No.11 Aug / Sep 2014
DArK Zoo by
Nicolas
www.artnois.com
Evariste
IntervIew of Grammy wInnInG,
Quetzal ConfuCius Special ARTNOIS Mix by
Fuckin Dj's
From morocco
a surrealist adventure
Cristiana Gasparotto Sam DouGaDoS
elastiC Bond
achraf BaznanI frank leone
Scott allISon tal avitzur
At the tender Age of 2.... We published 11 issues, featured 155 artists from all around the globe including the UK, Argentina, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, Canada and the US, met with the CEO of ISSUU (our publishing platform) which has over 84 million readers every month. Additionally, we’ve been featured in the ISSUU newsletter which goes out to 8 million publishers and have also been on the front page of the art section. Moreover, we continue to expand our circle of friends with artists, musicians, poets, art lovers, social activists and countless other postive people who are responsible for making the world a better place one step at a time. Most importantly, we are working toward our dreams and our goal of contributing to artists and art itself.
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2 61 ARTNOIS No 10, MAY 2014
A note from the Team
Another Year! We can’t believe this issue marks our 2nd year of ArTNoIS. It minder that life really is what you make of it, that we can make continue to allow us to share with you some of our greatest discoveries. -Artnois Team
Catch up on past issues!
Artnois Team magda Becerra Artnois co-Founder, loves anything creative, manages art magda@artnois.com Jesenia meraz Artnois co-Founder, brings music to your ears. Always looking for new music and artists to share with the world. jessy@artnois.com carlos rubio Tells it like it is. carlos@artnois.com Daniel Palencia Web Assistant our genius go-to guy
robert Farkas Katie mallory Brett Stuart Wilson David romero
.
VISIT uS AT Artnois.com Questions, comments or suggestions? Email us!
mind that either.) Po BoX 923082 SYLmAr,cA 9134 tel. 818.584.1868 magazine@artnois.com
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coNTeNTS
ISSUE 11 AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2014
10
14
20
She discovered the dimensions of emotion through her lens.
The Grammy-winning Chicano rock band from East LA.
Photography at it’s best. An interpretation of the wild!
Cristiana Gasparotto
Quetzal
Nicolas Evariste
26
30
34
Two fuckin’ deejays from Madrid, Spain.
Tiny people or huge sand drawings?
Intrinsically sweet taste of Latin roots for your ear!
Fuckin Djs
Sam Dougados
Elastic Bond
38
46
50
Two fuckin’ deejays from Madrid, Spain.
His interpretation of Chi City.
A mixed media artist from AZ.
Achraf Baznani
Frank Leone
54
58
An MC with conscientiousness.
Whaaa... vegan taxidermy?
Confucius
Scott Alisson
Tal Avitzur
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CHECK OUT ROBERT FARKAS’S STORE AT: http://society6.com/astronaut
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Brett Stuart Wilson art For music Larger than Life Portraits of Maverick Musicians. Built-Out Dimensional Paintings revealing Electrifying Stage Lights and Nightclub Funk.
www.brettstuartwilson.com
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David A.
ROMERO LATINO SPOKEN
WORD ARTIST
As seen on Russell Simmons All Def Digital
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Contemporary Art & Abstract Expressionism by
Katie Mallory
View 2007 - 2014 Painting Collection
See More Katie Mallory Artwork
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Cristiana Gasparotto Retreiving A Sacred Sexuality
Returning To One-Self
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A
From the artist t the beginning of my activity, I conceived photography as a collection of instantaneous and anecdotal captures of reality. Later, the deeper I
I felt that my images were approaching a deliberate and intentional narrative of the emotional dimension.
Singing Over the Bones
Union With the Mate
Conceptually, I investigate the identity and the territory (physical and psychological), the
The Life/Death/Life Nature of Love
of time – always from a strongly autobiographical point of view.
Intuition As Initiation
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C
Muladhara II
Anahata II
Muladhara I
Anahata I
the Wild Woman.
muladhara.
The reading of Women who run with the wolves, by Clarissa Pinkola Estés, has been the inspiration for this work. In that exemplary and strongly archetypal non-
I retrieve my relation with nature and my own
‘Wild Woman’, a powerfully creative and wise force, as well as an endangered species, which deeply represents the instinctual nature of women. In the photographic series, I have chosen to represent a few selected moments in the process of the Wild Woman’s experience as woman, mate and mother.
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ancestral roots, and the actions I experience to develop my personality. Sahasrara. I deeply investigate my integration with the most spiritual aspects of life and nature.
Sahasrara II
Sahasrara I
Anahata. It is about losing and searching in a very personal ground. I work on an emotional territory, with nature’s patient help. In grateful. The landscape reveals ancestral fears and evokes forgotten memories as well as the snow enshrouds the whole setting in a special silence that fosters isolation, concentration and light.
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My past – what I remember of it, crystallizes into emotional fragments. In the process, I recompose it releasing my concerns in a state of vital feelings and higher consciousness. -Crisitan Gasparotto
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Q
Interview
Quetzal
by Jesenia meraz and armando ruiz
Meet Quetzal, a grammy winning band from East Los Angeles.
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This would certainly spell the death of a historic Eastside neighborhood that has been a sanctuary for immigrants (Japanese, Mexican, Jewish, Easter European, Central American) since the late 1800’s members: martha Gonzalez - vocals, tarima, chekere, percussion tylana enomoto – violin Peter Jacobson - cello Juan Perez - bass alberto lopez- percussion Quetzal flores - jarana, requinto doble, bajosexto, guitars What is the most memorable moment you have about East LA? It is not a single moment, but a moment in time. the 90’s were a magical decade for music, art and culture in east la. this was a time where hollywood clubs were not accessible to us. we made conscious and unconscious choices to invest time and energy building relationships in local spaces like Self help Graphics, the aztlan foundation (the old la city Jail converted into a community space). on any given night in east la you could hear the Blues experiment, aztlan underground, ollin, ozomatli, Quinto Sol and Quetzal or often times a combination of several groups together. this was nothing less than a symbiotic relationship between artists and community that resulted in transformation. How has it changed from when you were kids growing up in the area? as part of the la city Plan, Boyle heights is to become an will result in a pushing out of families and residents who spell the death of a historic eastside neighborhood that has been a sanctuary for immigrants (Japanese, mexican, Jewish, easter european, central american) since the late 1800’s. there are organizations like east la community corporation that are moving to organize with residents and develop and response and proactive alternative to the city plan and Boyle heights. How did you decide which instruments you were to use when creating your music? fortunately for us, everyone in the group is a multiinstrumentalist with vast understandings of a variety of musical languages. this certainly helps when were arranging a composition. typically the song dictates which instruments
what organically needs to happen. we each strive to do what i understand that the Quetzal is one of the most beautiful birds from central America. How did you decide on this name for your band? It is a fact that the Quetzal bird can not live in captivity. from early conquest times historical documents show that this beautiful creature would will itself to sleep when it found itself caged. hence, to some degree our musical expression as a band. we utilize (like many east la bands before us) with other communities in struggle. So our goal is not to compose music that is organic in the sense that we aren’t their social spaces. You have been associated with many ties to political movements in both feminism and the Zapatista movement. How true is this and to what level is your involvement? by the zapatista teachings and chicana and Black feminism scholarship and culture production. Both have shown us the possibilities around how our music can be approached in order to have a social justice impact. these ongoing post-colonial movements made us further understand the important roles we held as community musicians. In the process of studying these writings we came to realize that our roles were nothing frivolous and what we decided to say (how, why, and where) were extremely important and necessary! i am sure that at this point your involvement with these movements is more of a lifestyle. Was this always so? something you grow out of, you pick and choose till the next trend comes in. this may have been the case for some, but not for us. this movement was transformative in all respects. back to what it once was. when you study and understand something as pressing as we have understood oppression in all its manifestations (social, political, economic, gender etc) through the eyes of these teachings, or any for that matter, the cognitive change is irreversible.
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Some of the greatest musicians I have ever met...
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are humble and generous. These are our teachers. 17 ARTNOIS No 10, mAY 2014
Check Them Out! How did you all come to common grounds on what your music would represent to your listeners and to yourselves our process is pretty organic. for Quetzanimales for example, etc... and began composing from there. everyone in the band contributes to compositions. we bring ideas to the group and everyone takes a crack at it. there’s a ton of respect and admiration for each others work, so that makes the process pretty enjoyable and smooth. the new independent label Artivist Entertainment, can you all talk about that collaboration and share how it came about? What can folks expect from it? artivist is a project/collaboration between maya Jupiter, veronica Gonzale z(the element marketing), aloe Blacc, alberto lopez (Quetzal, Jungle fire), and Quetzal flores. we’re creating a home for artists like ourselves who are doing socially conscious work. aloe, maya and myself have been talking about this for years and now it’s taking a nice event was on artivism and motherhood featuring ana tijoux, martha Gonzalez, maya Jupiter and ofelia esparza (master
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altar maker in east la). we’re planning a second in South la on urban gardening. the term artivist is becoming more prevalent, what does for us, the term artivist comes out of the deliberate work we began doing as a community in the 90’s. Simply put, it to be accountable and accessible to community practice. this commitment typically translates into the art making process becoming a dialectical tool to engage community. the perfect example for us would be the fandango, a participatory music and dance practice from veracruz, mexico. for over 50 years chicano music has drawn much inspiration from the music (son jarocho) born out of the fandango. la Bamba being the epitome of this relationship. this led a group of musicians from the eastside to reach out to communities of practice in veracruz. the result is the transplanting of the fandango into eastside communities and beyond. the fandango has been an important space of resistance and proactive organizing(a great example is the centro cultural de mexico en Santa ana). It also translated in an ongoing dialogue between two communities struggling, building and thriving together. can you all explain the concept behind your current album, Quetzanimales?
It’s a indepth look into the lives of urban animals, their realities, relationships with humans and innate ability to survive and thrive. Professor Deborah vargas, who wrote our bio puts it
assembled in this album call us to imagine life relationally How do you all maintain your humility in the midst of all the hype that comes from being a musician in Los Angeles? Being a musician from los angeles, and being a musician musicians/artists have ego, we don’t necessarily subscribe to the greatest musicians I have ever met like David hidalgo of los lobos or lorenzo martinez of los texmaniacs are humble and generous. these are our teachers.
variety is healthy. we don’t expect everyone to think like we do. this works for us. It’s important to make space for a multitude of ideas and possibilities. collectively and/or in conversation, those ideas better represent the health and vision of a community. that’s where the hard work happens. How do you feel about other bands arising from East LA? Do you have a special relationships with these individuals? of the newer generation of bands from the eastside I mostly enjoy listening to chicano Batman, viento callejero, la Santa cecilia, maya Jupiter, cambalache and cuicani. I feel like these groups understand and respect the importance of not just impregnating their musical content with cliché social justice propaganda but rather, integrate their band existence with the greater community. they understand histories and musical trajectories that preceed them and strive to uphold (both in musical and lyrical content) quality work that is best
Alternative album: imaginaries. What does that mean to you? Do you think it says something about politically charged barrio music and its impact it can have in mainstream culture? no. mainstream culture has no conscience. It functions on was the response it generated among community folks. I felt proud that they felt proud. also the Pre Grammy celebrations we produced ourselves on the eastside were phenomenal. the friday before we had a fandango at the east Side café in el Sereno. If you have never witnessed a fandango, they go all night long. this one ended at 5am. Saturday was a concert/dialogue at the Breed St. Shul in Boyle heights w/ los cojolites, Quetzal, la marisoul of la Santa cecilia and a whole list of speakers including George lipsitz, roberto flores, michelle habel Pallan, victor viesca, Greg landau, russell rodriguez and martha Gonzalez. By the time Grammy Sunday came around we were totally exhausted. You describe yourselves as a chican@ rock, do you think this description/genre title will ever change? It’s not so much a genre as much as it is an identity recognizing where we come from, the shoulders we stand on. the breadth and experience of chican@ rock is so tremendous and often times crosses multiple genres. I would have to say no, it will not change. i love the description on your Facebook page which states your “music expresses the ultimate struggle for dignity”. i believe this should be an attitude embraced by everyone in anything they do, especially for musicians who are able to reach the masses. How do you feel about other musicians that do not share this perception about music?
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Acinonyx Jubatus
A reminder of Earth’s natural beauty from Normandy photographer
Nicolas Evariste 20 ARTNOIS No 10, mAY 2014
Ceratotherium Simum
Lemur Catta
In Love
Arothron Hispidus
I see photography as a means of expression, an escape, with pictures saying more than words. In my photos, I do not necessarily seek to show things as they are, but rather to share a personal, artistic vision of the world around us.
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Ara
King
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Pelacanus
Zebra
Elephas Maximus
From the artist About “Dark Zoo” series Dark zoo is the product of several expeditions to various french wildlife parks. through this series of animal portraits, I’m trying to convey emotions while attempting to disregard the prefabricated environment of the zoo, and so focus entirely on the subject in hand. the curves, looks, postures, with their stark contrasts, shot in an original way, result in a highly graphic, minimalistic series of images.
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Over The Mountains
Training
Ombres et LumiĂŠres
From the artist rugged and indomitable landscapes, at times sombre, at others luminous and bright. this sequence of photos reveals a personal vision of normandy, where earth and sea meet, a land hewn by wind and tide. from mont Saint michel, wonder of the western world, to the north cotentin peninsular, along the havres coast, with its string of small harbours. region.
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Since always, I am fortunate to live in this corner of france where nature is still preserved and history also very present.
for seascapes, although the norman Bocage is also very inspiring. havens, ports and islands are a great source of inspiration, inexhaustible in my opinion. the mont Saint michel is one of the most visited places in france.
The Arrival
Walk The Line
View More
Survivor
however, photographically speaking, this is not the mont itself that interests me, but rather its environment. Indeed, the bay of mont Saint michel is truly alive and changing. each trip, I discover new landscapes, new lights, new points of view. visible from everywhere for miles around, adds a real mystic touch to panorama! minimalism is a style that I particularly like. So the technique of long exposure is perfect for me ! removing details of moving parts, it makes the picture more simple and uncluttered. the photos are also much more unreal and
Invasion
dreamlike ... an impossible vision of the world in the reality, as if we photographed the passing time. Black and white also reinforces the minimalist side ... we remove another element from the photo: the color. this leaves a better way to a personal interpretation of the image and gives more intensity to the irrealism of the photograph.
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FUckin
dj's
26ARTNOIS ARTNOISNo No1,10, mAY 2014 2 Agust 2012
Fuckin DJ’s consists of two optimistic deejays, Jacinto Díaz Bravo (DJ Tito) and by Alejandro Álvarez González (DJ Palvex), from Madrid, Spain. They play a wide range of electronic music styles, from dubstep to deep house. Have a read at our chat with them as they explain the process of their art as deejays. Be sure to download their special mix dedicated to Artnois Magazine’s second year anniversay celebration!
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How would you describe your work? Tito: We both have an indescribable passion for music in general, but this passion is greater when talking about electronic music. We kind of try to use that in our favor, giving the best out of ourselves at every performance,
is with Dada Life. We simply love how Stefan Engblom and Olle Cornéer have managed to form the worldwide known pair they are nowadays, Dada Life. Their music is unique, because they have been able to adapt to the latest tendencies without ever losing their personal touch, and that is one of the
Our main motivation is to see that people enjoy what we do, and we love what we do
mix and track we work on, in order to be able to transmit that feeling to the audience. We are very cautious in that sense, we like our work to be just as we would like to hear it from someone else; if there is something that we think could be done better, we go back and do it. Palvex: I think it would be accurate to say that our work is a reflection of our passion and dedication put together in order to, one day, be able to reach our dream of becoming professionals in the music industry. If you could collaborate with any musician, living or dead, who would it be? Tito: There are many musicians who we really admire and we think the effort and work they put everyday is priceless, but if there is one (or two in this case) whom with we would love to collaborate at any point in our career 4 Agust 2012 28ARTNOIS ARTNOISNo No1,10, mAY 2014
things we are looking for, to be able to preserve our own style, adapting it over time. Furthermore, the relationship that both Stefan and Olle have is admirable, they are just that: two great friends doing what they most like. What has motivated you to continue deejaying? Palvex: I have to admit that, after I went back living in Spain and having to dissolve the music project that Felipe and I had formed, I was not very sure if I would give it a try to continue on my own. However, later on I met Tito and he told me how he was new into the DJ world, and even though he had not had the chance to perform and was just beginning, I could see in him a big ‘beginner’s ambition’ and willingness to try something new. That is when we agreed to form the project we are nowadays, Fuckin DJs. Our main motivation is to see that people enjoy what we do, and we love what we do,
so it makes us want to keep doing it forever. Tito: In a big part my partner and colleague Palvex, that brought me big illusion when we first started it. And as many others, the dream of playing in front of a big crowd or a music festival where we could see for the first time our name in a big poster. Do you mix or mash tracks? We like to do both mixes (podcasts, sessions, etc.) as well as mash-up tracks and give them our own personal touch. We have recently started working with remixing and production as well. The Mix: The main idea of a mix is putting together a series of tracks that we think the audience will enjoy, and try to make the whole thing seem as one unique track that just flows from beginning to end. We personally started our own ‘mix series’ called Fuckin Stages, which are ongoing mixes that we release every 1 or 2 months. In order to give life to our mixes, after having chosen the tracklist, we use our different controllers and effect pads together with the appropriate DJ software. We personally work mostly with Traktor when preparing our mixes. Mash-ups, remixes, re-edits: When talking about mash-ups, remixes, re-edits, etc. we must first know that there is a lot more production involved compared to mixes, so for these we use additional production software. Logic is the software we are working hard with at the time, as it is one of the most complete production software out in the market, so it requires good knowledge on its’ usage. When doing mash-ups, we first select songs which we think can work well together, try mixing them, see what things can be changed or improved, “edit” them with the production software, and mix them again. We then repeat the process as many times as needed in order to come up with the
final product we are expecting to reach. In the case of re-edits and remixes, we have recently started exploring that world... As we said, we are new into this, so we have still got a lot to learn about production! Do you carry crates of vinyls? TIto: We have had the opportunity to experience vinyl mixing before, however vinyl disks are not part of the equipment we use when playing. Nowadays most of the clubs are very well equipped in relation to DJ equipment, and in most of the cases we are able to play by just carrying our external hard drive or USB pendrives which contain everything we work with. Nevertheless, we also carry crates of CD’s which also contain what we need as a back up. You don’t want a lastminute error to ruin your night. How do you feel about the direction of deejaying and how it has changed over time? Palvex: In my opinion, there are two sides to this whole ‘DJrevolution’ that has been going on since some years now. Positively, the advanced technology we have nowadays allows for a much wider global connection among people, which of course is great if you are someone who wants to start DJying and wants to share his jams with the rest of the world or learn new things via the internet (tutorials/ classes/etc.). That is obviously one of the greatest things that have happened, the easiness to interact with a much wider audience worldwide. However, on the not-so-positive side of this change, there are many people who have seen a lucrative emerging business and have just decided to become DJs to try to emulate the lifestyle of those worldwide known DJs, but are not really passionate about it. I think this is a bad thing because nowadays becoming a DJ is more of a ‘trend’ than other thing, so more and more people decide to try luck as a DJ. Nevertheless, this can also be seen as a positive aspect, as more and more young DJ stars are emerging nowadays.
Where do you deejay? Tito: Since we started, in 2012, we have been deejaying at different events in Madrid, from private parties to wellknown clubs. In addition, we have recently received some offers to become local DJs (or residents) at some clubs in Madrid, which would be a new turn to our project and a new opportunity as well. We have somewhat agreed to take part in a new and big upcoming project in Madrid, however due to privacy terms we cannot give out any more information. What do you wish to gain out of it? Tito: We both agree that it would be amazing to become professionals and be able to do this for the rest of our lives. Palvex: My goal is to become a world top DJ and be able to keep doing what I feel more passionate about for the rest of my life. Of course, it is a hard path, but if you want to be world top at anything, you have to work very hard to achieve your goals. Many people prefer to give up on what they love before even trying to succeed on it because either of the hard work that it implies or the chances of failing. I just know that when I’m old and I look back in time, I will be happy that I wasn’t one of them. Any messages to the public? We would like to say to all of you artists and everyone in general who is reading this to please not give up on your dreams, do not give up on that one thing you like just because it might be hard to achieve or you might have to put a lot of effort on it. We would also like to thank everyone for their support, our friends, our listeners and our families; because it is thanks to you that we want to keep working harder and trying our best. Thank you!
Tito: In my opinion over the years the music industry is becoming more and more demanding. This becomes a more difficult industry to get in and build a name. All in all, the ones who benefit from this is all the audience and electronic music lovers, where I include myself, who enjoy with every song big deejays throw out. Despite this big difficulty, we like to say that we like challenges, who knows a few years from know where we will be.
Click to Listen 5 ARTNOIS No 1, Agust 2012
Sound Pistol
Code Barre
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Tiny people or huge sand drawings?
Sam DOugados
Stop It
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Biarritz, france as an artist incorporating nature in his work, one can say Sam is a drawer, painter and photographer. using a rake, Sam creates beach art that spans several hundred square meters on beautiful canvas beaches in france. after carefully crafting geometrical or message inspired pieces, he captures his work from by people or more commonly, happy dogs. once he has the perfect shot he creates limited prints
hundreds of lucky beach goers.
L’Homme Racines
Migration
Union
Fusion
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Bolygate
often I arrive on the beach not knowing what I’ll create, allowing my imagination to improvise with this can be geometric shapes (circles, triangles, lines), but increasingly I include messages in my accomplishments. this may be a direct sentence, a quotation, but also drawings explicit as could spread a stencil on a wall in town.
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this work is ephemeral, green and accessible by a large number of people, can turn for a short time, a common and known place and give a new look, a thought for those who want to look further than their towels. It is also a moment full of emotions for me when I start drawing my piece of several hundred square meters on this huge blank space, in harmony with nature, the 5 senses awoke! -Excerpt from autobiography
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Elastic Bond 6 ARTNOIS No 1, Agust 2012
An interview with Sofy and Andres of Elastic Bond (signifying diversity with integrity) from Miami, Florida! Band members: Sofy Encanto (Vocals) Andres Ponce (keyboards/ production/musical direction) David Burgos (Trumpet) Where are you all from? Andres: Sofy is from Honduras, Andres is Venezuelan, Buffalo was born in New York to Dominican parents and David is also Venezuelan. What do you enjoy the most about Miami? Andres: The Ocean and the multicultural vibes Sofy: The Beach and being close to family. How did you decide to for Elastic Bond? Andres: When I moved to Miami in 2004 I knew I wanted to form a project that combined different musical and songwriting elements and production techniques to showcase what I could do. When I met Sofy a few months later we soon connected on a creative level and then it became a collective thing so we gave it the name Elastic Bond which symbolized diversity but with integrity. Little by little we met other musicians from the scene such as Buffalo and David who brought this diverse sonic palette to the project and expanded our sound. Do you feel like there is a rise in latin-rooted music in Miami? Andres: Yes, there is a cool music scene in Miami and certainly there is a rise in Latin-influenced projects some of which explore traditional rhythms like Cumbia, Son, Bomba, Plena, Cuban Rumba, and others that
I want my music to enhance lives by helping them celebrate when they’re happy or comfort them when they’re sad. gravitate more towards fusion with other musical styles.
listeners from different cultures. It’s a reflection of who we are as Latinos living in the US. Who write the lyrics? Andres: Sofy and I both write lyrics, but she writes most of them. Who composes the music? Andres: I come up with a-lot of the grooves and chord progressions; Sofy comes up with the vocal melodies and lyrics; then we arrange the songs together. After that we bring in musicians to add other textures to the track such as guitars, horns and any random sound that we feel fit the song.
How did you decide to make songs in both English and Spanish?
How does it feel to know that your album “Real” hit the number one spot on Alternativo iTunes?
Andres: It is something that happened naturally during the songwriting process, we did not plan it. It has advantages since we are able to reach
Andres: It was a beautiful thing and a bit unexpected. It let us know that we are doing our job right by making music that connects with our listeners.
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I used the memories that many of us had in common, like climbing trees, running after the ice-cream truck, etc Thanks to all the fans out there! Sofy: I am very thankful to God and to all our fans who pre-ordered and bought the album. What does the name Elastic Bond mean to you? Andres: The unification of our musical influences and diverse cultural backgrounds into music that aspires to have a unique identity and groove. Sofy: A way of expression and communication with the world through music and an opportunity to share our influences and cultural experiences in a capsule.
r&b and hiphop along with rock n’ roll. Also the places where we’ve lived which have always been close to the caribbean must have something to do with it. What was your reaction when you heard David Dye play your track on NPR World Cafe? Andres: It was a great, proud moment. We admire David and most of our favorite artists have appeared on the World Cafe so it was an honor to be invited. Sofy: (I) felt honored and grateful to be played in such a legendary spot.
create this sound?
On one of your interviews you mentioned that “sometimes you have to look backward to go ahead”, what did you mean? Does this apply to how you work together as a band?
Sofy: Undeniably our Latin roots along with all the music we listen to which is mostly those genres of jazz, funk,
Andres: In order to have some perspective on how we can contribute something original to its history, it is
Your style feels like a blend of 90’s R&B, jazz, funk, and latin roots of
ARTNOIS mAY 2014 836 ARTNOIS NoNo 1, 10, Agust 2012
important to be aware of what has been done in music before us. We love a lot of 60’s and 70’s music and often look back to that musical period for inspiration and entertainment. That does not mean we don’t like a lot of music that is being produced currently. What are you looking forward to the most about performing at East Van Summer Jam in July the most? Andres: Meeting new fans; sharing our music; visiting new places; and getting away from the hot swampy summer for a few days. Sofy: Visiting a new place where we’ve never played before is always a thrill and I think we are also looking forward to connecting to the Canadian audience, we’ve heard that Canada is a great place for music. Can we expect any new jams, EPs, LPs, or albums coming out soon? Sofy: A few new compositions are being
Click to Listen brewed right now, maybe in a few more months, we’ll know more about upcoming release dates. Are you currently working on collaborations with other artists? Andres: Yes, we are working on a track with Colombian rapper Ephniko, and another with AfroCuban singer/ percussionist Tomas Diaz. We plan to work on more collaborations in the future In regards to the music you make as a group, what is your ultimate goal? Andres: Make music that grooves, represents who we are, and that can (also) be considered art. Sofy: (Our) ultimate goal is for our music to do the same other artists have done for me. I want my music to enhance lives by helping them celebrate when they’re happy or comfort them when they’re sad. Can you tell us of an unforgettable moment with you as a band?
Sofy: So many, but definitely one that stands out the most is our first camping experience at a music festival where we were scheduled to play. We weren’t as experienced in camping as we are now so it was a bit of a disaster, and it didn’t help that it started raining. We ended up with a couple of injuries and sleeping in the car and in a puddle, too funny. It was definitely unforgettable, leaving us with jokes for ages. I love your track “Back to the Basics” because makes me reminisce about my childhood days. Who came up with the concept and how was the experience of creating this track? Sofy: The track had a playful vibe to it, so I thought of the concept of kids and looking back at our childhood for the sake of getting away from the seriousness and stiffness of adulthood. At the time of writing the lyrics, I texted a bunch of friends and asked about their favorite childhood memory. I used the memories that many of us had in common, like climbing trees, running after the icecream truck, etc. That helped the song
take its’ shape and get the feel of a true story. What inspires you to continue creating music? Sofy: Luckily music itself inspires us, the creative juice sort of shows up in frequencies, sometimes a melody you hear in your head, sometimes a story you want to tell, so you just put it down on tape when you get the opportunity and then goes from there. Andres: The goosebumps we feel when we come up with a new song or when we are performing our songs and connecting with fans out there. Any messages for the public? Sofy: Don’t worry, be happy. Andres: Go with what feels right.
this summer! AND check out their website for more details.
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Achraf Baznani
Dive into this Morrocan photographer’s imagination to explore the adventure, wonder and inspiration filled world that his one-of-a-kind pieces bring.
Book is Candle
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Caged
The Real Me
Coin
Into the Abyss
C
From the artist
onceptual photography is, first and foremost, about the concept of the photo. A conceptual photographer is trying to bring some message about to the viewer, be it a political advert or a social commentary or an emotional outcry. There is some level of abstraction, thus, in my works: the image is not an explicit example of the concept, but a general expression of the idea. Conceptual photography makes healthy use of graphical symbols to represent ideas, movements, moods, anything and everything that the photographer might want to include in the message of their photograph.
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Ready to Fly
For my works, there are a variety of ways a concept falls into place, mostoften it starts with a spark of inspiration and grows from there, whether it is a person, design, story that needs to be told, regardless, it all starts with a single point. From there it becomes simple problem solving. I don’t spend very much time looking at what other people are doing. I like to stay aware and connected to what others are doing by following sites such as Flickr.. but beyond that, I spend the rest of my time meeting people, creating, and really just living life.
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The Kid Inside Me
Money Is Power
My Small World
Checking My Brain
Paperman
I think the best way to being inspired is not to just try to emulate others, but to find what inspires you in life and trying to capture and share it.
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The Underwater World
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Special Taste
View More Capturing Reality
I use Photoshop CS4 and Lightroom 4. I use Lightroom to correct and change the colorimetry pictures. Then I go on to the most important Photoshop retouching. To learn how to master these tools, I spent hours in front of my computer to study the tutorials available on the Internet. -Achraf Baznani
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artnois.com
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F Frank Leone Frank Leone is an MC from Monticello, Illinois. “It’s a lowly
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What is one major change you have personally witnessed about where you grew up? My high school just added a large iron-barred perimeter around the building for extra security. The one side of the school with a “good” view of the outside now looks like a prison. I understand why it was necessary, but it’s just depressing we live in a day and age where school shootings are prevalent enough for that to be necessitated. Do you feel like your music could have a positive impact on your community? Yes, I hope so. Kanye mentioned something in an interview recently basically saying the day and age we live in now is the era where being yourself has been the most facilitated (I think, don’t quote me). I want #EnterWILD to be remembered as a bold reminder of that. I also hope it can help draw attention to the violence in Chicago from people across the country who don’t understand the scope of the problem. How long have you been working on your latest project, #EnterWILD? It’ll be two years, that’s crazy to me. I’ve made tons of terrible mixtapes and one EP called Deep Ocean, that’s the prequel. I can still enjoy it but I hate my vocal performance was terrible. #EnterWILD is the first full-length and entirely selfproduced project. What is the reason for the spelling of the title? Does the hashtag signify anything?
Anytime someone shares #EnterWILD once it drops I’ll know about it. I’m working on an art campaign to accompany the project as well, it’s going to all tie in thematically and make it significantly more special than just an album. How did you develop your been your inspirations? I didn’t even realize my words had a style until my friend John Walk pointed it out to me. I listened to a-lot of Kanye, OF, Kids These Days, Nas, Tribe, and Lupe when I first started rapping. I don’t base it around anyone in particular, it slips in sub-consciously as I’m writing. But Earl Sweatshirt is the reason I decided to start rapping above average. It seems as though your if you tried. What makes the best practice for your I have no idea. Sometimes it’s garbage, sometimes it’s the rawest. Being in new places always helps. The best way to make me rap well is to play me a new song by someone I know that makes me sit down and question if I’m still good at rapping or not. Vic Mensa had a verse on Seppuku that did that to me, he also had a line that said “If I worked at McDonald’s I’d prolly Kurt Cobaine” and I was working at McDonald’s at the time so I was already near rock bottom, but I ended up writing my verse for this record with Sango that turned out to be my favorite verse I’ve ever done, so it’s cool. I quit McD’s a couple weeks later… don’t eat there.
Your songs seem dark, almost as if it were the start up of a soundtrack to a thriller. Was this intentional?
what’s wavy at the time; we can’t think for ourselves, and we usually don’t have a clue what these ideas mean. Last year a girl I was following tweeted the Love Sosa line about the cobra, “now that boy slumped ova” and I asked her if she knew what that meant: she thought it was a dick joke. I’m not against the cats making the music, and I’m not “Anti Trap Music,” but if you’re going to sing along to a song about murder and have no idea what it means that seems foolish to me. The flag was to piss off people I didn’t want watching my videos to begin with. It represents the one spark that can incite change in America. It’s hard to tell, but the flame was green as the flag was burning, no special effects. An American flag burning a green flame shouldn’t need an explanation.
I also hope it can help draw attention to the violence in Chicago There’s a park 5 minutes from where I live called Allerton Park, it was made in the early 20th century by this 5’0” millionaire who built a mansion, enormous gardens, sculptures, trails across a huge forest, and it’s open to the public now. That’s the setting for the album. I got more inspiration from movies than music for enterwild. King Kong, Lost, Into the Wild, Troll Hunter, they created the sound through their appearance and the story. I want it to sound like a thriller or an action/ adventure movie set in the woods. The project has spiritual and militaristic aspects too, I tried to embody all the feels. There are some visuals in your music Monster Mike (https:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=ez8bJXhtHr0) that may be disturbing to some viewers. You shoot two people on their what is the message of these visuals? How do you personally feel about this topic? Please elaborate. I shot two middle-class suburban kids wearing shirts that said “Trap Music” and “Molly.” Kids my age are so quick to feed into something hyped up if it’s
Do you take any part in the sound production? I do it all… I’m like the next Newt Gingrich. I make the instrumentals, record, and mix most of it. THEMpeople engineered #EnterWILD though. What type of reactions have you gotten from listeners? Any interesting stories? Aha, yes. One time I had a show with Chiddy Bang, Shwayze, and Taylor Bennett, and they put Taylor and I 5 hours before the opener so the turnout wasn’t wild, but when I got off stage it was 5 girls that
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I really really enjoy it. The only thing better is falling in love and that’s skressful bruh.
Click to Listen had to have been taller than 6’5” each that wouldn’t leave me alone, I mean would not leave me alone, I could barely get away from them. I’m a tall guy but I’ve got my limits too… What has been the most challenging thing about creating your music? Disproving and avoiding stereotypes. That, and coming from such a small town with no crew. Are there any perceptions about being a rapper that you wish didn’t exist? Yes, that your music is going to be terrible, because most rap music is. I think if you look at what you’re making in comparison to the world, not just in terms of the rappers you encounter, but actually thinking about the level at which people make music for a big audience across the whole globe, you take what you’re doing more seriously and try to create something that actually sounds good and has a purpose. I went to the University of Illinois for one year as a music major and the number one component they left out of my theory and aural skills classes was beauty, which in itself is such a widely debated and diverse idea, but at the root of 12 ARTNOIS No 1, Agust 2012
any piece of music I make the reason is to have something that sounds “good,” to me at least. If you could collaborate with any musician, living or dead, who would it be? Frank Ocean, Andrew Lloyd Weber, Bill Evans Trio, Hitboy, Chano & Kendrick. Because they got hits. What inspires you to continue creating music? I really really enjoy it. The only thing better is falling in love and that’s skressful bruh. Any messages for the public? The F word will be used on daytime TV in less than 10 years. EnterWILD is releasing this fall. Whoever you are, I promise I put something on there just for you. I wrote this in June, Rain Dance should be here by the time you read this. Do what it says.
DARRYLL SCHIFF FINE ART
ds@schiff-art.com
www.schiff-art.com 13 Agust 49 ARTNOIS ARTNOISNo No1, 10, mAY2012 2014
The Nest An Ethereal Gateway 10.5” x 13.5” Mixed media on watercolor
Scott Alisson COTTONWOOD, AZ
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A Delicate Shelter 16” x 22.5 Ink and collage The Wolfon of the City watercolor paper 70cm x 45 cm
15” x 22“ Paper Collage on Panel
Branches Do Not Squabble Over Which One Owns The Tree 35” x 25” Paper Collage on Panel The Devil Fish’s Daughter 10.5” x 13.5” Mixed media on watercolor paper
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have come together to create this one moment 23.5” x 27” Mixed media on wood
From Bones To Light 19.75” x 22.5” Ink on watercolor paper
S
And Both Were True 10.5”x 13.5” Mixed media on watercolor paper
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Heavenly Blue 15” x 22” Mixed media on watercolor paper
The Call of a Distant Voice Yet Unheard 10.5” x 19” Mixed media on watercolor paper
View Portfolio
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COnfucius Confucious is an MC born and raised in Peckham, located in South East London, currently residing in Brockley.
What is one of South East London’s loveliest attributes? One of South-East London’s loveliest attributes has to be the resilience and diversity of its residents. For as long as I’ve been alive it’s always been one of the more under-privileged corners of the city, but its energy and vibe has always produced a very unique and creative atmosphere... One of the things that sets it apart is it’s history. When you speak to local residents that have lived in the ‘South-East’ for generation after generation you come to realize that each area is full of stories and a history that has shaped the massive energy that resonates throughout its streets. What does your MC name represent to you? In many ways I guess my name is a mission statement about the type of message I’m trying to convey through my art, it’s very philosophical and very conversational. I’ve been a Kung-Fu film fanatic since I was about 6 years old. This later developed into a much broader interest in all things from the East, particularly China. I first heard the name ‘Confucius’ after a villain in Bruce Lee’s ‘Way of the Dragon’ quoted one of
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in life, when I was about 13 years old we watched an animation about and from that moment on that’s what I chose to call myself. What was the earliest line/bar you can remember resonating in your ears? When I was 14 I heard ‘Nas is Like’ Clips inserted / A baby’s being born / Same time a man is murdered / heard this line I felt like my mind bars Nas said more than a lot of rapknew this was the art form for me after this. What is the go-to album when you are going through a tough time? Without question, when I fell like I’m starting to lose faith in the world around me, I almost instinctively reach for Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s cliché in the book, but it truly gets better every time I listen to it. It’s like a sacred piece of art that’s been left behind for all lost souls, to pull them back into the warmth and beauty of
life on this planet. It is obvious that you write your bars with consciousness, what is your inspiration? I’ve dedicated a large portion of my life to working with and empowering children and young people in my same primary school that I went to as a kid, and the main focus of my work is centred around the development of personal expression through creative forms, predomi-
king with children it made me really really strive towards writing lyrics that had substance rather than the hollow meaningless words currently being pumped into the minds of the young people across the globe. Do you have other talents besides being an MC? As far as other talents, I’ve always had a passion for acting and spent a lot of my early years on the stage died film at university and actually directed ‘Original’ the first official video released from ‘The Highest Order’.
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C I’ve dedicated a large portion of my life to working with and empowering children and young people in my community
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The video to your track vibe. What intrigues you Film noir has always intrigued me because in a similar way to Hip Hop it has a pre-occupation with darkness, the more gritty sides of existence, large amounts of beauty in dark, dimly lit corners. What is it like to be signed to YNR Productions? Being signed to YNR Produca label that has always been synonymous with the concept of high-calibre, high quality lyricism as well as a sound that is consistently pushing the boundaries of Hip Hop in the UK. You have had the privilege of working alongside artists like Mos Def, Slum Village, what stands out the most about those past experiences? I think more than anything these experiences have left me with a strong sense of how important it is to make sure I put my own perso-
nal stamp on everything I the best artists I have worked with from the rest. Not only are they not afraid to be themselves but they have found a way to translate that sense of self into their art. (haha)!? What does the suitcase represent? answer I can give is that it’s all down to your imagination, its very easy to assume something about the unseen, but to place something definitive on it is a different
Consciousness to me is the feeling of being awake to the world around you, experiencing your universe with open eyes, an open mind and an open heart.
of the case is all about the ‘unspoken’. Whether it’s the things that quietly terrify us in our dreams or the magical moments when an original thought introduces itself to the case represents for me. who’s hookah pipe is in the video? What makes this collaboraThe video was shot at my tion stand out from your place in Brockley and the ho- past projects? What makes it okah pipe belongs to me!! special? Your most current project ‘The Highest Order’ was produced by Keor Meteor.
The project took about two years to develop start to finish, but Keor and I had been sharing music for a few years previous to this. I think what makes ‘The Highest Order’ stand out from past material is the attention to detail as well as the level of support I have received throughout the development of the project. You mentioned you wanted this set of tracks to be “short and digestible”, digestible in what way? “Short and digestible” for me refers to a break-away from the very formulaic structure that a lot of rap lyricism has become lost in. 16 bars, chorus, 16 bars, or, 32 bars, chorus, 32 bars, etc... I wrote the majority of the rhymes to the music Keor sent me,
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rather than trying to fit a load of pre-written songs the tracks to merge in and out of each other smoothly, I wanted them to contribute to an overall experience, rather than trying to write songs I thought might be ‘hits’. You also mentioned you wanted to make it something we could “listen to congrats! You succeeded! Thank you!! Much love!! Why is there a capitalized “N” in the track CoNciousness? The ‘N’ in ‘CoNsciousness’ is capitalised because a-lot of people know me as just Con from performing with my group =CoN+KwAkE=, so I wanted to show this style of philosophical rhyming was my take on it, my brand -
Click to Listen sciousness to me is the feeling of being awake to the world around you, experiencing your universe with open eyes, an open mind and an
collaborating with new artists, but I would really love to write a song with WestCoast rapper Blu. I’ve been a big fan of his rhymes and his music for a while now.
How do you feel about Brigitte Bardot?
Any messages for the public?
I fell in love with Brigitte Bardot after I saw her in ‘Le
Please get yourselves a copy of ‘The Highest Order’, I put my heart and soul into everything I do!
ultimate femme fatale, one of the most desirable images ever committed to celluloid. Who would you say are your My influences stretch far and wide from the Wu-Tang Clan to Nas to Bruce Lee to David Lynch, I’ve always been inspired by true artists. Are you looking to collab with anyone else at the moment?
What is your go-to musician/ band to gain insight/inspiration/motivation? At the moment I’m really into the work of Bass guitarist his first album and was blown away by the level of progression demonstrated on the sincerely put together!!
I’m always interested in
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Twins
9 in. x 13 13in x 13 in
r u z t
tal
l a T
s c i bot
i v A
Arghh! 31 in.
Jigsy 17 in.
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Vegan Taxidermy 9 in. x 22 in. 7.6 in x 20 in. 6.5 in. x 9.5 in.
get me out of here 18 in. x 31in.
From Santa Barbara, CA we get Tal, whom started using scrap metal left from his home remodeling to create robots!
this is what happens when a grown man with the mind of a seven-year-
View Robots
scavenging at scrap metal yards in southern california.
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ArTNoIS.com
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