Cont ent How to
Editor
Yolande Gypsychild - Editing, Design, Concept, Layout,
s
Web design, Content Strategy, Advertising, Marketing, PR Y lucid.lanz@gmail.com
TEAM Christelle Scheepers - Sub-Editor, Art, Across the bar Y christellescheepers@ymail.com Cameron Anderson - Indie and Psy Trance Y c.d.anderson96@gmail.com Jazzanova Green - Urban Y superninja.green184@gmail.com Danielle Scheepers - Dance correspondent Y daniellescheepers@gmail.com Sherene Hustler - Under the ink Y sherenehustler@gmail.com Natalie Mentor - Rock & Classical Y nataliementor@gmail.com Danelle Strydom - Xtreme activities, metal, punk Y danelles8@gmail.com Maxine Bisset - Nomad Extraordinaire Y maxinebisset@yahoo.com Kamal Kweku Yakubu - The Sight of Things Y kymals@hotmail.com Miss Information - The bitch page Sean Sloan - Rock & Metal Marvin Charles - Random Talent and Interest
8 aaron campbell ................................................................10 dj lenzo ............................................................................18 scott stapp in sa this december ......................................32 smithington ......................................................................34
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HYBRID SA
Whiskey thief jeremy loops’ guerilla performance At red rocks
cOVER Das Kapital photographer: Jono Jebus
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WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA digitalsoulmag.wix.com/digital
Black cat bones
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stuart reece - coming home Euphoria festival .......................................................38 Editors new album ....................................................42 Drive my car ...............................................................44 Slide jozi ....................................................................52 rudi olivier .................................................................56 Art of nudity ..............................................................76 Under the ink ..............................................................92
hellcats
matthew silver
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72 By viewing, reading, sharing or using this publication, Digital Soul , you will be deemed to have agreed to our Terms and Conditions. Digital Soul cannot guarantee the accuracy, reliability and validity of any information or content which appears or is located in this publication. Furthermore, reviews, articles and posts reflect the authors’ constitutional right to free speech and are not intent on defamation. The owners, editors and users of this publication are not liable or responsible for any loss or damage of whatsoever nature, howsoever arising, as a direct or indirect result of the information, content or usage of this publication. Anyone who feels that a posted message, article or press release is objectionable is encouraged to notify The Editor immediately.
anonymous
Ed’s Note Movember has arrived… Also the month during which we celebrate Guy Fawkes and in the light of next month’s High Court hearings for the Legalisation of Marijuana, it seemed a “no-brainer” to name this the “Anarchy” issue. I hardly think it necessary for me to get into the “knitty-gritties” of the topic, however, I leave you with this: DS fully supports the Legaise Marijuana Campaign and would like to urge any and all Capetonians to participate and show your support on 7 – 8 December This event will start at 08h30 on 7 December 2015, and will feature an all night vigil for Dagga rights on the night of 7 December, and the event will end at 18h30 on the evening of 8 December 2015. Speeches will be given at the lunch hour, and we ask all who work in the city centre to attend our event during their lunch hour.
We strayed ever so slightly from our regular layout this month… See what we’re doing here? ;) I am incredibly excited about our feature on Hellcats this month – a band you simply cannot afford not to check out. We also teach you how to bake “space cakes” or “hash brownies” rather! If you are not yet familiar with The Black Cat Bones, you must live under an incredibly secluded rock… No pun intended. Two previously featured artists, Mountain Thief and Whiskey Business have joined forces – with their powers combined, we bring you Whiskey Thief! Our first official “featured photographer” is the very talented Rudi Olivier, whose sponsors have been so kind as to set us up with an epic hamper for next month’s photog of the month, so don’t hesitate to send us your portfolio if you would like to be considered for the title and, of course, this fabulous goodie bag! Safe! Take it easy…. And if it’s easy, take it home!
Yolande
how to
Make
"space
cakes
You bake t hem... They bake you
Ingredients for approximately 16 squares: Ina Paarman’s Chocolate Brownie Mix (550g) 2 extra large eggs 125 ml sunflower oil (½ cup) 100 ml butter 125 ml full cream milk (½ cup) * 125 ml chopped pecan nuts (½ cup) * Chocolate chips 4-8 grams of fine marijuana (hash would be ideal, but I used 8 of these little bags containing Swazi) Start with the weed if it still needs to be cleared of twigs and pips. You only want the buds (Use tweezers and fine scissors as well as rubber gloves not to get your hands sticky). Sift this through a dry sift to produce finer particles. Preheat oven to 180°C Heat the raw cannabis along with butter in a sauce pan or casserole without boiling for about 15 minutes or until it becomes a dark, icky mixture. This part is vital, as the heating causes the cannabinoids to dissolve in the butter and become more digestible. THC, the psychoactive component which makes you trip, is only soluble in oil or lipids, not water. * If you don’t want any particles in your brownies, filtrate the liquid through a medium sift or through a slab of foil with small holes punched through. Leave the rest on the stove at low temperature and mix it with some of the sunflower oil, press out all the juice with a spatula and repeat the filtration until the remaining
solids seem dry and hard. (discard the solids, keep the filtrated hash butter) Prepare a pan (20cm x 20cm square or a 20cm x 30cm rectangular) Beat eggs, melted butter/weed mixture, oil and milk for about 2 minutes until well blended. Add brownie mixture, nuts and choc chips and fold in carefully with a whisk. Blend until just combined and no more. Scrape mixture into prepared pan. Bake on middle shelf for 40 minutes. Brownies are done when a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean or if cake pulls away slightly from the sides of the pan. Leave to cool down, then cut into 16/20 squares. Please note: – * means optional. -The pecan nuts are added mainly for extra texture, to mask chewing on the fine particles of the weed. -Mild effects are felt 45 minutes after ingestion, but the full effects may only occur 1h and a half after eating. -Split the batch between 4 or more people and eat in a safe environment. -Ina Paarman’s Chocolate Brownie Mix consists of roughly 1 and ½ cup of flower, 1 and ½ cup of sugar, pinch of salt, 1/3 cup cocoa, 1 teaspoon bakingsoda as well as ¼ cup of buttermilk. -May cause nausea, sugar rush or mind fuckment if overindulged. -I made this post mostly to inform, not to encourage the use of marijuana. I advise all first-time users to turn around and stay well away. Make informed decisions.
Feat ured art is t
aaron campbell
n l
A
t the tender age of 12 Laurence Lenzo Corner realized that he wanted to be good in everything. Today Laurence (19) is an up and coming musician, songwriter and entrepreneur; he has a huge fan base world wide. Digital Soul got the opportunity to sit down with the pretty boy from the Northern Suburbs in Cape Town.
Not jus t a pret ty face WORDS BY MARVIN CHARLES
DS: Please tell us about the music you produce? DJL: Well basically I use to dance with South Africa so I started at the age of five, basically I decided I wanted to be good at everything hiphop, singing dancing. At first I was into hip-hop. After I got into house, electric house and so forth now I moved to future house and deep house. My album basically incorporates house, deep house I just try and make it dynamic. DS: You first started off as an actor working in various commercials and television series tell us about that? DJL: Well, when I was a kid my dad came home one day and just said that he enrolled my sister and I into an agency from their it took about a month or so till we started getting ads Cell C, FNB I started doing TV series like Takalani Sesame and so forth, then I ended up doing stage productions at the Johannesburg, billboard ads.
d lenz
of things. So I basically grew up in this environment.
DS: You are very, very young when did you know that you wanted to do this for a living? DJL: When I was about thirteen because I spent a lot of time learning the art of DJing, my friend’s constantly ask me why I keep doing this, why do I keep making music. So over a time I realized I’m actually good at this. So I decided this is what I DS: Thought you looked familiar, when did wanted to do for a living. your interest for music develop? DJL: Actually my family is quite musical, the DS: You’ve performed with a lot of well-known music actually happened before the acting. My artists such as Euphonik, Pascal & Pearce tell father was a beat boxer he was involved in a lot us about that?
IMAGE BY SHIMONE HANSEN
dj zo IMAGE BY SHIMONE HANSEN
DJL: It felt good because everything that I’ve achieved in music I taught myself I didn’t let someone teach me or help me mix music. So it felt amazing because I did it myself. DS: You have a huge fan base that stretches to the USA, UK, and Germany how do you feel about that knowing people are listening to your music? DJL: It feels good, it feels really good. I remember in 2013 I traveled to Denmark and I came across people listening too my music so it was good. I mean any artist like the achievement, like when you achieve something you want to work hard and when you get the feed back then you feel great.
one of those artists that make a great product but then it doesn’t reach the market you don’t get the correct feed back that’s why I try and make my network according. DS: You own a lot of your companies DJL: The thing about that, my father actually was a businessman and I always looked at him and thought that’s so cool. At first I just wanted a company for just the sake of wanting a company. But now I own a company called Dazer that was not properly thought out. Basically it’s a record label its still in the making, I have scouted people I would like to sign. It’s an events company that has taken off and it’s a podcast it’s called Dazer and Friends that’s going very well. The response has been great!
DS: You are a rising musician and you are nineteen! Still can’t get over that, there are of course many challenges that you face, what are those challenges: DJL: Well I’d say everything is pretty set but it’s basically the marketing campaigns. But I have spoken to some people and we have set plans in order for my singles to be out. I don’t want to be
DS: Very interesting. Tell us who Laurence Lenzo really is, who is he behind the music? DJL: Family wise, I’m not too close with my dad, my parents got divorced two years ago. I’m a very out going person like I try and see the best in everything. I’ve been through some tough times and I feel life is what you make it. If you work hard and never mind the circumstances and you
push then you’ll always get something out. So I’m DS: You said you not very close with your dad. always motivating my friends always seeing the What has your families reaction been too your musical journey? better. DJL: Well my father and I are opposites, he was DS: How do you stay positive? What is the top matric, doesn’t drink doesn’t smoke. At first when they heard about me being a musician my mantra that you live by? DJL: It’s always been music always music. I dad was not too happy but he saw that I pushed remember when I was a child when I would get it and it’s my passion. Because everyone thought angry I’d just mash up or produce music just to it was a phase then after they saw it was two get my mind off things. I’ve learnt through times years and I’m still into it. So they now supporting you really have to have a positive mindset and me fully started taking me too gigs. surround my self with people who are achieving things in life that’s how I keep myself positive Twitter: @Officialdazer DS: we understand you have an upcoming Facebook: Dazer Instagram: officiallenzo album very exciting DJL: Okay here’s the thing so I was going to release the album as a whole, then I spoke to Nic Burger his from Universal Music SA. And he told me not to release an album and to rather release singles so that will be hopefully released the end of the year or early next year. Its going to be available on Itunes I’ve already started the process.
IMAGE BY RUDI OLIVIER
THE
WORDS BY SEAN SLOAN
BLACK CAT BONES J
have a very “wash your woman in your whisky” feel to them at times, performed with real gritty vocals the likes of which you wont hear anywhere else. Attempting to pull off a cover of one of the legendary Hawkins/Creedence songs was brave. Yet they succeeded with great enthusiasm. You can see, feel and hear these lads have a lot of love for it and definitely “put a spell” on the audience. Along with the With a strong and modern presence, harder bluesy rock songs, in went a couple of performing their own brand of old school blues ballads with those old tried and tested chord infused rock, Creedence Clearwater Revival progressions that have stood the test of time. style. Plain and simple blues rock played with Their track choices were timed very well an intense edge, hard hitting percussion and throughout the performance. They know how down right honest lyrics. Nostalgia as Fuck! to warm the audience up song by song. Leading Having less than adequate knowledge about them through track progressions that heat the band, I was off to watch them make an them up until the alcohol infused atmosphere appearance at Dakota Lee on a hot October is set alight. evening. Little did I know the kind of dirty magic Are they doing anything new? No! But I was in store for. they are doing it well... This is a band that is best experienced live. There records do not A bit different to their normal stage execution, truly capture what they do on stage. So grab they performed somewhat unplugged with a beer, wash down a few shots of whisky and a minimal set of drums and three acoustic throw your head back to some old school, shit guitars yet they still delivered a hard hitting kicking, bluesy Rock ‘n Roll !! performance. A hallmark of a greatness. Lyrics, ust when you thought that old school blues and rock has been done to death and you keep going back to wear out those classic albums that no bands touch on these days, well it’s time to get out the denim and leather-clad attire from your closet and get up close and personal with The Black Cat Bones !!!
IMAGE BY SHERENE HUSTLER
Whiskey
Thief WORDS BY CAMERON ANDERSON
W
hiskey Thief is a collab project by Mountain Thief and Whiskey Busines, both previously featured in Digital Soul. They’ve recently released a single on SoundCloud called “Wooden Fortress”. It’s a fun and folksy tune that Poppy and Charlie wrote the day after they met each other and one of our favourites! They will be recording our first EP this month and launching it in December.. Exciting stuff. There’ll even be a little tour.
DS: Please describe your sound as you w1ould to a person who has no frame of reference to what music is WT: I always like to say that it’s like the first shower after Oppikoppi. Perhaps it’s more like coming home after a being gone for a while – or walking in the woods feeling on top of your game. I don’t know. DS: Do you pre-plan set lists before gigs? WT: We generally will set up a set list that we think would be cool and work well with the crowd, but then we adjust according to response and such. It also varies from event to event; some songs will work in a certain setting at a certain time, but will do the opposite in a different setting. We kinda just go with our gut feelings most of tAhe time. There’s also the point that we keep a list on stage, so we can change the order or remove songs entirely if need be.
DS: Your biggest gig played to date? WT: We’ve played main stage at White Mountain this year and that was just spectacular. It was the first Folk-focused festival I’ve been to, and the reception was great! The Litchi Orchard was also a great experience, it kind of reminded me of the James Phillips stage at Oppikoppi, but with a market attached to it. DS: Tell us about the best gig you ever played? WT: I’d have to go with the White Mountain show – everything went really smoothly and the stage and audience was great. I kind of felt like a rock star for a little bit.
DS: Which artists have you been listening to lately? WT: I’ve been loving me some Georgetown. They are from Pretoria, my previous hometown, so they’re my bras. They make some of the best DS: Have you ever heard a piece of music music I’ve heard lately. Check them out! that really moved you? If yes, please tell us about it? DS: Who, in your opinion, is the world’s WT: Yes, all the time! The album that’s been greatest artist of all time? my most influential in a long time, And The WT: This is a very tough question to give a War Came by Shakey Graves, definitely showed single answer to. There are greats, but no me what emotions music can conjure. It also greatest for me. I think Cash and Dylan were changed the way I write, in a small sense. great, Hendrix and Page, too. There are so I’ve also recently developed a little obsession many. with Melanie Martinez, who sings electropop music – a genre I never really used to https://soundcloud.com/whiskey-thief appreciate. She has some dark topics, veiled https://www.facebook.com/ with juvenile references, but I kinda love it. Sue whiskeythiefmusic me. twitter & instagram - @whiskey_thief
JEREMY
loops Guerilla performance at Red Rocks
C
ape Town’s very own Jeremy Loops recently ‘performed’ at Denver’s iconic Red Rocks, doing an acoustic rendition of his hit record ‘Down South ft. Motheo Moleko’.
Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8MdiqHeftY Famed for hosting the biggest bands in the world, the 9500-seater Red Rocks is to Denver what Kirstenbosch is to Cape Town. The guerrilla performance of Down South, shot by filmmaker Ben Brown, sees Jeremy playing alongside Jamie Faull and Mr. Sakitumi in the pouring rain on the iconic stage to a small crowd who braved the showers. Speaking about the ‘show’, Loops laughs, saying ‘It was one of those situations - we were there hanging out, there was a stage, the the heavens opened, and it looked so beautiful. As everyone else looked for shelter, we thought, “hey, this could look great on camera”. Jeremy Loops is currently on tour in the United States through October, before heading off to Europe in support of Twenty One Pilots in November. Denver is one of the scheduled tour stops, but not Red Rocks just yet. ‘We’re working our way up there, adds Jeremy, saying ‘playing up there was my way of manifesting it. I’d love to play on that stage to a crowd out there. This way I’ve had a little practice and have a basic ideas of what it means to work that stage. Ha.’ Full US and Europe Tour dates are available on www.jeremyloops.com/tour Download Jeremy Loops ‘Down South feat Motheo Moleko’ now from SA iTunes – available on the ‘Trading Change’ Deluxe Edition release.
S
cott Stapp, frontman of legendary Rock band Creed, heads to South Africa for the first time this December and will perform live in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Scott Stapp co-founded and fronted Creed, achieving great commercial success in the late 90’s with singles such as With Arms Wide Open, My Sacrifice, One Last Breath and Higher. Creed released three consecutive multi-platinum albums, of which ‘Human Clay’ has been certified diamond, collectively selling over 53 million albums worldwide and becoming the ninth best-selling artist of the 2000s.
In 2001 With Arms Wide Open also won Creed a Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. Stapp pursued his solo career after Creed went on break in 2004 and released two solo albums with his debut The Great Divide (2005) and the most recent release Proof of Life (2013). His first tour to SA will see Stapp with full band performing all of the hits and fan favourites from Creed along with his solo material, and promises an incredible night for fans.
Confirmed Dates for Scott Stapp – The Voice of Creed – Live In SA, are: Saturday, 12 December - National Botanical Gardens, Pretoria Sunday, 13 December - Zoo Lake, Parkview, Johannesburg Tuesday, 15 December - Hillcrest Quarry, Durbanville, Cape Town Tickets sales have opened and are limited for each venue, so be sure to purchase tickets before they sell out to avoid disappointment. Tickets are available online from http://breakout.nutickets.co.za/ For more information go to https://www.facebook.com/BreakoutSA/events Music video for “Creed – One Last Breath”: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=qnkuBUAwfe0 Music video for “Creed – With Arms Wide Open”: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=99j0zLuNhi8 Music video for “Scott Stapp - My Sacrifice (Planet Rock Live Session)”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unfP_B6xQEY Music video for “Scott Stapp – Slow Suicide”: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=QphK9wwzssU Saturday, 12 December – National Botanical Gardens, Pretoria Gates Open: 2pm
smithing DS: Do you currently have a residency called ‘Doggit’ – look out for that soon DS: Do you have a day job? anywhere? S: By day I co-own and run a recording studio S: Yes, in Braamfontein, Neighbourgoods and in Johannesburg called Wired Sound Studios. I The Beach am also a live sound engineer and do a number DS: What genre(s)/subgenre(s) do you play? of gigs around Jozi every week. S: Tech House, House and Techno DS: Was there a pivotal moment / epiphany DS: Do you also produce? If yes, is that when you realised that this is what you want to do? under a different alias? S: Audio has always been my hobby, so when S: Yes, I actually started as a producer. My first release was in 2007 under the name ‘Craig Peters’. I found out that this could be a career, I knew it I have released many tracks since then under was what I wanted. the same name and more recently under my own DS: Have you ever heard a piece of music label, Wired Sound Studios. I also have a few releases with the group, ‘The Local Underdog’. I that really moved you? If yes, please tell us am busy with a Drum & Bass side-line project about it?
gton S: Many many many many tracks! If I didn’t I’m doing the wrong thing here… There are too many to mention actually. But the very first underground electronic track that changed my life (so cliché) and started me on my path was ‘Black is Black’ by ‘The Allnighters’ waaaay back in 1994.
WORDS BY YOLANDE GYPSYCHILD
DS: Tell us about the best set you ever played? S: To be honest, that’s difficult to say. There have been so many highlights it’s hard to put one above any other. But I thoroughly enjoy the smaller venues where you can really get into the crowd and vice versa. It’s always amazing when just one person comes up to you and says that you just blew their mind.
DS: How has your style and track selection developed since you first started playing? S: Change is hard-wired into the nature of DS: Which artists have you been listening the music. As technology keeps getting better the sound keeps changing. It is difficult to to lately? S: I have been listening to Sam Paganini listen to a dance track from 10 years ago and not hear how ‘dated’ it is. So my track selection lately, he’s doing very well. Such quality keeps changing and my quality control keeps production! rising.
DS: Do you have an “old faithful” track? dance floor? If so, when? What happened? S: Ha yes, but we shall not speak of it You know, a crowd pleaser that you’ll whip out whenever you’re playing to a“tough crowd”? DS: Do you have any pre-gig rituals or S: This is a continuously changing thing. I always have a ‘go to’ track for different sub- traditions? S: Yes, get in car and drive… usually to the genres but this is always changing. gig. Just a few years back it was quickly burn DS: Was there/is there a DJ / producer CD’s and scribble track lists on napkins with who you admire or that you draw inspiration names like ‘the one’, ‘bomber’, ‘yes’ and ‘yes++’ from? DS: Are you signed to a label? S: Carl Cox is my hero! S: No, I co-run my own label called Wired DS: Have you ever considered throwing Sound Studios in the towel and giving up? DS: Do you or did you have a mentor S: I sort of did actually. In 2007 I had to make a choice, studio work or DJ’ing. At the along this journey? S: I have always tried to draw and learn time my DJ residency and commitments were taking up WAY too much time and energy and from everyone I play with. slowly killing my week-day studio job. So I DS: Any big gigs or releases in the new pulled the thumb out of my butt, got serious about studio engineering and put the DJ side future? S: Yeah, the music to rest. Luckily it kept knocking and after a video for my track while I got back in full swing ‘Dog Days ft. DS: What are your feelings on mash-ups? Megan C’ will S: Great fun, but I think often more fun for be coming out soon. the DJ’s than the crowd. DS: People are always talking about “the good old days”- what was so good about them? In your experience, how has the scene changed over time? S: The ‘good old days’ were awesome. Guys put a lot more effort into the music and ‘art’ of DJ’ing. Today a lot of this is lost to gimmicks and cool hair styles. This makes me sad. The DJ is now a hero and the songs that give him power are second thought. DS: Have you ever cleared a
eu·pho·ri·a /yo͞
oˈfôrēə/
noun
1. A feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness 2. A sensation created by a unique combination of
togetherness with nature, new friends, a healthy self, and curated music
E
uphoria Music Festival is a 5-year young, US based electronic and dance music festival, held annually in Austin, Texas (www.euphoriafest.com), and in 2015 will expand to include 2 dates in South Africa.
A sound and light spectacular combing cutting-edge visual elements and stage design, Euphoria Music Festival aims to create a unique combination of togetherness with nature, new friends and the best in electronic, deep house and indie South African music. Launching the South African shows, Huddle Park Johannesburg on 1 November will host Euphonik, Kyle Watson, Chunda Munki, Felix Laband and Matthew Mole.
Felix Laband is an icon in the electronic music scene. He creates light, emotional, minimalist soundscapes by combing several styles and samples from classical, jazz and old television recordings overlaid with instrumental performances by himself and other guest artists. Kyle Watson’s
sets are smooth and balanced, and have evolved into a style of forward thinking house music that borrows from bass, techno, deep house, garage, and jacking and tech house. His appreciation for every genre of music has given Kyle his unique and eclectic sound and it is because of this, he has secured himself a spot as one of South Africa’s most successful internationally acclaimed dance music producers.
with Frankie Knuckles, Armand van Helden, Paul van Dyke, Fat Boy Slim, Vinny Da Vinci to name a few, the Big Dawg is a highlight of the day.
Kyle Cassim, a name that is no stranger to nightclubs all over South Africa. After doing his five gig tour to the Netherlands last year, performing alongside legendary artists such as Franky Rizardo, Skitzofrenix and Jeff Doubleu, Kyle Cassim has been commanding dance floors all over South Africa, leaving every club 3 weeks later, Pretoria will be set for a lineup and festival begging for more. that includes DJ Fresh, Kyle Cassim, Euphonik, Pop Art, Vimo, Kyle Watson, Chunda Munki, Adding a unique twist to this year’s festival, Matthew Mole and Desmond & The Tutus. the inclusion of pop and indie will ensure that fans of music are treated to an eclectic mix. DJ Fresh is one of the most iconic names in Headlining this, Johannesburg based, Desmond South African house music. Over 24 albums, & The Tutus. Desmond & The Tutus have been successful radio career on 5fm, performances scare-crowing across the world’s stages with
their unique, some might call it niche, brand of kwela-indie-punk for just on ten years. But to call it niche would be entirely missing the point, the Tutus are more shape-shifters than niche, their sound slotting comfortably between Thandiswe Mazwai and Hugh Masekela, as it did at the Soweto Heritage Fest in 2013, or between surf rocker’s Beach Party and synth mavens Gateway Drugs. Their music is cheeky and infectious and jangly (but not too jangly) or it’s because they spin around the stage as if their limbs are coming off, yowling like Big Foot in the Canadian wilderness, or because they like to dress up at Halloween and are pretty serious about their costumes. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, yes they did that. Four Ali G’s. Check. The Parlotones. Check. Tickets for both shows are now on sale from Computicket, Shoprite, Checkers and Checkers
Hyper across South Africa. For more information visit www.euphoriafest.co.za or Facebook TOUR DETAILS: 1 November Euphoria Music Festival - Johannesburg Huddle Park Line up: Euphonik, Kyle Watson, Chunda Munki, Felix Laband, Matthew Mole Tickets R250 www.computicket.com ALL AGES WELCOME 21 November Euphoria Music Festival - Pretoria Pretoria National Botanical Gardens Line up: DJ Fresh, Kyle Cassim, Euphonik, Pop Art, Vimo, Kyle Watson, Chunda Munki, Matthew Mole, Desmond & The Tutus
F
ollowing the surprise release of their first new music in two years via a secretive placing of ‘No Harm’ on a Play It Again Sam label sampler and a further taster in the form of the sublime seven plus minutes ‘Marching Orders’ which saw 300 test pressings donated to Oxfam for sale in their stores around the globe, Editors are pleased to announce the forthcoming release of their fifth studio album, ‘In Dream’. No Harm: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=qM4joaqNxf0 Marching Orders: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=Rgy4EHyG94M Recorded in Crear in the Western Highlands by the band, and mixed in London by Alan Moulder, ‘In Dream’ is the second album to feature the ‘new’ line-up of the band with Justin Lockey and Elliott Williams firmly in place alongside founding members Tom Smith, Russell Leetch and Ed Lay. After two years of global touring this five piece incarnation used the new album to stretch the Editors sound, swerving away from the rock dynamic of ‘The Weight Of Your Love’ and marking a return to a writing process influenced by electronic music that draws a line from their debut album through to prominence on the band’s third album, the UK Number One ‘In This Light And On This Evening’. ‘In Dream’ is an album created without preconception. The initial visit to Crear, an isolated artist’s retreat 8 miles from the nearest town down dirt track roads was envisaged as a writing and demoing exercise but sessions bloomed within the stunning live room (with floor to ceiling windows framing the Atlantic)
and it soon became apparent that the recordings were staking a claim as finished works. At the center of ‘In Dream’ is a belief in collaboration. Thus the album was produced by all band members in an open studio environment, nowhere within Crear was cut off from the music being performed and recorded in the creative space. Downtime was sound tracked by a varied playlist that stretched from Todd Terje to 80’s Robert Palmer, John Grant to the Despacio three hour club mix that involved selections from all five members. ‘In Dream’ features the single Life is a Fear & is the first Editors album to feature duets, Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell sharing vocal duties on ‘Ocean Of Night’, (the next radio single) ‘The Law’ and ‘At All Cost’ and is an album focused on allowing artistic interpretations outside of the band to flourish; Alan Moulder was left to mix the tracks without any band involvement whilst visual collaborator Rahi Rezvani has been given carte blanche with the photography and videography that will accompany the album and its attendant singles. It is a bold and expansive statement and is driven by, according to Tom Smith, a belief that music can be ‘both pop and experimental’. Life is a Fear: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=sEa77Hxkk5A ‘In Dream’ is released as a Deluxe 2CD by Gallo/Sheer in South Africa, as well as Download, LP, & standard CD by Play It Again Sam worldwide on 2nd October 2015. www.editorsofficial.com
WORDS BY CHRISTELLE SCHEEPERS
car
007 Bond Edi t ion
W
ith the international release date of Spectre, the 24th film in the franchise, set for 24 October in the UK (and only 27 November in SA) I simply had to pay homage to Mr. Bond. Like many of you loyal 007 fans out there I have been through the series a couple of times and everytime I do it still gets the adrenaline pumping. In this edition I am going touch on as many highlights as possible.
James Bond We were introduced to the gentleman MI6 agent on the silver screen in 1962, when Sean Connery played Bond in Dr. No. Subsequent actors to portray the sought after role have included Sir Roger Moore (one of the longer serving Bonds), Pierce Brosnan (who racked up the most kills in the series) and more recently Daniel Craig. Over the decades 007 has treated us to a spectacle of fights, car chases, explosions and mind bending stunts. There has been a long raging debate regarding who is the best Bond, I am a fan of Sir Roger. That’s my story and I am sticking to it. Villains Throughout the running of the franchise there have been some pretty impressive and skincrawl scary villains. In “Live and Let Die” we had the Voodoo drug kingpin, Dr. Kananga/ Mr.Big and Christopher Walken’s Max Zorin in “A View to a Kill” was an evil treat to watch. Who can forget the 7’ giant Jaws in “The Spy who Loved Me” and “Moonraker” and Nick Nack in “The Man with the Golden Gun” who was the butler of Mr. Scaramanga, and believed to be the inspiration for Austin Powers’ Mini Me. Other spectacular villains who gave us a show stopping performance were Goldfinger, Le Chiffre and of course Ernst Blofeld, the leader of Spectre, who was in “Thunderball”, “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, “You Only
Live Twice” and “Diamonds Are Forever”, therefore making him the longest recurring villain. Bond Girls Where beauty and more often than not brains collide, we have had the pleasure of having some of the most beautiful women in the world cast as Bond girls. Desperate Housewives star Terry Hatcher finds herself included on list along with Carole Bouquet who portrayed Melina Havelock, we’ve seen Eva Green play the “Casino Royale” bond girl Vesper Lynd but still considered by many to be the quintessential Bond girl was Honey Ryder played by Ursula Andress. Cast Members The James Bond franchise has the bragging rights of boasting some of the most talented and biggest names in the international entertainment scene. Mr. Bonds’ immediate superior office at MI6 is M. M is currently portrayed by Randulph Fiennes and role has in the past been held by the beloved Dame Judy Dench, who’s M was sadly killed in Skyfall by MI6 agent gone rogue Raoul Silva (Javier Bartem). Another recurring role is that of the late Felix Leiter, James’s brother in arms from the CIA. Their friendship is said to represent the relationship between the UK and the US. My favourite of supporting cast though, is Eve
Moneypenny. Miss Moneypenny, M’s secretary, has been played by numerous actresses including Lois Maxwell, etc. Gadgets The favourite part of James Bond for most geeks (myself included) are the gadgets and being able to watch Bond go to Q branch and trade banter with Q. While the role was recently taken over by a younger actor, Ben Whishaw, the role had previously been that of Peter Burton, Desmond Llwelyn and John Cleese. Of the gadgets that we have seen pass through (and often be destroyed by the hands of Bond) includes a collection of super watches that could be turned into a magnet, contained a laser beam and could even be used as Geiger counter to pick up radiation. We have also seen mini oxygen canisters, allowing our hero the ability to breathe under water, as well as a click detonating bomb pen. Let’s get it on Oh James has been busy in a couple of interesting locations over the years. We have seen him and his Bond girl get it on under water in a mini-submarine in the “Spy Who Loves Me” with Russian agent Anya Amasova
(Barbara Bach), in a hot tub and of course the most interesting, zero gravity nookie up in space with Dr. Goodhead in “Moonraker.” James has been all aboard on long distance trains as all hands on deck on a number of yachts and sailing vessels such as a Chinese Junk.
Soundtracks Of the songs and artists of past films include Adele’s “Skyfall” that at the time of its release managed to hit the top of the iTunes and won an Academy Award for the Best Original Song, the only Bond theme to do so. On the flip side, Madonna who sang “Die Another Day” and also did a cameo in a film, which was ranked the of the worst on the list. Some of the artists who loaned their voices to booming Bond anthems include Garbage, Tina Turner, Alicia
Keys and Jack White, Duran Duran, Carly Simon, more peculiar cars we’ve seen are: AMC Chris Cornell and A-ha, to name but a few. I Hornet, Citroen 2CV and even a Ford Fairlane. must, however, tip my hat to Shirley Bassey While I firmly believe that this article could who was presented the honour of doing three not truly fully encompass the splendour that theme songs. is James Bond and everything that the franchise has meant to so many of us over the Cars And saving the best for last, James Bond past couple of decades, I simply had to tip my would not be Bond but for the awesome hat to the debonair spy. collection of cars, bikes and other vehicles I wish to, once again invite you to submit your that we have seen zoom, screech and often years/songs/albums for Drive My Car by blow to bits across our screens. Of the iconic tweeting me @BlkKnyt83 cars that, I am certain graced the walls of and DS @digitalsoulsa. ‘til many a bedroom wall, have been used in next month… Keep your foot Bonds films are members of the Aston Martin on the accelerator, your eyes marque including recurring appearances by on the road and always leave the DB5, Mercedes-Benz and BMW. We’ve had a bit of rubber on the tar. privilege of enjoying Jaguars, Ferrari’s and Lotus’ burning rubber over the decades. Of the
Stuart reece Coming home
DS: You stated on facebook that “Silver Rocket Cadillac” was written and rewritten over a period of a year. How long does the average song take from conception to recording?
produce, track, mix and master the album.
SR: It really depends on a number of factors. Sometimes it can take a couple of years before I even finish writing a song, and some songs are written in the studio and can be completed within a couple of days. The process for both of my previous albums took about a year each. About 10 months to write the music and lyrics and about 2 months to
SR: Inspiration for me comes in random waves and at random times. From things I see and experience from day to day to listening and watching the musicians that I admire. I wish there was a switch to turn it on when I need it, but it doesn’t work like that. I guess the easiest way to explain it would be to say ‘any situation that moves me emotionally’.
DS: Where do you draw inspiration from?
DS: Do you have a muse? SR: Indeed I do. DS: Tell us more about your new single “Coming Home”. What inspired it? Where were you when inspiration struck and what story do the lyrics tell? SR: Before we started the recording of this EP I had written a bunch of songs that the
producer Jake Odendaal and I were going to pick from. I wanted to add one more song to our options the night before we were to pick and start producing the EP. Inspiration hit me in my lounge at home that night and the music and lyrics were written in one seating. The song is about being away from someone you care about, (be it work or in my case touring) and you are on the verge of coming home to finally see this person again. DS: Please share your song-writing process with us? SR: Usually I write alone with just an acoustic guitar. I come up with a couple of chords and a melody line and build the lyrics and song from there. More recently I have been writing with other musicians. The process is similar but, if you get stuck on a line or two the other musician usually has an idea to get the song writing process moving again. DS: As you featured in our “Under the Ink� segment by Sherene Hustler in the September issue of Digital Soul, we already know that you plan on adding to your already extensive collection of stunning tattoos. Would you care to share what you have planned? SR: We are playing in Port Elizabeth at the end of the month, and I have booked time with Kirsty at Tailored Sailor Tattoo Studio. She is the girl
plans for a national tour? SR: I am based in JHB so I cover a lot of ground here regularly. I am looking at visiting KZN this year and most definitely retuning to the Eastern and Western Cape for the festive season. In terms of a DS: Do you play any instruments other than national tour, I would like to do that in March next year. I am busy planning that already. the guitar? And can you read sheet music? DS: What are your dreams and aspirations? SR: I play Ukulele and Harmonica and I can When will you know that you have “made it”? play a bit of piano, but nothing fancy. SR: I would love to be able to play in America DS: Very often the creative arts do not get and Europe within the next two years. To me the the necessary respect or acknowledgement. term “Made It” is different to each musician. Do people ever ask you when you plan on Personally if I can get regular radio play and getting a “real job? If someone were to pose you perform in any city across South Africa and draw with this question, how would you respond? a full house (anywhere between 80people to SR: I have been asked this question, maybe not 800) I would feel really satisfied. so directly, but usually if someone is closed DS: Do you believe in aliens? What would minded enough to think that, I don’t really care you say or ask in the event that you were to for their opinion too much. The few times I have meet an extra-terrestrial? been asked I usually say something silly to SR: Good question, I am not convinced that lighten the mood. Like “are you hiring” or “what they don’t exist. The universe is too big to deny are you offering” the possibility of it. But until I know for certain I DS: You are performing in Grahamstown, am going to say that it’s a myth. If I were to see PE, East London and Cape Town to celebrate one, I’d say “what took you so long?” the release of “Coming Home”. Are there any that has done all of my tattoos. I have two ideas in mind. One is a Dream-Catcher in the middle of my chest, and the other option is to start the second sleeve. I guess I need to decide quickly, But I’ll be sure to send you a pic.
Slide
Jozi
S
lide Jozi what a concept! On Saturday, 17 October, Spiced Productions transformed Sandton into the ultimate urban playground. This first of its kind fun day utilised the city’s concrete landscape as the setting for a wet and adventurous ride. The 300m slippery slide started at the top of West Street heading towards Rivonia road where it ended in a pool of water.
Central. Trace urban, Flying fish and Dragon energy drink came together to show everyone that anything is possible. Maintaining the entertainment and keeping the crowd pumping, well fed and refreshed in the Spring heat.
With the devastating heat come the amazing bodies.... The six packs, long legs and bronze of Summer! Although the slide wasn’t situated on the steepest slope it didn’t cease to please. The vibe outside of the slide was magical to say The atmosphere filled with laughter, activity the least, with the stalls offered convenience and excitement. Elation written on the faces and all the necessities required for a ball of a of everyone present, young and old alike. The time. mind blowing slide, offered tons of fun within The crowd and atmosphere was similar to its colossal frame, cooling participants off that of a beach fiesta. Let’s take a moment as they rushed down into the slide into the to appreciate the gorgeous summer ready refreshing, foamy pool of crisp water. bodies, adorned in the bright and whimsical The entire event was a magnificent feat, not to colours of spring.... Makes me feel like mention blocking off a road right in Sandton going to the beach for a few cocktails....
WORDS BY JAZZ GREEN
The music was on point from start to end. and also provided those in the queue with I do think that it added to the elation. some fresh tunes before the slide. While Trace kept us all occupied with a very entertaining DJ JC provided me with the sounds I needed dance-off and the Flying Fish team stole the for my soul and in my opinion, “the groove show in the #flavorfontein stall and gave the master”. The Trace Urban team catered to the whole street an exotic feel. The promo and hip hop heads and to my inner head. With bar teams were pleasing to the eye while that said, every single performer gave an the seating area resembled a holiday scene outstanding performance, hats off to Time Odv 10/10 for that. Security at the event was topfor his brilliant presence and sound. Shorty notch and provided a sense of safety, security on sax and Sisco Umlambo for sharing such and even a source of entertainment. amazing musical gifts. To Mark Stent, Felix All in all Slide Jozi is an experience I’ll not Brendel, Household Funk, Kyle Cassim and Vin soon forget. A family day that was beyond Groovin Y’all make the world a brighter place! enjoyable for everyone and allowed the inner Besides the rocking entertainment, the food kid in all of us to make an appearance in a was the perfect choice for any real meat lover. world of constant pressure. I appreciate being Unfortunately there wasn’t much on offer for a part of something so large. Had the time the vegetarians but, no starving people here! of my life and hope to attend another slide Dragon Energy Drink, kept the crowd going soon....
Back in 2013 I was invited one night to shoot a band with a good friend, this was the night I fell in love with shooting live music photography. The venue was Blue Moon and at the time I had no idea where this means of photography would take me. I have seen so many different venues in South Africa and seen such a variety of performers that it has given me the opportunity to refine and establish myself in this field and I am eternally grateful to the people involved in allowing me to shoot. This has become my passion and to be truly happy one needs to always follow your passion. I have learnt a lot in the past few years and because of this I have some good advice I would like to share. Learn as much as possible, every moment needs to be a chance to learn and grow. Develop your style and by doing this you need to expose yourself to everything that is photography. Go for classes, go to exhibitions and speak to other photographers. Support local artists keep Rock & Roll alive, shoot music and allow the world to see it. You are making history. Every image you take is a moment in time that you were a part of and you have the chance to share it with the world, so do it. Also support your local camera stores, create a relationship with them and they will help you grow in knowledge. Print your work, believe in yourself and never give up.Being a photographer means long hours and it can be unpredictable so always be ready for the unexpected. I myself would like to thank Pentax South Africa, Sandisk and Rock Star threads for their support. They have been fundamental in my success as a photographer.
Feat ured photographer
ru di olivier
artist bio
Social Media Pages Twitter - @rlensphoto
SONJA RUPPERSBERG -TERMINATRYX
STEVEN TYLER KINGS OF CHAOS
MINISTRY -CARFAX
KAHN MORBEE - THE PARLOTONES
TAILOR
BLACK CAT BONES OPPIKOPPI 2015
Rock7 Film
Rock & Film is a series of works created to invigorate the classic means of film photography and the different rock genres. By capturing these captivating moments experienced by the performer once he or she is on stage, it becomes an art form. The viewer is hereby made part of a second in time where the performer is bearing their soul, using film in these moments adds to the authenticity of seconds. The moment is instantly burnt into the negative. Fujifilm South Africa has been a wonderful help in sponsoring the film to make this series possible therefore thank you to them. Big thank you to the bands and venues for allowing myself the chance to create this series. A limited edition Canvas printed series is available for purchase at www.rlensphoto.co.za
matthew
silver L ove.
Here.
NOW! WORDS BY YOLANDE GYPSYCHILD
M
atthew Silver has been performing on the streets of New York for the last 9 years. He is an artist specialising in ad-libbed, audience participating, improvised comedy. At first glance he appears lost in his own mind. But what he is trying to promote through his many animated performances is self-liberation, acceptance, gratitude, kindness, laughter and above all - love. With a string of one liners and anecdotes fast becoming recognised globally (bkawk being the most familiar) his aim is to unite people by encouraging a world of non-judgement through a peaceful revolution starting with the self.
laughter, loosening people’s armor, and opening up a portal for imagination, creativity and love.
Some people see me as a raving lunatic, pompous “artistic” hipster, or attention-starved 9 year-old, but people don’t consciously understand the role of a clown in society. Read between the lines and you will start to see things from a different perspective. By breaking down boundaries, I provide you, the viewer, with permission to open your mind and realize it’s okay to act silly from time to time. We may trick ourselves into believing we know everything, constantly striving for perfection in a society that requires a civilized, job-holding, serious individual. We cannot be perfect. If we allow ourselves the chance to be Matthew explains his objective as follows: flawed perhaps we can let the obstacles humble “My role as a clown, trickster and village idiot is us, rather than make us rigid. In the end we can to parody excessive seriousness by playing with let our guards down to attain our most basic taboos, rules, and social norms. My inspiration need of giving and receiving love.” comes from my heart. I perform for smiles and
hellca
ats WORDS BY YOLANDE GYPSYCHILD
T
hese days music has become “disposable” in a sense of the word. Some years ago we used to follow a band’s entire career, we spent, what felt like a fortune, on their albums and we would listen to those albums, over and over again for years. Now, I don’t doubt for a second that you are still in possession of one or two of said albums but these days, it has become so simple to discover new artists and new tunes are so easy to come by, that it seems music has become something that we use for very short periods of time before discarding it and replacing it with the next album or artist. But every now and then, an exceptional band comes along, a band whose sound is completely original, yet evokes a sense of nostalgia… You know? The way bands “used to be”. Bands like Pearl Jam, Radiohead or the Smashing Pumpkins. Every now and then you hear a track and you know, you have found something exceptional, a band whom you would, potentially, remain subscribed to, twenty years from now… I am thrilled to share with you, what I suspect may just be, one of “those” bands. If you attended Rocking the Daisies this year, surely you will already be familiar with this (surprisingly, yet inspiring) unsigned, independent band, Hellcats. Two members, Alex Benigno (drums and vocals) and Warwick Rautenbach (guitar) from a band formerly known as The Cable Stealing Gypsies, deliver raw, emotive rock & roll, the way we remember it and the way it should be…. ‘Most of their music available on soundcloud and were recorded with one mic in the middle of a room. “… dirty and raw as hell. We like to get our music out as soon as we make it, in its purest form, unpolished and uninhibited. “ I suppose a prerequisite to becoming a rock star is sex appeal… or is it the other way around? I can’t be sure. But when a bona fide rocker tells you that playing music for himself is hands down the most pleasurable thing that he’s done with his clothes on, and you are familiar with the reaction he is referring to when he says “Playing that music to people and watching them react to that thing in the same way it makes you feel, is a beautiful thing”, you don’t require much imagination to envision the queues of groupies lined up at their gigs. Apart from passion, brute talent and sublime concept and execution of their art, attitude and wicked sense of humour are areas where they most certainly don’t fall short. When asked to describe their sound for those readers who may not yet be familiar with Hellcats, they responded: “Imagine a biker gang with chainsaws, tearing through an orgy”. Was there a pivotal moment that they realised that this was what they wanted to do? “Hellcats is a two piece band. The two of us used to be in another four piece band. So I guess the first time we played without the other two guys, we knew that this was what we wanted to do.”
Although I never inquired about their respective ages, I think it is safe to say that our ears and souls welcome new audio ventures from 80’s (or late 70’s – maybe?) babies! When listening to tracks like “Start Running”, their authentic rock & roll influences are apparent. Again, raw, real – authentic. “High Noon” conjures up mental images of what a back-stage experience must have felt like at rock festivals with line-ups featuring names like Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and Led Zeppelin. No-bullshit, no pretense, “coveryour-face-‘cos-it’s-gonna-get-dirty” rock-and-f*ckin’-roll. Unaffected by “tough crowds”, staying true to their sound and product, we may rest assured that one won’t hear Hellcats playing a cover tune in a measly effort to please, “We’re not really down with that. If you don’t like what we’re doing, it’s your prerogative to not like it, but we really couldn’t give a shit to be honest.” No surprise there when Warwick reveals his admiration for David Bowie, who he explains: “has changed the face of music several times through his career. It’s always been calculated. The man is genius.” He also continues to share his earliest memory of being moved by a particular piece of music – “When I was 6, I heard Survivors “Eye of the tiger” on the radio and I made my mom leave the room so I could dance to it by myself. The memory is vivid and I remember that even at that young age, rock n roll had me by the balls.” To my delight, my “e-meeting” with Hellcats came full circle when they stated in closing: “The Internet has made way more music, way more accessible, to way more people. On one side of the coin, it’s great, who wouldn’t want any genre of music available at the click of a mouse? On the other side, music has lost its mysticism in a lot of ways. People can watch their rock gods eating couscous now. Where’s the mystery in that? I used to tape songs radio shows on my boom box, swap those tapes with friends and tear pictures of my idols out of music magazines. It was fucking magical. People, including myself, who have so much access to so much shit now, get bored easily, and give less of a shit about the craft and soul that goes into making great music.” If you are in Jozi, I urge you to attend Dakota Lee on the 20th for the launch of the first volume of a series of EP’s called “A Coffin full of Hellcats”. Which, may I add, they plan to put to vinyl in the next year!” https://soundcloud.com/hellcats https://www.facebook.com/Hellcats.Official Instagram: @hellcatsband App on Mac appstore or Google play: Hellcats Band
n
The
WORDS BY CHRISTELLE SCHEEPERS
art
of
nudity
S
ince the beginning of time the female form and all its splendour has served as the inspiration for many an artist, poet and musician. Whilst the majority of these works celebrate the beauty and vulnerability of women as the fairer sex, in recent times (and in particular since the inception of the porn industry) things have taken a turn for the nasty. In this feature I wish to touch on the good, the bad and the ugly of female nudity in a couple of the arts genres. Paintings and sculptures Some of the finest works in honour of female beauty dates back to the ancient world where the painters and sculptures of the Roman and Greek empires (to name but the two most prominent of the ancient civilisations, even though the former scaled a lot of their style from the latter) and many of these works, that have survived, can still be seen today in museums across Europe and the Med, a prime example includes the Aphrodite of Milos aka “Venus de Milo� (Alexandros of Antioch) which can be found in The Louvre in Paris. Female nudity in ancient Greece embodied the divinity of procreation, probably the best known example of said nudity would be that of the above mentioned Greek goddess of Love, Aphrodite (aka Venus in Roman mythology), who even though the Greeks preferred to see her clothed, during the Hellenistic period, Graeco-Roman art depicted the mathematically sculpted goddess while naked in a more modest demeanour. This was achieved by the use of her tilted head and position of hands as if to depict her somehow being
caught unawares in the bath. It is the embodiment of female sensuality and seduction that now seems all but forgotten. These ancients works, have served as inspiration and “Mentors” for thousands of artists both before and after the turning of the CE. This is true of the Renaissance period throughout Europe where, in keeping with the Venus theme, artists like Titian and Sandro Botticelli were responsible for creating two of the most gorgeous female nudes, Venus of Urbino and The Birth of Venus respectively. Pin-Ups Fast forward to the late 19th century and we are introduced to a now loved art form of pinups. Pin-up girls or models resulted from burlesque actresses who needed to attract attention to themselves and get publicity for their shows. Betty Grable was one of the actresses who eventually became known as a sex symbol, stemming from her posters being at home in the lockers of many a WWII soldier. Prior to WWII another form of the Pin-Up was the Gibson Girl, as drawn by Charles Dana Gibson, who drew these idyllic beauties and they were originally appreciated for their beauty rather than their sexuality such as the Vargas Girls. These pictures were seen as inspiration for the men of war, rather than being viewed as prostitutes or worse, they were used as nose art on many a WWII bomber as they were thought to bring the soldiers good luck. Pin-ups are said by the Huffington Post article on The History of The Pin-Up Girl to be: “…Risque, but never explicit… flirtatious but fiercely independent.” Modern mainstream Music, movies and porn While there may still be artists around who celebrate the beauty of the
media:
female form, it saddens me to say that mainstream media seems to rather intent on drowning these artworks instead replacing them with considerably less tasteful and in your face options. This is being done in the name of staying relevant and for shock value a la Kardashians, Smiley Virus, etc. The ever popular, around since the beginning of time, porn industry also does not do much to preserve female integrity. Now, instead of being revered many women find themselves exploited for the sake of our getting off. Many people working within the trade find themselves at the mercy of unscrupulous directors of these films who push the boundaries as they see fit and those who opt not to comply are simply black listed and left out of work. The other side of the oversexed society that we find ourselves in is the exposure of children to such materials. I am not a fan of the traditional monogamous relationships, simply because it is not in our nature as human being to have only one partner for life. Experts such as George R. Scott states that prostitution (another frowned upon industry) has served as the much needed antidote the restrictions placed on us by the morality codes imposed on us by the Judo-Christian system. This is
necessary as it has been found that the oppression of human sexuality is invariably bound to lead some or other behavioural malfunction. Of pornography there you will find opposing points of view, those for it argue that it can be used to reactivate an ailing sexual relationship between spouses while the counter argument states that an addiction to pornography could easily bring a healthy marriage to do a dead grinding halt.
Nudity, sex and sexuality are as big a part of our human identity as breathing. The questions I wish to leave you with are: where do we draw the line? Has being risqué and flirty forever been demolished by the obscenity that hard core has come to represent? Or is still possible for us to maintain a level public “privacy” and blow (pun intended) the hat off the status quo behind closed doors?
acoustic
guita WORDS BY BENJAMIN SHEPHERD
c
ars
GEAR / EQUIPMENT
S
o get home from an epic surf session, I am tired but ampt for what is going to be an awesome evening with my chick, the dudes, bongs and bonfires on a typical Cape Town spring evening (stick that in your pipe and smoke it Jozi and Durbs.) The moon is starting to rise in the distance, ou’s are clamouring up Lion’s Head and Devil’s Head with their head lamps. On FB there’s speak of Moonlight Meditations at Clifton and this city is so kalm soos ‘n dagga walm. While I am lazing about waiting for my peeps to rock up, I pick up my axe and I am strumming it effortlessly when all of a sudden I am hit with this burning question, the kind that hits you like a moerse pip slap (you know those mom gives you when eat all her Tomes): How the fuck does thing actually work? I get out of my bean bag, slowly walking down hall faster than a cannon ball, and consult the all-knowing Google. As I am sitting there I realise, but what if I am not the only numbnut out there who does not know how it works. What about other instruments? Then I remember my goose mentioning something about DS, how kief the mag is and that they are looking for writers… one thing leads to another and here is my first piece: How does an acoustic guitar work? The strings are connected to the fret board, the fret board’s connected to the hollow body. Thanks, it’s been real! What… it must be 800 words? Oh fuck, guess it needs more details then. The acoustic guitar is comprised of the three fundamental parts that mentioned to you above: the air, the body and the strings. I will now attempt to dissect this beast in a manner that even an amoeba will understand. Let’s take a look at the different parts of an axe, how they work and then we can string them altogether.
The Air The air in the guitar is the most important part of the guitar, ‘cause it is necessary for picking up the lower range of the instrument. The air just inside the sound hole of the guitar fluctuates and in so doing it causes the air inside the body to expand and compress leading to the formation of the Helmholtz resonator. The resonator is ultimately what amplifies the lower frequency waves stemming from the lower frequency strings. Acoustic guitar makers achieve this amplification by tuning the frequency of the resonator. The Body The elements combined to build the body are directly responsible for the guitars output capability and the volume of the sound it can deliver. Included among the elements is the use of soft wood for the top plate, as the softer the wood used the easier it vibrates (the top plate needs to be reinforced though, as failing to do so will cause the wood to warp and the tension of the strings may cause the plate to crack, the sound quality will then drop and become distorted.) The body of the guitar therefore takes to the air that it, the vibrations of the bridge. The Strings The different range options, in terms of frequencies that the guitar can create, are determined by the varying string options, i.e. length, tension and linear density. Simply put the shorter and/or denser the string the higher
the frequency that it creates and of course vice versa, the longer the string and the larger the linear density, the slower the frequency the guitar creates. By changing the length of the string, which is done when the player presses on the different frets on the neck of the guitar the frequencies are manipulated and causes an increase in the frequency is produced when it the string is plucked. The strings themselves are not capable of emitting much sound, hence the need to have them attached to the bridged, which is connected to the top plate of the guitar’s body. This transfers the frequencies to a larger surface area capable of achieving more intense pressure disturbances. In a nutshell… Basically, the guitar creates its sound through a series of different vibrations which causes different frequencies that are affected by the air in and around the body of the guitar. Factors that influence these frequencies include the length and weight of the strings used, the compliance of the string and the tension of the string. Of the six strings on a guitar each emit different frequencies ‘cause of their length and weight. The length of the string and the subsequent frequency that it emits can be changed by the musician placing his/her fingers on the various frets on the neck of the guitar. And that, mofo’s, concludes our first lesson. Next I’ll tell you dudes about the Electric Guitar.
“We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us.”
nonymou WORDS BY
CHRISTELLE SCHEE
us
EPERS
I
n a time of anti-government protests and movements gaining momentum across South Africa and around the World, with this our November month issue we thought that we simply had to take the time to tip our hats to those who refuse to stand by idly and simply accept the bullshit that we are dished out by politicians and big business. One of the organisations at the forefront of the international anti-bullshit movement is Anonymous.
Anonymous is now well-known for a myriad of brilliantly executed and publicised stunts and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on various public entities. Anonymous, consisting of members called Anons (who are often seen in public wearing Guy Fawkes masks), is an organisation of hackers and activist that been responsible for some pretty hell raising leaks and DDoS attacks since their formation in 2003. But before we delve further into all matters Anonymous, let us flip through the pages of the history books and get some insight into the man behind the mask: Guy Fawkes, the reason why on the 5th of November commonwealth countries celebrate Guy Fawkes Day. Guy Fawkes, aka Guido Fawkes (a Catholic convert) a name that he assumed when he fighting for the Spanish in the Eighty Years War, was introduced by Thomas Wintour to Robert Catesby. Catesby was conspiring to assassinate King James I as he wished to have a Catholic monarch wearing the Crown. Fawkes agreed to join the conspiracy and was placed in charge of guarding the explosives that they gathered in the under croft situated directly beneath the House of Lords, the night prior to the intended explosion. Sadly for the conspirators their plan was thwarted when authorities received a tip off and searched the palace. Fawkes was found on 5 November 1605. After his capture he was tortured in what came to be known as the Guy Fawkes Room in the Tower of London, he was later executed and quartered, along with the rest of his conspirators, and he quarters sent to the four corners of the kingdom as a warning to would be traitors. Over the centuries the story of Guy Fawkes evolved and his face has become synonymous with modern day anarchists such as the mask used by V in V is for Vendetta… the very same masks used by the Anons. In 2012 Time Magazine called Anonymous one of the “100 most influential people.”
Although Anonymous may have started their international hacktivist activities for the sake of garnering lulz or entertainment, the 4chan posts consisting of comments and images soon gained momentum. During the inception period of 20032007 posters even acted as if the posts were done by the same person, they would even execute mass raids on public entities such as the 2006 raid on a Finnish social networking site Habbo Hotel’s digital pool. Since the 06 incident Anonymous has slowly cranked up the heat and intensity of their attacks targeting a causing havoc at a number of international organisations, including the fact that they have threatened to delete Israel from the internet. The threat has left them to be branded as anti-zionists. By 2008 Anonymous launched the Project Chanology campaign when it attacked The Church of Scientology. Of the actions conducted included prank calling their hotline and protesting at a number of Scientology venues around the world. It was these protests that lead to the Guy Fawkes mask becoming the ‘face’ of Anonymous. In 2010 they launched Operation Payback is a Bitch, as a retaliation to finding out that the Indian company Airplex had been given the go ahead to launch their own series of DDoS attacks against websites providing pirated content. The Anons’ well-orchestrated DDoS attack, left the Airplex website down for an entire day. To further drive home the point that Anonymous will no longer tolerate major corporations curtailing access to and spreading information the organisation took down the websites of both the Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America. By November of the same year, WikiLeaks shared 1000s of US diplomatic cables, causing Amazon.com to kick them from their server and then Visa, MasterCard and PayPal followed suit by cutting off their services to WikiLeaks. The Anons “paid back” the gesture by targeting and shutting down PayPal’s website for an hour on 8 December resulting in a loss to the company of $5.5 million. Sadly the attack resulted in 14 Anons being arrested and 13 pleading guilty to the attacks. The Westboro Baptist Church became the next target of the Anons in 2011, owing to their homophobic
tendencies. They were responsible for bringing down the church’s GodHatesFags.com with a DDoS attack as well as publishing the personal information of church members when they had threatened to picket at the funerals of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. In another attack on anti-gays, Anons hacked the Amama Mbabazi, the Prime Minister of Uganda’s website when the country’s parliament considered introducing capital punishment for being gay. Operation Darknet was another of the organisation’s zero tolerance attacks when it took on websites hosting child pornography. Its biggest success was hacking “Lolita City” and releasing the names of 1589 registered members of the site. Further porn site attacks included the hacking of “Is Anyone Up?” and its copycat site “Is Anyone Back” (these site’s operators hack into the email accounts of their victims, steal their nude photos and post them on their website.) The Anons crashed “Is Anyone Up’s” servers and also posted the personal information of the two sites respective owners on the net. Anonymous has been/is involved in numerous other hacks and protests around the world, with today 5 November including the Million Mask March which takes place in various cities around world, including Cape Town and Jozi. The end of last month the organisation hacked the KKK and released the information of several high ranking US government officials which needless to say resulted in a political storm in the US. While the organisation may have received a lot of criticism through mainstream media for its bold actions and unprecedented attacks on those who wish to keep us ignorant and marching “…to the rhythm of the war drums…” one thing is for certain in world where there’s an inherent lack of moral integrity in the vast majority within the upper echelons of the global political, religious and corporate hierarchy I am thankful for much needed organisations like Anonymous. Such organisations are necessary to remind us that if we stand united, albeit sporting our Guy Fawkes masks, we really can stick it to the Man.
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https://www.facebook.com/events/1916717231886146/ 7 - 8 december CONSTITUTIONAL DAGGA HEARINGS, HIGH COURT , WESTERN CAPE The Constitutionality of the prohibition of Cannabis, aka Dagga, has been challenged by multiple plaintiffs from civil society and will be discussed in the Cape Town High Court from 7 to 8 December 2015. We call on ALL supporters for the legalisation and appropriate, science-based regulation of cannabis for the public benefit to support us in a mass presence outside the court. This event will start at 08h30 on 7 December 2015, and will feature an all night vigil for Dagga rights on the night of 7 December, and the event will end at 18h30 on the evening of 8 December 2015. Speeches will be given at the lunch hour, and we ask all who work in the city centre to attend our event during their lunch hour.