Welcome to Dilate.
A new, freely distributed arts and culture magazine based in Leeds, we aim to showcase some of the best upcoming talent in art, photography, music, design and illustration from around the UK. In this inaugural edition, we’ve put together an eclectic mix of local talent, as well as reviews and interviews from the worlds of film and music. We’re not in it for the dolla’, so as well as this ‘zine, there’s a fullcolour version available free online at:
DILATEINC.CO.UK Enjoy Dilate Team
JOSEPH MAYERS
Multiple exposures aimed at capturing a sequence of movement suspended in time
josephmayers.tumblr.com josephmayers@live.co.uk
35mm black&white film photographs from a series following life in a student house. Full collection available free at:
www.blurb.com/books/2882792
KOSY THE CRACKHEAD While you’re sleeping, Kosy’s out creeping. From Headingly to Kirkgate, Kosy’s Crackheads are on every corner in the city
facebook.com/kosycrackhead kosy_the_crackhead@hotmail.co.uk
ALESSANDRO DE BESI
I find it interesting the way skaters respond to the unexpected. Using materials found on location to alter what they see around them, building ramps, gaps and rails to suit their needs. I teamed up with three skaters as they explored Leeds, documenting how they challenge themselves and their environment.
alessandrodebesi.com adebesi91@gmail.com
Tom
Matt
Ben
ELLIOT BYRNE I’m very intrigued by war masks worn by samurai and those types of
ancient war stories, so I wanted to make my own. I like that kind of stuff. I like those old stories, tales even.
terminalbyrne.wordpress.com
SI WALKER
Representing Leeds-based ‘STUFF&THINGS’ Collective, Simon Walker flexes most of his bulging creative muscle on the music and film scene, including album covers and limited edition screen prints for select gigs as well as classical film screenings at independent cinemas.
Facebook // Stuff&Things Collective emailstuffandthings@gmail.com
BIRD MAN
THE MISADVENTURES OF ALEX DODGSON dodgeyartwork.tumblr.com alexandermaxwell2@gmail.com
The stick swung past the end of my camera and the dusty old Chinese man shouted garbled curse words through his rough, untamed beard. So began one of the most interesting afternoons of the year. Having fled Kirkgate market, I was sitting laughing to myself when Roy sat down next to me with a thud. He introduced me to his eccentric Irish mate, and together they explained how my bearded Asian aggressor was notorious around the market, and trying to take his photo on the sly was probably a bad idea. After chatting a while I decided it was time to go and asked this charismatic pair for a photo, but it turned out Roy had a proposition
of his own. Leaning in with a conspiratorial whisper, Roy informed me that he was looking for a photographer, and could offer £5 for my troubles. My fascination overcoming the silent screams of internal warning bells, I warily heard Roy out as he told me of his passion for birds. He had been raising Budgies for many years, entering his feathered companions into competitions around Yorkshire. He explained that he wanted pictures of his prizewinning birds to send to the local paper, and needed my help. Fairly certain that this was both a bad idea and a fast-track to a shout-out on Crimewatch, I agreed anyway as I couldn’t resist the temptation of glimpsing how this man lived his life.
I got into Roy’s car and we drove a few miles out to a place called Beeston. As we drove through the crumbling industrial area, Roy gave me a local history lesson, pointing out faces and places along the way. He explained how the brother of the local pub owner was a champion wrestler and had fought Hulk Hogan in America. Roy then revealed that he had spent most of his life as a Pavarotti impersonator, raising money for local charities. Eventually we arrived at an old semi-detached house in a part of town more notorious for burglaries than budgies, and Roy showed me into his home. Half-expecting dead cats and stacks of newspapers, I was relieved to be faced instead with faded hallway walls covered with sprinklings of photographs, paintings, certificates, trophies and rosettes from Roy’s life.
I was intrigued; what adventures had this maverick been on; what stories did he have to tell, experiences to share? For all his passion, eccentricity and charm, I began to get the impression that Roy was a lonely guy, and who could blame him?
Giving me a tour, Roy led me to a top floor room packed full of rosettes; there were hundreds of them, and I could tell now that Roy was serious about his birds. He led me through to a cramped room filled with birdcages, and I was surrounded by the most beautiful and colourful budgies I’d ever seen. Roy reminded me he needed a photo. It was time for business. Standing there holding the cages, Roy burst into song, proudly reciting opera very loudly. He was talented for sure. Lost for words I proceeded to photograph him. As if things weren’t strange enough; I came to realise after I’d had time to process the events of the day that the cages Roy held up to be photographed were empty. No prize-winning budgies were to be seen.
MIKE WINNARD Order// Chaos Civilization // Nature
mikewinnard.co.uk mikewinnard.tumblr.com mike@mikewinnard.co.uk
ANNIE TOBIN
Taken on the cities streets of South East Asia, these images document the daily life of the Vietnamese locals; surrounded by, and almost calmed by the sea of mopeds and the constant beeping of their horns day and night, they go about their business un-phased.
annietobin@hotmail.com annietobin.tumblr.com
LESTER DRAKE My body betrays my awkward idiosyncratic personality. As such gesture is
always prevalent in my work whether drawn, sewn or painted. By embracing this I find myself producing landscapes that reveal inner tensions.
lesterdrake.com lesterdrake@gmail.com
WREATHE
There’s alot going on under the surface around here. 35mm Double Exposures
oftenfound@hotmail.co.uk cargocollective.com/wreathe
JM
WALKING HOME FROM MINT CLUB FUCKED I couldnt handle the stress of it anymore lights, colours, people blocked my way im sure i needed to leave this place but i cant grasp the door i see no difference between gutter and floor
i walk, stumble, place one foot infront of another avoiding the stares and gaze of those who mutter under the breath judgments hidden in words smooth as butter three hours still lost i feel my eyelids flutter gradually calming until the point i think i can see my perception is im in the place i need to be but the journey ive taken is confusing, lacks clarity i feel shame watching the people passing me
MATT WHEELDON kiwimitt.tumblr.com kiwimatt1@hotmail.co.uk
DILATE DIAL EIGHT DIE LATE
SOPHIE CURTIS
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuppy@hotmail.com unaware-underwear.tumblr.com
NATISHA GREENAWAY moonwillowphoto.tumblr.com/ tish167@gmail.com
Britain’s Market// Find the weird and the wonderful here//Leeds Market Hall//
First Flush// unique prints// analogue and instant// physical not digital// experiment and create//
Actual Size: 8.8 (w) x 10.7(h)
ROSIE VOHRA
Each piece of my work acts as an expression of my state of mind at that particular moment and my constant need to document obsessively through mark making. I aim to create an unexpected composition using different materials as a way of tapping into my imagination and examining my thoughts, feelings and emotion.
rosievohra.tumblr.com rosievohra@hotmail.co.uk
MAX RUSHTON www.maxwellrushton.com hello@maxwellrushton.com www.maxwellrushton.blogspot.com
Your Demons Aren’t Anything Like What They Might Seem Paint on Wood
Here’s Proof Paint on Wood
Squark Paint on Wood
SAM HUMBLE
My subject matter has mostly been an attempt at categorising states of “being” as fluid movements involving numerous identities, as outlined by Deleuze and Guattari in “A thousand Plateaus.”
sjhumble.tumblr.com sam_humble@msn.com
TOM O’NEIL
A series of editorial fashion photos
tomoneillphoto.tumblr.com tom_oneill20@hotmail.co.uk
GRACE FOSTER I enjoy creating sensual but mysterious female forms. Making use of disparate imagery that compliment in ways you would not expect.
gracefoster.co.uk gracefoster89@yahoo.com
FRAN CALVERT francalvert_7@msn.com
1. A simple sketch using pen on wet paper, allowing the ink to run. 2. A quick watercolour sketch taken from a series of drawings, produced with the constraint of one colour. 3. Produced by dropping ink onto wet paper, allowing the mediums to emerge together.
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2
3
A Guide To...
WHEATPASTE
Wheatpaste is the cheapest, stickiest way to put up posters, pastes and anything flat. Its also easy as hell to cook. You’ll need:
A large Saucepan Mixing Bowl Whisk Cup Tablespoon Teaspoon Plain Flour Sugar Water This makes about 1 bottle full...If you want more, just doube everything up.
Stick 3 heaped tablespoons of flour into the mixing bowl. Slowly pour cold water into the bowl and whisk ‘till you have a fairly thin, smooth paste.
Stick a cup full of water into the saucepan and start heating it
SLOWLY add the paste, whisking loads
Gradually heat the mix to the boil, whisking all the time. Let it boil for a minute or 2, ‘till it’s thick. Pour the goo into a mixing bowl to let it cool. Add a teaspoon of sugar to make it extra sticky. Keep whisking while it coolsv so it doesn’t get lumpy.
When cool it’s ready to rock. You can pour it into empty squeezy bottles for easy-up.
Thin crappy printer paper and newsprint works best for posters....
ROSS BURKIN
One-off prototype inspired by skeletal structures and form.
burkinblog.wordpress.com rossburkin@yahoo.co.uk
LIZ FAIRBRASS
Recent photos taken with a hand-built pinhole camera
liz.fairbrass@hotmail.co.uk
MUSIC THE MONTH IN MUSIC
This is a space that the kind lads at Dilate have asked me to fill with my musical musings. Focusing on dance music, I’ll be reviewing current releases, introducing fresh names and whatever else I feel like doing. Enjoy! EH
ONES TO WATCH
123MRK
2011 was the year in which not enough attention was paid to 123MRK. Releases on fledgling labels Squelch & Clap and the Canada based Infinite Machine saw lush synth sounds stretched across 2-Step and Garage beats in a way many attempted but few perfected last year. Get an earful of galloping banger ‘Untroubled’ or techy roller ‘Noname’ and it won’t take you long to get excited about what this year may hold for him.
EVIAN CHRIST
At the time of writing, Evian Christ is nothing but a Youtube account containing videos of multicoloured shapes swirling against a black background. But it’s the soundtrack to these abstract cartoons that’s been setting the hype machine on fire for the past month. Dark sheets of sound built from cobwebs and moon dust feel like they’re about to snap under the pressure of 808 hits and hip hop samples. In terms of genre, there are bold references to the dubstep, juke and witch house sounds you’ll recognise from a year or two gone by, but it would be a mistake to reduce this watery messiah to just those three terms. Let’s just say he’s ‘Post-2011’.
REVIEWS
Lucky Paul - Elephant Island Objekt - Cactus Hessle Audio
I don’t think I’ve ever drawn for my gunfingers as fast as when I first laid ears on Cactus. As it emerged about 15 minutes into Pearson Sound’s back to back session with Loefah from Maida Vale last summer*, whoops of delight could be heard spilling into Chunky’s mic from across the room. It’s eventual arrival on Leeds institution Hessle Audio no doubt induced similar hysteria throughout the dedicated following they’ve built. It’s a dancefloor destroyer. Objekt takes the bass-weight of DMZ style Dubstep and wraps it round one of the more complex House/Garage beats you’re likely to hear this year. Cactus finds its perfect partner in crime on the flip in Porcupine. Where Cactus brought the dubstep aesthetic down to a 4/4 template, it’s b-side takes a brush of German Techno and paints a dark garagey roller with it. Its most remarkable feature is its momentum, coming from it’s razor blade breakbeats galloping along like a horse with concrete shoes. Those beats coupled with something of a masterclass in synth work make for a worthy b-side and an earth-shattering EP.
*http://tinyurl.com/72o8kxv (Well worth revisiting)
Somethinksounds
Elephant Island could easily be a pop song. Mara TK’s vocal is so catchy it’s a testament to Lucky Paul’s skills behind the desk that it doesn’t become sickly after sitting through this whole release. These “ooh”s and “ah”s could easily have come straight off a Fleet Foxes record, but rather than float over acoustic guitars, they hide under dreamy synths and brittle crackle for the first half of it’s 4 minutes before rising triumphantly above an off kilter and, dare I say it, wobbly bassline and a beat that sounds as if it’s come crashing through the ceiling. The Piano Dub is a pleasantly jazzy re-imagination of the aforementioned which serves as a perfect palette cleanser before the remixes. Ossie steps up first and twists the tune into a brightly coloured and robotic funky bubbler. If you’re familiar with Ossie’s work for Hyperdub this won’t surprise you, but it excels in it’s functionality. Midland’s re-rub is a fitting closer to the release. The vocal is drawn out over a bombastic beat and a flickering soundscape. It’s sleek 5am house music and it counters Ossie’s peak-time dancefloor fodder perfectly to close an all round excellent release.
MUSIC MIXES
IFAN DAFYDD
RINSE FM
2011’s Welsh white label wonder confirms his talent as a DJ as well as producer with this well rounded mix for the ever reliable Daily Street series. Covering a large proportion of the unnameable genre spectrum that his tunes have become a part of, the mix finds space for everyone from Four Tet to Azealia Banks, and that’s just the first 15 minutes. Soundtracking any morning commute or night on the tiles.
The renowned pirate-gone-legit station have kindly offered up a huge zip file containing live recordings from Fabric, which was invaded by every single one of the Rinse DJs on boxing day. Highlights include Oneman delivering what most have come to expect from him, with a whistle stop tour through hip hop, house, grime and dubstep, and Marcus Nasty tearing EC1 to shreds with his grimy take on funky house.
DAILY STREET #20
tinyurl.com/7qlarch
FABRIC ZIP
tinyurl.com/7ymvg7x
NANCI AND PHOEBE Text and photos by Annie Tobin
facebook.com/NanciandPhoebeOfficial www.congonatty.com The forthcoming album Congo Natty Meets Nãnci and Phoebe brings refreshing originality to the genre that is jungle, by bringing Nãnci and Phoebe’s eclectic sounds to Congo Natty aka Rebel MCs legendary jungle vibes. Nãnci Correia and Phoebe ‘Irondread’ Hibbert are two young female artists who have joined the strength of their voices to create soulful vibes and the unique style of hosting that is ‘Nãnci and Phoebe’. Since meeting Congo Natty in 2009 they have been making their name in the underground scene and have performed at a number of festivals over the UK and European circuit alongside the family unit that is the Congo Natty crew; Outlook, One Love and Glastonbury to name but a few; delivering a massive set every time. Even if you’re bang on Oceana the majority of people in Leeds will have seen Congo Natty with Nãnci and Phoebe at Vagabondz, Jungle Jam or Subdub.
I caught up with the duo on the set of their “Notorious” video, due out in the next month, to talk upcoming album, festivals and the Leeds scene. “Love Leeds...on the ‘Dub to Jungle’ tour Leeds was definitely our favourite out of all the unis” So what can we expect from the new album? “It’s medicine, it’s like medicine to your ears, our medicine... bass heavy beautifulness with a touch of Jazz, Hip Hop and Soul. One emotional album, working with Jacky Murda, Mungo’s, Rebel and more. Look out for the next issue for a full interview with Nãnci, Phoebe and Rebel MC.
MUSIC MUSIC PICKS
THE DILATE FAMILY’S RECENT LISTENING HABITS Burial Kindred
There are essays on Burial and how good his music is, but I don't think he cares about them. I don't think there are many words that even come close to describing his music, so this is not really a review. It's just a reminder to get this release in your life, because it's fucking great, just as everyone thought it would be. EH
The Melvins Stoner Witch
Mettalica filtered through a veil of weed smoke. The Godfathers of Grunge present us with something slow, heavy and a little bit weird! LD
PINCH Fabric 61
The latest Fabric Live (61) created by Bristolian legend and heavy-weight in the UK Bass Music scene: ‘Pinch’. It’s an journey through all strains of electronic music covering new House, Techno influences and pioneering DubStep, Epic. CM
LENZMAN The Reminiscence Mix II Lenzman’s starspangled salute to the golden age with an hour and a half of the best Hip-Hop from back in the day...FREE V
tinyurl.com/6tskheq
THE RESONATORS The Resonators Dubbed-out feel good Reggae with floaty vocals and honey bass. AdB
CAT EMPIRE Two Shoes
Sunshine, good times and trumpet melodies. An ecletic mix of styles from Jazz to Funk to Ska. one for the easy going. AD
FLOATING POINTS Shadows EP
GIRAFFAGE Comfort
LDZ The Catfood EP
RADIOHEAD Hail To The Thief
Ethereal vocal samples, clicks and ticks and lot of cowbell with cut-up bass, as well as a hefty dose of hip-hop infused beats. RT
London Zoo and some of UK Hip-Hop’s finest on some great tracks with plenty of funny stuff. MW
From start to finish this EP is quality; the original, Dubby, Techno, Jazz-infused vibes are perfect for sitting in the sun and jammin’ with a Zeng. JM
“It bloody good album that.” AF
FILM
VINTAGE SCI-FI CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON 1954
Deep in the Amazon rainforest we join an expedition of scientists (and one 50’s pinup; a key feature of any 1950’s sci-fi film, apparantly there are no unattractive woman in the 1950’s) on the hunt for an ancient fossil. The fossil isn’t all that dead upon their arrival and the group runs into a spot of trouble as they are stalked and attacked by a insatiably randy fish man who can’t really swim all that well. Needless to say the underwater sequences are the highlight of the film and really are technically outstanding when you consider when filming took place. It doesn’t get much better than watching a man in a full-body fish suit floundering underwater and trying to look like a predatory monster who’s lived in a river for thousands of years and finds it hard not to get outpaced by the doctors in scuba gear trying to catch him. RT
FOREIGN
LA HAINE 1995, FRENCH
The film takes place over a single day in Paris. Following three friends from an inner-city estate as social unrest permeates the city. The film is almost like a stream of consciousness as the ups and downs, boredoms and fights with the police are all laid bare with parity. It’s a beautiful film, it deals with important issues, such as race, poverty and society as a whole but does so with humour and unrelenting energy. It has a quality soundtrack to boot. RT
DILATE PICK
‘TELL NO ONE’ 2006, FRENCH
A fast paced French thriller full of twists which shows the Americans how its done. Well acted with great characters and dialogue. 8 years ago Alexandre Beck MD, was knocked out whilst his wife was murdered. Alex is implicated by new evidenace, and now races to prove his innocence. This complex plot will keep you guessing all the way, but every attention has been paid to detail, leaving no loose ends. Although sharing similarities with “The Fugitive’, this film is far from boring or obvious and well worth a watch. LD
CLASSIC
THE THIRD MAN 1949
Set in a shelled, post-war Vienna, split between the Allied forces this is the quintessential Noir. It’s a Vienna of long, black shadows as Holly Martins tries to uncover the mysteries surrounding the death of his friend Harry Lime (played by an Orson Welles at the top of his game). This mystery is the driving force of the film along with its prodigious filming and cinematography (culminating in the best final shot I’ve ever seen). RT
NOW SHOWING
A DANGEROUS METHOD 2011
Dir. David Cronenberg gives us a racy glimpse into the early days of Psychoanalysis. With all the big names including Carl Jung as the protagonist, Sigmund Freud, Otto Gross and Keira Knightly as a deviant Sabina Spielrein. Cynics will say a thin plot is used as an excuse to see a topless Kiera Knightly being spanked, however the star studded cast convincingly portray the personalities of these historical figures, showing us how the early analysts were just as messed up as the patients they were trying to treat. For those who only know the characters by reputation, the film will give interesting insights into psychoanalysis. Psychology buffs might be disappointed with its characterisations and sensational approach, but fans of ‘Crash’ and ‘Naked Lunch’ won’t be surprised. LD
We’re always looking for new stuff in all areas; whether its art, photography, design, music or articles If you have anything you’d like us to see, send an email to desk@dilateinc.co.uk And we’ll be sure to get back to you.
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