&Gallery will open its doors for the very first time – welcoming everyone for a drink and a sneak peak at Moby’s photographs between 22:00 and 01:00. At midnight, we will also sell the first copies of Moby’s book Destroyed and we’ll even have the Deluxe CD and LP of his new album in store! Good to know: the first one hundred people who buy a book, CD or LP on May 12 at A&Gallery will receive two tickets for An Evening with Moby on May 18 at Avenue L with Moby (DJ set), Aeroplane and Fredo. Entrance is free and don’t worry: we’ll make sure we have enough books, CDs and LPs to go around. Also note that we will already be selling limited edition prints on May 12 as well.

wednesday MAY 18 OPENING DESTROYED 13:00 – 19:00 A&Gallery kick starts its first threeweek run with Moby’s Destroyed. Come take a look, have a drink, check out our gallery store, relax, take it easy. Life is good.

moby q&a 19:00 – 20:00 Moby will be dropping by A&Gallery for a brief Q&A*. He will then also make time to sign copies of his Destroyed book. Life is nice. * People who buy a print of the Destroyed exhibition on May 12/18 will be given priority access.

SNEAK PREVIEW DESTROYED

an evening with moby 22:30 – 05:00 (invitation only) Time to go crazy with Moby behind the decks of our favorite nightspot Avenue L – literally 23 seconds away from A&Gallery. It’s been a while since Moby graced Belgium with a DJ set so expect your Happy Socks to be blown right off. We’ve invited our good friend Aeroplane over as well – to work his cosmic disco magic – and we’ve asked Avenue L resident Fredo to turn water into wine, darkness into sunlight and crap ‘80s tunes into something far-out. Life Is Live. As Avenue L is a small club, it is impossible to let everyone in – really very sorry about that! But subscribe to our newsletter (www. angels-ghosts.com) or keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter to win tickets!

thursday MAY 19 OPEN FOR BUSINESS (AND PLEASURE) 13:00 – 22:00 We will probably have a hangover from the night before so everyone who drops by with a Dafalgan will get a 10% discount on all items in our A&Gallery shop (see page 9)!

GHENT VEGGIE DAY 16:30 – 19:00 Ghent is the vegetarian capital of Europe (see page 6)! Hurray!

OPENING SOPHIE VAN DER PERRE 19:00 – 23:00 With Moby’s Destroyed occupying our main gallery space, we’ve asked upcoming talent Sophie Van der Perre (see page 16) to present some of her superb new work in our Juni r Suite. Stop by to have a drink (or two) with her!

COLLECTING ART (FOR DUMMIES) Galleries are often very secretive about pricing; which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to us. The Destroyed exhibition consists of 55 photographs (40 x 50 cm), and while not all of them will be on display, they will all be available at A&Gallery for €478 (tax included). Number of editions per print is 30 (which means only 30 of them exist worldwide). Of course all prints are numbered and signed by Moby. Two photographs are also available in a much larger size (71 x 97 cm) and an even more limited number of editions (10 per print). They cost €683 (tax included). Please ask for them inside the gallery. Also, if you need help framing your purchase, we will gladly be of assistance. Everyone who buys a standard or large print on May 12 or May 18 (before 19:00) will receive an invitation (for two) for both the official opening on May 18 (from 20:00 till 23:00) and for the official after party that same evening at Avenue L. It’s our way of saying ‘thank you, come again’. Oh, and finally, it might be good to know that two photographs were taken in Belgium – one at Tomorrowland, the other in Vorst Nationaal/ Forest National. Who knows: maybe you’re in one of them?

friday june 3 MOBY PLAYS BOTANIQUE 20:00 – 23:00 He could have played (and sold out) any venue but Moby chose to promote his new album with a very exclusive and very intimate show at Botanique. And yes, it’s sold-out. ebay.be

saturday june 4 FINISSAGE & VEGAN BBQ 18:30 – 23:00 We’ve decided to end A&Gallery’s first run with a vegan BBQ. For €24, you’ll be treated to a) a wide variety of delicious vegan BBQ dishes b) a bunch of organic vegetables c) a list of cool summer drinks. So yes, drinks are included. Please send an email to BBQ@angels-ghosts.com (before June 3) to let us know if you’re coming.

saturday july 30 MOBY PLAYS SUIKERROCK 22:15 – 00:00 Moby is headlining this year’s Suikerrock – alongside Basement Jaxx, Deep Purple, Iggy & The Stooges and Tom Jones. www.suikerrock.be

ABOUT A&Gallery is run by Ben Van Alboom and Wouter Van Vaerenbergh (a.k.a. Angels & Ghosts). You can contact them (and bombard them with questions or portfolios) at ben@angels-ghosts.com and wouter@angels-ghosts. com. A&Gazette is an A&Gallery publication and has been graphically designed by Pieter De Kegel: notanothergraphicdesigner.com

ADDRESS A&Gallery is located in the center of Ghent: Schepenhuisstraat 17, 9000 Ghent. That’s exactly 39 steps from city hall.

OPENING HOURS From May 18 till June 4, A&Gallery will be open on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays between 13:00 and 22:00. The gallery will then close for about six week – returning mid-July with another exhibition.

ONLINE A&Gallery is on Facebook (facebook.com/AndGallery) Twitter (twitter.com/AndGallery) Tumblr (AndGallery.tumblr.com) Vimeo (vimeo.com/AndGallery) YouTube (youtube.com/AndGallery) Soundcloud (soundcloud.com/AndGallery) Mixcloud (mixcloud.com/AndGallery) We also have a website (www.angels-ghosts.com) but we don’t really know what to do with it. It’s such an old-fashioned concept.

THANK YOU Britt, Ilse, Jan, Janne, Johan, Joris, Giuseppe, Lana, Neel, Switn, Thomas, stijn, isabelle and Yolande for helping us out in getting the gallery ready in time!

'Design for enlightened Souls'

Check out our Moby contest on www.lanp.be Lanp Store - Bennesteeg 21, 9000 Gent

Vol. I – Nr. 1 – 2011

yes, we accept all major credit cards

The Moby Gazette

A&GALLERY SHOP At A&Gallery we like to sell cool stuff – other than prints, of course. Here’s a small selection of what we have in store.

IF YOU LEAVE Published by [arthur-frank], soft cover, 110 pages, € 18

AMATORSKI – TBC

If You Leave is a breathtakingly beautiful collection of contemporary photography – snapshots of a journey made by wanderers who study the mysterious yet uncannily peaceful feeling of desolation and loneliness. The book is self-published by our good friend and talented photographer Laurence Tarquin Von Thomas.

LP € 18

MOBY & MIYUN PARK – GRISTLE Published by The New Press, soft cover, 144 pages, € 14,5

We’ll let you in on a little secret: Amatorski is the best Belgian band. Period. They’re debut EP was ingenius, this new album is even more so, and one day they’ll make an album that’ll blow Thom Yorke’s head straight off.

Moby and Miyun Park bring together ﬁfteen leading voices to examine the food industry and seriously (!) talk farming, workers' rights, environmental sustainability, science, business and animal welfare.

DAIDO MORIYAMA – 71 NEW YORK CONNAN MOCKASIN – FOREVER DOLPHIN LOVE 2CD € 17 Psychedelic pop outfit Connan Mockasin – recently described by Drowned In Sound as ‘a twenty-first century version of Syd Barrett; writing cosmic songs laced with pop DNA that nobody else could pluck out of the clouds' – has just released its fifth album Erol Alkan’s Phantasy label.

MOBY – DESTROYED

Destroyed isn’t just the title of Moby’s exhibition at A&Gallery, it also the title of his new album and photo book (published by Damiani, hardcover; 128 pages; album included). The Deluxe CD contains a mini hardcover version of the book, while the Double LP includes a gatefold heavyweight vinyl with poster and a CD of the album.

Published by Rathole, soft cover, 65 pages, € 49

DAVID LYNCH – GOOD DAY TODAY/I KNOW

Another excellent book of black and white nudes from Araki – simple, sensual, and elegant. Sold-out in most parts of the world.

Published by Nieves, soft cover, 16 pages, € 7

LONELY BOY MAG. (NO. A-1: ALEC SOTH’S MIDWESTERN EXOTICA)

Every now and then, Erik Steinbrecher takes a stroll. For this project he explored Zurich´s red-light district – taking photos of vitrines. A selection of these photographs of artistic dancers were then printed out and overworked by the artist

Published by Little Brown Mushroom, Edition of 1000, € 14,5

EP € 18 – LP € 18 The ﬁrst in a series of men’s magazines, this issue features poetry, erotic text, pictures of ex-girlfriends and a photo story by Alec Soth – deﬁnitely one of our current favorites.

By now, everyone probably knows David Lynch is moving into electronic music territory. But have you already heard the remixes Underworld, Skream, Boys Noize and Diskjokke made of his ﬁrst two tracks?

HARMONY KORINE – PIGXOTE

A paperback reprint of the 2002 71 NY limited edition book published by Andrew Roth/PPP, which collected photographs Daido Moriyama – another hero! – shot on a half-frame camera while on a trip to New York City with famed graphic designer Tadanori Yokoo in 1971.

ERIK STEINBRECHER – HALLI GALLI

NOBUYOSHI ARAKI – LOVE BY LEICA

Book € 34 – Double LP € 21 – Deluxe CD € 18

Soft cover, 384 pages, € 54

THE GOLDBERG SISTERS

Published by Nieves, soft cover, 96 pages, € 21

LOMOGRAPHY LOVES JAPAN Diana F+ “KIRAMEKI”, € 89 Fisheye No.2 SHIAWASE, € 79

NEWSTALGIC

CD € 15,5 Pigxote brings together 49 photographs from Harmony Korine’s private archive in order to reveal a side of the artist’s creative process that remains largely unexamined. The book also illustrates Korine’s interest in replacing plot lines and other narrative tropes with intuitively arranged experiential moments.

Adam Goldberg is no longer just a photographer and – ‘I know that face!’ – actor, he is now also a wellrespected musician. His debut album has the space age vibe of those ‘70s glam albums – think David Bowie and Mott the Hoople. It breathes sophistication with a hint of decadence.

When conceived, these brand new Lomography cameras were meant to commemorate Japan’s Golden Week. Now, they have become a way to help a community with a lot of work ahead of them. With the purchase of these camera you contribute to the donation of €20 to the Red Cross Relief Japan.

MARTIN PARR – JAPAN Hardcover, 52 pages, Edition of 500, € 49 Martin Parr – hero! – handpicks a set of images from one of his favorite countries: Japan. Many of these have not been published before.

Photo frames, quoi! € 13,5 The NEWSTALGIC is a collection of metal frames inspired in geometrical shapes that give your photos a cool and bizarre volume effect. An alternative to traditional photo frames that combines minimalist design and easy use.

cherry picking

The Moby Gazette

Vol. I – Nr. 1 – 2011

Moby’s choice Usually you get artists to say ‘they’re all my babies’ when asked what their favorite songs, movies, paintings, books or photographs are. Which is really just another way of saying ‘I’m too tired to think’, ‘leave me alone’ or ‘I need all of them to sell equally well because I just installed a heated indoor pool and I don’t feel like taking a second mortgage on my house to pay for it’. Luckily, Moby is not one of those artists (and we’re not the type of gallery that will raise prices on these four photographs just because Moby likes them a tad better than the other 51 in the book; though we do feel our staff deserves an extra special hug if you decide to buy one of these).

PHOTO 1 Moby: “A very subtle picture and probably my favorite one in the book. It was taken in Paris – late at night. Sometimes, you’ll see these office buildings turning on all the lights at night when the cleaning crew is making its way from one floor to another. And so you’ll have this big building radiating light in the middle of the night. In this particular picture, the fluorescent light is shining across an empty courtyard – hitting a concrete building and making the concrete look even more crumbling and old than it actually is. It reveals all these details in the concrete, and then there’s also the steel of the spinal staircase and an orange Parisian sky looming above it all. Beautiful!” If I had to pick a song from my new album that would accompany this photograph, I would go with Rockets, which is also one of my favorite songs. It’s a very quiet and very repetitive song – I think they might work well together.

PHOTO 2 Moby: “This photograph of Chicago was taken from a hotel room. It’s a very formal, very clean and very detailed picture of a city late at night – with an almost perfect horizon. I love the clarity of it, and I love the fact that cities at three or four o’clock in the morning are completely empty – but all the lights are still on. It’s so strange creating all these miniature suns, all these streetlights, all these perfectly lit up store windows, and no one’s there. It makes me feel as if the apocalypse has happened and I’m the only person left on the planet.”

Of all the songs on the new album, The Low Hum would make for the perfect soundtrack to this picture. It’s the most descriptive song of what life for me is like when I travel.

PHOTO 3 Moby: “Obviously, I also really like the cover image of both the book and the album – the long white hallway with the ‘destroyed’ sign. Some friends of mine thought that I had photoshopped in the word ‘destroyed’ but it was actually there – naturally. The sign said ‘unattended luggage will be destroyed’ but it only ﬁt one word at a time.” I would probably go for the most aggressive song on the album to accompany this photograph: After. I don’t know why, really. I feel it would sound nice when looking at that picture.

PHOTO 4 Moby: “One of my favorite crowd shots – taken in Latvia. I was playing at this sort of like old Eastern European communist concert venue. It holds about twenty to thirty thousand people and it goes up at the back. It really gave me the impression of being surrounded by people – literally – and there’s a celebratory quality to that. It looks very beautiful to me.” Lie Down in Darkness is a very orchestral song, with my friend Joy singing on it. Again, not sure why I picked this song from the new album to go with this picture – it’s a very subjective choice. They do however feel very similar – to me. 2

Vol. I – Nr. 1 – 2011

The Moby Gazette

CHERRY PICKING

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interview

The Moby Gazette

Vol. I – Nr. 1 – 2011

RISE OF THE DRUM MACHINES doesn’t quite work, because it needs a tube. Most drum machine collectors, and there aren’t many of us, would see this Sideman as being the ﬁrst commercially produced drum machine. And I have two – I have one in storage that someone painted black to make it look cool, but I like this one because it’s still got like the original wood.”

So that’s the ﬁrst you got or that’s simply the oldest? Moby: “That’s the oldest I have. The ﬁrst one I got is probably the Rhythm King. I remember, years ago, a friend of mine had one of these sitting in his studio and he hadn’t used it forever. ‘The Rhythm King!’ I was, like, wow, Sly and the Family Stone used it, Blondie used it, everybody used this drum machine. And he was like, ‘Oh, if you want to, borrow it.’ So I borrowed it, and I sampled it, and I just loved it so much, I had to get one for my own. What’s great about it is that you can play the rhythms, but you can also play the individual sounds.”

Turns out Rick Moody, author of such excellent novels as The Ice Storm (made into a movie by Ang Lee) and The Diviners, is also a musician: Moody is a proud member of The Wingdale Community Singers and – on the side – a dedicated drum machine hater. At least, he was – up until his good friend Moby invited him over to talk about his gigantic drum machine collection. What was the ﬁrst rule of Fight Club again? Words: Rick Moody Photography: Jelena Vukotic Last year, in The Believer’s music issue, I published an excerpt from a long essay I’ve been working on for a year that argues against the use of the drum machine in contemporary music. This is a purely rhetorical argument, really – sort of like Jerry Mander’s Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television – and totally out of date because few people use drum machines anymore. They use samples of drum machines. They use computers to play the drums, to play the keyboards, and just about everything else (including the vox, if you’re T-Pain). Still, I made my argument nonetheless: get a live drummer! My friend Moby – he and I grew up in the same town (Darien, Connecticut) and were marked by it in similar ways – got wind of this piece and he wrote to me asking if I wanted to see his drum machine collection. Yes, he collects drum machines, but not the really slick ones that hip-hop producers employ. He collects the early, cheesy, slightly homely ones – ﬁrst used mainly by guys who played in

church basements and in the lounges of Holiday Inns. Moby likes broken drum machines and ones that were built from a kit. Plus: Moby has a dream! Well, he’ll tell you about it himself. So when you say you obsessively collect drum machines, just how obsessively do you mean? Moby: “There are seven billion people on the planet and I realize I will never ever be the best at anything. But I can potentially have the world’s largest collection of drum machines. So when I say obsessively, it’s obsession with a purpose. Ultimately, I want to have one of every drum machine made up until 1982. After 1982, they become more digital and I sort of lose interest.” What would the last one be, in 1982? The Roland 808? Moby: “The end point would be the very early digital drum machines, like the Linn Drum. So I collect the early digital ones like the 808, the 909 and the DMX, which is an early hip-hop drum machine. But then, after that, digital drum machines started to get a little too fancy – and a little too slick.”

So when you collect all these things, is it with the intention of actually using them in your own work or is this a collection just for the sake of a collection? Moby: “I love to use them in my own music. The great thing about a drum machine is that you just kind of turn it on and it does quite a lot work for you. But the old drum machines were never that good. What I liked about them is that they actually sounded like a drum machine whereas drum machines post-1982/1983 sort of tried to sound like a drummer. In the ‘60s and ‘70s, drum machines were compared to other drum machines; they weren’t compared to real drummers. And they were never supposed to replace a real drummer. But then, in the ‘80s, thanks to digital technology, they could actually have drum programs that in a crummy sort of way tried to sound like a real drummer. That’s when I lost interest. I liked them when they sounded more synthetic and electronic. Also, nowadays, a lot of electronic music is produced exclusively on computer. There’s no physical sound production so no one makes drum machines anymore. I’m almost a custodian of these old drum machines that have been in church basements and lounges at Marriott hotels, somewhere in New Jersey. And a lot of them have notes written on them, like this one. I don’t know if it works or not but someone at some point put masking tape on it – with a little note to himself. This one, down here, see, someone wrote his own little codes in pencil. Samba, he put a red X there and wrote a note that says ‘NO’. Clearly, whoever it was, he hated the samba.” It’s really the most bad rhythm, isn’t it, the samba? Moby: “Down here, this one, he

wrote like the tempos for different rhythms. Here it says ‘Fox Lindy’. You know, it’s not just collecting them. It’s when they arrive in the mail – because I buy most of them on eBay – and I ﬁnd out they’re not being shipped to me by hipsters. They’re usually shipped by a lounge performer who realized he had a drum machine in the basement that he might have used in the seventies but hasn’t in a long time. And so it comes in this crummy packing material with the old newspapers and the pencil marks. And that’s part of what I love about them – the winsome anthropology of the drum machine.”

“There are seven billion people on the planet and I realize I will never ever be the best at anything. But I can potentially have the world’s largest collection of drum machines." What was the ﬁrst old one that you bought? Moby: “The granddaddy is the Wurlitzer Sideman.” Which came with the organ of the same name, right? Moby: “Originally, drum machines were invented to accompany church organs. The church organist would play at the dance so they’d bring the organ and the drum machine downstairs for the dance. This one, it actually has built-in speakers, and it

You seem to have two of them. Moby: “I’ll go on eBay, and sometimes people take photographs of drum machines from very different angles. You know, like they’ll take a picture of this, from down here, or a close up on the button. And me, being crazy, I will look at the picture and be like, ‘I don’t have that drum machine!’ So I’ll order it, and it’ll come and I’ll be like, ‘Oh, I already have two of those.’ So I actually have three Rhythm Kings. And there’s the Rhythm Ace, which I have four of. One of my dreams – because everybody has to have a dream – is that I want to have the world’s ﬁrst drum machine museum. I want to rent a space somewhere and actually have a museum.” Model-wise, are there enough of them for a museum? Moby: “Oh, yeah. No one really wants them. You’ve got the cool ones, you know, like the 808. If you buy them on eBay, it’s like two or three thousand dollars because everyone wants an 808. But very few people want an Olson Solid State Rhythm Instrument so you can usually get those for twenty or thirty dollars. That’s one of the other reasons why I have extras.” People still sample the 808 a lot in electronic music now, right? Moby: “In every hip-hop record. The 808 is still used constantly. It’s like an old synthesizer. People collect old synthesizers because you can make tons of sounds with them. This Rhythm King: three sounds. And no one really feels the need to buy them because you can buy a sample disc that has all three on them. Let’s see if it works. (Nothing happens) For some reason … Come on … Oh!” (Sound) What year is this? Moby: “Sometimes you can ﬁgure out what year it is based on what rhythms they’re trying to approximate. This one, it might be early, early disco. If I had to guess, I would probably say ’73 or ‘74. Maybe ‘72. Some of the late ‘70s drum machines only had cool things – like reggae, and country western, and six dif-

interview

Vol. 1 – Nr. 1 – 2011

The Moby Gazette

ferent types of rock-and-roll beats – whereas this one has slow rock. So that’s the Rhythm King. Do you want to hear another one?”

It’s from the era before the gigantic snare sound. I kind of like this one. Have you used this one on a recording? Moby: “I haven’t. At least, I don’t think I have. But I had a bunch of friends over … Do you know DFA Records? James Murphy and LCD Soundsystem?”

Deﬁnitely. What’s the weirdest one that you have – the most unusual? Moby: “Well, I can’t pick a favorite because I don’t want to make the other ones mad. But there was an Ohio company in the ‘70s, and they made synthesizers and drum machines, but they sold the kits. So you had to …” Make it yourself ? Moby: “Yeah. You’d spend a hundred dollars, they’d send you the kit and you’d have to install it yourself. Also, it’s orange. This is someone’s homemade drum machine from … I’m guessing … nineteen… something. And it’s weird because whoever made it, I think left out some of the circuitry because it doesn’t … (awful piercing sound) That’s not supposed to sound like that – let’s try again. (awful piercing sound again, only not as loud) Hmm. Let’s see what … It might’ve broken even more since the last time. It used to actually work.” (sound continues) Alas. Moby: “Not bad though – as far as feedback goes. Oh, and here’s one that runs on some weird Japanesetype battery that I’ve never seen before. So unfortunately, we can’t listen to that one. And this is an ElectroHarmonix. They made Jimi Hendrix’s wah-wah pedals, and therefore – by deﬁnition – it’s kind of a cool company.”

Yeah. Moby: “Those guys were over here and we were playing these drum machines. I brought this one out and they were like, ‘We could really use that!’ The other ones have a sort of novelty factor but there were also those – this one and the 808 – where people realized they could actually get cool stuff out of them.”

“Mattel Made a druM Machine called synsonic and My MoM bought Me one for christMas in ’81 or ’82. i actually used it on a song froM My new albuM.” When was the ﬁrst time you ever played with a drum machine? Moby: “First time I played with a drum machine was in high school. Mattel made a drum machine called SynSonic and my mom bought me

one for Christmas in ’81 or ’82. I actually used it on a song from my new album. The SynSonic is a very early digital drum machine so it sounds really destroyed and messed up.” Does it have a cheese ball Casio sound? Moby: It’s not even that advanced. Every analog drum machine here, they’re all basically synthesizers. You know, they had one oscillator that would make a sine wave that would turn into a kick drum, and another oscillator would make a noise wave that would turn into a high-hat and a snare drum. The early digital drum machines worked according to a similar sound synthesis. They had a couple of sounds – really cheap sounds – that they would modify to try and make them sound like a kick drum or a snare. But the truth is that on this Mattel machine, the kick drum, the snare drum, the high hat and the tom tom all sort of sound the same. It doesn’t sound anything like a real drummer. It just sounds like a weird, broken-down old drum machine.” Do you have an engineer to restore all these drum machines. Moby: “Oddly enough, I’m okay with some of them not working. Sometimes people will have a horse they just put out to pasture, you know? They don’t expect the horse to race or jump or ever make babies. It just goes and stands in the ﬁeld and is happy. All drum machines have roughly the same circuitry though and – up to ’78 or so – they produced

all kind of sounds exactly the same. That’s why, in the ‘60s and ‘70s, the drum machine was the least cool musical instrument on the planet. Church organists were the only ones to use it. But then when Sly and the Family Stone wrote a song around one …” Family Affair, right? At the same time, the German band Can used one too. Moby: “Some great Krautrock musicians, yeah. And Suicide – of course. Suicide loved the really weird sound the drum machine made. But I suspect part of it was just expediency, too. You have a box this big or you have a drummer. And the drummer was expensive, had a lot of equipment, was really noisy and if you were playing a tiny little venue, it was easier to bring this tiny little box. By the way, Echo & The Bunnymen, as far as I know, is the first band named after a drum machine. Because when Echo & The Bunnymen first started, they didn’t have a drummer – they couldn’t afford one. So they had a little drum machine, called Echo.” What about this last guy over here? Moby: “So this is, in many ways, the drum machine that changed everything: the Linn Drum. All of Prince’s early records like 1999, Dirty Mind, Controversy, they were all made with this. I think that when this first came out, it was absurdly expensive – like thousands and thousands of dollars. And now, you basically have more sampling time on a greeting card. But

this is ’81 or’82 – right when all the old analog drum machines were sort of put out to pasture and they realized, ‘This sort of sounds like a drum set.’ Like the kick drum actually sounds like a kick drum. So I’m sure Depeche Mode and everybody who made drum-machine-based music in the early eighties, this Line Drum is what they started using.” The Line Drum is really the end of the line for you? Moby: “I have this because this represents the end, yes. I’m sure though there’s someone out there who has an emotional bond with bad digital drum machines from the mid-eighties – let him collect those; I’ll stick to these.” Epilogue: while Moby’s collection of drum machines didn’t inspire me to revise my arguments on the subject, I do admit that if there have to be drum machines, they should be like these ones in Moby’s collection. This interview originally appeared on TheRumpus.net – “an online magazine focused on culture; as opposed to pop culture.” Or as founder Stephen Elliott said in an interview with the LA Times: “We try to introduce people to art they might not have heard of. Our original features and interviews tend to be around 1,500 words – intelligent content you can read while your boss is focusing on something else.” In other words: “If you're wasting time, it's better to waste it on The Rumpus.” True. www.therumpus.net

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sophievanderperre.com

The Moby Gazette

Vol. I – Nr. 1 – 2011

From May 25 till June 4, A&Gallery also invites Belgian photographer Sophie Van der Perre to showcase her work inside the gallery – a second exhibition to coincide with Moby’s Destroyed. Why Sophie? Because she is one of the most talented young photographers we know. #statingtheobvious

SOPHIE VAN DER PERRE

Born on June 3, 1987 in Poperinge, Belgium Lives in Amsterdam, The Netherlands Favorite camera Canon FTb & Olympus Mju Favorite film Ilford & Kodak Portra Vivid Colour 800 ISO Started taking pictures when she was very young – using disposable cameras. “It’s in my nature to be all over the place. Taking photographs calms me down.” School wasn’t meant to be. ‘I took a fashion photography class and I was seriously serious about studying photography at The Hague’s prestigious Royal Academy of Art. But after one year, I decided it was not for me. It was a great introduction into the world of photography but I needed more freedom – lots more!” Catwalking. “I frequently go walking with my girlfriends – bringing most of my cameras and a bunch of clothes. Nobody knows what will happen but chances are it will be good. Don’t get me wrong: I don’t mind working within the conceptual framework of a magazine. It’s just nice to be able to put faith in your friends and wait for the unexpected.” Casts her friends. “I mean, not literally but I think my friends are all very charismatic – they’ve got amazing personalities – and I also think that’s what attracted me to them in the first place. So now, when I’m in need of models, I turn my camera on them. It just feels more natural than to work with professionals – at this stage in my career. My friends really inspire me.” Marc Borthwick is another inspiration. “I love how he mixes up photography with poetry – apart from the fact that his photos already have a strong poetic feel to them. I think my work is also very poetic and I’ve already thought about adding real poetry to the equation. Maybe I should just go ahead with it?” Life is good. “Two years ago, I wouldn’t have believed you if you’d have told me I would get to hang with Ryan McGinley and Tim Barber – two photographers I truly admire. Now, not only did I get a chance to work with Ryan McGinley as an intern, he recently flew to Amsterdam to photograph my friends. In the meantime, I also met up with Tim Barber, and this month alone (May, ed.) I get to exhibit my work in New York, Paris, Munich and Ghent. Honestly: I’m really happy!”

Vol. I – Nr. 1 – 2011

The Moby Gazette

sophievanderperre.com

From the series Looking For You. “A friend of mine came to see me when I was living in New York – around the time I was getting into a love-hate relationship with the city. Like in that LCD Soundsystem song New York, I Love You but You’re Bringing Me Down. New York is such a great city but sometimes it felt really fake to me – lots of photographers doing exactly the same thing; copycatting each other’s style; walking with analogue cameras around their necks, simply as a way to look cool. I thought New York would inspire me but – instead – it could in fact really bring me down.”

Sophie Van der Perre’s solo exhibition opens on Wednesday May 25 inside A&Gallery’s Juni r Suite. Check-in: 19:00. Checkout: 23:00. Mini-bar included; no need to make a reservation. Departure date: Saturday June 4. PS: Please note that the photos on this page will not be part of the exhibition. Not that we don’t like them – we love them! – but Sophie recently sent us a new series of pictures that completely blew our minds and made us shout ‘Holy Mary, Joseph and that dude in the crib’ out loud! So we felt it would only proper to focus on those new images and make them available as limited edition prints and – high quality! – posters.

From the series The Boy Who Will Be King. “The ﬁrst picture I ever took of my boyfriend, who has sort of gotten used to it by now. I think he still ﬁnds it somewhat annoying that I turn my camera on him so often but then when he sees the result, he’s always very pleased. Oh, in case you’re wondering: that thing on his head is actually a snowball. It’s just one of those things.”

From no particular series – to be honest. “One of my favorite shots. I like the relaxed atmosphere; the fact that it’s telling a story. I’m not sure how the story goes, how it all ends. But the girls, their clothes, the light, the cinematographic colours, a soft breeze, … you just feel there’s a story there – a really good one.”

From the series Mirror Shots. “I had this thing; made me pee all the time. So when I was on holiday in Australia a couple of years ago, I started taking photos of myself inside restrooms. You can always count on restrooms having lots and lots of mirrors; it was easy. When I got back from vacation, I started doing it whenever, wherever – not just in restrooms anymore. Each time I saw my reﬂection, I jumped to the occasion. It really got out of hand. (Laughs) I’m not always around people but I can always count on myself.”

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Ons vakmanschap drink je met verstand. Notre savoir-faire se déguste avec sagesse.

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21.09.10 10:11

At A&Gallery, we love Hugh Hefner – even when he seems to be talking to himself. We also love cocktails – especially with the season to be extra jolly upon us. So that’s why we thought we’d let you in on a little secret: our two favourite cocktail recipes. We’re sure Hugh would approve - both the one on the left and the one on the right.

STOLI GIMLET • • • • •

1 ½ oz Stoli 1 oz lime juice 1 tsp powdered sugar Garnish w/ many limes Shake vigorously, serve over ice in rocks glass

FRESH VANILLA MARTINI

• 1 ½ oz Stoli Vanil • ¾ oz fresh lemon juice • ¾ oz simple syrup • Combine ingredients and shake well. • Serve up in a martini glass and garnish with an edible ﬂower or a lemon wheel.

Ons vakmanschap drink je met verstand. Notre savoir-faire se déguste avec sagesse.

Music for galleries

The Moby Gazette

CECI N’EST PAS UN MIXTAPE A couple of years ago, we started compiling a soundtrack for our very ﬁrst Angels & Ghosts exhibition (at an event called Made In Gent). Soon enough, we found out that was a lot trickier than we had imagined. An art exhibition is nothing like anything – it’s a very intimate experience that doesn’t easily tolerate music or

sounds. But since Angels & Ghosts is very much about (electronic) music, we had no choice but to try and – our mixtape worked really well; thank you very much – succeed. Now, it’s up to others to try and do the same – starting with DJ Jasper, who came up with this all-instrumental selection of electronic & acoustic

Vol. 1 – Nr. 1 – 2011

Music For Galleries is supported by Sonos – creator of the S5 All-In-One Wireless Music System, with its crystal-clear sound, iTunes compatibility, easy access to 100,000 internet radio stations and millions of songs, and unique ability to control the music in different rooms of the house with your iPhone, iPad, Blackberry or Android smartphone. www.sonos.com

ambient, jazz, post-rock, neo-classical and clicks & cuts. “Soothing music that has the ability to take you ever so slightly out of the comfort zone,” he says. “Beautiful compositions that provoke thought – like interesting art should do.” Listen to the mixtape at soundcloud. com/AndGallery.

1. JONSI & ALEX Happiness

4. GESCOM Gosheep

7. MOGWAI Music For a Forgotten Future

10.MURCOF Memoria

13. HOLDEN Flute

2. STARS OF THE LID Piano Aquieu

5. JOHN COLTRANE Equinox

8. A SILVER MT. ZION 13 Angels Standing Guard 'round the Side of Your Bed

11. OVAL Textuell

14. CHLOE Amour

3. APHEX TWIN Untitled Track 1

6. DUKE ELLINGTON Fleurette Africaine

9. MIHALY VIG Valuska

12. KÖHN Klöhrgöhr

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Vol. I – Nr. 1 – 2011

MY LIFE AS A FAN

The Moby Gazette

AEROPLANE: “I love porn!”

(*)

Words: Ben Van Alboom Photography: Wouter Van Vaerenbergh Aeroplane is of course Belgium’s most exotic export product – not counting chocolate fondue. Once a duo (shot by Angels & Ghosts in 2009), Aeroplane is now a one-man show – with Vito De Luca (shot by Angels & Ghosts in 2010) being that one man. For the past four years, Aeroplane has graced the world with voluptuous cosmic disco beats: remixing Grace Jones, Robbie Williams, Sébastien Tellier and Lindstrom & Christabelle; getting asked to do the 500th Essential Mix for BBC Radio 1; and putting out instant classic cuts like Whispers (featuring Kathy Diamond feeling breathless), Without Lies (featuring Sky Ferreira talking dirty; something about cherries) and We Can’t Fly (featuring nobody famous, unless maybe that model in the – Google it! – Victoria’s Secret push-up bikini commercial that puts the song to very good use). On May 18, Aeroplane will will also be playing at the after party of A&Gallery’s ﬁrst exhibition – alongside Moby, obviously. So who better than Vito to ask about his favorite photographer, writer, fashion designer and ﬁlmmaker? “I’m guessing millions of people”, says Vito unapologetically. It’s a ridiculously hot summer night in April – which is technically speaking spring in all European countries but Belgium (where everyday above 25° Celsius counts as summer) – and the Belgian musician is desperately trying to keep his studio (and head) cool. “Listen,” Vito continues, “I’m really all about pop culture. I listen to Tina

Derek Zoolander once said “I’m pretty sure there’s a lot more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good-looking.” Of course, as always, he was right. It doesn’t matter how really, really, ridiculously good-looking or famous someone is, he too needs fresh input from time to time – he too is A FAN. Enter exhibit #1: Aeroplane! Turner – nuff said. Though I fully realize it would be so much cooler to bombard you with names no one has ever heard, most of my picks will be rather obvious – I’m sure. Guess I’m just that kind of guy. It’s like I don’t get when a party promoter brags about when he ﬁrst booked Erol Alkan – way before anyone knew who he was – and he lost one thousand euro because only thirty people showed up. Dude, you ended up with a ﬁnancial hangover and no party – get real! That’s not cool, it’s stupid.”

blown away. I loved everything about it: brilliant story, amazing cinematography, just perfect. Then came Requiem for a Dream – his masterpiece – and I guess both The Wrestler and Black Swan are alright but they failed to impress me the way his ﬁrst two movies did.”

Let’s give this a try anyway and start with the most obvious question: who is your favorite photographer? Vito: “You mean apart from Angels & Ghosts? (laughs) Honestly, I can’t say I know a lot of photographers but I am very keen on taking a lot of pictures myself when I’m on tour. Having said that, I recently saw the Annie Leibovitz exhibition A Photographer’s Life 1990 – 2005 at the Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art and I thought it was really good. I even bought the book that came with – something I rarely do. Terry Richardson is great as well. I just love how crazy his pictures are – borderline porn! People use to look for beauty in photography, and this guy comes along with his brutally honest real-life pictures and he becomes an overnight sensation. I ﬁnd that interesting.”

It’s called The Fountain. Not a lot of people like it and I guess the story does kind of suck but – at the same time – it looks mind-blowing and I was really moved by it in the end. Vito: (looking it up online) “It does look strange. I’ll see it tonight!”

Got a favorite ﬁlmmaker? Vito: “I do actually: Darren Aronofsky. Though he might want to stop making movies because the more he does, the less I like ‘m. (laughs) When I saw his ﬁrst movie Pi, I was totally

You do realize he also made a big budget sci-ﬁ movie in between Requiem for a Dream and The Wrestler, right? Vito: (surprised) “He did?”

Read any good books lately? Vito: “I’m not too big on novels. I don’t get why people would make stuff up when so many amazing things are actually happening in the world. It seems rather pointless and I have a hard time connecting to these stories. However, I do read lots of biographical books: Madonna, Paul McCartney, basically anyone who makes music. Guess I have to admit to being addicted to music. (Laughs) I’m like a kid who won’t even try any of these nasty looking green vegetables because he’s looking at a plate of French fries. I’m fine making music and reading about musicians. No need to catch up on anything else.” Guess that means you’ve also got a stack of books about the history of music?

Vito: “One of my favorites is a book called Modulations: A History of Electronic Music: Throbbing Words on Sound. But I’ve also got a really good book on the origins of funk here somewhere. Actually, come to think of it: I’ve got a massive series of books on the origins of pretty much every type of music. Now where did I put them?” I’ll help you look in a minute. First tell me which designer’s clothes you would wear to bed if he or she also made pajamas? Vito: “I’m a fool for Yves Saint Laurent. It just fits. No, I’m serious: I can slip into anything Yves Saint Laurent makes – my size of course – and it’ll fit perfectly. Plus: you can’t beat that quality – you really feel it’s made to last. I like Balmain shirts for the same reason. Again, I know it’s much cooler to name Martin Margiela or another Belgian designer but their designs genuinely don’t turn me on. I’m much more into the timelessness of Yves Saint Laurent.” Easy one: favorite album cover? Vito: “Oh, man. This time, I would have actually loved to name the title of the most obscure album ever made but the answer has to be Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. Not only is it a brilliant design, it also reﬂects the tone of the album – both musically and lyrically. It’s one of many tours de force by Hipgnosis (a British design collective founded by Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey Powell that made legendary album covers for Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Peter Gabriel and XTC in the ‘70s; to this date, Thorgerson continues to make remarkable album covers for bands like The Mars Volta, Muse and only recently Goose, ed.).”

As we’re coming to the end of this page, anyone we forgot to talk about? Vito: “There is, actually. I’ve always been fascinated by the work of M.C. Escher, a Dutch artist who created optical illusions. They work on so many levels, I can’t even begin to describe how ingenious they are. I mean, everyone from Matt Groening (in The Simpsons, ed.) to Christopher Nolan (Inception depicts a set of Escherlike stairs that are referred to as a paradox, ed.) has referenced his work. How cool is that?”

On Wednesday May 18, A&Gallery invites Aeroplane to play at the after party of Moby’s Destroyed exhibition – alongside Moby and Avenue L resident Fredo. Avenue L (i.e. the club) is located in the medieval basement of NH Hotel Ghent Belfort – a 23 seconds walk from A&Gallery. Tickets will not go on sale but subscribe to A&Gallery’s newsletter on www.angels-ghosts. com for a chance to win an invitation. Alternatively, you can also see/hear Aeroplane this summer at 10 Days Off (and numerous other big festivals). And don’t forget to check out his new single My Enemy – taken from the brilliant album We Can’t Fly (Eskimo Recordings). The remix package includes Rex The Dog and Green Velvet.

This quote has been totally taken out of context and manifestly modiﬁed to appeal to a wider audience; please don’t sue us. (*)

ANGELS & GHOSTS RECOMMENDS

The Moby Gazette

Vol. I – Nr. 1 – 2011

A&GOODSTUFF THIRTEEN’S A CHARM

Ghent’s new pop-up place is about to pop-down again. On June 12, after thirteen weeks of indoor pleasure, n° 13 is calling its quits. Luckily, there’s still plenty going on until then. May 12. May 13. May 14. May 20. May 21. May 27. May 28. June 12.

Jim Cole album presentation. Thriller Tribute. White socks only. Jef Boes vernissage. Teddiedrum DJ set. Tino & Fred Nasen DJ set. Stien Bekaert vernissage. Thang DJ set. Champions League final. Fredo & Thang DJ set. Since 2002.

STARTRACKING ACROSS THE UNIVERSE 22 Tracks is expanding! Launched in Amsterdam some two years ago, 22 Tracks is an online jukebox consisting of 22 different playlists; from hip-hop, rock and reggae to dubstep, techno and drum & bass. Each playlist is filled with 22 tracks – selected by specialized DJs from Amsterdam, so you don’t have to spend too much time hopping from one blog to another in search of new music. Plus: it’s free! Now, with the success of the website and the iPhone/iPad app in the Netherlands, 22 Tracks is hoping to expand to 21 other cities. First city to conquer: Brussels, where 22 Tracks will be launched on June 22. We’ve already taken a look at the list of DJs who have been selected to – well – select and take it from us: you’ll want to tune in. www.22tracks.com

POPCORN & MMMMMMILK!

n° 13, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 13, 9000 Ghent

SUMMER IN THE CITY

Dutch DVD label Homescreen has already released some excellent documentaries in the past about the life (and obviously also work) of Henri Cartier-Bresson, Edward Burtynsky, Annie Leibovitz and celeb photographer Edward Quinn. Now it’s adding three more titles to its library: Four Beats to the Bar and No Cheating, Frames from the Edge and Geen Stil Leven. The first one tells the story of David Bailey, known for his pioneering fashion photography and excellent taste in women – Bailey was married to Catherine Deneuve and engaged to Jean Shrimpton. The second one could very well have the exact same synopsis; it’s about Helmut Newton. Only difference is Hewton never got romantically involved with his models (which led to a serious debate about the man’s heterosexuality while painting our gallery). Finally, the third documentary chronicles the early career of Anton Corbijn – which means no fashion and only a limited supply of beautiful women. There are, however, plenty of ugly men on hand to talk about the photographer: Bono, Lars Ulrich, Dave Gahan – to name but a few. www.homescreen.nl

MMMMMMILK & POPCORN!

Our first reaction to this year’s 10 Days Off line-up (with lots more names still to be announced)? ‘Looking goooooood!’ Nicolas Jaar made one of the best albums of the year; Martyn is one of the hottest dubstep producers on the planet; Carl Craig and Richie Hawtin are of course legends; Space Dimension Controller has been rightfully named ‘the new and young maestro of galactic funk’; Aeroplane, Moonlight Matters and Greg Wilson are bound to raise cosmic temperatures even more; and Zomby recently found a fan in – for real – Lady Gaga. Seriously, looking goooooood! 10 Days Off, July 15 – 25, Vooruit, Gent, www.10daysoff.be

From May 25 till June 11, British photographer Rankin is looking back on twenty years of work at the Milk Gallery in New York. Running alongside the exhibition (which is called Open, by the way), the photographer hosts the second installment of Rankin Live – giving people the opportunity to contribute to his work in a live and interactive show. Using photographic technology to retouch and display images in a live 20-minute turn around, Rankin will capture the most unique personalities in their own personal shoot. Mind you: it’ll cost you ($100) but all proceeds go to Oxfam America. Rankin Live (June 1 – June 5) & Rankin Open (May 25 – June 11), Milk Gallery, New York , www.rankin.co.uk & www.milkmade.com

Vol. I – Nr. 1 – 2011

The Moby Gazette

ANGELS & GHOSTS RECOMMENDS

GALLERY LISTENING

Gang Gang Dance – Eye Contact // Wolf + Lamb vs. Soul Clap –DJ-Kicks // tUnE-yArDs – Who Kill // Agnes Obel – Philharmonics // Jamie Woon – Mirrorwriting // George Michael – Faith (reissue) Panda Bear – Tomboy // Julianna Barwick – The Magic Place // Burial – Street Halo // Holy Ghost! – Holy Ghost!

SEA, SEX(Y DESIGN) & SUN Our in-gallery furnisher Frederic Rozier is heading for Knokke-Heist again this year – hosting the second edition of DesignMarkt, a truly exceptional vintage design fair attracting over fifty expert dealers from all over Europe. Design objects range from functional utensils to glamorous eye catchers; things that are so beautiful (and not even that expensive) you might not ever want to leave your house again.

Also pretty cool is the addition of a vintage designer clothing fair with unique Chanel, Dior and Courrèges pieces – to name but a few. And of course, there’s sun, the beach, a cool summer breeze, an even cooler drink at the surprise lounge and – God’s design, you know – beautiful people! DesignMarkt Knokke-Heist, Saturday July 2, Zeedijk, Knokke, www.designmarkt.be

Isolde Lasoen. Muzikante met een andere kijk op film.

Cinémanie. Films voor wie van de andere film houdt. Voor de echte filmfan is er Cinémanie. Afspraak voor een kwaliteitsfilm, avantpremière of reprise in uw Kinepolis-bioscoop. Check de volledige programmatie op kinepolis.com/cinemanie. Hieronder al een voorsmaakje van onze “andere” films.

4/05 4/05 18/05 18/05

PINA - 3D ANTWERPEN CENTRAAL TREE OF LIFE LE GAMIN AU VÉLO

kinepolis.com/cinemanie

Pro shots, small camera Spiegelreflex kwaliteit op zakformaat

Stel je eens professionele fotografie voor zonder ingewikkelde knoppen en menu’s. Je ziet een foto waarbij de achtergrond in real time voorzichtig onscherper is gemaakt. Tot voor kort was dit alleen mogelijk met een spiegelreflex camera. Met de Sony NEX-5 kun je dit met één druk op de knop. Maak gebruik van de voordelen die een professionele spiegelreflex camera je biedt, koppel die aan het gebruiksgemak van een ultra kleine compact camera en deze Sony NEX is het resultaat. Geniet van creatieve vrijheid die jouw verbeelding vrij spel geeft en maak video-opnames in Full HD met ’s-werelds kleinste digitale camera met verwisselbare lenzen. sony.be/nex

‘SONY’, ‘make.believe’ en hun logo’s zijn handelsmerken of gedeponeerde handelsmerken van Sony Corporation.