F A L L 2 0 19
ISSUE 14.1
Photo: Ian Matteson
DARCY BACHA
CAPiTASNOWBOARDING.COM
19/20 THE PORTAL OF INFINITE REALITIES
Mothership Advanced Research Station 1
HAND-CRAFTED AT THE WORLD’S FIRST 100% CLEAN ENERGY SNOWBOARD MANUFACTURING FACILITY—THE CAPiTA MOTHERSHIP.
KAZU KOKUBO ON HIS PRO MODEL.
T A B L E
Photo Where
G a b e L' H e u r e u x Carlsbad, CA
O F
OPE NING AC T
10 - 11
COVER S TORY
14 - 15
T R AV E L T I P S
18 - 19
SHOOTING GALLERY
22 - 30
N I T R O : U TA H S P R I N G B R E A K
32 - 38
THE ROA D TO WHEREVER WHENEVER
40 - 46
MUSIC PROFILE
48 - 54
PHOTO PROFILE
56 - 62
ARTIST PROFILE
6 4 - 67
SOUND CHECK
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F I N A L D E S T I N AT I O N
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END CREDITS
74 - 75
Vo l . 14
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Issue 1
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O P E N -
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Rider
Gabe Ciafre
Photo
Chase Burch
Camera Words
S o n y R X10 0 I V Daniel Cochrane
Snowboa rders a nd sk ateboa rders in herent ly v ie w t he world t h rou g h a d i f ferent lens. W het her t hat mea ns driving behind a n aba ndoned strip ma l l to see what a rch itect u ra l wonders may potent ia l ly re ve a l t hemselve s or st a nd ing atop a snow-covered pea k re veling in t he impend ing d e s c e n t o n c e y o u h a v e "t h e e y e" i t n e v e r l e a v e s y o u . H e r e w e s e e C h a s e B u r c h i n O g d e n's Ta y l o r Ca nyon photographed by Gabe Cia fre. W hile a rea sonably routine summer hike for t he a rea w inter t ra f f ic is fa r le ss pre va lent u n le ss of c o u r s e , y o u h a v e "t h e e y e" a n d h a v e l o o k e d u p a t i t s m e a n d e r i n g w a l l s a n d w o n d e r e d "w h a t i f ." Cha se chose to a nswer the ca ll, a nd the prize wa s a glimpse through a lens that ma ny will never experience.
Ta y l o r C a n y o n - O g d e n , U T
arkademagazine.com
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COV E R
Ou r hometow ns c a rr y a n u ndeniable weig ht. W het her you moved away a nd a re ju st back v isit ing or you a re cu rrent ly liv ing where you gre w up, hometow ns c a n f i l l u s w it h pride, w it h a sense of b e l o n g i n g a n d c o m m u n i t y, a n d a s e n s e o f c o m f o r t a n d p e a c e . F o r h o m e t o w n h e r o Ty s o n B o w e r b a n k , t h o s e f e e l i n g s a l s o c o m e w i t h myriad sk ate spots. Of ten times t he best spots a re t he hometown ones. Maybe you have been e yeing it sinc e you were a grom, a lway s k now ing t hat one d ay y o u w o u l d h a v e t h e c o u r a g e t o h i t i t . M a y b e i t ’s y o u r g o - t o w a r m up spot to build your conf idence before heading of f to f ilm your e n d e r. M a y b e i t i s a m e l l o w s p o t , o n e t h a t y o u’v e b e e n s k a t i n g f o r a s long a s you c a n remember w it h f riend s who probably k now too much about you, a nd v ice versa. A spot t hat ha s become ridd led w it h nost a lg ia , repre sent ing a d i f ferent t ime in you r li fe t hat you c a n l o o k b a c k o n e v e r y t i m e y o u p a s s b y. F o r Ty s o n , o n e o f t h o s e a forement ioned spot s happens to be t he one in Hol lad ay g racing the cover of this maga zine. Having done t he ollie to wa llride previously he k new t he k ick f lip w a s c o m i n g . H o w e v e r, d e d i c a t i o n w a s t h e n a m e o f t h e g a m e t o g e t t h is shot, requ iring t he cre w to come back a second d ay to ma ke it happen, but a solid cheering sect ion a nd t he rig ht c a re f ree at t it ude c a n m a k e a l l t h e d i f f e r e n c e . “ It t o o k a w h i l e , b u t i t w a s p r e t t y m e l l o w,” r e m i n i s c e s Ty s o n . “ I h a d t r i e d i t a c o u p l e d a y s b e f o r e a n d a l m o s t g o t t e n i t s o I w a s n’t s t r e s s i n g t o o b a d . We n t b a c k a n d i t t o o k a c o u p l e h o u r s o n t h e s e c o n d d a y.” W i t h We s t o n C o l t o n b e h i n d t h e l e n s a n d Ty l e r A d a m s , A d a m D y e t , a n d S e a n S l o b o d a n r o u n d i n g o u t t h e c r e w, t h e r e w a s n o q u e s t i o n t hat a cover wort hy shot wa s coming, especia lly for us at A rk ade who believe that this is what sk ating is a ll about. A ca sua l sunny d a y w i t h l o w s t r e s s , n o c o p s , a n d n o k i c k- o u t s a t a h o m e t o w n s p o t w i t h i n c r e d i b l e f r i e n d s . Ty s o n a d d s , “ Ju s t w a n t t o s a y t h a n k s t o We s t o n f o r s h o o t i n g t h e p h o t o a n d a l l t h e h o m i e s s t a y i n g i n t h e r e w it h me wh i le I t ried it!”
H o l l a d a y, U T
Rider
Ty s o n B o w e r b a n k
Photo
Wes ton C ol ton
Camera Words
C a n o n E O S -1D X Jake Kenobi
Vo l . 14
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Issue 1
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TR AVEL
L o c a t e d o n A r g e n t i n a's e a s t e r n s e a b o a r d , a n d c o m m o n l y r e f e r r e d t o a s "t h e Pa r i s o f S o u t h A m e r i c a" B u e n o s A i r e s i s a n e n c h a n t i n g m e t r o p o l i s t hat of fers a n e x tensive c ol lec t ion of enter t a in ment, cu lt u ra l, a nd h i s t o r i c a l a t t r a c t i o n s f o r t h e c u r i o u s a d v e n t u r e r. I f t h i s c o a s t a l t r e a s u r e i s o n y o u r s h o r t l i s t a s a v a c a t i o n g e t a w a y, k e e p i n m i n d t h e f o l l o w i n g pointers to help en ha nc e you r e xperienc e. Prepa re for travel; since most f lig ht s to Buenos A ires w i l l involve at l e a s t o n e l a y o v e r, i t i s n o t u n c o m m o n f o r t r a v e l d a y s t o r a n g e b e t w e e n 1 2 -18 h o u r s . T h e u p s i d e i s t h a t d u e t o t h e m a j o r i t y o f t h e t r a v e l b e i n g N o r t h a n d S o u t h a d v e n t u r e r s w i l l n o t e n c o u n t e r b o d y c l o c k- a l t e r i n g time cha nges a s experienced when f lying to Europe or A sia. Most of t he cost is get t ing t here; a s w it h most excu rsions sout h of t h e U. S . b o r d e r, t h e e x c h a n g e r a t e f o r t h e d o l l a r i s r o b u s t . T h e d o l l a r i s w o r t h a b o u t 4 0 - 45 A r g e n t i n i a n Pe s o s , w h i c h m e a n s t h a t a s m a l l a m o u n t o f U. S . d o l l a r s c a n y i e l d a t r e m e n d o u s a m o u n t o f A r g e n t i n i a n h o s p i t a l i t y. Adopt loca l hours; Buenos A ires likes to stay out late a nd sleep away the morning. T here a re ma ny ba rs a nd nig ht clubs whose doors do not e ven o p e n u n t i l m i d n i g h t o r l a t e r, s o i f y o u'v e c o m e t o B u e n o s A i r e s i n s e a r c h o f a p a r t y, y o u'v e c o m e t o t h e r i g h t p l a c e . H o w e v e r, a s a r e s u l t , e x p e c t a s l o w g o i n t h e m o r n i n g a s m a n y s h o p s a n d m a r k e t s w o n't o p e n a t t h e crack of dawn. S u n d a y 's a r e n’t f o r t r a v e l i n g ; i f p o s s i b l e , r e f r a i n f r o m e a r m a r k i n g S u n d a y s a s y o u r a r r i v a l a n d d e p a r t u r e d a y s . S u n d a y 's i n B u e n o s A i r e s a re for ma rket s. A hod gepod ge of food, enter t a in ment, d a ncing a nd a l l sor t s of related fe st iv it ie s Su nd ay Ma rket s a re more a k in to what we in t h e U. S . c a l l s t r e e t f a i r s a n d c a n b e f o u n d i n a l l c o r n e r s o f t h e c i t y. P r o t ip, t he wel l-k now n Su nd ay Ma rket at Pla z a Dorrego w i l l u ndoubted ly w o w v i s i t o r s , b u t t h e l e s s t o u r i s t- o r i e n t e d M a t a d e r o s M a r k e t m a y prov ide a more aut hent ic e xperienc e. Food f rom ma ny cu lt u re s pre sented in A rgent inia n fa sh ion; it s not surprising that food of Spa nish origins such a s empa nada s a nd a sada a re f o u n d w i t h i n A r g e n t i n a , h o w e v e r t h e h e a v y It a l i a n c u l i n a r y i n f l u e n c e m a y c a t c h m a n y o f f g u a r d . Fr o m P i z z a t o t h i c k g e l a t o i n s p i r e d i c e c r e a m s It a l i a n i n f l u e n c e a n d r e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s , s u c h a s t h e A r g e n t i n i a n g r i l l e d c h e e s e /p i z z a h y b r i d P r o v o l e t a s w i l l m a k e f o r a n e a s y t r a n s i t i o n for ma ny t ravelers. For t hose feeling a mbit iou s t r y you r ha nd at l la ma . So much to experienc e, so ea s y to do so; a mu lt it ude of mu seu ms, libra rie s, a nd g a rdens awa it t he k nowled ge-hu ngr y t raveler t hroug hout Buenos A ire s. Luck i ly t he cit y boa st s t he on ly subway s y stem in t he c o u n t r y, a f r e e b i c y c l e s h a r e p r o g r a m n a m e d E c c o b i b i , a n d h a s a l s o f u l l y embraced U ber a s a mea ns of tra nspor tation. So no matter where you choose to spend your time, getting there will be a n ea sy ta sk.
Photos Camera Words
Paul Bundy FujiFilm, X T3 Daniel Cochrane
arkademagazine.com
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RIDER: MAKALU ARNOLD
PHOTO: ANDREW KOOYMAN
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Skater Photo Camera Where
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Cobe Harmer Wes ton C ol ton C a n o n E O S -1D X M a r k I I SLC , UT
arkademagazine.com
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Rider
Blake Paul
Photo
Colt Morgan
Camera 24
Where
Canon 5D MKIII Niseko, Japan
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Skater
Nick Hubble
Photo
Niels Jensen
Camera Where
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Nikon D4S SLC , UT
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Photo Camera Film Where
Sam Milianta Hasselblad Xpan Kodak Gold 40 0 Brooklyn, NY
Photo Camera Film 28
Where
Colt Morgan Hasselblad Xpan Kodak Colorplus 20 0 SLC , UT
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Who
Starcrawler
Photo
Paul Bundy
Camera Where
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F u j i F i l m X -T 3 SLC , UT
F O R T I E R P : ST É P H A N E
F T. F R A N K ’ S P R O M O D E L W E S T M A R K SNOWBOARD + HEMLOCK BINDINGS
Words
Daniel Cochrane
Photos
Bob Plumb
Cameras
C a n o n E O S 1D M a r k i V
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F u j i f i l m X -T 2
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W hen t ime is of t he e ssence a nd t he goa l is a s much va ried foot y a s possible fe w plac e s c ompete w it h a qu ick tou r of Ut a h. Luck i ly f o r t h e c r e w a t S a l t L a k e's Ni t r o S n o w b o a r d s , t h e y k n o w t h e s t a t e l i k e f e w o t h e r s . G l o b a l Te a m m e m b e r s G r i f f i n S i e b e r t , a n d S a m Ta x w o o d , a l o n g w i t h t e a m p h o t o g r a p h e r B o b P l u m b p l a y e d t he role of loc a l host s a s T M K nut E lia ssen, h i m sel f a former U t a h n a r r i v e d w i t h I n t e r n a t i o n a l Te a m m e m b e r s J a r e d E l s t o n a n d S i m o n G s c h a i d e r f o r a b r i e f, b u t h o p e f u l l y p r o d u c t i v e , s p r i n g t i m e sojourn. T he prestigious Cot tonwood Ca nyons ma rked ground z e r o f o r t h e t e a m's a s s a u l t . B r i g h t o n p a r k r u n s , s i d e h i t s , a n d s l a c k c o u n t r y g a v e w a y t o S n o w b i r d Tr a m l a p s a n d s t e e p d e s c e n t s . T he C ot tonwood c ombinat ion a lone is ent irely su f f icient for e v e n t h e s a v v i e s t o f s n o w s p o r t t o u r i n g f a i t h f u l ; h o w e v e r, f o r our hea r t y wa nderers, a trip to iconic Grizzly Gu lch wa s a lso dut i f u l ly checked of f t he list. A f ter a bit of loc a l dow nt ime, t he entou ra ge packed up a nd he aded to t he L a Sa l ra nge of Sout hern Ut a h. A s ou r advent u rers made t heir way sout h, t he e verg reen covered gra nite pea k s of t he nor t h gradu a l ly g ave way to scr ub a nd r e d r o c k c o u n t r y. A s p l i t b o a r d m i s s i o n u p H a y s t a c k M o u n t a i n p r o d u c e d a n a s s o r t m e n t o f r i d i n g o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r t h e c r e w, w h i l e t he surrounding deser t a nd geologica l wonders provided t he added at t rac t ion of explorat ion v ia h i k ing. A f ter t he qu ick, yet f r u it f u l, sout hern voya ge t he group made a n immed iate ret u rn to Sa lt L a ke to c atch t heir f lig ht s back to Eu rope, t heir mission accomplished.
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J USTI N KE N ISTON
Evolving our definition of premium by incorporating 20k/20k as our standard level of waterproofing and breathability through out the vast majority of our line. Premium quality starting with a baseline of high quality weather protection at any price point. Truly melding the worlds of fashion and function.
L1PREMIUMGOODS.COM
SIMON GSCHAIDER
DOMINIK WAGNER
JEREMY JONES
CHRISTY PRIOR
JUSTIN KENISTON
JOE SEXTON
LUCAS BAUME
T HE R O A D TO "I'm not a good photographer. These are snapshots, personal memories unintended to impress or circulate. The purpose of "The Road to Wherever Whenever" is so I can remember the things that happen. Documentation is all I will have when my legs no longer work. Shot on 35mm with an Olympus Stylus Epic, Leica M6, Nikon FM2, and Olympus Trip MD." - Desiree Melancon
The Road to W herever W henever is Desiree Melancon's chronicle of the road less frequently traveled. Her photographic evidence of the life a professional snowboarder and the many days and nights spent away from home going to events, chasing snow, and participating in a myriad of other activities of her chosen profession. I wanted to highlight these photos because, in many ways, they are the anti-Instagram Instagram feed. Rough, raw, and often unscripted, these moments harken back to what made Instagram special in the days before the deluge of algorithms and expressions such as "reach," "traction," and the dreaded and frequently ridiculed "inf luencer." They are a digital interpretation of a drawer full of old photos, tucked away in an antique dresser in a seldom-used spare bedroom. Sometimes blurry, off-centered, grainy or poorly lit but bearing within their frames more sentiment, meaning, and honesty than any manicured photograph could ever hope to deliver. Within these selected memories, Desiree shows us the value of friendship, the inevitable passing of daily life, and the celebrations of the ordinary circumstances that inescapably become the experiences that most def ine us. See more @the_road_to_wherever_whenever Words
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Daniel Cochrane
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C a m b r i d g e , E n g l a n d 's Un c l e A c i d a n d t h e D e a d b e a t s e x i s t o n t h e d a rk side of t he ps ychedelic rena issa nc e t hat ha s woven it s way t hroug h t he mu sic a l la nd sc ape of t he pa st dec ade. W hi le ma ny w i l l a s s o c i a t e p e a c e , l o v e , a n d h i p p i e s w i t h t h e a f o r e m e n t i o n e d 6 0 's m u s i c a l g e n r e , Un c l e A c i d i s m o r e a k i n t o t h e u n d e r b e l l y o f t h e e r a r e m i n i s c e n t o f A l t a m o n t a n d H e l t e r S k e l t e r r a t h e r t h a n Wo o d s t o c k a n d F l o w e r Po w e r. I n s h o r t , t h e y a r e t h e s o n i c , c h a o t i c i n t e r s e c t i o n of free love a nd nihilism. F o r m i n g a t t h e s t a r t o f t h e 2 010 s a n d f r o n t e d b y K e v i n S t a r r s a n d s u p p o r t e d b y a n e v e r- r e v o l v i n g c a s t o f b a n d m a t e s , Un c l e A c i d h a s d r a w n c o m p a r i s o n s t o A l i c e C o o p e r, S a b b a t h , a n d T h e S t o o g e s . K n o w n f o r t h e i r p o u n d i n g r i f f s , d i s t o r t e d , e f f e c t- l a d e n v o c a l s , a nd da rk subject mat ter t he ba nd ha s ea rned t heir reputation a s p u r v e y o r s o f t h e m a c a b r e . T h e i r 2 010 d e b u t w a s t i t l e d Vo l . 1 (a n o d t o S a b b a t h 's Vo l 4 ), b u t i t w a s t h e i r s e c o n d e f f o r t , 2 011's B l o o d L u s t , t h a t e a r n e d t h e b a n d a p l a c e o n m o s t p e o p l e ’s r a d a r. T h i s y e a r t h e y r e l e a s e d t h e i r f i f t h s t u d i o a l b u m , Wa s t e l a n d , a n d a r r i v e d a t S a l t L a k e's M e t r o M u s i c H a l l o n a c o l d e v e n i n g i n l a t e M a r c h f o r a s t o p o n t h e i r Pe a c e A c r o s s t h e Wa s t e l a n d To u r. Ta k i n g t h e s t a g e S t a r r a n d c o m p a n y e r u p t e d i n t o a s o n i c r e v e r b f illed crescendo, t heir back s to t he crowd, heads down, slowly b u i l d i n g a n d t h e n e x p l o d i n g i n t o Wa s t e l a n d 's " I S e e Yo u" a n d f l o w i n g i n t o " Wa i t i n g F o r B l o o d " o f f o f 2 015's T h e Ni g h t C r e e p e r a n d " M t . A b r a x a s" f r o m 2 013 's M i n d C o n t r o l a l b u m . T h i s o p e n i n g b a r r a g e s e t t h e t o n e f o r t h e e v e n i n g , w h i c h w o u l d s e e t h e b a n d 's complete cata log given consideration t hroughout t he four teen-song set. Wit h f ive relea se s in ju st eig ht yea rs, it c a n be rea sonably ea s y f o r m u c h o f a n a r t i s t's e a r l i e r w o r k t o g e t l o s t i n t h e s h u f f l e , b u t i t w a s v e r y a p p a r e n t t h a t Un c l e A c i d t o o k t h e t i m e t o c r a f t a w e l l t h o u g h t o u t s e t l i s t f o r t h e i r f a n s . O v e r a l l t h e b a n d 's s e t s e l e c t i o n t o o k a q u a r t e r o f i t s m a t e r i a l f r o m Wa s t e l a n d ; s p e c i f i c a l l y t h e p r e v i o u s l y m e n t i o n e d " I S e e Yo u" a s w e l l a s " S h o c k w a v e ," " B l o o d R u n n e r," a n d t h e e v e n i n g's f i n a l s o n g " N o R e t u r n ." B l o o d L u s t ( 2 011) a n d Ni g h t C r e e p e r ( 2 015 ) w e r e e a c h r e p r e s e n t e d w i t h a t r i o o f o f f e r i n g s a s a d u o o f s e l e c t i o n s f r o m Vo l . 1. ( 2 011) a n d M i n d C o n t r o l ( 2 015 ) r o u n d e d o u t t h e s e t l i s t . A s t u t e f a n s w e r e k e e n t o n o t e t h a t t h i s p e r f o r m a n c e b y Un c l e A c i d m i g h t h a v e p r e s e n t e d t h e l a s t o p p o r t u n i t y f o r s u c h a b a l a n c e d o f f e r i n g o f t h e b a n d 's c a reer a nd re sponded w it h t remendou s energ y a nd ent hu sia sm a s t he g r o u p b o u n c e d f r o m t r a c k t o t r a c k . A s t h e n o t e s o f t h e n i g h t's f i n a l o f f e r i n g " N o R e t u r n" f a d e d i n t o d i s t o r t i o n t h e b a n d o f f e r e d t h e i r f a r e w e l l s a n d p r o m i s e s o f r e t u r n i n g "n e x t t i m e" a n d w e r e m e t w i t h t hu nderou s applau se a nd accla im f rom t he e ver t ha n k f u l g at hering. F o l l o w t h e b a n d 's j o u r n e y o n I n s t a @ u n c l e a c i d b a n d
Words
Daniel Cochrane
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Photos
Paul Bundy
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N i k o n D 8 10
Where
Metro, SLC , UT
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PH OT O Camera
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Canon EOS 5D Mark iV
“It’s hard out here in L A.” Truer words were never spoken. Since the invention of skating, thousands of skaters have migrated to the promised land of Los Angeles to take their shot at a life on four wheels. The often unnoticed or underappreciated side of such a f locking that doesn’t get published as much is the photographers who do the same, recognizing early that their best contributions to skateboarding are not on a board itself, but capturing those that are for the world to see. “You come in blind working against the best of the best,” comments Chris Swainston while thinking back on making it L A. “You really have to bite the bullet and work your ass off. Everyone has established themselves and their friend group so it’s hard to f ind your way in. But hard work and determination pay off. I’ve become friends with my idols growing up, Muska, Ellington, Arto, Appleyard, obviously Lizard. And so many more. I even got to skate spots with Tom Penny in London one year. That was surreal.” Skateboarding came into Swainston’s life during his time in SLC at the innocent age of 13; “I didn’t have many friends then, I felt like an outcast and I absolutely hated every sport. Back then it was rebellion, antiestablishment. Jocks hated you, girls were not into you, and my friends and I didn’t give a fuck! My older cousin Eddy picked up skateboarding and I really looked up to him. That same year I found snowboarding and honestly skateboarding and snowboarding completely changed my life.” Throughout his seven years in L A Swainston has ventured out into multiple industries while his personal style has developed into “a wild ADD maniac that has a hard time sitting still” which absolutely shows through in his captivating images. “I do think my personality shows through in my images,” says Swainston. “Your character is part of your vision and your voice in an image. It’s an ever growing process as you develop as a photographer. With my work I come at it with a documentary mindset and a commercial mindset regardless of scene or subject. There is always a story to be told and an emotion to be captured.” The is undoubtedly bright for Swainston as he jokes about his vision of “Five bank accounts, three houses, and two vehicles! Really though the dream is to keep growing as a photographer, creating, traveling, living life to its fullest. I want to be shooting till I’m too old to pick a camera up… then I’ll just have my assistant put in on a tripod.”
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Jake Kenobi
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LIB TECH.COM/SKATEBANANA
BRANDON REIS
USA • ZERO HAZARDOUS WASTE
Killer Acid is Philadelphia born, but current Bay Area resident Rob Corradetti or perhaps, it's the other way around, and instead Rob Corradetti is Killer Acid. There is a distinct difference, the first appointing the work to the artist and the second the artist to the work. This particular puzzle was one of my first inquiries for Rob when we began to correspond regarding a profile for Arkade. His response comes with a suggestion of a shrug and a wink of the eye "Some people see Killer Acid as a brand, and some people see me as Killer Acid. I never set the record straight because, in the end, I don't think it matters. The one thing I will say—in my opinion, a brand is incapable of having true feelings. There is a certain coldness to it. I'm ok with people knowing that I'm just some guy who filters messages from the world and that's what makes up Killer Acid. Ultimately I like to leave certain things a little untidy and open-ended," explains Rob. A response very apropos for a self-prescribed practitioner and disciple of the "outsider art" scene, "I was involved with the underground comics and art community in Brooklyn for about 20 years before moving out west. This revolved around Desert Island Comics, Printed Matter, and the art space where I had a shared studio space—Secret Project Robot. I was inspired by contemporary weirdo cartoon-artists in that scene and also by the older generation. People like Robert Crumb, Gary Panter, The Hairy Who, etc. I'm also inspired by surf music, rock & roll, Jean Cocteau, The Grateful Dead, Gary Larson, Paperrad." As one would be led to believe Rob is less concerned with massive mainstream success than he is with fulfilling an artistic path of his choosing. A recurring motif of Rob's subject matter can best be described as "stoner-friendly," which has the potential to prevent a certain degree of commercial success even as more and more states legalize the substances that are thematically constant in his work. However, for Rob, this is a non-issue, "I've been making what you could call "weed art" since the early 1990s when I was a teenager. I grew up around head shops and tape shops and boardwalk print shops. From my perspective, it's always been a wonderful subculture to have a foot in. It will always be a part of my soul no matter what other higher-minded art ideas I might come up with. I feel like the best projects I come upon are from folks who understand the totality of Killer Acid. I've definitely lost a few high-ticket deals over my ideology, but in the end, I think artists should be the tastemakers rather than corporations. Corporations will always find a way to co-opt the underground and exploit certain styles to sell more sneakers. I've seen a huge resurgence in psychedelic cartoon art. Which is ultimately a good thing!" In addition, Rob's work also dwells upon his belief in the inevitable demise of humanity, "If I had to boil it all down I'd say my quintessential view of humanity is that we are fucked. Not just by our actions, but by our very being. We have persisted in evolving backward and are f lawed in some basic way. We're unable to coexist with each other or with our own planet. I think that's where the root of all my humor comes from. Because isn't it so tragically sad? And that sadness is so big that you just have to laugh at it. Maybe there's hope if enough people start laughing." Rob's world view unmistakably affects his current work, but surprisingly it may have subconsciously existed long before Killer Acid when he envisioned a very different path, yet one still profoundly entwined with humanity, the world, and both our roots and ultimate destiny, "I went to college to study geology but ended up discovering printmaking instead. I had dreams as a child of becoming a paleontologist, but I guess I was just better at drawing and making artwork. I didn't learn about how to run an art business at school; it took me many years of trial and error to figure that part out. Moving to New York City when I was 20 was the real kick in the ass I needed. I love when football players say 'school of hard knocks' as their alma mater in lieu of a college. I can identify with that sentiment" reminisces Rob.
ARTIST
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Daniel Cochrane
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While the childhood dreams of paleontology may have not found fruition in Rob's current work, other childhood experiences, have definitely taken root in Killer Acid. When I asked about the proliferation of accessories and goods in the Killer Acid store outside of the usual variety of prints Rob explained, "there was like the unconscious dream of a kid raised in the 1980s in America. Being told buy this toy, get this video game, buy these Freezy Freakies gloves, and get this Hypercolor T-shirt. At some point, I was exposed to kawaii culture and the Sanrio mindset." It is this mindset that has filled the Killer Acid store with a large assortment of goods ranging from t-shirts, rolling trays, and lapel pins to stickers, patches, and pint glasses. Continuing Rob adds, "that's the reason why I put free gifts into every package. I got sort of obsessed with novelty culture, and the psychology behind someone seeing something and wanting that something." When asked for words of advice or encouragement for fans, be they aspiring artists or not one might assume, with Rob's somewhat fatalistic albeit humorous mindset, that we may receive a rant more akin to Bukowski or at the very least Hunter S. Thompson. Instead, he offers this small bit of wisdom tinged with a bit of hope "When people ask me how to become an artist or how to become who they want to be in life, I always tell them to have a lot of patience and spend a lot of time just absorbing the world. Go to far-away places and leave your small town, but don't forget where you came from and who you were as a very small child. Don't be afraid to dream for your entire life." Find Rob and Killer Acid @Killeracid on Instagram and at KillerAcid.com.
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Boy Harsher Countr y Girl Uncut Nude Club
Dad Bod Af ter Thought Self-Released
Night Glitter Tr a n s p a r e n c y ( s i n g l e) Nine Mile Records
DIIV Deceiver C a p t u r e d Tr a c k s
Boy Harsher is the darkwave project of Jae Matthews and Augustus Muller. The two met in Savannah, Georgia, while studying film and began an experimental project under the name Teen Dreamz. The duo soon relocated to Massachusetts, where their sound shifted to a more danceable style, and in 2014 released their debut EP, the home-recorded Lesser Man under the new moniker, Boy Harsher. Country Girl Uncut is a short, concise record coming in at only eight tracks and just under thirty minutes. This is primarily because Boy Harsher already released the ten-track, forty-five-minute full length, Careful, in February of this year. While Careful saw the Boy Harsher sound edge towards the melodic Country Girl Uncut sees the duo return to the darker sounds of their previous releases. At times they are even exploring the boundaries between Dark Wave and Industrial Dance. The album's opening track, Motion, is a four-minute effort marked by notably aggressive beats that eventually give way to repetitive percussive crashes, all while Jae Matthews croons in her signature style. Electric continues the in your face beats, and percussion before the third track and the albums namesake Country Girl takes it back to Careful-esque beat-laden late-night driving music. The back end of the album is highlighted by Send Me A Vision and Westerners and concludes with Swing. A song that sounds more like an outtake from Cleanse Fold and Manipulate era Skinny Puppy with its ominous ethereal music and macabre spoken lyrics. All in all, Country Girl Uncut is a phenomenal effort from Boy Harsher but probably not an entrylevel album if you’re not into harder darkwave. If you're new to the band, start with February's Careful and then follow up with this darker, slightly more aggressive album.
Consisting of the three brothers Marinos, Michael (vocals, guitars), Matthew (bass), Marcus (drums), and rounded out by Ben Ostler on guitars, Utah's Dad Bod released their newest effort, After Thought, on September 1st of this year. The band's styling is reminiscent of many performers at the forefront of the current indie scene. Listeners will hear odes to bass-driven "Down The Line" style Beach Fossils and certainly some Foals from time to time, yet the band effortlessly pulls off a sound that is ultimately distinctly their own. Odds are if you have attended an indie show in the past year at Kilby or Urban, you have probably run into Dad Bod at some point. Those that have been fortunate enough to catch them multiple times will find many of their set list standards finally accessible via this new release. After the brief introductory instrumental "Brand New," the album begins in earnest with my favorite track, "Don't Say," a bass-driven little jam that is accentuated by beautiful guitar hooks playfully dancing in the background. Instrumental "Suzy" follows as a brief pallet cleanser before "You Never Say Hi," which is Dad Bod's current set-closing song of choice and a close second for the favorite track on the album. Instrumental "Un Lago" is sure to be the personal soundtrack for many of my upcoming pow days, and the following "Foreign Lands" shows that the band can slow it down a notch or two when needed as well. Dad Bod avoids the perennial pitfall of many smaller self-releasing artists, explicitly filling the back end of an album with throwaway songs, with a solid finish. The bouncy "Some Kind Of Confidence," the instrumental "La Douceur Du Foyer," slow jam "After Thought," and finally, the Foals-esque funky "Enough" shows that in the digital age the nearly lost art of album pacing and track order are not entirely forgotten. Catch them live at one of their regular appearances around SLC.
Night Glitter is the brainchild of California born, but Parisian raised Thievery Corporation vocalist LouLou Ghelichkhani, and partners longstanding Austin stalwart John Michael Schoepf, and Josh Blue. The band plays self-described dreamy psychedelic synthpop, an adequate description of their laid back, effects riddled, brand of psychedelia which was first unleashed upon the world with two singles in May of last year, Tunnels and Radio, and an EP, Hangin' on a Dream, that followed in the summer. This year's new single, Transparency, is their first effort of 2019.
DIIV is one of the many Beach Fossils related side projects, and Deceiver, released in early October, is their long-awaited third album. It may not be highbrow journalism to say, but this album is straight fire. FIRE. FIIIIIIRE. Founder and primary member Zachary Cole Smith broke his Social Media hiatus in late September after the release of the band's first Deceiver single, Blankenship. He proclaimed the album was DIIV's "hardest" record to date, an adjective that, while true, was probably misinterpreted by many fans, myself included. DIIV has always had some harder undertones. Despite the band's nod to Nirvana and related grunge as influences, their sound was, in general, distinctly indie-pop with leanings toward up-tempo shoe gaze. It was this tempo that many fans assumed would continue (and can indeed be heard in the aforementioned first single, Blankenship) and thus led to the misinterpretation to Smith's "harder" proclamation. The songs are indeed harder, but they are also slower, which has created a more direct homage to the early 90's shoegaze scene that DIIV has always flirted with to the absolute delight of many. The album's first five tracks are a tour of frenetic energy and visceral sounds straight from the era. Opener "Horsehead" and follow up "Like Before You Were Born" could just have easily been cut from Chapterhouse, Pale Saints, or Ride at their heaviest. "Skin Tides" echoes melodic Sonic Youth a la Dirty or Goo. "For the Guilty" and "The Spark" wouldn't even raise an eyebrow if mischievously slipped into a list of lost My Bloody Valentine tracks. On the back end of the album is the sole song that sounds most like "old DIIV" the initial single "Blankenship." It is flanked however by two of Deceiver's slowest efforts, "Lorelei" and closer "Acheron" each guaranteed to bring long glimpses of whatever footwear you happen to be wearing at the moment. This might be my favorite album of the year.
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LouLou shares the brunt of the vocal duties for the three-piece although Schoepf does come to the front on occasion; however, Transparency is not one of those tracks. As previously mentioned the vocals are riddled with echo effects and lush overlays making LouLou easily reminiscent of Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star, an association I would believe most anyone would be pleased with. Also due to her Parisian roots, many lyrics are interspersed with both French and English with Transparency being solely French. This particular track with its bouncy keyboards, swirling rhythms, and French lyrical content reminds me of a lost Stereolab track, once again I think a comparison many artists would appreciate. The 5-minute 30-second track ebbs and flows between LouLou's swirling vocals, a repeated synth loop and echoing effects playfully coming in and out of the forefront. Transparency’s bridge features spoken lyrics before once again delving back to synth loops and swirling accompaniments. While not a particularly groundbreaking entry in the synth-psyche-dream pop genre Transparency reminds us that sometimes simply being a well-crafted example of a particular style is itself worthy of praise.
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18 years in the military 18 years in the military 18and years in the military my biggest battle and my biggest battle and my biggest battle was against cigarettes. was against was against cigarettes. cigarettes. Air Air Air
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For free help, call For free help, call For free help, call
1-800 -QUIT-NOW. 1-800 -QUIT-NOW. 1-800 -QUIT-NOW.
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Brian, age 60 Brian,Veteran age 60 Force Brian, age 60 Force Veteran Texas Force Veteran Texas Texas
Who
Sometimes there is no grand design, no intention other than the experience of the ride. The open road is an empty canvas awaiting the broad stroke of the adventurer's brush. With only the means to keep the tank full, a bedroll, and a dedication for exploration, we can be reminded that adventure doesn't always demand a passport. Exhibit A; Parker Duke's shot of frequent Arkade collaborator and all-around badass Amanda Hankison somewhere on the road between Salt Lake City and the Oregon Coast. Heed the call of the open road, and reap the bounty it so willingly offers and in the process create the memories of a lifetime.
Words
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Daniel Cochrane
Photo Camera Film
Amanda Hankison Parker Duke Olympus Epic St ylus Kodak Por t r a 40 0
FIFTY YOUR WAY INTO CROSSROADS
251 W 12th St, Ogden, UT Rider: Spencer Nalder Photo: Noah Gelfman
FOR ALL OF YOUR 2019/2020 WINTER NEEDS
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Cor y Llewelyn cor y@a rk ademaga zine.com Photo Editor
Pa u l B u n d y pau l@a rk ademaga zine.com Editor
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Ja ke Kenobi ja ke@a rk ademaga zine.com Contributing Photographers
We s t o n C o l t o n , G a b e L' H e u r e u x , C h a s e B u r c h , Pa u l B u n d y, C o l t M o r g a n , Ni e l s J e n s e n , S a m M i l i a n t a , B o b P l u m b , D e s i r e e M e l a n c o n , C h r i s S w a i n s t o n , Pa r k e r D u k e
Contributing Writers
Ja ke Kenobi Arkade Magazine
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