Awesome Mag by Conseil général Puy-de-Dôme

FREE

IN D IG O AD

EL UNDERGROUND BETA3 EL UNDERGROUND EL UNDERGROUND BETA3 EL

CEO Asem Tag Editor In Chief Jean Claude Van Damme Managerial Editor/Office Ninja ZULI Art Director Hazem Zamel | Bosaina II Fashion Editor Bosaina II Marketing Manager/Royal Underdog Omar Amin Financial Manager The Monopoly Man IT Manager Stephen Jobs Distribution Extra Cheese Contributors Adriean Koleric | Ahmed Samy | Ali Nasser | Bam | Bosaina II | Dana Boulos | Mariam Al-Khosht | Mohamed Ashraf SikSik | Nada Shalaby | Nehal Khaled | Wassim Matar | Zakaria Mohyeldin Cover Credits Adriean Koleric Awesome HQ Borg Al Qanoneyeen, Corniche el Maadi Contact 012 22 37 2769

CONTENTS

L UNDERGROUND EL UNDERGROUND BETA3 EL UNDERGROUND EL UNDER

MARCH - APRIL 2012

F E AT U R E S

MUSIC

FA S H I O N

016/

046/

030/

THE AWESOME GUIDE TO POLITICAL IDEOLOGY

EYES ON The-Drum

CONFESSIONS OF A FASHION EDITOR

018/

047/

032/

AWESOME INTERVIEWS THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD

FEATURED ARTIST Schoolboy Q

PHOTOSHOOT Wild Horses

027/

048/

042/

INDEPENDENCE

FEATURED LABEL Brainfeeder

INTERVIEW Hossam Jamaica

OSCARS 2012

050/

D E PA R T M E N T S

060/

INTERVIEW Sholhmo

058/

INTERVIEW Mostafa Gaafar

053/ ALBUM REVIEWS Evian Christ - Kings & Them RIMAR - Closer Memoryhouse - The Slideshow Effect The Big Pink - Future This Lana Del Ray - Born To Die Scuba - Personality

010/ QUIZ

012/ THE PUNCHLIST

016/ THE LIST Alleged aircraft-UFO incidents and near misses

028/ 3ASHWA2IYAT

062/ ASK ADAM

AWESOME NOTE

This note is usually that thing at the end of the month that I forget, and only realize I haven’t finished when we do layouts. It’s not the weight of the burden that makes me procrastinate, nor is it the pressure of expectation from our readers, that everything we produce must be up to a certain standard of wit and awesomeness. We don’t really try that hard, we’re just naturally awesome people. The problem is selecting the topic or focus of this note amidst this ongoing series of horrific events. What is more relevant? The rivers of blood shed in Syria while the world idly watches? The escalating situation in the Middle East and the looming possibility of War in Iran? Domestic political unrest? Global economic depression and the failure of Capitalism? Mother’s Day? I’ll have to take a stab at them all. The situation in Syria is a human tragedy. The level of international concern and action is another equally depressing tragedy. The useless Kofi Anan meeting with the useless Arab League means no one gives a fuck, while Tantawy heads an expedition to Libya to discuss possible Egyptian military assistance. It just shows how strong Capitalism’s clutch on our balls is; let people die, but don’t waste an opportunity to secure some oil. I can’t argue that securing oil isn’t smart; according to some dude I was talking to that works for some major oil company, Egypt’s crude reserves are on their way to being critically low. But for a country 04//

//MARCH-APRIL 2012

like Egypt, this post-revolutionary stage is not only about rebuilding domestically, but also about regaining regional and international credibility. Military action against Iran could be the start of WWIII. The Non-proliferation treaty, while ambitious in theory, fails to achieve its goals. The idea is to create a nuclear free world and avoid possible nuclear holocaust, which was the feared and unwanted outcome of the Cold War. Article VI of the treaty “obligates the nuclear weapons states to liquidate their nuclear stockpiles and pursue complete disarmament.” This isn’t happening. What the treaty actually does is prevent states that do not possess nuclear weapons from obtaining them, while preserving the arsenals of the superpowers. So how is military action against Iran justifiable, especially given the fact that there is no concrete proof that their nuclear agenda is of military nature? Presidential elections are coming up. Things should get better once SCAF steps down and submits authority to a civilian government. Global economic depression and the failure of Capitalism? Someone needs to write an article about this, if you’re interested, send your ideas to ‘thisisawesomemag@gmail.com’. Last but not least, shout out to all our mommas, y’all done goood. Love and gratitude.

ASEM TAG

INTERVIEW BY BOSAINA II

ADRIEAN KOLERIC ARTIST OF THE MONTH

When did you start calling yourself an artist and why? What’s funny is I’ve never actually referred to myself as an ‘Artist’. It’s like when I was designing furniture, people called me an ‘Industrial Designer’ which was far from the truth. I’m more inclined with the term ‘Creative’ if I really had to run with a title. I respect the term ‘Artist’, but I’m not there just yet. For me it’s a title that should be earned. You make collages, and you make objects, which do you prefer? Objects. I obviously dig collage work, but get more out of objects. They invade my space and demand attention rather than just hang on a wall hoping you’d pass by and notice. What are you inspired by? What’s your process? How does it translate from your head to your hands? Oh man, what doesn’t inspire me? I try to feed off stuff that is not directly related to what I do; vintage cars, a good tune, a good looking woman and a plate of ribs. I’m an easy man to please! Process wise, there’s no real formula to it. A lot of times an idea pops in my head and I try to execute it as soon as I can. I don’t sketch. I try to, believe me, but I prefer laying down a piece rather than scribble it on a napkin and forget about it. It keeps my work less polished and refined. What you see is what you get. Having said that, I’ve abandoned some real dogs on the cutting table. Top Three Favourite Artists: At the moment…..Ed Templeton, Frank R. Paul and Os Geomos.

06//

//MARCH-APRIL 2012

Top Three Favourite Objects: Off the top of my noggin and in no particular order….. Will Alsops’ OCAD Building in Toronto, Bigfoot One’s classic Vinyl figure in original Brown (that made me want to ditch Design and pursue Art) and lastly an old and rusted 1975 VW Westfalia Van in yellow/green (I was this close to buying one until it literally died at the mechanical inspection, it was the one that got away). Capitalism or Socialism?: The latter. Fuck the rich. What do you know about Egypt? It’s a country on everyone’s ‘bucket list’ to visit. I grew up as a kid in the 80’s, so to be honest my initial introduction to Egypt was via ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’. Images of pyramids, temples and burial chambers made me envious of the history you guys have. I was convinced I’d become an Archeologist and live there one day! I’m also a big footie fan and remember being an admirer of Amr Zaki when he played for Wigan Athletic. I used to wish he’d get signed up to my club (Chelsea FC) at the time. Man that guy played his ass off that first season. Too bad it didn’t work out as it should have in England. Where would you like to be in December 2012?: Alive, happy and with a pint in my hand. Who is your favorite character on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills? The dead one. adriean’s work can be found on pages 2, 3, 6, 7, 11, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 62, 63 and of course the cover.

MARCH-APRIL 2012//

//07

PRESS RELEASE: Dahab Festival 2012

BIGGER AND BETTER!! Take time out of your busy life, come and join us in DAHAB! Last year the Local Community and the Bedouin population of Dahab put together a Festival of Culture and Water Sports. 2012 brings the entire community together again to make it an even Bigger and Better Festival! Long thought of as the quieter, less polished alternative to the likes of Sharm El Sheikh or Hurghada, the Dahab festival sets out to show the world just what it is missing out on. The Festival will take place from April 14th – April 20th, over the course of the 7 days and 7 nights, the 2012 Dahab Festival invites everyone to come and experience activities such as free diving, kite and wind surfing, as well as taster sessions of yoga and the “healing arts”. Take this chance to discover the Bedouin culture in South Sinai, the Bedouin would like to invite you to discover their history, culture, and traditions. On the 16th of April, a Bedouin market selling hand made products, handicrafts, medicinal plants, traditional clothes and much more will be open from 8.am until the late night. Throughout the week, there will camel rides, rock climbing, canyon discovery, trips to St Katherine›s monastery and Mt Moses and many other excursions organised and guided by Bedouin. Performances from both local and international bands are going to be playing at a number of live venues throughout the week. Every day there will be competitions and exhibitions; these will include an underwater photography competition, a buoyancy challenge and there will be home-made kite competitions from recycled materials. This Festival is for the whole family! 08//

//MARCH-APRIL 2012

PRESS RELEASE: The Egyptian Autistic Society

April is Autism Awareness Month. April is annually celebrated as Autism Awareness month. We kick off the month on April 2nd with the annual World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) which is an annual event that takes place world wide to celebrate the many talents of children with Autism while spreading awareness. Autism Awareness Day is celebrated on April 2nd and awareness and events are planned throughout the month of April. Autism Awareness activities planned throughout the month will help to increase and develop world knowledge of the autism epidemic and will impart information regarding the importance of early diagnosis and early intervention. Additionally, this day and month will celebrate the unique talents and skills of persons with autism and will be a time when individuals with autism are warmly welcomed and embraced in community events around the globe. By bringing together autism organizations all around the world, we will give a voice to the millions of individuals worldwide who are undiagnosed, misunderstood and looking for help. Please join us in our effort to make this possible. This year is the 5th Annual WAAD event. Countries around the world take initiative through schools, clinics, malls and even take it to the streets. They organize marches, they Light It Up Blue (have landmarks light up with blue lights as a symbol of hope). For further information on events taking place around the world please refer to http://www. worldautismawarenessday.org/ In Egypt, at The Egyptian Autistic Society, founded by Dr Dahlia Soliman the president of the Egyptian Autistic Society, we will have events planned on April 2nd and throughout the month of April, either at our centre or through various outlets such as schools, stores or clinics. “Like” us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Egyptian-AutisticSociety/202175786529486, or follow us on twitter: @autismegypt to make sure you keep receiving updates on our work, success stories, and events. Throughout the month of April look out for Autism Awareness signs, brochures and t-shirts in your community. Also look out for ways you can contribute: Sporting an Autism Awareness t-shirt, providing brochures in your place of work, contacting us to get involved in our upcoming planned events throughout the month of April specifically April 2nd (Art Exhibition of the children at The Egyptian Autistic Society’s artwork, Sports Day, Autism Awareness conference with guest speakers). We look forward to sharing this special day with you and hope you get involved. MARCH-APRIL 2012//

//09

QUIZ: ARE YOU AWESOME? 1. Kevin Costner sucks because a. He let Whitney Houston die and it’s his job to protect her, as seen in the 1990 Hollywood movie film blockbuster “The Bodyguard” [20] b. He auditioned to play Spiderman and was turned down for Toby McGuire [20] c. He’s got 2 Golden Globes (lol who gives a fuck about those?) [15] d. Waterworld [18] e. Oh shit we just looked him up and found out that he bought a patent from the US government, developed some sophisticated oil separation machines, sold his partners shares in a secret meeting with BP and leased the machines for a thousand hundred trillion dollars. Not bad Robin Hood. [20] 2. No one answered our quiz/ competition last month because a. Let’s face it, who wants a watch made out of fucking wood? [20] b. No one knew it was a competition (aka no one really reads the magazine) [18] c. Foreign agenda (Campus) [10] d. Campus (Foreign agenda) [15] e. People were too intimidated to post their lame answers because of how awesome we are [20] 3. The year 2012 is already better because a. Skrillex won 3 Grammys [0] b. Tamer Hosny go to America [20] c. We have a very “punctual” parliament [0] d. We have our very own Egyptian Hobbit musician [10] e. Mohamed Al Sagheer opened a new branch in Eritrea [1] 4. Who killed SWAG? a. OFWGKTA [10] b. Awesome [20] c. Tamarai [20] d. Congress [10] e. You [12] f. Me [0] g. Us [10] h. Them [15] i. Hello [20] 5. What is the ultimate form of power? a. Money [0] b. Knowledge [0] c. Nuclear [0] d. Ninja [20] 010//

//MARCH-APRIL 2012

e. Brucelee [20] f. Playing drums in a band [20] g. Big Tarabees [18] h. Having a vagina [15] i. To be in possession of the only bottle of barbecue sauce when you’ve ordered KFC [20] 6. Your thoughts on the “Skrillex/ The Doors “ collaboration a. Filthy dubstep is deh best and we all know it ☺ [0] b. What’s a skrillex? [10] c. They replaced one idiot for another [18] d. It’s good to see the legends of the past collaborate with the legends of the future [0] e. Instead of hating on everything, how about you appreciate the creativity of the peoples minds instead of trying to oppress the ever expanding genres of music and ability to make something sound like nothing we have ever heard before. You sound like the government and for that we all say fuck you, you can eat shit and die. [5 for comedy] f. lmao alright then, lets make The Smiths dubstep remixes & while we are acting like tools, lets make Barney dubstep remixes too since that’s where the future of music is at. just stfu [20] 7. All a man needs is __ a. Love [10] b. Companionship [15] c. Money [15] d. Drank [10 (depends on how you mix that shit)] e. Dank [18] f. Bitches [15] g. Psychology [8] h. Physiology [20] i. Dreams [20] j. Epistemology [20] k. Success [5] l. Glory [20] m. Hamborgar [18] n. Bizza [20] o. Salatat [10] p. SCAF [0] q. A woman [20] r. A man (equality) [20] s. A horse (bestiality) [20] t. A gun (fatality)[20] u. A purpose (filosvy) [20] v. Faith [0] w. Hope [20 if you got it, 0 if you didn’t] x. Moves like Jagger [5]

y. Moves like ommak [20] z. SWAG (RIP) [20] 8. You’re lost in the Matrix, who you gonna call? a. Ghostbusters! (obligatory) [20] b. Neo [2] c. Morpheus [10] d. Trinity [15] e. Infinity [20] f. A cab [0] g. 140 [0] h. Kintaky [20] i. Mashaweer (send them to Zion, get them to call The Oracle, see how much time you’ve got left, pick you up some kintaky and a packet of cigarettes from the koshk and a cheap lighter and two packets of Sweet Chili Doritos and deliver them to the phone booth) [20] 9. Skrillex won 3 Grammys for a. Best Music [0] b. Best Bassline [0] c. Best EFFIN DROP OMG [0] d. Best of za West [18] e. Best bel toffa7 yala [20] f. BestStep [20] g. Best Music by a Hobbit (Boro came in 2nd place) [20] h. Best Coast [15] 10. Iran is a terrorist state and America isn’t because a. There’s 97 US military bases surrounding it and Muslims like to blow shit up [0] b. They’re Persian and America didn’t like the ending of 300 [18] c. Ahmadinejad clearly crossed the line by calling America ‘Satan’ [15] d. They’re responsible for the Kardashians [20] e. They’re the only country in the world that has ever attempted to create weapons of mass destruction [0]

ADD UP YOUR SCORE AND DIVIDE IT BY 2 0-60....LAMESTREAMER 61-80..........COMMONER 81-94.......................COOL 95+.................AWESOME

MARCH-APRIL 2012//

//011

THE PUNCHLIST BASHAR AL-ASSAD//PEOPLE WHO RUSH INTO ELEVATORS BEFORE LETTING OUT THE PEOPLE INSIDE//OPIUM// DIPLO//USHER//ZAHI HAWASS// EVERYTHING SKRILLEX RELATED//PEOPLE WHO BREAK GLASSES AT HOUSE PARTIES//EL SHABAB ELLY LESSA BET3AKES FI 2012//EL NAS ELLI BTEMSHY 3AKSY// POACHERS//ENDANGERED ANIMALS (FOR BEING ATTENTION WHORES)//KONY// THE KONY BALONEY//

SMOKING KILLS/ THE MARLBORO MAN EXISTS. HIS NAME IS TAMER HAGRASS

SMOKING IS THE GATEWAY TO DRUG ABUSE, VANDALISM, PROSTITUTION AND ATHEISM

‫تبا ً لك‬

‫يا حالوتك يبو شاجي‬

CIGARETTES FUND CONCENTRATION CAMPS FOR PANDAS

THIS IS MOSTLY JUST PIECES OF WOOD

SKRILLEX ALSO SMOKES

‫تامر حسني‬ = ‫ملك اجليل‬

ACCORDING TO A SPECIMEN OF 1000 BULGARIAN WOMEN BETWEEN 18-30 NON-SMOKING MALES ARE BETTER AT SEX

‫جامد‬ ‫أخر‬ ‫حاجة‬

THE WORLD’S AVERAGE DAILY CONSUMPTION OF LIGHTER FLUID IS EQUIVALENT TO ANGOLA’S CRUDE RESERVES

THIS CIGARETTE KILLS FASCISTS

DEATH IS SO EMO

CIGARETTES MAKE YOUR CLOTHES SMELL LIKE CIGARETTES

،‫سكس‬ ،‫درجس‬ ‫روك & رول‬

MARCH-APRIL 2012//

//013

SMOKING KILLS/

014//

//MARCH-APRIL 2012

THE AWESOME GUIDE TO POLITICAL IDEOLOGY by Zakaria Mohyeldin

The vast majority of people I’ve spoken to since the revolution have a hard time visualizing the different ideologies and terms they hear in the media. To some people the word leftist is confusing, to others the word anarchist sounds threatening. On the occasions that I find someone interested in understanding or listening; I - provided pen and paper - use the political compass diagram to assist me while I try to explain or illustrate. Some people I’ve spoken to know about it but the vast majority of people I’ve spoken to don’t. The political compass is one of many forms of graphs or diagrams that try to illustrate, in an easy to understand and “almost” accurate manner, the different ideologies and what they may mean to a person. Supposedly developed by a website with the same name http://www.politicalcompass. org/ it is basically a multi-axis model represented by two lines crossing each other on a perpendicular axis. The website also provides an online test that I recommend you take ([it] only takes you about 15 minutes). The questions are fun and in the results area you can compare yourself to many famous political figures, you may be surprised with who you end up with.

016//

//MARCH-APRIL 2012

“The political compass has its limitations as you will surely discover if you take the test but it’s a good attempt to illustrate and help people grasp what political ideologies could mean to them” Each of the two lines represents one of the two most important aspects of any ideology; that of its economic policy and the other is its social policy. The theory is as you go up or down the social line, and left or right on the economic line you can view where an ideology stands and it can help you come to terms with whether you accept such an ideology or not. The social (vertical) line is marked with authoritarian at the top and libertarian on the bottom which are not complete ideologies in themselves but styles of government or lack thereof. The more authoritarian a government is the more control the government has and the more it interferes or intervenes in peoples’ lives i.e. the government is strong and social order is tightly maintained through stringent government policies and enforcement. Emphasis is on order and tradition. The more libertarian a government is the more free an individual is, his rights and freedoms are seen to be more important than the government. Governments are usually smaller in those cases with less power and smaller mandate i.e. the government’s duties and tasks are less, and more emphasis is placed on individual action or collective independent action. Individual freedom is the main topic here.

free uncontrolled market, whereby competing individuals and organizations should be left to their own affairs. Ideologies are made up (or at least for the most part) of attitudes towards the economy and towards the social order. Social democracy is libertarian in its social policy and leftist in its economic policy, countries like that include Germany and Sweden. Fascism is extremely authoritarian and partially rightist in economy like Mussolini’s Italy. You will find that Gandhi was an anarchist since he is normally placed really high up on the libertarian line but was also very leftist in his economic view, though not through state intervention but by collective action. Cuba would be considered very leftist economically but also authoritarian in terms of government actions and role. The U.S. would be considered rightist economically and slightly libertarian The political compass has its limitations as you will surely discover if you take the test but it’s a good attempt to illustrate and help people grasp what political ideologies could mean to them. Do you think you would favor a government that has strong values and traditions and actively enforces them? Or would you prefer a more lax government that is less bureaucratic and respects your privacy and rights? Do you think you should pay more taxes so that there are less economic gaps and thus favor a leftist government? Or do you think that without taxes you would be more free to develop yourself and by developing yourself you develop the economy, thus eventually helping people? Or maybe you are more center; you like some of this and some of that and you don’t really think there is a lot of difference between the ideologies and they all want to do the same thing, which is to achieve justice and do good. Anyway the choice is yours!

The economic (horizontal) line is very similar marked with right and left at each end. The left signifies left leaning economic policies such as socialism, which entails that government or other forms of collective action should intervene in the economic policies and situations of the state or community and, according to socialists, rectify economic injustices as they occur. As you move towards the economic right the attitude that governments shouldn’t intervene increases. The more right you are the more capitalistic you are or the more you believe in a MARCH-APRIL 2012//

//017

AWESOME INTERVIEWS THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD

by Asem Tag

The Muslim Brotherhood have been under a lot of heat from opposition lately. We managed to score an interview with ex-President and influential member, Dr. Mohamed Mahdi Akef. Here’s how it went: What does democracy mean for the Muslim Brotherhood? It is the governance of the people over the people, provided that it does not conflict with the Shari’aa.

What if the people’s choice(s) conflicts with the Shari’aa? Like I said in the first question, anything goes ‘as long as it does not conflict with the Shari’aa’.

And how do you apply this understanding to members inside the organization? We are a structured institution, and we apply the Shoura system, which is the most advanced form of democracy.

Let’s take an example to clarify, the recent customs bill that limits alcohol and tobacco purchases from duty free shops, if the public wants to lift it, what is your stance? These are trivial matters that we don’t really occupy ourselves with, but these things are regulated by the law, the people’s council decides and the law enforces.

And how does this apply to citizens outside of your organization (in the case that the Brotherhood is a ruling party)? The people choose their representatives, and these representatives decide on policy, each of these policies is considered the direct choice of the people. And what if the people choose non-Islamists? The constitution is our guide and judge, and the Egyptian constitution is based on the Islamic Shari’a. What would occur if the people agree to a sound constitutional decision/policy that conflicts with the Brotherhood’s vision? The Brotherhood does not have any opinion/vision over that of the people, it is the people that choose, and the people that create policy, and we are of the people. We are not one of those Islamist groups that think their opinions are more valuable than others because they are Islamic, no; we succumb to the will of the majority. 018//

//MARCH-APRIL 2012

The Shari’aa prohibits alcohol, is allowing it a temporary/transitional policy? The Shari’aa does not prohibit alcohol in homes, to nonMuslims. What I want to reach is; will Egypt become the next Saudi Arabia, with alcohol banned even in hotels? That depends on the country’s international political strength. I will give you an example, when Khrushchev was visiting Cairo in ‘64 he grabbed his vodka bottle and threw it in the ocean, he said, “I am going to a country that does not consume alcohol”. He respected the culture, religion and traditions of the nation he was visiting, when a nation is powerful, it will command respect, but this lax state of affairs is because we are not. When a nation is respectable, and respects its citizens, and preserves their wellbeing, and respects their beliefs, its laws will

be respected, and when these laws prohibit alcohol from public space and limit it to private homes, then it will be respected. People will say ‘what about tourism’, as if there is nothing to tourism but alcohol and women. What they don’t know is that these tourists have had their fill of both, they’re here to witness this countries beauty, not to drink. Ok, moving on to another subject. Many of the Brotherhood’s youth complain that some decisions and policies within the organization are dictated rather than agreed upon through ‘Shoura’. We do not have a ‘youth’ department. There’s the Students section, and there’s the Muslim Brotherhood. An 18 year old is a Muslim Brother, so is a 50 year old. Each member must belong to an ‘Osra’ (family), which applies Shoura, and the ‘Osra’ chooses its leader, and the head of the branch, and the members of the Shoura Council, and the Guidance Office, and the Morshed. There is no specific group inside the Brotherhood called ‘Youth’, this is a word that became popular during the revolution, because the youth of this nation were the ones who initiated the revolution, with their organized activity on social media such as Facebook…but who stood up and supported and participated? Everyone. An entire nation. Women and men. Old and young. No one can claim that they own this revolution, Allah alone owns it, and he saw persistence in the hearts of the Egyptian people, so he stood by them and commanded the Military to protect them. So no one can claim that youth have no place in the MB, everyone has their place, in their ‘Osra’, in their ‘Lagna’. There is an important ethic that we have in the MB that isn’t anywhere else, it is that we are all working for Allah, there is nothing to gain from this but Allah’s approval.

You said ‘sakhar el geisha le 7emayat al thawra” (commanded SCAF to protect the people). On Nov the 18th 2011, wasn’t SCAF using the same excessive force that the ousted regime’s police personnel used in Jan 25/28 and the early days of the revolution? This is a short sighted perspective, the military is a partner in this revolution, we must preserve it. The SCAF said “we will ‘operate’ not ‘rule’” the first day they took over, “and we will step down when it is possible, when the institutions that run this country are functional”. I have to thank the military for preserving this country’s institutions, however corrupted they may be, and I remind you of Paul Bremer’s expedition in Iraq when he dismantled the political institutions and the entire system; chaos followed. This is what would have happened here, if we had taken that same path. I was specifically trying to get a comment about the excessive use of force by the military. The SCAF is not one uniform bloc; there are factions and differences of opinions. Some make statements that might conflict with others, but when the people stand up and refuse, they retreat. How many times did the military try to test the waters, once with Yehia Al Gamal and once with Selmy. I’ll tell you something. The military did a great job when they called for a referendum over whether to dismantle the existing constitution or amend it, and those who call themselves secular and liberal said no, and millions were spent, America spent millions to get them to say no, for chaos to prevail. But the people said ‘yes’. If these people respected Democracy and the will of the people, they would have stayed quiet. They said no, the referendum says elections first then the constitution, but the people said no, and ‘the people’ are represented by powerful institutions such as the MB. When this

Photo courtesy of altaghieer.com MARCH-APRIL 2012//

//019

happened, they brought us Selmy’s document, and sadly, when Selmy left, the SCAF added article 9 and 10. But the people assembled in Tahrir on the 18th and their two primary demands were killing the Selmy document and setting a date for the SCAF to step down. The SCAF responds to pressure. And what about the excessive use of force by SCAF on the 18th? What is the MB’s opinion on that? This is all the work of sly and deceptive factions that want to bring this country to chaos, like they did that day at Mohamed Mahmoud st., and another day at the Ministry of Interior Affairs. On the 18th and 19th of November, 3 million people assembled in Tahrir, and they left, only about 200 people stayed. Who were they? All of the misguided factions, from the police, military and thugs. And they marched to the Cabinet building, and prevented the Prime Minister from entering the building. This is absurd! If you want to organize a sit in, a protest, a march, do it, but do not break the law, or attack a building, or try to prohibit the functionality of the state. What I want to say is, should a bunch of scattered people in Tahrir be the ones naming the cabinet and its ministers, or the people that went and elected their representatives legally? What is the nature of the relationship between ‘The Freedom and Justice Party’ and other political parties and groups? I said this before I was ‘Morshed’, and I said it again during the first press conference after I was chosen as the new Morshed, “whoever thinks they can rule Egypt by themselves is delusional. Egypt can only be ruled by the entirety of its people.” And the new Morshed, may Allah bless him, thinks the same, so will any one that follows him. I always used to invite all the heads of the different political parties, and the thinkers and intellectuals, to sit and discuss the future. We organized 4 different meetings, to unite our forces. When the revolution happened, the Morshed invited them again, and he stood in the military council, in front of all the parties, and said “I invite you to create a unified list for the people’s council elections” and we managed to unify 40 parties, and we drafted a document, written by Dr. Wahid Abdelmeguid, and everyone signed. Later, one party after the other retreated, until only 10 remained, and those were the ones that won in the elections, because they stuck with us. Did the MB (Freedom and Justice) publicly announce a specific percentage of representatives that would run for parliament? 50% Wasn’t it 30%? No, 50% would run, 30 or 40 could win, doesn’t matter. Should Egypt’s Christians be worried about the crushing victory of the Islamists? You can ask them…ask Christians, and you will find that many of them gave us their votes in the Parliamentary elections, and the only Christian representatives that won were the ones that were on our unified list. Our Morshed 020//

//MARCH-APRIL 2012

is also good friends with Pope Shenouda, and he attended the New Year mass. We also organized civilian check points to guard churches during the revolution, and not a single church was attacked. What is the secret behind the MB’s decision to not run for presidential elections? Our Shoura council found that not providing a candidate is better for Egypt. Why? Because Egypt is still in a fragile state, our army is weak, our economy is weak and security is non existent. Having a president that is a member of the MB will only create unwanted tension at a stage where we need to rebuild. Either way, Egypt is now run by elected institutions, and under the new constitution the president’s jurisdictions will be limited. When this nation is stronger, we will run for presidency. I want to ask again about the discrepancies between the MB’s statements about their percentages in Parliament and those actual percentages. All of our pre-revolutionary statements were accurate. We expected to win 40% of seats, and that is exactly what happened. But 30% was heard in many statements by MB officials? There are people who’s only goal is to lower morale and cause controversy. MB’s media and PR has been accused by its members of being considerably weak, while opposition media has been powerful in its attacks against the MB, please comment. I agree that media is not our strength, whether it is our satellite channel or paper, both have been weak in the face of this fierce attack by opposition, but we are still here, and advancing in this field, and hopefully we will get where we want in terms of our media output. That Rap song that went viral on Youtube, is that really the official song of the MB or was it a joke? What are you talking about? We don’t have an official song, these are young people doing their own thing. What is the MB’s vision for Egypt over the next 10 years? Ask the head of the Freedom and Justice party. Ok, thank you for your time doctor.

SWAG NOW FOR SALE R.I.P SWAG

E PA G E M O ES AW •AWESOMEMAG.TUMBLR.COM •@AWESOMEEGYPT•ISSUU.COM/AWESOMEMAGAZINE•MIXCLOUD.COM/ AWESOMEMAG •FACEBOOK.COM/AWESOMEMAG

024//

//MARCH-APRIL 2012

‫بينام ىف العراق جاءت سيطرة رئيس الوزراء العراقى نورى املالىك وطائفته الشيعية عىل‬ ‫جميع وظائف الدولة وإبعاده لجميع العنارص السنية عن املشهد السياىس خاصة بعد‬ ‫إصدراه ملذكرة بالقبض عىل طارق الهاشمى نائبه املنتمى للطائفة السنية بعد قيام الهاشمى‬ ‫بإتهام املالىك ىف الربملان العراقى بأنه سيكون السبب ىف متزيق العراق وإشعال حرب أهلية‬ ‫بسبب تلك النزعة العصبية والطائفية ىف إدارة الدولة ‪ ،‬األمر الذى نتج عنه حدوث توترات‬ ‫بني الطوائف املذهبية املختلفة داخل العراق وتزايد أعامل العنف ىف ظل رخاوة القبضة‬ ‫االمنية بعد خروج القوات االمريكية وهو ما دفع العديد من الطوائف السنة والشيعة إىل‬ ‫التفكري باإلستقالل عن الحكومة املركزية ىف بغداد عىل غرار إقليم كردستان شامل العراق‬ ‫والذى يتمتع بحكم ذاىت برئاسة مسعود برزاىن ‪ ،‬لكن عىل الجانب األخر يظل خيار النظام‬ ‫الكونفيدراىل غري مفضل للطائفة السنية كام يرفض الشيعة فكرة تكوين إمارة مستقلة‬ ‫التى تروج لها إيران والتى وجدت تسللها للعب دور داخل العراق أمرا متاحا بعد رحيل‬ ‫قوات اإلحتالل ‪،‬النزعة الطائفية هى ما أدت أيضا إىل إنفصال وإستقالل جنوب السودان عن‬ ‫شامله وجعل (جوبا) العاصمة بقيادة سلفاكري بعد إضطهاد عاىن منه املسيحني تحت حكم‬ ‫الرئيس السوداىن عمر البشري ونجحوا ىف تكوين دولة مستقلة لهم ىف الجنوب بعد إستفتاء‬ ‫اإلنفصال ىف يوليو ‪ 2011‬لكن االمر مل يكن بهذه السهولة بسبب متركز مايزيد عن ثالثة أرباع‬ ‫الرثوة النفطية ىف جنوب السودان خصوصا ىف منطقة أبيى املتنازع عليها مام أدى إىل عودة‬ ‫اإلشتباكات املسلحة بني القوات التابعة لحكومة الخرطوم ىف الشامل و قوات حكومة جوبا ىف‬ ‫الجنوب والتى ترى ان تلك الرثوة من حقها ومن حق شعبها بينام يرى الشامل أن تلك الرثوة‬ ‫هى ملك لكل السودان وبالتاىل فللخرطوم نصيب فيها مام دفعها إىل اإلستيالء عىل شحنات‬ ‫النفط التى تأىت من جوبا بهدف التصدير من خالل مواىنء البحر املتوسط فقامت جوبا‬ ‫بغلق منابع النفط ووقف عمليات نقله متاما إىل الشامل مام نتج عنه تهديد حكومة الشامل‬ ‫للجنوب بأنها ستحصل عىل حقها من موارد النفط سواء بإتفاق او بالقوة الن ىف غلق تلك‬ ‫املنابع إنتحار سواء لجوبا أو للخرطوم التى اكدت مرارا انها بدأت فعال ىف التنقيب عن مناجم‬ ‫الذهب بإعتباره مصدرا بديال للدخل ىف ظل خسارتها لعائدات النفط‪.‬‬ ‫بينام ىف الشيشان إحدى جمهوريات اإلتحاد السوفيتى سابقا والتى تعترب مستقلة ىف حكمها‬ ‫عن روسيا يبدو الوضع شديد التعقيد ‪ ،‬فذلك اإلقليم الذى خاض حروب متعددة ضد روسيا‬ ‫خرس خاللها مئات االالف من أبناء شعبه ىف سبيل اإلستقالل أصبح كل ما عليه هو دعم‬ ‫حكومة موسكو التى ناضل من أجل اإلنفصال عنها ‪ ،‬فرسميا يعد إقليم الشيشان متمتعا‬ ‫بحكم ذاىت لكن ذلك الحكم جاء بقيادة أحمد قادروف الذى عمد إىل الحكم الشموىل‬ ‫وتصفية معارضيه فأصبح له أعداء نجحوا ىف إغتياله عام ‪ 2004‬فتدخلت روسيا كالعادة بنرش‬ ‫و تعزيز قواتها هناك وإستمر االمر كذلك عىل إستفتاءات وإنتخابات رئاسية مشكوك ىف‬ ‫نتائجها ألنها تأىت باملوالني لحكومة موسكو مع السري ىف طريق موازى يقىض بتصفية جميع‬ ‫عنارص التيار اإلسالمى املتشدد الذى يريد إقامة إمارة إسالمية ىف الشيشان او التيار املعتدل‬ ‫الذى يريد إقامة جمهورية مستقلة تتمتع بكامل حقوق السيادة الوطنية ىف الداخل والخارج‬ ‫لكنها افكار يتم تصفية املدافعني عنها وال يبقى عىل رأس السلطة ىف الشيشان إال من ينفذ‬ ‫تعليامت بوتني رئيس الوزراء الروىس والدائرة املقربة منه ‪ ،‬لكن بعد تسلم رمضان قادروف‬ ‫نجل أحمد قادروف للسلطة ىف البالد عام ‪ 2007‬برعاية روسية وبتطمينات ملوسكو أن التمرد‬ ‫سيتم السيطرة عليه مقابل ضوء أخرض وعيون مغلقة عن أى مامرسات لحكومة قادروف‬ ‫وهو ما تم ونجح فيه بتحجيم خطر الجامعات اإلسالمية وقطع االفواه املعارضه سواء له او‬ ‫للحكومة املركزية داخل الكرملني مام دفع مبوسكو إىل دعمه لوالية ثانية ونتج عن هذا الدعم‬ ‫الروىس الكامل سيطرة تامة له عىل االمر ىف الشيشان بل ووصل االمر إىل إقرتابه من هيمنة‬ ‫كاملة عىل اإلقليم وهو ما أثار قلق داخل روسيا من إنقالب األمر عليها وفقدانها للقدرة عىل‬ ‫التدخل وتوجيه االمور لصالحها كاملعتاد مع عدم وجود بديل لقادروف يستطيع ان يحل‬ ‫محله إذا أرادت إقصائه بل إن إستمرار قادروف ىف السلطة وتكوينة لسارية مسلحة خاصة‬ ‫به داخل اإلقليم جعل فكرة التخىل عنه صعبه لعلمه بكل تفاصيل ما يجرى داخل الشيشان‬ ‫ومعاقل املتمردين واملعارضني أكرث من الحكومة الروسية نفسها باإلضافة لتحويله الشعب‬ ‫الشيشاىن إىل مجرد كتلة أخرى داعمه لبوتني وجردها من مامرسة أى معارضة أو رفض ملا‬ ‫يجرى ىف الكرملني ‪ ،‬لكن الجامعات اإلسالمية املتمردة وجدت الخالص من قادروف من داخل‬ ‫روسيا نفسها بعد املظاهرات واإلحتجاجات التى نشبت داخل موسكو إعرتاضا عىل نتيجة‬ ‫اإلنتخابات الربملانية األخرية والتى فاز فيها حزب فالدميري بوتني رئيس الوزراء بأغلبية كالعادة‬ ‫مام دفع الروس إىل التشكيك ىف نزاهتها ومام دفع تلك الجامعات أيضا إىل وقف هجامتها‬ ‫وعملياتها داخل روسيا ألن الغضب الشعبى هناك كاىف لتحقيق ما كانت ترغب به من إقصاء‬ ‫النظام الحاكم ىف الكرملني والنظام الداعم له ىف الشيشان‪.‬‬ ‫من الواضح أن اإلستقالل مل يصبح فقط هدف كل دولة تعاىن من من إحتالل يستزف من‬ ‫مواردها وسيادتها بل أصبح الوسيلة التى تحاول كل دولة أو إقليم أو جامعة إستخدامه‬ ‫إلنتهاء عرص سيطرة قوة واحدة ينقاد العامل ورائها ‪ ،‬فال تريد جامعة أن تنقاد لحاكم مستبد‬ ‫إنتهك حقوقها ومارس عمليات إضطهاد ضدها وال يريد إقليم أن يحاسب عىل سياسات الدولة‬ ‫التى يقع تحت إمرتها بينام هو غري مقتنع بتلك السياسة ويراها ال تعرب عنه ‪ ،‬بينام دفعت‬ ‫االحوال اإلقتصادية املرتدية الشعوب إىل اإلنفجار واملطالبة باإلستقالل عن كل ما قد يدفع بهم‬ ‫إىل مزيد من الفقر والبطالة والتبعية‪.‬‬

‫‪//025‬‬

‫‪MARCH-APRIL 2012//‬‬

‫‪‎‬مفهوم األمن القومى يعنى ببساطة قدرة‬ ‫الدولة على حتقيق اإلكتفاء من جميع‬ ‫انواع الثروات مبا يحقق لها إستقاللية متنع‬ ‫خضوعها ألى ضغوط خارجية‪ ،‬لكن فى‬ ‫عصرنا احلالى أصبح من املمكن حتويل اى‬ ‫مفهوم برىء املظهر إلى سكني حاد يتم‬ ‫إستغالله فى حتقيق أهداف بعيدة متاما عن‬ ‫املعنى احلقيقى للمفهوم‪.‬فنظرا إلن من‬ ‫الصعب ألى دول حتقيق إكتفاء ذاتى من‬ ‫املوارد الطبيعية على وجه اخلصوص كان من‬ ‫الطبيعى ان تتجه الدول للبحث عن شراكة‬ ‫مع دول أخرى متتلك فائض من ما حتتاجه هى‬ ‫من موارد‪،‬لكن تدريجيا ظهر ما كان متوقعا‬ ‫وهو رغبة كل دولة ان تؤمن لنفسها مزيد من‬ ‫املوارد وبكميات هائلة يتم إدراجها حتت بند‬ ‫اإلحتياطى حتى ال يتعرض أمنها القومى إلى‬ ‫اخلطر إذا حدث فى املستقبل اى خالف بينها‬ ‫وبني الدول التى متدها مبا حتتاجه‬ ‫‪‎‬لكن بعد إنتهاء احلرب العاملية األولى‬ ‫والثانية وبعد صعود قوى وإنهيار قوى اخرى‬ ‫أصبحت كل دولة على إستعداد أن تشعل‬ ‫حربا فى مقابل عدم فقدانها برميل من‬ ‫البترول أو تتجرأ دولة ما على توسيع قواعدها‬

‫األمن القومى‬ ‫كتابة ‪ :‬نهـال خـالد‬

‫العسكرية أو تعمل على تطوير أنظمة‬ ‫قدراتها الدفاعية مما سيعنى ضمنيا تهديدا‬ ‫ألمنها القومى حتى لو كانت هذه الدولة‬ ‫على بعد ماليني الكيلومترات منها الن أى‬ ‫دولة تنتمى لنادى القوى العظمى تصبح‬ ‫شديدة احلساسية جتاه حتركات منافسيها‬ ‫وتراقب بدقة كل ما يتعلق بسياساتهم‬ ‫العسكرية واإلقتصادية بشكل خاص‬ ‫‪//MARCH-APRIL 2012‬‬

‫‪026//‬‬

‫اإلستقالل‬

‫كتابة ‪ :‬نهـال خـالد‬

‫طرحت األزمة اإلقتصادية داخل اإلتحاد االوروىب مؤخرا عدة إحتامالت ملا سيكون عليه ليس فقط النظام اإلقتصادى مستقبال بل والنظام السياىس‬ ‫عىل مستوى العامل فاالزمة التى مازالت أصدائها تؤثر بني الحني واألخر عىل جميع مؤرشات أسهم البورصات العاملية ‪ ،‬مل تكن ناتجة عن إدارة سياسية‬ ‫سيئة دفعت باليونان لإلنضامم لحزمة اإلتحاد األوروىب دون مراجعة ملدى إستعداد نظامها اإلقتصادى لخطوة مامثلة بل كانت ناتجة باألساس عن‬ ‫سوء إدارة سياسية لتلك املنظومة األوروبية العريقة من جميع زعامء دول أعضائها‪.‬‬ ‫فالفارق الرهيب بني األوضاع اإلقتصادية بني دول شامل ورشق ووسط أوروبا مل يكن يسمح‬ ‫بإندماج سلس فقط وإمنا دفع مثن ذلك اإلندماج سواء من الدول ذات اإلقتصاديات الضعيفة‬ ‫كالربتغال واليونان وأيرلندا أو من الدول عمالقة اإلقتصاد كأملانيا وبريطانيا وفرنسا ‪ ،‬فجاءت‬ ‫النتائج متمثلة ىف إنجراف ليس فقط اليونان لحافة اإلفالس بل والدول التى كانت أضعف من‬ ‫الصمود ضد ذلك التيار الكاسح من الركود اإلقتصادى الذى رضب أرجاء منطقة اليورو بأكملها‬ ‫ومل تسلم مراكز قيادة منطقة اليورو من ذلك التيار ‪ ،‬فطبقا ملا أصدرته وكالة ستاندرد ا ّند‬ ‫بورز للتصنيف اإلئتامىن من تقرير تضمن سلب فرنسا من تصنيفها اإلئتامىن املمتاز (أ ‪ .‬أ ‪ .‬أ)‬ ‫وهو التصنيف الذى كانت هى وأملانيا فقط من تتمتعان به داخل منطقة اليورو وهو الذى‬ ‫كان يساعدهم عىل اإلقرتاض بفائدة أقل ‪ ،‬فدفعت االزمة اإلقتصادية العديد من دول اليورو‬ ‫إىل التفكري ىف إتخاذ قرارات سياسية‪.‬‬ ‫كان اإلستقالل عىل رأس تلك القرارات ‪ ،‬حيث تم داخل اليونان طرح فكرة إجراء إستفتاء عىل‬ ‫إستمرار اليونان ىف الحصول عىل باقى دفعات مساعدات البنك املركزى االوروىب وصندوق‬ ‫النقد الدوىل أم رفضها وهو ما يعنى ضمنيا تحدى إتفاقيات اإلتحاد وإشارة غري مبارشة‬ ‫للرغبة ىف الخروج من اإلتحاد االوروىب وهى الفكرة التى أثارت حفيظة زعامء أوروبا وقضت‬ ‫ىف النهاية عىل حكومة رئيس الوزراء اليوناىن باباندريو ثم طرحت فكرة اإلستقالل اإلقتصادى‬ ‫لليونان عن إقتصاد اليورو ألنه من أجل الحفاظ عىل قيمة اليورو كعملة وإستمرار اليونان ىف‬ ‫اإلستمتاع بها يجب عليها اإلذعان لخطط التقشف ورشوط الحصول عىل حزمات املساعدات‬ ‫من املؤسسات اإلقتصادية االوروبية وهو ما ألقى اليونان ىف دوامة من العجز والقضاء عىل‬ ‫أى فرصة للنمو اإلقتصادى مام دفع بالساسة داخل اليونان إىل التفكري ىف العودة إىل العملة‬ ‫القدمية لليونان وهى (الدراخام) وهو ما قد يساعد عىل إنعاش اإلقتصاد وخلق فرص عمل‬ ‫جديدة ‪ ،‬فكرة اإلستقالل نفسها طرحت داخل الضفة األخرى من القارة االوروبية داخل أملانيا‬ ‫نفسها والتى أشيع أن البنك املركزى االملاىن قد بدأ رسا ىف طباعة (املارك) وهو العملة القدمية‬ ‫ألملانيا بسبب إنتشار مشاعر اإلحتقان بني الشعب االملاىن لعدم رغبتهم ىف فقدان الرفاهة‬ ‫اإلقتصادى التى حققوها بكفاح بدأ منذ أكرث من نصف قرن بسبب دول متخبطة القرارت‬ ‫وغري قادرة عىل تحمل مسؤلياتها اإلقتصادية ‪ ،‬فكرة اإلستقالل أيضا هو ما تقدم به أحد أعضاء‬ ‫‪//027‬‬

‫‪MARCH-APRIL 2012//‬‬

‫مجلس العموم الربيطاىن بهدف إجراء إستفتاء عىل إمكانية بقاء اململكة املتحدة داخل اإلتحاد‬ ‫االوروىب من عدمه بسبب شعور بريطانيا بخروجها من دائرة ومركز إتخاذ القرار لصالح فرنسا‬ ‫وأملانيا وهو ما دفع رئيس الوزراء الربيطاىن ديفيد كامريون إىل التأكيد عىل أن بقاء بريطانيا‬ ‫داخل اإلتحاد هو أمر ال نقاش فيه مع رضورة رجوع سلطات بروكسل (العاصمة البلجيكية‬ ‫التى يقع بها مقر اإلتحاد االوروىب) إىل بريطانيا ‪ ،‬كام رفض املوافقة عىل قرار تعديل بنود‬ ‫إتفاقية اإلتحاد االوروىب متحديا باقى الدول االوروبية وهو ما أشار إليه املحللون أنه قرار‬ ‫مل يقدم جديد فهو مل يؤدى لرجوع بريطانيا إىل دائرة إتخاذ القرار بل عىل العكس ادى إىل‬ ‫عزلها عن منطقة اليورو وإستمرار إتخاذ قرارات تؤثر تباعا عىل إقتصادها مع عدم قدرتها عىل‬ ‫التفاوض بشأنه بعد موقف كامريون البارد تجاه أملانيا وفرنسا‪.‬‬ ‫حقبة كامريون لن تتضمن فقط خروج محتمل لربيطانيا من منطقة اليورو بل ولخروج‬ ‫إسكتلندا من التاج الربيطاىن ‪ ،‬فإقليم إسكتلندا الذى إنضم لربيطانيا منذ ‪ 300‬عام قرر إجراء‬ ‫إستفتاء عىل إستقالله عن إنجلرتا أو خيار اخر يتضمن اإلنتقال االقىص للسطلة ىف إدارة‬ ‫إسكتلندا كإقليم من الحكومة املركزية بلندن إىل الحكومة املحلية ىف إسكتلندا دون الحاجة‬ ‫إىل إقامة دولة مستقلة بالكامل هناك وذلك برئاسة رئيس الوزراء اإلسكتلندى أليكس‬ ‫ساملوند الذى قال أن اإلقليم سيكون ذو وضع إقتصادى أفضل بدون بريطانيا باإلضافة إىل‬ ‫رفضه للمواقف الالأخالقية لربيطانيا تجاه حرب العراق وأفغانستان فإسكتلندا ال تريد أن‬ ‫تكون مجرد قرية تكتفى بإرسال التهاىن الحارة للندن ىف املناسبات بل تريد لعب دور ينبع من‬ ‫مبادئها التى ال تتوافق مع اإلدارة السياسية ىف وستمنسرت(الحكومة اإلئتالفية ىف لندن)‪.‬‬ ‫كان الرد كاسحا من لندن وإتهامات برغبة إدنربغ (املركز السياىس اإلسكتلندى) ىف غلق الباب‬ ‫امام فرص النمو اإلقتصادى ىف اململكة املتحدة وخلق تنافسية ىف دفع الرواتب بني العاصمتني‬ ‫وان هذا اإلنفصال لن يحل املشكلة اإلقتصادية بل سيساعد عىل إنهيار كتلة هامة كان يعتمد‬ ‫عليها اإلقتصاد الربيطاىن ىف منوه وهى إسكتلندا وهو الهجوم الذى برره مراقبون بشعور‬ ‫بالغرية من الوزير اإلسكتلندى الذى نجح حزبه ىف الحصول عىل نسبة مقاعد اكرث من األحزاب‬ ‫اليسارية االخرى ىف اإلنتخابات املحلية األخرية وهو ما يهدد مكانة الحزب الدميقراطى‬ ‫املتحالف مع حزب كامريون‪.‬‬

‫عشوائيات‪:‬‬

‫زووويل اديشن‬

‫هايب بريزداي تو يو عيان فأنا هاكتب عشوائيات املرادي‪.‬‬ ‫عنده برد سخيف كدة بيفضل معاك فرتة بس بدرجات‪ ,‬يعني بتبقى فاكر إنك خفيت ‪“-‬طب ده كدة يفرق إيه عن املاك رويال؟” عبيط أوي‪ ,‬فاكر نفسه بيتكلم مع واحد‬ ‫منه وييفاجأك يف يوم كدة من نفسه‪ ,‬ساعات وإنت بتاكل و تعطس فجأة واالكل يف مبتدئ‬ ‫بؤك فيطلع من منخريك‪ .‬بتحصل الصبح كامن وإنت بتاكل بيض بالبسطرمه‪ .‬تقعد‬ ‫“السوس”‬‫“سوس إيه ما هام االتنني مايونيز”‬‫تتنفس بقى بسطرمه اليوم كله‪ .‬إحنا مطبقني يف املكتب عشان نقفل املجلة فنزلنا‬ ‫“أل‪ ,‬يف فرق”‪.‬‬‫نشرتي فطار من شوية من محل فول و طعمية هنا جمب املكتب‪ .‬بكره ملا ببقى‬ ‫بس‪ .‬هو قفل الحوار عىل “أل‪ ,‬يف فرق”‪ .‬ده كان رد مقنع بلنسباله‪ .‬أنا طبعا اقتنعت‬ ‫بحاول أشرتي حاجة من حد و هو مش مركز معاك عشان هو جاحد وإنت أقل من‬ ‫إنه يركز معاك أو يعمل معاك اي كونتاكت و تقعد تعيدله األوردر مليون مرة و كل فابتسمتله و قلت “طيب عايز واحد شيكن فيليه كومبو‪ ”...‬أنا كدة كدة أصال ماكنتش‬ ‫هطلبه‬ ‫مرة يعيدهولك غلط‪ .‬طب ماهو مجهود إضايف عليك أنت كامن يعني‪ .‬األكل كان‬ ‫عشوائيات مش بتتكتب كدة ‪,‬صح؟ طيب‪ :‬ماينفعش تقف جمب الدي جي تقوله‬ ‫مقرف أصال‪ ,‬محدش فينا كمله‪ .‬والبيبيس كانت سخنة‪ .‬نفيس الشباب بعد ماتخلص‬ ‫كان البيبيس لو مش هايرموها يف الزبالة يعملو فيها أي عالمة; يطبقوها مثال‪ ,‬خصوصا إلعب كذا والعب كذا‪ ,‬أمال هو الزمة أمه إيه؟ لسة برضه محدش فهمني ليه مادام‬ ‫لو هاتحطها جمب بتاعتي يعني‪ ,‬مش عايز أرشب أنا البق املقرف اليل الناس بتسيبه كوك دور ماعندوش غري مقآسني بس لساندويتشاته ليه مسميهم ميديام و الرج؟‬ ‫لو عندك ‪ ٢‬من حاجة و واحدة فيهم أكرب من التانية طبيعي هتقول عليهم الكبرية‬ ‫ده‪ .‬هي عشوائيات دي بتبقى كام كلمة؟ ماتشوفيل كدة يا حازم؟‬ ‫والصغرية ‪ ,‬وال كلمة صغري دي عيب؟‬ ‫عىل حسب الالي أوت‪.‬‬‫“ده أحمد إبني الكبري و ده كريم امليديام”عشان كريم عنده ‪٢٤‬سنة‪ ,‬مايصحش‬‫*نظرة قرف* أيوة يعني أنت هاتعملها كام كلمة؟‬‫نقول عليه صغري‪.‬‬ ‫عىل حسب الصورة اليل هاحطها‬‫ليه كل بنطلونات الجينس اليل بتتباع يف مرص فيها حركات؟ يوزد‪ ,‬ديريت ‪ ,‬مقطع‬ ‫مايش يا حازم‬‫مكس‪...‬أنا مش عايز أبقي روش يا عم! ها‪ ٤٠٠ ،‬كلمة يا حازم‪ ،‬إيه النظام؟‬ ‫فكرين مبن كام يوم كدة كنت يف ماكدونالدز فالراجل سألني‪:‬‬ ‫“حلو‪ ,‬اليل فاتت كانت ‪”٤٠٤‬‬‫“ساندويتش املاك فيست رجع‪...‬تحب تجربه معانا؟”‬‫“عيل ‪”!^%$#‬‬‫“رجع؟ طب ده عليه إيه؟”‬‫“جبنة‪ ,‬خس‪ ,‬طامطم‪ ,‬بصل‪ ,‬خيار مخلل و مايونيز”‬‫‪//MARCH-APRIL 2012‬‬

‫‪028//‬‬

MARCH-APRIL 2012//

//029

CONFESSIONS OF A FASHION EDITOR AKA THE FRIGHTENING SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE CYST IN MY NOSE AND THE EGYPTIAN FASHION INDUSTRY AKA DON’T HATE, EDUCATE AKA #onelongrant

A cyst is a membranous sac or cavity of abnormal character in the body that contains fluid (most often referred to as pus). I currently have one residing in my nose. It’s painful and it looks like shit. Kind of like the fashion “industry” in Egypt. When I moved back from London in 2009, after three intense years of studying, multiple internships, freelancing for a roster of giant publications and working at a luxury fashion house, I was welcomed by an array of new “designers” featured in “shoots” “styled” by “expert” “art directors” in “premier” “fashion” and “lifestyle” “magazines”. The excess quotations are in reference to the stretch of the Egyptian imagination, to which one of the country’s finest traits is spawned; delusion. Everyone in this case, was a self-proclaimed “expert”. Even more fascinating, were the legions of followers and fans, keen to get their manicured 030//

//MARCH-APRIL 2012

hands on a piece of kliim fabric disguising itself as a dress (cuuutee awyyyy). I was baffled. This phenomenon had essentially rendered my degree useless. Anyone who did a summer abroad or alternatively, studied Fashion Design at the International University of Give-Us-a-Lot-of-MoneyBut-We’re-Not-A-Proper-Fashion-School-Ha-Ha seemed to be housed in my territory. I had also been left out of the illuminati’s “oriental fusion” style society meetings. My avantgarde/deconstructivist/conceptual/high-fashion heart was broken. There was no room for an overqualified and obnoxious blonde to set up shop here. So I did the next best thing; I became a socialite.

It wasn’t that I consciously decided to leave my house one day and claim the title. It just kind of got thrust upon me by an “IT list” that had dubbed me as a “Punk Princess” based on a picture I’d taken at my Camden hairdresser’s who put streaks of rainbow colors in my hair. This, by the way, was before Giles Deacon did his A/W 2010 collection and offset a multi-colored hair trend that took over editorials, the blogosphere, and consequently Tumblr, and also before a certain mega-stylist I assisted became in charge of the biggest pop star in the world’s creative direction; thanks to the research books I made for him as an unpaid slave; sometime between dodging staplers aimed at my head and making those dreaded coffee runs. But alas- I was punk princess of the social scene and I reigned in clown’s clothing. Despite the fact that I had no interest in punk music. Random requests, pokes, and marriage proposals in my inbox later, the irony of the situation became my new best friend. Skimming surfaces, and staying on the shallow end of the pool became my salvation and perhaps the only way to humourously survive the social dynamics of elitism and shite fashion. I then had the gall to fund a clothing line with my best friend based on the concept of a universal comfort, but nobody cared about the quality stitching or flawless bias cuts, or even the unprecedented softness of the cotton we were using. All that clearly mattered in their reversesartorial eyes was that there were no sequins or fala7 scarf bobbles decorating our designs. Thus I closed the workshop. I folded my line because frankly, I couldn’t be bothered with lazy seamstresses who thought Tuesday meant Thursday and sub-par Singer sewing machines that rejected leather despite my parents insistence that I would make a killing by customizing Ramadan tents and selling them for the price of minor surgery. I was depressed. It wasn’t just the scenery that got to me, even though the brown everything (buildings, streets, faces) took its toll on my aesthetic sensitivity. It was the lack of information, and absence of inspiration. I used to source most of my visuals from vintage magazines, thrift stores, brilliant installations in finely-curated galleries, retrospectives on my fashion heroes, even a spontaneous night out on the town was a shoot-in-the-making. Those resources, to put it simply, were unavailable here. This is a country where every “fashionista’s” favourite magazine is Vogue, favourite stylist is “Rachel Zoe” and favourite designer is anyone flashy (international) or oriental (local). We don’t even have a fashion school! Or a decent arts/film/music one either. Ah- but I may have spoken too soon; there is a school dedicated to “increasing the number of qualified personnel to work in the Fashion field and to enhance Egyptian Fashion according to the International standards, as well as to reach, the same European fashion reality and allow Cairo to become, not only a business city, but a world landmark where anyone wishing to enter the fashion world can find all the opportunities”- according to their Facebook page.

What is this magical space you speak of? Well folks, the FDC is a “Fashion & Design Center” sponsored by Italy’s Istituto di Moda Burgo. How this fine Italian institution allowed to lend its name to a textile holding company building in Abdeen; I have no idea. The center’s Facebook page is run by a grammatically challenged robot taking a queue from the wildly successful GAP modeling competition. “Post your design & tell your friendz to vote for you :)” I certainly will do- THANKS FASHION DESIGN CENTER. YOU ROCK! Not… With designing behind me, I ultimately set out to create a platform to give people like me, the opportunity to grow creatively and get a legitimate inside scoop into the industry. I called this platform Entitled Youth. The concept was simple, the best contributions got posted on the website (which looked great by the way because I designed the layout myself and I’m a-ma-zing). So I summoned all my industry contacts to offer internship and job opportunities to our ambitious yet unemployed gypo generation. Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood, and Dolce & Gabbana were among my list of available opportunities. Regardless of the general apathy towards fashion, and the disturbing interest in tessellated designs, my personal motto was “Don’t hate. Educate”, because it’s not the misguided youth that is to blame for the rise in homegrown idiocy; it’s the false fashion prophets who thrive on this ignorance with their hidden agenda$, hawking whatever new kaf design they defecated on scarves, bags and jewelry. It’s very much a blind-leadingthe-blind situation. I sympathized with these kids because like many of them, and before I left to pursue my degree in fabulosity, and even longer before I knew what a pantone scale meant, I was the girl in school who wore UGG boots in the summer (I lavvvv you Sienna Miller!!!) We all had our disasters. And I wanted to make a change. #EpicFail Which brings me to today. It’s been almost a year since I shut the website down. I did so because I finally accepted that fashion and Egypt are as ill suited as a cyst and my nose. Nothing good could come of such couplings. Unfortunately for that revelation, and with the recent realignment of the stars; Mercury in my moon, my moon in your ass, I somehow got roped into becoming Awesome’s new Fashion Editor (compliments are my Kryptonite). But hey- I’m hopeful. No I really am. Because this magazine is essentially what I tried to achieve as the one-woman team of an online platform, only now I have diversely talented pillars to stand against in the form of a wheelin’ dealin’ CEO, a hilariously gifted Managerial Editor, a brilliantly OCD Art Director and fucking Omar Amin. Cancel last revelation. This is the new one: Fashion in Egypt is very much like a cyst, a bubble containing fluid that needs to be pricked and drained to make room for growth. For rebirth. I hope that my self-glorifying, higherthan thou fashion bullshit pricks that bubble, burying the masses of deluded fusionistas under a thick pool of pus. Peace, Love, and faux-fur, Bosaina II Fashion Editor/Former Socialite du Jour

MARCH-APRIL 2012//

//031

WILD HORSES Photography & Styling by Dana Boulos Model: Diane Rosser

032//

//MARCH-APRIL 2012

MARCH-APRIL 2012//

//033

034//

//MARCH-APRIL 2012

MARCH-APRIL 2012//

//035

036//

//MARCH-APRIL 2012

MARCH-APRIL 2012//

//037

038//

//MARCH-APRIL 2012

MARCH-APRIL 2012//

//039

We know what you’re thinking. The answer is “time machine”.

The 2012 Valentine’s Collection is Amina Ghali's newest reveal. The collection incorporates semi-precious stones, silver and gold detailed designs and a beautiful assortment of love-inspired pieces. The calligraphic interpretation of love poetry is reminiscent of Azza Fahmy's past collections but the combination of different textures, colors and shapes are uniquely characteristic of Amina's hip and fresh outlook on classical jewellery.

MODEL/ DREAMER/ SPORTY/UNIQUE CASTING ORGANIZOR

042//

//MARCH-APRIL 2012

Hossam Jamaica is a man of many talents. Actor/Model/Organizer; but his most important role is that of “Casting Director”. Jamaica is the general manager of Face to Face agency, the first and only modeling agency in Egypt (est.1998 by Youssef Spahi). They are the official representatives of world-famous agencies such as Shakir Models in Turkey, Ace Models in Greece, and Nidal’s Agency in Lebanon as well as being the local organizers of top beauty pageants such as Miss World and Manhunt International. According to Jamaica “we organizes fashion shows by providing set-up, decorations, models, hair-styling, make-up, sound & light, ushers, backstage assistants”. Sounds like a busy-ness. Fortunately for us, Jamaica was kind enough to give Awesome the inside scoop on the competitive and glamorous world of Fashion in Egypt. Congratulations Hossam Jamaica. INTERVIEW BY BOSAINA II What is your favorite colour?

What is your favorite thing about being a model?

PURPLE

representing a sucessful brand or product

What is your favorite food?

Who is your style icon?

SEAFOOD

nicolas cage

What is your favorite month of year?

Do you have any advice for young Egyptians who want to get into modeling? (or casting)

OCTOBER What is your favorite song? BACKSTREET BOYS - MORE THAN THAT

yeah i have many things to say : 1- be normal .. 2- no fear .. 3-look sporty ..4- be relax in fornt of the camera ..5- try to learn from the old models ..6- not be Conceited..7- try to have a Special look or moves..

What is your favorite band?

What is your favorite brand?

Are you aware that there’s a Muslim Modeling Agency that launched during New York Fashion Week? Do you think it’s going to be successful?

ADIDAS

no i dont know ...yeah i think it will succeed..

Who is your favorite Miss Egypt?

Do you think there is a future for veiled models in Egypt?

BACKSTREET BOYS

SALLY SHAHIN (2002) Tell us about the girls in the agency... we have a Different kinds of girls .... some girls do fashion show or fashion photoshoot = pro in catwalk, wild,sexy,perfect Measurements.. some girls do tv ads and videoclips = beauty, fun ,smart ,acting well ,have a nice soul’s beauty How do you know when a model’s got “the look”. What is “the look”? i will tell you “the look” for Different ways : 1- for the fashion show = pro in catwalk, wild face ,perfect Measurements ...... 2 - tv ads and photoshoots and videos clips = cute, smart, wild, sexy, acting well, a good Measurements for the character of the storyboard..and hardworker Do you watch America’s Next Top Model? NO You’re a model. Did you study modeling? NO What was your favorite job as a model? FAYROUZ (2006) DOMINO’S PIZZA (2007) PEPSI (2008)

no i dont think so ..i think the same as now and finally, have you ever been to Jamaica? no .. i hope so

“we have a Different

kinds of girls .... some girls do fashion show or fashion photoshoot = pro in catwalk, wild, sexy, perfect Measurement ” MARCH-APRIL 2012//

//043

LIST OF ALLEGED AIRCRAFT-UFO INCIDENTS AND NEAR MISSES by wikipedia.org 1976: On 30 July at 8pm, 42 year old Captain Dennis Wood and his crew in a British Airways Hawker Siddeley Trident from Edinburgh to Faro saw objects near Lisbon, seen by all passengers on board. They looked “due west and saw an incredibly brilliant white object”, which “took off vertically at very high speed and disappeared”. The pilots were alerted by the radar operator at Lisbon who picked up two unknown objects. It was observed for around eight minutes. An astrophysicist, Dr David Ramsden, from the University of Southampton believed it was a large research balloon that was released on 29 July and drifted from Italy to America.

Base when at 8pm they encountered an unknown object over Chaumont, Haute-Marne. It was reported to the air traffic control at Contrexéville and it briefly followed the aircraft twice, although nothing was noticed on radar. 1978: Valentich disappearance – on 21 October, 20 year old Frederick Valentich was piloting a Cessna 182 over Bass Strait in Australia when he was “buzzed” by an unknown object with four bright lights about 1000 ft above him and reported this to air traffic controllers at Melbourne with his last message being it’s not an aircraft. 1979: Manises UFO incident: On 11 November a TAE Sud Aviation Caravelle from Salzburg to Las Palmas was forced to make an emergency landing at Manises in Spain.

Tehran UFO incident: On 19 September over an area 40 miles north of Tehran two F-4 Phantom IIs from Hamedan Air Base (Shahrokhi) attempted to intercept an unknown object seen on ground radar. When closing in on the target, all the plane’s communications systems would not work, which regained their function when the plane turned away from the unknown object. Another object emerged from the main unknown object and headed towards the intercepting planes. The pilots tried to discharge a AIM-9 Sidewinder missile but when engaging their weapons system, it would momentarily not lock-on to the target or even function until the planes changed to a less hostile course.

Japan Air Lines flight 1628 incident – on 16 November on a Japan Airlines flight in a Boeing 747 from Paris to Tokyo whilst near Alaska, an object was seen that was twice the size of an aircraft carrier. In subsequent months, two other aircraft reported unidentified objects over Alaska. 1990:

1977: On 7 March a Dassault Mirage IV piloted by Major René Giraud and navigated by Captain Jean Paul Abraham was returning to Luxeuil Air

On 4 August at 9pm a 75 ft wide diamond object was seen by an RAF Harrier 20 miles north of Pitlochry in Perth and Kinross. It appeared to

//MARCH-APRIL 2012

1991: On 21 April, pilot Achille Zaghetti from Grosseto, Tuscany, in a Alitalia McDonnell Douglas MD-80 on a flight from Milan to Heathrow saw a threemetre-long khaki-coloured object over Lydd in Kent at 22,000 ft about 300m away. It was seen on radar. 1994: On 28 January on Air France Flight AF3532 in an Airbus A320 flying from Nice to London, Jean-Charles Duboc saw an unusual object near Paris at around 1pm which looked like a huge red-brown disc at 35,000 ft of approximately 800 ft in diameter. The object was reported to air traffic control at Reims in ChampagneArdenne, and was determined to be close to Taverny Air Base, the headquarters of the French Air Force. It was stationary in the sky for around one minute then disappeared in around 10–20 seconds.

1986:

Belgian UFO wave: On 31 March two Belgian Air Component F-16 Fighting Falcons flew from Beauvechain Air Base to intercept a UFO seen near Wavre. They were unable to maintain a radar lock for their missiles because the object changed position too quickly. Such rapid changes of position would involve g-forces fatal to human pilots.

044//

hover for 10 minutes above the A9 near Calvine.

1995: On 6 January pilots aboard a Boeing 737 on British Airways Flight BA5061 from Milan saw an object on their descent to Manchester at 4,000 ft when over the southern Pennines. 1996: Westendorff UFO sighting: On 5 October a large object was seen over Lagoa dos Patos in Brazil. 2007: Alderney UFO sighting: Two huge craft observed near Alderney and Guernsey respectively Romania UFO incident: A Romanian military plane taking off from Gherla allmost hit 2 solid entities which could not be identified.

ESSENTIALS Korallreven – Sa Sa Samoa (Elite Gymnastics Remix) / Burial & Four Tet – Nova / Chromatics – Candy / Grimes – Oblivion / Fort Romeau – Say Something / The-Drum – Night Driving / Phèdre – In Decay / DROPXLIFE – Redxbloor / ScHoolboy Q – Raymond 1969 / Evian Christ – MYD / Evian Christ – Fuck It None Of Y’all Don’t Rap / Shlohmo – The Way U Do / Lapalux – Gutter Glitter / Peaking Lights – Marshmellow Yellow (Ital Remix) / RIMAR – I Still Feel A Certain Way About You / Kool Music – Running Back to Everyone

EYES ON by zuli

THE-DRUM On February 12th my favorite blog, gorillavsbear, posted a song called “Night Driving” by The-Drum. Naturally, as with the vast majority of songs deemed post-worthy by gorillavsbear, I was absolutely blown away. So I looked them up on Soundcloud etc, got to listen to more of their stuff…and then the ghost of R Kelly future appeared to me and told me that The-Drum would become huge in 2013 and that if I don’t feature them in my magazine now I would look like a complete fool amongst my peers in the music industry who are, of course, fully aware of my existence and watch my every move. (He also threatened to urinate on my unborn 14 year old daughter). So I got in touch with the lads and they sent me an official bio. Here: The-Drum, under the reign of Brandon and Jeremiah, is a Chicago-based duo that makes music to take you on an auditory journey. Formed in 2010, these two paralleled minds are breaking apart other musical genres and creating their own sound. A balanced mixture of elusive R&B and footwurk inspired beats, trembling synth, and ethereal vocal production birthed the powerful, soul-vibrating music that is The-Drum. The-Drum have been getting a great deal of online press from the music aficionados at The Fader, I Guess I’m Floating, Gorrila vs. Bear, Pitchfork, and No Fear of Pop. In The Fader review of their track “Euthanasia” they eloquently demand that it “more than deserves the attention, with slurry vocals swinging from all directions, forward and reverse, either begging tell me or kill me…” Then saying that their track “Run You” is “footwork under a waterfall in St. Lucia, another impeccable high tempo/ low stress gem in the slowly growing production legacy of Chicago’s The-Drum.” The passionate music of Brandon and Jeremiah has been featured in live shows at busy Chicago bars and underground gallery spaces, packing the dance floor to a sweaty, sold-out capacity. With growing recognition and a strong local/international fan base, The-Drum is looking forward to finding a label to call home. TheDrum is offering something very special to the music world: their unique style and blissful composition keeps fans curious and yearning for more. The-Drum is quickly becoming a force to reckon with in the sheer diversity of their production credits. Their music is a philosophy and a science. It is an intoxicating dream of sounds, all together loose yet sculpted through meticulous editing and precise production. Their split with fellow Chicago weirdos SICH MANG is out now on tape via Catholic Tapes and digitally via bandcamp. Their long anticipated EP release, Heavy Liquid, is out now on white vinyl via Audraglint Records.

046//

follow the drum: http://soundcloud.com/the-drum http://the-drum.tumblr.com

//MARCH-APRIL 2012 //MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSI

FEATURED ARTIST by zuli

SCHOOLBOY Q AKA: Quincy Matthew Hanley DOB: October 26, 1986 Mini Bio: Schoolboy Q is Quincy Matthew Hanley from LA. He’s one forth of Hip hop collective ‘Black Hippy’ along with Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar and Ab-Soul. Quincy only started taking music seriously at 21 after receiving strike two following a felony charge. He first met the Top Dawg Entertainment crew in 2006 and released his debut mixtape, Schoolboy Turned Hustla, on the label in 2008. TDE then signed Q in 2009. ‘Black Hippy’ was formed shortly after. Q’s debut album, 2011’s Setbacks, reached number 100 on the Billboard 200, selling 787 units it’s first week. The album was released for free on Twitter two weeks later. Writing and releasing Setbacks was very therapeutic for Q. He claims his life took a 180 degree turn to the positive since it dropped. “I made some fucking money off the project, it helped me see that I needed to do more positive shit in life, and it made me into the person I am now.” Q describes his 2nd album, Habits & Contradictions a “prequel to Setbacks”. First offering off of Habits & Contradictions was a song titled “Druggys With Hoes Again” featuring Ab-Soul. The song was followed by “There He Go”, followed by “Oxy Music” on October 28. On October 31st, 2011 he was featured on ASAP Rocky’s critically acclaimed mixtape and Awesome favorite LiveLoveA$AP, on a song titled “Brand New Guy”. To keep promoting Habits & Contradictions, Q released “My Hatin’ Joint” followed by a music video for a track titled “Sacrilegious”. He then announced the album’s release date to be January 14, 2012 and released another song titled “Blessed” featuring Kendrick Lamar. The album features additional guest appearances

from ASAP Rocky, Currensy and Dom Kennedy. Music blog OnSmash said about the album before it’s release “The 17 track project, due out January 14, is a look into Q’s life, with tales of pill selling, life struggle, partying, religious hypocrites, his block and everything in between.” Habits & Contradictions was released exclusively on iTunes, with only a few hard copies being sold and signed by Schoolboy Q in LA. The album debuted at #111 on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 3,900 digital copies in the United States. Schoolboy Q cites Nas, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Mobb Deep, Kurupt, 2Pac, Biggie, Kanye West, Beanie Sigel and WuTang Clan as rappers who influenced him: “But Biggie, Nas and 50 Cent [are my biggest influences]”. In an

interview with Complex magazine, he says he got his “rhyme-style” from Jay-Z: “I got [my rhyme style] from Jay-Z though. If you really listen to Jay-Z, he has a new sound every time he raps. It’s never the same. He might use a little swag, but it’s always like a different flow. So that’s all I try to do”. “But at the same time, it’s just a feeling I can’t really explain. You got to be wiser to stay on the track, but there’s no rules. When you start rapping with rules, it’s when you start sounding boring. You may hear me fuck with my voice, you may hear me do a two-bar pause, you may hear me do an odd 33 bars instead of 30. Give you 14 bars instead of 16.”

follow schoolboy q on twitter @ScHoolBoyQ

IC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUS

FEATURED LABEL by zuli

By 2008, Flying Lotus was already one of the biggest names in the LA beat scene with a solid three releases under his belt, two of them on one of the most respected independent labels in the industry; Warp Records. So what does he do next? You’re 25 and on top of the fucking world, where do you go from there? Well, you start your own label of course. He named it Brainfeeder, after the opening track off his [brilliant] second album Los Angeles. The label’s ranks now include jazz fusionists Thundercat and Austin Peralta, psych-rap futurists Samiyam and Teebs, video artist Strangeloop, and 22-year old Essex-based rising star Lapalux, existing together in dazzling constellation. Brainfeeder has always been more than a record label though. It is a collective of artists (both musically and visually), producers, and DJs of a similar mind set. This is a group of people who don’t give a fuck about trends and have been doing what they’re doing in LA since the very first Low End Theory nights back in 2003. http://www.brainfeedersite.com/

048//

//MARCH-APRIL 2012 //MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /

ZULI - Remember [EP] AWSR001 [Digital Download] http://zulimusic.tumblr.com/

INTERVIEW by zuli

050//

SHLOHMO

//MARCH-APRIL 2012 //MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSI

the melodies combined with a sense of space (which I’m guessing is a result of the brilliant field sampling). Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems to me like a very personal composition. Could you tell us a bit about the album and how it came to be? Thanks man. I was pretty bummed and just spent a long period of time by myself recording. All I knew is I wanted to record my voice and guitar and bass, make it more my own. Then the rest just kinda came out.

What’s your name? Henry How old are you? 22 Where are you from? Los Angeles How (and when) did you start making music? Played guitar and bass when I was younger. Started DJing and producing when I was around 14 or 15. Who are your all-time favorite artists? To what extent have they influenced your music? Bob Dylan. Burial. Drake. The Pixies. Three 6 Mafia. Tom Waits. I definitely wouldn’t be making the same music if these guys didn’t exist. Tell us a bit about WEDIDIT; who are you, when did you form and how important was the group in getting everyone’s stuff out there and getting signed etc? Wedidit is my baby girl. We’re a collective of a bunch of LA guys who make music and art. We started it in like 2008 I guess, but it wasn’t a very official thing, just something to call the crew. Then it kind of evolved into a website and pseudo label just to share what we made…and now we’re starting to make it into more of a real label with physical releases and all that. We’re just taking our time and letting it evolve, but we got some cool stuff planned for this year.

How much would you say you owe to Rap music? More or less than Dance music? Oh man I love Rap music so much, but I also owe Dance music equally. Most of the Rap music that I like though is the kind of Rap that most “hip hop heads” hate. I don’t really care. There was a 2 year period where I only made Rap beats. Which was followed by a 2 year period where I only made House music. This is all pre 2008. You’ve done a whole bunch of great remixes; your DJ Khaled – I’m On One remix is highly addictive… you even dared to remix Burial and did a fucking great job (check out Shlohmo’s version of Shell of Light). How do you approach making remixes? Sometimes a song just grabs me so much and makes me think of all this different shit that I would have done to it, or what I would like to do to it now. So then I do it. Tell us a bit about your live sets and how similar/ different they are to the writing process (in terms of the gear you use etc). Does one inspire the other? It’s a really different process for me. Writing is really personal and meticulous, where my live sets are all about connecting with the audience and vibing off their energy. For the most part I like to make people dance and have a good time at the shows, and make the albums more of a personal experience you know. Have you ever been to the Middle East? Do you plan on visiting anytime soon? I’ve never been, but I really wanna go.

What do you think about L.A.’s rapidly emerging beat scene? Where do you see it going and who are your favorite players/labels at the moment? It’s cool man there’s a lot of great music coming outta LA. I hope it just keeps moving like it has been. Everybody involved with Leaving records, Friends of Friends, Alpha pup, and Brainfeeder knows what’s good. How did it feel being asked to record a set for Mary-Anne Hobbs back in 2010 at such a young age? That shit was cool man. She’s been a big supporter. I’m real thankful for that. Your debut LP “Bad Vibes” is obviously an Awesome favorite, and my personal favorite album this year. There’s this sort of sadness in

http://www.wediditcollective.com http://soundcloud.com/shlohmo

IC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUS

AWESOME MIX 005 MINUS T interview by zuli

artwork by arcadia

minus T is a 28-year old Piscean from Cairo. He enjoys collecting stamps, dwarf tossing and long walks on the beach. Hello, T. How’ve you been? I’ve been alright, thanks. Finally getting back into music, after a long hiatus, so feeling good. How do you feel about being asked to do the prestigious Awesome Mix? I feel extremely honored, definitely a privilege that has been bestowed upon me. I’m definitely gonna tell my future kids about it. Tell us a bit about the idea behind the mix. It’s mainly to showcase different artists and styles of music that I normally wouldn’t get to play at a regular night here.

- Lions On The Beach Top 5 producers at the moment James Holden // John Talbot // Four Tet // Apparat // Blondes Top 5 labels at the moment Border Community // Kompakt // Permanent Vacation // R&S Records // Shabu Recordings Now that you’ve done the Awesome mix, what’s next? Conclude our studies on the letter R.

Tell us a bit about the ideology behind the mix. It’s quite simple really. It’s trying to advance the studies on telemetry and its accoustic effects on the human condition and the letter R. How and where was it recorded? At home, using a dining table, a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, an S4 to control Traktor, Allen & Heath Xone: 42 mixer, Pioneer EFX500. One of the reasons we asked you to do this mix is because you’re a proper DJ; you don’t just play whatever’s on the Beatport “top 10 of the week” or whatever it’s called. How do you collect music, and how do you decide what to play when doing a prerecorded set like this one? I just grab whatever I like, I listen to other djs, producers and labels that I follow. Top 5 DJs at the moment James Holden // Scuba // James Zabiela // Erol Alkan// ZULI. Thank you T. *sniff sniff I need a moment please, sorry :’( Top 10 tracks at the moment Kate Wax- Echoes in the Light // Luke Abbott – Brazil // Falty DL – Endeavor // Rusty Shore - Wasweg // The Shepardtones - Reichatronics // Pional - Into a Trap // Basic Soul Unit - Soulspeak (Shed Remix) // Death In Vegas - Your Loft My Acid // Pachanga Boys - Time // Cloud Boat 052//

listen to awesome mix 005 by minus t on our mixcloud: http://mixcloud.com/awesomemag follow minus t: http://soundcloud.com/minus-t http://mixcloud.com/minust

//MARCH-APRIL 2012 //MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSI

ALBUM REVIEWS KINGS AND THEM EVIAN CHRIST

by zuli

Towards the end of last December, an anonymous producer named Evian Christ emerged, creating a whole lot of buzz on the interwebs. Someone at Dummy Mag (UK) randomly stumbled upon his youtube channel which consisted of eight, brilliant tracks that draw influences from a whole bunch of interesting areas including Crunk, C&S, Footwork and Future Garage to name a few. For a while it seemed like everyone had taken notice of Evian and his tracks were up all over the internet. Fast forward to only a month later and TriAngle Records have tracked the bugger down, signed him, grouped the 8 tracks on his youtube, mastered them and put them out as his debut mixtape “Kings and Them”. They were also kind enough to tell us that Evian Christ is in fact 22-year old Joshua Leary from the UK. I’m sure everyone feels much better now. “Kings and Them” holds a steady 70BPM tempo and samples the same song (Snapback’s Back by Tyga) throughout the whole album. The sounds he uses (drums/ synths/etc) also sound very similar on all tracks which leads me to think the record was the result of one very productive weekend. It’s still tight as fuck though. The similarities between tracks only add to the record’s quality, giving it a consistent, yet dynamic feel throughout. I’ve personally been hooked on “Fuck It None Of Y’all Don’t Rap” and “MYD” for ages now. Verdict: I’m not tired of the whole 808s plus a ton of reverb and C&S vocals yet. “Kings and Them” is that plus a whole lot more. 8 ZULIStars.

CLOSER RIMAR

by zuli

RIMAR’s Closer is everything I expected Toro Y Moi’s follow up to Causers Of This to be; big sounds, Dilla-like sampling, a rhythm section to dance your tits off to and beautiful synths, plus a whole bunch of field sampling and tape hiss. Instead, we got 2011’s Underneath The Pine – a Funk record. Anyway, RIMAR! I’d seen this guy’s name around blogs but never actually heard anything by him. One of my peeps on tumblr told me there was a free album up for grabs on his [Rimar’s] bandcamp so I decided it was time to give the man a listen. The 27 second intro “We Are Closer” was enough to realize this was no ordinary record; it literally grabbed me by the testicleses, had me stop tumbl-ing for a moment and sit there with my eyes closed, listening. It’s very easy to get lost in the eloquently built soundscapes and forget you’re listening to a record for a while but feel like you’re dreaming it all up instead. (I don’t do drugs). Then, around halfway through the track “Holding on Lay deep: break” he comes in with a synth line and a drum pattern that effortlessly shift the mood from dreamy R & B to upbeat 90s house, a mood that stays with us till the end of the record. The 7-track album is free to stream and download at Rimar’s bandcamp (http://rimar.bandcamp.com/). Verdict: Beautiful, visual, heart-breaking and original. 9 ZULIStars.

IC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUS

THE SLIDESHOW EFFECT MEMORYHOUSE

by zuli

by siksik

Let me start out by saying that I’ve been waiting for this album to drop for quite a while now. I’ve been a fan of Memoryhouse since the band’s inception in 2010; I absolutely loved their debut EP The Years, despite its negative reception in the press. They also make THE best music videos. It took me quite a few listens to form an opinion about this album though… First listen: I can’t seem to get into it for some reason. Have I been listening to too much hiphop? What is it that’s different about them? New versions of old songs I used to love now sound dull and lifeless. Then I did a little interweb research and found out they got a new producer…who hates reverb…and loud noises. “Fuck dat nigga”. Second listen: The first song starts out cool…up till 1:36 when those awful drums kick in. Oh yeah, the producer hates drums too. The Kids Were Wrong is a cool song though. The guitar work on Punctum is particularly beautiful. Hmm…I actually quite like this album. 99th listen: The lyrics are really good; there’s a handful of themes that flow between songs and I love that in an album. Also, some of the concepts are just brilliant. I don’t really mind the new versions of the older songs anymore. Verdict: You can tell they put a lot of work into this release; the artwork is absolutely amazing and the recording is almost too perfect…a bit too “clean” for my taste. 6.5 ZULIStars. I can go back listening to Madlib now.

054//

FUTURE THIS THE BIG PINK

A friend of mine once said that he’s been waiting for the opportunity to write the ultimate three word review: “This is shit”, and in all honesty save for a few tracks on this album Future This could have easily received such a review. The extent to which almost everything on this album reeks of lack of creativity, the cheesiness of the lyrics, the repetitive choice of sounds and synths all make listening to the 11 tracks on this album a burden, one that I found myself dreading before pressing the play button before each listen. Sure there are some moments of relief to be found, “Hit the Ground (Superman)” is a catchy tune that won’t send you running to smash your laptop/record player/ipod and “Lose Your Mind” shows an edginess that’s otherwise non-existent throughout the album, other than that it would be much better for the prospective listener to put on a Soulwax, Digitalism or Animal Collective album, because this is just a waste of time, ears and disk space. Verdict Synth Pop just got its Bieber. Things to do while listening to this album: Create a list of everyone you hate, get their emails, send them a copy of this album and revenge will be yours.

//MARCH-APRIL 2012 //MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSI

BORN TO DIE LANA DEL RAY

by nada shalaby

This one, Lana Del Rey aka Lizzy Grant from Lake Placid New York, is quite the mystery that most people in the music industry are trying to figure out. She has this nonchalant way of portraying herself. She’s hot trailer trash, and she doesn’t give a fuck. The album “Born to Die” showed great promise when “Video Games” and “Born to Die” the singles rose to the top of every chart. Then the album came out and it was like this beautiful mess, almost like Lana herself. However, taking the time and really listening to the rest of the album made me feel like something is either missing or being overdone. The lyrics sound like a manic depressive Nikki Minaj yet the music is indie bordering on commercial pop. This inconsistency is almost intriguing, yet is it completely satisfactory? The tracks “Blue jeans” and “Summertime Sadness” would probably be my favorites off the album. Maybe because it feels like she’s really relating to the music and not trying too hard to sell it. And, guilty as charged, “This is what makes us girls” kind of made me sing along. Verdict: I guess what I’m trying to say is, the album isn’t half bad. That is, if you’ve had your share of being heartbroken over too many bad boys who usually skip town to pursue some “Gangster” career and/or “Chase paper”. Just try to avoid her live performances. I’d give it a solid 6 out of 10.

PERSONALITY SCUBA

by ahmed samy

Scuba’s growth as an artist was something quite beautiful to witness; both the bass music oriented Scuba and the techno-driven SCB. Paul Rose aka Scuba aka SCB’s third album Personality is a departure from the dark, moody and cerebral bass music of his past. Press and interviews leading up to its release reported that Personality is often flashy, uptempo and dance-oriented where his last two full-lengths were introverted and sparse. The fragments he dropped along the way, like the album’s lead single “The Hope,” with its hedonistic spoken house vocals and serrated synths, indicated that Scuba has been experimenting with music that moves the body more than the mind. The growth can be seen reaching an end to his divide (Dubstep-Techno) last year with the DJ Kicks mix, which beautifully combined all the previous sparse, dark, devoid of humanity Dubstep, with the newfound dancefloor oriented Berghain like techno. I’ve always thought that Triangulation’s album cover - an empty and bare concrete walkway - was the best visual encapsulation possible for an artist whose music sounded completely devoid of humanity, all computer click, industrial clank, manipulated ciphers, and hollow drums. But look at Personality’s cover art: There’s a real piece of a human on there, which happens to be a really fitting way of comparing both albums. Verdict: This release is bound to ruffle feathers and turn off old fans, and in a way, going so outright “pop” is one of the gutsiest, risky things a pillar of the scene like Scuba could have done.

IC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUS

openly when not paired with a more focused, sharper rapper that grounds his rambling mumblings.

NEHRU JACKETS HEEMS by wassim matar

My problem with this mixtape is mainly Finito. His production on the mixtape is the equivalent of a kid’s dad showing up to one of his games for the first time. He was given a chance, admittedly a huge one by Heems who is surely at the crest of the fame wave, and has almost tried too hard. Actually, Heems admitted as much in his interview with MTV’s ‘Hive’ saying: “I figured the only way for people to hear [his talent] is if I hop on these joints and give my man some shine.” This leads to too many tracks being ruined by the cacophony of over-compensation and trying to be too clever (‘Alien Gonzalez’ comes to mind). The Punjabi element is also pushed hard and although it sometimes adds a richness to the proceedings (the sitar on the track ‘Swate’), it also detracts from the quality of other tracks (‘Choorhay Lare’ is painful).

THE PALM WINE DRINKARD .KOOL A.D

In 2003 a young me took a break from making collages about unattainable women and masturbating furiously, to fully immerse himself in the masterpiece that was Outkast members’ double solo album Speakerboxxx/ The Love Below. I was obsessed. I listened to each album in its entirety, and then alternated songs between albums to examine whether or not these previous teammates’ styles became divorced from one another when they were separated. The dynamics that Andre 3000 and Big Boi had when they were together remained and the strengths of each member were magnified by this trial separation. Himanshu ‘Heems’ Suri’s latest mixtape, produced by his childhood friend Mike Finito, is one part of the Das Racist ensemble’s 3 mixtapes. Heems is a cool guy. I wish he was my friend. He is charismatic, his voice isn’t jarring and his rap flow is malleable, attaching itself to the beat very well (see ‘Michael Jackson’ versus ‘Girl’ off their debut album). However he tends to struggle quite 0056//

The mixtape is also much too long, further reinforcing the ‘coach’s kid’ or ‘dog with two bones’ syndrome mentioned above. Heems is also guilty in trying to do too much all at once; trying to give a nod and a wink to his Indian roots, his hipster followers, his hometown, the underground rap scene, politics and the NYPD’s Orwellian ways is ambitious and has worked previously on their seminal mixtapes, but here, unfortunately, he falls short. This is to the detriment of some absolute gems on the mixtape; ‘Bangles’ is a phenomenal song, one of the best of this nascent year, and ‘Bad, bad, bad’, ‘Swate’, ‘Jason Bourne’ and the excellent ‘Tu Nach’ are enjoyable, solid efforts and there are some exciting cameos from Mr. Muthafuckin Exquire, the brilliant Danny Brown, who steals the show as usual on ‘You Have to Ride the Wave’ and Childish Gambino who comes in with his nerd-chic charm and proves to be a good foil for Himanshu. Actually it is on the track ‘Womyn’ featuring Donald Glover’s rapping alter-ego where we really feel what we are missing across the mixtape; the absence of Victor Vazquez’s intelligent, probing lyrics. Unfortunately for the listener, none of those are evident on Victor, a.k.a Kool A.D’s contribution to the holy trinity of Das Racist mixtapes. The ‘Palm Wine Drinkard’ kinda sucks. It starts off, ironically, with a weird instrumental of Outkast’s ‘SpottieOttieDopaliscious’ mixed in with cluttered background noise and snippets from sitcoms and honestly apart from a couple of scattered decent songs, it maintains that air of irrelevance throughout the 11-track mixtape. Lagrimas Blancas is admittedly awesome, joining a bubbly, wavering beat with Kool A.D’s now famous stream of thought ramblings. There are some half decent remixes of ‘Booty in the Air’ from ‘Relax’ and ‘You Can Sell Anything’ from ‘Sit Down Man’; nothing new or special. ‘Titties Out’ will be playing in the background of many half empty strip clubs across the mid-west as Lil’ Tammy soullessly dances for middle aged men who came for the $9.99 breakfast buffet. ‘Eight Elvises’ is a nice, neat melancholic song that drifts along and looks pretty, but not much else. This review has to be caveated by the fact that hype man Dapwell’s mixtape, the third in the trilogy, has yet to be released and only then can we really fully judge this project. However, I personally don’t believe that it’ll be the Kaizer Soze moment that will pull all things together. It seems that the new found fame has maybe started to weight down heavily on the members of Das Racist and they are trying to maintain their freshness as they brace themselves for the backlash that normally comes from being big. One thing that can be gathered from these two mixtapes is that they are better together than apart.

//MARCH-APRIL 2012 //MUSIC //MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSI

HABITS & CONTRADICTIONS SCHOOLBOY Q by bam

About 2 weeks ago I downloaded Schoolboy Q’s album Setbacks, after hearing the track ‘Gangster In Designer’ on ZULI’s timeline. The album didn’t have the song I was looking for but it went hard as fuck so it’s been on my playlist since then. ZULI apparently heard through his sources that I liked Q’s music, so he asked me to write up a review on his second album Habits & Contradictions.

Jean Jacket, different colour pants I aint trying to match Smooth watch, saggin see my ass pop the dirty tag’

Style/Content

“Weed and brews, weed and brews Life for me is just weed and brews I fucked her once, then I could fuck her twice Yeah, you heard me right, I might fuck tonight”

Right off the bat, if you don’t like music about sex and drugs, you’re not going to like this. I always hear older hiphop heads complain about how the new generation of rappers are all about drugs/sex/gangstashit, but they’ll dickride albums like Dre’s ‘2001’(Classic, no question) to no end. This album does not have that trademark 90’s West Coast G-funk sound, but it has mostly the same subject matter. The production is sonically unique, some tracks are immediately catchy bangers, others have a more hypnotic sound. Q is one of the most charismatic rappers I have heard in a long time, you WANT to hear what dude is saying, he switches up his flow constantly throughout the album and several times within same track too, he knows how to use his voice to get his point across and has great mic presence. He likes to mess around with structure with his verses not always being 16 bars, and he always provides variety. Also, he does something that 90 % of rappers don’t know how to do…pick a great beat, as evidenced by this project. Standout Tracks After listening through the whole album, there were very few tracks that I didn’t want to hear again. ‘Sacrilgious’, ‘There He Go’, ‘Hands On The Wheel’, ‘Sexting’, and ‘Gangster in Designer’, ‘Blessed’, and ‘Nightmare on Figg st.’ are my favorites off the album… especially ‘Gangsta in Designer’, that beat despite being repetitive is fucking hipthrust inducing, and Q goes H.A.M on that shit, the hook is crazy

Hands on The Wheel featured another up and coming rapper A$AP Rocky, and he did not disappoint going to town on the beat, Q of course does his thing the chorus really sums up the albums content nicely

Q really gets his ignorant on in ‘Sexting’ one of the best flows on the album, I think the title is pretty self explanatory regarding the lyrical content’ The song “Blessed” features another member of ‘Black Happy’; Kendrick Lamar and is one of the few songs that isn’t about gettinghighfuckingbitches (I’m not complaining) and both MC’s get it in. I haven’t heard much of Kendrick Lamar, I’m definitely checking for him after hearing him tear this beat apart. Quotability Q isn’t mega complex with his lyricism but he’s undeniably witty, he doesn’t overly rely on punch lines either, but my favorite one on the album was on ‘Gangsta in Designer’ “She doin all the things she said she’d do Swallow evidence her boyfriend never had a clue Sticking to the script like motherfucking glue Got your birdie on my wood like the bitch is from the Lou” Overall This album is better than his first effort Setbacks; it is currently my favorite rap album of the year so far (I also like it more than anything that came out last year to be honest) and while Q isn’t my new favorite rapper, he’s definitely my favorite new rapper. 10 BAM!

“Look at me, ray bans I aint trying to see you fags

IC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUSIC /MUS

THE 2012 OSCARS

by Ali Nasser

Yes, it’s that time of year again! The time where the crème de la crème of Hollywood’s talents come together to celebrate the very best efforts in filmmaking of last year. The time of glitz, glamour and a golden statue of a naked man that every celebrity wants to take home. The 84th Academy Awards took place on the 26th of February and we were disappointed to say the least. The results were very predictable this year; some major contenders got shafted to make way for some unexpected dark horses that no one ever heard of prior to their Oscar nomination. Some wins were surprising; others had us scratching our heads. We take a stab at analyzing the major winners (and losers) of this year and ponder on whether their wins were deserved or not. THE ARTIST

HUGO

THE IRON LADY

PLOT: Filmed in the same manner of Hollywood’s early silent films, “The Artist” chronicles a silent film star’s fall into obscurity with the introduction of talking motion pictures, and his love affair with a rising young actress.

PLOT: Hugo Cabret, the orphaned son of a toy shop owner, embarks on an adventure in a 1930’s Parisian train station to unlock the secret of his father’s latest invention which links to the early beginnings of cinema.

PLOT: A biopic based on the life of England’s longest serving Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher and her aggressive rise to leadership.

AWARDED FOR: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor (Jean Dujardin), Best Costume Design, Best Original Score

AWARDED FOR: Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing.

WHY IT WON? While “Hugo” and “The Artist” are both nostalgic love letters to the movies, “The Artist” had the clear advantage with its winning streak at Cannes, BAFTA and the critics’ association awards. Very ironic how an awards show that celebrates advancements in filmmaking chooses to award a silent black-and-white French movie celebrating the Golden Age of Hollywood.

WHY IT WON? With the unstoppable winning momentum of Hollywood’s other favorite film “The Artist” (another film that celebrates filmmaking history), we knew that Hugo wouldn’t win big in the major categories. But somehow the Oscars decided to give Hugo some credit by giving it all the technical awards at the expense of everyone else.

(5 AWARDS OUT OF 10 NOMINATIONS)

VERDICT: It’s well made and charming in every conceivable way; definitely worth the “feel-good movie of the year” title. 2011 had certainly been a very lackluster year for movies, and for lack of better options, “The Artist” seems like one of those few movies that are worth the awards and praise. 058//

//MARCH-APRIL 2012

(5 AWARDS OUT OF 11 NOMINATIONS)

VERDICT: We liked the film fine. But Hugo is far from Scorsese’s best work, and we enjoyed it more for its technical achievements than its storytelling.

(2 AWARDS OUT OF 2 NOMINATIONS)

AWARDED FOR: Best Actress (Meryl Streep), Best Make-Up. WHY IT WON? If you have a biopic starring Meryl Streep as one of the most imperious political figures in history, even the most casual cinemagoer will never bet against her scoring a win, let alone an Oscar nomination. And the make-up was also quite honestly phenomenal. VERDICT: Even though we loved Streep’s performance, it was quite a chore sitting through this film. It only scratches the surface of Thatcher’s life, and its structure is all over the place.

THE DESCENDANTS

(1 AWARDS OUT OF 5 NOMINATIONS)

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

THE HELP

PLOT: David Fincher’s adaptation of the icy Stieg Larsson novel in which a journalist pairs up the titular tech-hacker to uncover a 40-year old unsolved mystery.

PLOT: An ensemble cast stars in this true story about a young woman who writes a controversial book exposing the racism that black maids endured while working for white families during the 60s.

AWARDED FOR: Best Editing

AWARDED FOR: Best Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer)

(1 AWARDS OUT OF 4 NOMINATIONS)

(1 AWARDS OUT OF 5 NOMINATIONS)

PLOT: An indifferent husband/father (George Clooney) struggles with his past and is forced to come to terms with a revelation concerning his wife following her boating accident off the shores of Hawaii. AWARDED FOR: Best Adapted Screenplay WHY IT WON? Both “The Descendants” and “The Artist” were picking awards left and right. We expected George Clooney to take home his second acting Oscar. But “The Artist” somehow managed to steal the movie’s thunder. Had it been any other year, you would have seen “The Descendants” taking home more awards. VERDICT: It’s a modest film. It’s funny, moving and beautifully acted. And it’s more than just your typical Oscar bait; it’s an honest and well-told story.

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

THE MUPPETS (BEST ORIGINAL SONG)

WHY IT WON? Fincher’s “GWTDT” is not by any means a perfect adaptation of the novel, but he excels in making a long story shoot like a breeze, so credit must be given to his editing team. Although we think Rooney Mara was robbed an Oscar for her performance as Lisbeth Salander. VERDICT: The movie is very cold and uninviting (which is probably what Fincher was aiming for), but Rooney Mara’s performance is really a league of its own.

RANGO

(BEST ANIMATED FILM)

WHY IT WON? A film that tackles race, feminism and civil rights in the 60s? Just the kind of movie that the Academy loves to nominate. But the real highlight of the film was Octavia Spencer who was rightfully awarded for her performance. VERDICT: It’s an old-fashioned story that glosses over themes of racism while painting a politically-correct image of 1960’s America. In other words, it’s fluffy but still fun to watch.

BEGINNERS

(BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR)

A SEPARATION

(BEST FOREIGN FILM)

MARCH-APRIL 2012//

//059

INTERVIEW by Mariam Al-Khosht

MOSTAFA GAAFAR

Mostafa Gaafar is a 36 year old Egyptian man who scored his first acting role in a film called Black Gold starring Antonio “Despa-fucking-rado” Banderas; the best second best action star in the world (after our legendary Editor In Chief of course). The film, directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, is set in the 1930s Arab states at the dawn of the oil boom. It was Produced by Tarak Ben Ammar Chairman of Quinta Communications and Co-produced by Doha Film Institute, Qatar. After making sure we did the enough research, Gaafar finally let our Mariam Al-Khosht send him a little interview via email. Here is what he kindly sent back. What do you originally do? After I graduated from California State University, Fullerton in 2000 I worked in marketing for a couple of years in the States until I moved back to Egypt in 2008. 2009 is when I decided I am no longer going to spend my life doing something I like, but I will spend it doing something I love. Have you always wanted to be an actor? I remember the 1st time was when I was 9 years old in school on the theater stage in Dubai performing & I remember very well the feeling of having everyone starring at me while I was delivering my lines. Very uncomfortable feeling, but it gave me joy in seeing people enjoy what they saw. That’s when the dream of acting felt like an illusion & years later that illusion became a reality. How did you get into acting? Well Black Gold is my 1st acting role. I heard about it from a friend then I went through the whole process till Director Jean-Jacques Annaud picked me for the role of Khoz Ahmed. How long did you wait till you got the role? Heard about Black Gold when I was 33 years [old], auditioned and met Jean- Jacques Annaud when I was 34, turned 35 on the movie set, & saw the movie a month ago at the age of 36. Do the math :) Tell us about the first time you met Jean-Jacques Annaud? Oh...now you’re bringing back some good memories. Jean-Jacques 060//

//MARCH-APRIL 2012

Annuad for those who don’t know is the director of the Name of the Rose, Enemy at the gates, 7 years in Tibet......etc. When I 1st saw him I met him at Studio Emad El Dean, downtown Cairo. We sat and talked for almost an hour about every single thing you might think of. He is a very, very interesting person. When I walked away I had a feeling I will work with him & 3 months later he picked me to be part of his movie Black Gold. I have nothing, but respect for this man who I learned a lot from. What’s it like being on a Hollywood movie set? Black Gold cost 40 million Euros to make it alive. Imagine waking up every morning and seeing Antonio Banderas, Mark Strong, Freida Pinto, Liya Kebede, & almost 65 main actors from all over the world with no egos what so ever. Or try being on a set where there are thousands of camels and horses, planes , guns, bullets, armored tanks, gorgeous sand dunes, crystal clear beaches, & professional cast & crew around you in every scene. The director & producers of Black Gold made sure that we lived in the era we filmed which was in the 1930’s. Everything you saw in the movie was real with hardly any special effects. Of course as a 1st time actor I am beyond happy to go through 6 months of film shooting with that amazing professional cast & crew. It’s a dream come true. Do you plan to take your acting career seriously? No I plan to ruin everything I worked so hard for :) Of course I’ve been & I will always will.

“I’ll act anywhere & on

any film set as long as I am working with people who appreciate & respect the art of film, but under no circumstances I will allow myself to be surrounded, or to work with non professionals.” Several Egyptian actors had a chance in Hollywood but only one became a star… What does it take to make it in Hollywood and become a universal star? I am a firm believer that: “It’s weird how we visualize something in our own mind & because of believing in it too much z illusion of it becomes a reality”. Let your honest work do the talking for you & it will get you places further than the stars. [Editor’s note: These are all original Mostafa Gaafar quotes] Would you want to act here? And if yes, do you think you can adapt to the field after being on the set of Black Gold? I’ll act anywhere & on any film set as long as I am working with people who appreciate & respect the art of film, but under no circumstances I will allow myself to be surrounded, or to work with non professionals. Do you think it is possible for Egyptian cinema to achieve that [Hollywood] kind of production? What do you think Egyptian cinema needs? There is no limit for production, but there is a limit to the standard & quality of film you produce. You can spend all the millions you want on a movie, but if the movie has no

good solid base it will end up nowhere. On the other hand I have no answer to what Egyptian cinema needs other than investing in producing good artistic movies. How do you feel about artistic censorship? How would you feel if you spent hours working really hard on a scene and came to the theater here to watch it with you friends and family to find its been cut due to its content, be it sexual, political, or religious? Don’t believe in it. Movies to me are like a beautiful piece of art painted by Salvador Dali. The beauty about his paintings is that every time you look at it you can’t stop yourself from feeling, seeing, & sensing something new in it. In other words he paints the reality he feels & sees that’s why you sense the honesty in his work. Everything you mentioned above [is] part of our own everyday life. So does that mean we should censor people on the streets? There’s a certain magic to being on stage and a rush you get from the connection with the audience, the pulse, and you become addicted to it. There’s always been the eternal debate about theatre actors versus method actors, where do you stand on that? Each actor chooses his/her most comfortable acting technique. Both methods are right as long as you don’t act. In other words be as natural as the character is. I personally have no experience what so ever in theater cause I never been on a stage since I was 9 years old. I am a method actor to the bone. I love the fact that I am someone soul for a certain period of time. It gives me joy to see & feel his world through all his senses. Method acting is fun.

Even though the film didn’t do very well, you can tell by his tone that Gaafar is a very confident and determined young man. We wish him all the best on his future endeavors.

black gold is unfortunately no longer in cinemas. it’s too early for a dvd release date too, but check back at http://blackgold-themovie.com/ for updates. MARCH-APRIL 2012//

//061

ASK ADAM got a qustion for adam? go to awesomemag.tumblr.com/ask

Why is it that all men are so sure of themselves to the point that they think they’re the best at anything and everything? I’m asking this out of experience with boyfriends, friends, brother, father, professors, and so on. (anonymous) I think it’s because most males aspire to be alpha males; being competitive, knowing more, being leaders and making unilateral decisions is part of the package. This type of male also subconsciously becomes more dictatorial with the women in their lives, assuming that their judgment is superior to that of their female counterparts. This behavior is more common in conservative patriarchal societies though, where feminism has not achieved as much as it has in more liberal ones. Who has the most swag in hip hop? (anonymous) Swag is dead son, the internet, mass media and the shorter-termed lifecycle of trends killed it. But to answer your question, in the conventional definition of SWAG, Biggie Smalls aka The Notorious BIG would have to win there. If you meant rappers that are alive today, I’d have to go with Jigga, I mean, married to Beyonce, owns a bunch of successful companies (including a stake in the New Jersey Nets, which aren’t so successful but have Deron Williams who just dropped 57 points on the Bobcats a few nights ago) and is the richest man in the history of hiphop.

062//

//MARCH-APRIL 2012

I have a problem that occurs consistently. I wake up with a boner every morning, and it doesn’t go away for a long time. My boxers are starting to get ripped at the crotch and my mom keeps asking questions. What do I do? (El Mahicho Don Panino, 18) There’s something seriously wrong with you, see a doctor immediately. Or eat more potatoes. Or ask Google. My girlfriend’s fucking a rich guy and I don’t mind coz he buys her stuff and I don’ have to do that anymore. What’s wrong with me? (Ahmed, 27) Sorry man can’t help you there. My boyfriend doesn’t like any of my friends, and they don’t like him either. I tried to get them to bond with a series of carefully planned activities, drinking games, video games, clubbing, everything really. Nothing worked. Any ideas? (Lana, 24) It’s hard to be with someone your friends don’t get along with. Maybe you need to stop forcing it and just give it some time, let it come naturally. Something could happen that could make him suddenly click with one of them. Try to get him to spend time with each of them separately; there will be a higher chance that they find common interests. If they never get along, it’s going to require more effort from you to keep both sides happy.

My girlfriend listens to terrible music and I can’t take it. I know this sounds superficial, but it really gets to me, I mean she listens to crap like Skrillex, Coldplay and Bon Jovi! (Joe, 24) I don’t know what to say really. I’m not a music Nazi like the other guys here at the mag, but I don’t think that you should give it that much weight. I understand that to some people connecting on an artistic level means a lot, but it isn’t everything. If you’ve found someone and you’re good together, don’t look for unnecessary details to fuss about. Focus on the things you like about her. ZULI dated a girl who was a die-hard Amr Diab fan. Fact. My bf and I have been together for 3 years. We used to have a lot of fun, and everything we did felt spontaneous and exciting. Now I feel like everything is just routine; dinner, going out, going to bed, all just routine activities. Any suggestions? (Nada, 28) It’s normal to feel that things get boring after being in a relationship for a while. But you can still make things fun. Get out of your comfort zone, if you guys are used to going out to dinner and going to the movies or bars or clubs, try something new, like hiking or scuba diving. Dress up and go on a picnic. Or dress down and go to a fancy restaurant and order fries. Or get wasted and do stupid shit. You’ll figure it out; people let themselves become boring. You don’t have to.

MARCH-APRIL 2012//

//063

064//

//MARCH-APRIL 2012

INTEX Automation provides you with the most luxurious automation systems available. With some of the industry leaders as partners, we give you endless possibilities. We offer high quality subsystems (lighting, audio, video, full home cinema) which can be integrated seamlessly into a single system, transforming home your house into your dream home. For more information, contact us: info@intexhd.com www.intexhd.com +20 100 09 49 011 +20 100 66 01 529

Ofﬁcial Partners

Partners