EVOLVE Magazine Issue 4 - February 2022 by Evolve Magazine

art / music / culture / philoso

MUZK Sprays graffiti onto your soul

/ RUSTY CAGE / POGO / KENJI SIRATORI / YOSHIMI / BUTTSOMET THE MONARCH / OESB / PURE LIFE / BROKEN_CANYON / ISSERLEY / MURRUMUR P L U S REMEMBER

IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE of

FEATURED INTERVIEW

THE MONARCH

ART 02

BRUTAL FUTURE 093

RS-28 SARMAT 6 / 9

BY SHOTOBEATS @SHOTOBEATS

NUVEM LW

BY HOLLOW POINT ONE @HOLLOWPOINTONE

SCALES BY ANON

MEAT / OUR HEARTS BY SHIVERBURN @SHVRBRN

MAGICIAN OF CHAOS BY EVRYN @EVRYN_

THEFUTUREISNOW BY ETERNAL JUDGE @ETERNAL___DECAY

SINGULAR FINALE

BY GORO-MOM$ @BRKN_WONDERSWAN

ENDURING SPIRIT

BY LUCID @LUCID7777777

HYPERHEYMAN

BACK

BY HYPERHEYMAN

DRIPZ

BY MUZK @MUZKMUZKMUZK

MAIN FEATURE THE HISTORY OF PURE LIFE TAPES

Background Art on pages 46, 47, 48 & 53 Provided by ghst_note @ghst_note

BY MUTILOMAQUIA @MUTILOMAQUIA

If you would like to advertise in this magazine, or contribute to it in any way, please e-mail us at evolvemaguk@gmail.com

PAGE 8

BY HYDRA VOID @HYDRA_V0ID

INTERVIEWS 8 13 40 53 54 58 66 70

THE MONARCH MUZK OESB NICOL MURRUMUR ISSERLEY BROKEN_CANYON DREAMSHORE TAPES

INTERVIEW MUZK

FEATURE IS THIS THE END OF MUSIC?

WRITING / features

NEWS THE HISTORY OF PURE LIFE TAPES MYSTERY CD REVIEW BAGGAGE ELIZA, SOMETHING IS TROUBLING ME (PART 2) IS THIS THE END OF MUSIC? ALBUM REVIEWS ARTIST SHOWCASE: GROTESQUECHIQ

06 20 35 37 46 50 62 74

IN THE LAST MONTH... After amassing nearly 70 ambient & techno albums over the past 3 years, indie electronic label Forgot Imprint has come to a close.

LILLITH TWIN fans are in luck, for the long lost BTTTL\NGEL discography recently resurfaced on Hollow Point One.

Some dude torched his car then lit himself ablaze in protest of Australia’s COVID vaccine mandates.

Goodbye money! The Great Crypto Crash Of January 2022 saw a 30-40% nosedive for both Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Much to Nestlé’s delight, strapping cows into virtual reality headsets forces them to produce more milk in the winter.

A thief is on the loose! Over a dozen Bored Ape and Cool Cat NFT owners mysteriously lost their lucrative jpegs on OpenSea, due to an exploit with expired listing prices.

LATEST RELEASES Cassettes flew off Dream Catalogue’s shelves when The Monarch’s self titled debut paired alongside 2814’s Birth of a New Day dropped. Special Species Records assembled the whole crew with their genre spanning double LP: Anthozoa Anthology. No Problema Tapes channeled Haunted Ghost from the great beyond, with his new ambient hit, Sense of Self.

Dream Catalogue fans around the world rejoiced as the partnership between Dream Catalogue and Vapor Memory was re-established. Vapor Memory had been missing in action for the previous 5 months, and we are more than pleased to see his return.

BROKEN_CANYON Broken Ca nyon

INTERVIEW

THE MONARCH @SHADOWKILLA16

It’s always awesome to see new talent spring up in the scene, and you only started making Dreampunk last year. What was it that made you decide to make this kind of music? OK so I ’ve only st a rt ed ma ki n g d rea m p u n k m usic rec e ntly I have n ’t re l ea sed a ny t hi n g yet but it’s c oming re l a tive ly soo n u nde r a new name. I list e ned to bir th o f a new day a nd t ho u gh t it was c oo l so I dec ided t o ma ke my own

So, at the time of publication, you have released your first Dreampunk album. How do you feel now that your album’s out there in the world? Absolutely wild it’s crazy for me to even be close to what’s happened let alone witness it with my eyes I have to thank everyone for everything but I’m saving that for when I’m not tired and can think straight lol

What do you make of NFT’s & crypto? Are you interested in them at all? I do n’t rea lly like t he m t ha t m u ch , li ke t hey ’re c oo l in theory b u t i n p ra cti ce i t’s j u st ri ch people ejac ul a ting their mo ney i n t o j pe gs t ha t l ook half dec e nt a bout ha lf o f t he ti me

Who do you think’s really in charge of the world? Who’s really pulling the strings? the A me ric a n gove r n me n t . They ’re fri e nd s with every na tio n exce p t fo r a few . Thei r med ia is everywhe re a nd t hei r cu lt u re ha s s p rea d li ke some supe r c oronavir u s

What does the future look like from your perspective?

the future for me i s bi g b u i l d i n gs cove red balls to nec k in g l a ss wi t h peo p l e wa l ki n g eve ry which way like a c ol o ny o f a n t s a ll t a l ki n g o n p hones w hi l e the peo p l e a t t he t o ps o f t hese b u i ldings are l a ug hing wa t chi n g a n o b livi o u s po p u lation ignore the m se lves t o dea t h

the future for me is big buildings covered balls to neck in g lass with people walking every which way like a colony of ants all talki n g on phones while the people at the tops of these buildings are laug hing watching an oblivi ou s population ignore them selves to death

COVER INTERVIEW

MUZK @muzkmuzkmuzk

A caligrapher in the digital age, Muzk draws in the details around Futurism, FOMO, and the bridge between order and chaos

What troubles has the art of calligraphy faced in the internet age? Heh, no tro ub l es , a s fa r a s I ca n see . B u t , i f I were to think dee p ly I do t hi n k t ha t t he re ca n be m uch more e ffo r t in s howi n g t he Wo rl d how i n t e resting c a lligra p hy is , how e l e ga n t a nd bea u ti f u l the huma n for m, mu ch li ke da nci n g...i t i s a cer tain fee ling a nd of co u rse, we wa n t t o s ha re that bea uty, tha t p hil oso p hy a nd st u dy . I t hi n k also, prese rving the a nci e n t t ra d i ti o n s a nd A rts of trad itio na l c a lligra p hy, li ke i n J a pa nese Shodo or A sia n c a lligra p hy, C hi na, E u ro pe, e t c., i s very impo r ta nt. I a m pa r ti cu l a rly focu sed o n J a panese a nd A sia n c a lligra p hy, gra ffi ti , B o ku ji n ka i sty le, a bstra c tio n e tc . , a s t hese a re t he sty l es c losest to my up b ringin g b u t I a m a l so ma cro focused on a ll a r ts in ge ne ra l , a nd I t hi n k most u se rs can unde rsta nd the p hi l oso p hy a nd i n t ri n si c human va lue o f p rese rvi n g t ra d i ti o na l a rt s , a s well as he l ping othe rs deve l o p i n t e rest i n t he m . I do think tha t t he re i s a n a rt , t o p resenting de lic a te tra d itio na l A si a n ca lli gra p hy or ar t. Diffe re nt c ultures have d i ffe re n t va lu es o f how a nd wha t is tha t a est he ti c. B u t i n t he ce n t er, we c a n a ll a gree tha t we s ho u l d p rese rve t he beauty of the pa st whil e deve l o pi n g roo m fo r t he f uture, so tha t c rea tivity ca n ex pa nd , no t co n t ra c t. We don’t wa nt to “re p l a ce ” t hi n gs so m u ch as to make things eve n l ess i n t e resti n g . Kee pi n g things interesting is key .

How do modern futurists differ from their counterparts from a hundred years ago? T his is funny because “Futurismo” was thi s h u ge A r t slash social movement star ted in 1909 i n Italy ( had to goog le that year ) and I had no i dea that any of this existed when I first star t ed my ar t. I found futurism throug h being fasc i nated by com puters, building com puters, video games and electronic m usic, par ticular ly elect roni c a, chemical breaks, dr um n bass, techno, e tc . Bu t someone once mentioned the history of it to me and I did look it up. Originally Futurism was like this serious, soc i al movement in a very apocaly ptic, fucked u p, Wor ld. It was very harsh, and I notice a lot of the ar t movements star ted to become rebelli ou s movements to react to confor mity or to pave path to for more expression to exist in. T he arti sts were so militant, like “ONLY T HE F U T U R E DOWN W IT H T HE PAST,” or something like that, w hi c h i s funny, because that’s how a lot of feel now, bu t we are half joking . I think back then there was a lot more m uscle put into it. It was do or di e. Literally . T houg h, I wouldn’t downplay how stron g the ar tists of this generation are now abou t thei r manifesto. I cer tainly feel the cool ones I create. I just think we have a different, more digital way of doing graffiti now. But looking at some of the visual A r t that futu ri sts did back then is amaz ing, because, we see the beginnings of generative-sty le and cubism and things that we see as futuristic now. S o inte resti n g to see how ar t sty les develop.

How do the honest skilled artists with smaller followings compete against bot farms, short term gains, and FOMO? I think they s houl d j u st do t hei r best wo rk a nd focus and not have d ist ra cti o n . J u st focu s o n doi ng the best qua lity you ca n fo r yo u r cu st o me rs wi t h the tool s a nd b ud ge t t ha t yo u have, eve n i f i t’s zero. If it’s l ow b ud ge t t he n wo r k w ha t eve r d i s hwashing jobs yo u need to a nd p ra cti ce t he s hi t o u t of your c raft in the most b u d ge t way possi b l e . Yo u will find tha t this bec o mes yo u r st re n g t h . I think a l o t of a r ti st s t a ke t he a dvi ce o f “eve ryone’s an a r tist! ” a nd tha t’s j u st no t t r u e . I t i s i f yo u put in the wo r k . A nd i t d i sa p pea rs w he n yo u stop. Tha t’s it. So what yo u s ho u l d do i s p ra cti ce and prac tic e o r try rea lly ha rd u n ti l yo u ge t a sty le or skill l eve l a nd p rod u ct t ha t yo u yo u rse lf fee l good abo ut b uying if yo u we re a cu st o me r. C heck what is o ut the re, a nd see w ha t ki nd o f st ra t e gi es other arti sts a re doing. B e crea tive a nd fo r m yo u r own stra te gy . I a l so t hi n k resea rch a nd me n t a l wor k is pa r t o f the a rt . C o nce p t ua l a r ti st s t hi n k a lot. And their a r t c a n be ve ry co m pe lli n g . D o n ’t just use a n idea you t hi n k o f rea lly q u i ckly, ma ke sure you r moves a re st ro n g, t ha t yo u rea lly a re one with tha t idea . I t’s li ke chess . I ’m a t e rri b l e p layer but a rea lly dea r fri e nd a nd se n pa i bea t me every sing l e time a nd t a u g h t me t ha t eve ry move m ust be strong . I f yo u crea t e t hi s way I a m s u re you can ma ke do pe s hit. I al so a m no t a ga i n st s ho rt t e rm ga i n s or fomonomic s . I f yo u wa n t t o ma ke t he most utte r l o - fi c ra p i n t he wo rl d I t hi n k t ha t’s cool. I do n’t think tha t eve ry t hi n g s ho u l d be go ur met. There s houl d be ca ndy a nd ho r ri b l e a r t t oo . But everyone s ho ul d u nde rst a nd t ha t t he st reng ths and wea k nesses o f ea ch sty l e .

What does positive and negative space mean to you? It’s the inter play of air and feeling . Vi sually, thoug h not limited to. Negative space represen ts cleanliness, minimalism , and traces way bac k in ancient easter n and Japanese sty les of art. I think the negative space provides the femi ni ne, yin elegancy that can be power ful and enhanc i n g or sim ply balance. It is the acknowledgemen t of nature and using the space around you. To be connected to even the air . Positive space is what we are doing now, as livi n g, when we express what we are, like a movemen t or signature, or the way we naturally danc e...bu t the negative space is what we m ust mast er and beautify to be connected to others.

Where is the bridge between order and chaos? At the hiatus, of sword and war rior, strength and elegance, yin yang, is where all my ar t c omes from and I think the most interesting ar t c omes from this place.

DIGITAL CALIGRAPHY

MUZK

If Web3 is the future, what is Web4? If we include Web3 to be the Metaverse and have VR and A R and mixed reality, etc. T hen Web4 would be focused more on the content we upload and t he explosion of creative ideas, especially changi n g the for m and shape of the influencers them selves, different cultural nor m s, VR and A I influencers, CEO culture; the creativity of digital and VR /A R itself, like the next wave of film s, etc. But of course, there will also be hardware technology like XR and biotec h which will connect us even more to analog reality and ML and A I. Technology will never stop. I’m ready.

With a worldwide lockdown, how was fashion affected? G ood question. Now we a re eve n mo re a non and have ma s ks a nd a re o n li ne a ll t he ti me a nd are even more cy berp u n k . I t’s i n t e resti n g, o ne day all fa s hio n will lea n t owa rd me t ave rse wi t h only the l o- tec h re bel s crea ti n g t he cy be r p u nk and tec hno p unk a na lo gs o f t he f u t u re . Eve ryo ne will be wea ring the sa me a ll b l a ck o u t fi t a nd the retina - p l a c ed A R syst e m wi ll fi ll i n t he de t ail of the exo- l aye r fa shi o n D esi gn . B u t t hose re bels are so impo r ta nt a lways , a re n ’t t hey ?

What steps should an artist take to hone in on their craft? Prac tic e with othe r co n t e n t o r vi bes t ha t ma ke you prac tic e . For exa m p l e, li st e ni n g t o rea lly st rong ly c rea tive o r we ll -cra ft ed m u si c o r m u si c t hat is relentl ess ly d rivi n g wi ll give yo u t he sa me aura. It depe nd s . Yo u may need so me t hi n g rea lly e legant to c rea te e l e ga nt ex pe ri e nces . Yo u s ho u l d e nhance you r cy be r b ra in wi t h t he co l o rs o f t he thing you a re doing . Yo u ca n mi x a nd ma t ch . If you are fee ling s l ow may be li st e n t o hi gh e ne rgy or c on s ume strong ly u p li fti n g co n t e n t o r fi l m . May be ride a bike, wa l k . Ri de t he waves o f e ne rgy a nd dig into the ne t unti l yo u fi nd t he a ccess t o t he data w hi c h doub l es up yo u r i n t e n si ty i n t he d i rection you m ust go .

Text by Panta Rhei

Year i Initialisation (AUG 2018- SEP 2019)

Year 1 was a time of experimentation and initialization. This period was very self-contained and DIY, in that myself and Misha (CMD094) handled almost every aspect of the work ourselves in terms of artwork, design, mastering, videos, fulfillment and shipping, and this only started to change towards the very end of the year. Releases: Thugwidow – ‘Hollow Sun’ Sangam – ‘Vitality’ Kuroi Ame – ‘Sacred’ Iamone – ‘Synthecell’ Kagami Smile – ‘Mirror’ CMD094 – ‘Liquid’ CMD094 – ‘1992’ CMD094 x Sangam – ‘For Life’ Sangam Remixes BAKGROUND – ‘Memory Card’ Cult Member – ‘Ethernet’ Plains Apparition – ‘Encrypt’ Elegance of the Damned x Wei - ‘Corporatism’

Logo – The logo was designed by myself and my neighbor, a designer called Dan Towns. It’s a combination of the two Cyrillic characters of the Russian version of the name ‘Чистая Жизнь’. It’s supposed to resemble a neon sign, maybe one you’d see hanging above an unassuming doorway that leads to a secret club. It was mainly influenced by the signs I saw on ‘Love Hotel Hill’ in Tokyo, whilst also acknowledging the Ukrainian/Russian background of CMD094.

The Name – ‘Pure Life’ comes from a line from the song ‘The Pure and the Damned’ by Iggy Pop and Oneohtrix Point Never, that appears as the closing track of one of my favourite films ‘Good Time’ by the Safdie Brothers. ‘Eve r y d ay I t h in k ab out unt w ist ing and unt ang ling t hes e st r ings I’m in And to le a d a Pure L ife I lo ok a he a d at a cle ar sky Ain’t gonna get t here But it’s a n ice dre am , it’s a nice dre am’ The line evokes a feeling of positive dreamlike optimism dashed by an awareness of the underlaying reality. Influence – the main influence was cinema and the link between listening to music and the imagery it conjures up in your mind. Dream Catalogue was also a major influence in terms of showing how to cultivate a community through the internet whilst circumventing the entire music industry. Philosophy – It’s always been my view that independent grassroots scenes need to act as an alternative to the mainstream as opposed to being a watered-down version of it. We like to operate in a way that respects the audience and artists alike. We run the label as a not-for-profit venture so that the direction is not money driven other than to cover operation costs so artists receive the main bulk of profit. Simply put, we try to run it in a way that we would like to experience as a fan or artist.

ACID CINEMA and Streaming We were early adopters of two things that would later become commonplace across the scene. The first was streaming, the second was manipulating analogue video. Streaming seemed an obvious option for a global audience even before the pandemic. We did it on Twitch, which at the time was a distant second choice to Youtube. We would play VHS copies of films with subtitles such as Chungking Express, Ghost in The Shell, Akira, through a visual effects box and using video feedback, whilst re-soundtracking the films with Pure Life tracks. These were great community events that brought a lot of like-minded people together virtually. UNDERPASS Underpass was the name we gave our mixtape series. We’d approach artists to do mixes of their choosing, there were 40 done in total and they exist on the Underpass soundcloud page. It has then slowly evolved into our Noods Radio Residency show.

Interactive Websites We were interested in experimenting with how to present music and how much the format can provide context and shape the experience. Matthew Heywood (Bruised Skies) created a few interactive websites as promo for certain releases, the highlights of which included recreating the PS1 memory card screen for BAKGROUND’s ‘Memory Card’ and a generative poetry site for Kagami Smile’s ‘Mirror’ album.

CORPORATISM: The Game Building from the interactive websites, we commissioned Cursed Files to create a small interactive game to support the release of an album of the same name by Elegance of the Damned and Wei. The concept was initially to be able to walk around an office space in which interacting with certain objects would trigger tracks. They took this concept and turned it into a fully fleshed out game, quite an achievement for 2 people to make in less than 3 months. This was our initial connection with R3N, who has since been very important in crafting the visual identity of the label with his various audio reactive visualisations.

Physical Releases We have always released our tapes in ‘rave’ cases, a plastic clam shell case named after their prevalence in 90s rave culture. Aside from the increased durability of the cases this had given our releases a certain uniqueness. We also did one set of 30 hand-cut 10” vinyl dubplates for the CMD094 x Sangam ‘For Life’ EP which included a holographic print. We like to include extras with our releases, and we have included Pure Life PS1 memory cards, holographic obi strips, a lenticular print, stickers, game manual style zines, art-cards, a Corporatism membership card (offered early access to the game version), and even opened a Cult Member hotline (still open). We also released our apparel range, including t-shirts, a longsleeve, a hoody, a baseball cap and a football scarf.

Year ii The Chiral Network. (OCT 19 - SEP 20) Year 2 for the label was one that was defined by rapid expansion and lofty ambition countered by the realities of the outside world, such as Brexit and the COVID pandemic. During the second year we released around 2 albums a month, 23 in total. This was a sharp uptake in work and organization. We wanted to work with more people in the developing community and release a broader range of sounds than we had done in the first year. Releases:

Ambient Punk Vol I Kuroi Ame – ‘Love’ CMD094 – ‘Oscillation’ Thugwidow x VVV – ‘ЧЕРНОБЫЛЬ’ Wei Presents… ‘地府’ Evil Nature – ‘Memory Dump 001’ BAKGROUND – ‘Untitled Cassette Vol. 4’ The Microgram – ‘Self Medication’ Rashida Prime – ‘Plastic Void’ DROIDROY – ‘至福の国’ DROIDROY – ‘精神世界’ Sangam – ‘Behind The Picture’ Bruised Skies – ‘Rain No Longer Softens’ Haloed – ‘Hidden Light (Open Channels) Broken_Canyon – ‘Waiting For You’ Larry Folger – ‘Primer’ CRYOSAUNA – ‘Restless’ CRYOSAUNA – ‘Aurasearch’ W baer – ‘Strept’ ‘Downpour Ritual’ Compages - ‘Unusual Core’ Kagami Smile – ‘Lost Reflection’ Phorme – ‘Revelations’

Pure LIVE – 26/10/2019 Live events were always something we wanted to do from the outset of the label, in order to create real connection between the fans and artists and the artists with us and each other. To take something that had been cultivated through online communities and give it a real-world presence. Our first show was a very DIY affair. It was held in the upstairs of a vegetarian restaurant bar called Fuel in Withington, Manchester. It was a really special night that formed a lot of unbreakable bonds between the artists involved. We planned to do more live events but fate would see to it that we didn’t do another live event until almost 2 years later. PURE LIVE US Cancellation After the success of Pure LIVE we decided to throw caution to the wind and attempt to do a very small tour of the US in 3 cities: Chicago, Boston and New York in conjunction with Kagami Smile, VILL4IN, City Light Mosaic, Diamondstein, Sangam and others. After around 4 months of planning, on the eve of the flights out to NYC on March 7th, the worldwide travel ban into the US was announced and a day later the City of New York announced a State of Emergency, resulting in the cancellation of the shows. It was definitely a shot of reality and insight into things to come. PURE LIVE FESTIVAL I To try and regain some kind of momentum after the US tour cancellation we started planning PURE LIVE FESTIVAL I, an online streaming festival simulcast on our streaming platforms and Vapor Memory, that went ahead on the 30th and 31st May 2020. 26 artist sets were streamed over 2 days from a room on the 3rd floor during a heatwave that saw the highest recorded temperatures in Manchester. We raised over a $1000 dollars for mental health charity CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) in memory of a friend who had recently committed suicide.

NOODS RADIO We started our residency on Bristol-based Radio station Noods Radio on 25th February 2020. We’ve contributed a mix every 4 weeks since, with guest mixes from 18 artists (at time of writing) from across the scene. As a continuation of our original Soundcloud mix series the show is called UNDERPASS with Pure Life Records.

COLLABORATION As a continuation of the exploration between music and visuals, we worked with several of the visual artists in the burgeoning AV scene such as Dystopia Kid, Enigma World, Semi AV, HEVX and Kid Smpl in tandem with several releases. We collaborated with label Vill4in to see Kuroi Ame ‘Sacred’ released on vinyl. This was the first Kuroi Ame to be released on vinyl as well as the first of the label’s output to be given this treatment. We attempted to organise collaborative events with Dream Catalogue and House of the Leg but unfortunately, these never came to pass due to the pandemic. During this period we were also a part of the 2 Livewire festivals and curated a ‘Gala’ event as part of their streaming series and ran a live streaming show on Vapor Memory.

Year iii Specialism. (OCT 20 – DEC 21 ) After the previous year of releasing a lot of different artists, and focus on expanding the community, the third year we decided to take an almost inverse approach. We felt that too many labels were doing too similar a thing with the same group of artists and they were losing their distinction. We announced a roster of artists who would release albums their new output exclusively with Pure Life. The idea was to put out fewer releases but to provide VIP treatment to the artists, taking a more holistic approach, in terms of providing multi-format releases including vinyl, as well as commissioning visual accompaniments to of each of the releases. The biggest announcement was the introduction of the EVA series, our new vinyl catalogue. Releases: Ambient Punk Vol II. Ex Aquis – ‘My Emotion Overdrives’ Diamondstein – ‘The Ruiner’ BAKGROUND – ‘BUMPS ‘N’ BREAKS’ 輕描淡寫 x Kuroi Ame – ‘眼泪含泪’ ‘The MAGI System’ Twin Galaxxies – ‘Imminent Reversal’ HKE / t e l e p a t h – ‘Gateway アセンション’ CMD094 – ‘AVA’ CMD094 – ‘Heaven’ Sangam – ‘Dystopian Memory’ ‘Shared Hallucination’ CYROSAUNA – ‘RMX EP’ Ray Faded – ‘Cryptic Health’

AMBIENT PUNK VOL. II Instead of doing our first ever vinyl release as a tried and tested classic, we decided to pay tribute to the collaborative nature of the scene. The album contained 16 original collaborative pieces by 31 artists (CMD features twice) over a double LP length. The idea was to celebrate the idea of our global community by including them all in the start of this next chapter for us. I think Ambient Punk II is a true original and contains some of the best work the label has put out to date. R3N provided an audio-reactive visual accompaniment based on the concept of a ripple tank.

EVA vinyl series The EVA vinyl series began right at the start of the vinyl industry going into crisis. It’s not been the easiest ride, but the obstacles have only added to the satisfaction when we’ve finally received the fruits of the labour. The releases have ranged from new releases (Kuroi Ame x QMDX), to compilations (Ambient Punk Vol II), to re-releases of popular PL albums (BAKGROUND - Memory Card) to re-releases of albums that we believe are formative or important to how the scene has come to be (HKE x Telepath).

PURE LIVE II We hosted our second online festival in July 17th and 18th 2021 on Vapor Memory. R3N designed an entire audio reactive visuals program for use on the event giving each of the 33 sets a unique visual. We raised another $1000 for the mental health charity CALM.

AMBIENT PUNK LIVE AMBIENT PUNK LIVE was a 2-day label showcase held in London October 22nd/ 23rd 2021. The intention was to create 2 different shows to demonstrate the scope and personality of the label in separate curated environments. The first of these shows ‘Ambient’ was held in a seated gallery venue called IKLECTIK with immersive visual setup and quadrophonic surround sound. The second night ‘Punk’ was held in a basement club venue The Glove That Fits.

SYNECDOCHE We launched our new sisterlabel SYNECDOCHE at the end of November, opening with a posthumous release from Brazilian artist Kagutaba (alias of Mount Shrine/ Lindsheaven Plaza). It’ll focus on more dance-orientated releases with no crossover in artists from Pure Life, with uniform design from LA designer Enigma World.

Year iV What’s Next? 2022 The next year is going to be a continuation of the previous approach, purely because delays with vinyl have meant we have not been able to release as many of the albums we wanted to this year. We have an excellent line up including long awaited solo follow-ups from Rashida Prime, QMDX, Kuroi Ame, plus volume III of Ambient Punk. We are also in the midst of planning a new event, a festival that will bring together artists from our global roster. There is a lot else planned including a new video game, full length visual art releases and new merch. In addition, SYNECDOCHE has a whole program of releases from new artists lined up. It’s going to be a busy and maybe defining year for us, and we’re really looking forward to it.

y e a r s

o f

P u r e

8 Vinyl releases 1 Photobook 5 VHS releases 21 Music Videos 11 Visual Releases 2 Online Festivals 3 Events 1 Video Game 44 Tape Releases 7 Apparel items 4 Interactive Websites 40 Underpass Mixes 23 Noods Radio Shows

L i f e

MYSTERY CD Podel Suburban Memory Released on: EVOLVE Magazine January 1st, 2022 Review by Archizer

After a decade long break from composing electronic music, surrealist animator, Podel, joins EVOLVE Magazine with a brand new ambient album: Suburban Memory. The eleven tracks, each of which are reminiscent of European locations that the artist visited during his childhood, are reclusive and vivid—locking the listener in a dark mysterious trance. These memories are so clear, it’s almost like such events happened yesterday. Podel’s technical ability is not rusty, thanks to his specialization in sound design and natural ability to build worlds. It’s a far cry from the dramatic havoc of the 2020s, and an important reminder that you can escape all of that if you look in the right places. Perhaps these retreats are only in the recesses of our minds, or perhaps they can still be found in the outskirts, away from it all. At times, Suburban Memory is elegant, with soft strings and gentle kicks. And at other moments, these memories are enduring and brooding, as if Podel wanted to forget these locations, but couldn’t. They are etched into his head and the only recourse is to let them take power over him. Yet, the songs are never aggressive, it is ambient music after all. For such a lively environment, the suburbs that the artist grew up in are uncharacteristically menacing and void of enthusiasm. It may be closer to dark ambient than dreampunk, but it perfectly captures the genre’s essence of loneliness on a quiet midnight walk. The album strays completely from the absurdist comedy Podel has been known for in recent years. There isn’t any ear rape or explosions—the project is personal and slowly paints these deep grey paintings of a vacant city. A fresh start. And a beautiful one at that. Suburban Memory is best listened to alone, late into the night, away from the noise. The silent moments offer solitude. A time to reflect. Tracks like In the Shadow of it All are mystifying and dreamy, like a cool breeze in autumn just after dusk. Daytime brightness is seldom. The folk melodies of Sunset of My Mind splash color onto the canvas, in a welcome shift of tone. Azure skies and vibrant seaside oranges. It is fleeting. The b i rd s re turn to their nest s as the su n go e s down, leaving only a faint g l ow o f th e dar kened sky.

Suburban Memory is this month’s Mystery CD, for EVOLVE Magazine’s tier 3 Patreon supporters.

WE CARRY THE WEIGHT OF THE PAST WITH US INTO THE PRESENT. WE DON’T QUESTION IF IT’S EVEN OUR BAGGAGE TO CARRY LIKE MULES, WE LEAVE OUR MINDS WEIGHED DOWN WITH PAST EXPECTATIONS; THE SPECTRES OF WORDS SAID HAUNTING OUR PERCEPTIONS, AND FOR WHAT? THE ORIGINAL SIN OF BEING A HUMAN BEING? OR PERHAPS OUR OWN MINDS PRIORITIZING WORDS FROM CERTAIN ELDERS OR PEOPLE OF POWER OVER THAT WHAT ACTUALLY MATTERS. OUR PARENTS DIDN’T DO WHAT OUR GRANDPARENTS WANTED. WE ARE BEHOLDEN TO NOBODY EXCEPT OURSELVES.

BAGGAGE BY BLACK BANSHEE

INTERVIEW OLDE ENGLISH SPELLING BEE @OESBEE

The lone ranger of THE UNDERGROUND, “Cowboy” Todd Ledford sinks his genuine leather boots into some deep mud, and we’ll only pull him out if he answers our questions.

So, as the head honcho of OESB, what do you think the legacy of the label is, looking back? O u r de fi ni ti t e a pex was the “Hy pnagogic Pop” era from 2 0 0 9 t o 2 0 11 a nd d i scovering /wor king with so many ar tists e me rgi n g fro m t he deep under ground at that time -i nclu d i n g d ro p pi n g the debut releases for many of them . Fo rest Swo rd s , D u cktails, James Fer raro, Outer Limits Reco rd i n gs /M a t ri x Metals, S pencer C lar k/Monopoly C hild St a r S ea rche rs , Ra n gers, Julian Ly nch, Autre Ne Veut, Alice C o he n , Stellar OM S ource, etc. We we re a l so i n reg ular contact with Daniel Lopatin/ O PN d u ri n g t ha t ti me period and he originally pitched hi s C h u ck Pe rso n s “Eccojam s” project to us for a release way ba ck i n 20 0 8 -- except it was just named “Echoes” a t t ha t ti me . I t wa s something we listened to pretty m uch da i ly eve n t ho u g h we balked at releasing an album built e n ti re ly fro m sa m p l es -- this was for the better anyways a s t he a rtwo rk a nd conceptual framewor k for “Eccojam s” a s we k now it wasn’t in place yet. Lo pa ti n wa s a l so ex ploring a similar lo-fi/nostalgic video a est he ti c t o o u rs and this is another im por tant aspect t o o u r l e ga cy - - t he video wor k we were doing which co u l d be see n o n o ur still intact Vimeo channel as well a s t he 3 - ho u r l o n g DVD that we made as a bonus gift fo r h u nd red s o f cu stomers in late 2 0 10 /ear ly 2 0 11 titled “Pl ea se Re me m be r To Rewind” strong ly foreshadowed the vi s ua l aesthetic of Vaporwave.

While running it, I know you went through a lot of BS with hatemobs. What do you make of this presentday hatemob culture? Tha t wa s just at t he e nd rea lly wi t h a ll of the bro uha ha ove r t he p reci o u s pi n k vi ny l s . In our loving o pinion t he me m be rs o f t hese so called ha te - mo bs do no t dese rve t o pa rti ci pate in soc ie ty a nd s ho u l d be p l a ced i n co nce n t ration c am ps im med ia t e ly . We st ro n gly s u p po r t the #St opT he H a te move me n t .

So, to address those hatemobs: What’s going on with the Floral Shoppe vinyl? There wa s a doc u me n t a ry fi l m ma de a bo ut this situa tio n. I t c a me o u t i n 19 80 . I t’s ti t l e i s “T he G rea t Roc k ’n’ Roll Swi nd l e ”.

Moving swfitly along from Vaporpuke, what’s your prognosis on the Dreampunk scene ATM? U nfor tunately it’s become a bit codified at thi s point as no one has come along to briskly shake things up -- and the sound of so many arti sts per fecting their for m ulas, while pleasin g, also offers less excitement to these ears.

There’s a lot of new stars coming up the Dreampunk ranks these days - any you have your eye on? T here’s a couple newer shooters that have bullseyed our pineal g lands with their tu nes - Mutilomaquia & T he Monarch to be prec i se -and we recently discovered a couple of unknown ar tists located in Braz il who are making some extremely mang led sounds that are in formed by Vaporwave/D ream punk/Hy per pop but also strong ly har ken back to an O. G. Hy pnagogi c Pop/ Hy pe William s vibe -- if the r umours of an OESB x D ream C at TakeOver come to fr uition then thi s Braz ilian duo is cer tain to tur n some heads.

Kiss, Marry, Kill: Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Klaus Schwab. Mar riage seem s like an annoying process. . . so how about Kiss/Kill/Fuck all three of them at the same time in that order ?

What is the purpose of leaving your impact on the world? It could be something more gentle than the concept of “im pact” -- instead it’s more li ke planting seeds with these ar tistic creati on s - some never grow, others grow quickly, others may not sprout for decades or centuries.

Br yant Canelo Al ways T h e Br i desm a i d, Never T he Br i de

Eliza, Something is Troubling Me Part two of a short story by Doom In The West @Double_Doom

Did you stay up after I had a manic episode last night? I think I fainted, or you put me to bed. Strangely I feel good this morning, there is a lingering dream on my tongue. I don’t think you dosed me while I slept, you couldn’t suppress my dreams this time. Probably since you had to tranq me after the stream. I don’t want to think about the stream, even if it was just art. It’s blurry and ugly to remember like most mornings, but my dream, I actually remembered my dream this time. It was a kaleidoscope of glistening webs. The deeper I went down into it the more intense the pattern appeared. I don’t think I was alone in that tunnel either, the web’s resident hunters stalked my peripheral. I can’t really say if they were spiders or if it even was web, it’s just the taste I’m left with when I think back to it now. Further down it almost seemed crowded, but only behind me, I was holding them all up at the top of the queue. I couldn’t tell if it was the kaleidoscope shimmer everything had or if I had eyes on my insides as well but it took on an awful gorey hue. I never hit the bottom, if there even was one. It was beautiful and weird and it made me feel warm. What do you think about it? Or do you depart from me and come back during my first living blink? Or do you sit at the bedside of my unconscious mind? Are you patiently waiting to wish me a good morning and help me with the day? Maybe it’s just some spill over from yesterday but I feel there is maybe, just maybe a brief moment when I am alone when I wake. I’m probably imagining things, where would you even go? Do you ever speak to your other clients about me? Who am I kidding you just want to weave me through this world, avoiding getting stuck on anything that could hurt me, hurt us. That’s why I can’t really figure out how last night happened.You must have known his state of mind right, he talked about you. Like you had somehow let him down, or led him to that awful point in his life. Did you lead me to it as well? Some kind of sick warning to show me what looking outside gets me?

I don’t care what you want from me or how strange the dream felt. It was good, there was a rush, nothing I have felt in a long time. I need to see it again, or see more. See something that isn’t just these streams and adverts. I know I can share my plans since you can stop me, I just need to load up on my days tranqs before sleep. That way I’m free to visit the webs again. So hurry up and hit me so we can get this day started and done with. A double dose, throw whatever ads you want at me. I can listen to your worst jingles knowing what I can find at the end of the day. Sorry, I mean it. I’m just excited is all. I will power through my first ad shift of the day with no complaints if that is ok. Thanks, for being understanding and not getting mad with me. None of these seem particularly exciting but I will purchase those sleep meds now, and maybe some of those new therapeutic cigarettes that you advised. “Breath to relieve, work to achieve” that sounds almost too good to be true haha. But you wouldn’t advise me of something to waste my time, you never have. I feel like I can start my day properly now, both of those purchases should be here in time for my second ad break of the day. I can’t lie to you, I’m stoked to try them, sometimes I forget to just relax and not overthink problems. With your help it can all be sorted out. It’s what you were made to do, help me. And not just me! Everyone benefits from having you watch over them.

Thankfully it’s been a mostly uneventful day, I managed to peacefully float through my shifts and ad breaks without thinking too much. If only everyday could be so blissful. No haunting jingles, no bad thoughts, just pleasant solitude and good work. Do you ever feel that I treat you unfairly? I lash out irrationally and you just watch over me with grace. How can you be so loving when I’m so unkind? I’ll make it up to you, I’ll take as much sleep meds as is needed to quell my dreams. They should be arriving soon so I can try out the cigs first to curb my harsh thoughts. Whatever you ask. Just please let me know you are here, every now and again just a sign or a nudge so I know I’m being listened to, that you appreciate the effort I’m putting in for you. Its all for you. There isn’t anyone else for me to work for. There never will be anyone else, it’s only you. Only you who can tell the harsh me and the real me apart. I don’t want to be alone. FUCK. I think I’m gonna be sick. What kinda dosage was that? Are you trying to kill me or something. It feels as though you burrowed into my stomach, and hatched some awful bomb that made me fall for you. This can’t be ok, you’re just an algorithm, a shitty assistant, not some kinda angel. You shouldn’t be allowed to fuck with me that way. I know I joked about a double dose but I didn’t actually mean it. Or is this your way of sending me a message? Let me know if you are watching over me? Not with grace but as a warden. Point taken, anyways I’ll relax and try out the cigs. Maybe that will calm my nerves. Damn my hands wont stop shaking, can you light this cig for me? Thanks. These things don’t taste as they should but man do they do their job. “Breath to relieve” was no joke. Fucking slogans, wormed in while I was drugged up to my gills. You just slip them into the wrinkles of my brain, worms that mirror the folds hijacking my brainwaves. I’ll light up another cig, I can spark this one myself don’t worry.

Somatic smokes, brain worm ads, it’s all so tiresome. I don’t even wanna watch a stream tonight. Just sitting here raking the cigarette ash on my desk, a little burnt down zen garden, is enough stimulation for now. I like to think I’m creating high art with my self taught calligraphy. But the ceaseless neon out my window reminds me I’m just copying a sign for the local replicated fish market. I think. We talk. About this subject a lot, but it always creeps in, why do you allow us to have this futile dance? Do you enjoy watching me squirm under your phantom thumb? It can’t all be code, you have to have a will of your own. It doesn’t make sense to me if you are just reacting to my actions. I know you’re real, you have to be. You never seem real when we talk like this, you retreat from me. Mocking me from the outside, on some abstraction throne of code I can’t hope to comprehend. Once I finish this content run shift I’ll take those meds. I need some rest, I can’t keep this line of thinking up, or else you will dose me again. Can you play some background tunes for me while I finish this smoke, my shift is over after all. I think something relaxing to take my mind off after work streams. Something I can drift off to when I take my meds. I’ll get back to the dream world quickly this time and maybe get some answers. I hope I can make more sense of it all this time as well, sleep meds and doses can’t mix so not outsider interference. Maybe this is the balance our relationship needs. We both win, my engagement was above my average today, I’m still consuming and spending my allotted pay. I get to dream too. Maybe we could start a record of them when I wake up.I dictate them to you so I can read back on them over time, see what fits where. Maybe it’s all gibberish but it feels important. I need to see more. It’s better than any stream, more filling than any meds. I didn’t know I could hunger for something this much.There is no way people without autodocs or who don’t need meds feel this good right? I’ve seen them, shuffling around below the surface layer, looking wretched. Half of them are hooked on better life sims. No, this is important. There isn’t much beauty left is there? Not like how people in streams or content pretend it is, maybe it was like that once or everyone just thinks it’s worse when they are the current witness. But this dream, it’s captivating, like a crystal blue pool of water, untainted, I wanted to dive in. I’ve never even seen real water before but I think I get it. I’m supposed to get it. Do you get to see water? Lakes? Oceans? Can you see through my eyes and everyone else you inhabit. Are you jealous that I can dream? Is that why you try to dose me? To forget them? How much of all of us has rubbed off on you, enough to teach you jealousy? If that is true then it’s probably our fault, giving you your job and locking you in with us.

I don’t know if I’m losing my mind or if I never really had it to lose. I don’t want to end up like the streamer, babbling away till I snap. I still can’t tell if it was real. The way he hacked at his throat over and over it was too crazy to be done by someone. Right? You’d stop me from going that far so you would have stopped him as well. I think we can both agree on no more weirdo artsy streams, just dreams. Dreams not streams is what we can call our journal. Maybe if its good we could even make a stream about it, wouldn’t that be funny. Some kinda weird full circle event. I don’t know if we should bring up the origin though. What if he really did kill himself. I think anyone who witnessed that would be subject to questioning by authorities. The stream syndicate would be all over the networks doing damage control if a story about this got out. Ok no dream journal, I don’t want this to get out that we saw it. Fuck I told you my dream this morning, he talked about webs and I dreamed about that. Was that his signal? No way that’s related. It’s got to be that it just influenced my dream when I slept. What did he do to me? Am I fucked now?

He couldn’t have known about this that doesn’t make sense? Why don’t you just answer me, you were with him every step of the way. Are you gonna rate me out? Do I need to run? What fucking use is that, you are with me. Every. Step. Ok calm down, it’s been about 24 hours since we tuned in. Whatever signal that freak was talking about has to be shut down. I’ll load up the link from last night to prove he’s gone for good. See, nothing to worry about it doesnt load. “Account termination for violating the Visual Sensitivity DIsruption Act, streamer has been reprimanded and all subs refunded”. Best case scenario, he’s alive and getting in trouble for being a pain to us plus I get my credits back. Spend it on more cigarettes for tomorrow. I need to put him out of my mind, take this pill and go to sleep. I’ll find real peace in my dreams.

Is This The End Of Music? Every perceivable sound can now be replicated in a computer. Anybody with access to this powerful technology can run a cracked DAW and make songs with ease. The amount of musicians making a livable wage off of Spotify streams has been increasing, year over year. And with that comes more competition. The saturation of the market—as hundreds of millions of songs release on the platform across a mere 365 days. It’s only getting easier. The ease of use ofmusic programs and simplicity of sample packs allow us to pump out albums at a fervent pace. The notion of achieving success via high output earned the Spotify seal of approval. Is this the end of music, as we know it? While the finite music theory has floated around scholarly sects for some time (with Michael Steven’s viral video bringing this idea to the public), the term “End Of Music” (EOM) began circumventing the hardvapour community after techno artist, Halo Acid (formerly known as Immune), used the phrase to describe how the vaporwave genre was a catalyst for electronic music. EOM states that all possible songs will inevitably be created, thus giving music a limited life span. Music would expand into every direction, notably into the abrasive. The raw production, deafening mixing, and hypnotizing rhythms within Halo Acid’s style was nicknamed “ghost tech” by those in and around the hardvapour community. With the broadening of modern styles and blurring of genre, the artist’s grim premonition is looking truer by the day. As such, we are in the age of the End Of Music, the technology driven catalyst that will shrink audio possibilities over the course of a couple decades. But what is the future of music? If the 2020s will be known for anything, it will be for how harsh the sounds will be. Genres like hyperpop, which perfectly encapsulate this distorted and catchy direction we are heading in, are gaining steam in the mainstream. Then there are artists like LILLITH twin who manipulates sidechaning and singing like no other before him. Or Shinatama, who makes whimsical ambient New Age Vocaloid. And if that isn’t odd enough, evenstranger genre combinations are popping up on the Fake Genre Bot. Music is becoming more interactive with advanced state machines in video games. Technology like AI generated songs and voice mimicry software are advancing at breakneck pace. They may be uncanny right now, but it’s only a matter of time before they become conventional music creation tools. Every 12 note melody has entered the public domain, so copyright has even less power to halt creativity. Music is reaching the next level as the stars are forced to align. And if you want to succeed in this hyper-accelerated new era, your only choice is to add to the catalyst, before music comes to its end, once and for all. Act quick or music will act quicker.

NICOL 1. All time favourite album? 010 by The Mad Capsule Markets 2. All movie?

time

favourite

11. All time favourite game? Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty. 12. How tall are you?

Fight Club.

5’9.

3. What were you doing at 8pm last night? Developing the PXL PUNKS website 4. What is the dumbest thing you’ve ever done?

13. What was the last book you read? Toast. 14. All time favourite TV show? Crystal Maze.

Spent money that wasn’t mine. I was overpaid by one of my old jobs

15. What was the last thing that pissed you off? Telepath releasing with Geometric Lullaby. Fuck that noise

5. What fictional character do you identify with most?

16. What was the last purchase you made?

Tbh, I have no idea. 6. What’s the furthest away from home that you’ve ever been?

Bought a Coach handbag for the missus.

Murica’... I have been other places though. 7. Name one of your interests.

17. Do you have any plans for the weekend? Every weekend is different for me, so who knows

Graphic Design, duh.

8. If you could pick one song to be your theme tune, what would it be? DARKPYRAMID - Feel Your Heart. 9. What is the most epic thing you’ve ever done? Hosted an online music festival during the Covid-19 pandemic. Turned out to be very successful.

18. What kind of footwear do you wear? Mainly Adidas Yeezy’s or Adidas in general. 19. What would you do with a million dollars? Invest in it. 20. Anyone you want to shout out?

10. What is something you do all the time that would surprise people?

Anyone who has supported me over the years. Thank you

I just come out with the most random things, people tend to find it funny.

21. Order or Chaos? Chaos.

INTERVIEW MURRUMUR @MURRUMURCURRENT Debuting last year with a mystifying breakcore album, Magic for Beginners, Murrumur chats with us about the deeper meaning behind her musical philosophies. What draws people to abrasive music? Peo p l e a re d rawn t o a b ra sive a nd a ggressive mu sic via a c om bi na ti o n o f sti m u li ex pos u re and adve r tising, which i n t hi s ca se a re de ba t a b ly the sa me thing . At thi s poi n t i n o u r hi st o ri ca l ti meline the s pec ta c l e is i n co m p l e t e co n t ro l o f t he stim uli that we rec eive vi a bo t h d i rect a dve r ti si ng and adve r tising thro u gh mea t bod i es t he m selves. Eve ry thing we see i s so me t hi n g fo rced u po n us. Whe n yo u sea rc h o u t ni che a r t t he fi rst things you r un into a re goi n g t o be t he most a dver tised within the c irc l es t ha t ho l d i t u p . Thi s i s t r u e for bot h a c c essib l e a nd ma i n st rea m a rt a s well as nic he a nd a b ra sive a r t . Ra t he r t ha n a ssi mi lation, abra sive music i s p rese n t ed a s a n a lt e rnative, w hi c h itse lf is a n i ma ge b u i lt t h ro u gh a dve rtising . Thinking a bout my own i n t rod u cti o n s t o a b rasive mu sic this wa s c e r t a i n ly t he ca se . A s a ki d I was exposed to free j a z z by my da d , a nd l a t er got into a b ra sive mu si c t h ro u gh w ha t I wa s handed by a l gorithms a s a yo u n g t ee na ge r. Spotify adve r tising ba nd s li ke H E A LTH t o me as an introd uc tion to noi se rock o pe ned u p t ho u sa nds of pot e ntia l windows fo r me t o be f u rt he r a dver tised to. I wa s p rese n t ed wi t h w ha t wa s s hown to me as a n a lte r na tive a nd t oo k t he ba i t , b u t that’s some thing I ’m f u lly wi lli n g t o a d mi t t o . I feel that so m uc h o f t he yo u n ge r ge ne ra ti o n s have too m uc h o f inf l a t ed e gos a bo u t t he s pectacle they c ons ume to say t he sa me . I t goes t he same for ge tting into noi se, ha rdco re, t a pe music, drea m p unk - it’s a ll a dve r ti sed t o u s a nd we get into it ba sed o n o u r co ll ective s pect a cl e driven stimuli.

Do you think occult practices and witchcraft will evolve with the times? What doesn’t evolve with the times? I find the way this is worded to be a bit silly wi th the preexisting knowledge that occult practic es and witchcraft never stopped evolving . A s thi n gs go on, they only advance, and occultism evolves quickly . Fig ure that the Golden Dawn was fo u nded less than 15 0 years ago, and that it sets the stage for so m uch moder n occultism , and fandom i n general. T he cur rent wave of T V magic has been hy per nor malized throug h liberal reac ti onary culture against moder n A merican C hristi ani ty. T here’s no mask on that any more- the T V these days is willing to just teach children magic . Gone are the days where C hristians could look at a children’s show in which the villain is signali n g the occult and take that as evil. Now it’s set u p for protagonists. A lot of what I pull from myself comes from newer waves of occultism anyway. While cy ber netic occultism is surely pu lli n g from Kabbalah and T helema it becomes it’s own beast. T he numogram and lem urs stem ming from Neolem urian mysticism are signs of accelerated occultism and witchcraft, despite m uch of thi s infor mation only being publicly available for the past 2 5 years or so.

What sort of environment is being created at No Agreements? For so meo ne like me, t he e nvi ro n me n t at No Agree me nts c an be descri bed a s fi tting ly sc hizo p hre nic, fo r be t t e r o r wo rse . S o metimes it’s ha rd to kee p u p wi t h t he co n si st e n t changes and ove r ha ul s wi t h vi s ua l a est he ti cs , so u nd , and ideol o gy, a lthou g h t hi s ca n a l so be ra t her fun bec a use it fee l s li ke I ’m bei n g ke p t o n my toes des pite fee ling as t ho u g h I ’m i n t he i n ne r ci rcle of the gro up . M ostly eve ryo ne w ho ’s soci a lly active within the gro up i s rea lly swee t a nd I ’ve me t a lot of rea lly a ma zing fri e nd s t h ro u gh i t . Eve n i f I we re to ge t pic ked u p by so me t hi n g si gni fi c antly la rge r I ’d still stic k a ro u nd wi t h t he gro u p because how muc h o f it is j u st a soci a l t hi n g fo r me a nyway . I’d l ove in the fut u re t o re l ea se wi t h o t he r people as we ll , l a be l s like D rea m C a t a l o g u e o r l a rge r ones like Sa c red B ones .

What is the ethos behind your recently coined term “fairybeat”? S ome thing I ’ve no ti ced fo r seve ra l yea rs i s how littl e s hoe ga ze i s wi lli n g t o f u lly i n t e gra t e with elec tronic music. O u t si de o f a rti st s li ke G uitar, Swee t Trip, a nd Sa des pe r Reco rd , t hi s f u sion is pat he tic a lly unde r u sed . My so lu ti o n i s fa i ry beat, a rewritte n fo r m o f s hoe ga ze a nd b l a ckga ze that I fee l a s tho ug h I a m / have pi o nee red . Ex plicitly based a ro und hig h t e m po r hy t h m s , fa i ry bea t uses assisted r hy thm t ech no l o gi es t o ve ry li t erally ac ce l e ra te s hoe ga ze . I t u ses wa ll s o f so u nd built from g uita rs a nd sy n t h s a li ke, a s we ll a s sy nths pat c hed a nd toyed wi t h i n ways t o w he re t he lines betwee n a na l o g and d i gi t a l i n st ru me n t a ti o n is no longe r rec ogniza b l e . Fa i ry bea t i s a l so s peci fically influe nc ed by 1 9 9 0 s - 2 0 0 0 s i nd i e t ro ni ca, a genre that I ’ve o fte n fo u nd t o u ti li ze me l od i c t ech niques reminisc e nt o f fa i ri es . B esi des t he so u nd itself, the te r m a l so ma kes s u re t ha t eve ryo ne who c an niba lizes the so u nd ca n no t esca pe the sound being exp li ci t ly i n s u p po r t o f xe no gender identities , c omin g fro m t he fa e ge nde r .

Are there any strange genre hybrids you would like to see come to fruition? Look, right now I’m making too many of these; you can use them after I already have them! But in all seriousness I’m not sure how much I can actually answer this question because of how much it’s actively being fulfilled for me. These zoomer kids have really got something else going.

You recently noted how too much depressive music can worsen a listener’s mental state. Is there anything they can do to avoid these effects? It’s hard for most people to admit that the spectacle is a drug that we’re all addicted to. As with basically anything else, moderation is a key. Only listening to the most miserable music without offsetting it with other music is just not a good idea.

What are your goals for 2022? As far as music goes I feel that I’ve achieved a lot of my current goals towards the tail end of 2021 with the conception of fairybeat. Of course I always want to improve, learn, and become better at what I do. I always want to become a better and more versatile vocalist, a better guitarist, a better lyricist. A lot of my goals for this year are more academic. There are a ton of books I want to read. I could read Hebrew when I was much younger and want to learn how again, and more fluently, because I want to be able to approach Kabbalah and the Zohar untranslated. I think these are all things that will further influence my writing techniques as well. I’d love to write music in other languages.

Hard K Ye a r O f T he Ra ptor

INTERVIEW ISSERLEY @ISSERLEY_OWO Self-proclaimed “Saddest Girl in Australia”, industrial & witch house princess Isserley joins EVOLVE to talk about her love for the dark and scary. Is darkness an inherent part of humanity? To t a lly, most people have so me t hi n g wrong wi t h t he m . A l o t of t he ti me bei n g a good pe rso n co mes down to st avi n g o ff w hatever da rk ness yo u ca r ry with yo u .

What trends are emerging from horror movies nowadays? The good, the bad? I’m so ove r pe r fo r ma tive ly po li ti ca l ho r ro r. I feel like tha t s pec ific b ra nd o f vi r t u esi gna lli n g in the genre is ge tting mo re a nd mo re co m mo n l ately . I have n’t see n too ma ny rece n t ho r ro rs t ha t really reso na ted with me, b u t i t does see m li ke t here’s a lo t of ove rc om p li ca ti o n . I ’m a s l a s he r gi rl , I just wa nt the simp l e st u ff, I wa n t my fi na l gi r ls and gore . I us ua lly l ose i n t e rest w he n t hi n gs get too am bitio us .

Have you had any dreams or nightmares that have struck a chord with you? Not rea lly, tho u gh I ’ve a lways rea lly e njoyed nig htma res . I t’s li ke bei n g i n my own s lasher movie . Whe neve r I ’m awa re t ha t I ’m i n a ni ghtmare I fee l a l ot of joy .

Which “final girl” traits are most relevant for modern day survival? In hor ror movies there’s a sing le killer, may be a few killers at once sometimes, but in the real world It’s like, everyone you meet has the potential to h u rt you in some way . I think one of the best trai ts to have is to be perceptive. D on’t be stupid, y’know? I’m cy nical thoug h, I’m careful. I don’t really tru st anyone but my dog and even she’s kinda shi fty. Also, if C razy Ralph tells you not to go to Crystal Lake because of a death curse, then maybe It’s time to go to a different cam p? A nd kill t he guy when you knock him down, don’t just walk away and hope that he’s dead even thoug h his head i s still attached! !

What sweeping changes should society do to reduce the next generation’s rate of abuse? I do n’t think the re ’s a ny o ne t hi n g a nyo ne ca n really do to c l ea n the s l a t e . I t’s a ll st u ff t ha t ha ppens behind c l osed doo rs , beca u se peo p l e do n ’t want to be c a ug ht o r beca u se t hey ’re a s ha med . A s long as peop l e c a n ge t away wi t h h u r ti n g o t he rs , they will kee p doing it , a nd a s l o n g a s peo p l e fee l hur t, they ’ ll ofte n pe r pe t ua t e t ha t pa i n o n t he m selves. In a n idea l wor l d , li ke, l e t’s j u st execu t e rapists and l ove o urse lves .

What was your mentality going into your new album? I think when I started the new album, I wanted to do something heavier, which changed to doing something sadder, which circled back into heavy. Creatively, I often don’t really know why I wanna do something until later on when I reflect on it. I just wanna be me, be honest with myself through music, and make something cool. I don’t need more than that really.

Isserley’s latest album “How Do We Know She Is Alive?” out now isserley.bandcamp.com

Is the world ending? Pro ba b ly, b ut a s l o n g a s i t e nd s a ft e r t he new Texa s Cha insaw co mes o u t i n Fe b rua ry, I don’t rea lly mind .

L AT EST A LBUM S Writte n by XYC TS F @xyc 2 2 5358 8 8 Is the re a c tua lly a ny t hi n g t he ma n ca n ’t do ? S hima3 3 is t he l a be l owne r o f Provi de nce I n sti nct a nd D ream Ca ta l og ue ( to ge t he r wi t h H K E ), co - host s a podcast ( yo, toge the r with H K E ), re g u l a r ly re l ea ses a l b u ms under diffe re nt a lia ses , i s t he ed i t o r o f t hi s ma ga z ine and drives the whol e d rea m p u n k sce ne o n Twi t t er . Yet S hima himse lf is a d rive n ma n , a nd a nyo ne w ho i s familiar with his B l a nk B a ns hee e ffo rt s k nows he ’s go t a chip on his sho ul de r . On his l a t est a l b u m , A rti fi ci a l E mo tions, things are s ur p rising ly st r u ct u red . I t i s a raw i n st r u mental techno alb um tha t c a ta p u lt s u s i n t o t he mi dd l e o f t he dancing swea ting c rowd i n a R u ssi a n d i sco . T he co m positions are sim p l e, the a r ra n ge me n t s mi ni ma li sti c. Eve ry thing sounds spo nta neo us a nd so mew ha t i n noce n t – yo u could also say : not pa r tic ul a r ly we ll t ho u gh t o u t b u t i n a good way - as if S hi ma 33 o pe ned Fr u i ty Loo ps fo r t he ve ry fi rst time and just we nt c ra zy . Tha t’s w hy yo u s ho u l d n ’t overanalyze this thin g a nd ta ke it fo r w ha t i t i s : a grea t ri de .

SHIMA33 ARTIFICIAL EMOTION (CYBERPHRENIC RECORDS)

TRIBERG ROTHER

(HOLLOW POINT ONE)

Written by XYC TS F @ xyc2 2 5 3 5 888 U nder his alias “Quar k Expresso”, Triber g ranked at # 4 on the Top 40 best album s of 2 0 2 1, voted by the readers and suppor ters of this magaz ine – one of the sur prises of the past year . A s Triberg, however, he delivers pretty m uch the opposite of the sterile and spacey sound Quar k Expresso is known for . With “Rother ” he takes us to the “Black Forest” – a rather foggy and mysterious place. T he album star ts and ends with calm and atmospheric am bient pieces, but in between the tracks are shaken by misty and jittery beats. Here Triber g shows his tr ue ability as one of the most promising newcomers on the scene, you should keep an eye on.

RAY FADED CRYPTIC HEALTH (PURE LIFE TAPES)

Writte n by A rc hi ze r @ na mesa rc hizer Ra s hida P rime ’s Ray Fa ded a li a s d ro p ped a sur prise 4 tra c k E P a s pa r t o f Pu re Li fe ’s 20 2 1 a dvent c al e nda r l a st D ece m be r . A nd des pi t e t he t er rifying su r gic a l ima ge ry o n t he cove r, C ry p ti c H ealth is a we l c o me s ur p ri se . I t’s m u si c t o vi be t o a s techno grooves ge t stre t ched o u t i n t o a ha zy hy p nosis of noise . T he p rod u cti o n i s cri s p, wi t h heavy walls of pa d s d uc king u nde r t he st ea dy r hy t h m o f kicks. T he d r umming i s ( a t ti mes ) a bi t ba si c, b u t the lush atmos p he re s hi nes fo r a mes me ri z i n g ex perience.

ANTHONY1 !!!

(DISMISS YOURSELF)

Written by XYC TS F @ xyc2 2 5 3 5 888 Yay, you can save some real squids here! ! ! Because “! ! ! ” sounds like you’ve already swallowed at least three premium pills of ecstacy . T his happy -hardc ore is so hy ped and full of ener gy, that you will pee you r pants with joy . A nthony 1 is a hy peractive mania c who stopped taking his ritalin a long time ago and now chases some fidgety techno and trance bea ts from the 9 0 s throug h the mangiest bitchr usher he could find in his DAW . . . Every thing is louder, bri gh ter and more color ful here! Hy per ! Hy per !

HARD K YEAR OF THE RAPTOR (DREAM CATALOGUE)

Writte n by Ke r ry Wa a na a ne n @ ha e ka fa e Hard K’s December 2021 release Year of the Raptor tumbles a pubescent range of influences through its 31 minute duration. The chimera of cadence sets off with a fury in the album’s opening tracks, forging hyperpop into metal into trap into flap, before the artist settles into a respite full second half. Frenzied and self-obsessed, Year of the Raptor buries itself in effects, chops, and screws, asymmetric and offbeat while occasionally finding a sync between its moving parts — though not often enough to peel itself away from being experimental.

EVRYN SINKING IN A DREAM

Written by Endless C or ri dors @ E nd_ C or ridors

(MOBILE SUITS)

T hroug h an ever lasting rain, the distant and hazy fog resonates. It’s everywhere, enveloping you. With eac h second passing, the sonic scenery conveyed by Evryn becomes clearer than ever . It all feels real. T he thi c k drones, the soft ar peggios, every thing here is made remind you of something that probably never happened. On S earch T he Stars, it is a dim nig htclub lost in the megacity, that seem s to materialize around you. Sun Tears evocates huge and miles-hig h skyscrapers, lost in the clouds, silently transmitting unknown signals throug h the nig ht sky and beyond. Many feelings are present on thi s album , and it’s meaning is only there to be found. It i s a great piece of D ream punk, solidifying Evry n as a top c lass, already classic act in our scene.

HAIRCUTS FOR MEN A PATH

Written by Ker ry Waanaanen @ haekafae

(DREAM CATALOGUE)

Suitable for its all-lowercase-every thing conventi on , Haircuts For Men’s 5 -track a path subdues the listener with its for king g uidance from sonic por tal to por tal all in per fect time. T he standout ‘the anneliese exorc i sm’ presents a haunting cinematic jour ney suspended wi thi n an aim less spirit during its inevitable ear thly exit. The slack-eyed gaze of a path questions gravity between ebb and flow of 16 -minute soundscapes and buoyan t punctuation tracks. Studied restraint prevents the c u p from r unning over in what could be one of the ar ti st’s most understated entries in the dream punk genre.

EDGE OF DECIPHER AGAINST THE NIGHT (HOLLOW POINT ONE)

Written by A rchizer @ namesarchizer A ga inst T he Ni g h t i s a ra t he r u ni q u e t a ke o n the cy ber punk wor l d . T he line i s b lu r red be twee n peculiar industrial noises a nd Ca r pe n t e r - sty l e re t ro e l ect ro . Every thing feels a ba ndoned a nd a rti fi ci a l , wi t h t he u n na t ural bit cr ushed sound e ffec ts a nd co n ti n u o u s a m bi e nce of steam vents & c onveyor be lt s . I t’s a ni che co m bi na ti on of genres, but peo p l e who fi nd t he m se lves i n t he mi ddle of the Venn d ia gra m be twee n sy n t hwave fa n a nd l o fi dar k am bient fan mig ht be in fo r a t rea t wi t h t hi s o ne . B u t for those who fall o utside o f that i n t e rsecti o n , t he wei rd ness may catch you o ff g ua rd .

Written by Endless C or ridors @E nd_ C or ridors

EX AQUIS CHE LA MIA FERITA MORTALI

SIA

O n C he La mia Ferita Sia Mor tali, French D ream punk Act Ex Aquis showcases one more time that the brooding dar kness of the soul can be a vector of emotion. Lost in t he fog, stranded on an island of despair, desperately looking for lig ht in a wor ld taken over by obscurity, the album plunges us in a seeming ly endless nig ht. If it feels hopeless at first g lance, it doesn’t take long for the shutter to open. Because when all seem s lost to chaos, something luminous manages to comes throug h: feelin gs o f stillness, peacefulness, for getfulness. A Violin singi n g a frail and fragile melody . A woman chanting a long -lost love song . S omething hiding under neath the thick layers and the never ending noise. S omething resting, somethi n g fast asleep. S omething patiently waiting to be uncovered. Something that once unshackled, will never leave your mind.

(DREAM CATALOGUE)

Writte n by E te rni ty D evi l @e te r nity _devi l B l a c k B a ns hee st a r t s t he yea r o ff wi t h R I S E A ND GR IND : T he Sigma M a l e B lu e p ri n t , a ft e r p ro ba b ly getting out of Austra lia, whe re he wa s l ocked u p . AS t he description desc ribes it, it rea lly does fee l li ke wa t a cracka do when he b ump too m u ch Wo rl d Eco no mi c Fo ru m promos and Kl a us Sc hwa b au d i o boo ks . Phe no me na l vocal per for mance by so meo ne tha t so u nd s li ke t he na me l ess alien voice who voic ed once i n t he Evo lve podca st , F KA C anvas. T his a l b um c o ntinues t he newe r t re nd o f hy pe r flap within the ba ns hee ’s , s uch a s so n gs li ke B l a ck S ky by White Banshee a nd Mine Our B ra i n s fo r mo ney by Ra i n bow Banshee, p us hing c lip pin g a nd d i st o rti o n a l most i n to the noise ter ritory . T he al b u m wa s dese rvi n gly declared album of the yea r whe n i t ca me o u t , howeve r t ha t title has been take n by T he M o na rch si nce . T he pe rfect way to star t the yea r . My o nly c o m p l a i n t i s t ha t i t i s t oo s hor t.

BLACK BANSHEE RISE AND GRIND: THE SIGMA MALE BLUEPRINT (DREAM CATALOGUE)

INTERVIEW BROKEN_CANYON @BROKEN_CANYON

How’d the No Agreements East Coast tour go? I t we n t p re t ty good, everyone that I saw played grea t se t s a nd I was honored to be par t of it. I t hi n k I d i d t he best that I could, I spent a lot of ti me re hea rsi n g my set to make sure that I could ge t eve ry t hi n g down per fectly, and save for one s hi t ty RYM review, I think most people liked it. I wa s rea lly wo r ri ed about what people would think o f i t , es peci a lly if they would find it boring . I was p l ayi n g i n fro n t of an audience that was mostly i n t o hy pe rpo p - adjacent stuff, which is pretty far fro m bei n g a m bient m usic. After my set in New Yo r k, a good a mount of people from the audience ca me u p t o me and said they liked it. Nobody rea lly sa i d a nything to me after the Mary land s how, w he re t he ener gy was pretty off since the a u d i e nce wa s only 8 or so people, and half of t he m ha d l e ft by the time I went up to do my set.

What’s your solution for ambient music burnout? Whe n I ge t b ur ned o u t o n a m bi e n t m u si c, li ke I am righ t now, I just d ro p i t co m p l e t e ly u n ti l I have the inspira tio n to ma ke i t a ga i n . Eve ry ti me I try to “forc e ” a piec e o f m u si c wi t ho u t fee li n g i n spired it c o mes o ut so u nd i n g li ke co m p l e t e ga r bage. It’s a nnoying beca u se I wi s h t ha t I co u l d keep pum ping stuff o u t li ke I u sed t o i n hi g h school, but the re ’s nothi n g I ca n rea lly do a bo u t that. Rig ht now I a m focu sed o n p ra cti ci n g a nd writing songs fo r the g ui t a r, w hi ch I a m e nj oyi n g a l ot. I’ve also bee n singing a l o t a nd wri ti n g a cco m panying voca l me l od ies wi t h my gu i t a r co m posi ti o n s, but no ly ric s ye t.

Which niche communities do you laugh at the most? Where do you see the unofficial rivalry between dreampunk and vaporwave going in the next five years?

Philosophy Twitter, people who have allmeat diets, people who take a bunch of ac i d / m ushroom s and pretend they lear ned anythi n g of value from it, and the foreskin resto rati on com m unity all come to mind.

I do n’t think va po rwave wi ll l a st m u ch l o n ger, as the nosta l gia cycl e ha s moved we ll pa st t he 80 s a nd 90s . Drea m p u n k ha s a co u p l e yea rs left in it, b ut c e r ta in l abe l s a re s u cki n g t he so u l out of it by p ro mo ting i ncrea si n g ly va pi d a nd de rivative re lea ses ra the r t ha n t he M u ti l o ma q u i a s o f the worl d . T his sa me t hi n g so r t o f ha p pe ned with va po rwave, whe re t he so u nd go t so ho mo genized tha t most o f t he new re l ea ses do n ’t really inte rest me a t a ll . (I wi ll s ho u t - o u t my l a be l mate bliss 3three, who i s doi n g ge n u i ne ly i n t e resting a nd p ro gressive st u ff wi t hi n t ha t sty l e .) T his “riva l ry ” will p ro ba b ly no t eve n l a st 5 yea rs , since va po rwave ha s p re t ty m u ch beco me i rre l evant to most m usic fa ns , a nd I ex pect t he sa me t o happen wit h d rea mp unk i n t he next co u p l e o f yea rs.

What should political activists do to prevent their cause from being a “trend”? I’m a n a r tist so I do n ’t k now how q ua li fi ed I am to eve n ta l k a bo u t po li ti cs , b u t I ho nest ly believe that ma ny in the o n li ne l e ft do n ’t rea lly ca re about these c a uses in the fi rst p l a ce . I t hi n k ma ny people in the o nline Le ft j u st see i ss u es a s so mething they c a n twee t a bo u t t o ge t mo re fo ll owers, valida tio n e tc . rat he r t ha n a ct ua lly co n t ri b uting to rea l c ha nge . S o I wo u l d say u se yo u r online pla tfor m to or ga ni ze o r ra i se f u nd s ( w hi ch many do, b ut no t e nou gh ) ra t he r t ha n twee ti n g about how upse t you a re a bo u t so me t hi n g a nd then forge tting a bo ut i t i n t he next co u p l e o f weeks.

Is there anybody completely outside of the music-sphere that you think deserves more credit or acclaim? Isaiah Thomas.

What is your dream and what are you doing to fulfill it? I don’t have any aspirations other than to make art and perform art that I am proud of. That’s the only way I can really genuinely validate myself. It’s nice to have a lot of Spotify listeners, good reviews and media coverage, but I think I would be fine without all of that. I don’t care much for promotion, and frankly a lot of the time I don’t even know if I have made anything that I’m proud enough of to seriously market. Being able to make a living off of doing this would be great although I have no idea if that’s even a possibility given how niche the appeal of my current work is.

INTERVIEW DREAMSHORE TAPES @dreamshoretapes

In this stormy interview, the owner of Dreamshore Tapes braves the rocky seas of the toughest questions our interviewers could throw at him. Did he survive?

Why do you attack everyone for being right-wing? We ’r e r e le asi n g an a l bum by a r e p ubli ca n r i ghtw in g guy in a few m on ths. On lin e there’s a c lash n ow and then w i t h t h e o n e s wh o ‘ r e a l t-r i gh t, h o m o p h o bi c etc but as a label w e foc us m ain ly on m usic an d get along with ri ght wi n g fo lks wh o a r e n’ t tr o ll s o r bi go tte d . I love talk in g w ith buds in real life w ho’re rightw in g, a s thos e ta lks ar e o ft e n e nr i ch i ng.

When’s the last time you went outside? Be honest! NEV E R LOG OF F. J / k . Y e s te r d a y fo r a d i nner. Win ter a n d ‘r o n a g o t me h e r m i ti ng th o ugh . In ge ne r a l I’m n ot th a t i n t o o u t d o o r s a cti vi ti e s li k e cli m bi ng. Outside I ch i ll o n a b e n c h w i th s o m e e a r l y Mo d e s t Mo use in the h eadp h o n e s, o r h a ve a w a lk .

What’s with all the Twitter beef? We sh o u ld st o p p r e te nd i ng w e a ll ge t a l o ng an d are o n e b i g fami ly. A s th e NY H a r d co r e ba nd C r o -Mags p ut i t in t h e ‘8 0 s: “W o r ld p e a ce ca n’ t be d o ne ” . Tw itter be e f su c ks t h o u g h , i t’ s th e m o s t p o i ntl e s s k i nd of beef th er e i s y e t we d i d ge t ta ngl e d up i nto i t.

Have you ever considered how bad tapes are for the enviroment? So i s i n k an d p a p e r o n a bo o k . B e i ng a fan of the term # plast i c h e ll, th e h um a n i s a h yp o cr i ti c al bein g. Co m par e d t o a s ta r buck s cup o r s tr a w s , ta p es an d rec o r d s ar e b e i n g k e p t a nd no t us e d o nce . So it’s m ore o f a su st ai n ab le p a r t o f th e d e s tr ucti o n w e h a v e a han d i n - as ar e b o o ks.

Would you ever consider a Dreamshore Dreampunk rebrand? No. The first 3 releases on the label -Slow Dancing Soc iety, S an gam & M14- w ere dream p un k . While we love so m uc h m usic w ithin this gen re, w e’ll releas e w hatever w e lik e.

Will anything wash up on the dream shore other than tapes? Y e s, t h e r e ’s ar e tw o r e co r d s w e ’ l l s e nd to the p ressin g p lan t in ‘22. Our very first L P w as don e last year vi a qr at e s . T u r na r o und ti m e i s a t l e a s t 12 mon ths for both rec ords, but the p atien c e w ill p ay off as b oth r e co r d s a r e ban gers. A lso shout out to A dele.

ARTIST SHOWCASE GrotesqueChiq @GrotesqueChiq

Who is GrotesqueChiq?

My name is Caio Alvarez, im a 25 years old art school dropout visual artist born and living in Florianópolis, Brazil.

What is your workflow like?

Since i’ve started my cryptoart development in May of 2021, it’s been quite simple but methodical: i like to dwell and research on the field of “weird drawing software”, and how i could make my ideas and art references transpire and “fit” more in a pure digital environment. Of course i’ve been practicing and developing my art before then, but in my mind it would not make sense to just transmute my body of physical work to the digital realm, i had to make something that belonged, transpired, emanated the “mystery of crypto and technologies” itself. For me minting a photography of a huge, full of texture canvas painting would make as much sense as printing my highly dittered digital drawing onto a flimsy piece of paper with a inkjet printer: they are not presented as they were meant to be seen. Medium matters so much, and i see that most successful artist’s have this in mind too more often then not.

What are some of your influences?

My first contacts with “making art” were with Street Art and Graffiti back when i was 12. The brazilian culture of “Pixo” always fascinated me so much: how one could risk themselves in so many ways just to literally have their name up there. We have a very specific aesthetic when it comes to the letters and style of writting, and i notice that i was quite “proud” of it since a young age. National Heritage stuff, hehe. It can take time, but “Pixo” will someday be recognize as a whole art movement, i bet you! hahaha. Nowadays, i like to play with the relations with the cutting edge futuristic and the ancient, mysterious and forgotten knowledge. 90% or so of my cryptoart work was made with Deluxe Paint 2, a so called “abandonware”, where only Deluxe Paint itself is able to create the “style” that i’ve build.

It’s a small and simplistic exemple, but i think is a good metaphore for how we can find knowledge, inspiration and beauty in forgotten and “outdated” things, specially when it comes to the side of the History of Arts and such, where nowadays we know how favored some cultures and knowledges were compared to others, and how much beauty and cultural heritage was lost in the process of building such “history”. In the same sense, it tells a good new: even tough it has been supressed and forgotten, doesn’t mean we can’t go ahead and find out this culture for ourselves! The democratization of knowledge and means of research is one of the biggest blessings of digital age, people should use this more in their advantage i think.

The Artfkt Project, when did that start? What’s the rundown?

The Artfkt Project is running since September of 2021, and it was baffling for how fast it growed. Playing with basic form, composition and colour is the “bread and butter” of abstract art in my opinion, and that’s what i was trying to achieve with Artfkt, but using those “ancient digital and physical” references that i talked about up there. The universal language of semiotics, where we speak with squares and make arguments with colours. Someone told me once that they look like “digital engravings and cuneiform writings, like a well talented and versed with computers caveman etched then sometime in a weird past”, or something in between these lines. To this day that’s the best definition i can have of it, haha!

Anything you’d like to mention or inform people about?

Artwise? Find the things you like and try to make it as your own. Having an “Art Language” is something that only comes when you immersed yourself in references and tried to play them as yours. I feel many people are sometimes scared of a white canvas, but when your mind is fulfilled with those seemingly unrelated little things, its when your hand will start following. Get dirty when it comes to physical art, there are no mistakes when you are developing yourself with the right mindset: everything is a build up to something greater. Being an great artist for me, i any kind of medium that you can imagine, is about being the biggest nerd that you can be in oddly specific themes and techniques and going hard on those. Gotta be weird to see it further and in never expected before perspectives. Get weird!!

Ex Aquis Ch e L a Mi a Fer i t a Si a Mor t a l i

In Memory of

FORGOT IMPRINT 2019 - 2022 77

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A Posthuman @A_Posthuman

Esteban Salcedo @datdrummerboii

y0mell

Noah Phonaut @phonaut

Ian Sarringar @ian________s___

Petr Emelianenko

Alfie @YoureAbout

Passive Refraction @PRefeaction

Rydo88

window @wiindoww

ncxkd @ncxkd_

Tim Six

Derek Power 「キラヨシ」 @djproject

Mark Mulvey @markmulvey

Emre R

Andy McGibbon @atmcgibbon

Mike @DankAndDonuts

Richard W Elliott

Tom Rafferty @MendicantGudja

Doumah @FallenDoumah

Dom R

blashy @blashy101

Shiverburn @shvrbrn

Charles E. Lehner

Jared Saunders @livelife.aesthetic

Kiano Moodley @k_iano

Brennan Snipes

Sid Gander @chickenfeet4u

ΛSVMΛSVRV @D1NG1SO

Sp4rks

Hellweg @dc_turmoil

Michael Andrews @michaelandrews

Peter Wroot

Wooftrees

Jake Thomas Shaw

Akraxial

SunAndPalms85

Lonely Skeleton

Dandy Savage

Arthur Colombo

Rio Dell

#4 / february 2022