// ISSUE 2
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WELCOME to 2#ISSUE!
CONTRIBUTORS FOUNDER / EDITOR IN CHIEF María Ciurana ART DIRECTOR María Ciurana EDITORIAL DIRECTOR LONDON Sylwia Grzegórzko CONTENT CREATORS / WRITERS Sylwia Grzegórzko Miguel Suárez Carla Bayo Adrían Martínez Miriam Esteban Prince Jedet María Ciurana Marta Wozniak Mira Cirera GRAPHIC DESIGNER María Ciurana TRANSLATORS Beatriz García Sylwia Grzegórzko Kelsey Smith Carla Bayo ILLUSTRATORS Xavi Katalà Prince Jedet SPECIAL THANKS Debbie Haddon-Cave María Atienza Ance Suruma Leo Cinquini Raphael Freitas Copyright is reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited. Croco Magazine uses all materials with permission from owners. 2015 CROCO MAGAZINE
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photo by Carles Rodrigo
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COVER
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PHOTOGRAPHER
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Carles Rodrigo
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PHOTOGRAPHER
Carles Rodrigo
STAFF
Jedet Sánchez
Carla Bayo
Mira Cirera
María Ciurana
Prince Jedet (Jedet Sánchez) is a wild child who studies acting at one of the best actors studios in Madrid. His passions are writing and acting. He has always had the need to create things, such as collages, drawings and stories. Jedet dreams to become a great film director in the future. You can find his work at his blog The Valium Prince.
Talkative, very talkative. Restless communicator. She likes to undertake as much as risk and that’s the reason why she is here. Finding out about interesting topics related to art, music and fashion, is her thing. Also writing and translating them into English so everyone can read us. For her any movement that leads to a change is fascinating enough to publish here.
A Spanish journalist and singer who enjoys writing about London’s cultural and musical life. Blond and white, no one knows where her obsession with Afro-American root sounds comes from, but that’s what she mainly sings and catches her attention. Always in seek of the most exact word and, as a proper reviewer, having always an opinion to state.
Mery Ciu, as everyone knows, is a photographer, designer and music passionate. She is a freak of online magazines who loves losing her time exploring new trends. Beside of that she is a Yogi. Founder of Croco Magazine, guilty to fool everyone to contribute within her dream. Art is her life.
Marta Wozniak
Adrián Martinez
Miguel Suárez
Sylwia Grzegórzko
Graduating from performing arts and philosophy Marta successfully gained a position at Onet.pl, one of the biggest media companies in Poland. She worked there as a freelance journalist specialising in philosophy and religion before travelling to Mexico. On returning to Europe she moved to London to pursue her passion for the film industry. She loves wine, coffee and cigarettes.
Adrian, from Barcelona, is a musicology student and lover of alternative eighties. In Croco Magazine, music critic, trying to bring into our world the essence of gigs and news about all new and upcoming bands.
Graduated in Audiovisual Communication at the University of Navarre. In recent years, he’s worked as a journalist in mass media and has focused in the audiovisual production. In fact, his short-films have received several awards and have been projected in national and international festivals. In addition, Miguel has published essays, as well as short stories beside other authors. He and Cynthia Rico are the directors of the festival called Horror Online Art. Moreover, Miguel writes about cinema in Croco Magazine.
Sylwia Grzegorzko - Croco’s Content Creator. Trying to embrace everything from music, cinema, art and photography. Outside of Croco, photographer. After many years living in Poland and Spain, currently she is based in London, with which she is totally in love. In meantime she is persuading her childhood dream about being a game developer, devoting each free moment playing the newest game releases.
Miri Esteban
Ricardo González
Arturo de Lucas
Beatriz García
Miri is a fashion stylist and Tumblr queen. Miri is from Spain, Valencia to be exact. Sometimes she likes to believe that she is a Bollywood princess from Candy land. In this first issue of Croco Miri tells us about fashion, weird models and also about new music talents.
Ricardo González is a venezuelan filmmaker and TV producer based in Barcelona. Have been artist-in-residence in Tokyo, where he shot his documentary ‘Art’ (Official Selection Artes.Docs 2014). His last shortfilm, ‘Disconnected’ is in Festival de Cannes - Short Film Corner 2015, Sundance Channel Poland Top 10 Short Films 2015 and currently nominated to Vimeo Audience Awards 2015.
Arturo has always been a culture lover, but his great passion is music. Although he graduated in Journalism and collaborates with his writing in many websites and maganzines since 2009, he has made photography his way of life. Arturo contributes with us as a photographer in musical events.
Beatriz is graduated in Translation and Interpretation (English, French and Spanish languages). She is a music and film lover. Beatriz contributes in Croco Mag translating some articles on Croco’s fanpage, website and Issue.
Nahuel Puggioni
Xavi Katalà
Kelsey Smith
Nahuel Puggioni (1990). Born in Argentina, currently lives in Valencia, Spain. Nahuel is a young photographer and a highly creative, self-taught person. It makes him able to develop many creative tasks related with editing, filming and writing. Thanks to his personal experience, he is full of many influences in music, especially within alternative Spanish and English Rock. He contributes to Croco as a gig and event photographer.
Xavi Katalà was born on july 7, 1992, in Alcoy, Alicante. He began his studies in Fine Arts at the Miguel Hernández University located on the small town Altea and finished them at the Complutense University of Madrid specializing in drawing. Nowadays he lives in Valencia, where he studies a professional illustration course at ESAT School. In our second issue Xavi contributes with his great illustration for the editor’s note.
Kelsey is from North Carolina in the United States and a true Southerner at heart. She fell in love with the Spanish language at a young age and pursued it throughout her college career. A trained teacher, Kelsey has always had a passion for the arts: music, film, fashion, anything that has a creative edge. Kelsey translates pieces from Spanish to English and edits English works as well to be shared with all.
Andrei Warren Artist who starts from new media and focus on them. He sees space and time as a future perspective for installations and video. Andrei Tries to project it in everything he publishes for Croco. “Though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they do not go gentle into that good night”.
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EDITOR’S NOTE
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Hi! There is nothing that makes me ha- brate. For that reason and also because ppier than to continue to share with other contributors are quite sly themyou all this creativity. selves we have a content that will not leave you indifferent. First, I wanted to thank all the contributors who remain confident in this But the news do not end there. The new project and all the people and collecti- category skate opens with Renato Cusves who have join us to make it stron- todio. If you like artistic photography ger. and skate you can’t miss his analogue pictures. A delight! Here we are and we are not thinking about leaving anytime soon. John Len- But not everything in Croco is going to non said, “Being honest may not get be jollification and debauchery (vice?), you a lot of friends but it’ll always get there is also room for artists of great you the right ones”. All artists in this sensitivity that definitely have moved issue are getting naked showing their us. art. By considering that I want to acknowledge something, my friends are Nor do we stop talking about those peonot going to be surprised. I love party ple who contributed a lot during years, and sex. and in memory of her birth 100 years ago, we talk about the figure of Billie For years I thought that at some point Holiday, for us one of the most brilliant I would get tired from going out. But female voices in history. it’s clear that I have it in my genes. My parents are still going out and enjoying Before leaving you with the protagoeach other. That’s why I have given up nists of this issue I’d like to return to on settling down. Lennon with another of his great thouI want to keep feeling forever young ghts. “And you say I’m a dreamer, but and therefore do not want to alienate I’m not the only one.” We hope the sesome of the things that make me vi- quels will be great!
CONTENTS Photo Luis Kevin Paraiso 12 - 19 Tomek Kajszczarek 20 - 29 Renato Custodio 30 - 45 Leire Galarza 46 - 49 Carles Rodrigo 50 - 55 Music Ghost Car 56 - 59 Synth Pop 60 - 61 Billie Holiday 62 - 69 Fashion Pedro Covelo 70 - 75 Jaume Illa 76 - 85 Kaly Aluvihare 86 - 93 María Ciurana 94 - 103 Marie-Paola B. Hillion 104 - 111 Psycho Prince Jedet 112 - 113 Graphic Marc Pe 114 - 119 Claudio Parentela 120 - 129 Xavi Katalà 130 - 135 Cinema Xavier Dolan 136 - 141 Queer as world 142 - 145
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LUIS KEVIN PARAISO
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Luis Kevin Paraiso was born as Luis Nocete Navarro in 1990 in Madrid and lived there until 2012 when he moved to Lisbon, carrying with him an old camera he had found in his house - he had become obsessed with analog photography. He started out working on what he calls ‘circumstantial photography’, where the detail of his work was born from day to day, or from the traveling that he lost himself in.
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In June 2014, he graduated from Medical School, and enjoyed a few weeks journeying in Brasil, finding images for the project that the magazine, Animita, had proposed to him. The selection of images, featured in Croco, belong to the time that LKP spent in Brasil. He is currently now back in South America, preparing new photo material which he will try to publish with friends from Vendedores de Humo formation.
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We wish him the best and wait for news from him soon.
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After few months working as a psychiatrist, he tells us that he would like to combine his two professions, fitting photography into his daily work as a doctor, and in the same way, use psychiatry in his work as a photographer.
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ANIMAL PORN
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Tomek Kajszczarek
Filth, piss, saliva, vomit and vodka. This is what photography project Animal Porn is all about. Extremely raw shots of how youth are having fun somewhere in Central Europe. We talk with Tomek about his method, and the critique the project received during the years.
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What camera do you use? Since the beginning of the project I have used many cameras. Let’s be honest, a party is not a perfect environment for photo equipment. I broke a few by dropping, stomping, crashing. I threw one into some bushes (don’t ask me about it), i threw one into a lake and just got to the point when the camera was completely not responding, even after many rescue missions using tape or stickers. The thing about cameras is if they’re analog, they are cheap and idiot-proof. Point, click, shoot and basi-cally don’t think to much.
Tell me a little bit more about Animal Porn? Why those “everyone could do it”, flashy, really graphic aesthetics? Let’s go back in time. New years eve 2010. I was so shit-faced I didn’t remember a thing. All I got were pictures on film I don’t recall shooting. In Poland when you don’t remember things after heavy drinking we call it “broken film”. I developed the pictures and they started telling me a story about that night. I started doing it regularly, as I was drinking regularly too. After 4 months I created my blog, called
it Animal Porn (it’s obvious why), met a great response and so on. And when it comes to stripes on eyes, most of the subjects are my friends, doing drugs, drinking, running naked etc. so it’s a way to keep them apparently anonymous, as I like to call it. Friends recognise friends, Internet - nope. “Everybody could do it” - yeah, sure, that’s the beauty of photography. Still I managed to do it for five years straight without loosing my teeth. That’s something. If it comes to aesthetics, then there’s none. I’m just shooting things that catch my drunk eye. It’s authentic that way. I’m not trying to make it pretty.
How much do you get criticised about your style? What was the most bizarre one? I heard a lot of bullshit. They’re mostly telling me they’re bad pictures. Yeah! tell me something I don’t know. Once I got a anonymous threat, calling me a “faggot” and telling me I’m dead at next party. The best one I got was “this is not a photography” and I still don’t have any response for that.
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How is it to take pictures of drunk people, are you wasted yourself? It’s easy. They mostly don’t care and I don’t care either. Pure fun of photographing and partying. Call it a photographic hedonism. I’m not going sober to parties. Done it twice. Never again. Being drunk helps me shoot better pictures. I’m leaving behind technique and photographic rules. All that matters is the moment, and the reflection of ones state of mind. After all it’s a party. You better be drinking!
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Where are you from?
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I’m from Szczecin in Poland. Born, raised and proud of my city. At this point I’m pursuing a bachelor of Fine Arts in Szczecin’s Art Academy.
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What’s your future project? There’s few. I’m working on my book. Nomad: A brief story of a lost man, which is about time, space and being lost in the world when answers gives you questions. That’s a longterm project I’m shooting in my free time. Second is a huge documentary, which I will not discuss at this time. All I can say is it will be a part of the new photographic festival in Warsaw at the end of the year. I’m also trying not to embarrass my professor by doing my final bachelor project, which is focused on lies, multilayer narratives and perception. No luck for now, I’m sitting in here with a huge hangover missing his classes right know.
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Why is it called Animal Porn? How did it end up as a Black Hole project? It’s perfect name for a party, and a disgusting website. It tells you everything you will see in a second. People being so drunk that they’re just back to primal instinct. Too bad I got a lot of viewers actually looking for that kind of porn. Sorry folks! They’re not real animals you will find there. It started innocent, but after certain time I started to see potential of this material. Four thousand photos, 5 years. It’s powerful story about our generation. Black Hole it’s just a name of the book. It’s still Animal Porn, I’m just not using website name. It needs to be separate. First of all the structure of a book is a construction of black hole and also it’s just a state when you’re so drunk all you got in your head is a black hole.
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RENATO CUSTODIO
“The mirror and glass, wide The city, which is basically m inter-connect concepts, gen there who occu-pied and m Generally mirrors and glass can reflect, multiply and tea images are created, sometim
Croco Magazine had pleas skateboard series. 4
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sure in talking to Renato Costa Custodio, the author of “PERDIDO GATO NEGRO CON LA PANZA BLANCA”
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ely used in today’s architecture, translates into a sensation of freedom whilst excluding. made for cars and private property, provides space for several urban interventions. The relationships between them nerated from the architecture, so that a space may suf-fer an intervention, which historiography places people over marked its territory. ses inhibit certain actions, because of an interior blind and a difficult absorption material. What does not absorb, ar. The reflection of light, image and scenery, is intercepted by a layer of noise, distortion and cuts. Several layers of mes overlapping each other, giving a broader interpretation and an unconventional reading in skate photos.”
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Where are you from?
What came first, photography or skateboarding?
Sao Paulo, Brasil. I grew up in Butanta, where I lived all my life, and moved to the city centre two years ago.
Skateboarding, way before I started taking pictures. I started photographing in 1999. I wanted to do something that would bring me life satisfaction, something more. I was photographing anything back then, cities, gigs, my trips… normal life stuff, nothing special.
Do you enjoy living in the centre? Yes, living here has made things easie. There is everything that I need here - the photography stuff, the skate stuff, the brands I’ve worked with, that I work with now - it’s all here. And I can go everywhere by bike.
Are you a skater yourself? Yes. I started in 1988 but had a break throughout the 90’s... which was then the top of the skate scene here in Sao Paulo. I wasn’t into it… I mean, skateboarding, for me, it has to be something nice and easy to do... something like - no more than ten minutes away– I go by car or bus if it is more than an hour away to skateboard - it makes no sense to me.
Sao Paulo’s traffic isn't it? Yes, but then when there were more people skateboarding in my neighbourhood, we built our ramps.
When did you start taking pictures of skaters, skateboarding..? After a few years ,when I had learnt how to photograph - some of my friends had started photographing skateboarding. Sergio Garcia was one of them. Then I got better equipment. I used to think that skate photography was too difficult, until I realised it wasn’t…
Tell me about the ups and downs of the skateboarding practice. To me it doesn’t change at all. I still skateboard some places are just more crowded. The cool thing is that a lot of interesting people come to those spots. But as far as skateboarding being popular now and not tomorrow - the media, brands - they all wanting to be into skateboarding. It doesn’t matter to me, I still do the same things - I still
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work for the same specialised media that I have always worked with, regardless of it’s popularity.
What camera do you normally use?
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A digital 35mm Nikon.
And if not Nikon, which one would be your favourite one? Nikon FM – 2, because it’s analogue, compact, tiny, easy to work with.
About skateboards, do you have preferences? Street skating – it’s the most spontaneous, creative...more fun. It’s skilful too...I like to do skilful moves..
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I've heard you have your own clothing brand, tell me about that. I started the HAHAHA brand with some friends in 2012-13. We started with T-shirts and distribution by Crail, a company with history in the Brazilian skateboarding scene. We only do it because they give us full support. We make the videos, the ads, the pics… it’s what we like to do. They take care of the bureaucratic side of it. If it was all up to us, we wouldn’t do it.
How your usual day looks like?
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I haven't really got a routine, you know…
Ok, tell me about last week, what did you do last week? Last week I was working on a Converse project, spent a few days working in a hangar with a piano, and that was pretty much it… editing material, finalising it.
Are you working with a lot of companies at the moment? Apart of my own brand (HAHAHA), I work along with Vista (magazine), where I am developing some projects – I am a permanent collaborator – part of their agenda… each week I put my energy in some project, either personal or professional.
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You are always busy. Yes, I have a lot going on at the same time...
Is it easy for you to do all of these projects at the same time? I have always had a habit of doing loads of things at the same time. Researching, reading like four books at once. Then taking a break with one, get back to another...
What is your favourite skater at the moment? Cotins, Alexandre Cotins. Maybe it is because I know him so closely, and because of how much he improvises. His skateboarding is free, way beyond any given standards.
Is he Brazilian? Do you know him personally? Yes, he is one of my best mates - he’s into video as well…
What’s your favourite media when it comes to skateboarding and photos? Ah, Kingpin mag is one of my favourites, but nowadays… they have became a bit predictable, yet have various excellent pictures. Vista is the magazine I like the most – well, I am part of it – they mix art, illustration, skateboarding.
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It’s not standardised, it could be like “let’s do a band interview today, give them some space, or some artist, or some illustrator, or some new skateboarder – the more free, the better”. It has no sponsorship, no commercial ties.
If you weren’t a photographer or a skateboarder, what do you picture yourself doing? Dunno… there’s nothing else to do! (laughs). Maybe learn an instrument, make music or work with video, cinema...
Do you play any instruments? No, I really like music, but haven’t got the time to dedicate myself to it. I can’t follow it – download or buy music – or anything else happening out there - too much to follow.
What do you think about the longboards? Have you ever tried longboards? Not really...Nothing against it, it's just that longboard tries to simulate surfing, and you know surfing is on the water and skateboarding is on the streets. It's huge and heavy… it’s too much.
What about penny boards? They are ok, smaller, if you need to go down the
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corner… it's reasonable. You can't do many tricks with it. It's hard, but you can…
I know you have traveled a lot. What was your favourite spot to photograph? Yes, I’ve travelled a lot to photograph skateboarding - Switzerland, Barcelona, California, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo. Funnily enough, although Sao Paulo is the place that provides the most to me, it is the one city where I’ve made the least reflex pictures. I believe it’s that cycle thing - it is so cool here that I don’t do anything about it because it’s so cool - I just enjoy observing it. The coolest pics I’ve taken were here, in fact, just where we are standing right now, at Paulista Avenue. The thing is, the amount of interference - there are too many things here - you have too much information and the picture itself doesn’t come out as cool as it should. In Europe, it’s clearer...
the reflex bring chaos by itself to the picture. So you have the image’s chaos, the reflex on the glass, the distortion - everything . If you have too much information, sometimes it doesn’t fit.
Do you have any projects lined up for this year? Lately I have been printing up my pics, the analog ones that I have taken over the years, organising the series. At the same time, I’m developing a photographic project of tile printing – analogue image overlays of architectural details - on which I create some mosaics. The idea for this year it is to do some tile obstacles, something experimental so far, painting the floor with the graphics created on the tiles, with the images printed - the tiles are a mere base really. That’s pretty much it. I’ll see what happens, do some experimental videos along with the obstacles… first we’ll do it indoors, then outdoors in the future.
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1_ Pablo Perez Petete, better known as Navajillo, is based in Tenerife, Spain. An experimental photographer, he made a brave effort to break some of the general rules of aesthetic, running away from what we call ‘normality’ in our digital times. In our short interview, Navajillo tells us about his background and the reason for creating his original book, which swings between analogue photography, hand-drawing and illustration.
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And the last question. Why did you decide that photography was to be the way of your artistic expression? I feel that photography is connected to your emotions, dependent on the moment in time. I need to express myself in that way. Like my project with tiles- it may have crystallized into tiles today, but it started as architectural details, overlaying the same negatives… something to do with a good period in my life, leading me to want to try new things. Then in the darker times… the pictures were more melancholic. Even with skateboard photos…. you have the pictures with flash, really basic, effortless, and then more free skateboard images analogue and it’s what I like the most nowadays.
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LEIRE GALARZA
Leire Galarza was born in 1990 in Northern Spain. She has lived in many different places, but always by the sea. Leire moved to Barcelona where she studied Medicine and it was there that her interest in photography was awakened. After qualifying as a doctor, she decided to move to an island for a year, photographing her friends and the ocean. During that year, everything became clear to her. She knew she had to keep on traveling with her camera. Iceland was her next destination, and at present she is living in Norway working on new and exciting projects.
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CARLES RODRIGO Carles Rodrigo (born in1985, Valencia, Spain), his work is formed by incomplete stories created from that he has experienced. An abstract narrative is brought to live by spontaneous images that invite reflection in a rhythmic, formal, conceptual alternation. Carles has a degree in Industrial Design and a Masters in Furniture and Lighting. Self-taught by his curiosity, the internet, books and magazines, he has defined his style, which has not only developed in photography but also in other areas of design.
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GHOST CAR Last February I had the opportunity to spend a while with the girls from Ghost Car before their gig in Valencia (Spain). For people who don’t know these ladies, they’re Ghost Car, a rock band based in London. Half of them are spanish, Clara (Keyboard and vocals), Maria (Bass and vocals) and the other half are British, Jessica (guitars and vocals), Laura Hart (drums). The concert was amazing and powerful, people were completely committed and wasted, someone even punched me in the mouth, typical for a good rock gig. The first time I met Clara we were completely drunk somewhere in East London and since the first moment I thought she was really nice and very, very patient with me being so wasted so I thought we have to be friends. A month later I went to Ghost Car’s first concert at The George Tavern. One year after that, they’re better than the first day I heard them. I have a pleasure talk to them today.
Hi Girls, Can you introduce yourself? Clara Bleda: We are half Spanish half English girl band deeply in love with music. We are very different but very similar so we make a great team. Our songs are about what happen to us in London, what hurts us, what makes us happy. Our sound is completely how we are, easy but distorted guitar, sweet piano melodies, sexy beating bass and crazy drums, we are lofi crazy sweet girls who love dance 60’s music and go to a punk and indie gigs. Maria Paton: Hello, my name is Maria and I am a Spanish girl living in London for five years already. I love music, specially rock, punk and indie. Also I love art, mainly photography and collage.
María, you’ve been a long time in London. Why do you decided to move in here? María:I was living in París before and I was heartbroken. My best friend was living here, so I decided to come to stay with her and learn some English too.
Well girls, how was it? How did you meet each other? Clara: When I moved to London, Carmen Gray introduced Maria to me for the first time at a Gorgeous Bully gig. We had so much chemistry going on that we decided to move in together with Maria’s boyfriend and a guy called Scott, who had a band with Jess at that time and as well were Laura’s friends so we just used to hang out all together. Maria: I met Jessica and Laura about 4 years ago through others friends, we used to go out together
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to parties and gigs. Then I met Clara in London about 3 years ago, just when she arrived here and we get on well straight away, we became really close friends and decided to start a girl band. 
London is an amazing city. What do you do when you’re not playing?
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Clara: When we are not playing we are working to survive in this big city or working on our passions. I’m photographer and I love going to record stores and gigs. Jessica is in another band called Glass so she spends loads of time practicing and recording. Laura is also an excellent fashion photographer. Maria: When I am not playing I like to do a lot of things, going to galleries, gigs, seeing my friends, searching out new bands, reading. I like to do some artwork for myself or for the band. I work very little so have I have free time, which is really good.
Do you do something special before the concert, maybe a round of shots?
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Clara: Clara: We drink and eat almost all the fridge of the practice room and run ( Jessica with the guitar without a case) to the venue to make the sound check. When we are done with it Laura and me, drink chill beer and Jessica and Maria, a cold vodka. Maria: Before a gig we normally have a few drinks. I think a couple a vodkas are the perfect amount (laughs). Also we like to have a hug with each other.
What plans do you have for the band? When there will be next concert?
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Clara: All the Ghost Car plans are coming from ourselves! We have gigs every month, now we will be dj’ing for the first time and we are working on an album. Maria: The plan for the band is keep playing as much as we can all around London and outside as well. We want to make an album this year and maybe go on a tour! I love playing and singing in Ghost Car, and sharing this experience with my friends. We start dj’ing as well as a band, which is something that we would like to do more from now on.  We have a gig coming up on 21st of May. We really want to do this one. It’s going to be so much fun and we promise surprises! Thank you very much girls. Much love.
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POP The Universe of Retro, Electro Synth, Outrun, Italo Disco, New Wave… there are a thousand names for this style of music. For lovers of synthesized keyboards, and electronic drum machines, today is the day to read this article and discover a new music genre Croco loves so much.
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I’m talking about Retro Synth Electro which can be seen on Youtube with many videos in the style of 80’ films like the legendary “Back to The Future” with that magic touch of Miami’s night clubs from “Scarface”. The whole phenomenon exploded with Ryan Gosling in “Drive” a cig hanging out of his mouth, saying “Do you wanna see something?” with “A Real Hero” by College & Electric Youth enveloping the scene. That moment on the streets of LA stole the heart of many - that’s how all the hype for Modern Synthpop started.
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Our third one whose name is increasingly in the public domain is FM Attack. His tracks are not only instrumental; they have vocals as well but without losing the New Wave 80’s essence. Shawn Ward from Canada is behind this formation, from the Tonite Records label. The synths are the key, making him sound extremely charismatic in a totally disco way. With three stellar albums so far, the first being the LP “Dreamatic” in 2009, followed by the EP “Astrowaye” and the most recent 2013’s “Deja Vu”, FM Attack has clearly proven their its quality in sounds, vocals and rhythm.
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We have to highlight three kings of this genera. Let’s start with Miami Nights 1984. Canadian producer Michael Rosso is the creator of the Rosso Corsa label, dominated by his Italian Pop/New Wave rhythms. His gem is “Ocean Drive”, a banger that we would love to listen to in our local pubs, but no DJ has any idea who Miami Nights 1984 are. Rosso’s work consists of two albums to date: “Early Summer” and “Turbulance”. Two great albums you’d definitely like to listen to on a Sunday afternoon without getting tired of them.
Lazerhawk’s discography consists of three albums, “Redline” in 2009, “Visitors” in 2012 which was really well received and “Skull and Shark” in 2013.
Futuro We would now like to introduce you to a lesser known band that is showing great promise in the world of Synthpop and Italo Disco. They are called Futuro, formed by Javier and Raul from Leganes (Madrid). Their way of binding rhythms together to allow the tracks to get well into your head, thereby giving us a new experience with every listen. Two special songs by them are the melancholic “Verano” and “Marmo di Carrara”; epic sounds put together with a Conan Barbarian video, lending a mystical and witty touch. You can find more on their SoundCloud. If you haven’t heard of them yet, but you love Italo Disco, this is the right moment to check them out!
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Lazerhawk The second prince is from Austin, Texas: Lazerhawk, producer of “Garrett Hays”and co-funder of “Rosso Corsa”. His music is reminiscent of Hollywood crime scenes and 80’ persecutions, with penetrant sounds. One of his most famous tracks is “King of The Streets” with its catchy rhythms and huge drums. However, surely his best is “Shoulder of Orion”. Close your eyes and let yourself go shoulder to shoulder with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
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One hundred gardenias for Lady Day
BILLIE HOLIDAY True and unfortunately, no one can say the short life of Billie Holiday began desirably.
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Born of misfortune that April day of and against all conditions would arrive to be one of the most popular American cultural icons of the 20th century, and one of the greatest singers of that time. During the century anniversary of her birth, artists and critics alike, from all over the world, celebrate and pay homage filled with admiration to Lady Day.
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Much has been written about the disgraces the singer suffered throughout much of her life, and although these dishonors were some of the turbulent origins of jazz, it wasn’t the only and probably not even the worst one. Although slavery had been legally abolished for many years, being born black in the United States in the first part of that century assumed a life condemned of discrimination and poverty. lt seems an untruth to think that in the 20th century cases of lynching existed, but this was a reality that shook the lives of these pioneers of jazz music, a music that was a key in antisegregation on numerous occasions. In Billie’s case, Strange Fruit, the Abel Meeropol’s poem, wasn’t missing in any of her performances. The singer converted this piece into one of the most recognized jazz tun es in history, becoming a pivotal display of emotion and moving anthem against these lynching practices against racism.
1950, with Sarah Vaughan and Louis Armstrong (Photo by Joseph Schwartz)
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A crowd gathers in Marion, Indiana, on August 7, 1930 to witness the lynching of two AfricanAmerican teenagers Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith. This photograph taken by Lawrence Beitler inspired the poem “Bitter Fruit” and the song “Strange Fruit” by Abel Meeropol, the later being recorded and popularized by Billie Holiday.
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1947,With Ella Fitzgerald How can we or how should we remember Billie? There have been too many cases of sensationalist press associated with her name; biographies and films not completely honest with her history, and an unnumbered of headlines noticing that Billie had relations both with men and women, her incarcerations for drugs or her addictions. However, while these circumstances unfortunately affect many anonymous (or not) people, and in fact many of whom are involved in the world of show business, artists of the significance of Billie Holiday appear every hundred years and this is what should be emphasized and celebrated. It is certain that her case is that which is unable to understand her music without having a true account of the tragic happenings before Billie began to sing seriously, when she was still forming her personality. Daughter of teenagers without support or possibility, Billie grew up literally alone, abandoned by her father and neglected by her mother, raped on various occasions since she was 10 years old and voluntarily prostituting herself from an early age, painfully marking her sensitivity and acclimation to pain. It was in this brothel environment where this young girl began to feel magnetism towards music, where she would spend hours training her ear with the blues of Bessie Smith or the improvisation of Louis Armstrong.
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All of these events imprinted upon her without remedy in every breath and lyric of her work, her “form”, that has made her an entity and a unique sound. In fact, the lyric of one of her most significant works, God Bless The Child, is inspired by the absence of maternal attention during her childhood. However during that time, her most impressive vocalist contribution was her authenticity and how she lived through her songs. “I cannot sing the same song in the same way two nights in a row, much less two or ten years afterwards.” It wasn’t common that a singer personalized her work until this point, and to some extent, her interpretation let to discover her real being, Eleanora Fagan. Her music deciphered the own emotions of blues singers, drastically changing the way of understanding and interpreting vocals in jazz and later, in pop.
“Her music deciphered the own emotions of blues singers, drastically changing the way of understanding and interpreting vocals in jazz and later, in pop.” At the age of 15, the teenager was already common in the New York clubs, where she quickly gained a great reputation and was discovered by no other than Benny Goodman, thanks to whom she was commercially known with her first success just at eighteen. In reality,
the Pennsylvanian didn’t need to work too hard to form part of the team of the biggest musicians of the genre and time period. Among those were important figures such as Count Basie o Artie Shaw. Of the three famous divas in the history of jazz, along with Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan, Billie probably is the lowest in rank and vocal abilities, but it does not take away from her greatness as a singer. The intensity and veracity of her performance was truly impressive with the harmonic and rhythmic cadence of her swing, without too much flourishes or vibrations, express a compassionate melody. Her sound was unique and completely recognizable, as she convincingly sang many of her songs as stories told from the first person, although they were not originally hers. Her voice was one of tragedy, of love and dependency, of weakness and sensuality, and with the passage of time, an intense and tough life’s voice. During her final years her sound and physical appearance weakened with the substances that she consumed, and she acquired a more raspy texture. Her final album, Lady in Satin, although the loss of treble is apparent, is considered one of the most emotional recordings and therein resides its true value. As acknowledged in her autobiography, she sought the sound of a proper air instrument;
Friends not only in the studio but also during intense and long tours together, Billie and Lester shared 25 years together, and furthermore a weak and weakened sensibility, which was comforted by substances that ended both their musical activity and lives, and in which she lost the right to act in New York clubs during the twelve final years of her life. Lester Young died four months before Billie, which plunged her into sadness. Furthermore, as she came to confess, “she would be the next to fall”. Although with a sad ending and a significant deterioration, Billie Holiday lived the life she wanted to live and embodied an amazing work for remembrance.
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‘Fine and Mellow’, one of the most relevant performances in the history of jazz with Lester Young in 1956.
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The experiences she had with male figures were generally unhealthy, beginning with her father, who disowned her and who she later uncovered and blackmailed. She was never able to establish relationships that weren’t toxic. She was automatically caught by the most problematic man in the room and engaged in violent and grotesque love affairs, about which she sadly sang but also did not refuse, surrendering herself voluntarily into
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Young was one of the most important people in her life, and with who arrived a level of musical and personal understanding of enormous intensity. The affection between them was immense and it was through him and her elegance that Billie arrived at the nickname Lady Day. They came to publicly recognize their platonic relationship, the most healthy and logical that she had with the opposite sex.
the arms of her dominators. My Man or I’m A Fool To Want You portrayed to perfection her suffering and controversy, perhaps looking for but knowing no other way of doing so, nonetheless suffering.
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she wanted to be able to improvise like one of them, what she got rubbing shoulders with the geniuses of the business, such as her beloved Lester Young. They both collaborated together in multiple recordings in which her phrasing works in the exact way and in sync with the one of the saxophonist. In A Sailboat In The Moonlight, Me, Myself And I or Fine And Mellow, their wind instruments, voice and saxophone, achieve a total cohesion of sound and spirit with a thrilling fluency.
Tribute records This artist had had a fundamental influence in the history of music, and in popular song of her time, until our time. From Nina Simone, Janis Joplin, Madeline Peyroux, Frank Sinatra, Erykah Badú or Amy Winehouse, we have found the recognizable footprint of Billie that has captured so many ears. Her vast legacy continues to this day includes growing admiration that shows with the multiple tribute records that many artists have launched on this one hundredth occasion this 2015.
REBECCA FERGUSON ‘Lady Sings The Blues’ Record Label: RCA / Sony Music Rebecca Ferguson dares with many enormous songs, without renouncing her pop tendency, but perhaps more comfort than even those of her own albums. “When I was listening to some of the lyrics, they reminded me of how I used to be… She had turbulent relationships and I could really relate to that”
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JOSÉ JAMES ‘Yesterday I Had The Blues’ Record Label: Blue Note José James, the most contemporary relevant jazz and new-soul figure, acknowledges his first musical memory belongs to Billie Holiday, who inspired him to become a singer. It is not strange that in his style we see an intimateness that characterizes him and in this album is an authentic delight. For him, to release this album in rememberance of jazz legend assumes “an honesty with my past. Billie Holiday formed part of my life. When I was a boy, I discovered sadness and honesty in her. To listen to her was something abnormal in the world of pop as I knew it. Her style of singing was crude, intense, and, in the end, was an impressive novelty because it sounded like no one else”.
CASSANDRA WILSON ‘Coming Forth By Day’ Record Label: Legacy / Sony Music Cassandra Wilson is one of the most representative jazz voices of the 90s decade generation, that has been characterized by fusion. Together with producer Lick Launay they explore the possibilities of experimentation with a repertoire of standards. “Her phrasing is very conversational, and it swings — it moves with the musicians. She’s very much in charge of her place in the music. She’s in control of the story, and in control of her cadence.”
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ROMEO’S
PEDRO COVELO
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We have no doubt of the fact that all current fashion designers are emerging from the 90’s. The talent and youth mix together and Pedro Covelo is a clear example of this select group. Pedro graduated in the School of Higher Education in Fashion Design of LCI Barcelona and born and raised in the Rias Baixas in Vigo, Pontevedra. He’s currently living in Barcelona. He was influenced since childhood by different art forms such as music, theatre and dance, and finally ended up being involved in the fashion world.
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What defines him as a designer are great patterns and narrow silhouettes that fall cleanly from shoulders to ankles. This, contrasted with a sharp and colourful image that takes its power in the prints graphics, embroidery and applications. “All seasoned with a special attention to detail and a wink to hard craftsmanship” says Pedro. Last year in June, he won the Modafad award for the best young designer from Barcelona with his final project “The kinds of beauty”. Awards and recognition in Murcia and Pontevedra led him to present a new collection on the Modafad 080 catwalk. This is when new project “Romeo’s” begun.
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In the wake of menswear, the story of ‘Romeos’ was born from different unions. First, the soul and the body as a binding basis in a divine plan, when these are shed of themselves. Love and death as tragic romances which are only finding the solution in the inevitable, and to round off the magical romance of Romeo and Juliet as overcoming death itself to embrace free and infinite love. “This is almost like if I would give a life to Romeo’s, a collection that talks about feelings, ideals and thoughts of Romeo himself. Romeo’s things. My Romeo’s”, says the designer.
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There is a lot of himself and his cities in Pedro’s designs. Fresh aesthetics and absorbent images from trends flow from Barcelona mixed with parts of interior detail and manual manufacturing which resembles Galicia. All this put together with his inspirations by film, photography, music and fashion is where it stands out, Dries Van Noten, Van Gogh, Wes Anderson or Bon Iver. He likes to imagine people who would wear his designs. He thinks about someone free and blasé “A man who enjoys the small details of life, like conversation under the sheets, the sound of belly laughter, and the flavour of a special tea on sunny sundays with Tallest Man On Earth as a background”. Loyal to his loafers and without ostentations of trying to reach anything already existing, he plans his next steps by creating a website to start selling online and gradually build his castle. Mexico will host him in May and in September we expect to be surprised again. His talent says it all, see you soon in action.
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The graphics in prints and embroideries are still a major role, with two hands coming together in a single piece as a representation of this mystical union. Following floral and medieval motifs that evoke the 19th century and ends with powerful patterned wool representing the classic tales. “Everything is wrapped in a romantic aura that reeks of vintage theater” adds Covelo.
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“With this collection I give my own vision on the world, my Romeos and a man of the 19th century who searches for true meaning of his life in his soul and is not afraid to suffer for love” .
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The parallelism in the mix of fabrics with the union of the soul is reflected with gauze, silk and dots; the body, wool, as well as the structure of garments is what adds shape and style to the collection.
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ÜBER-MENCSH
JAUME ILLA
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Jaume Illa Bonany, was born in Barcelona in 1992. He is a Visual Communicator, developing projects between art and fashion, mainly in photography and design. Jaume studied Design Degree at Bau School of Design in Barcelona and Art Direction for Fashion at Central Saint Martins in London. He has published pictures for media outlets such as Absolut Network, Tendencias Fashion Mag, i-D Spain and Fucking Young! Illa has worked for a variety of designers, including Josep Abril, Isabel de Pedro, Ingrid Pou, Guillem Rodríguez and has also collaborated with designers such as Elena Martin, Juan Pedro López and Celia Vela. Since 2013, he has been recording the creative process of the artist, Jordi Mitjà. Identity, introspection, concept, science, art history and technical errors are the keywords in his imagination.
Joan Ros
ÜBER-MENCSH is Superior de Disseny, Barcelona.
Final Degree Collection at Bau, Escola
Art Direction & Photography: J. Illa Bonany Styling: Jessica Montes Retouching: Aida López Model: Yulffi Revesado - 5th Avenue Model Management
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The German philosopher Nietzsche has his character Zarathustra advance the Übermensch (Higher-Being – Super-human, Superman) as a goal for humanity to set for itself. Übermensch represents new values: love for life and fate (amor fati), the direction of the Earth and the exaltation of the ascending instincts. Man, to become Superman, has to expel God from within. This is not a deification of man, but on the contrary, a substitution of God for Superman, so it becomes a being with full power and domination over himself and others. However, according to Nietzsche, this transformation requires aggressive feelings toward the alien, external world and the “will to power”, namely striving to reach the highest possible position in life. “You have to create a creator” Nietzsche - Thus Spoke Zarathustra.
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KALY ALUVIHARE Kaly Aluvihare is based in London, and is a fashion textile designer and artist in every way. Kaly caught our eye with her final project at the Chelsea Textile Design BA degrees show - Samya. The collection is mostly inspired by her father’s country - Sri Lanka. After becoming very concerned about the political issues surrounding Sri Lanka and the after-effects of the Civil War that lasted 26 years, Aluvihare wanted to produce a collection of wearable print design that celebrated the beauty of this country with its flowers, wild life and temples whilst also raising important questions on the treatment of civilians post-war. The artist herself admits that design activism has huge influence in her work. The aim of her creations is to make people feel good, send positive message and most importantly get them to talk about important social and political issues. What’s next? The designers plan is to keep painting, drawing and creating in order to communicate a political/social message to the viewer by use of abstract imagery. Photography: Kaly Aluvihare Models: Verane Denzel Guilio - Jay
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SAY WHISKEY!
MARÍA CIURANA María Ciurana was born in 1988 in Valencia, Spain. She graduated in Artistic Photography at EASD in Valencia and Image Arts at TAI School in Madrid. Her work has been published in many magazines - Cake, Status, It Fashion and FlordSelva. María enjoys capturing the natural expressions on models responding to the highly increased music volume on set. She usually works as a product advertising photographer and as well as a being professional retoucher. “Say Whiskey” talks about the immediacy of everything being in opposition to despair, when waiting for change, trying to paint a portrait of non conformist youth. Photography: María Ciurana Model: Adrían Mira - Delphoss Model Management Styling: Petticoat Vintage Lab Mua & Hair: Genny Cecotto
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Marie-Paola Bertrand-Hillion, French, born in 1989, currently living in Paris. She has studied in business schools, and did her internships in the luxury word. Blogging since August 2010. Passionate by photography and fashion This time, is Marie Paula who is answering our questions, and we bring more of those stunning photography to pages of Croco.
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Marie Jensen Paris Fashion Week years ago, I decided to do it as a real job; I started to cover fashion weeks and I found my first clients. I really love to capture fashion moments and fashion people. I am proud that my pictures through my blog or magazines featuring them, are actually inspiring other people.
How did you find street style photography, how did it become your thing? During my business studies, I developed an interest for fashion and luxury companies. I wanted to do all my internships in this world, and to know more about it, I did one-week summer school in a fashion school in Paris. They explained us all the fields and finished the week by something new for me: the blogs! I discovered the most famous fashion blogs at the moment and the street style ones fascinated me. As I am passionate by photography forever, I decided to create my own blog. It was 5 years ago. At the beginning I was very shy, only photographing my friends and bloggers living in the same city, it was my hobby during the week end. But it also helped me to become more confident. At the end of my studies 2
Looking at your Facebook page I did notice you have been in many cities around the world‌ which in your opinion is the best dressed city? I did half of my studies abroad, I made a lot of friends from different parts of the world, and I love to travel. I take street style picture everywhere I go, rich or poor countries. For me there is no best dressed city, each one is full of stylish people. A woman wearing a saree is as beautiful and fashionable as a blogger at fashion week. But I also love the eccentricity of Japanese people in Tokyo, the classiness of the Italians in Milan or Venetia, the colorful outfits (and sometimes colored hair) of Londoners, the French elegance in Paris, the retro style of pinups at rockabilly festivals‌
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Who are your favorite fashion or blogger stars to capture any why?
Sophie Hannah LFW
And “the ONE”, the most famous and powerful one, the fashion queen, the most difficult to photograph: Anna Wintour. Each pic of her is a personal victory. She doesn’t smile, doesn’t stop for a picture and we almost never see her except when her driver is stuck in the traffic jam. Last Milan Fashion week, her driver was so late that I
Anna Wintour MFW
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At fashion week, I really like to shoot the famous fashion bloggers: Chiara Ferragni, Kristina Bazan, Aimee Song… They always smile to the photographers and accept to pose/walk/jump if we ask them to. And when we post the pics on instagram, they will like them; I really appreciate that. They are more accessible than some fashion editors. But I also love Anna Dello Russo; she sometimes does crazy things!
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Do you ever develop a relationship with the street style stars or bloggers you shoot?
Irene Buffa Milan Fashion Week
Not with the big STARS who have millions of followers because it is clearly impossible, they already have their own photographers. But with other ones, less famous, I always take the time to talk to them at fashion week; I love to meet new bloggers, and I meet again with the Parisian ones after fashion week. wwFirst, we organize some shootings, then we go for a coffee and we become friends. They call me whenever they need a photographer; I call them whenever I need a model for personal or professional project.
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Is fashion important to you? Oh yeah! Without fashion, I would have no job! Hahaha! Seriously, fashion concerns everybody in the world. We don’t live naked; we have to put some clothes on everyday. I love the fact that differences of weather, way of life and traditions offer a big diversity of styles. I am looking forward to visiting more countries to capture as much as differences I can. Unknown Street Style at Paris Fashion Week
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Unknown London Street Style
Unknown Street Style at Paris Fashion Week Pippa Melody London Fashion Week
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Damn! Am I the new Bridget Jones?
The fucked up thing about smoking is that at some point in your life you have to give it up. Some random day you decide to go to the doctor and he says to you “ Hey! You have lung cancer. You smoke, don’t you? Right, so you have to quit!” It’s horrible, you need a fucking cigarette but you can’t have any so you decide to give a chance to the nicotine gums and everybody knows that the taste of them sucks. Another side effect of giving up smocking is that you get fat, you become some type of whale because your taste buds are back on track and you can enjoy the real taste of food again so you end up looking like Homer Simpson. You realise that starting smoking just to look like an old and glamorous hollywood actress, wasn’t a very smart choice. It also happens with love. You fall in love, he’s in love with you too so everything is wonderful. You both get fat because you really enjoy eating together. Anyway, you don’t have to worry about how you’ll look because you are not single anymore... Yay!!! But fuck it, you broke up because he now realises that he isn’t really into you, he just wanted to be with someone and now he’s tired of it. You end up eating even more than you did with him because you saw that Bridget Jones felt so much better when she was surrounded by ice cream and wine, but you know what? Becoming Bridget Jones is not funny. My dear friend, you better stay away from cigarettes, ice cream and love!
Text and collage by Prince Jedet
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MARC PE Marc Peñaroya (aka Marc Pe) is an illustrator from Barcelona. He has been living in Donostia-San Sebastian since 2010, where he, mainly self-taught, decided to get back to his origins as an illustrator, which he left behind in his hometown Sabadell.
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It was with Viva la Vida, clothing Brand from DonostiaSan Sebastian, that he started to work “full-time”as graphic designer and illustrator in 2012. His interest in vector drawing started at that time and since then, he has designed all their collections until today.
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He has participated in some “live paintings”, sometimes also in collaboration with other artists. His illustrations have been seen in several exhibitions in DonostiaSan sebastian and Barcelona.
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He describes himself as a lover of vectors and his work is closely linked to graphic design, He usually starts working in freehand, by sketching in his “sketchbook” and ends up doing the vector drawing and coloring on the computer.
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CLAUDIO PARENTELA
Claudio Parentela is an illustrator, painter, photographer, mail artist, cartoonist, and collagist. Active for many years on the international underground scene. His obscure and crazy artwork are presented and shown in many art galleries around the world.
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“Sacred art, Andy Warhol, Patty Waters, Joni Mitchell and more… I use everything I have on my hands. I have been drawing and painting for years but only in black and white with tons of black indian ink. I got to the point of realisation that I needed colour, something new to discover myself all over again. I like to experiment, decompose, break myself in my knots and then knot it again and again. Genesis P. Orridge & Thee Majesty are my muses. From Vivienne Westwood to Miles Davis and Ornette Colemann, Mickey Mouse and the Sex Pistols it’s a continuous stream of thoughts that I cannot nor want to control. ”
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“I let it all flow freely on the sheets of papers, in my blood, in my laughter. This terrible and wonderful world enters in my dreams every day in a violent way. Sweet and always continually, it is my muse, my art - music is my inspiration. I like to mingle and confuse myself with all I listen, feel, look at. With the photos I cut, compose and mix with my changing moods, my fears , my thoughts. All at the same time, it always flows every day in new and unpredictable, colourful ways. My muses are all my thoughts about love. �
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“Now at this moment while I look around me, at my garden with all the fantastic flowers, inside of me and out of me. I listen and I listen to everything, cut and paste everything. I put color on my thoughts on me and on you. I love the fashion and underground comics, they inspire me and enter a little bit in all that I create.��
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by María Ciurana
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XAVI KATALÀ Xavi Katalà was born on july 7, 1992, in Alcoy, Alicante. He began his studies in Fine Arts at the Miguel Hernández University located on the small town Altea and finished them at the Complutense University of Madrid specializing in drawing. Nowadays he lives in Valencia, where he studies a professional illustration course at ESAT School. The “Freaks” series is a review of all these movies that made history at the Horror and Science Fiction cinema. He has worked on making an apology to the anti hero, the villain, the monster. In this series the monster emerges as the star of the film. It’s a series with a dark atmosphere but somehow it empathizes with the viewers, because of the weight of the nostalgia that we feel for the old movies.
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After getting started on the illustration world, he has been published by some magazines like “Rude Magazine” or “Peyniralti Edebiyati”.
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He has taken part in several collective exhibitions as “Rue des Mauvais Garons” at the Tapineria Market, (2014) and the third edition of Unknown Art at Radio City (2015).The biggest influences on his work, he says, are very related with his past. To Xavi Katalà, childhood is a really important word that will take a part in each of us in any moment of our life.
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“What I really like about illustration is its immediacy. When I have an idea I feel the need to immediately translate it on paper.”
“Over time I’ve realised that the biggest influences on my work are really related with my past. I think that childhood is a very important phase that really influences each of us.”
“When something I’m working on takes me more time than what I thought it would take, I lose my interest in it. That’s why I got into illustration and watercolour. I love the essence of the immediate and that’s why I never work on previous sketches.
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Maybe my whole work is a compilation of sketches…”
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“When I was a kid I loved watching horror Tv shows and science fiction. I loved The X-Files, Poltergeist, The Fly, Tales from the Crypt, the spider doll of “Toy Story”. I was fascinated by monsters and I felt really attracted to anything not being shown on children’s channels.”
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XAVIER DOLAN ON THE WAVE
Some people call him an Enfant Terrible. Others describe him as a Wunderkind. Critics have given him many names - pretentious hipster, narcissist, genius. Opinions are divided and I personally hate labelling. But as a matter of fact, this young artist has already made waves and been rewarded at some of the world’s most prestigious film festivals. Xavier Dolan might be considered as a New Voice of a New Generation but most of all, his films are bluntly effective and simply refreshing.” I just want to express myself - like Madonna!” Dolan explained to The Guardian newspaper and so far, he is doing it very well.
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Xavier Dolan was born in 1989 in Quebec and from an early age worked as an actor. Aged seventeen, he wrote his first script ‘I Killed My Mother’ and two years later directed and starred in the film. The picture attracted international attention, winning three awards at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and since then this promising director has released five feature films. Often compared to Orson Wells, Dolan is the complete creator - he writes the scripts, direct the films and acts in them. His distinctive style is influenced by paintings and photography, with him paying great attention to music which is carefully chosen for each scene. In his films, Dolan focuses on the struggle of the individual facing the ubiquitous era of mass culture. Widely understood sexuality and the hardships of remaining true to oneself in a world where everyone yearns to be unique, are his main concerns. Another interest of this young director is the idea of the symbiotic relationship between mother and child. This subject appears in almost all his movies.
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In his film debut ,'I Killed My Mother', the 20 year old director, drawing from personal experience, shows a toxic relationship between a rebellious teen, Hubert (the main role played by the author himself, of course) and his mother. Family conflict is not just about intergenerational misunderstanding, but can leads to the fatal collision between strong characters. Love mixed with hate can create a truly explosive blend. Non-conformist Hubert shouts, cries and manifests exaggerated sulking throughout the film. It's hard to like the character and difficult to accept his constant explosion of selfishness. However, Dolan demonstrates something very important with this narrative, his theory being that all offspring must, at some point, "kill" their parents. Constructing the skeleton of moral self-conscience often means confronting the principles and values which must either embraced throughout life or rejected in order to change direction. With his first film, Dolan already showed great sensitivity and ability in capturing peoples’ true emotions.
Is this love that I’m feeling? After his initial success with ‘I Killed My Mother’ the young director returned with ‘Heartbeats’. This story reminded me a little bit of ‘The Dreamers’ by Bernardo Bertolucci and Francois Truffaut ‘s ’Jules and Jim’. The plot focuses on the obsessive love of three people involved in an emotional triangle. Dolan tells the story of two friends, Francis and Marie, falling in love with the same cherubic-lokking guy, Nicolas. The film is an energetic emotional tale of friendship, love, rivalry and betrayal. Francis and Marie are good friends. From the moment they meet, they become increasingly infatuated with their new colleague… With his second film, Dolan proved that he truly is an aesthete and a brilliant observer. His characters are looking for a great elation in life and the sublime love of adolescence - his camera was able to catch this emotional venture. Slow motion frames, medium close ups and surrealistic scenes create the magical rhythm of the movie and definitely have become Dolan’s signature.
The boarders of love I found Dolan’s third film more mature, which shouldn’t be a surprise really. ‘Laurence Anyways’ is a varied story of a man who, on his birthday, reveals to his girlfriend that he never felt like a man and that he wishes to go through a sex change. The main strength of the film is that Dolan doesn’t repeat the stereotype of a man fighting against an intolerant society, but instead, creates a very personal and intimate story. Over three hours, the director draws a dramatic tale of a man searching for his own identity, measuring himself up against the love of his life. All characters are built with great depth, which makes them very realistic. In this piece, Dolan composes a balanced, though still extravagant, storyline. I believe that each great drama should allow the viewer a few moments of laughter and ‘Laurence Anyways’, despite its serious tone, made me smile a couple of times.
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Secrets
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‘Tom at the Farm’ differs from Dolan’s previous films – it is dark and bloody. It starts like any typical American movie, with a car gliding along the highway. Tom, while listening to the song “Les moulins de mon coeur” and chain-smoking, is going to the funeral of his lover. When he meets the family of his dead boyfriend, it is revealed that the mother was not aware of her son’s sexual orientation. Dolan introduces the viewer very slowly, step by step to a chilling atmosphere of encircling evil. Whilst spending time on the farm, Tom discovers dark secrets about his boyfriend and his family, as well as those of his own soul. This film is unlike any of Dolan’s other works but it is nevertheless, intriguing. It is not necessarily an’ I can do other movies’ manifesto, but rather a venture into new forms of expression - still good, strong cinema.
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Like a drug Dolan always experiments with the form of his films. His latest picture ‘Mommy’ is a great example of such practice. The director completed ‘Mommy’ in 1:1 aspect ratio, which is almost twice as narrow as the standard widescreen aspect ratio of the most well-known contemporary cinema productions. This is not just a pointless trick, but a consciously made decision that affects the entire world presented to the viewer. Dolan tells again a story about the toxic relationship between a mother, Diane and her son. Capturing his characters in the ‘little square’, creates a very intimate feeling. Every gesture and every facial expression becomes even more significant as it drags the viewer in to an intense mini world, where Diane and her difficult-to-restrain son, Steve live together. The mother is a very liberated, independent woman who loves her son but can barely cope with her own life. Steve, on the other hand, can’t assuage his destructive behaviour- he is very aggressive, antisocial and arrogant. ‘Mommy’ could almost be a reverse version of Dolan’s autobiographical debut ‘I killed my mother’. This time, the film adopts the perspective of a mother trying to cope with her difficult child – one who doesn’t understand yet how the world and human emotions works. With this film, Dolan proves how skilful he is and what great control he has over visual symbolism. Neither Diane nor Steve are strictly agreeable characters, but it is hard not to feel some positive emotion towards them because of Dolan’s direction. The characters are written with great depth and the film is not just a pretty picture made by a young man, but a truly magical piece of art.
Love is all you need With each film, Xavier Dolan goes from strength to strength. All of his films are packed with strong emotions and images that require unwavering attention. His stories are undoubtedly about love. The question is - can there be love without suffering? c
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QUEER AS WORLD: A GAY LOOKING AT WORLD ISSUES.
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Beyond all polemical features of homosexual love and passion during the first years of “queer cinema”, looking for a strong identity (values, behaviour, music and costumes) and leaving the psychological, familial and social conflicts behind, the new gay-themed movies show a community that has swapped navel-gazing for looking around and taking a stand against social, political and even religious issues.
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In ‘The last match’ (La Partida. Antonio Hens, Cuba, 2013) our heroes (gay lovers) are soccer players, married with girls, one of them is a father… and gigolo with permission of his wife and mother-in-law. The reflection of a society with several contrasts between “machismo” and big poverty that allows men to swap masculinity for money. The problem is not sex, but love.
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‘L’Inconnu du lac’ (Stranger by the lake. Alain Guiraudie, France, 2013), shows the homosexuality in the form of the natural and classical ideal of a greek gym: a mystical place just allowed athletic men, to be naked with each other, relax, swim, fuck, then say goodbye. The reflection of a society that rejects feelings, commitments, and interest about the lives of others, but is proudly open about sex, hedonism and pathologies (Franck discovers that Michel is a serial gay killer, but he is so handsome that he follows him into his dangerous game.) ‘W Imie’ (In the name of, Malgorzata Szumowska, Poland 2013) moves the sexual action to a sacred place, but also under the stigma of solitude: Catholic Church. There is no surprise for the Bishop when he realises the relationship between Father Adam and a young boy of the community, it turns out there is comprehension and complicity. The last match
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In ‘Hidden’ (A escondidas. Mikel Rueda, España, 2014), our little heroes are teenagers. When their mates realise what is happening conflict rises, the issue is not that they could be gay (Spain is to open). The problem here is that Rafa has fell in love with an “illegal”, who is waiting to be deported to Morocco. Similar, but in a bigger conflict, is the love story in ‘Out in the dark’ (Michael Mayer, Israel, 2012). The movie goes beyond, a talk about gay love in the most masculine place: a historical, political and holy war. Roy, a successful Israeli lawyer loves a palestinian man. It’s not all about hate around Gaza. Previously, Israel had been the location for another polemic “queer film”: ‘Eyes Wide Open’ (Haim Tabakman, 2009), in that case, “closed” to a love story between two orthodox-jews men.
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Now in cinemas, ‘The Imitation Game’ (Morten Tyldum, United Kingdom, 2014), has shown the world the genius that defeated nazis, gave us the computers and changed the human behaviour and relationships forever: Alan Turing.
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The new gay-themed movies are not about gigolos, drag queens, heels and luxurious costumes. Times have changed, greeks return. The new gay characters look like real heroes, able to unmask a failed revolution, a hypocritical church, an advanced society that is afraid to fall in love, a holy war, a nazi invasion. Nobody looked so brave. God save the warrior queens. warrior queer. c
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