F/I/M²/P · Issue 06 · June/July 2013 by F/I/M²/P

FASHION

ILLUSTRATION

JUNE / JULY

MUSIC

SKINNY DIPPING

MOVIES

PHOTOGRAPHY FREE POSTER INSIDE

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW THE 6 STEPS TO SKINNY DIPPING

+ SAFAR JOY FAYAD FUNNY DEATH

LITTLE BOOTS BASIL SODA THE MISSING PIXELS + MORE SUNNY STUFF FIRST AID KIT

MUST-HEAR ALBUMS FOR THE SUMMER SUN

MUST-SEE MOVIES SWIMSUITS OPTIONAL

10 USD 15.000 LBP

SKY FERREIRA

LIVE AT XOYO IN LONDON

www.basilsoda.com

F/I/MÂ˛/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

FANCY A DIP, LOVE?

ISSUE N 06

s children, when Summer rolled around it was always a reason for celebration. It meant the end of the school year, three months of absolute freedom, and more importantly, water parks. As adults, things don’t seem to have changed much. Fine, yes, things have indeed changed, but we still get the same rush we did as children, only this one is caused by fewer working hours (for those of us lucky enough to have bosses that believe in Summer timing... Oh who are we kidding?), a chance to gawk at potential suitors on the sandy shores and of course, mid-day cocktails by the pool. Who would say no to sipping on a Cosmo and pretending to be Carrie Bradshaw by that VIP accessible pool at some country club in the city (go figure)? Nothing beats getting hammered before noon, and no, it doesn’t count as alcoholism... It’s always 5 o’clock somewhere. The sunny season however comes with its own nervewrecking concerns: having put on some extra weight for some and grown some extra hair in some unwanted areas for others... Since Summer is already here and it is already too late to start prepping for it now, we ask you to go home, grab a towel, head out to somewhere with water masses, take all your clothes off, lay them on a rock with – and this is key - someone you trust… we don’t want you to end up at a gas station filling up your car butt naked; it just doesn’t feel the same with a swimsuit on. Get that adrenalin pumping and run without fear of slipping and simply dive in. Check out Rodrigue Harb’s set, a favorite of ours in this issue, to feel better about not having that perfect body while plunging in and Basil Soda’s lady going insane over the summer heat. Same Ravenelle remind us of what fun is while the Missing Pixels, Funny Death, Safar and Joy Fayad glam up for the beach. Kick off those swimming shorts, bikini tops and g-strings, jump in and let the water isolate you from all the noise outside; not giving a flying, well, fly (to keep it PG) about rangers and police officers. Find that personal spot of yours, invite your mates and head there. The three uptight men in Room With a View did, so why can’t you? Don’t worry about who might be around and watching... Grab a guitar and sing you lungs out to Goldfrapp or bloody Britney Spears while playing offtune. Aleksandra danced to the voices in her head; you can pretend to enjoy made up riffs and howl your way through it. It’s a season that only goes on for 3 months... Loosen up and crack a laugh, will you?

EDITORS’ LETTER

PHOTOGRAPH BY SAMER NOUN

A COMPLETELY RANDOM AND UTTERLY USELESS THOUGHT COURTESY OF THE CHILDISH MINDS OF RUDY SHAHEEN & MOHAMAD ABDOUNI

COVER STORY

OUR PEOPLE

KATE NASH

CREATIVE DIRECTORS / EDITORS IN CHIEF MOHAMAD ABDOUNI & RUDY SHAHEEN

47 GIRL TALK AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW COVER ILLUSTRATION BY MOHAMAD ABDOUNI & RUDY SHAHEEN

MANAGING PARTNER FATIMA M. EL MARINI ASSOCIATE EDITOR KARL HITTI FASHION EDITOR CHARLES HADDAD PROOFREADER AND GRAMMAR SAVior krystel kouyoumdjis RESPONSIBLE DIRECTOR LAMIS KHAWAJA EXHIBITING PHOTOGRAPHER SAME RAVENELLE EXHIBITING ILLUSTRATOR RODRIGUE HARB CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS CLARA ABI NADER TANYA TRABOULSI RAMI HAJJ CARL HALAL CHRISTOPHER DADEY SAMER NOUN JINANE CHAAYA CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS Cynthia Merhej FOUAD MEZHER dina abou karam boo othman selmi rami tannous imad gebrayel KRYSTEL KOUYOUMDJIS EXHIBITING FASHION DESIGNER basil soda CONTRIBUTING WRITERS SERGE KALDANY SAKO DERSAHAGIAN Nisrine Najem Hady Fakhry Nathalie Koutia mAIA BULBUL BADARO, SAMI EL SOLH BLVD. BEIRUT, LEBANON INFO @ FIMP-MAG.COM +961 (0)3 71 90 86 // +961 76 64 41 26

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

WHAT’S THE SKINNY ... FASHION

86 WE WERE EVERGREEN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

06 NOW YOU SEE IT, NOW YOU DON’T THE FASHION ARTICLE

MOVIES

70 SHE LIVED BY HERSELVES ... A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ALEKSANDRA. A COLLABORATION BETWEEN BASIL SODA & TANYA TRABOULSI

08 EAUX TROUBLES EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH CARINE KHALAF

ILLUSTRATION

100 MOVIE REVIEWS SWIMMING POOL A ROOM WITH A VIEW JAWS

10 RODRIGUE HARB EXHIBITING ILLUSTRATOR

MUSIC

PHOTOGRAPHY 56 SAME RAVENELLE EXHIBITING PHOTOGRAPHER

17 LOCAL ACTS OF THE SUMMER GET TO KNOW THE MISSING PIXELS, SAFAR, FUNNY DEATH AND JOY FAYAD: THE SOUND OF SUMMER IN THE CITY

FEATURES

42 GENERATION GAP FYFE LAURA MVULA BLOOD DIAMONDS SULK

40 THE 6 STEPS TO SKINNY DIPPING ILLUSTRATED BY CYNTHIA MERHEJ 26 “... AND THEN I DOVE IN” ILLUSTRATED BY KRYSTEL KOUYOUMDJIS

94 ALBUM REVIEWS GOLDFRAPP - SUPERNATURE JANET JACKSON - JANET SIGUR ROS - WITH A BUZZ IN OUR EARS WE PLAY ENDLESSLY

REGULARS 37 THE BLOGGER

108 LIVE REVIEW SKY FERREIRA LIVE AT XOYO, LONDON 106 SOUNDTRACK REVIEW 41 HITS FROM THE SOUNDTRACK OF AMERICAN GRAFFITI

112 THE LAST THOUGHT

POSTER ILLUSTRATED BY FOUAD MEZHER

89 PONY PONY RUN RUN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

FASHION ARTICLE: NOW YOU SEE IT... NOW YOU DON’T

ARTICLE BY SAKO DERSAHAGIAN

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF KAMEL A.

TRIANGLES COURTESY OF MOHAMAD ABDOUNI

A famous artist by the name of Patti LuPone once sang the following simple words on broadway: “In olden days a glimpse of stocking, was looked on as something shocking, but now God knows…Anything goes.”

ine, so we started off with a musical reference, but how could we not when it so perfectly describes the topic we’re here to discuss today; nudity. Fact is, once you get down to it, everyone’s mind strays towards the nude; no? What is it about the human body’s epidermis that makes the whole world stir with such dramatic emotion? Rummage through your mind for all the sex symbols that men and women have oggled, idolized and pleasured themselves over and iconic imagery of them with certain amount of bare skin on display is bound to surface. Brad Pitt’s washboard abs in Thelma and Louise, Marilyn Monroe’s everything in The Seven Year Itch, and Halle Berry and Daniel Craig’s naughty bits barely covered as they sensually strut out of the ocean in their respective Bond films have barely left anything to the imagination. It’s surprising that a mere 100 years ago, nudity and this flamboyant festival of skin, were shunned and looked down upon. Heck! Even today some societies in which the glimpse of an ankle could be a cause for death still endure . If we retrace our steps it is sort of comical how in such a short amount of time, societies have embraced skin in fashion and in culture. Just like Eve got proactive with that darn apple, women were the first to embrace their sensuality and show off their nudity. Back in the 1920s hemlines got shorter and the corset was thrown out the window. Embracing the soft and subtle nuances of women’s curves as well as the dewy and pale aspect of their skin became a fashion must and thus the ultimate silhouette was born. Clara Bow was one of the most celebrated actresses in Hollywood at the time; with her soft milky skin even more accentuated by the black and white contrast of the 20’s films. Her vampy attitude and snippets of nudity shown beneath subtle fabrics became a new level of nude and sheer that the audiences had not seen before. She became the personification of sex in film to the guilty delight of a demure audience whose past ideas of nudity were a delicate ankle. Another raunchier and even more scandalous icon of the nude was

Josephine Baker. The pioneering woman in the field of Burlesque became the talk of Paris’ burgeoning bohemian scene. Pictures of her prancing about in the nude, wearing a belt of bananas in front of a jungle backdrop were the most outrageous and campy thing to ever come out of Paris in the 20’s. Her mocha skin was a striking contrast to the conventional Caucasian beauties out there, and the men ate it up. With the sexual revolution in the 1960’s, the air was heavy with sexual pride and people became proud of the skin they were in. Girls were showing more leg and thigh than a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken. The catch however was the more skin showed, the more desensitized the public! People were no longer fazed by overthe-knee action. It became the norm. Moreover, the rise of the porn industry with Marilyn Chambers and the quintessential film Behind the Green Door being the first feature-length pornographic film, pushed the idea of nudity further into the mainstream. And how could we not bring up the distinctive rise of one of the world’s most iconic brand images of nudity curves: Playboy magazine. A bevy of buxom blondes, brunettes and redheads graced its covers and more importantly its centerfolds; fulfilling fantasies for decades to come. Let’s switch it up a bit though; Men haven’t exactly shied away from the pleasures of nudism. Male sex symbols popped up all over the place; the earliest idea of a nude male in pop icon would definitely be James Bond. Many women fell for Sean Connery walking out of the shower, and wished they were the lucky Bond girl he so cunningly took hold of. As time marched by, male nudity also became a non-issue. Abercrombie and Fitch ads come ever so strongly to mind, and frankly we don’t believe we’ll be hearing a whole lot of complaints! At the end of the day, the most important thing to understand is that, no matter how dressed up or down one is, the most sensuous thing any person can exude is the sexuality and sensuality of being comfortable in their own skin. People can shame you if they like, over what you are wearing or lack thereof, but it all goes down to how comfortable one is at exposing to the world their nudity.

FILMMAKER: CARINE KHALAF

INTERVIEW BY ELI SOKHN

PHOTOGRAPH BY JINANE CHAAYA

1. What got you into filmmaking? And what genre of movies would YOU possibly like to make?

making sure they know and understand the behavioral aspects of their respective personalities, and the evolution and rhythm of the scenes. I was extremely lucky to have them by my side.

I grew up in a cinematic environment where most of the ongoing conversations and debates revolved around film. In a sense, I owe that to my mother, a film critic; sharing her insight in many discussions ended up shaping my knowledge and interest in the field. At first, I didn’t think I would make a trade out of this passion but it quickly took over and I realized that it was something I really wanted to pursue. Story telling through moving images is set on a thin line between fiction and reality, or as Francois Truffaut puts it: the more real than reality…that is cinema. I don’t have a specific genre that guides my intentions. I actually work from the story itself, or aspects of it, figuring out the mood to portray it and continue from then on. So in a way, the films that appeal to me most are those character-based films that take you to an uncanny place, introducing details that never leave you indifferent.

5. Which Lebanese and international director are you influenced by the most?

2. How did you come up with the idea? What was your writing process? Eaux Troubles was my final short film for college. I knew I wanted to develop the project around one character going through a psychological change, possibly experiencing a transformation lead on by an older person. Obviously this anti-hero must be vulnerable or, to say the least, detached from any common social ground. I created this character, living in his own bubble, and imagined a context where his intimacy could unfold. I then settled on the idea of having him infatuated and obsessed with an older woman. In fact, I tried pushing that thread further with the relationship of the main character with his mother, the concept of loneliness and its relations to time and space. 3. What message were you trying to convey through EAUX TROUBLE’S story and was it based on a real story? There was no intentional message that I was trying to convey in a traditional sense. It was more of an exploration of a futile meeting, a sort of a connection between two different realities; the outcome of which, takes on a different amplitude and meaning for the main character. It is not based on a true story but it touches on ideas of social encounters, lust and the many dualities translated: introvert/extrovert, interior/ exterior, above water/underwater, before/after, reality/fiction etc… 4. What was your process on the characters and how difficult was it to cast, knowing that Lebanon lacks a major casting network? During the writing process, I had an idea of the physical requirements and I looked for them in people I know or had met; people that perhaps shared a closeness with the characters on paper; friends I would be comfortable working with. The process didn’t take much time. After pitching the idea, I had a positive response. They were very excited and generous with their time. The atmosphere on set was a pleasant one. They were not trained professionally, so I had to be somewhat demanding of them,

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

As far as this movie goes, there wasn’t really a specific director in mind, a reference point that influenced the movie. Although, looking back on the filming process: the hand-held shots, the subjective camera, closely following the character moving through space , even the long shots that portray emptiness and withdrawal, I can’t help but think of Gus Van Sant. 6. How hard was it trying to convey your message especially that it is a silent movie? The character is passive, in an enclosed personal space affected by his surroundings, almost oppressed by his own thoughts. The movie tries to mimic that (even when he reacts, his scream is absorbed and muffled underwater). Making a silent film meant I should rely on the overall mood, space, sound and music, all the while focusing on subtle acting and rhythm, which is such a challenge. It was a risk to begin with, but I think that was the most loyal I could be to my initial idea and to the character himself. It meant I had to remove as much information as possible, making sure nothing got in the way of shifting the spectator’s focus from what happens on the screen, but rather sinking into the mindset of the protagonist. I think words would’ve gotten in the way of that. Words are actually replaced by physical manifestations: the presence, the longing for contact, the touch and the absence. The music was also carefully crafted to fit in three key scenes, positioning itself clearly in relation to the character’s emotive progression. 7. What are the challenges you faced during the making of your short? The movie was filmed at a seaside complex, with mostly long uncut exterior shots, where we had to capture the best light and reduce the differences between takes, making sure the result would be coherent. Of course the weather played a huge role in the chronology of the filming process, since we had a surprising rainy day where we had to rush takes by the pool and shuffle the schedule around. On a hot day, the skateboarding sequence where complex tricks had to go about perfectly without any cut, wasn’t easy to pull off either. But the toughest part of all had to be making sure that the poolside, or any frame we set to film in the very busy public complex, was completely empty. Try telling an old person in a swimming suit not to go in the pool because there’s a camera in there, or even asking a seven year old out to play football, to stay put and keep quiet during a take! 8. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? In ten years I see myself still making films, hopefully with enough experience and contacts to make a feature film, in a proper Lebanese industry, with fresh ideas getting through and achieving a sense of belonging or evasion for the spectator, the length of a film.

ILLUSTRATOR 12

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

1. Tell us briefly about you and what makes you do what you do. I’m a guy with a belief that life is a journey of compassion, freedom and responsibility, making it all an act of small fun moments from which we learn. I do what I do based on reflecting this belief into my profession which just happened to be senior graphic designer, illustrator and fabric toy maker. 2. Your most inspiring summer activity would be… Hiking, biking and swimming. Basically everything that has nature and some sun in it. 3. What was the thought process that led you to working on the series you chose to exhibit in F/I/M2/P? I wanted this project to be experimental. The media I focused on was watercolor, ink and Photoshop. After brainstorming what skinny dipping is to me, everything revolved around freedom, nature and the connection between both. This has led me to choose these 3 words: female body, connection and transformation. I started illustrating randomly

focusing on those 3 words more than where it actually lead. Frankly, I didn’t know what the final result would be. The illustrations turned out satisfyinG. 4. What is the first skinny-dipping scene from a movie that pops to your head right now? Ecstasy, 1933 – one of my favorite classiCS. 5. Have you ever gone skinny-dipping? If so, tell us about it. If not, would you? Yes and I actually do often. After a long summer hike in nature, skinny dipping into icy lakes is always a perfect ending, don’t you agree? 6. Professionally, what is the project you always wanted to engage in but haven’t gotten the chance to yet? Well that’s a tough question since I’m not much of a planner. I simply enjoy everything that comes my way; basically what I attract. So from this perspective, the project I always wanted is the next project coming my way.

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

LOCAL BANDS FOR THE SUMMER

FUNNY DEATH SAFAR JOY FAYAD PHOTOGRAPHS BY SAMER NOUN

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

LOCAL BANDS FOR THE SUMMER: FUNNY DEATH

Band Name: Band Members: Music Genre: Sounds like: Instruments in play: Favorite song to perform: Five RECOMMENDED songs for Summer:

Funny Death Jad Mroué Electronica/Synthpop/Dreampop M83, Youth Lagoon, The Knife, Grimes Synthesizer (Microkorg XL+) + PC ‘Forgotten Friend’ Minitel Rose - ‘Be With You’ Animal Collective - ‘Summertime Clothes’ Alec Mansion - ‘Dans l’eau de Nice’ Wavves - ‘Sail To The Sun’ Anamagaguchi - ‘Pastel Flags’

Now, before answering the following questions, pick 5 bands/artists: (a) Gold Panda (b) The White Stripes (c) Deltron 3030 (d) Baths (e) Youth Lagoon

According to what you chose, answer the following:

1. What was the first song you heard by (a)?

4. What song by (b) would you dance naked to?

‘Same Dream China’ – Makes me think of my first days when I started studying Art in Beirut.

‘Fell In Love With A Girl’ – Because you don’t want to dance naked for more than 1 minute and 50 seconds.

2. What lyrics of (c) DO you wish you had written.

5. What/who does (e) remind you of the most?

Those of their song ‘Time Keeps On Slipping’.

All the songs from Youth Lagoon remind me of my closest cousins, during my childhood. Especially the first album The Year of Hibernation.

3. Favorite song by (d). Why? ‘Lovely Bloodflow’ – I love dirty tracks, I love it when things sound/look/ feel organic. When someone mixes the fragile feel of sand, water, wind, wood… with the precision of electronic music. Baths, with this track, reminded me that it’s still possible to innovate in electronic music.

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

LOCAL BANDS FOR THE SUMMER: SAFAR

Band Name: Band Members: Music Genre Sounds like: Instruments in play: Favorite song to perform: Five RECOMMENDED songs for Summer:

SAFAR Mayssa Jallad and Elie Abdelnour Acoustic Soul a breath of fresh air guitar and vocals (for now) ‘SHEETS’ OR ‘NO SERVICE’ dusty springfield - ‘Son of a preacher man’ daft punk - ‘Get lucky ‘ jason mraz - ‘Be honest’ melody gardot - ‘Amalia’ texas - ‘Inner smile’

2. What lyrics of (c) DO you wish you had written. Mayssa jallad Now, before answering the following questions, pick 5 bands/artists: (a) etta james (b) alanis morisette (c) norah jones (d) lykke li (e) the cranberries According to what you chose, answer the following:

1. What was the first song you heard by (a)? ‘I Just Wanna Make Love to You’.

“I wanna wake up with the rain falling on a tin roof, while I’m safe there in your arms”. 3. Favorite song by (d). Why? ‘Sadness Is a Blessing’. I could hear it on repeat. The melody and lyrics are so bitter-sweet and melancholic. And have you seen the video? It’s brilliant. 4. What song by (b) would YOU dance naked to? ‘You Oughta Know’ by Alanis Morisette. Actually the whole Jagged Little Pill album is great for different kinds of naked. 5. What/who does (e) remind you of the most? Of my friends Sally and Lama, sitting in the shade during recess at school 8 years ago, wondering what we will become one day.

ELIE ABDELNOUR Now, before answering the following questions, pick 5 bands/artists: (a) EARTH, WIND AND FIRE (b) MICHAEL JACKSON (c) JASON MRAZ (d) THE BEATLES (e) QUEEN According to what you chose, answer the following:

1. What was the first song you heard by (a)? That would be ‘September’ in the French movie Les Intouchables. My favorite band ever since! 2. What lyrics of (c) DO you wish you had written. ‘Mr. Curiosity’ or any of his songs for that matter. He’s such an amazing songwriter. 3. Favorite song by (d). Why? Tough one... There’s not one single song the Beatles wrote that I don’t like. But for the sake of the interview I would say ‘Drive My Car’ from their album Rubber Soul. The guitar riff is so ingenious and has such an incredible rythm. I love how groovy that song is. 4. What song by (b) would YOU dance naked to? I guess I would say ‘Rock With You’... I mean it’s Michael Jackson, who wouldn’t? 5. What/who does (e) remind you of the most? The first concert I did with my “band” when I was like 12 or something.

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

LOCAL BANDS FOR THE SUMMER: JOY FAYAD

Band Name: Band Members: Music Genre: Sounds like: Instruments in play: Favorite song to perform: Five RECOMMENDED songs for Summer:

Joy Fayad Joy fayad Rock, Soft Rock, Funk, Blues, Pop KT Tunstall, Linda Perry Harmonica, Guitar Etta James - ‘Bling’ Polica - ‘Violent Games’ Mark Lanegan - ‘Quiver Syndrome’ Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa - ‘Close To My Fire’ Me’shell Ndegeocello ft. Tracy Wannomae ‘See Line Woman’ Duoud - ‘Missy Nouackshott’

Now, before answering the following questions, pick 5 bands/artists: (a) BETH HART (b) MARK LANEGAN (c) ASAF AVIDAN (d) JACK WHITE (e) ROBERT PLANT

According to what you chose, answer the following:

1. What was the first song you heard by (a)? ‘Your Heart is as Black as Night’. 2. What lyrics of (c) DO you wish you had written. ‘Everybody’. 3. Favorite song by (d). Why?

4. What song by (b) would YOU dance naked to? If I had to, I’d go for ‘Come On Over Turn Me On’. 5. What/who does (e) remind you of the most? Best moments I’ve shared with good old friends during college days listening and jamming to Robert Plant’s songs.

‘Love is Blindness’ (covered by Jack White). Because of his voice’s energy, which makes the song so powerful and touching. Pure heavy blues.

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

KRYSTEL KOUYOUMDJIS - “... AND THEN I DOVE IN”

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

CHASING AFTER

PHOTOGRAPHS BY SAMER NOUN

NAY TABBARA - GUITAR

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

NUR FAKHOURY - VIOLIN

CHRISTINA SALIBI - LEAD VOCALIST

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

INTERVIEW: THE MISSING PIXELS 01. First things first, Why did you guys choose to start off with covers instead of originals? It was not really a choice or a decision per say, we started to jam and it just happened. We do have plans on writing originals, we have already given it a couple of tries, but between work and university and for some both, managing to write and compose originals is going to be a challenging task… but we’re getting there; baby steps. 02. our sources (you) tell us that you’re working on new material, what is the sound you’re heading towards? Something fresh, simple, mellow upbeat. That is, what other people may refer to as “Pixelized”. 03. curious question here, typical but curious nonetheless, Why The Missing Pixels? After a heavy brainstorming session that ended with crazy loud laughs (including tears for some), The Missing Pixels is the only name that we unanimously agreed on and that fit our profile at the start; three designers with missing band members. 04. What would you describe the Missing Pixels as? the band, not the members. Friends getting together, playing music for the fun of music and sharing the common love of it with others. 05. looking back at it, it’s been a while since you first broke into the scene. How in heaven’s name did it all start? When Christina came back to Lebanon she gave a call to Carine who gave a call to Dana who two days later became The Missing Pixels who a year later added Nay, Nur and Mario. Was that a lot of “who’s”? 06. most bands/artists take on a sound inspired by a big name(s). Is the Missing Pixels inspired by any artists/sounds in particular or is it a mixture of genres? We all come from diversified musical backgrounds, but when we get together and work on a cover we all seem to flow in the same direction. 07. some trip on stage, others’ bras unhook, What are some of the most embarrassing moments you guys had on stage? One of the most embarrassing moments is when Nay had a total blank while on stage, so she stood by Dana. Even though during the performance she played all the chords wrong and looked freaked out, we all had her back. Another one, is when we play ‘Titanuim’; to get the shakers to play the correct rhythm Nur has to toss and catch them, but each time she misses that last part. 08. now to the fun bit, why don’t you Tell us each an embarrassing story about you? *evil laugh* Mario: Once I tripped over a chair and collapsed on the floor while carrying a friend in the middle of a full pub! We were both drunk! The pain and the shame came in the next day! One of the perks of alcohol! Nur: This way I can embarrass myself again. Christina: I’m known for my lame jokes, and usually I’m the only one laughing! The most embarrassing part is when it happens to me during a concert.

Dana: Most of the time I get locked in my car or out of it because there is a bird next to it. I have bird phobia. Nay: I went to a Broadway camp (1st part of the embarrassment), and while we were performing and running on stage, I tripped over one of the speakers. 09. Who’s the neediest most annoyingly-shut-upit’s-not-that-big-of-a-deal one amongst you? Who nags a lot and never 100% satisfied? Mario: I would go for Dana. She’s not needy but she’s kind of the perfectionist who wants everything to be done properly, schedules respected, and practices taken seriously. We never mind. On the contrary, we wouldn’t know what to do without her! Nur: Dana, she’s always asking for something and insisting on stuff. I think she whispers the songs in my ears while I’m sleeping. Christina: We all are a bit. There’s always someone who notices imperfections so we keep trying things until we find a solution. Dana: I would humbly go for myself. I’m not needy, but I just do the follow-ups to make sure everyone knows their parts. At the end of the day, it’s for the sake of the band. I would never like anything bad to happen to the pixels. Nay: adrab men ba3ed (1). 10. last but not least, What, in your opinion, is the perfect recipe for a band that’ll make it big one day? Mario: The main ingredients for a successful band are two: teamwork and chemistry. A band is not a personal effort, it’s a collective effort so drop your ego, forget about how you’re gonna sound and think about how the band is gonna sound; that’s teamwork. As for chemistry: after a certain time (and by time I mean intensive practices) you would reach a point when you’re on stage, where you, and your band mates just flow, you let go and let the music take the wheel. Chemistry is like friendship based on trust; trust that everyone’s got your back. I don’t believe that a bunch of strangers, no matter how good they are, can make a successful band. There will always be something missing… and it’s not a pixel. Nur: Sugar, spice and everything nice! On a more serious note, I think a band, that will make it big one day, is one that finds its own identity and always has surprises for the audience. Acoustic quality is a must, but also character and a positive energy, interesting lyrics and sounds. Christina: a pinch of good mood, good friends and good music. Dana: Start with pouring your passion and dedication in a huge bowl, mix it with chemistry and friendship. Leave in the oven for 10 minutes on a 220-degree temperature. Then get trust and having-each-other’s-back and shove the each-man-for-himself, selfishness and your ego in a freezer. Let the scent of music take you to the land of never before afterwards and bon apetit! We all have to be as one. Nay: We haven’t yet, so I don’t know how well we can answer this question. But if you’re asking what makes a band last then I’d say that according to me, it’s chemistry, constant rehearsals, and understanding between the members. That leads the relationship between the members beyond the band’s limits. (1): Worse than one another.

MARIO YAZBECK - CAJON

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

DANA FAKHOURY - GUITAR, ukulele

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

WRITTEN BY MAIA BULBUL

THE SKINNY DIPPING REPORT The Do’s and Don’ts of Skinny Dipping: An Etiquette Guide Skinny Dipping Stories

THE BLOGGER

THE SKINNY DIPPING REPORT (THESKINNYDIPPINGREPORT.COM)

his blog acted as my gateway drug to the world of skinny dipping and recreational nudity. Trip Advisor meets the Pirelli Calendar for real people; The Skinny Dipping Report is a crowd-sourced guide to the best places in the world to skinny dip, in calendar form. The best part: it not only showcases the joys of skinny dipping in both pictorial and narrative fashion; but also lends focus to the joys of our other favorite summer pastimes: eating and drinking.

January did absolutely nothing to allay our irrational aversion to water. Just look at Oscar and his friends getting mercilessly pummeled by the angry waters of the South Pacific. No amount of Aguardiente or bowlfuls of encebollado would help ease that level of PTSD. Now, February got our attention. Michael recounts his hike through the Mexican jungle and the dip in the cooling waters of limestone sinkholes that got him on this calendar. The thought of renting a villa on the beach and eating a whole bunch of shrimp, octopus, squid, and tuna ceviches after a liberating dip in the filtered rain water of the sinkholes doesn’t sound half bad. Fast forward to May and we’re ready to strip down to our birthday suits and go full-frontal. Ada describes a day with her friend Nena. They rented a small boat in Fazana, Croatia and headed to an archipelago off the coast of the National Park Brijuni. When nobody else was around, they jumped into the warm waters of the Mediterranean, sans bikinis and feasted on fresh fish, calamari, crabs, truffles, and olive oil. Heaven. The rest of the year read like the script to Aerosmith’s ‘Crazy’ video. Two young girls traveling around, drinking, eating, skinny dipping with boys, and acting just like young girls should. But then December rolled around and things got a little strange. Charlie described his trip to Yosemite National Park in California. He spoke of the views, staying in charming tent chalets, and foraging for wild berries, grapes, and currants. It all sounded so wonderful until we read that all these memories, including the skinny dipping beneath the waterfall, were made with his sister. Call us old fashioned but somehow we feel that once past a certain age, siblings (particularly brothers and sisters) should stop bathing together. Period. Borderline incestuous behavior aside, we really enjoyed The Skinny Dipping Report. Word of advice, don’t skip the “About” section. Perhaps it’s because all this research has desensitized us to nude imagery or most likely it’s just the geek in us rearing its ugly head but to us, the “About” is the best part. A commentary on social erotica and their quest to shift people’s perception of nudity away from objectification towards identification, you learn that The Skinny Dipping Report isn’t about using nudity to sell a product (advertising) or about selling sex (porn). It’s about creating a platform whereby real people from a real place can tell a real story. It’s about celebrating the human form in the best way our generation knows how; through online social interaction. I f***s with that.

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THE BLOGGER

The Do’s and Don’ts of Skinny Dipping:An Etiquette Guide (gawker.com)

e have to be honest here. Skinny dipping, nudity, and frolicking idiotically ashore getting attacked by tidal waves, airborne blobs of wet sand, and slimy sea weed is hardly our idea of a good time. The thought of being naked and exposed around others is stressful enough, let alone having to somehow survive the senseless trauma of feeling cold, wet, and wholly vulnerable. Confession: some of us are not big fans of the water. They like to attribute that to an albeit far-fetched but brilliantly melodramatic idea that they, much like Virginia Woolf in the River Ouse, drowned cold and alone in a past life. After reading The Do’s and Don’ts of Skinny Dipping however, something weird happened. We don’t know whether it’s because of the sheer hilarity of this piece, or because summer is inherently one big annual coming-out party filled with overindulgence, playfulness, and cheeky shenanigans, but skinny dipping no longer seems all that scary. If you’re at all like them and a little rusty on skinny dipping etiquette then get a clue from Ms. Weaver, she’ll set you straight. According to Weaver, there are 10 sacred skinny dipping rules, but these are the ones you need to remember. Skinny dipping rule #1: don’t do it if you’re going to be a little priss about it. The whole experience is supposed to be fun, not traumatic. Skinny dipping rule #2: if you opt out, get out. Don’t be the creep who sits on dry land, fully clothed, and watches. Super pervy. Skinny dipping rule #3: skinny dipping isn’t a one man show. Unless you’re fulfilling your end of a dare, do not be the weirdo who’s obsessed with the idea of cavorting nakedly around others. That shit ain’t right. Skinny dipping rule #4: apply the Bush Doctrine and preempt a strike. There’s always that one annoying douche who’s going to attempt to steal your clothes. Be smart, be vigilant, and protect what’s yours. And the list goes on. If Ms. Weaver can make a convert out of us, she can make a convert out of anyone.

Skinny Dipping Stories (skinnydippingstories.com)

ny girl who grew up reading teen magazines knows about YM. For us, reading YM was a rite of passage of sorts. We felt grown up and sophisticated moving away from silly comic books and juvenile Nancy Drew novels to magazines that tackled 99 Ways to Wear Your Hair in a Braid and Love Quiz: Date Him or Ditch Him? You know, the real issues.

In the 1930s, YM was named Calling All Girls and pioneered the signature embarrassing moments column ‘Say Anything’ that went a little something like: “this happened, and then this happened, and as if it couldn’t get any worse, that happened!” Most stories were about mortifying period mishaps and teens winding up top/trunkless at a pool party in front of their entire high school (insert gasps, finger pointing, and a teenager that could just die).

Alas, the hallowed pages of YM are no longer in print, but fear not! We can still get our humiliating stories fix of strangers making utter fools of themselves. Enter Skinny Dipping Stories. Much like its name so discernibly suggests, this blog is dedicated to featuring stories about people like you and us going skinny dipping. It is our generation’s answer to the obsolete “Say Anything” and “Why Me?” sections of tween magazines. Some stories showcased on this blog are cute little tales of adventurous men and women basking in the exhilarating liberation that comes with swimming naked and thrilling anticipation that they may get caught (but never do). They’re the type of stories that make you feel like a boring old prude for not trying skinny dipping already. But most, like “Nobody Wins in a Bikini Fight”, “We Had Our Clothes Burned”, and “Skinny Dipping at a Hotel—Caught?” are implausible stories about boys and girls caught with their pants down. Clothes purposely stolen by a gaggle of giggling girls and going into town having to stop at a gas station to fill an empty tank completely naked; running out onto a crowded beach having unknowingly lost string bikini bottoms in a seaside girl-on-girl water fight; parents mortified at the scene of their useless children rebelliously swimming naked in their family pool. All those are the type of stories that take you back to your teenage years lying face down on your friend’s bed reading the “Why Me?” stories out loud and convulsing with laughter. Unlike its print counterparts, this blog doesn’t follow with a real life drama section aimed at frightening readers with an all-too-graphic description of some obscure disease or traumatic life event that we would indubitably be unlikely to ever experience. For that at least, we are thankful.

THE SIX STEPS TO: SKINNY DIPPING

THE 6 STEPS TO

SKINNY DIPPING ILLUSTRATIONS AND LETTERING BY CYNTHIA MERHEJ

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THE SIX STEPS TO: SKINNY DIPPING

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ARTICLES BY RUDY SHAHEEN

ILLUSTRATIONS BY OTHMAN SELMI

GENERATION GAP

NAME: FYFE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UNITED KINGDOM GENRE: PROGRESSIVE POP DOWNLOAD: CONVERSATIONS - ST. TROPEZ SOUNDS LIKE: PATRICK WOLF

here was nothing accidentally mysterious about Fyfe (pronounced, we believe, as a young toddler might pronounce Feist), the prodigiously talented 23-year-old Manchester University graduate, Paul Dixon. Leaving the internet to wonder just who was responsible for this alien sound, he released his first track ‘Solace’ under that stage name with virtually none of his bio attached. It wasn’t long until we found out that Fyfe is the new solo project from the former David’s Lyre frontman. After his 2010 to 2012 run with David’s Lyre which was declared as The Guardian’s “new band of the day”, Dixon decided to opt out of the record deal a year after signing and went about releasing a quite well-received EP on his lonesome. One of the first sounds to come from him (other that slicked back hair with a lick of paint in the video of his debut single ‘Tear Them Down’, that is) was ‘Solace’, which was picked up extensively in the blogosphere and on some very select radio stations. On this sort of dreamy and eerie track, our hero’s voice glands across wispy synth chords and plucked electric guitar riffs. Without any label backing, Dixon is certainly carving a niche for himself with his new stage name. He stated in a press release that he wanted to ease back into the music

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scene gently with Fyfe, hence his mysterious debut. Yeah, right, he might have had a shot at doing that had he written mediocre songs instead of his mind-blowing ones with addictive choruses. Blogs and websites went insane over his more impressive second single ‘St Tropez’ because of its oh-my-bloody-god-this-isso-damn-good epicness (yes, that’s a word). Pretty much like his previous project, Dixon’s… Pardon us, Fyfe’s synthesizers, string transposition and rich nerve are merged with his marvelous highregister vocals that somehow recall those of Two Door Cinema Club’s frontman Alex Trimble and intricate percussion rhythms. The track feels spontaneous for all its lavish mentions despite the claims that compare it to a Miike Snow/Bloodshy and Avant produced track. To sum it all up, imagine this: A guitar riff lulling you with a Phoenix-like innocence, then a slurred melody supported by the horn section of St Vincent meeting David Bryne. Miike Snow then jumps in assaulting you with one of his iconic rhythmic limericks followed by a Moog party where they all jam. Now that’s THE party we’d be at where we’d hang out listening to seriously great music by a seriously talented young fella.

GENERATION GAP

NAME: LAURA MVULA COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UNITED KINGDOM GENRE: NEO SOUL DOWNLOAD: GREEN GARDEN - SHE SOUNDS LIKE: JANELLE MONAE

raduating from the Birmingham Conservatoire with a degree in composition, Ms. Mvula started out singing with Black Voices, an a-capella group put together by her aunt. She then formed Judyshouse: a Jazz/Neo-Soul group. Between singing here and there, our Laura Mvula got a job as a receptionist (go figure, right?) allowing her to start sending out demos to several people working in the music industry. She’s, if we may say so, the Erykah Badu or Lauryn Hill of our generation. Speaking of Ms. Hill, where the hell is she? Anywho, signing with Sony’s subsidiary RCA, Mvula released her very first single, ‘She’, in 2012 and boy, did heads turn! The Guardian described her music as “Gospe-ldelia” – Google it stating that this is a new musical genre. Her debut album titled Sing Me To The Moon, had such a powerful creative force behind it with soulful tracks and beautifully constructed lyrics. Every track on that record is captivating and distinctive in character; reflecting its creator like a two-secondsago polished mirror. And to top it all off, gurl’s got enormous hoop earrings, golden iridescent eye shadow and of course, a beautifully round shaved head. Few of the singers who normally even draw

comparisons to the likes of Nina Simone, really measure up and we are, in fact, on board with the growing chorus cheering this 25-year-young British newcomer. Every single skill she was born with or aquired is quite apparent in Sing Me To The Moon. From the starting gospel of ‘She’ to the casually soulful ‘Can’t Live With the World’, every single moment captivates; especially when she rams up the otherworldly psychedelia on some of the tracks. Sing Me To The Moon is a beautifully produced and neatly crafted album, asserting both itself as masterful work and Mvula as a future hot property. Our little missy’s talent for trading ballad for beats and shifting the mood at her will is anything but unnoticeable. She was able to lift the energy with triumphant brass blasting along hum-along vocals on ‘That’s Alright’, giving us the most undeniably joyous moments on the album. Mvula takes the music of her roots and moulds it for a new generation, ours, with a handful of street-smart R’n’B hooks fitting perfectly with her sumptuous vocals. Mvula’s brand of slick and soulful R’n’B is heavily drenched in Jazz and clapyour-hands-for-the-lord beats, beautifully constructed together layer by layer.

GENERATION GAP

NAME: BLOOD DIAMONDS COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: CANADA GENRE: DANCE POP DOWNLOAD: HEART - PHONE SEX FEAT. GRIMES SOUNDS LIKE: GOLDROOM

e’re quite surprised that Canadian born Blood Diamonds stayed under our radar this long. Focusing on top-notch remixes with Ellie Goulding’s ‘Anything Could Happen’, which is a personal favorite of ours, the last thing he delivered before his EP was his collaboration with Grimes on the infamous track ‘Phone Sex’. Our brains turned into honey after hearing this high-pitched track back in 2012 and is still slowly dripping from our nostrils and ears. The bass/ drum combination on ‘Phone Sex’ is the soothing musical equivalent of using olive oil to loosen excess earwax; “Hey daddy, I’m okay… Hey daddy, it’s too soon, I am living on the moon”… Dayum! After his amazing collaboration with Grimes, came ‘Ritual’. A track that is all house keys with swirling layers of wispy vocals from one of the most underrated producers out there. The met-allophone breakdown in the middle of the track will throw you in an immediate love affair with it.

Releasing his first EP under the title Barcode on OWSLA, Blood Diamonds worked on the vocals of the first single with Harlem rapper Dominic Lord, ex A$ap mob, who is now blowing up,. The use of your typical “radio Hip-Hop” lyrics tends to give the first single, ‘Barcode, a

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not-so-tactical feel. Money, women and cars are quite dominant keywords but Blood Diamond’s production takes the track to a high dimension with one of the catchiest hooks you could ever hear; creepy at times: “I’m dreaming of a number, can you tell me what it is? AK-47 and I’m coming where you live”… Changing addresses with a bank loan assisted full-on plastic surgery face reconstruction: check. All of that doesn’t detract from the beautiful contrast of Dominic’s voice with the female’s chopped up vocals, the bass’ non-over powering feel, the minor glitchy vocal melodies and the hypnotizing synths that kick in at the beginning of the track… Not to mention the sudden ending, replacing the melody with a beautiful piano tune. Let’s simply sum up all of what Blood Diamonds is about by saying that this genius behind melody-driven songs with snare-centric loops and repeated pleads, makes good things even better. With a puffy blonde/ orange-dyed Skrillex-styled haircut (only, done tastefully) and the blank face of a somewhat eerie nerd staring at (and pitying) the jocks, (smiling is not an option… nor involved), Mike Tucker (now known as Blood Diamonds)’s album is set to drop in July 2013.

GENERATION GAP

NAME: SULK COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UNITED KINGDOM GENRE: BRITPOP & SHOEGAZE DOWNLOAD: DIAMONDS IN ASHES - WISHES SOUNDS LIKE: THE STONE ROSES

hrough a throwback to a time of Umbro jumpers and Mitre footballs on muddy pitches, we give you SULK. A product of their time to be lumped in as a throwback with the Britpop lot. They graced the scene with a distinguished sound and a little something that is the ingredient to a great band; originality.

Formed in London back in 2011 by Jon Sutcliffe on vocals, Tomas Kubowicz (whichever way you pronounce that) on lead guitar and Andrew Needle on rhythm guitar, SULK broke onto the scene with ‘Wishes’. With the indie music community raving with glorious reviews and the single mentioned in NME’s Radar Tip Of The Day, they released their second single ‘Back in Bloom’. Just like the first one, it was produced by Ed Buller, known for producing and mixing for the likes of Pulp and Spiritualized. The single was soon adopted by BBC Radio 1’s Huw Stephens and KEXP’s John Richards amongst others as repeatedly played tracks on their shows. Two singles out and yet no album released, with absolutely no sign of it anytime soon, SULK started playing several shows around the UK; crowned with them opening for The Dandy Warhols at the

Manchester Academy joined by Jakub “Kuba” Starzyński on the bass and Lewis Jones on the drums to complete the line up. Shuffling their line-ups a couple of times (while keeping the same spirit), re-working most of the tracks and dealing with delays of all sorts like changing names, took their debut album ages to be released. Not like we’re not obsessed with the outcome but they made us suffer for a while… Ain’t cool! Giving us, however, an album that is poetic without being overreaching or trite with tunes that get you to loop on repeat… well, that be cool. And so Graceless is upon us; definitely one of the albums of the year with a sound that is sonically seamless, which makes it quite challenging for everyone else out there to keep up; leaving them no choice but to sing their praises. SULK, unlike what we’ve become acquainted with, exudes an honest arrogance without being self-absorbed or completely pretentious with Graceless. It’s quite difficult to choose one track over the other. Each song is enriched with its own deep individuality through their endearing sound and insatiable hooks that truly flaunt the band’s capacity for instant classics.

INTERVIEW: BASIL SODA

INTERVIEW BY CHARLES HADDAD The people behind F/I/M2/P are honored to have a world renowned designer such as Basil Soda as our featured designer for this issue. A little birdie told us you have been a fan of F/I/M2/P for a while now, and we are very excited about our collaboration together. What are some of the factors that attracted you to our publication? Well I remember it grabbing my attention on the newsstand with its minimal cover. When I realized it was a Lebanese based magazine I had to buy it. I enjoy supporting our local industries. I kept on buying it because I loved the content, it’s a great outlet for all the great art that is coming out of our country. We know that you recently had an elaborate launching for your Spring/Summer 2013 Couture, which we were cordially invited to, where you covered your entire showroom with fluttering butterflies. Tell us about the story behind this collection. The concept behind this collection began with the idea of lightness. My research led to me a certain species of butterflies known as Pieris. However, the idea of a butterfly was a little cliché, so I dug a little deeper. I began to wonder what could be found under the surface. If we were to X-ray its body, what would we find underneath those layers? That was a keyword for the season; layers. We began to layer dresses on top of each other with the lightest of fabrics; specifically tulle. Each layer in different line work, overlaid on one another creating quite an interesting linear effect, symbolizing the skeleton of a dress. Then the layer of embroidery comes along taking the dresses to a whole other level. Even the embroideries we used were extremely light, utilizing transparent stones, to portray the idea of icicles… freezing these dresses in time. You’re very involved in fabric research, and design. Do you believe that technology today has made textile development more interesting than the past? Tell us a bit about the work you do on fabrics. Yes absolutely, with technologies like laser-cutting, engineered prints and 3D printing, designers have a lot more to play with than before. I tend to focus a lot more on textures; one of my favorite things to do is to play with the idea of fabric mixing. Combining

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ILLUSTRATION BY RUDY SHAHEEN different types of lace together, overlaying embroideries, juxtaposing leathers with silks. I rarely use prints because I usually appreciate things that are much more 3D and tactile. I use a specific type of embroidery known as Cornelli that was developed by a French priest. I even find the story behind this technique quite interesting; a priest used to take prayer breaks to develop a new embroidery technique. You seem pretty inspired by animals and specifically nature. We saw falcons in your Fall/Winter 2012 Couture show and now it’s all about the Pieris butterfly. What is this connection you have with nature. Well with falcons the common misconception is that it is a male when in fact it is a female. So there were many factors that attracted me to that, she is seen as such a strong creature to the point were she is mistaken for a male. She oversees everyone and always has her eyes open, and somehow she always gets what she wants. The symbolism behind this reminded me a lot of the Basil Soda woman. I usually tend to find a lot of symbolism in nature that relates to my woman and her aesthetic. Sometimes I feel like we, as humans, are so overwhelmed by our daily lives that we should return back to nature and our roots every now and then. Who knows? Maybe unconsciously that’s why I keep returning to that same place for a source of inspiration. We see a lot of linear work in your aesthetic. is this due to your architectural background? what is this fondness you have of A perfect line. My architectural education has definitely helped me a lot with design in general. I think it’s the source of my love for graphic lines, composition, volume and geometry. Without even trying, it just comes out in my designs. After all, building a dress is just like building a house. Looking at your collections we cannot help but notice the romanticism, but we also sense a touch of darkness to your clothing. Where does that spring from? Is this how you see the Basil Soda woman; a dark romantic? In a way, yes. I always tend to play on the idea of duality, such as the falcon or my previous collection entitled Parure Armure inspired by Medieval armor. I always like to imagine my woman as a strong individual; almost warrior like. It’s always a balance between strength on the outside yet soft sensuality on the inside.

INTERVIEW: BASIL SODA

Are you a self proclaimed perfectionist? Does anything ever leave the atelier without your final consent? Unfortunately yes (he smiles). I used to consider myself very fortunate to be this way but I have come to realize that it leaves little time for rest of mind and body. But yes, nothing ever leaves my atelier without my final word. I can’t help that, it’s in my nature. We know that you are quite the go-to person when it comes to red carpet events. From Katy Perry to Marion Cotillard, do you believe this is a significant factor to your success? Frankly, I don’t like to consider myself a red carpet designer. I feel like a lot of people have abused that title and are stuck being red carpet designers. Since I’m not really inclined to abuse the red carpet, I don’t consider it as a main factor to my success. I want to showcase myself more through the work I put on the runway instead. As I grow and move along with other projects, I don’t want to be typecast as a red carpet designer. You began as a Haute Couture designer, however

your Ready to Wear line is flourishing and gaining a lot of recognition with international buyers and press. How do you differentiate your RTW from your Couture line and where are some of your points of sales? Well, couture is and will always be an exclusive market, which is why I believe that it was necessary for me to start a RTW collection in order to branch out to different areas of the industry. I try to target a younger generation with my RTW line, keeping the DNA of the house but making it more accessible. I like to think of it as contemporary couture. At the moment we have points of sale all over the world, from New York, Paris, Cannes, Milan, Moscow, the Arab gulf, all the way to Taiwan. Along with Haute Couture and Ready to Wear, we heard rumors of a Bridal collection in the works. Where do you see Basil SoDA in the near future? Your rumors are quite on target (he smiles). Yes, the bridal collection is being worked on as we speak. I have a lot more places that I want to reach. However, I will not be revealing them at the moment, but apparently you have the right sources that bring you the right rumors.

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRISTOPHER DADEY INTERVIEW BY THE PEOPLE BEHIND F/I/M2/P

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COVER STORY: INTERVIEW WITH KATE NASH

“I am pretty angry and I wasn’t really okay when I made GIRL TALK.”

1. While we have come to fall head over heels for Girl Talk, many critics have been seeing it as a step backwards. What do you think it is they were expecting after Made Of Bricks and My Best Friend Is You? I don’t know... To be honest, I’ve seen a lot of positive reactions to it and I think no matter what you do, you’ll never please everyone so you might as well please yourself. My fans seem to have grown with me and my music. 2. What made you decide to self-release an album after having released previous records with Polydor? It wasn’t my choice. I was dropped by Fiction Records over the summer. There wasn’t a lot of communication about why or anything so I don’t really know that much about it. But I’m like Dory from Finding Nemo; I just keep swimming. I love this record so much and I am so proud of it. I’m so determined there isn’t really much that can stop me. 3. We could hear a lot of Motown and some Diana Ross and the Supremes influences back on My Best Friend Is You. What MOSTLY inspired the new record? Why the new sound and direction? I started playing bass guitar and I went through a shitty time personally. Music is my therapy, so I write about what I’m going through as a means of survival. I just purged everything that was going on into music and this record came out. 4. You… scream. You scream your lungs out at certain moments throughout the new record. We’re not complaining but, is everything okAY? You seem a bit angry. I am pretty angry and I wasn’t really okay when I made the album. I think I’m getting better, but there’s always something to scream about. There’s plenty to be angry about. I trusted the wrong people and got screwed over. I was really hurt about it. Life is a journey. Sometimes it’s painful. But what doesn’t kill you, doesn’t kill you. It also makes a great story and can strengthen you. 5. a- How exactly is Death Proof inspired by

Tarantino’s movie of the same name? I wanted the song to sound like what watching one of his movies feels like. His female characters are usually badass b*****s from hell and I wanted to portray that attitude mixed with his kind of sense of humor. I based the song, lyrics, music and video on his movies stylistically. b- If you got to play a role in one his movies, which would it have been? I wanna be in the remake of Faster Pussycats Kill Kill. c- ‘All Day and All of the Night’ is a personal favorite off Death Proof, why did you choose to cover this Kinks classic? It was for a performance during London Fashion Week for the Felder Felder show. The twins have a Rock ‘n’ Roll aesthetic and a similar attitude towards women. They want women to be able to dress how they wanna dress and not be one dimensional or put into a box. Both myself and the twins are big Kinks fans, so it made sense to add that song into the show. I performed it on the catwalk and recorded it with one of the girls’ husbands. It was a cool collaboration for me. 6. We’ve been to Harrow (and had friends who grew up there) and it didn’t necessarily strike us as a budding town and a perfect nest for future entertainers. Do you consider yourself lucky, having been able to breakout from such a small town? I think there is a thing about Harrow that has sparked a lot of creativity. There are a lot of enthusiastic music fans in that town and a lot of close dedicated friends that want to help propel their friends. I got my first gig in Harrow and me and friends have put on super cool events there. My friends in that town would come to every show I had on in the first three months of my gigging career and that really helped create a buzz around me. I also worked with the WISH centre, an organisation helping support kids that are self harming. There was DIY WOMP, a creative arts group in Watford that I did a lot of stuff with. I’m pretty into my hometown though I’ve always had the urge to travel. I’m also extremely determined and stubborn and I don’t back down so I think that helps anyone when they wanna break out of anything really.

“Go on your own journey and don’t accept people treating you like crap. Don’t ever let someone break your character.”

COVER STORY: INTERVIEW WITH KATE NASH

7. The music industry CAN indeed be tough on female musicians and entertainers. you’ve had your fair share of that and the story leading up to the release of Girl Talk says a lot on the subject. What is it that should be done? Girls need to grab a hold of what they want and do things on their own terms. They need to start doing stuff that scares them, being brave and not caring what anyone thinks, not caring as much about how they look, not wanting to always portray perfection, getting up and falling flat on their face, not worrying about making mistakes and looking stupid. Look stupid! Do what you want and enjoy it and don’t give a crap what anyone thinks of you. Also, don’t fall for bullshit Disney/rockstar story cliché about love that makes you believe you should take anything and do anything for someone. Go on your own journey and don’t accept people treating you like crap. Don’t ever let someone break your character. 8. Kate Nash’s Rock ‘n’ Roll For Girls afterschool music club. What brought this on and what is it exactly all about? I was part of a panel talk in 2010 commenting on the gender gap in the music industry and I found out about all these shocking statistics. I was really angry and bitter about it and I wanted there to be more girls in music. I saw Kathleen Hanna talking about these Rock ‘n’ Roll camps for girls in NY, Seattle and Portland and I wanted to bring something like that to young girls if I could. I worked with 6 different schools in the UK and we did a show at Queen Elizabeth Hall over Christmas. It was incredible to see their self-esteem and confidence grow. They tried bass, guitar, drums, keys, writing lyrics for the first time and came out of their shells. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done and I will continue to work on it when I can for the rest of my life, as long as I’m able. 9. Your current touring schedule on the side, what’s next for you? What is it you’re excited to start with? Recording the next album already? perhaps? I have had a few urges to write. I feel like I’m on a bit of a creative roll. I want to encourage a scene and get more girls on this journey with me. I have a few things in mind that are in development stages. Right now I’m on the road and concentrating on that. I really wanna reach as many fans as possible with the new record in the most important way possible for artists today and that’s by touring. 10. This issue’s theme is skinny dipping. have you ever done it? if so, and knowing how open YOU ARE about everything, tell us about it. If not, would you consider going for one? I’m gonna make it my mission to do it. I’ll let you know how it goes!

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“Girls need to grab a hold of what they want and do things on their own terms. They need to start doing stuff that scares them, being brave and not caring what anyone thinks, not caring as much about how they look.”

PHOTOGRAPHER 58

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1- Tell us briefly about you and what makes you do what you do.

4- What is the first skinny-dipping scene from a movie that pops to your head right now?

I have a passion. It’s a passion for capturing moments. I think it’s just my way of honoring and celebrating life.

I recently saw a French movie in which there’s a skinnydipping scene, it’s called ‘’ Happy Few ‘’. THE People in the movie are always naked, even if they do not have perfect bodies. It’s somewhat crude, but nevertheless beautiful.

2- Your most inspiring summer activity would bE… Summer inspires me; The big open spaces, golden cornfields in July, trips, excursions in the countryside, time spent with friends around a campfire, lake beaches where there’s almost no one… I like places where you can shout out loud. 3- What was the thought process that led you to work on the series you chose to exhibit in F/I/M2/P? When I was studying photography, I often flirted with utopia and freedom as themes; but also remembrance. It seems these themes have been influencing me, becoming the main idea in my series. Even if it is a little cliché, I like to think that we only live once, so why waste time restraining ourselves with barriers? For me, the skinnydipping series represents Quite adequately the breakingof-boundaries attitude; Being naked without having to hide because after all, we’re all the same; humans living life.

5- Have you ever gone skinny-dipping? If so, tell us about it. If not, would you? I think my trip to California was my first without barriers. I went to join friends who were natural and at ease with themselves; their always remaining true. They were always naked or in underwear in L.A. Yes, it was a trip in which we went swimming naked without questioning ourselves and whether we should or not. 6- Professionally, what is the project you always wanted to engage in but haven’t gotten the chance to yet? BESIDES PHOTOGRAPHY, I also work with cinema. Eventually, one of my goals would be to make a movie like the ones that inspire me. For example, ‘’To the Wonder‘’ from Terrence Malick is a movie that inspires me because I like how the film director captures life and makes us marvel.

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

SHORT COMIC: SKINNY DIPPING IN SILICONE VALLEY

SILICONE VALLEY

A SHORT COMIC BY IMAD GEBRAYEL

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

INTERVIEW: LITTLE BOOTS

INTERVIEW BY THE PEOPLE BEHIND F/I/M2/P Nocturnes is definitely one of the top 10 albums we were anticipating this year and we were probably amongst the first dozen of people who jumped at it as soon as it surfaced on the web. Why the four-year wait? It’s complicated. There were lots of reasons; some I was responsible for some I wasn’t. It took me a while to find the right direction and people to work with creatively and I wrote a lot of songs and tried a lot of things out before I recorded the finished album. Also, there were technicalities on the release side which was quite frustrating and took a lot of time. In the end I set up my own record label, so I am now in complete control of that. The new record has already been excessively well received by critics for being a step forward from your debut. ‘Crescendo’, ‘Strangers’ and ‘Beat Beat’ are some of our personal favorites. Do you have a track on the new record that you have a soft spot for more that the rest? Not really I get asked this question in every interview and always say you like each song for a different reason so its very difficult to choose. ‘Motorway’ and ‘Shake’ were both quite important songs in finding the direction, ‘All For You’ is quite dear to me also. You’ve mentioned that Nocturnes was inspired by the nightlife, the time you’ve spent DJ-ing around the globe, as well as Dance music in general. Could you elaborate on that? I’ve been DJ-ing a lot in between albums and being around dance music and DJs and seeing how different records function in clubs and watching what makes people dance has definitely incluenced me. I’ve also rediscovered a lot of classic dance albums. What did you mean by “an album indebted to the night”? Its predominately a dance record and dance music is always bound to the night time; its when people loose their inhibitions, when they are free from responsibilities and all the fun and danger that goes with that. A lot of the album is inspired by these different places and themes of night time, darkness and excitment, freedom and release, escapism and dreams.

PHOTO COURTESY COURTESY OF LITTLE BOOTS

records and that was really exciting, finding new records and using similar sounds getting inspired in the production. You’ve worked with fantastic people from acts like Simian Mobile Disco and Hercules And Love Affair. WHAT was it like working with them? It was great to work with other artists that I have a huge amount of respect and admiration for, I was already a big fan of both. I learnt a lot from them; the way they approach sounds and structure in the studio. They brought a lot to the table and helped me take more risks and push the boundaries of what people think a pop song should sound like. Do you consider your songwriting on this album to be quite metaphorical or should we just take the stories you’re telling as they are and not try and read between the lines? There are definitely lots of layers, in songwriting I take on lots of different voices and versions of myself and other people, and I always try to build up different meanings so people can interpret things in their own personal way. I think the meaning of songs should come from the listener; they should try and write their own story from the feelings the song gives them. You came out around the time when a hurdle of female artists in their twenties released 1980’s-inspired music, such as Ladyhawke and Elly Jackson from La Roux. Was this new album a conscious and well thought-out departure from that sound? I knew I wanted to do something different, but I will always be inspired by electronic music as that is the instrument I play, and a lot of that music comes from the 80’s so it will always be influence what I do. That said I did feel the 80’s synth pop sound got quite oversaturated at that time and people want something new now, so I was more inspired by 80’s early house and disco than bands like the human league. I also wanted to draw from a more diverse range of influences and not be so heart on its sleeve as the first album, I wanted the production to take you on a journey touching on lots of different reference points in dance, electronic and pop music.

Is there a specific band or artist you were listening to heavily while recording this album?

To wrap this up, are you aware that you just might have released THE disco-of-now dance album of the year? That’s quite the achievements, and it is not solely our own personal opinion!

Not really but I did rediscover a lot of old disco and early house

Thank you that’s very kind! I aim to please.

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

SOMBER CEREMONIALS COUTURE BY BASIL SODA

PHOTOGRAPHS BY TANYA TRABOULSI

PRODUCER MARYAN EL-KHOURY

HAIR & MAKE-UP MOE RIDA

OUR THOUGHTS GO TO THE WONDERFUL MAY EID AND HER FAMILY

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

I live in my dream I cannot wake up I Invite my other selves over for company My meal of choice Mothers pearls Brunch is served Heavenly cursed I transform from sunrise to sunset LAYING HERE TO DIE EVERY NIGHT IN THE POOL I SO JOYOUSLY PLAY IN DURING THE DAY ALEKSANDRA ,

. . .

F/I/MÂ˛/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

INTERVIEW: WE WERE EVERGREEN

INTERVIEW BY THE PEOPLE BEHIND F/I/M2/P

If you had to describe We were Evergreen in three words, what would they be? Curiosity – Happy mistakes We know that we had once wanted to call the band simply Evergreen. Yeah, we started off with that but we changed it because William became part of the band for good and so we decided to mark that by playing around with the name. We went with 3 words because we were a trio. What did you listen to while growing up? The Beatles, Selling Africa, 70’s UK bands, Pink Floyd, Supertramp, then more contemporary indie rock and maybe even some emo stuff we’d never listen to again at this point. It really was a variety. You have recently supported acts such as Emilie Sande and Little Dragon, how was that? Emilie Sandé really reminded us of a Lauren Hill show, which is really professional; perfect drums and amazing stage musicians. Everything was perfect, and she was really professional. We don’t know if we’re big fans of her music but in that genre like she’s one of the good ones. Not that we usually really listen to that genre. Little Dragon was really good too, she’s amazing and she holds it all together. Ever since you took off, who out of all the people that you have met, impressed you the most? Slow Club. Opening for them was really interesting because they are younger than we are yet they have really good songs and they know how to get an audience and how to sing on stage. It’s different every show so there’s a real live feel to it. Michael Kiwanuka as well. He has an impressive voice and he’s a very down to earth person. Who would you want to open for if you had the chance? Definitely Radiohead, not that it would make a lot of sense… actually with some of the stuff from the new album it could make

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CARL HALAL

a bit of sense. Vampire Weekend, Metronomy… Are you gonna send this to our booking agent? We played the last Loveboat festival in London and the headliner was Grace Jones and we saw her gig and it was like wow! One of the most impressive shows we’ve ever seen. What was the best gig you have ever played? It would have to be one of the gigs we played at the Wilderness festival this summer, like, so far… There are a lot of really good memories. The show we did a week ago at Maroquinerie in Paris was quite good as well because it’s a sort of legendary venue in Paris. We’ve been to see a lot of concerts there and it’s intimate with a 500-person capacity but still, you’re really close to the stage and the sound is really nice so it’s quite impressive to know that people are going to be there to watch you and they’re going to build the same relationship with this venue that you had like 5 or 6 years ago. So you are all from France, but you sing in English. why did you decide to do that? We never really thought about it, we just went for it… We started writing songs in English and it made more sense at the time. Also because, again, a lot of the bands that we listen to are English speaking bands. And we like the language as well simply because it’s not ours and we can play around with it with more liberty. We have another approach to the language, because French is built in a certain way; the way you build a sentence. And with the poetry and all the historical and cultural literature background that we have, we go to the English language with another approach. We get to play around with it like we’re discovering something, so it’s cool. You have a very specific joyous sound, Almost euphoric even. How did you come to make that a part of your identity and your sound? Well we started with the most simple instruments: piano, guitar and drums. And then from that and a lot of the gigs that we did, we just changed the instruments around and it was a pleasure every time to find a new sound and a new way of placing each instrument. so we built this. We really enjoy playing together so in studio or in life there’s always something euphoric.

INTERVIEW: WE WERE EVERGREEN

Some of the lyrics though also have a deep or dark feel to them, not hopeless, but like a way of telling stories which aren’t always happy, so we like to have a nice sound that wraps around something more cruel or problematic. Also since we like the challenge of doing everything on our own, just the three of us on stage, we enjoy finding new arrangements to be able to pull that off. So you’ve had we were evergreen, and then flings and leeway recently… Are we looking at an album soon? Yes we are… yay! Finally! The release date will be sometime in Autumn 2013. We’ve already started recording in London. Is it going to continue on with the sound that we’re used to? Are there going to be any surprises? There’s probably going to be surprises. Obviously the base is still the same, but there’s going to be like an evolution and we’re going to go further into asserting something that’s really our sound. We’ve waited a long time to make this album, but that’s a good thing for us because we’re going to bank on all the experience. We have to say what we have to say. We’re also going to try to think of the future, as we get bored very quickly of arrangements so it’s a big step that’s coming. Are there going to be any of the tracks we already know on the album? There should be… We’re blending both, the new stuff and the old stuff. If you were to collaborate with one act on one song on the new album, who would it be? Well it depends.. We were Evergreen is real and it’s a strong entity, that’s how we built it, so it’s really hard now that we’ve built all that to think of going out of it already. But well, maybe with Slow Club it would be nice. Or if we want to go bigger then Gold Panda or Mulatu on percussions, it would be really nice to have a whole group on percussions with the band or even Francois and the Atlas Mountains which is an amazing French band.

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

INTERVIEW: PONY PONY RUN RUN

INTERVIEW BY THE PEOPLE BEHIND F/I/M2/P

PHOTOGRAPHS BY RAMI HAJJ

Basically, you guys were here a couple of years ago and you played a very small venue. we were almost on stage with you – it was a really cool unadvertised small gig. this time you’re back here with a new album, a new set list, and quite a bigger venue. What made you think of coming back? We really wanted to come back because last time was so amazing, we had a good time. We tried to come back last year and the year before that, but it was impossible because we didn’t have a contact here to make a proper deal. We’re back here now and it’s perfect. we keep hearing “80’s and 90’s inspired” whenever we think of Pony Pony Run Run and it’s true to an extent, but do you stop there when it comes to where you draw inspiration from? Well, we’re not into 80’s, we’re not into 90’s nor 70’s nor whatever, it’s just music and obviously the year 2010 was very 80’s like, and there’s no choice in that, it’s the sound of the decade. We’re not specifically proud of only one decade. Decades aside, where do you guys draw inspiration from? From everything! The basics though are the 90’s where we really discovered music and started to buy our own music. Any specific bands, artists or music acts that you guys strive to somehow either reach on a musical level or become, or at least people who really inspire you in a musical sense? It’s somewhat of a difficult question to answer because each one of us had preferences and favorites, but none of them single-handedly inspired the sound of the band. On personal levels, maybe Pavement and Pinback… There’re no link between the music they made and our music, but there’s a link for us as individuals. With the second album that came out last year, you chose to work with Andrew Dawson who has mainly worked with rap and hip hop artists, which we found weird. Why did you guys go with him? At first it was just an opportunity, we just wanted to work with Mercury Rev because we wanted that sound. We were expecting to make a rock album. But then when we did pre-production, it was just electronic music, without guitars and we were like ok, let’s

see how we want to do that. We then had the opportunity to meet Andrew Dawson and it simply just worked out from there! So the decision came from you? Yeah, yeah and from the meeting. As the guitars went away there was only dynamics and voice and he’s really good at it. Hip hop and R’n’B music is really about that: the beat and the vocals. How was it working with him? Very nice! There was no business side to it. We were afraid that he’d be all like “I’ve got 5 Grammy’s and all” but it was nothing like that. How is your new album different from You Need Pony Pony Run Run in terms of inspiration and actual music? It’s like us, a little bit older, a little bit wiser. We’ve grown up and we know it. The more you learn the more you know what you want. We were more in control of the end product this time around. You guys seem to also be touring 99% of the time. Is it safe to assume that you enjoy being on the road way more than being in the studio and recording? We prefer the artistic part of the job, the creation of the song, the part that’s just about the music, but you have to be on stage. It’s not what we are made for, but that’s the way it is so we keep doing that. But then again, in all fairness, visiting new countries and playing our music is just perfect as well. Do any of you guys, aside from in music, make any good use of your background in fine arts? That’s what inspires us every time, every day. The cover of the new album for example, the videos, everything… We work with people, but we co-direct because we know what we want and we can be a pain in the ass! You have fantastic visuals especially when it comes to the videos that accompany your music. Do you have a hand in that? Yeah we try not to just have our faces lip-syncing songs… that’s it. You can do so much more with videos. There’s a link between the music and the video, but the music is not better than the video and the video is not better than the music, they compliment each other. It’s not an illustration of the music. We try to think of it as just one big piece of work. One last question. What are some music acts and bands hailing out of France that you think have their own specific sound? There are so many great bands, young bands. From the west there are The Popopopops. They’re a really good band and we played with them, they are great live and they’ve just put out a record. There is also a band called Rum For Pauline and our friend Noire Animal in Nantes. Mostly friends… we’re not really into French music, but we have many many friends with bands and good music to discover. We are the old generation and this is the young one, For example, we heard that We Are Evergreen played here not long ago, they are really really good!

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

THIS IS A POSTER BY FOUAD MEZHER FOR YOU TO ENJOY. RIP IT OUT, TAKE GOOD CARE AND MAKE GOOD USE OF IT.

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

FOR THE MODERN DAY ARTIST & CULTURALLY INTRIGUED INDIVIDUAL 94 ALBUM SELECTION

100 MOVIE REVIEWS

106 SOUNDTRACK REVIEW

108 LIVE REVIEW THE MIXTAPE

PHOTOGRAPH BY CLARA ABI NADER

ARTICLE BY NISRINE NAJEM & HADY FAKHRY

ILLUSTRATION BY DINA ABOU KARAM

Alison, oh Alison, Sing me into oblivion! For today’s candy recipe, first get naked. Once you do, get Alison Goldfrapp’s mesmerizing voice and run it through Will Gregory’s synth machine, add some magic and tada! Take that blend and blast it through your earphones, close your eyes and enjoy the sensation as your bare skin touches the cold water. That might not really make sense, but neither does Goldfrapp’s Supernature album. Let’s try to break it down shall we?

he album starts off with the sensational ‘Ooh lala’; the piece de resistance. “Switch me on, Turn me up, I want to watch you, you’re just made for love”. The opening track pretty much sets the tone for the whole album; Lively, upbeat and guaranteed to inspire multiple gravity defying moments.

But brace yourselves folks, the trip has just begun and your feet shall continue to wiggle up in the air. You suddenly find yourself in a time machine, one that takes you back to the disco 70’s, with ‘Ride a White Horse’, the third track of the album. Think of it as those soft porn images that you used to carry around in a floppy disc back when you had braces and acne, the feeling is kind of the same; it certainly did send chills of nostalgia down our spines. But then, the next couple of tracks in the album sort of cool it down, like the after-sex glow; everything is mellow, you’re cooling down. But wait, it starts to build up again. You’d better warm up well ‘cause there’s going to be another splash! Things start to get groovy again with ‘Fly Me Away’, and it’s a mellow journey from then on; ups and downs: “Fly me away on an Aeroplane, high in the sky, wanna see you again, wanna know this time,  gonna tell you what I’m feeling gonna know this time,  gonna get it back, that feeling”. But those kids sure know what they’re doing and certainly won’t let you down as the tenth track of the album, ‘Time Out of the World’, sets a different tone and everything turns smooth and mellow. You lie on the grass and let the sun dry off the droplets of water stuck on your skin, it’s the glow. You are finally ‘Number 1’. Supernature is an exquisite part of Goldfapp’s musical adventure, and what an adventure that is! From Electroclash with ‘Train’, Glam with ‘Ooh La La’, to Oddball Folktronica with ‘A&E’

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

ALBUM OF THE ISSUE: GOLDFRAPP - SUPERNATURE

and Hall & Oates-style funk-pop with ‘Rocket’. Goldfrapp’s diversity and flexibility is never questionable. Like their previous album Black Cherry (2003), Alison and Will are mainly mixing pop with different electronic dance styles. But what we like about Supernature are those subtle hooks! (We kept grooving to ‘Lovely 2 C U’ for days!) Also, The album is such a tease, we mean primarily it is a dance album but it’s kind of a weird one; yes, it has all of the proper elements required to get our asses shaking, but at times, it really wants to be a rock record. Oh, and we really want to mention how much we love Seventh tree, the band’s following album, and how much Supernature affected it to the point where it was viewed as the “sensual counterpoint to the glitterball glamour of Supernature” by NME. Alison described the album as “An electronic, glam cross between Berlin, New York and north-east Somerset”, and she couldn’t have said it better!

JANET

F/I/M²/P - JUNE / JULY 2013

ALBUM REVIEWS: JANET JACKSON - JANET

ARTICLE BY Nathalie Koutia

ILLUSTRATION BY DINA ABOU KARAM

To some of you, Janet might just be the King of Pop’s younger sister, but whether you have listened to her or not in your early years, this woman has been described as THE sex symbol. Now of course, we have seen many sex icons on the scene, but personally, Janet has struck us through her ultimate sexual album in the 90’s, Janet. Released after Madonna’s Erotica, this album came at a time where female pop stars were just beginning to expose sexuality in their image as well as in their pop songs. Not only will this album provide you with some very interesting “excitement”, whether it’s the music or Janet’s moaning between the beats (brilliant subliminal sex messages by the way), Janet definitely succeeded in combining love and respect with her sexual needs.

tarting it off with her soft sexy voice in ‘Morning’s interlude’ followed by her number-one single ‘That’s The Way Love Goes’: “We used the light from a flickering candle across the room; To make the kind of shadows that only one thing could make: Love” (We mean, damn girl! You touched the exact spot in our heart. Or maybe even somewhere else). Arguably the best morning tune for some early-bird lovemaking. After some teasing while wishing she was his girl in ‘If’, followed by some anger and dismissing of her ex-lover with raw African-American attitude *snap, snap and snap* in ‘This Time’, Jackson hits us with the wettest track in this album, ‘Throb’; and by wet, we mean all levels of wetness. The repetitive words of ‘Make Me Wet’, “Boom boom boom until noon”, combined with some “Ooh baby” in between? You’ll definitely have your share of what she’s having! Though the album was riddled with discrepancies, like for instance, ‘Throb’ was followed by some “missing yous” and “what do I do without yous” in ‘What I’ll Do’; and you’re left thinking “Are you serious, girl? What are we supposed to do with all this throb excitement?”; this woman manages to convince us that she’s a good innocent girl after all! Janet has proven in this album, just like any other woman, that she has needs (serious sexual needs) and that she’s ready to love, and to give you all that love, sweet tender love; you’ll find that sensual physical love waiting for you when you unleash her desire in ‘The Body That Loves You’ with her hidden erotic messages in between (don’t think you’re fooling us, Jay. We hear your “I wanna feel you inside of me”). Though don’t be fooled by her mature womanhood

and sexuality, Janet’s R&B cut in ‘Where Are You Now’ somehow gives us the impression of a personal sad experience showing some regrets with “where are you now? Now that I’m ready to love you the way you loved me then” and expressing her pure love outside the bedroom in ‘Because of Love’. You can tell that Janet has experimented in this album with various styles from R&B, Hip-Hop, Funk, Jazz, Pop and Opera with singer Kathleen Battle in ‘This Time’. She definitely made us fall in love with the beats of ‘Funky Big Band’, showed some respect and pride to some Hip-Hop beats with Chuck D’s rap in ‘New Agenda’ (you can’t be Janet without showing some sexy African American woman pride) and engaged in some fun with friends in ‘Sweet Dreams/Whoops Now’. Janet has definitely proven Janet. As the biggest win-win after her breakthrough albums Control and Rhythm Nation 1814, from “Let’s wait a while” to “I don’t wanna stop just because you feel so good inside”, the youngest child of the Jackson family surely isn’t afraid to share her beauty and her super sexy part (her damn fine sexy part); the female sex icon claims that “sex is a celebration, a joyful part of the creative process” regarding her album; and we couldn’t agree more. Now we won’t spoil all the fun, if you haven’t explored sexual vibes in funk-pop-R&B music (and no, we don’t mean the Rihanna kind of music), then Janet. should definitely be on your list. So next time you want to have some serious love making action, make sure you’re wet enough (heat wise, sex wise, or both) and put that record on and hit it off.

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ZZ IN OUR EARS WE PLAY ENDLE U B A SLLY WITH - JUNE / JULY 2013

ALBUM REVIEWS: SIGUR ROS - With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly

ARTICLE BY NISRINE NAJEM & HADY FAKHRY

ILLUSTRATION BY DINA ABOU KARAM

“With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly”, and who would ever want them to stop? Sigur Ròs’ fifth studio album is the kind that would push you to memorize all the symbols on your keyboard because you’re afraid that if you miss even one, then a pixie somewhere would drop dead. That’s probably the best way to describe the sounds of Sigur Ròs, pixies in a magical land; fairies collecting the hums of a far away earth and bottling them up in timeless albums.

eleased in June 2008, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (or With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly), showed us a different side of Sigur Ròs; one we hadn’t got the chance to experience in previous albums. Because it was recorded over a short period of time, we got a chance to witness a livelier approach to their creations, characterized by loose tunes and flawed notes. This record certainly does have more upbeat joyful sounds, but manages nonetheless to retain the overall heavy melodramatic sounds that characterized the previous records. But what really buzzed with this album was the introduction of the band’s first English song, carefully placed as the last track and entitled ‘All alright’. Jonsi, the man behind the band’s angelic voice, proved to be as smoothe with English as any other language.

“La la la lalalalalalalala”, a rapid surge of percussions and soft vocals, accompanied by raging acoustic guitars; the album opens with a bang! ‘Gobbledigook’(1) probably sets the tone of the album with its everlasting positive vibes. But things only get more euphoric and gleeful with ‘Inní mér syngur vitleysingur’(2), with chiming bells and majestic horns that brought more movement than the entire band’s previous studio records, combined! This track with all its happy vibes, is in fact one of the most anthemlike joyful songs Sigur Rós have ever produced. Even the less enthusiastic ‘Við spilum endalaust’(3) still manages to bring up a whole orchestra and blend it around what could be a potential radio hit. Nevertheless, on the nine-and-a-half minute ‘Festival’, the boys cool down; we reunite with the band’s minimal sound as it floats back in like a hymn; But halfway through it does a full

180 degree turn with a buildup that generates a lot of goosebumps. Next; ‘Illgresi’(4) a combination of Jónsi’s finest vocal abilities with a lonely acoustic guitar and ‘Ára Bátur’(5), which was recorded live at Abbey Road studios accompanied with the London Sinfonietta and London Oratory Boy’s choir…what a masterpiece! From this point on, slow numbers drift again in another direction, leading up to the finale, ‘All Alright’ as Jónsi delivers his English lyrics (Finally some English) so beautifully, but ever so fragile and fathomless.  You may not understand a word they’re saying, I mean most of the population can’t speak a word of Icelandic; Yet, Sigur Rós is one of the most popular ambient/post Rock bands to ever come out of that tiny land. The sounds are so intense and so infused with emotions that they will sweep you away and send images rushing through your head without the need for words. But, we have to admit that a part of us would miss the words, even if we can’t understand them, we’d miss them; we’d miss the overwhelming presence of Jonsi’s divine voice as he confidently bares his soul out in every track for you to entrap and decipher, or at least try to.  With a buzz in our ears, we shall play endlessly. We shall run through forests naked and wild as the rawness of our bodies and souls reunites with raw nature, and so we can become one. We shall be young forever, and we shall play endlessly by that lake, hidden carefully in a faraway land, where magic happens. (1) Nonsense (2)Within me a lunatic sings (3) We play endlessly (4) Weeds (5) Row boat

101

MOVIE OF THE ISSUE

DIRECTED BY FRANCOIS OZON

“ IT’S TIRING TO KILL A MAN ”

ARTICLE BY SERGE KALDANY

arah Morton (Charlotte Rampling) is a mystery novelist. After a long series of murder mysteries, she’s fed up with her rut and is looking for new inspiration. Her publisher (Charles Dance) opens up his summerhouse to her, inviting her to take a break there in order to clear her mind. She sets off to the south of France, where she meets his daughter, the more than charming Julie (Ludivine Sagnier). Julie, pronounced with a French accent s’il-vous-plait, is a peculiar creature. With both women unaware that the other was going to be in the house, they now have to live together and try and be respectful roommates. The swimming pool by the side of the mansion is the object that ties the movie together. All crucial points of the plot take place around or in it. It’s a pretty nice metaphor for the movie and the people in it; it’s filled with clear blue water, tainted by leaves of past falls and winters, and all that, hidden away by a big plastic cover. The most interesting bit of this movie is the huge contrast between the characters, and the characters themselves: Sarah is conservative English woman who puts values, morals, and etiquette above everything else, and Julie… well, Julie spends most of her time buck-naked, and makes Aphrodite look like a nun. But let’s understand the characters a bit more, starting as manners dictate by the more beautiful one… Julie is a young and sexually vibrant woman at the peak of her youth who’s enjoying life thanks to daddy’s riches. However, daddy is never here to spend time and take care of her. You know, the same old story. She’s just in need of some affection but finds herself shacked up with an older woman whom she barely knows, in her own house, because she’s a guest of her father’s, who’s not even here. As all younger people are prone to think, the old hag has

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ILLUSTRATION BY RAMI TANNOUS

a stick up her ass. Against her will and way of life, and by orders of her father, she now has to keep quiet to leave miss novelist, daddy’s prodigy and moneymaker, alone to concentrate on her work. Now let’s take the old hag’s view of things: Sarah is just out to find a small haven of quiet in order to start writing her new piece. Before the emergence of Julie, she had her wish granted in the ‘lovely house’, and the ‘gorgeous weather’; we get it you’re an eloquent writer. But then, her world comes tumbling down by the presence of a young free-spirited b***h. If some girls are considered cheap, then Julie must be free. She doesn’t even have good taste in men! But then again, this promiscuous blond nymphomaniac could be the inspiration she needed all along. Sarah starts peeking at her love scenes and going through her stuff and underwear in order to understand her new fictional persona even more. From one cliché to another: Opposites attract. The two women find themselves befriended and Sarah’s new taste for writing develops into erotic fantasy. Their opposite lifestyles merge and both get a glimpse of the other’s way of thinking. However, her murderous stories keep coming to her, and are starting to cross from fiction to reality. She realizes that sometimes, life is more fictional than the weirdest and most mysterious stories. This bilingual movie has earned director François Ozon several awards and a nomination for Palm d’Or for the best movie of 2003. Overall, the acting is simply superb, the music is intriguing, the suspense keeps your eyes glued to the screen and your mouth open, and if that doesn’t do the trick, seeing Ludivine Sagnier’s naked glistening body does. It’s a gripping hour and a half of film that will slowly bring you to the edge of orgasm, step by step, from tease to gratification, going through all the preliminaries and repetitive interactions. The time has come for us to tell you of all the reasons to watch this particular movie, and this review will not stray from tradition. This fantastic movie is filled with sex, which we all love, and it’s got a weird twist at the end. Until this day, 10 years later, we still don’t really know how to interpret the ending. Maybe you can…

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MOVIE REVIEW

DIRECTED BY JAMES IVORY

“ NATURALLY ONE WOULD BE ... STIRRED UP ”

ARTICLE BY SERGE KALDANY

hat comes to mind when you hear the term ‘skinny dipping’? Let us paint you a mental image. The moon’s reflection bounces off the clear water, only to be disturbed by soft and slow waves. The water slaps your soft naked skin, ever so gently. You gaze at the distance for a moment. There’s a naked woman calling your name. Her body is wet and glistening, her messy brown hair floating about, dancing with the shore winds. There’s a repetitive bang, following your heartbeats, echoing from a far away sea bell. All other sounds fade away, until you hear the splashes of the woman slowly walking towards you, salty water droplets running down her firm breasts to join the sea again. For a second, you wish you were these drops of water. She takes your hand and pulls you towards the deeper part of the ocean… Now that your mind is in a trance, let’s destroy that image. Two young men and a priest get naked and dive into a dirty pond to start grabbing each other and splashing, bursting in laughter. One of the young men gets out of the pond to dry. Playfully, the other one grabs his hairy leg and shoves him back in the water. They then proceed to follow each other around hiding between the trees. All the while, his nastiness, the reverend watches them in silence, smiling… not as sexy, or sweet, or romantic, or poetic, wouldn’t you agree? The movie however, claims that it is. Okay, so maybe if we add context to it, we could salvage the image.

ILLUSTRATION BY RAMI TANNOUS

Florence with her chaperon (Maggie Smith). Their wonderful stay is sullied by the fact that the room has no view, hence the movie title. Quickly, this matter is resolved, and young Lucy meets an eccentric man named George Emerson (Julian Sands). Passions arise and Lucy is faced with the tough decision of choosing between her newly found romance and her fiancé Cecil (Daniel Day-Lewis) back home in England. As far as great actors go, this movie has more than a generous share. Judi Dench, Rupert Graves, and Simon Callow join the elite cast as the novelist Eleanor Lavish, Lucy’s brother Freddy, and the pervy reverend Beebe. Between them, they have 6 Oscars, and hundreds of other awards. The most striking aspect of the movie however, is the set itself. The action takes place in the early 1900s, and the costumes do not disappoint. Actresses are wearing thousand and thousands of layers of fabric, and men have three undershirts and tube socks. The costumes even won the production its third Oscar. Briefly, if you want to see what it would be like to be in the middle of a 1900s’ soap-opera like drama, then you shouldn’t miss out on this unbelievable work of art. If you don’t, then just watch it to see what your beloved actors looked like before the wrinkles set in...

A Room With a View is a multi-Oscar winning film directed by James Ivory in 1985. Based on a book by E.M. Forster, the narrative focuses on a young woman played by Helena Bonham Carter. In her first ever role, Helena is thrown into the deep pool of cinema’s leading movies. You might know her now thanks to Tim Burton, but she was a natural talent, even when she was only 19 years of age. Come to think of it, most award winning movies come from books, so start reading people! Throw away your stupid magazines (not this one, though) and pick up a novel or two… Ha! yeah, we couldn’t bother either. Quirky-named British lady Lucy Honeychurch (told ya), Helena Bonham Carter, is on vacation in

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MOVIE REVIEW

DIRECTED BY STEVEN SPIELBERG

“ The height and weight of the victim can only be estimated from the partial remains ”

ARTICLE BY SERGE KALDANY

…..F…..E…..F…E F E F E F E F E F E F D# D C# C# D D#. For those of you who are music aficionados, go ahead; try to play these notes on an instrument. We guarantee you’ll immediately know what it is. Even if you’re not, you undoubtedly know that these notes would morph into the infamous Jaws theme.

It’s the summer of 1975, and, in this era, beach parties are the most popular nights out (if you ask us, we should totally bring this trend back!). Predictably, a young drunk couple decides to go skinny-dipping in the sea. When the woman suddenly disappears, police chief Brody, is torn between his pressing need to put out a shark warning and the city’s request to keep the matter silenced. When the second incident occurs, the need to close the beaches becomes inescapable, and the city’s livelihood is under menace. Murky fisherman Quint (Robert Shaw) offers to single-handedly take care of the big toothy fish, for a humble reward of course. All the townspeople join in to find this vicious killer, and they catch it… or so they think. You know the saying “there are plenty of fish in the sea”? Well in that case, it’s not the most comforting thing to hear, is it? During the crisis, Amity Island gets a new citizen by the name of Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss). This shark scientist has been called to help out with the matter and revealing the true identity of the culprit; a man-eater – the great white! With the 4th of July approaching, tensions rise, Brody and Hooper must convince the mayor (Murray Hamilton) to contain the tourists, and close down the beach. How long before the mayor puts his bank account before the safety of his visitors and will deadly fin resurface before then? You think you don’t need to watch it? You think you know what the movie’s all about? Well guess again… Your first reflex would be: “But I know all about the shark attack scene!” Yes, the image of the woman being pulled in and out of the water, realizing that something caught her legs and is now thrusting her from side to side, while she screams, and then disappears into a watery grave. Here ‘watery grave’ is really just a figure of speech: we don’t think this shark was on a diet. This was one hungry fish. So, yes, we all know this scene, but the movie is so

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ILLUSTRATION BY RAMI TANNOUS

much more than just that. We bet that you don’t even know how the movie ends. The man behind the camera is arguably the world’s greatest movie director, Steven Spielberg. With this movie, he reinvented the notion of suspense. Not showing the shark until the last possible minute. Hitchcock would’ve been proud. Special effects weren’t wildly used back then, the movie’s budget had a measly 8 million US dollars in the piggy bank, and was able to gross 250 million in return, making it one of the most successful movies to date. The film’s eerie soundtrack is performed by none other that John Williams, the orchestral mastermind behind Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones to name a few. The list would probably exceed the number of pages of this issue. Usually, this is the part where we discuss the actors, and the brilliant performances. If you want info about actors, we suggest you go ask your parents: this movie made them irrelevant. However, we are willing to say that one of the movie stars, the dog, is actually Spielberg’s dog. Let’s face it, we all enjoy Shark Week, so why not go for the movie that started the whole shark worship trend? Join a whole city-worth of people in the hunt for the most infamous great white of the silver screens, very appropriately named Jaws.

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SOUNDTRACK REVIEW: 41 HITS FROM AMERICAN GRAFFITI

Movie soundtracks act as little “thank you for watching” gifts for those of us residing in the musical hemisphere, yet most seem to lose momentum once they’re dissociated with the moving images they were intended to compliment. Soundtracks such as that of George Lucas’ American Graffiti, however, need not the movie to be enjoyed greatly: It is a blissful summer record in its own right. ARTICLE BY MOHAMAD ABDOUNI

ILLUSTRATION BY BOO // WWW.BO-O.CO //

hat is it then that makes a movie score/soundtrack stand alone firmly as an independent release? Well, we wouldn’t know really, but in this particular case, it is mostly the fact that 41 hits from the soundtrack of American Graffiti boasts a selection of songs that serves as a greatest hits compilation of early popular Rock ‘n’ Roll. It is THE name-dropping socialite of 60’s and 70’s soundtracks. It has friends like Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, The Beach Boys, Fats Domino and the rest of the who’s who of then-popular one-hit-wonders. Every track on the LP will either trigger some sort of memory, sound somehow familiar, have you singing along to it or make you fall in love with it. It truly is one of the best summer soundtracks that have ever come to pass. Pull the windows down, step on the pedal and get a load of some of the tricks this road companion has up its sleeves.

nearest typical American diner and bask in the visual splendor that surrounds you. The movie is all about old classic American cars, drive-in movies, highways, gangs, rebels, toms and gals. It just... feels good to watch. To complement such a fresh and youthful film, the soundtrack looks to the charts and takes its pick from a batch of instant hits and fresh Doo-Wop. It would be absurd to choose a few and don them as favorites, or discuss some while leaving others behind. The entire stack is an easy listen that will have you bobbing your head no matter what your taste buds usually tend to go for. Most of the tracks found here have made their way to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart back in the day, notably Del Shannon’s classic hit‘Runaway’ amongst others.

This goes to show that what went on behind choosing the tracks for American Graffiti’s soundtrack, was a conscious attempt to accomplish universal acclaim To sum up Lucas’ pre Star Wars and please the masses. It goes without cinematic feat, first and foremost, one saying that you can already get a feel of should take a nostalgic trip back to their what this record has to offer and if it hasn’t teen years spent in the wonderful 1960’s. already then it should make you fidget If you however, like most of us, have been in your seat and go out and grab it in any conceived, born and raised throughout format available and have it serenade you the 80’s and the 90’s, then just refer to the on the nude beaches this sunny season.

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LIVE REVIEW: SKY FERREIRA

live FROM THE XOYO Club in Shoreditch, LONDON PHOTOGRAPH AND ARTICLE BY KARL HITTI

e’ve all heard of artists complaining about not having enough creative control over their music. When it comes to mainstream publics, the label usually tries to manoeuvre its singer towards a venture into the most lucrative style. Some buckle under the pressure, while others risk it all by taking complete responsibility for a supposed future flop. Kelly Clarkson for example outsold her debut by miles with her more personally managed sophomore album Breakaway. The executives saw most of the creative decisions as being risky, but when sales exceeded 8 million copies Kelly got a pat on the back. Enter album number three My December; the disc ended up shifting less than one fourth of its predecessor’s sales. What’s a girl with nightmares of irrelevancy to do? Relinquish all creative control to her label and hope they make the right decision… duh! Now another possible outcome would be P!nk’s. The almost butch singer pulled a complete 180 after her debut and drastically changed musical styles. But her bet paid off like complementary sexual favours with breakfast. Although she navigated a bumpy road at times, she is today the most consistently successful act of her generation, all by steering her carriage on her own terms. Sky Ferreira’s road to stardom has been paved with challenges somewhat similar to the ones these two women faced. She started off by making waves in the modeling world. Her heroine chic look was linked to everyone’s favourite junky Kate Moss. Which went perfectly with the 90’s revival taking place. And she used the doors that were slowly opening up to her, to land a contract with Parlophone while catching the eye of superproducers Bloodshy & Advant (of Miike Snow). Her debut single ‘One’ soon followed, an electropop recording with a hundred hooks. While sales didn’t sizzle, a release date for LP number one was set. Sadly the disc never saw the light of day, plagued by several postponements and ultimately being replaced by an extended play As If! Why all this tardiness you ask? One simple reason, yes you guessed it: creative control. Turns out the chanteuse, who was no more than 18 at the time, was having a deep identity crisis. The early pop route that she had decided to adopt was now feeling stale. Parlophone was not having this indie shit, and once their relationship was on the rocks, everything went to hell! But thankfully Capitol records jumped at the opportunity. And thus, Sky found herself working with creators that resided on the polar side of the scope. The constant buzz that surrounded the young

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lady, only proliferated following these events; especially when she met with hipster producer extraordinaire Dev Hynes (of Blood Orange). So naturally when we heard that Sky would be holding a small gig at the same time we happened to be in London, we jumped at the opportunity! Tickets were no more than 12 pounds, and the venue a renowned club called XOYO located in the artsy area of Shoreditch. We got there an hour before the show was about to start, and proceeded to slug down drinks that had ridiculously minimal amounts of actual alcohol in them. The stage was small, but cluttered with instruments ranging from guitars to synthesisers. The whole thing was personalised by a “SKY” sign on the drums set and a metallic contraption with built in neon lights. Judging by the packed house of adoring fans, it was obvious that miss Ferreira made the right decision when she morphed musical styles. Donning an oversized leather jacket, over a black and white tiger top and a short dark skirt she burst on stage seemingly out of nowhere. She opened her set with the raunchy ‘Lost in My Bedroom’, an electronic number with heavy Rock influences. Her voice was sadly a bit drowned out by her band’s thick instrumentals, but she fought on and eventually ended up on top. The same problem was encountered with ‘Red Lips’, a Shirley Manson left over that Sky adopted as her own. On the other hand when it came down to slower songs, the XOYO sound system had no problems. Tinted with blue lights, she belted her way through an acoustic set with the Americana tinged ‘Ghost’ and the folky ‘Sad Dream’. During this part of the show, every sweet nuance in her voice was clearly audible and the crowd kept getting wilder and wilder. Something she clearly wasn’t expecting as she seemed extremely stoked. Midway through the concert, she awkwardly admitted to us that this was her first time performing in London. Then the chanteuse took out her phone in order to record a video that she sent to her brother. She gradually, thanks to the crowd’s warm response, changed her demeanour and posture; feeling more and more at ease, but never letting go of her bottle of water. The set was concluded by a double mid tempo whammy; the first ‘You’re Not the One’, an album track that leaked online to favourable responses. It was followed by the sheer perfection of ‘Everything is Embarrassing’; needless to say that by that point

tits were being flashed and it wasn’t only the women. Our missy was so blind-sighted by the severely enthusiastic response that she screwed up the lyrics. Embarrassed, for the lack of a better word to describe the situation, she giggled and tried to cover her tracks. Once the song ended, she ran off stage just as nonchalantly as she walked in. But the fans were relentless; they wanted more! Not wanting to screw up the perfect debut gig, she strutted back out with her guitarist. “You guys are the sweetest.” Clears her thoat, “We’ve never had to do an encore before. And well, we haven’t rehearsed this song yet. But here goes nothing.” She then proceeded to sing ‘Werewolf’; a demo that has been floating around for a while now. It would be safe to say that she killed it. Having worked with a slew of different producers, Ferreira’s musical style is pretty hard to pin. Her gig was a concoction of country Folk Rock Electronic and R&B. Weirdly enough, it all worked! Her voice might not cover fifty-four octaves, but it carelessly dips in a buffet of genres without any trouble. Still holding her own under peer pressure, Sky seems to take her craft seriously enough to venture out into the unknown without hesitation. It seems that the only way left for her to go is up, once she actually releases her debut that is, unless Terry Richardson releases a sex tape depicting their secret relationship. Then she’ll probably venture into reality TV and make eighty million dollars a year.

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COMPILED BY THE PEOPLE BEHIND F/I/M²/P

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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF SAMER & ALEXANDRA AT THE BEACH

01 ‘Falling’ Little Children FALLING - 2013

02 ‘No Buses’ Arctic Monkeys WHO THE FUCK ARE ARCTIC MONKEYS 2006

03 ‘Penny’ Hanni El Khatib HEAD IN THE DIRT - 2013

04 ‘Graveyard Girl’ m83 SATURDAYS = YOUTH - 2008

05 ‘Put A Light On’ Generationals HEZA - 2013

06 ‘We Watch The Stars’ Julia Biel TBA - 2013

07 ‘Cold Nights (SoundSAM Remix)’ Chordashian TBA - 2013

08 ‘Slippin’’ Quadron QUADRON - 2009

09 ‘Turn It On’ (Franz Ferdinand Cover) Peaches FRANZ FERDINAND COVERS E.P. - 2011

10 ‘Crescendo’ Little Boots NOCTURNES - 2013

11 ‘Heart On The Line’ Blitzkids Mvt. SILHOUETTES - 2013

12 ‘Radioactive (Blood Orange Remix) ’ Marina + The Diamonds RADIOACTIVE (SINGLE) - 2011

13 ‘Sailing Feat. Roses Gabor’ Jakwob THE PRIZE - 2012

14 ‘Feel It All - Band Jam’ KT Tunstall INVISIBLE EMPIRE // CRESCENT MOON 2013

15 ‘OMYGOD!’ Kate Nash GIRL TALK - 2013

16 ‘Swim And Sleep (Like A Shark)’ Unknown Mortal Orchestra II - 2013

17 ‘Do It Again’ Camera Obscura DESIRE LINES - 2013

18 ‘Don’t You Give Up On Me’ Milo Greene MILO GREENE - 2012

19 ‘Heaven’ Surf Club HEAVEN (SINGLE) - 2013

20 ‘Nice And Slow’ Max Frost NICE AND SLOW (SINGLE) - 2013

LISTEN TO THIS MIXTAPE ON OUR 8TRACKS PAGE: WWW.8TRACKS.COM/FIMP-MAG

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LAST THOUGHT

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MOONWALK (DIYNAMIC) SAT / 6 JULY

HIM_SELF_HER (CROSSTOWN REBELS)

SAT / 13 JULY

MONTE (JEUDI RECORDS) SAT / 20 JULY

ANDRE CROM (OFF RECORDINGS)

SAT / 27 JULY

warehouse & lofts

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