Deuce - Issue #1: December 2013 by deucemagazine

Emerging talent. Creative duos. Complementary opposites.

LONG LIVE THE ANTIHERO // GLITCH ART // BOURGEOIS BEER IS A SHAM // PARADISE STRUCTURES // LORD YEEZUS // FILM BFFS DENIRO & SCORSCESE

Issue #1

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you a hug right now, we would. We think you’re awesome. Super awesome. MEGA awesome. But seriously, thanks for being one of the first to check out our inaugural issue. We’ve poured our hearts and souls into making this. Many sleepless nights, brainstorming sessions, arguments, and emails bouncing back and forth through cyberspace have congealed to make this little glowing PDF a reality. It ain’t been a walk in the park, but nothing worth doing is easy, right? So how did we get here? Well, about a year ago we asked ourselves, “We’re a young creative couple - why don’t we start a magazine with a focus on other young creative couples?” That was the initial plan, though it didn’t take long before this idea snowballed into a more holistic analysis of the complementary opposites, contraries, and binaries that run through our everyday lives. Suddenly we were obsessed: Ying and Yang; light and dark; soft and coarse. We couldn’t get enough. We searched high and low for anyone and anything that adhered to this dynamic of dualism, documenting our findings along the way. Soon other young spirits that shared our passion joined us, offering new perspectives. Their stories make up issue one of Deuce. Please, pull up a chair. Get comfy. - Camilla Peffer and Jack Pilven, Deuce editors.

Image: David Marinos

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

Hello. Welcome to the first issue of Deuce. If we could give

The anti-hero

Gay vs God

Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hold us down

An unlimited control

DeNiro and Scorsece

You know how to whistle donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you steve

The heated struggle

Intoxication as inspiration

Creature Comfort

Interview with David Marinos

Interview with Paradise Structures

Lord Yeezus and Mr West

Still Running 5

I SA B E LLE DE K LE I N E

DAVID QU I N N photographer and writer from Melbourne

TOB I AS

artist from Melbourne

writer from Adelaide

Starting out in a small country town, Dave set out with a largely unfocused mission to explore his creative intuition. Cycling through many forms of expression he settled on photography and digital art, though writing is still a form dear to his heart. facebook.com/djjquinn

Residing in the City of Churches, Tobias is a passionate writer who has written for multiple print and online publications all over the world. A massive music and film buff, Tobias is also an avid traveller who enjoys Kurt Russell films, beards, wrestling and has an unhealthy obsession with Drake.

JAC K managing co-editor and founder of

N E LSON

Deuce from Melbourne

writer from Sydney Starting off as a journalist for Fairfax Media, Jackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work has appeared on

Nelson started his dream by

Faster Louder, Everguide, Tone Deaf,

writing

Kill Your Stereo and in Australian

He soon desired more attentive

Hysteria magazine. He has attended

readers, so he started writing on

more music festivals than he can

the interwebs. Nelson has written

count, and likes more music than

for Pedestrian TV, Soot Magazine

his iPod can handle. He owns two

and Primo, and has had some of

Daschunds named after characters

his fictional works published in the

from Black Books.

Evening Lands anthology.

www.jackpilven.com

bathroom

cubicles.

Her

works

are

rendered

watercolours to create a sense of dream-like ethereality, exploring the state between realism and illusion. She is currently studying a bachelor of Fine Arts at RMIT university. While her main focus is painting, her work extends into photography and video art. isabelledekleine.com

G E R ALD IN E P LI E T E Z writer from Sydney Geraldine is a poet and freelance writer. Her past times include the arduous task of drafting her first novel, searching for the best martini in Sydney, lounging about with friends, and pondering Magritteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Son of Man. Geraldine currently works as a marketing assistant and corporate copywriter.

ROBERT CLARK writer and composer from Sydney Robert spends as

CAMIL L A managing co-editor and founder of Deuce from Melbourne Born and bred in Sydney, Camilla has lived on all sides of Australia and can pack moving boxes like a boss. Interested in fashion, feminism and pop culture, her work has appeared on The Vine, Everguide, Svbscription and Portable.tv. www.camillapeffer.com. au

PETE writer from Sydney

much time composing music for the film and TV industry as he does writing about it. Naturally inquisitive, Robert also likes to write articles about the people, innovation and technology

Pete has spent the last couple of years putting together what he hopes to be his first book, tentatively titled ‘The Black Angel’s Death Song’. Influences across everything range from William S Burroughs to Sonic Youth to Jim Jarmusch. He works in audio/video broadcasting and music consultancy. facebook.com/petestvns

behind the creative industries. His articles have appeared in FineMusic, AudioTechnology, AV Magazine and Video&Filmmaker.

LUC Y M C NA BB writer from Sydney Lucy is a theatremaker and writer. When she’s not busy treading the boards, she writes on theatre, film, literature, travel and food. She contributes to Deuce Magazine and Concrete Playground. Currently you can also read her weekly gourmet adventures for backyardopera.com.au. Follow her on twitter @McNabbLK to get an insight into just how socially awkward a person’s life can be.

CARA LI VERMORE designer from New York Cara spends most of her time cooking and photographing food, but also in hand lettering and design. She currently does too many dishes and freelances full time, while listening to Bangerz on repeat. sewindie.com

PA I G E RI CHAR D S writer from Melbourne After trying to master 30 instruments like Prince (and failing miserably), Paige turned to her second love, journalism. She now funnels her musical ambitions into writing about rappers and pop stars, most vocally on Twitter, @sdrahciregiap.

PAU L CUMMING writer from Melbourne Rusted

machinery

enthusiast, incurable identical twin, and producer of the music interview blog 'Wax Volcanic'. His work appears in the Big Issue, Peppermint, Cool Accidents, Catalyst and an assortment of other festival programs and train timetables.

THE ANTIHERO

T H E R I S E A N D F L AW O F T H E P R O TA G O N I S T I N P O P U L A R Words: Geraldine Plietez / Illustration: Mike Robins

C U LT U R E

Art is always reflective of the society it exists in. There have been some seismic shifts in the way we view ourselves or what we expect from our cultural heroes and icons. In the last few years, pop culture has seen the rise of the flawed protagonist. Whether it is Walter White from the groundbreaking series Breaking Bad, or the two lead characters in Homeland, or Piper Chapman and Alex Vause in Orange is the New Black, this character is everywhere – just choose your poison.

In the last two years, we’ve seen the blinding success of Girls: a show about a group of regular and particularly unlikeable twenty-somethings. The protagonist trips over life’s many hurdles, and does so with meagre conviction, rarely rising above her own menial dramas. Doesn’t this sound like someone you know? Apart from the show being a fine example of the Bechdel test, it’s also an example of the anti-hero archetype being used successfully. Other shows to depict the anti-hero include Revenge, and HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, which contains one of the most compelling anti-heroes in Richard Harrow. They are a reflection of us in many ways. Everywhere you look there seems to be a movie-quality series with deeply flawed protagonists feeding the ever hungry public. We want terrorism. We want drug trafficking and explosions. We want it all and we want it with more sex and more blood – and we want to download it now and watch it in a day. Due to the binge-watch-

ing phenomena, we expect our shows to look like a high budget film but with more twists and turns. This means the morally grey, familiar, and dramatic world of the anti-hero is a requirement, in order to keep our attention, season after season. This change isn’t just on your TVs, it’s playing in a cinema near you. Earlier in the year we saw the hyper-real Spring Breakers released and The Great Gatsby. We’ll also get a Western taste of Oldboy and Scorses’s – who is a master of the anti-hero trope – The Wolf of Wall St. We can also see evidence for the rise of the anti-hero with the revamp of the comic book hero franchises. Suddenly these figures are lonely, morally questionable, selfish at times, and very fallible. This breed of protagonist is morally questionable, unlikeable, often duplicitous, and unethical. But they are nonetheless a product of the world they were created for.

The word protagonist was created by the Greeks, simply referring to the main character in a play. It’s derived from the words protos, meaning “first in importance”, and agonistes, meaning “actor”. By

ces n e i d u A er no long ith a divine w t has i y f s i t p n a e h id Per . o r e h god-like ng to do with i someth h of God? t hing t a e e d m o e s h t has t i s p a esire d Perh r u o ith to do w us reflected to see r heroes? in ou

Aristotelian standards, the protagonist in a tragedy was intended to be greater than the average Greek. This was strategic, so that the protagonist’s change of fortune would lead to a crippling demise and a memorable moral coda, or resolution. It was all about the cruel entertainment value of watching a great man fall from grace. Suffice to say, the protagonist is a direct result and example of the society by which it was created. What Aristotle’s society wanted to see on stage was an active example of good and evil. The nature of man was seen as a series of fundamental choices, and the theatre was a visual way to play out these ideas. In the last 100 years, humanity has endured many dire events, including two World Wars. By observing human atrocities, such as trench warfare and the Holocaust, many theorists have concluded that events like these have contributed to the “death of God” in contemporary society. Religion’s loss of prominence in Western culture can be traced to the attitudes of postwar society.

The world itself is getting smaller thanks to technology. The protagonist of the modern day, in contrast to the Aristotelian protagonist, is one that could be your neighbour, your best friend, or a parent. In other words, they’re the average person. Audiences no longer identify with a divine god-like hero. Perhaps it has something to do with the aforementioned death of God? Perhaps it has something to do with our desire to see us reflected in our heroes? Our individual desire for fame and voyeurism is reflected in our modern protagonist’s notably average, and incredibly flawed makeup – a cathartic attempt, perhaps, to see ourselves in the people we admire and consider heroes. The film and TV industry perpetuate these characters because the proof is in the sweet dollar pudding. We enjoy seeing someone struggle (voyeurism at its finest) because no one likes to turn away from the crash scene. Our lifestyles demand longer work hours, and less time means we relish schadenfreude, simply because it allows us to experience a reality we cannot otherwise ascertain. The anti-hero is empowering, ultimately comforting, and is here to stay – in a big way.

“I’ve spoken to some who believe they can have that cake and eat it too, but for me it was as clear as day: having a relationship with both God and another man was just not possible… God was jealous.”

PEACE BE WITH YOU? Hey. My name’s Dave, and I’m gay. Words & Images: David Quinn

I understand this isn’t an unusual or particularly extraordinary statement these days, but five years ago this was the most life-altering news I could have imagined. Not only were the guidelines and morals I grew up with upended but I instantly labeled myself an outcast and a lost cause. I was raised a devout Christian for 17 years and was now headed for a future full of flaming homosexuals and – ultimately, as I believed – the less enticing flames of Hell. I was a conflicted spirit with two sides pulling for victory, but somehow this little gay church boy managed to separate lies from truth and ultimately find balance. To be clear, for me, there was no sudden departure from the realm of heterosexuality. Ever since childhood, I can remember my attraction to the same sex. In my eyes, girls were buddies and nothing more. I couldn’t imagine the thought of actually being with a girl (though, ironically, I kissed more after I came out than I did before). This was something that started before I can even remember my first specific attraction, like I’m sure any straight person could confirm of their sexuality. I was born gay, and that’s that. But, growing up, I somehow maintained a brave and mostly unwavering ‘straight’ mindset and façade. Although I was never perceived as totally “hetero” and was often labeled “gay” at school – sports didn’t interest me and I did have a penchant for being somewhat effeminate – most people just assumed I was a “nice guy”. I reminded myself daily that I was a child of God, and that nothing could take that away from me. To make things a little more interesting, I’ll divulge that my father was actually the pastor of the local Baptist church. I hate being a cliché: the son of a preacher man who

turned out to like the dick – but it’s not all so black-and-white. There’s a lot more to it than just a boy who was Christian and then gay; it was a transition in every sense of the word. There were undeniable stages, though they almost all blended into countless shades of gay. I wish to now state that I have very loving parents, who ended up putting their love and respect for me above their desire to save my soul. Without their love, I wouldn’t be the man I am today. However, this didn’t make the departure from God’s love any easier. Even from an early age, the irony was never lost on me that the school bullies would call me both “poofter” and “churchie”. (I think if they’d been consistent with their insults, it would’ve upset me more. The dichotomy between words and obvious lack of logic on the bullies’ behalf gave me both a sense of humour and comfort.) It did puzzle me though: why and how could I possibly be both? Years of following and trusting my God, paired with years of trying to stifle my homosexual instincts, showed me that I couldn’t have both, even though the desire to pair the two was immense. I’ve spoken to some who believe they can have that cake and eat it too, but for me it was as clear as day: having a relationship with both God and another man was just not possible… God was jealous. So, I set out on a journey of self-discovery armed with an oyster-like view of the world and a good set of friends. It wasn’t until after I left the church that I started becoming comfortable with the idea of stepping outside my sexual boundaries, but I suppose it didn’t all come to a head until I actually met and befriended some real life gays. The people I’d both feared and admired turned out to be normal, everyday

people: some were nice, some were mean, some were funny, and some weren’t. I met tall gays, short gays, fat, thin and lop-sided gays. It was then that I realised we are all the same and all different in the same ways. Gay or straight, it didn’t matter: people are people. That’s when I decided to be okay with who I was, and renounced religion for good. However, if you’re thinking this is an utter damnation of Christianity, God and religion, think again – this is about finding balance, remember? After leaving the church, I set out to become a non-Christian in a non-Christian world, making non-Christian friends and participating in non-Christian activities. Admittedly, this led to some late nights spent wondering if I had signed my soul over to the Devil and whether I would one day wake up in bed with Satan and lament my stupid need for independence and a calm heart. And then I found it – balance. I’d heard fictional karate masters, feng shui books, and even my high school science teacher talk incessantly about balance, and after finally achieving it, I have to proclaim that, indeed, it is vital. While religion stifled my sexuality, it also taught me some great things: the beautiful thing about being a non-believer is that you’re able to cut and paste from the bible as much as you want. It was no longer the ultimate guide to life, but now an intriguing, sometimes informative, and often revealing fictional work. I learnt a lot about humanity and wisdom from my religion. I learnt that love is patient, and love is kind. I learnt that if you seek, you will find. I learnt that all have sinned, but I also learnt that these three remain: faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love.

WI TY S

CL A

N’

IEW

TE RV

DO WN

When was the last time you spent hours perusing the esoteric collections of your local record store? For most of Generation Y, this is a pursuit that’s altogether foreign. For Adelaide’s Clarity Records, the longevity of vinyl is worth protecting. Words: Tobias Handke & Laura Horvath / Images: Courtesy of Clarity Records Owners The humble record store has become an endangered species. The trend of downloading, both legally and illegally, combined with music streaming sites and a cooling economy has seen physical album sales drop, resulting in many independent stores closing. While countless stores have waved the white flag, husband and wife team Matt and Laura Horvath went against the grain when they opened Clarity Records in Adelaide’s CBD back in 2010, a gamble that looks to have paid off. Sitting down with the duo to get some insight into their business, Matt and Laura discuss the importance of supporting the local scene, the longevity of vinyl and what it’s like working with your partner.

we first got into punk, and we want people to have the same exciting experiences as we did growing up and discovering new music. TH: Did your previous role with Big Star influence how you set up the business, in terms of both the structures in place and the actual layout of the store? MH: I learnt a lot. Without working at Big Star, we wouldn’t have been able to do Clarity. I learnt a lot about what to do in terms of setting up a shop, operating a record store, establishing connections with suppliers and learning certain systems of running a functional business.

Tobias Handke: How did Clarity Records come about? Matt Horvath: We have been involved with the local music community from a very young age. This includes attending shows, playing in bands, putting on shows, booking bands, booking venues and running a record label. Our goal was to one day have a shop of our own. Laura Horvath: Matt used to work at a record store in the city and gained a lot of experience from working there. When Matt received word that the shop was going to close, we thought now’s a better time than any to have a go at running a record store ourselves. We found a place we thought was perfect and went for it, and Clarity Records was born. TH: Adelaide has lost many of its great independent labels – Big Star, Muses, Krypton, B-Sharp and more. Was this a big motivator to get Clarity off the ground? MH: That was definitely one of the main motivators. We didn’t want Adelaide to become a ghost town in terms of independent music and we believed there was still a place for an independent record store in this city. We have been going to independent record stores since

LH: Most importantly, from working at Big Star we learnt what not to do when running a business. TH: The store was very punk/hardcore-centric initially, but has grown over the years to include most genres of music. Was this always the plan or more of a concise effort to expose people to a wide range of music? MH: The original plan was to be a specialised punk/ hardcore shop. However, we gave it some thought and we questioned if a genre-specific shop would work in Adelaide. We also evaluated our location and figured we should make the most of our central spot and try and accommodate more genres. We certainly had more punk/hardcore stock than anything else, but this was because we knew that would work for us and wanted to see what the market was like before we invested into stocking other genres. At the moment, we’re 50 per cent punk/hardcore, 50 per cent other stuff. It’s a really good balance and we are so thankful that we weren’t closed-minded when it came to spreading our wings into most genres of music.

TH: You also feature a large number of local and Australian releases. How important is this to both the business model and the local scene? LH: We have always had the mindset, “If people don’t support your local scene, it won’t survive,” and this is why we support our local music scene in every way we can. There are next to no places in Adelaide where a local artist or band can walk into a shop and ask them to stock their record, or put up a poster for a show they are playing. When we get asked, we don’t turn anyone away, and because of this, we have gained the reputation that if someone wants some local music, they know to come here. Not only is this an important business model, but also supporting artists helps the growth of a local music community. TH: The vinyl section of the store has also grown rapidly since the store’s inception. How vital is this element and what are your thoughts on vinyl and its future as a successful medium. MH: Vinyl is our main seller in the shop, so it’s important that we are always well stocked in this area. Most releases seem to be coming out on vinyl these days, so we have to have it. Vinyl will always be around, and for our customers it’s the preferred physical format. I personally prefer vinyl over any other medium, so I am happy we can focus in this area. TH: The store also stocks a wide range of books, DVDs, zines and homemade crafts. Is this about expanding your stock range and giving people the chance to do all their music shopping in the one place? LH: We wanted to create a place that more than just record collectors feel comfortable going into. If someone doesn’t want to look at records, they can look through some interesting books, or check out some of our handmade jewellery and crafts. Record stores can sometimes have a bit of a “stale male” feel to them, and we wanted to open it up so that all people are welcome. We also feel that DIY crafts and jewellery, zines and books fit into the punk/hardcore ethos that we have taken into run-

ning the business, so we definitely wanted to incorporate those things.

perience, although I can understand why people do it.

TH: Clarity also doubles as a record label. What was the reasoning behind this?

TH: Do you think online streaming and illegal downloading is one of the main reasons for the lack of record stores, or is it the competition from chain stores such as JB Hi-Fi, or a little of both?

MH: We used to run a record label and really enjoyed it, but we didn’t have time to run it properly because of full-time work commitments. When we started Clarity, we had the mindset of having a label side to it as well. We figured this would happen when the right bands came along. We see this as another avenue to be able to support great local music. TH: What are some of the bands you’ve been involved with and what is it that attracts you to certain bands you distribute? MH: At the moment we have four bands on our label: Stolen Youth, Weightless, The Weight and SXWZD. All four of those bands are completely different bands and we always attend their shows. We love the music, and more importantly, they have become our friends. TH: As the store has grown, so has its online presence. How vital is this to the survival of Clarity? LH: It’s important to always have a presence online, whether it’s on social media, websites or just some sort of online promotion. We also have a webstore that generates a few extra sales. Everyone is online these days and it’s simply the easiest way to promote yourself and what you’re doing. TH: While the internet is a great help in regards to social media and selling online, it’s also responsible for illegal downloading and a continuing slump in physical sales. What is your take on all this? MH: Downloading is a presence that’s here and that will probably always be here – illegal or legal. It’s unavoidable and it sucks. However, we have survived through it all, and as long as people continue to want physical formats, then we won’t be going anywhere. I don’t download. I dislike it and I think it cheapens your music ex-

MH: I would say it’s a bit of both. Thankfully, JB isn’t much of a threat these days – you just need to know what to stock and not stock – however, it was when it first opened and definitely was a factor in some stores closing down. I also believe there are a number of stores that didn’t move with the times and adjust their business model to try and survive past these two factors, because there are certainly a lot of shops that have lived through these issues and continue to thrive. LH: We believe, as a business, you have to be aware of all the changes that are happening around you and have to adjust your business in order to deal with them, otherwise you get left behind. TH: Owning your own business is tough enough without it being in the retail sector. How challenging has it been and did you ever have second thoughts during the early days? MH: It was the scariest thing we have ever done in our lives. After signing the lease we couldn’t sleep for weeks. It’s been an enjoyable challenge and is certainly stressful at times. However, once we were up and running it’s been smooth, which has certainly been made easier by the support we have had from everyone who walks through our door. TH: What are the benefits of running the business with your partner and are there any downsides? LH: The upside is we can call the shots and do everything together. We can do anything we want to do when it comes to running a business. We are a team and we understand each other perfectly, so things work well. The only downside is we don’t have many days off together.

TH: Do you both have different roles within the business or do you share the workload evenly? LH: Most of the roles are the same. Matt looks after all the ordering of stock and works the majority of the time in the shop, while I handle the accounting and look after the craft/ jewellery side of things. TH: Finally, do you both believe the outlook for independent record stores is bright? MH: We think it is. There’s always a market for physical releases and there will always be people who support the “little guy”. We define “bright” as independent records stores existing in the future, and we certainly aren’t going anywhere soon.

“THERE ARE NEXT TO NO PLACES IN ADELAIDE WHERE A LOCAL ARTIST OR BAND CAN WALK INTO A SHOP AND ASK THEM TO STOCK THEIR RECORD, OR PUT UP A POSTER FOR A SHOW THEY ARE PLAYING. WHEN WE GET ASKED, WE DON’T TURN ANYONE AWAY, AND BECAUSE OF THIS, WE HAVE GAINED THE REPUTATION THAT IF SOMEONE WANTS SOME LOCAL MUSIC, THEY KNOW TO COME HERE.”

AN UNL IM I TED C ONT RO L : The Musical Themes Of Jim Jarmusch

Imagine a movie without music. Without the nuance of a carefully created or curated film score, our favourite filmic masterpieces lose their texture. For Jim Jarmusch, filmmaking and music go hand in hand. Words: Peter Stevens The films of Jim Jarmusch are often meticulously dissected by his devoted followers: studying every shot, scene, character and placing together both the motifs and nuances between each film – the style, mashing of genres and intricate character insights within the sphere of work he has created from 1980 onwards. Working so majestically within each of the films is his minimalist approach, creating an intense insight towards the characters and their surroundings. He uses this to his advantage, achieving more within his work by simply focusing in on every moment of the particular environment and movement of each character over a contained period. One factor that makes Jarmusch’s work so unique is his incorporation of music (and musicians themselves) into his films. Common contributors are Tom Waits and John Lurie, both on an acting and soundtrack basis. Wu Tang Clan leader RZA composed an entire soundtrack to Ghost Dog; Neil Young scored Dead Man; and drone/doom acts were gathered for The Limits of Control soundtrack. Music has always served as an integral part of his work. Jarmusch has a history playing music. He was a member of post-punk act Del-Byzanteens, who were active in the early ‘80s New York “no wave” scene. More recently, he’s played guitar, recorded and toured with Dutch composer Jozef Van Wissem. He also curated the 2010 All Tomorrows Parties Festival in New York, handpicking the likes of Sonic Youth, The Stooges, Sunn0))), Boris, GZA, and many other artists who’ve been involved with his films, musically. From the beginning of his career to his modern-day creations, here are our favourites.

PERMANENT VACATION (1980) As a debut put together on a shoestring budget, the presence of music that would fill his later work isn’t as prominent. However, The Lounge Lizards’ John Lurie composed the soundtrack and makes an excellent cameo as a street busker. A classic scene from the film is has the unnamed protagonist dancing in his dingy apartment to Earl Bostic’s ‘Up There In Orbit’. Permanent Vacation would prove to be an excellent start to Jarmusch’s career, becoming the first official collaboration with Lurie – one of his future key players. 19

STRANGER THAN PARADISE (1984) John Lurie plays the protagonist, Willie, in Jarmusch’s breakthrough

DOWN BY LAW

film, Stranger Than Paradise. The

Stranger Than Paradise cleaned

turing rolling shots of a New

film explores the relationship be-

up at Cannes, elevating Jarmus-

Orleans morning. The intro also

tween Willie and his cousin Eva,

ch’s profile and ranking him

sees Lurie’s character of Jack

who arrives in New York from Hun-

as a key figure in independent

the pimp, waking up next to an

gary. Lurie composed an accom-

filmmaking at the time, which

employee, and Waits as Zack

panying soundtrack of sparse Jazz

subsequently allowed him more

the radio DJ, returning home

soundscapes. Recurring throughout

freedom for his third film, Down

one morning to his disgruntled

the film is Screaming Jay Hawkins’

By Law. Set in New Orleans, the

girlfriend. Featuring a major

‘I Put A Spell On You’ – a song that

cast featured John Lurie, as well

musician in a key role and forg-

becomes a motif throughout the

as the first major acting role

ing a longstanding friendship

film, defining Eva’s innocence as if

for musician, Tom Waits. Much

with Waits, this was the first

it were the only song existing in her

like its predecessors, Lurie com-

major step towards shaping his

world. Fun fact: Willie’s best friend

posed a minimal jazz score. Tom

style to that of a blur between

Eddie was played by Richard Edson

Waits’ ‘Jockey Full Of Bourbon’

the lines of the music and film

– the original drummer for Sonic

was also used in the unforget-

worlds.

Youth.

table opening sequence, fea-

(1986)

MYSTERY TRAIN

(1989)

Down By Law continued the success of Stranger Than Paradise and turned Jarmusch into a god of independent film. At this stage, the idea of putting together a film set in Memphis with Elvis themes, The Clash’s Joe Strummer, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Steve Buscemi, Spike Lee’s

younger brother and two Japanese actors widely un-

where, based on his looks, the locals nickname him Elvis.

known outside of their home country did not seem out

Mitsuko and Jun play a young Japanese couple visiting

of the question… which lead to another masterpiece:

Graceland and Sun Studios. Mitsuko is an Elvis fanatic, but

Mystery Train. Continuing where Tom Waits left off, Joe

Jun insists that Carl Perkins is the underrated hero of the

Strummer successfully tackled a key role written specif-

Sun records era. Luisa, an Italian widow who finds herself

ically for him. Meanwhile, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins (who

stranded in Memphis, is told a story about the ghost of

previously had shown his musical presence in Stranger

Elvis, who later visits her in her sleep. Tom Waits has a vo-

Than Paradise) plays a hotel clerk.

cal role as a radio DJ (the assumption being it’s Zack from Down By Law), continually introducing the Elvis classic,

The recurring presence of Elvis Presley surrounds the

‘Blue Moon’. Mystery Train is heavily moulded by music –

plot. Strummer plays an Englishman who frequents a bar,

in name, story, soundtrack, characters and actors.

NIGHT ON EARTH (1991) After the heavy musical themes of Mystery Train, Jarmusch changed things up with the format of Night On Earth. A single soundtrack – composed by Tom Waits – suits the flow of the film, which centres around five vignettes based around the driver/passenger relationships in taxicabs across different cities of the world. A particular highlight is the closing credits; Waits’ ‘Good Old World’ leads in perfectly following the bittersweet melancholy of the final scene. Jarmusch and Waits moved from a director/actor relationship to working side-by-side, overlooking the project as a whole. This was mainly

DEAD MAN

because the music of Jarmusch’s films (1995)

As a long-time Neil Young fan, Jarmusch approached him to com-

had come full circle and was solidified as an essential part of his work.

pose an original score. Young, known for his freeform approach to the guitar, turned out to be a perfect fit for the somber tones of Dead Man: his guitar compositions seep through each scene in a call and response manner. Every note fits within its place and follows Depp’s character with such intricacy that they speak for the masked emotions of his mysterious character. The soundtrack itself serves as a timeless stand-alone record that was embraced by new and old fans of Young alike. Jarmusch would go on to direct a feature documentary based on Neil Young and his band Crazy Horse titled Year Of The Horse. Fun fact: Dead Man also featured Iggy Pop in a small role as a cross-dressing fur trader, welcoming him into Jarmusch’s fold. 21

GHOST DOG: THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI (1999) Two genres previously uncharted by Jarmusch are blended on Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai: samurai and gangster cinema. With this combination came the soundtrack by RZA (who also makes a cameo in the film). His music with the Wu Tang Clan was proven to already hold a cinematic quality, incorporating both samurai and gangster/street themes with a haunting feel that RZA branded as his own. Much like Dead Man, the music is the film, speaking as an integral element of its movements. It contains members of the Wu Tang Clan and their affiliates rhyming over haunted takes on a skewed funk, cementing itself firmly within the tone of the film. The particular standout musical moment shows the group Sunz Of Man freestyling on a park bench, the raw intensity brings the film to a standstill and zeroes in on the moment before guiding the viewer back to the story. Jarmusch had tested the waters in not only new film genres, but collaborated with a musical artist from an entirely different world – showing a newfound diversity and flexibility within filmmaking as a whole.

COFFEE AND CIGARETTES (2003) With his previous two formats being based around single protagonists, Jarmusch took a step back and put together an entirely different project: 11 short films based around the ritual of coffee and cigarettes. The collection featured a healthy cast of musicians across each, containing perfectly placed songs. Musicians seen conversing include Jack and Meg White (with The Stooges ‘Down On The Street’ playing in the background); Wu Tang’s RZA and GZA with Bill Murray; and most famously, Tom Waits and Iggy Pop. A standout was the use of Tommy James and The Shondells’ ‘Crimson and Clover’ during Renee French’s section, heard mildly in the background but perfectly setting the scene. Coffee and Cigarettes proudly displayed the wealth of personalities within Jarmusch’s sphere, showing the people that inspire and help make his films what they are. Naturally, musicians were included to represent their place and importance within his world.

“Jarmusch had tested the waters in not only new film genres, but collaborated with a musical artist from an entirely different world – showing a newfound diversity and flexibility within filmmaking as a whole.”

BROKEN FLOWERS (2005)

THE LIMITS OF CONTROL

While quite common in film soundtracks, Jarmusch had

(2009)

never used a compilation of various artists’ previously re-

The Limits of Control presents a culmination of sty-

corded works. Considering the feel of Broken Flowers, it

listic traits inherent in Jarmusch’s work: it blends

was a wise decision, as a dedicated score may have felt

genres in film (Ghost Dog); the idea of compilation

out of place within the context of this poignant come-

(Broken Flowers); selections from drone and doom

dy. The soundtrack is rich in variety, moving from the

music (with the exception LCD Soundsystem’s ‘Daft

‘60s-influenced psych of The Brian Jonestown Massacre,

Punk Is Playing At My House’); and a group of songs

to classical movements, to a portion the doom metal act

by Boris, Sunn0))) and Earth. It also includes Bad

Sleep’s ‘Dopesmoker’. Each song is carefully placed with-

Rabbit, Jarmusch’s own band formed specifically for

in its chosen space. For example, a young girl listens to

the soundtrack. With the film being so minimal in

the aforementioned Brian Jonestown Massacre’s ‘Not If

dialogue, the music is a vital element holding it to-

You Were The Last Dandy On Earth’ as she playfully moves

gether, harking back to Dead Man’s use of music as

around the house while talking on the phone. However,

a form of language itself, shaping and guiding each

in the modern setting of the film, the Jonestown’s mar-

scene to set the tone for the emotionless protago-

ket is not usually within this demographic (maybe if they

nist. Drone can be a phrase of repetitions, serving

existed in the ‘60s – a period that this song lifts from

as a dark mantra, which perfectly suits the sparing

heavily – it would be the case.) An anachronistic scene is

feel of the film. A particular highlight that appears

purely defined by the music. The soundtrack stands as a

twice is Boris’ ‘Farewell’; its dreamy texture takes

classic in a time where compilations in independent film

you away from the outline of the film and moves

had made a strong revival, notably two years previous

you inwards as it blends itself into each moment.

with the release of Sofia Coppola’s Lost In Translation.

THE FUTURE This year, Jarmusch will release his next film Only Lovers Left Alive. His recent live and studio musical collaborator Jozef Van Wissem will be composing a score to accompany the film. Also in the works is a documentary on the reunited Iggy and the Stooges, which doesn’t have a confirmed release date. The constant evolution of Jarmusch’s placement of music within his films as a whole can only serve as an exciting prospect to his future work.

THE G OF S OLDE N C ERA AND ORSE DE N SE IRO

‘BOBBY HAS FOUND THE ONE PERSON WHO WILL TALK FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES ABOUT THE WAY A CHARACTER WOULD TIE A KNOT. I’VE SEEN THEM GO AT IT FOR TEN HOURS NON-STOP.’ - JULIA CAMERON, (AKA MRS. SCORSESE NUMBER 2)

Words: Lucy Kate McNabb / Illustration: Isabelle de Kleine

Scorsese and De Niro are one of the most powerful actor-director relationships of all time. Since the late ‘70s the creative soul mates from New York have created eight films, winning critical worship of their risk-taking, innovation and obsession for detail. If I ever encountered a De Niro-Scorsese virgin (poor soul) I would suggest this sampler of my faves from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s as an introduction to the Marty and Bob oeuvre. Dig in.

1 9 7 6 – Ta x i D r i v e r Luckily for Scorsese, Brian De Palma didn’t fancy directing this blisteringly good writing by Paul Schrader. A career-defining performance from De Niro as Travis Bickle: a paranoid, psychotic Vietnam vet who drives a cab in NYC, loathing yet gravitating towards the city’s darkest spots. Travis becomes a twisted avenging knight burning through the nightmare-tinged film, accompanied by Bernard Hermann’s powerful score. There’s the unforgettable “You talkin’ to me?” scene - an unscripted De Niro improv - and Jodie Foster’s controversial performance as child-prostitute, Iris. De Niro famously drove a cab as method-prep for the role and stayed in his trailer for most of the shoot, presumably thinking very dark thoughts. Since 2005 M & B have talked of a sequel, possibly involving Lars von Trier.

1983 – The King of Comedy Raging Bull is a masterpiece but my ultimate ‘80s Scorsese pick is this satire on celebrity. Rupert Pupkin has to be the strangest character De Niro has ever played: a talentless would-be comedian determined to make it by any means. The result is hilarious and disturbing, leading the film to be labelled a “comedy of humiliation.” Pupkin is a bit like a darker, more unsettling David Brent…in weird suits. It didn’t do well at the box office but it’s the fave of many a film buff and Scorsese himself is reported to think Pupkin is De Niro’s best work, the belief in which carried him through a filming plagued with self-doubt and chronic asthma. I love the static camera (very un-Scorsese at the time), and the occasional surrealist splashes. And the casting of Sandra Bernhard as Masha was just inspired.

1990 – Goodfellas One of the best crime-family films ever – Godfather aside – and a bit of a come-back for Marty after a few misses. Plus a how-to in successful adaptation (the film is based on Nicholas Pileggi’s non-fiction book Wiseguy.) I have an unassailable soft spot for Joe Pesci, who is unforgettable as Tommy De Vito alongside De Niro’s Jimmy “The Gent” Conway. This film offers a compelling glimpse of mob life, exploring a notoriously tight-lipped subculture in an almost anthropological way, drawing us in with small, everyday detail in the same way The Sopranos did. Actually, a good chunk of the cast ended up on The Sopranos! A complicated, unpredictable style resides, echoing the turbulence of the film’s world. Dialogue was purloined from transcribed improvisations between the actors – perhaps accounting for its zingy realism. And De Niro is totally correct in his belief that “the bad guys are always more interesting than the good guys.”

You kno w how to whi stle, don ’t you Steve? Words: Lucy Kate McNabb

so full of frustration and longing: “I never believed that I could love anyone again, for so many things

Reading Lauren Bacall’s gutsy, candid 2005 auto-

have happened in my life to me that I was afraid to

biography, By Myself and Then Some, is essential-

love…I wish I were your age again – perhaps a few

ly reading about Bacall and Bogie. He’s there from

years older – and no ties of any kind…it would be so

the earliest chapters until the final pages. Married

lovely, for there would be so many long years ahead

for just over a decade before his death, their all-too-

for us instead of the few possible ones.” It’s as if

brief relationship has coloured the rest of her life.

Bogie already knew that they wouldn’t have much

She confesses, “Whenever I hear the word “happy”

time together.

now, I think of then. Then I lived the full meaning of the word every day. Since then it has been elusive.”

The chapter on their wedding day, the day when

One of the most famous celebrity couples ever: the

it finally all fell into place, is such a vivid recollec-

ultimate cigar-chewing hero and the deep-voiced

tion of pure joy it could cure any romance-sceptic

willowy blonde with cheekbones you could cut glass

of their cynicism. In just eleven years Bogie would

on. Their romance scintillated Hollywood and was

die of cancer after a slow, painful decline. Bacall

immortalised onscreen by Howard Hawks’ To Have

would be a widow at just 32, with two young chil-

and Have Not, where they first met. Bogart was

dren. But on this day it was all hope, all future. Betty

44 and unhappily married to a volatile alcoholic. It

physically trembling with emotion, Humphrey with

was 19-year-old Betty’s first picture, fresh from the

happy tears streaming down his face. Knowing all

cover of Harper’s Bazaar and totally terrified. Bacall

this, watching To Have and Have Not becomes a bit-

recalls every thoughtful step Bogart took to calm

ter-sweet experience. You’re still drawn to tough,

her nerves, settle her in. And how, deliciously slow-

smart-talking Steve and dazzled by Slim, the lumi-

ly, their relationship developed under the jealous

nous bad-girl-with-a-heart. You still giggle at the

eye of Hawks, who saw Bacall as his protégé and

double entendre and the seriously sexy dialogue for

therefore his possession. She claims he threatened

1945. But you’re also seeing the real people, Bogie

to ruin her career if she didn’t back off. But it was

and Bacall, at the start of something life-changing.

love. Their chemistry was unstoppable.

And just how good it would be. Not long enough, but strong enough to last Bacall a lifetime.

They couldn’t immediately run off into the sunset. After filming ended they didn’t see each other for several heartache-filled months while Bogie’s wife was attempting a fresh start to try and save their marriage. Then the divorce was painfully slow. Bacall shares letters he sent her during this period,

THE S T R H E AT UGG ED LE

FOR AUS

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Wor ds: G

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iete z

TRA

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D L IPS

Beer consumption has decreased per capita over the last few years. There’s been a rise in the popularity of wine, predominantly because the price of wine has been so low and the quality of the drop so high. Cider has also become a big competitor in the market, trending especially with the youth market and the female demographic as a refreshing beer substitute. What is most interesting is the spike in the demand for craft beer, showing a sales increase of almost ten per cent in the last few years. So why has this occurred? Is it a reaction to the average beer lover’s evolving palette? Is the consumer beginning to scout for the complex floral tones of a Wicked Elf or the cardamom undertones in a White Rabbit? I guarantee the beer taps lining your local watering hole have changed in the last few years to include a range that spans from Tooheys to the trendier boutique beers. This trend can be attributed to a few things. Firstly, more pubs are brewing beer or supporting craft beer makers: places such as 4 Pines in Manly, The Illawarra Brewery in Wollongong, the Schwartz Brewery Hotel in Sydney and Wicked Elf in Port Stephens. The internet, too, has provided a new platform. These smaller breweries from interstate, such as the Mornington Brewery, allow you to order straight from the source and/or discover what local liquor stores stock them. The average beer lover is able to access small independent breweries from all over Australia at a reasonable and competitive price. This means independent breweries are now able to contend with the larger corporations such as Lion Co. – owned by Japan’s Kirin Holdings – who also own Tooheys, James Squire and XXXX. Consumer awareness in regards to where and how our brew is born now

plays a greater role in what we buy. It’s getting more and more difficult for the customer to discern what truly craft beer is and what just looks like craft beer. Lion Co. has recently bought out the well-loved Little Creatures and White Rabbit breweries. Even Woolworths are joining the fray, marketing their Sail and Anchor brand as a craft beer. When I interviewed Jaron Mitchell, one of the founders of 4 Pines, he saw the Woolies’ branding and imitation of a craft beer product as “a double edged sword”. “While they meet the demands of the consumer faster than we can, they also open the eyes of the consumer,” explains Mitchell. “This awareness of the branding gold mine that is craft beer is something that has opened up peoples’ opinions to search out the genuine articles like 4 Pines.” Kylie Little, Chief Executive Officer and Director at Wicked Elf, explains that while bigger corporations haven’t affected her sales, the consumer needs to be aware that foreign multi-nationals have bought up smaller breweries bit by bit, such as Little Creatures. And this may change the recipe of the taste of the beer. This makes it clear that supporting a craft brewery is also good for own industry. So what does this mean for local hardworking brewers such as the family owned and passion driven Wicked Elf, or the young ambitious 4 Pines? According to 4 Pines founder Jaron Mitchell, the food and drink we put into our bodies is becoming more and more important to the average Aussie. It’s the tip of the iceberg in regards to quality not quantity. In Wicked Elf’s case, it means holding off on the increased demand of beers so they can brew their beer perfectly for six weeks, not one. The passion and

commitment to make something worthy and wonderful is there and commendable, ready for the consumer to just reach out and grab it. What does this all mean for our wallets and our taste buds? We’re now

“It’s getting more and more difficult for the customer to discern what truly craft beer is and what just looks like craft beer. Lion Co. has recently bought out the well-loved Little Creatures and White Rabbit breweries. Even Woolworths are joining the fray, marketing their Sail and Anchor brand as a craft beer.”

seeing boutique craft beers and longstanding brews, like VB, costing more or less the same. The big brands we know from our youth are, in some cases, even costing more. It’s exposing a younger demographic – and let’s face it, a demographic with limited funds – to competitively priced craft beer, while also giving people the chance to be more adventurous with stereotyped “bloke’s beverage”, forming an appreciation for the big and beautiful range of specialty beer available. Perhaps most importantly, it offers us a chance to savor what our small businesses are brewing, both locally and interstate. It’s all good news for the Australian beer-lover… for both the belly and the wallet.

THE W AY O F T H E I N TE L L E CTU AL : I N TOXI CATIO N A S I N SPI R AT IO N Words: Nelson Groom / Image: Iggy Ceran

History has it that our world’s best creatives were off their chops when creating their famous masterpieces. Lewis Carroll tripping on opium to create Alice’s Wonderland. David Bowie giving birth to Ziggy Stardust as the result of a cocaine-fueled binge (he also tried to exorcise a swimming pool. Apparently Satan was hiding in it). And of course, where would we be without our tangerine trees and marmalade skies if The Beatles didn’t dabble in a bit of recreational drug use? Do we need a transcendental experience to capture our best ideas? Nelson Groom explores. 31

Humans have varied uses for psycho-

separate study, Schafer and colleagues

contradict that of contemporary rap-

tropics. Illicit substances formed a

showed cannabis has psychotomimetic

pers like Lil Wayne, who boasts, “And

spiritual passage and a tool for resis-

symptoms which enable the linking of

I smoke till I get chest pain, I’ve been

tance during the ‘60s, but when Pres-

seemingly unrelated concepts, a chief

so high so long I fell asleep on the

ident Nixon declared war on drugs in

aspect of creative thinking. They also

aeroplane.” Let’s just reflect on this

1971, two primary armies formed in

found it improved fluency.

for a moment. We’re talking about an artist who had the biggest selling

the West: the conservatives attacked with prohibition and taboos while the

Marijuana has suffered the worst of

album in America in 2009. This gives

enemy was pro-narcotics. Attention to

any substance from societal confusion.

you an idea of the audience for such

this ongoing battle has overshadowed

The conservatives promote it as a virus

a message. Marijuana is often abused

some of the former motives. One of

of mental ruin, while the opposition

due to its harmless image, despite

these, encouraged by numerous liter-

takes an equally troublesome stance.

studies linking it to anxiety and de-

ary figures of the past, was using drugs

These days your typical first-time can-

pression. This abuse also explains the

for creativity. Exploring this unlikely

nabis user has already seen a wealth of

loss of the creative smoker. Richard

connection heightens the complexity

cultural texts sensationalising the ex-

Rudgley believes “few societies pursue

of the conflict today.

perience of smoking a joint – and none

intoxication in the arbitrary and hedo-

In 1800, Napoleon’s troops returned

of them allude to creativity. From the

nistic fashion prevalent in the West.”

to France with an exotic herb attained

absurd propaganda films of the ‘20s

during a campaign in Egypt. With their

through to modern depictions in music

After the Hashish Club fell apart, a

find arousing excitement – and not for

and cinema, it’s no wonder this sub-

romanticist philosopher named Wal-

its use in the kitchen – the Hashish Club

stance is misread. Drug use becoming

ter Benjamin carried the torch and

(Club des Hashisins) formed to test this

inculcated in popular culture has only

had even more profound findings.

compelling import. These Parisian lu-

worsened the stigmas. In the world

He formed the notion of the flaneur

minaries wrote broadly of their expe-

of hip-hop, cannabis symbolises status

(an individual who strolls through ur-

riences, hoping to unlock novel modes

and hedonism. Likewise, Hollywood

ban cities, re-sensitising themselves to

of thought. Founder of the group,

has similarly un-academic portrayals,

the mundane happenings.) He wrote

Jacques-Joseph Moreau, wrote, “It’s an

as writer and social commentator Mark

that for the act of the flaneur, hashish

intellectual intoxication, preferable to

Smith observes: “Stoners are routinely

offered narcotic illumination, which

the heavy ignoble drunkenness of alco-

depicted as lazy, inept, and while not

means sharper perceptions. He wrote

hol.” Meanwhile, prominent symbolist

without a certain charm, dissociated

of an “aura” effect that enhanced his

poet Charles Baudelair pondered: “The

from reality. The problem with Holly-

appreciation of art and architecture.

simplest words take on new bizarre

wood’s depiction of the stoner is that

Benjamin had a creative mindset be-

appearances. You’re amazed at having

it’s the image the general public per-

fore the high and a creative routine

thought them so simple.”

ceive as reality.”

throughout it.

This reveals the lim-

itations of common marijuana rituals While there was no formal research on

So how did this depiction come about?

today: one can’t expect that smoking

cannabis then, recent studies affirm

One could argue there was a loss of

bongs and watching reality television

these reflections. A psychiatry research

moderation. Baudelair was cautious

is going to make the shows more in-

study from 2010 notes that “under the

with his use, explaining the importance

tellectual. In the piece Hashish in Mer-

influence of cannabis, users show in-

of writers keeping their thoughts inde-

sailles, Benjamin writes, “I would love

creases in both automatic and semantic

pendent from external influence. Wal-

to believe that hashish persuades na-

priming.” Or put quite simply: marijua-

ter Benjamin – who I will soon discuss

ture to permit us, for less egoistic pur-

na triggers a stream of word associa-

– also believed that reality must be

poses, that squandering of our own

tions that are valuable for writing. In a

preserved. His beliefs would appear to

existence which we know and love.”

“There’s an enormous variation in the way people respond to lysergic acid. Some people probably could get direct aesthetic inspiration for painting or poetry out of it, others would not.”

“that LSD had abso-

cannot be abbreviated to the likes of

them

“heroine kills”. Pharmaceutical compa-

solve their complex,

nies marketing antidepressants as “cer-

seemingly

intrac-

tain relief” is akin to marijuana dealers

problems.”

telling customers, “This will definitely

These studies were

make you creative!” Half of prescrip-

banned soon after

tion drugs have no proven mechanism

when the drug be-

of action, and the drugs I’ve discussed

lutely

table

helped

recreationally

are yet more uncertain. If you aren’t

popular in the counter-

a creative person, it’s more likely that

culture. LSD offered disso-

smoking weed will make you hungry

ciation from the conservative

than inspired to write poetry. Inspira-

sect of society and expansion

tion comes from inside us, much like

of the mind. The change in the main-

happiness, so seeking these feelings

stream drug rituals between then and

from a substance may result in: a) an

He communicates here that the effects

now further clarifies the loss of creative

opposite effect, or b) depending on

are as liberating for the mind as being

intoxication. The rise of nightclubs and

the substance for that effect. The lat-

in love.

raves in the ‘80s and ‘90s saw the pop-

ter of these outcomes is a testament to

ularity of hallucinogens replaced by

the alcoholic writer. Creativity is highly

Aldous Huxley shared a similarly deep

club-friendly substances like MDMA.

dependent on routine, so for this ap-

view of drugs and perception. One of

The former motivations for getting

proach to work the user must have the

the most respected writers of the cen-

high were replaced by the pursuit of

foundations of that routine in place. In

tury, Huxley first experimented with

synthetic, hedonistic pleasure. Taking

this light, the cautious approach of Ben-

hallucinogens in the 1950s. His pieces

ecstasy with the goal of dancing is less

jamin and the Hashish Club is of partic-

The Doors of Perception (1954) and

substantial than taking acid to expand

ular bearing.

Heaven and Hell (1956) explored his

your mind.

respective

come

Shenk writes: “The majority of stud-

experiences of mescaline

and LSD. He believed these substances

That Huxley regarded LSD as a mean-

ies on illicit drugs have been proven

showed the user alternative worlds and

ingful act is shown in his death; he

to emphasise the dangers and ignore

wrote that hallucinogens “give people

asked in his final moments to be inject-

the benefits.” It’s evident that with an

who lack the gift of spontaneous vi-

ed with the drug. However, he didn’t

appropriate plan of action, some psy-

sionary perception belonging to great

claim creativity is enhanced for every

chotropics can enhance creativity. The

artists, the potential to experience this

user. In an interview he stated, “There’s

hedonistic drug rituals of recent years

extraordinary state of consciousness.”

an enormous variation in the way peo-

are a substantial hurdle. Both armies of

He believed our true creative abilities

ple respond to lysergic acid. Some peo-

the drug war have tried to detach cer-

come from inside and that drugs open

ple probably could get direct aesthetic

tain effects of substances, emphasising

the valve of our true potential.

inspiration for painting or poetry out

these as independent from the others.

of it, others would not.” Here lies the

We should aim for a holistic under-

In the early ‘60s, there were numerous

catch, which makes creative intoxica-

standing of narcotics in society, of both

tests on LSD. One of these saw 22 pro-

tion just as problematic as the other

the good and the bad. As Shenk says,

fessionals attempt to solve long-stand-

approaches. Joshua Shenk explains

“It’s time to begin living with that hor-

ing professional hurdles while on low

human reactions to drugs are deeply

ror, and that blessing.”

doses of the drug. The results showed

varied and uncertain, and thus they

C R E AT U R E COMFORT FOR GOOD DESIGN, MIRRORING THE EARTH’S OWN SYSTEMS IS SECOND NATURE.

Image: Kodiak Greenwood

Words: Paul C. Cumming Dusk is falling over southern California. The intricate nests woven through Big Sur’s coastal brush start filling for the evening. Soon the nightly mating rituals will begin – although perhaps a little shakily at first. Since the mid ‘90s, Jayson Fann has been making nests for humans. After gathering and shaping pieces of local forest, Fann knits his natural materials into luxury structures, as can be seen (and slept in) at Treebones resort in Big Sur. Huge whorls of bleached eucalypt become temporary homes for people during their stay at Treebones, and are made of wood that “people would otherwise run through chippers.” But one fascinating aspect of Fann and other nest makers’ work isn’t simply that they are using natural materials – they’re using natural ideas. This use of nature as a model and mentor has become known as ‘biomimicry’. Initially it’s hard to see how inebriated tourists at a Californian day spa are contributing to environmental innovation, but Janine Benyus, the American author who popularised the concept of biomimicry in the late ‘90s, is looking beyond the price tag. “Biology teaches us that every structure we make is a nest… [a] hotel guzzles energy, is full of toxic material and when it’s knocked down it won’t decompose,” Benyus explains. Unsurprisingly, she’s a big fan of human nests, which she praises for their ability to eventually “decay into the earth and be food.” But this ephemeral aspect of design certainly isn’t limited to the nest building of Jayson Fann. Patrick Dougherty, who the New York Times recently referred to as an “elder statesman” of nature-inspired construction, recently exhibited one of his ‘stickwork’ structures in Melbourne’s Federation Square. Dougherty’s cyclonic towers of living form are more sculpture than habitat, but despite being designed with doorways and hollows, their most striking feature isn’t their interaction with humans, but with their environment. Like the bird-

built originals, Dougherty’s structures are site specific, designed to move with the wind and are intentionally built to succumb to the elements and decompose. Despite being popular and striking examples of nature-based ideas in form, Fann and Dougherty’s monuments to transience are just the tip of the iceberg of a steadily growing global movement. Instead of nests, Neri Oxman, assistant professor at the MIT media lab, chose to focus part of her keynote speech at a recent biomimicry education summit on a different aspect of bird life – eggs. Oxman explains how an egg shell “is built out of fibre, interwoven…and not only distributes loads evenly over the shell for structure, but also allows for food absorption, heat exchange and more…a lot of functions [can be achieved] by controlling the materials and designing them…” Here is highlighted a very fundamental and exciting possibility for future design: the idea of multifunctional form.

from 40 degrees during the day to almost zero overnight, a shopping complex without any conventional air-conditioning or heating sounds less like the country’s largest mall and more like its largest death trap. But instead of subjecting its occupants to the elemental extremes of Zimbabwe unaided, Mick Pearce and the engineers at Arup Associates have created a building that uses under 10 per cent of the energy

“Biology teaches us that every structure we make is a nest. A hotel guzzles energy, is full of toxic material and when it’s knocked down it won’t decompose.”

In the natural world – which Oxman refers to as a “grand material engineer” – muscles provide not only our physical composition but also energy conservation. Similarly, leaves support themselves structurally at the same time as converting light into sugar. In terms of material use, this is a radical concept. Our single-use purposing of materials has been going on for the very length of human civilisation. One element takes care of building structure, another for heating, and another for transfer of goods and waste. The possibility of integrating the different roles inside a building by mimicking nature is a very exciting concept for a lot of designers. It’s also a concept that’s becoming very real. The Eastgate Centre in Harare, Zimbabwe, is one of the first buildings to fully realise the possibility of mimicking nature. In a country that can plummet

of a conventional building its size and is able to regulate its own temperature – and they did it by modelling it on a termite mound. Ordinarily, likening a shopping complex to a termite colony would sound like some kind of overdrawn analogy for consumer culture, but here it’s an incredibly useful parallel. Termites farm their primary food source – a fungus – inside the mound, so the temperature of the colony must be kept at a very regular 30 degrees Celsius. Termites manage to achieve this through a series of vents in the mound, which they strategically close and redrill throughout the day. Remarkably, the Eastgate Centre operates in much the same way. Air is drawn into the building and either heated or cooled by the building mass, depending on whether the air is hotter or colder than the building concrete. After the fresh air is vented through the building’s floors, it’s then dispelled via the chimneys at the top of the structure. By using natural processes as a guide, Pearce and his associates have managed to create a building that is multifunctional, incredibly energy efficient and above all, comfortable.

Indeed, Jayson Fann’s nests and Mick Pearce’s Eastgate Centre both borrow ideas from nature and still deliver a level of comfort that the public expects from modern infrastructure. In this way, biomimicry is a contagiously optimistic antidote to claims of sustainable design wanting to ‘stone age’ modern society. It’s true that Janine Benyus talks at length about working with some of the oldest tools on the planet, like the aerodynamic bumps on a whale’s fin or the self-cleansing surface of a lotus leaf, but she enthuses over these tools not at raw concepts, but in their application to air travel and cleaning our homes.

Upper Right Image: Kodiak Greenwood / Image: Kurt Simonson

There’s no denying that humans are, or would like to be, creatures of comfort. I’ve definitely had my fair share of afternoons where a blanket and toasted sandwich are the truest friends I’ve ever known. But as Benyus so clearly puts it: “There are no things in nature divorced from their systems,” so if we want to continue to walk around the house in our pyjamas until 3pm like the creatures of comfort we are, then we’re going to have to move in with nature. and they did it by modelling it on a termite mound. Ordinarily, likening a shopping complex to a termite colony would sound like some kind of overdrawn analogy for consumer culture, but here it’s an incredibly useful parallel. Termites farm their primary food source – a fungus – inside the mound, so the temperature of the colony must be kept at a very regular 30 degrees Celsius. Termites manage to achieve this through a series of vents in the mound, which they strategically close and

re-drill throughout the day. Remarkably, the Eastgate Centre operates in much the same way. Air is drawn into the building and either heated or cooled by the building mass, depending on whether the air is hotter or colder than the building concrete. After the fresh air is vented through the building’s floors, it’s then dispelled via the chimneys at the top of the structure. By using natural processes as a guide, Pearce and his associates have managed to create a building that is multifunctional, incredibly energy efficient and above all, comfortable. Indeed, Jayson Fann’s nests and Mick Pearce’s Eastgate Centre both borrow ideas from nature and still deliver a level of comfort that the public expects from modern infrastructure. In this way, biomimicry is a contagiously optimistic antidote to claims of sustainable design wanting to ‘stone age’ modern society. It’s true that Janine Benyus talks at length about working with some of the oldest tools on the planet, like the aerodynamic bumps on a whale’s fin or the self-cleansing surface of a lotus leaf, but she enthuses over these tools not at raw concepts, but in their application to air travel and cleaning our homes. There’s no denying that humans are, or would like to be, creatures of comfort. I’ve definitely had my fair share of afternoons where a blanket and toasted sandwich are the truest friends I’ve ever known. But as Benyus so clearly puts it: “There are no things in nature divorced from their systems,” so if we want to continue to walk around the house in our pyjamas until 3pm like the creatures of comfort we are, then we’re going to have to move in with nature.

Interv

A GLITCH YOU CAN’T SCRATCH

view with David Marinos A broken pixel across your computer screen. A fuzzy, static-riddled image punctuated by stripes of neon. Highcultural symbolism subverted by the familiar glow of hallucinatory jagged lines. Is it culture jamming at its best? Or is it art in the mechanical age of reproduction? Glitch art is on the rise, turning otherwise frustrating technical difficulties into visually arresting pieces of pastiche and technological innovation. Born to Greek and Ukranian parents, digital artist David Marinos makes mixed media works that have won him Best Young Artist of 2012, amongst other awards. He’s travelled all over the world, is part of clothing line Icey Clothes, and did we mention he’s only 15? Deuce codirector Camilla Peffer had a chat to the digital artist about his practice, travel, and the beauty of technical imperfections. 39

Camilla Peffer: Firstly, tell me a bit about yourself. David Marinos: I’m a 15 year old teen from Greece. I found

my passion for art around 1st grade when my Mom got me an Etch a Sketch, and everyday I would just sit around the house and just sketch anything and everything! Since then, we have travelled to many different countries and I have seen quite some stuff. Now I would say that my Art has been through stages (sic), and I’m excited too see where it goes!

CP: Where were you born, and where do you live now? DM: I was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, but my blood is Greek and Ukranian, Well, a year ago I came back from Los Angeles, so I could go to high school in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. So basically, I live in Plovdiv, Bulgaria for now. CP: Your father was Greek and your mother Ukrani-

an – which nationality do you associate with more and why?

DM: I think I like to associate myself more to my Greek nationality, because my last name is a Greek and I have been to Greece lots of times.

des

ima

mak

“By

t ro y

ge,

ing

sim

ing

ply

a re

it m o re utif ul a app nd eali ng to t view he e r ra tha ther n it ’s o rigi nal con text .” bea

CP: Could you give us a quick explanation of what glitch art is and how you define it personally?

DM: Glitch Art is really powerful, because of the world we live in today we are forced to use technology and view images that are not in our liking or interests. So that’s where Glitch Art comes in, and it pretty much changes the whole purpose and meaning of an image. By simply destroying an image, we are making it more beautiful and appealing to the viewer rather than it’s original context. CP: How did you start to become interested in glitch as an artistic process? DM: I actually came to Glitch Art while I was watching a TV show, and the TV glitched really bad. Ever since then, I’ve kept on remembering the colors and how unique it looked. After a couple of weeks, I found out that there is a whole style embraced on Glitches and Technical Difficulties, and I dove right into this Glitchy madness. CP: What do you think of glitch art generators? Are you a glitch art purist or are you pro-accessability?

DM: I’m not to fond of Glitch Art generators. I think I’m a Glitch Art purist, and it’s

not just with Glitch Art - I’m like that with all types of art. Being a purist of Glitch Art is pretty important, because that way you can evolve and understand the style.

CP: What do you use to make your artwork?

DM:

I mainly use: Photoshop, Notepad, Gimp, Audacity, and sometimes I do some coding.

CP:

Glitch art, to me, seems to be about making technical imperfection, or accidents, and creating a piece of work which prompts introspection for the viewer to rethink all the accidents that take place in life. So, what is the best accident you’ve ever had? Artistic or otherwise?

DM: Being an artist, you will always have accidents, and imperfections that will lead the art to a greater stage than you were hoping! For me, sometimes I have accidents that come out of nowhere and change my view on the artwork I produce and push me to a new level. I say start making twice as many accidents as you did before. Let the pieces fall where they may you might like the landing.

SISTER TO SISTER: Interview with Paradise Structures Melbourne design duo Paradise Structures create

CAMILLA PEFFER: As lifelong creative partners,

CP: As siblings, what’s the easiest part about work-

what was the first thing you created together? My

ing together? And what’s the hardest?

brother and I used to make crazy radio shows together on our cassette player. Any embarrassing or

AK: The easiest part is having telepathy. We often

really cute anecdotes you can share with us?

know what the other is thinking or have very similar ideas. The hardest part is probably that we also live

ALANA KINGSTON: When we were younger, we

together and hang out together so we can never

made a newsletter about stuff that happened

get away from each other!

around our house: news about the chooks, poetry about sheep…We grew up on a farm, can you tell? Family members and friends would borrow it for a week or so at a time to read it because we only ever made one copy of each edition. It was called The Whenever after our publishing schedule. We were also in an S2S inspired band called Sunset Sisters. We played a grand total of zero shows. CP: That’s hilarious! Whose idea was it to collaborate professionally? Do you find your familial bond softens the blow of feedback or criticism? AK: It wasn’t really either one of us who initiat-

The easiest part is having telepathy. We often know what the other is thinking or have very similar ideas. The hardest part is probably that we also live together and hang out together so we can never get away from each other!

ed it. Our collaboration just happened as we live together and are into the same things. It’s definitely easier to work with someone you know so well; we can discuss everything quite openly and there’s not much we can’t say to each other. Actu-

CP: It’s interesting that you say you and Annabelle

ally, we often have spookily similar thoughts! But

have telepathic thoughts. This is something that’s

when we do have different opinions, this can turn

usually only found within twins. Can you tell me of

out to be a good thing because the solution is often

an occassion when you’ve had a thought, or An-

a funny combination of the two that we wouldn’t

nabelle has, and you’ve brought it up and been

have thought of individually.

freaked out by your synchronicity?

CP: When was the last time you were jealous of

AK: We don’t have any really amazing telepathy

one another?

stories - it’s more just everyday thoughts that we seem to have simultaneously: “I feel like a cheese

AK: I was jealous of Annabelle’s dance moves the

toastie” “we should put more pockets on this dress”,

other day! She plays music as ‘Waterfall Person’ and

spontaneously shooting fake ray guns at each oth-

does these funny dance moves that sync-up with

er, singing the same song, asking each other the

the music really well. Apart from that, there’s not

same question, that kind of thing.

much we’re jealous of. Maybe we’re too similar!

CP: Many artists – whether

AK: Some of our favourite Tumblrs

fashion designers and artists do

they’re

are

you like?

musicians,

actors,

oneterabyteofkilobyteage.

AK:

Centre for Style - which is a

designers or painters – take a

tumblr.com,

shawnbradford.

multi-discipline approach to their

tumblr.com,

unicorngirl.

shop curated by Matthew Linde

productions. Fashion, design, or

tumblr.com,

aqqindex.com,

- has a pretty amazing selection

art - which did you study first?

c e n t r e fo r s t y l e. t u m b l r. c o m ,

of designers like Rare Candy,

Do you prefer one discipline

crazyinloveblog.tumblr.com and

Hamish

more than the other?

szzszz.tumblr.com

And maybe not so current, but

Munro

and

Ffixxed.

we loved the Mike Brown and AK: We both went to art

CP:

school: I studied painting and

you to neon/pastel colours and

were on at Heide recently.

Annabelle studied photography.

organic forms? What informs

A lot of our recent work is about

this decision to combine two

CP: You make a lot of references

translating ideas through various

opposing aesthetics?

to space and organic forms, like

materials and therefore changing

What is it that attracts

Stephen Benwell shows that

rocks, in your work. What other

how people interact with them

AK:

We’re not sure that they

textures/places do you hope

or interpret them, so it doesn’t

are opposing aesthetics - there

to incorporate in to your future

make sense for us to stick to one

are heaps of examples of bright

work?

discipline. No favourites, we just

colours in nature. But possibly

want to do everything!

some of our weird combos are

AK:

a result of our different opinions

awesome waterfall outfit for

CP: Some of your objects –

and instead of compromising, we

‘Waterfall Person’.

like the bag/vase – double as

just include everything.

multifunctional objects. Did you

We’d love to make an

CP: Can you tell me a bit more

create these with sustainability

CP:

in mind? What was the thought

times and fun to wear and look

process behind this like?

at, your work is quite conceptual.

AK:

Can you share some of these

Annabelle’s

AK: We want our pieces to be

moments

she plays keyboards and tells

functional,

work?

multifunctional

is even better, right? Why make

As well as being very of the

that

inspired

your

about Waterfall Person? Waterfall music

Person project

is -

jokes between songs. www. soundcloud.com/waterfallperson

something with one function

AK:

when it can have two, or more?

made as slight improvements to

Putting

the

our daily life, so it’s hard to pick

world is probably not the most

out specific moments within the

AK: We have a small collection

sustainable thing, but if multi-

everyday. We sometimes pick

of new clothing pieces coming

functionality means a piece gets

flowers on our walk to the studio

out at the start of 2014 called

more use, then that is a good

so it’s possible this influenced the

‘Secret Spy Island’.

thing.

multi-vase bags.

new

stuff

into

Most of our pieces are

CP: What’s next for you two?

At home, we’re still unpacking CP: I’m fairly obsessed with your

CP:

I myself am fairly in love

boxes from when we moved, and

Tumblr. Who do you follow?

with very bright, psychedelic-

it’s time to get the veggie garden

inspired fashion. What current

in.

LORD YEEZUS & MR. WEST Who is the man behind the curtain?

Words: Paige Richards / Illustration: Isabelle de Kleine

“A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognised.” - Fred Allen Let’s talk about Kanye West. By now the videos of him shouting his latest catchphrase of “don’t ever talk to me” at paparazzi have been screened on television stations and gossip blogs across the world. It seems like such a small price to pay for the Lamborghinis and Jesus pieces he often name-checks in his work to just answer a few questions from reporters. But does he have a point: should celebrities be able to maintain a private life outside of their work? And further, is it even possible?

Berry, too, is leading the charge to instate new laws to protect those in the public eye. It seems like a fair and reasonable request, but the sad truth is that it will most likely not be granted. We, as the audience, are culture vultures. We gleefully savour

Because of this, there is such a demand for candid information about our favourite celebrities. We scoff at the naiveté of these intimate strangers who complain about the fascination with the intimate details of their lives, “Don’t they understand the price of becoming famous is the loss of privacy?”

Kanye’s life, if anything, is an exercise in contradictions. He has chosen to pursue a public career, yet is using the same channels he promotes his work via to demand privacy. He’s adamant he has no interest in being a celebrity, but is dating one of the most notorious self-promoters in pop culture history (and has appeared on her show despite his abhorrence of blatant commercialism). He declares himself the voice of a generation, one of the people, but chooses rather to spend his time mingling with the one-percenters. The balance of the public persona and the private self seems to be the ultimate challenge of celebrity. Some do it well, like Beyoncé and Jay Z. Some play the game and turn a profit like the Kardashians have, but none have struggled between the two so intensely, and so publicly as Kanye West. He is both Doctor Jeckyl and Mr Hyde. Lord Yeezus and Mr. West.

every facet of a celebrity’s private life made public. We watch as celebrities fall from grace with the same attention we’d pay to the latest summer blockbuster. We act as though we have a right to it, because we spent a few dollars on an album or a show. Because of this, there is such a demand for candid information about our favourite celebrities. We scoff at the naiveté of these intimate strangers who complain about the fascination with the intimate details of their lives, “Don’t they understand the price of becoming famous is the loss of privacy?”

By no means is Kanye the first celebrity to call for privacy, nor will he be the last. Earlier this year, actress Jodie Foster used her platform at the Golden Globes to give an impassioned speech calling for action against invading paparazzi. Halle

It’s easy to paint Kanye as ungrateful of the adoration, or less eloquently, an ass – especially given his frequent attacks on the paparazzi. But our desensitized view of celebrity makes it easy to forget he is just a person, not his deified persona of Yeezus,

the “genius” rapper. He is entitled to have a bad day, although in light of his possible felony charges, he may benefit from some help in dealing with them. What separates Kanye from other celebrities who have spoken out about their privacy being invaded is his courtship of the attention. As New York Times writer Jon Caramanica succinctly put it, “Mr. West isn’t content without feedback; his effort is valueless without response. Plenty of artists insist their work speaks for them, but as spectacular as his work is and likely will continue to be, Mr. West will never be one of them.” Kanye’s argument for a more private life is understandable. The thirst for knowledge about mundane aspects of his life isn’t necessary to like his music, nor is it even that interesting. But after striving so long to become famous, it’s hard to believe nothing served as a warning to the downsides of fame. A perfect example of the darker side of celebrity is the rise and subsequent fall of Michael Jackson. As his fame rose, strips of his privacy were ripped away by both the media and fans that, by the time of his death, it was hard to remember that he was a human being, not just an image in a magazine. Kanye has often spoken about his idolization of Michael Jackson (you can count at least three references to him within My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy), but perhaps the biggest influence he took from the King of Pop was outside of music or fashion – the art of disguise. At the height of his fame, Jackson infamously took to disguising himself in costumes ahead of trips to the supermarket or the cinema to slip in unnoticed. Perhaps Kanye is not battling between two selves. Perhaps the brash, divisive Yeezus we see plastered over tabloids and TV screens is his adopted disguise engineered to protect himself, as Kanye the human being.

STILL RUNNING The duo behind the score to Run Lola Run and Cloud Atlas discuss music, success, and the key to collaboration. Words: Robert Clark / Image: Michael Roud We’re in an isolated booth overlooking the large scoring stage at Sydney’s Trackdown Studios, which is bustling with technicians laying cables and shuffling music stands. In an hour’s time Johnny Klimek and Reinhold Heil will oversee a recording session of their score to yet another feature film. This time it’s I, Frankenstein: a Stuart Beattie movie based on the Dark Horse graphic novel. Klimek has a calm air about him and is dressed comfortably in jeans, a t-shirt and an unzipped hoody. Heil is sharp, gregarious and excitable, sporting a tightly ruffled hairstyle and trendy sneakers. At first glance they seem like chalk and cheese, but they are in fact a prolific music-making duo, which began in the underground cauldron of Berlin’s punk and electronica scene in the early eighties and continues amid the high-pressure world of the Hollywood studio system today. Their list of film music credits is impressive: Run Lola Run, One Hour Photo, The International, Tomorrow When the War Began, and Cloud Atlas to name a few, and they’ve also scored some high-profile television series such as Without A Trace and Deadwood. They are, however, a long way from where it all started.

BERLIN BEGINNINGS

Spliff (I won’t speculate as to where

after they arrived, would reach num-

that name came from). With no one

ber 27 on the Billboard Top 100 with a

to front the group and a sense of dis-

sugary pop tune called ‘Holiday’. The

illusionment at the prevailing state

younger Klimek was taken aback by

Reinhold Heil began studying at the

of music, however, they struggled to

just how easy it seemed to create a

Berlin Music Academy in the early sev-

find direction. “We didn’t really know

hit, but rather than savouring the suc-

enties, and while there, he indulged

what to do,” admits Heil, “we didn’t do

cess or trying to repeat the formula,

his interest in electronic music along-

anything with German lyrics and we

his open-minded and inquisitive artis-

side classical training as a pianist. Ber-

didn’t continue in the vein of the Nina

tic sense pushed him to explore new

lin, at the time, was a melting pot of

Hagen band.” Inspiration would even-

frontiers. With extra coin in his back

musical innovators and renegades

tually come from American popular

pocket from the band’s success, he

who appealed to Heil’s unorthodox

culture, which of course only trickled

acquired a small four-track studio and

creative leanings. “You didn’t have to

through in Eastern Germany but was

began to play around. Then the Berlin

go to the military if you were a resi-

nonetheless a fetishised commodity

Wall came down and a heaving elec-

dent of Berlin,” he says, “so that was

amongst Western-minded young peo-

tronic scene burst into prominence.

an incentive for many people – lazy

ple at the time. They began The Spliff

Klimek was perfectly poised to catch

people or people who didn’t like to

Radio Show – which Heil describes as

the wave and became immersed.

have a weapon in their hand. That at-

“a little like Spinal Tap meets the Ger-

“You could actually live from doing

tracted dubious, seedy and artistic el-

man perspective of American com-

experimental records” he says, “you’d

ements... So it was very underground

mercial radio” – and began searching

do them in two or three weeks with

and cool.” With his classically acquired

for a front-person. They eventually

DJs and stuff and release it yourself or

dexterity on keys and a flair for live

found a quirky Australian ex-pat who

through small labels. So I eventually

performance, Heil formed a band and

was touring Europe with a comedy

got sucked into that world.”

started rehearsing in the volatile sub-

troupe at the time. His name was Alf

urb of Kreuzberg, which saw a lot of

Klimek, Johnny’s older brother. “He

Adding fuel to Klimek’s journey away

riots and protests at the foot of the

was sort of the icing on the cake,” says

from pop was his girlfriend at the time,

Berlin Wall. They became the Nina

Heil, “and became like the central fig-

edgy electronic musician Gudrun Gut.

Hagen Band when the brash, charis-

ure who the whole story was about.

“She connected me with all the Nick

matic singer from East Berlin joined

So that’s how I know Johnny, because

Cave people and the [experimental

them, and things began to really take

I knew Alf in that context.”

group] Einstürzende Neubauten (Col-

off. “We got a record contract with CBS. Really it was punk, eclectic, classical; everything was very crazy.” This was right at the beginning of the New German Wave movement, or Neue Deutsche Welle, which had similarities

lapsing New Buildings) and I started

STRAIGHT FROM THE SUBURBS

with the British punk and New Wave scenes but was sung mostly in Ger-

Alf Klimek no doubt inspired his

man, giving it a distinctive rhythmic

bass-playing younger brother and

and melodic flavour. However, the

excited his imagination with tales of

global popularity of the movement in-

European adventures. Two years lat-

evitably brought about its broadening

er, twenty-year-old Johnny followed

and dilution, and the band fractured.

his intrepid older brother to Berlin.

Nina Hagen left the group in 1979,

“Yeah, I was scared,” says Johnny

but as it turns out, this ultimately led

Klimek, before adding with a grin and

to Klimek and Heil meeting up.

an exaggerated Aussie twang, “I went straight from the suburbs into Berlin.”

The band stayed together after Ha-

A few short years later the brothers,

gen left and re-branded themselves as

along with Johnny’s twin sister Jayney who joined them eighteen months

to get a taste for what they were doing. They hated what I did because of the squeaky pop, but I was intrigued about them.” Klimek began collaborating with various artists including Paul Browse from Clock DVA, and he also produced such electronica icons as Paul Van Dyk and Laurent Garnier. “Somehow I was a work machine and my name got around a bit,” he says, but there seems to be a touch of ‘itchy feet syndrome’ with Klimek, and he confesses that he grew tired of that scene too. “I did some pretty cool pieces, there’s some really great things when I look back, but I was tired of it, and that’s when Reinhold and I got together.”

A PA R T N E R S H I P EMERGES

ed with playing in a band or produc-

Ricky Wilde pilot his own Fairlight on

ing techno or producing pop, it was

one of their albums.

just easy going because nobody was trampling over the other person and

Klimek admits that, initially, it wasn’t

ideas were coming together; it was

easy getting Heil to work with him.

nice.”

“I was persistently hassling him saying ‘we’ve got to do something together’ but he was always sort of reluctant.” “The thing was,” interjects Heil, “I wasn’t doing anything. I had

ENTER TOM TYKWER

stopped with my band in ‘85 and

The pair’s first big break came when

then I produced Nina and I was re-

a friend of Klimek’s invited an ambi-

ally successful with that... One of the

tious young filmmaker and compos-

first albums I’d produced became a

er to visit his studio. Klimek and Heil

world-wide number one, which nev-

played the multi-talented Tykwer

er happens with anything in the Ger-

some of the tracks they’d been work-

man language, so I thought, hmm

ing on together, and he was imme-

cool, that was easy.”

diately keen to collaborate. Klimek recalls: “The three of us met and it

There seems to be a pattern develop-

just worked. I think the synergy of,

ing here. Both Klimek and Heil found

you know, I was pretty into messing

early success relatively easily, so I

things up and being dirty, and Rein-

ask them both why they think that

hold’s a great technician and techni-

is. Klimek: “I think it was the naive-

cally great with things, and Tom had

ty and freshness, and not being too

the musical knowledge and also the

judgemental or critical about your-

vision, but couldn’t put it all togeth-

self and what you’re doing. Just do

er.” The trio called itself Pale 3 and

it because you’re really into it and

worked together on the score for

it’s exciting.” Heil agrees: “Yeah if

Tykwer’s icy thriller Winter Sleepers,

everybody’s into it and has a good

which was poorly funded but cre-

spirit in the studio, I think that’s al-

atively rewarding. “We didn’t care,”

ways the best recipe for success. As

says Klimek of the budget,” I don’t

soon as people start over-thinking it

think we thought about it. I was hap-

or money thoughts come up, it’s not

py to make a little bit of money and

a good time. You’d better go away

just to get into that world.”

for a year and write something really good.”

But Klimek and Heil’s music wasn’t the only thing that attracted Tykwer,

It was in this spirit of uncomplicated

admits Heil. “Also, I had a Fairlight

and joyful creativity that Klimek and

[CMI], one of the first ever.” With a

Heil began working with a local Ber-

price tag of around US$150,000, the

lin singer, and it became immediately

polyphonic digital sampling synth

obvious that they were on to a good

was a rare item, and the fact that Heil

thing. Reinhold remembers fondly

not only owned one but knew how

what it felt like when they first start-

to use it got him some high-profile

ed creating together. “The interest-

clients. One such client was eighties

ing thing was that it felt good. After

pop darling Kim Wilde, who brought

all this stuff that made us kind of jad-

Heil on board to help her brother

V I N TA G E K I T On the subject of vintage gear, I was very keen to ask Reinhold Heil what his favourite bit of kit was back in the heady days of the seventies and eighties. “I started out with a MiniMoog and a Fender Rhodes when I was doing fusion jazz in ‘73,” he says. “Then in ‘77 I joined the Nina Hagen Band and I bought a Yamaha CS-80 and I still have that. It’s an amazing piece of gear and I will never let go of it, they’ll have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands. So that had a lot to do with the signature sound of the Nina Hagen Band. But then of course, in ‘81/82 during the Spliff Radio Show, there were other things coming up like the Prophet V. I had one of the early ones that wasn’t stable at all, and then eventually I got a Jupiter 8 which was fantastic.” At this point Klimek chimes in: “I remember when I first met you in ‘83 you had this other thing.” “Oh, the PPG Waveterm!” responds the excitable German, his face lighting up as he recounts what it was actually like working with the PPG at the time. “You had like a computer terminal, which had its built-in, green old-fashioned television screen, and just a mini-keyboard with two rows. The user interface was just a complete disaster. Sorry Wolfgang Palm (the developer), he is just a wonderful, amazing innovator in the industry, but the interface was just... When you sit with a Macintosh and Logic today, you know, I do in an hour or two what took me like a month back then. So I’m really clamouring for lost life-time,” he says with a laugh.

R U N, LO L A , R U N Despite Winter Sleepers not doing as well at the box office as hoped, Klimek and Heil didn’t hesitate to collaborate on Tykwer’s next project: a little film about a fleet-footed girl going way beyond the call of duty for her luckless boyfriend. At this time Reinhold Heil had moved to Santa Barbera with his then wife, and Johnny Klimek started composing sketches for the score in his bedroom in Berlin before travelling across to the US to join forces with Heil. Tom Tykwer was, again, heavily involved in the creation of the score despite an increased demand on his time. He would do twoweek stints with Heil and Klimek, cutting tracks, mixing and just playing around with sounds. Interestingly, budget constraints added an extra burden on one particular key cast member. Klimek: “We needed a vocalist and we couldn’t afford one so it was like, “oh, Franka [Potente] can sing, great, let’s use her!” Heil laughs and ads, “she was in the school choir so...” The Pale 3 members did their fare share of vocals on the score too, and looking back on it now, they can see that it was a certain unconscious, naive creativity that made it “something very unique and fresh.” Also,

the picture and to the dramatic curve

his films have even begun shooting.

of the story. It was a clever low-bud-

“We’ll write all the themes togeth-

get movie because it tells the same

er with Tom, beforehand. Then we’ll

story three times – a lot of the foot-

record the strings, brass and percus-

age could be re-used – but of course

sion all separately, and then he goes

the score had to be different each of

off and shoots the film. Reinhold and

the three times, and the score had to

I take all of that material and go off

somehow convey a different sense of

into our studios and just do ten-min-

either danger or tension or potential

ute remixes of what we’ve recorded,

redemption or whatever. I think that’s

and then we’ll merge the themes on

how it was innovative, in that we used

top of each other and take strings and

that style but we actually scored it

chop them up and put them into sam-

properly.”

plers and fuck them up. So by the time he gets to the editing table he’s got

The

film’s

international

success

two or three hours of original score.”

brought about a swift change in career direction for the duo, who sud-

This process of recording music before

denly found themselves in demand as

the film has even begun

film composers and worlds away from the Berlin where it all began for them. Klimek: “Of course you don’t expect a German language film to work all over the world, but I mean, it took off everywhere. So next thing, I get a call from an agent saying ‘We love you guys, we want to represent you,’ and my reaction was, ‘What’s an agent?’ I eventually understood what an agent was and moved to Hollywood, and then Reinhold and I signed to CAA [Creative Artists Agency] and continued to the next stage of life.”

THE BIG TIME

as with so much of their careers to date, the project tapped into a cultur-

As the technicians at Trackdown start

al movement on the ascent. “It was a

to test their mics and the engineer

statement of the nineties,” says the

and orchestrator chat boisterous-

soft-spoken Australian, “it was club

ly in the control room, I ask Klimek

but also had a melodic core-element

and Heil what it was like making the

to it. I mean, it’s also because of the

transition from pop and electronica

film, the whole package just worked

to orchestral music for the films that

as one.”

came their way after Lola. “It’s been fourteen years and we’re still learn-

Heil attributes the score’s effective-

ing about orchestras; it’s a fascinating

ness to their unique creative ap-

world,” says Klimek. Luckily for the

proach: “We were using electronica

pair, their relationship with Tykwer is

music as the style and yet the process

such that they have the luxury of ex-

was one of composing for a movie, to

perimenting with an orchestra before

“They even played it in the background when they were reading through the script for the first time with all of the actors together in one room,” says Heil. “So it’s amazing how Tom really kind of feeds the music in to help set the mood for the actors.”

shooting affords Klimek and Heil a

dio there for months and months,”

that was sort of the status when we

rare privilege in the film world, where

Heil explains. Reinhold Heil then

started working together, and I think

in the majority of cases, a composer

remembers how, on a smaller film

we both have matured, and kind of

is asked to write music based on a

where there wasn’t enough money

assimilated the necessary other atti-

“temp score” that comprises tracks

for all of the creative departments to

tudes or features, which is good, you

chosen during the editing process.

hire a facility, Tykwer found a novel

know. It’s all comfortable.”

Klimek is adamant that their ap-

way to bring them all together. “Tom

proach to scoring is much better for

has a nice attic apartment in Berlin,”

“Comfortable” seems to sum up

everyone. “You can set up a unique

he says, “and in a side wing he has

their dynamic pretty well actual-

sound for the score from the begin-

his office, which is a mini apartment,

ly. There’s no discernible anxiety in

ning. If you’ve got lots of temp, even-

and then underneath he has a guest

the room despite the pressures that

tually they fall in love with it, the di-

apartment, so basically Tom’s office

abound. I ask them what’s on the

rectors and the producers, and they

and the guest apartment became

cards for the future, and both state

want you to do something like that,

the music studios. And he had the

that, while they’re keen to pursue

so there goes your uniqueness and

editor in another apartment he had

individual opportunities alongside

you’re just doing a job. In this case

rented for that purpose. So even for

the partnership, film is where they

with Tom, we actually get to create

smaller productions he had sussed

want to stay. “Scores, I want to do

something, and we do that with ev-

out a situation where – because he’s

scores,” says Klimek. “Yeah,” replies

ery film now.”

involved in everything, deeply in-

Heil, “we’re not talking about going

volved in the editing, I think more so

back to writing pop music.” After all,

Every film, including the epic new

than other filmmakers, and all of the

it’s the variety of challenges in film

Cloud Atlas, Johnny Klimek sees

post-production, and of course all of

music that Klimek and Heil enjoy so

as the culmination of their careers

the music – all of that can happen

much, as Klimek explains: “That’s

to date: “It’s a great example of all

under one roof.”

where film scoring is great, because

our experience, from electronic Run, Lola, Run meets Perfume to The International slopped into one package.” The film sees Tom Tykwer di-

you can go to classical to country to

C O M F O R TA B L E

rock to techno, whatever – and I pre-

C O L L A B O R AT I O N

when our agent called and said ‘do

recting in collaboration with Andy

fer that world.” Heil ads: “You know, you want to do this western series for

and Lana Wachowski, and the level

It was almost time for the duo to re-

HBO? [Deadwood] I said, ‘Of course

of integration between score and

turn to the control room and resume

we do! But how did you get the idea

film seems remarkable. “They even

their recording session for I, Franken-

that we would be right for that?’ It’s

played it in the background when

stein, so I took the opportunity to ask

so cool to be given these chances to

they were reading through the script

just what it is about their collabora-

do something completely different.”

for the first time with all of the ac-

tive partnership that has made them

tors together in one room,” says Heil.

so successful. Johnny Klimek regards

It’s clear that this hunger for diversity

“So it’s amazing how Tom really kind

their relationship as an attraction of

has shaped their careers to date. Nei-

of feeds the music in to help set the

opposites: “There’s the typical mar-

ther of them have sat still creatively

mood for the actors.”

riage ups and downs, but I think we

(or geographically) since the Berlin

complement each other. You know,

years, and it seems unlikely they will

Once the film was shot, the Wa-

I’m passive, he’s more extroverted.”

settle down any time soon. With a

chowskis and Tykwer edited it behind

Reinhold Heil mostly agrees, but

friendly goodbye and a handshake,

closed doors, but Heil and Klimek

adds that his creative partner “is in-

the pair make their way to the busy

were always just down the hall, lit-

troverted, he’s not passive. He gets

control room and begin pouring

erally. This is the way the three col-

stuff done. He’s actually very per-

through a weighty score on the ta-

laborators always work now: in close

sistent and result-oriented and I’m

ble. As per usual, there’s no tension,

proximity with every other creative

very process fixated. I can very much

no fuss – it all just works.

department. “We had all of the visu-

get stuck in the intricacies and just

al effects editors around us, even the

continue working on the details and

supervising sound editor had a stu-

have no result whatsoever. I think

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