VOLUME THREE
OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE
DOLLSKIN _________ SUNSLEEPER ROSSELLA AGOSTINI ______ MARTINA FRANCONE
OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE ________________________________ VOLUME THREE - QUARTER THREE .
FOR THOSE WHO ARE COMPELLED TO WEAR THEMSELVES DOWN TO THE FLESH & BONE IN ORDER TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT SHOWS THEIR HEART. A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE ORGANIZATIONAL STAFF BEHIND SLED ISLAND & THE COKE STAGE, TO THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN PATIENT AS WE OURSELVES ORGANIZED THIS SPECIAL VOLUME WITH SO MANY TALENTED ARTISTS OF DIFFERENT GENRES, MEDIUMS, AND CALIBURS. WE EXTEND TO YOU OUR GREATEST APPRECIATION FOR YOUR HARD WORK THAT ENABLES PUBLICATIONS SUCH AS OURS TO COME IN CONTACT WITH NEW OR AND NOTEABLE ARTISTS.
OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE C R E AT I V E T E A M
E D IT O R - I N- CHI EF & C R E AT I VE D I R EC T O R Brandynn L Pope D E S IGN Brandynn L Pope W R IT ER S J a m e s L i a m Wa r d
P H OT O GR AP H ER S Ashley Altus Brandynn L Pope Cassie Deadmond
W W W. O B S E S S I V E C O M P U L S I V E M A G . C O M E M A I L
fleshbonemagazine@gmail.com
I N S TA
@obsessivecompulsivemag
AURAL ___________ 50
WRT
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AL BU M R EVI EWS J a m e s L i a m Wa r d
WANGL ED T EB
PHTG Brandynn L Pope
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F U T U R E WOMB
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NAT U R E O F
PHTG Brandynn L Pope
PHTG Brandynn L Pope
2 2 GR OUNDER S PHTG Brandynn L Pope
2 6 SU NSL EEP ER PHTG Kesler Ottley
3 8 D OL L SK I N
PHTG VIA Hopeless Records
VISUAL ___________ 06
STA MPEDE PORTRAI T S
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MA RTINA FRANCONE
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ROSSELLA AGOSTINI
PHTG Brandynn L Pope
STAMPEDE PORTRAITURE A (SMALL) DOCUMENTATION OF FRIENDS & STRANGERS AT THE CALGARY STAMPEDE
WANGLED TEB ELECTRONIC MUSIC ARTIST
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Tell us a bit about your set up with gear for your performance. How would you describe the sound of your music?
I perform live using Ableton Live, a Launchpad and Korg NanoKontrol2. I use the Launchpad to trigger drum loops and sections of the piece I’m performing and I use the NanoKontrol2 to mute and unmute tracks and trigger and control effects. I would describe the sound of my music as very eclectic but anchored by a constant driving drumbeat. The person who wrote my Sled Island bio called it “Maximalist, relentless electronica that would make even the staunchest IDM snob smile” which is one of the sweetest things anyone’s ever said to me [playfully smiles]. My live sets are made up long, evolving pieces anywhere from 15-30 minutes long. What kind of themes do you like to explore in your music? A lot of it is inspired by feelings of nostalgia and the video games I grew up playing. There’s also feelings of isolation and loneliness in there but overall I’d say my biggest goal when writing music is just to make something beautiful and exciting. With your most recent release, Seasonal Depression, you go into some darker tones. Tell us a bit about that. As well as, how was the experience writing it?
for me during the Winter months. The first two tracks were actually started last year, though, for a compilation album that Eric Hill’s label Patient Records put out. One of them ended up on the album, the other one didn’t get done in time due to some laptop issues, so I figured I just needed to write one more track and I had a whole other EP ready to go. How do you go about deciding who you have come and work with you on a track? I’m pretty open-minded! I love collaborating with people. Pretty much anyone who’s interested I’m usually down to work with, it’s just that I don’t always have time to commit to every idea I get or that is shared with me, [laughs]. I’ve worked with Emily (from the Kalaya String Quartet, and other projects) before on a few projects and we toured together last Winter, and so when I decided I wanted to have string parts on my upcoming Air EP she was the first person I thought of. What are some of your favourite things about Electronic Music that solidified that it was something that you wanted to pursue?
I really love how it feels so open-ended, and how the barrier to entry is relatively low compared to a lot of other forms of music. I like that I can focus on just creating and less on, like, learning how to perform something Yeah, I’ve dealt with anxiety and depression perfectly. Breakcore specifically has roots in for the better part of... Most of my life, I anti-fascist and anti-capitalist politics so guess. I think it’s relatively mild compared to that, along with its decentralized nature. some of my friends who have dealt with the It largely grew through online file-sharing same issues... Not that it’s like a competition services and doesn’t really have a particular or anything, but anyway, that album was geographic location it comes from so it an attempt to process some of the feelings tends to contain a wide variety of styles and of isolation and loneliness that come up influences. [That] really appeals to me.
How do you feel living in New Brunswick has affected your work? I feel like in some ways it’s been isolating, like there aren’t a tonne of people creating electronic music or breakcore specifically in New Brunswick, but in other ways it’s allowed me to sort of hone my craft on my own terms and find my unique voice. The art and music scene here is also super supportive and shockingly vibrant for how small the population is, so that’s been really inspiring, getting to see people I look up to who work incredibly hard and have managed to achieve success makes me feel like, “Hey, maybe I can do that too?” When it comes to the writing process of music, typically how do your process go? I usually come up with a sound first on a synthesizer and that sort of informs how the music is going to be written. Most of my music is very drum-focused, usually sampled loops like the Amen Break or Funky Drummer but sometimes I use drum machines or drum machines samples instead. I’ve been doing it long enough that it comes pretty naturally to me now, which is nice. One way I feel like my writing has improved a lot over the past few years is that I’ve gotten more comfortable using mode mixture and time signature changes in a way that doesn’t feel awkward or sound too dissonant unless I want it to sound dissonant or feel awkward. I’ve gotten better at using those things with intention I guess.
What do you hope that people get out of the experience of seeing you perform live? I hope that people will come to my shows excited at the prospect of hearing something new. I don’t release any of my live sets on my albums, they’re written specifically to be performed live and I’ve been writing between 30-60 minutes of new live material a year for the past couple years. I hope to keep that up. I get that it’s the opposite of how most artists approach their work, where they’ll have songs that people really connect with and become familiar with, and I definitely love it when they do that but for me some of my favourite shows I’ve ever been to are the ones where it didn’t sound like anything I had ever heard before so I hope I can bring that experience of discovery to my fans live. When it comes to visuals, how do you go about deciding how you are going to pair the album art with the music? I think I’m still kinda figuring that out! My last album, Seasonal Depression EP, that was the first time I really had a distinct vision for the album art. My friend lent me some latex and I tracked down a black bath bomb and some candles and got my friend to shoot some photos of me. It was pretty hot. I kind of imagined depression and anxiety as like a dominatrix inside your mind, just like, whipping you and telling you how worthless and pathetic you are, so that’s what it was supposed to represent. Integrating visuals or interactive components into my work is something I’m definitely interested in exploring in the future though, whether that’s on my own or in collaboration with other artists.
What should people be expecting from you next? I’m working on an album called Air with the Kalaya String Quartet which should be released late this year. We plan to record their parts in August. I also just finished a residency on which I wrote about an hour’s worth of new material. That’s gonna be at an exhibition later this year and then I’m gonna release it as a full-length album next year. Hoping to tour Western Canada then too. After that I think I’m gonna start
working on Fire, which will be the last in the series I’m working on about the classical elements (Water and Earth are already out and available on my Bandcamp). [I’m] not too sure what I’m gonna do after that. I think I wanna do something different. I have a few ideas but I’m not ready to talk about any of them yet. You’ll just have to wait and see I guess!
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FUTURE WOMB Tell us a bit about the album art for BABYGIRLGALACTIC. Who created it and how does it encompass the tracks of the record?
Talk a little bit about the themes you explored with it.
BABYGIRLGALACTIC is an autobiographical concept album exploring There are two images for the album art sexual and relationship trauma and of BABYGIRLGALACTIC. There’s the recovery. The album documents a period CD album art that is all over streaming of my life where I was stuck in a cycle that platforms, and then there is the cassette was depleting my energy and sense of album art. The cassette artwork was the self. These songs were, for a long time, original concept for the album art, but I the only way I knew how to talk about created an alternative square image for what was going on in my head. There is a online distribution and CDs. I worked lot of anger in BABYGIRLGALACTIC, an with my friend Jen Sévertson of Peach undercurrent which builds throughout the Pyramid to help assemble the final album to Kill Kitty Kill, where it takes over. products, and she did a phenomenal job. The writing, workshopping, and recording of this album got me through an incredibly The galactic blast on both the CD and dark period of my life, contributing a the cassette represents a sort of Big desperate and anxious energy to the Bang-type reaction. It’s an overflow of process which I hope comes through in energy, a chemical reaction, a scream; I’m not sure what it is, but it’s something it’s sound. that can’t be contained. The cassette art has this collage blast overlaid on a photograph. The photograph was conceptualized by me and taken by Tim Nguyen, and it is a close up of a person receiving a vaginal speculum exam. The blast is placed over the person’s vaginal opening, which is being held open with a speculum. This image aims to capture an emotion I don’t have a word for, but that my body knows, and my body knows it because of experiences I had during the period of time that this album documents.
With a lot of your darker themes, your music has this interesting juxtaposition. How do you feel these themes mesh with the music itself? I’m stoked you mentioned juxtaposition, because that idea of fitting dissonant pieces together is a big part of what we played with in the workshopping of this album. For example, the lyrical content of the song Eat It Up is pretty dark -- the repeating line of the song is, “Every time I heal from you I fade” -- but the music is happy, nostalgic and bubbly. With that song, I wanted to capture the contrast of the outward appearance of a relationship, versus the reality of what was really going on. None of these songs were articulating straightforward emotions, and so the music was created to support that. Also, so much of the thematic content of this album is heavy and hard to talk about, but we still wanted to have fun and allow the performance of these songs to be a celebration. The band -- Jordan Moe on Guitar, Michael De Souza on Bass, and Andrew Ellergodt on drums -- brought a playful, groovy, joy to the music that not only elevates the sound exponentially, but also adds layers of complexity to the emotional landscape of each of these songs. What were some topics that you weren’t able to touch up on with BABYGIRLGALACTIC? BABYGIRLGALACTIC captures the beginning of a process of healing for me that is ongoing. I am happy with the snapshot BABYGIRLGALACTIC captures; it leaves the listener without a sense of resolve, which was intentional. The final track, Good Morning Go To Sleep, is sonically different than the rest of the album -- it’s a voice memo I recorded with my phone in my
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apartment, I make mistakes throughout, and the song ends with a shriek of feedback and a frustrated slam on my keyboard. Things aren’t “okay” for me by the end of the album; the wounds are open and exposed, and that’s how we leave things. That recording is incomplete and untidy and that felt like the most honest way to end a record about recovery. There’s nothing I feel is missing from this album, but I have been dreaming about the next one! When it comes to writing all together, how do you go about it as a band? For most of the songs, I wrote the lyrics, melody and synth or ukulele parts and brought them to the band to jam a full-band arrangement. With those songs, I would lead the jams — giving sonic, thematic, and structural direction — and then we would jam until something stuck. We usually worked through sections that we could repeat until we found a groove, and then we would move onto the next section, repeat, and so on, stringing all the findings together at the end. Everyone in the band is a multi-instrumentalist, which was a huge asset in collaboration and communication. Everyone can name a number of sonic moments that they were responsible for leading the creation of, and everyone helped translate my visual, emotional and theoretical language into music words at some point or another. It’s my story we are telling with this music, but Andrew, Michael and Jordan have made these songs theirs, too, and without them Future Womb’s sound would be something else entirely.
During performances, you have had some crazy get-ups and costumes. What prompts when you decide to dress up for your performances? How do you match different outfits to specific shows? Costuming for Future Womb grew out of wanting more excuses to show off the burlesque costume pieces that I spent countless hours making. On a show-byshow basis, the costume is a reflection of how I’m feeling that day, and then tailored based on how much I want us to fit or contrast the venue we will be performing at. It’s fairly emotionally driven, and if I have something I’m dealing with privately, I’ll usually integrate that into the look in a way that makes me feel like I’m honouring where
I’m at. There isn’t a consistent method to how these looks come about, but we do have a fairly consistent palette of jewel tones, metallics, and black so I can make last minute changes to my own look and not mess with the ensemble’s aesthetic. I spend hours on my makeup for shows, and it’s a big part of how I emotionally prepare to perform. What do you think are some motifs or symbols that represent Future Womb? Glitter and rhinestones and embellishment (in every sense of the word). Dissonance. Awkward banter with sudden truth bombs. Spacey, sci-fi stuff. Sexy sadness. Babies? Excess.
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Tell us a bit about the album art for BABYGIRLGALACTIC. Who created it and how does it encompass the tracks of the record?
What do you hope that people get out of seeing your live performance versus listening to your recordings?
I hope our live performances can be cathartic and fun. I hope our shows can be a safe place to have emotions and be yourself and feel like it’s okay to not have things figured out. I try to talk about where the songs come from at shows, cause I suspect I’m not alone in a lot of those experiences and emotions despite how alienating they can feel. The dream is that we can have a community of people who felt alone walking into a show and walk out knowing that they aren’t. I also hope that, with all the heavy stuff, The galactic blast on both the CD and we still can allow ourselves to have the cassette represents a sort of Bigfun and let go and laugh at ourselves Bang-type reaction. It’s an overflow and the absurdity of it all. I hope our of energy, a chemical reaction, a recordings can be comforting in the scream — I’m not sure what it is, but same way, when it’s too hard to be out it’s something that can’t be contained. in the world. Or maybe they can be a The cassette art has this collage blast support in quiet, reflective moments. overlaid on a photograph of a person Or maybe they’ll help someone realize receiving a vaginal speculum exam. The they are in a situation they don’t want to blast is over the vaginal opening which be in anymore, and that can be a step is being held open with a speculum. towards them asking for help. This image aims to capture an emotion I don’t have a word for, but that my body What should people be expecting knows, and my body knows it because form you in the coming year? of experiences I had during the period of time that this album documents. We still haven’t toured, so that’s next on the to-do list. I’m going to be moving to Vancouver to see what that’s like, and that will bring about a lot of changes for how we collaborate as a band. I have a bunch of music ready to workshop, and I’m excited to see what direction the next album goes. Each song is it’s own beast, so who knows how our sound will evolve! There’s a lot up in the air, but I have a good feeling this is only the beginning. There are two images for the album art of BABYGIRLGALACTIC. There’s the CD album art that is all over streaming platforms, and then there is the cassette album art. The cassette artwork was the original concept for the album art, but I created an alternative square image for online distribution and CDs. I worked with my friend Jen Sévertson of Peach Pyramid to help assemble the final products, and she did a phenomenal job.
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NATURE OF You all have been working as a band for a reasonable amount of time now. How do you feel that what you write in 2018 or 2019 works in comparison to what you had put out in 2014? When we started out we were all really just learning how to play our instruments, and we can hear that now listening back. Also we feel like we’ve diverted a bit from the “folk sound” of our earlier recordings. How do you feel that being from Alberta, Canada has affected you as musicians, as well as the music that you write? It’s hard to say what parts of living here has affected our music. I guess when it comes to arrangement we do like to leave a fair amount of open space in our songs, which may lend itself to the geography and population here. Also the long winters keep us busy writing and demoing.
When it comes to writing, what sort of themes do you tend to follow? Is there a particular theme or idea that you think you come back to more than any other? Honestly there has been no intentional reoccurring themes, however in hindsight large bodies of water always seem to make there way into our songs. Relatively recently, you released “Middle of the Morning.” Is this a bit of a taste of what people can expect out of you for future music? Yes, yes it is
When it comes to visuals, how do you When it comes to live shows, what go about deciding what you want to do you hope people get out of display and encompass your music? experiencing your music? Generally we are drawn to simplicity, however we tend just go with what feels right. What do you think are some symbols or motifs that help identify your band? Baggy Jeans and 44mm wheels. What are some of your own personal favourite accomplishments while being together in this band? Working with Marcus Paquinn, getting played on CBC, [and] making it to Montreal and back. Cam ate six cheese buns once .
A brief pleasure, we hope. What should people be looking out for next from you? We have a new record called The Mean, which will be out in the fall. There will also be a few songs released and shows played prior to that.
GROUNDERS FUN IN FEW WORDS
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What sort of themes do you like to explore in your music? Truckin’ When it comes to writing, what is your guys’ process? How do you come together to build something to completion? I demo something at home then bring it to the band they learn it then we record it.
When it comes to visuals, you all use a lot of colours and seem to enjoy a bit of chaos. What is it about this kind of imagery that you enjoy? How do you feel it pairs with your music? It’s like that ice cream flavour, SuperKid. It shouldn’t work but it does. There’s a lot of stuff going on in there. I eat gallons of it.
How do you feel the different places Also, do you feel as if the symbol of that you all have lived have affected coffee expands further than what you the sort of art you have been creating? did with Coffee & Jam? Not that much, really.
Love ‘dem beanz.
How do you like to go about creating visuals for things such as music videos?
What do you hope that people get out of the experience in seeing your live performance?
Ying yang baby.
Hope they have fun.
What are some visual symbols or motifs that you feel come up for you?
What should people be expecting from you in the near future?
Spaghetti Emoji
More coffee, more jam.
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SUNSLEEPER SALT LAKE EMO
W/ JEFFERY MUDGET
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How do you feel that these topics differ from what you have explored in previous tracks? I think it’s a natural progression of personal growth since the EP and a send off of adolescent ideologies and expectations. What’s a subject that you cannot help but always come back to when writing? How do you feel that Salt Lake City has helped you as artists? What is the music scene like there? Salt Lake City has a thriving and supportive music community that often gets overlooked. The support we’ve received from our hometown is unparalleled and we wouldn’t be where we are if it weren’t for this community. What are some themes that you explore on the upcoming, You Can Miss Something & Not Want It Back? On our first EP “Stay the Same” I was wrestling with change and rejecting it for the most part. I didn’t want to let go of the things from my past that used to be so important to me but were fading away. On the new record “You Can Miss Something & Not Want It Back” I’m still wrestling with change but in a much more opened minded way. I’m ready and able to accept that things will never be the way they once were. Even with acceptance in mind, it still doesn’t make it any easier to cope with certain circumstances of change like loss of family, friends or band members, all of which are written about on the album. The record also details my personal struggle with internalized feeling of resentment for myself.
All of my lyrics come from personal experiences. If something is pressing on my mind or heart I have to get it off my chest, which I do with my writing. It’s definitely therapeutic in a sense. The context is ever changing. What is one of your favourite moments on this release? Near the end of the recording process our producer Nate and I were finishing up some final vocal takes in Studio B. It just so happened that The Republic Of Wolves were recording in Studio A that same day. They came over to studio B and hung out with us for a little bit and Mason ended up recording harmonies for the entirety of “Souvenir”. That song specifically includes a chorus I wrote years ago, around the same time I listened to a lot of Republic of Wolves. It was a really cool full circle moment. What prompted the choice to go with Nathan Hussey again on producing this record? We loved the experience we had with him on our first EP and it just made sense to work with him again on the full length. The dude is a pro and we highly recommend him as producer, musician and a human being.
How do you feel the choice of flowers and colour pallet reflect on your upcoming release?
Talk to us a bit about the theme that you have had for a while with using different flowers for different releases. What is the significance of this design choice? While scouring for a photo to use for the EP “Stay the Same” we came across the flower photo we ended up using on my friends photography page. We thought the subtlety of the photo and the flower arrangement represented the album perfectly and loved the idea of it being taken by a friend of ours. Fast forward a couple years and we found out he actually didn’t take the photo and it actually was taken by a photographer named Annie Spratt. When we reached out to her she was very kind and totally cool with us using the photo since it was originally on her free-usage website anyways, but we were still feeling discouraged. Instead of running away from the aesthetic we double-downed and reinvented it for the new record. The original EP pictures flowers in a very specific arrangement, while as the new album is more disheveled. This reflects the shift in our mentality and our newfound acceptance of change between records. It represents change.
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We knew we wanted to stay in the pastel color spectrum while also diverging from the EP color pallet. I ended up buying a large assortment of flowers and various cloth backdrops and gave them to our good friend Kesler Ottley to shoot as he saw fit. We shared the record with him. He listened through extensively and then began shooting. The result was perfect. All of his imagery (front, back, inserts, sleeves, etc) were spot on and we couldn’t be more happy with the outcome. Do you feel that flowers are your main visual motif as a band, or do you think that there is another symbol that also encompasses a lot of your band? The flower branding has definitely been our thing for these releases. The EP and album reference each other in multiple ways and it just made sense to continue running with similar imagery. Moving forward we are trying to introduce more cat inspired merch. Matt’s cats Regina and George were in our last promos and they may or may not be making appearances in a video coming soon. With the release of the record aside, what else should people be looking out for from you? We’re setting ourselves up to be able to tour on this record as much as we can once it drops. So keep an eye out for us on the road later this year + next year.
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MARTINA FRANCONE ILLUSTRATOR
You illustrate a lot of images with human elements in them. What is it about the human form that makes you enjoy drawing it up? I’m not sure it’s all about the human form, I’d say that it’s mostly about the meaning. My illustration very often represents emotions, feelings, experiences and they all involve people, so it’s probably just easier for me to express myself in that way. What are some themes that you like to explore in your illustrations?
Where did your journey with illustration begin? Have you ever had a formal education in the arts? I’ve been drawing ever since I was little. I’ve never studied illustration but it’s something that I’ve always enjoyed doing in my spare time. Even if it’s not necessarily correlated, I studied Design at the Polytechnic University of Turin, and that allowed me to take my hobby to the next level. Moving to Turin from my small town, meeting new people, the University environment and getting to know a new, creative city inspired me to invest all my energy in this field. And that’s how I gradually started to work as a freelance illustrator, first for local events and shops and, after a while, taking commissions from abroad as well.
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As mentioned before, my drawings usually depict moods, emotions or feelings that I experience, but sometimes I’m simply inspired by people, songs, films, art, places, so overall by everything that happens in my life. Do you have a moment where you realized that you created the work that you would want to steer towards in the long run? Was there a specific illustration that really fulfilled what you hoped that your work would become? I think it’s never going to happen. I feel like my work is in constant evolution and, even if straight after finishing a drawing I’m pleased with it, if I look back after some time, I’d always change something. I’ve found what I think is a style that represents me but I’m never completely satisfied with my work, I always try to push myself further.
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What do you hope to explore with your illustrations in the future? What are some different things that you still want to try out, or venture into as an artist? Trying different styles or subjects is something that I often consider and sometimes I experiment with that, but what I’ve always wanted to try and I haven’t got round to doing yet is certainly painting. I’ve always been focused on illustration, switching form traditional to digital, but I’ve never got to explore other artistic fields, so I guess as soon as time permits I’ll definitely have a go at painting. What are some key materials that you use to create an image? Do you have a specific routine when going into your studio mode? To be honest I prefer to draw on paper, but I usually work digitally because it’s more convenient, especially when I work for clients who are based in other countries. So the only things I need are my laptop, my graphic tablet and a sketchbook. I generally find a cosy café, grab a cup of coffee, play my personal playlist, and then I’m ready to start.
Who are some of your greatest influences? And what do you feel most inspired by? Some of my favourite illustrators are Marjane Satrapi, Jamie Hewlett, Hayao Miyazaki and Shepard Fairey. Their work all have very different characteristics but they surely inspired me to follow my passion and to put all my energy into it. And besides, I generally find any kind of art inspiring, even if very different from my kind of illustration. You have worked with other artists to create books. How did this experience present itself to you? Is this something that you hope to work more towards in the future? I’ve received all my commissions through social networks. It’s a great way to get to work with people from all over the world. I must say that illustrating books has probably been the most challenging work but, at the same time, I find it very rewarding. I’ve always been in love with editorial design and everything about books and magazines, so working in that field has been such an amazing experience and I definitely hope to keep doing it.
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What do you feel are some of your proudest accompaniments as an artist? There’s not something I’m 100% proud of because, as I mentioned, I tend to be very self-critical, but a project that I really loved working on was “Abbecedario illustrato per i viaggi in solitaria” (spelling book for solo trips). It was a personal project and my intent was to describe, through the use of illustration and key words, the journeys I had taken on my own and to promote this way of getting to know ourselves better. I created a series of drawings that symbolises the feelings people can experience while travelling alone. What sort of work should people be expecting from you next? My illustration style and the themes will probably be the same, but I’d really like to experiment more with different colours, techniques and materials in the future.
DOLLSKIN PUNK
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Tell us a bit about Love Is Dead And We Killed Her. What are some of the main themes that you pursued on this record?
Tell us about the album art choice behind the record. How do you feel it encompasses what you created on this most recent release?
Sydney: Love Is Dead And We Killed Her is an album we really pushed ourselves on. To help with pushing us, we used the word relentless. The words relentless and revenge were inspiration for a lot of the songs on this album. So, in terms of theme, we didn’t really have one, it was more just a direction for it.
Sydney: So, funny story, the rat thing was sprung from a fun inside joke for the most part. In the early stages of planning the album, the mock up art Nicole made had a small rat in the corner. Every time we remade it, the rat was always a part of it. The day we went to Hopeless to discuss the official album art, we all agreed on “Rat Collage”. So, nothing deep really.
What was your experience leading up to recording Love Is Dead, as well as the journey leading up to being able to release it? Meghan: In the beginning of the writing process, we had a handful of songs written. But as time went on, we realized that we were in a creative rut and needed some help. We had a few phases to writing the new album: (1) doing a few demos with Matt Good, (2) developing and laying down ideas with Will McCoy in a cabin in Big Bear CA for a month, (3) refining our songs with Mike Green. Part 2 was where the album really came together. We had a lot of creative control but still felt comfortable developing ideas with a new person. Will McCoy helped us to make this album the best it could be. Listening to it when it was finished felt incredible. Like..we did it. It actually sounds like one cohesive product. So sitting on it for those 6 months was tough! We wanted to put it out already!!
How does your hometown, Phoenix affect your music as well as you personally as artists? Sydney: Our hometown has such a huge local scene. Sometimes it’s super cliquey, most of the time it’s super welcoming and friendly. All in all, it’s huge. We played with so many different bands while we were playing heavily around the valley. We had to really learn our stuff to make it, and in the end it was so helpful because it definitely made us who we are today.
You all have been working on music for a long time, hailing all the way back to School of Rock days. How did that reflect into the kind of music that you create today? How do you find what you create now differs from what you were practicing back then? Sydney: Long story short, we have grown a LOT since we started at School of Rock. The first song we wrote as a band was “Family of Strangers”, and if you ask me we have gotten a lot better as writers since then. We have all grown personally as well in terms of our music taste, that has definitely influenced out writing and playing. What are some accomplishments that you are most proud of in Doll Skin? Sydney: Every time we do something else cool, it makes us feel so proud. The first one that really felt amazing was when we got to be on Vans Warped Tour in 2017. It was only the first week but we didn’t think it would’ve happened that quick for us. Then, we got the opportunity to go overseas in beginning of 2018, and then again later in the year. Those seem to be the ones that really stick out when I think about it. When it comes to music videos do you find that you want the concept to reflect on the song that you have written or act as a piece of art on its own? Sydney: Recently, we have tried to separate ourselves from only doing videos that reflect the meaning of the song. The idea of just making art that we like and putting it to our song is super fun. On the other hand, we definitely see the value in having the song story clearly told in the video if it’s a super significant meaning to us.
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What is one of your favourite videos brought to life so far? Sydney: I personally really enjoyed making the “Daughter” music video. My younger sibling, Joce, was a part of it and played the part of the daughter. It was so fun to create and the outcome was so amazing. The Outta My Mind video was so fun to create and doing it on film was such a fun experience! What do you hope that people can take away from your live performance? Sydney: I want people to be able to escape at our shows. I want people to have fun. If they aren’t having fun, then I’m not having fun. If I leave a stage and I feel like the crowd didn’t have fun or even kinda enjoying themselves, it hurts me. I want people to feel the energy we put out on stage every night. I want people to be able to feel the music as well as hear it. What should people be looking out for next from you? Sydney: We are going to keep touring and keep trying to expand our reach. People should keep an eye out for more music, more touring, and ultimately world domination! Meghan: We are touring with Trash Boat and Capstan in Europe/UK this September. Then we’re touring with With Confidence this winter!
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ROSSELLA AGOSTINI CINEMATIC ARTIST
Tell us a little bit about your work as an artist. What brought you to decide on moving to Chicago to pursue art as well as attend post-secondary for it? I initially moved to Chicago to attend Columbia College because their film program is one of the top rated in the nation. I have always been interested in art though and pursued it on the side. I didn’t know much about Chicago when I first moved, but I discovered a vibrant city full of up-and-coming artists. There are so many art galleries and events going on. I would love to stay here, but if my job will take me somewhere else then I have no choice. What are some of the main focuses you like to present in your art work? How would you describe the medium that you work in? It always starts with the question: what do I care about in this precise moment? There’s always a particular topic I want to talk about at times. So far, my work covered issues around gender, sexuality, relationships and identity. I like to work both with film and digital medium depending on the project and I constantly switch between motion picture and still images. Some themes seem to be more suitable for photography and vice versa.
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How do you feel that growing up in Northern Italy has affected you and your voice as an artist? I grew up in a small town and attended an arts-focused high school. On top of film, photography, graphic design and fine art, I got to extensively study art history, philosophy and literature. I think that was fundamental in growing and developing as an artist because it gave me a solid background. Living in Europe also made it easy to travel anywhere, so I got to see many different cities. What is it about using film in particular that you are most drawn to? Do you often use digital mediums as well? I use the two media interchangeably; there is no one size fit all as it depends on the project. But there’s something about film that attracts me so much. Maybe it’s the texture, the colors or just the whole process of waiting before seeing the result. Or maybe I am just a nostalgic person who likes to live in memories and film gives me that feeling.
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Talk to us about your love of isolation in scenes. What is it about this visual that you find so attractive? Minimalism, whether in photography or in paintings, is a style that fascinates me. Therefore, I am naturally attracted to isolated places, unusual landscapes and clean architecture. I think I find it calmly and peaceful; it’s like my quiet place in a chaotic world. Do you find that you approach your Still Image work differently than your Motion Pictures? No, I think the creative process in independent from the medium. It always starts with the development of a concept, research, planning and then production. I would probably do the same thing even with a painting. Why do you prefer capturing images at a distance of your subject? I think it first started because I would secretly take pictures of strangers without letting them know, so I would capture them from very far away and maybe from behind as well to make them less recognizable. Then it became a style. Now I seek those characters surrounded by a lot of negative space. My lens is more of an observer, I am never in the moment with the subjects, unless I am working on narrative films.
What are some of your themes and topics that you are most passionate about exploring and creating an expression for? I am passionate about issues that affect the individuals in this current day and age. So far my film and photography work has covered issues around gender, sexuality, identity, relationships and kidnapping. It is based on what I am interested in the moment and usually I don’t cover a similar topic twice. I also like to add a surreal twist to it whether it is through fine art photography or experimental film. Where do you hope to see your work go in the near future? I hope to ever grow as an artist and to develop a client work that is just as strong as my personal work. I hope to improve my style but to always keep it consistent and to reach as many people as possible. I would love to be able to spark conversations from a picture. I am also looking forward to do more exhibitions.
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ALBUM REVIEWS REVIEWS BY JAMES LIAM WARD
DUCKWRTH 05.17.19
8.0
THE FALLING MAN Republic Records
THE FALLING MAN is the latest project from rapper and singer DUCKWRTH, whose raw talent and versatility has proven him to be one of the most eclectic up and comers in hip-hop. The album opens with the incredible “BOW”, a mystical opener that I wish was longer, but the song smoothly transitions into the lead single “FALL BACK”; an off-the-wall track with a memorable, booming bass line and effective, laid back bridge. The spacious love song “NOBODY FALLS” is another instant highlight because of the gorgeous, effects-heavy vocal hook and the smooth, moaning saxophones to close out the song. The saxophones as well as DUCKWRTH’s squeaky falsetto verse halfway through show a lot of influence from Kendrick Lamar; this is further demonstrated by DUCKWRTH’s potent lyricism on the groovy and melodic “KING KING.” “LOVE IS LIKE A MOSHPIT” is probably the closest thing to a dud on this project, as the beat is nothing special and DUCKWRTH’s hook is incredibly lazy and obnoxious relative to the strength of the songs before it. Thankfully the album picks
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right back up again with the single “SOPRANO”, whose solo piano and colorful vocal harmonies quickly transition into a bass-heavy banger for the rest of the track’s runtime. I love everything about the instrumental on “A WILDFIRE”; from the dramatic strings to the primal drum beat, this penultimate track aptly prepares the listener for the absolute mayhem on the closer. “Sallie Mae” is a mind blowing closing track featuring fuzzed out guitars and punk rock drums in the verses before transitioning into a smoother, picked guitar line and sung hook. The sound palate on this track is enough to be impressive, but DUCKWRTH fits on it perfectly, matching his intensity with the varied intensity of the song. The closer is a great example, but I find most of this project to be an great demonstration of how consistent and eclectic DUCKWRTH is as an artist, and I hope he continues to branch out and experiment on following albums. BEST TRACK: “NOBODY FALLS” WORST TRACK: “LOVE IS LIKE A MOSHPIT”
DENZEL CURRY 05.31.19
7.8
ZUU Loma Vista
Denzel Curry is a Florida rapper and in my opinion, one of the most consistent MC’s in the current hiphop landscape. After the versatile and grim TA13OO, it appears that Denzel is taking a more focused approach with his latest project, which was demonstrated by the lead single “SPEEDBOAT”. ZUU is an ode to Miami; lyrically focusing on his roots and humble beginnings over a set of brief, fiery and aggressive instrumentals. I absolutely love the opening run of this album; the selftitled “ZUU” opens with a gentle sung hook before quickly dropping into a noisy, bass heavy beat. This track is followed by one of the lead singles “RICKY” whose fantastic lyrical mantra and catchy flows are consistently stuck in my head.
on the microphone, I definitely prefer Tay Keith as a producer over an MC. It was a strange choice to put two interludes right beside each other in the track list, but I do enjoy both tracks in their own way; “Bushy B” is a fantastic albeit quick melodic interlude featuring a verse from Denzel, and “YO” is just a straight hilarious and absurd skit that you really just need to hear for yourself.
“CAROLMART” is another obnoxiously heavy, summery and enjoyable track, but by this point I find the vibe of ZUU to be stretching a little thin. This is further demonstrated on the next track “SHAKE 88” which works as little more than a party song and contains little substance. I wasn’t all that impressed with the meandering closer either, other Orchestrated by Charlie Heat and than Denzel’s hilarious Voldemort sporting a solid feature from Florida’s reference and the surprising choice Kiddo Marv, “WISH” transitions from to finish the album with a screaming nostalgic, 80’s tinged synthesizers performance. I’ve positively reviewed into verses full of trunk-knocking every project Denzel Curry has bass. Florida heavy-hitter Rick released since Imperial in 2016, and Ross makes a surprisingly great although I still find ZUU to be a lot of appearance on the following “BIRDZ”, fun, it is easily his least consistent and leaving plenty of room for Denzel least varied project to date. to eat up the beat with his varied, technical flows. “AUTOMATIC” is a catchy and decently well-written BEST TRACK: “WISH” tune, but the beat is a bit generic for WORST TRACK: “SHAKE 88” Denzel and judging by his cadence
FULL OF HELL 05.17.19
7.3
WEEPING CHOIR Relapse Records
Full of Hell is a prolific Maryland Metal band that is best known for elegantly fusing multiple genres of heavy music into one sludgy, noisy, nihilistic Hellscape. Admittedly I wasn’t blown away by the teaser tracks leading up to the release of Weeping Choir; “Silmaril” is solid track with a great brutal death metal influence but “Burning Myrrh” suffers from the same issue most Full of Hell openers have in that its nothing incredibly special or different for the band. Thankfully business as usual for the band is still absolutely blood pumping; the following “Haunted Arches” and “Thundering Hammers” contain some fantastic riffs and manic vocal performances. Beyond this point, the band detours into a tiresome noise piece entitled “Rainbow Coil”. This piece cleverly teases elements of the blistering “Aria of Jeweled Tears”, and I understand that Full of Hell has paced their albums like this before, but in this instance it really brings down the momentum of Weeping Choir. “Armory of Obsidian Glass” is the hulking centerpiece of Weeping Choir, and really lives up to the album’s title with its ensemble choir of forlorn, haunting female voices backing this thick, sludgy doom instrumentation. The track falls away into a lonely set of guitar chords, which then erupt into an explosive
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and melodic black metal passage. It could very well be the most beautiful and unique song Full of Hell has put to tape, and really showcases the band’s effortless blend of styles and influences. The grimy, fuzzy bass that rumbles throughout the industrial influenced “Angels Gather Here” is another intriguing experiment for the band that goes over great and brings a necessary change of pace to the album. Somehow Full of Hell is still able to save the heaviest for last with a maelstrom of riffs, drums and an abhorrent wall of noise at the end of “Ygramul the Many”, followed by the dementedly nasty groove of “Cellar of Doors”. Overall I think this is another solid Full of Hell record, and many of the band’s experiments on this album go over fantastically, I just wish some of the more traditional sounding tracks on here had left more of an impression.
BEST TRACK: “Armory of Obsidian Glass” WORST TRACK: “Coil”
INJURY RESERVE 05.17.19
8.3
INJURY RESERVE Loma Vista
Injury Reserve is a fantastic hip-hop group from Tempe, Arizona. I have been closely following the trio’s career for well over three years now and was over the moon with excitement when I found out that their upcoming self-titled album would be their major label debut. I was hoping this selftitled album would be Injury Reserve’s defining moment; a project that would land them significant recognition and publicity as well as a well-earned larger fan base, and the lead singles that teased Injury Reserve definitely seemed to display that.
shifted vocals are overbearing and obnoxious. Injury Reserve’s presence on the track is fantastic however and although the beat switch is jarring, I thoroughly enjoy the instrumentals on both sections. It is great to see the trio constantly experimenting and trying new things with tracks like “Rap Song Tutorial” but the charming piano sample, head bobbing beat and upbeat verses on “Gravy & Biscuits” make for a classically fantastic Injury Reserve track. I much prefer the strangely melodic “Hello?” to the glitching “QWERTY Interlude”, but both serve as ample transitions for the album. I love that I can always enjoy Injury Reserve’s more laid-back tracks as much as their bangers; “What a Year it’s been” has a surprisingly experimental progression and “Best Spot in the House” makes for a somber and sobering moment on the album. Although I must admit I was disappointed with “New Hawaii” as even though the features do a great job, the track seems to lack direction. The vibrant horns and catchy hook on “3 Man Weave” make for the best final track on any Injury Reserve album, and although it is far from perfect I am glad the group can still put out a consistently fresh and engaging album.
“Jawbreaker” is a fantastic meditative single with an incredible feature from Rico Nasty, a catchy hook and explosive ending. This single was followed by “Jailbreak the Tesla”, whose Amine feature is as whacky and entertaining as the futuristic, bass-heavy beat. The features on these singles, as well as Freddie Gibb’s appearance on the nocturnal banger “Wax On” prove that Injury Reserve is fantastic at picking guests for their songs and I’m happy the group’s career has progressed to the point that they can collaborate with such notable artists. “GTFU” is the only track whose features I feel genuinely mixed BEST TRACK: “Jailbreak the Tesla” on; I much prefer Cakes Tha Killa’s entertaining and aggressive presence WORST TRACK: “New Hawaii” over JPEGMAFIA’s, whose pitch
MAC DEMARCO 05.10.19
6.0
HERE COMES THE COWBOY MAC’S RECORD LABEL
Mac DeMarco is a Canadian singer/ songwriter with an incredible knack for writing minimalistic, laid-back indie rock tunes. I have always admired his skeletal approach to song writing, but I never thought it would go so awry on the opening self-titled track to Mac’s latest album Here Comes the Cowboy. This song is just terrible... No progression, no nuance, and a brutally unjustified run time; I don’t think I’ve ever been more disappointed with the first song of an album. This track is all the more shocking as it is followed by one of the best songs Mac has ever written, “Nobody”; a beautiful spacious ballad with a moaning synthesizer and pleasantly forlorn vocal melody.
repetitive to be interesting, but at least the latter has some interesting vocal harmonies and a hilarious gong hit. Thankfully, there are some great moments on Here Comes the Cowboy; “All of Our Yesterdays” has a lovely, slinky slide guitar melody and the synthesizers on the songs “On the Square” and “Heart To Heart” really take these tracks to the next level. This album sounds like a very personal project for Mac, as there seems to be a lot of joke songs or meme songs that I imagine only he find funny... But this idea is reinforced to me with the song “K”, a sentimental ballad that is dedicated to Mac’s significant other. There is some solid Mac DeMarco material on this album, but I have found Here Comes the Cowboy to be the songwriter’s most inconsistent albums to date, full of songs with very little substance or direction.
This inconsistency stays consistent throughout Here Comes the Cowboy, as some of the best tunes Mac has put to tape stand shoulder-to-shoulder with just as many tracks that have no direction, substance or progression. I still have trouble believing the beautiful twinkling guitar work on “Preoccupied” comes from the same album as the lyrically poor “Hey Cowgirl” or the ridiculously corny vocals runs on the penultimate “Skyless Moon”. Mac doesn’t always sound terrible when he reaches into his falsetto, and in fact his higher range sounds great on tracks like the upbeat “Finally Alone” BEST TRACK: “Preoccupied” and “Little Dogs March”. The driving WORST TRACK: “Choo-Choo” and the painfully drawn “Here Comes the Cowboy” out “Baby Bye Bye” both suffer from the same flaw in that they are far too
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MOTIONLESS IN WHITE 06.07.19
3.4
DISGUISE Roadrunner
introducing a set of heavy guitar riffs and glitchy looped vocals. Considering this is only twenty Motionless in White are a gimmicky seconds into the first track metalcore band whose lyrics have and I am already dizzy with everything the song has thrown always been centered on themes at me, it is surprising and slightly of horror and the supernatural. disappointing that the rest of the When the band came onto the song plays out like a typical hard scene about a decade ago, I rock song. “Headache” begins with was drawn to their sound for this very reason, but since then I have a promising bass line and triplet drum patterns, but as soon as the watched the quality of their song heavy ascending guitars and DJ writing steadily decline as they scratches are worked into the mix, attempted to branch into a larger, the song just sounds like a Korn more mainstream rock audience cover, especially with the inclusion and appeal to fans of artists such of the eerie distorted keyboards as Marilyn Manson. Motionless in akin to “Freak on a Leash”. White’s infatuation with the Jesus “</c0de>” essentially solidifies Christ Superstar was made clear the sonic palate for the rest of in the band’s music and image, Disguise; unbearable clashes of as they began introducing more industrial/electronic instrumentation drop tuned guitars and obnoxious synthesizers, with rap-rock like and Chris Motionless started verses and corny, stadium ready delivering verses in this croaky, choruses. “Thoughts & Prayers” is creepy delivery, not to mention by far the most aggressive and as the band dresses up for every gig. Regardless of their influences a result, the most interesting track on the album with its rapid-fire and gimmicks, and the fact that double bass kicks, Rammsteinmost of them are genuinely nice esque 1-2 verses and admittedly individuals, I can’t help but feel that Motionless in White attempting solid breakdown in the bridge. “Legacy” is the first ballad that the to strike this catchy yet heavy, band throws at us and as I feared, anthemic yet edgy balance has resulted in a lot of awkward genre the chorus melody is absolutely unbearable and chock full of clashing. whoa-oh’s; “Holding Onto The I could already tell Disguise would Smoke” is a slight improvement be a mess by how unfocused containing a down tempo groove the introduction to the album and and grunge influence. A sequel self titled track is; beginning with to one of the oldest Motionless in a spooky music box melody, White songs, “Undead Ahead 2: before fading into an abrasive The Tale of the Midnight Ride”, EDM synthesizer and then finally
begins well featuring layers of spooky atmosphere and guitars, unfolding into one of the more enjoyable and dramatic tracks on Disguise, as it is much more reminiscent to Motionless in White’s older material. The infinitely cringe-worthy “Broadcasting from Beyond the Grave: Death Inc.” is straight baffling to me. I like the message of the song in that it is an “Anthem for the outcasts” sort of track, but Jesus Christ it could have been done with a bit more elegance than this... I think the scariest thing about Motionless in White is the songs they put at the end of Disguise; just completely forgettable and cringe-worthy hard rock tracks. I have to give credit to Motionless In White where it is due, as the band has compromised their sound relatively little in comparison to their contemporaries, but I find a majority of this project either absolutely unlistenable or completely derivative.
BEST TRACK: “Undead Ahead 2: Tale of the Midnight Ride” WORST TRACK: “Broadcasting from Beyond the Grave: Death Inc.”
REMO DRIVE 05.31.19
6.9
NATURAL, EVERYDAY DEGRADATION Epitaph Records
Natural, Everyday Degradation is the latest album from emo band and recent Epitaph signees Remo Drive. I have followed the band since their fantastic self-released album Greatest Hits and have been dying to see what the band would do on their follow-up with a major label. “Two Bux” opens the album with good energy, and the slide guitar adds a pleasantly melancholic tone to the record. “The Grind” keeps the energy up with a fantastically driving groove, gorgeous chord progression and an awesome animated vocal performance with some beautiful falsetto singing worked in. The following song “The Devil” sounds great once the drumming opens up, but I find the constant snare rolls throughout the beginning of the hook to get quite tiresome. There is no denying that the band is working with a better mix and overall better production quality on Natural, Everyday Degradation, and while everything sounds more expensive, I can’t help but feel that some of the youthful energy has been sapped from the mix as a result.“Shakin’” has a cute interpolation of AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long”, and although that song definitely needed an update, I still would have preferred more original ideas this early in the record, and a stronger guitar solo... “Dog” picks up the album’s quality with its groovy, bass heavy verses and energetic chorus. This track also
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begins to introduce synthesizers into the mix, which make a very effective appearance on the following track “Separate Beds”. At this point in the album, Remo Drive begins playing up the old-school vibe on the hooks for “Halo” and the previously mentioned “Separate Beds”; it’s an edge I think the band plays into quite naturally. The chord progression and melodies on “Around the Sun” are solid, but what I really love about this track and others on Natural, Everyday Degradation is the lyrical theme of a dull endless grind, or being another gear in the cog. I like the snarework on “The Truth” as well as the more aggressive performance from the band, but I find the penultimate “Mirrors” to be a bit of a dud considering its pivotal placement on the album. There are some really solid songs on Natural Everyday Degradation, but I don’t find this album holds up in consistency nearly as well as their debut and it seems like Remo Drive is still trying to find their sound and niche in the current emo landscape. BEST TRACK: “The Grind” WORST TRACK: “Mirrors”
RICO NASTY & KENNY BEATS
7.6
04.25.19
HERE COMES THE COWBOY Sugar Trap Records
Anger Management is the latest collaborative album between prolific producer Kenny Beats and Rico Nasty; one of the most exciting new female voices in the current hip-hop landscape. Anger Management is a brief concept album of sorts, opening with short outbursts of rage before slowly transitioning into more mellow material across its runtime. The album opens with “Cold”, a spacious, hard-hitting, bass heavy banger that features one of the most heated rap performances from Rico I have heard this year. Although she is not the most lyrically driven or thoughtful artist, the sheer ferocity of her performance on this track and the following “Cold” make up for any lost ground. The album quickly transitions into “Hatin’”; an interpolation of Jay-Z’s “Dirt off Your Shoulder” with a similar beat and vocal pattern on the hook to the original. Although I love Rico’s line “I got bitches on my dick and I ain’t even got a dick!”, and her performance is quite entertaining throughout, I would have preferred a more original song from Rico and Kenny considering how early this song is placed in the track listing. The hook on “Big Titties” is by far the strongest on the project and the bouncy, colorful beat is only enhanced by EarthGang’s raunchy and hilarious verses. Speaking of raunchy, the “Nasty World (Skit)” is an obscene detour on the
album before transitioning into the smooth and melodic “Relative”. The only true misstep in the track listing was the inclusion of Splurge on “Mood”. Splurge’s delivery is so deadpan and not even close to on beat that it ruins the overall track, especially since he and Rico Nasty spend most of the time trading off of each other. “Sell Out” has an awesome guitar sample as the main melody, and this track is definitely the strongest of the more back-end melodic cuts on Anger Management. Regardless of length, the album would have had a stronger finish on “Sell Out”, because “Again” does little to add to the concept of Anger Management despite the fact Rico’s melodic performance here clearly display her versatility.
BEST TRACK: “Big Titties” WORST TRACK: “Mood”
WE ALL HAVE THIS OBSESSIVE
COMPULSION TO CREATE