Fusion Magazine #110

DESTINATION: FAR WEST TEXAS TO MARFA MYTHS ANNETTE PEACOCK; INTERVIEW

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Oscar Castañeda — oscar@thefusionmag.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Alex Durán — alexduran@thefusionmag.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Rafael A. Revilla — rrevilla@thefusionmag.com ENGLISH COPY EDITOR Daniel Salas — dbsalas@thefusionmag.com SALES MANAGER Oscar Castañeda Sr — oscarc@hefusionmag.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & COLLABORATORS: Bjorzh Znchz, Alba García, Alexandria Viescas, Miguel Juarez, Federico Villalba GRAPHIC DESIGN Oscar Castañeda & Alba García CONTACT info@thefusionmag.com FUSION at USA: (915) 231.8895 - (915) 875.9991 FUSION en MEX: (614) 415.4941

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nder the beautiful desert sky in far west Texas the annual music, visual arts and film festival Marfa Myths (located in Marfa , TX) returns with another weekend full of awesome vibes and good times. The event is described as a multidisciplinary cultural program which kicked off in 2014 by Ballroom Marfa (nonprofit contemporary arts foundation). With the continued collaborative efforts of Brooklyn based record label Mexican Summer and Ballroom Marfa who put this festival together every year, the list of artists this year promises to illuminate the senses. From regional acts, musical pioneers and Mexican Summer alumni, the music line-up at this year’s Marfa Myths packs a punch with a diverse spectrum of sound to echo across the far west Texas town.

Old school pioneers and overall cool-before-you artists will make their way to this year’s festival, continuing their craft and staying artistically consistent and relevant. Swedish experimental rockers Träd, Gräs och Stenar have been around since the late 60s, still jamming out and creating new sounds (latest release Träden came out in 2018). A premier group in the Swedish progg scene (yes, progg, not to be confused with prog or prog-rock) get a taste of their hypnotic transcendental minimalist approach to their music, and see why Mexican Summer says the band “was—is, shall remain—the best band in the world.” Susan Dietrich Schneider (aka The Space Lady) has been making psychedelic/synth-pop space music since the 80s. The avant-garde bleeps and blips will send you back in time with her synthesizer wizardry. Post-punk female pioneer Vivien Goldman (Flying Lizards, Chantage) is also on board as well as electronic-music trailblazer Annette Peacock.

The festival this year also brings a diverse mix of Texas artists.

Psychedelic disco-funk trio Khruangbin from Burton, TX will bring their bass heavy sound to this yeas festival. Houston 06

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DJ collective OG Ron C & the Chopstars will heat up the ones and twos with their turntable mastery. Included in the mix is experimental jazz/funk artist Jon Bap from Dallas.

Austin based Money Chicha is definitely going to make the people dance with their Latin-psych space cumbias.

Oh yeah, and there’s more heavy hitters—shoegaze indierock group Deerhunter has never left the forefront of what is really good modern music ever since their first release in 2005, creating and evolving a sound that has always ascended. The same could be said of Connan Mockasin who keeps it interesting, always genre jumping and also staying busy collaborating with other artists. The line-up for the 4 day fest also includes Emily A. Sprague, Photay, Nadah El Shazly and Jess Williamson.

Musicians in residence will be the addictive 70s sounds of Drugdealer and lo-fi garage rocker Tim Presley.

Later additions to the festival are country-folk duo Jess Sah Bi & Peter One, Chicago based avant-jazz drummer and bandleader Makaya McCraven, British DJ Josey Rebelle and LA based multi-instrumentalist Jerry Paper.

All weekend enjoy art at different venues! There will be a Natalie Ann Howard exhibition at Marfa Studio of Arts (106 E San Antonio St), Ballroom Marfa (108 E San Antonio St) will host an exhibition by artists Beatriz Cortez, Candice Lin and Fernando Palma Rodríguez, and Wrong Marfa (110 W Dallas St) will feature the works by Alex Wenstein, with a live performance by Les Enfants.

All weekend The Well (119 N Highland Ave) will have an extended selection of yoga offerings. Set your sights and ears over to Marfa Myths April 25th-28th. 

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ANNETTE PEACOCK WORDS:

ISABEL ALEMAN

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very year Marfa Myths kills it with the lineup, bringing in an array of artists that somehow manages to create the most beautiful bouquet of music underneath the desert sun. This year is no different, with musical pioneers like Annette Peacock.

She began creating music at a time when the term experimental was still fresh. She is a leader in the free jazz movement and had the guts to be herself in a industry that tries to carbon copy art. Peacock and her drive to constantly reinvent her art is contagious and we are lucky enough to get to see her preform at this year Marfa Myths.

Can you tell us about your musical upbringing and how you became a pioneer in the free jazz

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movement?

I’m the third generation musician—grandfather was an opera singer, and mother a violist in symphony orchestras, but I wanted to be on the frontier where the freedom is. I was introduced to the Moog when Don Heckman (music journalist for the New York TImes) played Switched-On Bach for me. It was the first new instrument in 300 years, I was excited by its potential and convinced Robert Moog to give me a prototype.

Can you tell us how you go about composing records and where you go mentally to drive inspiration?

Since each record seems to be a new version of Annette Peacock.

Since childhood I’ve composed until it became integral to

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life. I expect I’m drawn to something that I haven’t heard before and something that I haven’t yet done, and its mystery motivates me.

In an interview you stated that David Bowie in 1972 asked you to work on Aladdin Sane with him, you also worked with Mick Ronson on Slaughter On 10th Avenue as well as Paul Bley, and Bill Bruford. Can you elaborate more on these collaborations, and the music that flowered from them?

The whole band, all The Spiders wanted to work with me. Over the years David asked several times, and even though I liked his music, I had no interest in touring as a sideman in a pop group. Instead, I chose to tour as coleader, with Paul, in an avant-garde improvising band and pioneer electronic music. I didn’t work with Mick on his covers of “I’m The One,” “7 Days” and my “Love Me Tender” arrangement. Mick just chose to record them. When he was still playing acoustic music, Paul entreated me to compose exclusively for him, so I created a new identity and genre for him; a genre that became the leitmotif of the ECM label. It was entirely Bill’s vision and I knew he was up to something interesting for prog-rock, plus I wanted to work with Allan Holdsworth as well. On the other hand, working with Coldcut was totally collaborative.

You have said that you were booed on stage for being one of the first artists to use a synthesizer live on stage, how did that experience affect the way you perform and create your art?

These were my first experiences on stage and the reaction was quite unexpected and traumatic for me. I was so excited to bring this to people and share something new, that I hadn’t anticipated the response might be a resistance to the new. A totally free band, harmonic dissonance, no beats, a lot of improvisation with synthesizers was too much freedom for people. But that didn’t stop me. And then the opportunity came to record and release I’m The One for RCA. Framing my synth work within a rock genre made it more accessible. Still, it took 40 years for that album to be appreciated.

When you were signed to Mainman management, you said that you made too much money and it created pressure for you. Can you tell us about that time in your life and what it meant for you creatively?

Everything was paid for—all expenses, the loft in Soho, the sauna, the astroturf (with 13’ walls I was able to put a hoop up and play basketball) and I had an allowance.

There were charge accounts at Manny’s Music store and The Record Plant so I could buy equipment, and record.

On a kit set-up I played drums with James Brown records and wrote songs like “I Have No Feelings,” “The Succubus,” 09

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“My Mama Never Taught Me How To Cook”—I was prolific.

I’d work all day then after midnight, when it was in full swing, I’d walk to Max’s Kansas City and hang with friends some immortalized in Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side.” I went to see blaxploitation films The Mack, Black Caesar, or Bruce Lee movies in Chinatown. I bought gifts for friends and bought art from them. I gave away most of the money.

You have made 11 records including my favorite XDreams—which album do you enjoy the most?

As you mentioned they’re all different. I suppose a mother may have a favorite child, but I don’t. Nevertheless, I do wish my mother would have lived long enough to have heard An Acrobat’s Heart that I’d composed and arranged for string quartet, piano and voice.

You took a long break from music, and recently started up again, why is it important for you to take breaks from art?

I don’t break from the music. I’m always composing and the process itself is fulfilling, so I don’t need to record and release. But breaks happen for several reasons. I’m not ambitious, so I’m not driven by ambition. I realized that an individual can progress faster than a culture, and everything I’d released predated its time. I take breaks from recording, because I want to get the timing right.

To release a record when people are prepared for it, then hopefully acceptance and appreciation won’t be delayed another 40 years.

You have collaborated with many great musicians, is there anyone that you would like to work with now if you had the opportunity?

I’d love Travis Wall to choreograph dance to my music, and work more with films.

As a women in a then male dominated industry, how were you able to stand your ground and create the type of music you wanted to create?

I’m stubborn, persistent and patient. I believe good work transcends discrimination, and I didn’t make gender an issue. The advantage for an anomaly is perspective. I just focused on making the work as good as I possibly could.

Finally can you please tell the FUSION magazine readers something that not too many people know about you?

I’m a cowgirl. Raised in California, with horses and began riding in rodeos at age 6. 

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atalie Anne Howard’s hypnotic illustrations speak to a nonsensical world, channeling poignant visions through direct line and vivid color. Her layered paintings and one-of-akind assemblage garments transport the viewer to a web of glowing dreamstates and swirling compositions. The

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images often focus on the relationship between humans and the natural world, frequently using references from music to imagine surreal narratives. Her personified characters and constructed symbols reflect the small realities that form a greater experience.

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TEXTO:

RAFAEL A. REVILLA

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FUCO LEÓN

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acer un libro en estos tiempos es casi un acto heroico, el imaginarlo, el pensarlo, el escribirlo y aún más ilustrarlo es una osadía, pero todo esto parece más fácil a la distancia que gestionarlo. El conseguir los recursos para su publicación en estos tiempos modernos es lo más complicado y al final es de lo que depende principalmente su publicación o no. Lo sabemos de primera mano porque hemos impreso una revista mensual e independiente por 109 números, así fue el caso para el ilustrador Fuco León y el escritor Ramón Gerónimo Olvera. Su libro “Panza Llena, Corazón de Letras”, se estuvo gestando por más de un año en la mente de estos creadores, y tres años más para que se materializara.

Este proyecto junta lo más complejo del mundo editorial y de las letras, como la poesía, ilustración, y aunado a la comida suena como un proyecto increíble. Estos géneros actualmente gozan de creciente aceptación a nivel Instagram o redes sociales, como la lustración, pero aún son relegados por las casas editoriales.

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El libro abarca gran parte de la vasta cocina chihuahuense y todas sus complejas expresiones, nombres como el Sotol, Tesgüino y Chile Colorado, son utilizados comúnmente en nuestra identidad y a veces solo comprendidas por los locales, con una prosa única y original, cargada de un gusto y una felicidad como la que nos producen estos alimentos.

Si a esto le sumamos que estos textos van acompañado de las ilustraciones de Fuco, son un verdadero deleite. Estas ilustraciones siempre están llenas de colores fascinantes, llamativos e imágenes felices y constantemente cargadas de una ternura que siempre caracteriza el trabajo de Fuco, en donde podemos ver una vasija de horchata melancólica, un conejo siendo auscultado por un nopal y cosas tan disparatadas como una muela quebrada sufriendo con una nuez. Personajes fantasiosos como un nogal enojado hacen que la comida y el texto cobre vida.

Todo es parte de este ejército de personajes increíbles, que aparte de dar lecciones acerca de la gastronomía local y

letras, “Panza Llena Corazón de Letras” lo hace consiguiendo sacarte una sonrisa de felicidad y familiaridad, que solo tenemos cuando probamos algo típicamente Chihuahuense o leyendo y escuchando el famoso Chile Chilaca a ocho ochenta, que por cierto es el platillo favorito del ilustrador. ¿Cómo nació este proyecto?

Fue como muy espontaneo, Ramón Gerónimo tenía la inquietud de hacer un libro con poemas infantiles y me paso uno para que lo checara y ver si me animaba, hice un boceto de ese poema para enseñarle la estética y el estilo y ya de ahí fue saliendo, me fue enviando más y yo los iba haciendo en desorden. ¿Cuánto tiempo se estuvo gestionando este “Panza Llena Corazón de Letras?

Como no teníamos tiempos de entrega ni nada si fue bastante largo, más de un año para tener la maqueta y luego se paró el proyecto por otros dos añitos y ya al fin pudo salir, pero si fueron unos 3 o 4 años. ¿Qué tan importante es la comida para ti, en especial la Chihuahuense?

Creo que como a la gran mayoría me gusta la tragadera, y mi comida favorita es el chile verde con queso (chilaca),

extrañamente nos faltó ese platillo en el librito. ¡Suena como ironía o algo para una segunda edición!

Si (risas) y apenas me di cuenta de eso. ¿Tienes nopales auscultando conejos, muelas sufriendo con nueces, garrafas de horchata tristes, de donde sale todo este imaginario de comida?

Salen del mismo texto, visto de una manera tan literal que parece absurdo y por eso a la hora de plasmarlo, extrañamente uno pensaría que esa sería la manera más obvia de ilustrarlo pero resulta que no, normalmente tratamos de darle el significado a la metáfora en lugar de plasmarla tal cual está escrita. ¿Cómo fue colaborar con Ramón en este libro?

Muy ameno, como te decía, fue lento el proceso pero a la ves fluido, tanto los textos que ayudaban mucho a la hora de ilustrarlos como la libertad creativa que me permitió tener Ramón Gerónimo. ¿Aparte de este proyecto que otros tienes pendientes Fuco?

Ahorita tengo algunas series de pinturas e ilustraciones pero todas inconclusas, espero poder darme tiempo de al menos terminar una (risas). 

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ALEXANDRIA VIESCAS

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JOSE AREVALO

ow that the sun’s rays are starting to kiss our skin again, the nights are getting warmer and El Paso’s Streetcar is officially on the move, El Pasoans bloomed into spring with supporting local artwork and vendors at the Last Thursdays El Paso art walk.

March kicked off the first Last Thursdays El Paso of the year and its expectations were met in more ways than one: there were more artists who were featured, new musicians on the streets and even live performances at some of the local galleries. El Pasoans were also able to cover more venues with the El Paso Streetcar.

venue, as local Latin acoustic music group Los Soneros de Valle Bajo serenaded the streets of Downtown El Paso.

Golden Goose Tattoo Studio also had live in motion artwork

by Julio Pizana, aside from other vendors. Their neighbors B-17 Bombers Oyster Pub hosted the Barbed Wire Open Mic Series who welcomed musicians, poets, comedians, writers and anyone else who would like to showcase their talent. The Last Thursdays El Paso event is all about integrating different art forms to celebrate all kinds of local growing talent, and plan to expand after the successful start to this year’s series. 

Now El Pasoans will experience more galleries avoiding having to worry about parking. The streetcar in itself exudes culture and fits right in with event. The El Paso Streetcar is working with Last Thursdays and offers later hours of operation for future events.

The team at Last Thursdays mentioned that the art community has also been expanding to central El Paso, including venues The Living Room and Joe Vinny & Bronson’s Bohemian Café. Another gallery in central that the event has expanded to was the Xolo Gallery. Not only did The Xolo Gallery exhibit video, photography, installation, paintings and metals, they used local vendors who also collaborated with a local performer.

Viejo Coffee is a local vendor who sells coffee from Roasted located in Marfa, TX and is better known for their exclusive pop-ups, and plant based plastic “café en bolsa.” This is not the first time co-founder José Arevalo has been involved with the event, he also helped create the “Before I Die...” art installation board at the former Dream Chasers Club Gallery. “The Last Thursday’s art walk really does something different for the city and gives the chance to empower local artists, especially because some have no other place to be seen other than social networks,” Arevalo said.

Arevalo posted up as a vendor at the Xolo Gallery and he took advantage of the artistic setting and incorporated dance into selling coffee. Viejo Coffee collaborated with ballet dancer Lauren Amanda Gonzalez and DJ Carlitos 2000 who spins mellow music on 12” vinyl records.

Xolo Gallery was not the only venue to do this; Zona Centro Mexican Eatery also had local vendors and artist outside of their THEFUSIONMAG.COM

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GALERÍA CINCO PUNTOS OPENS IN CENTRAL EL PASO WORDS: MIGUEL JUÁREZ, PHD

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n September 2018, EPCC Librarian Carlos Humphries and his breakfast friends: Aryk Gardea (curator/arts director), Javi Hernández (chief operating officer), Jacqueline Aguirre (who designed the logo and is the marketing social media director) and Edward Reyes (who is the communications director and filmmaker) who frequent Joe Vinny & Bronson’s Bohemian Café, started eyeing a small space they used to see whenever they stepped out to smoke a cigarette.

In October 2018 the gallery sported a logo of a red hand for their newly created Facebook page with the words “Galería Cinco Puntos.” Wasting no time to engage the community, visitors were invited to celebrate El Dia De Los Muertos/Day of the Dead Workshop in the Galería. The two-day workshop welcomed participants to create a sugar skull and invited them to display it in the community altar in the gallery. The gallery also offered masks for $5 or skulls for $10.

According to Gardea, the space was “being used for shooting gallery and a cat sanctuary,” but it was actually the lobby of the Brown Building—a two-story building located at the corner of Tularosa and Piedras in Central El Paso. The small space (located at 822 North Piedras) is sandwiched between the JVB’s and Coconuts Bar & Grill on the first floor. The 1/8 Pizza Pub is located at the northwestern corner of the building. Residents live on the second floor and have a separate entrance to the building.

Work continued on the exterior of the space as new windows were installed on the entry into the gallery. A new logo designed by Aguirre was featured on the gallery’s Facebook page. The logo was made into the gallery sign which currently adorns the top of the door.

Reconstruction of the first-floor gallery was initiated and an opening exhibit was scheduled.

Humphries shared with his friends that he had recently written a series of proposals for EPCC Library (which had been funded) and they suggested he write one to acquire the space and present it to the building owner. The owner agreed to loan the space to Humphries and his friends for $1 a year and that October, they got the keys to the space and started cleaning out decades of dirt. The entry to the space revealed a glass floor to the basement. Humphries and his friends continued cleaning the space on weekends since all of them work fulltime.

Gardea said the group developed a list of possible names for the gallery. Humphries wanted to name it The Central Yacht Club Gallery, and eventually Hernández and he settled for Cinco Puntos, which later became Galería Cinco Puntos.

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The Galería’s first exhibit displayed a collection of prints from the Horned Toad Prints Exchange #2 which featured over 50 printmaking artists.

Gardea said, A mix of neighborhood locals and art enthusiasts, old and young, attended the opening which was publicized on social media.”

Printmaker Manuel Guerra of the Horned Toad Press presented a lecture during the opening as throngs of people stood outside. The tiny space joins several other Five Points galleries and art spaces including JVB’s the Honeyguide Gallery, the Xolo Gallery, the Living Room, Mago’s Studio and Ho Baron’s sculpture Garden & Gallery (open on Saturdays) which together comprise the emerging Five Points Arts District. 

ST. VINCENT LA FEMME PUISSANTE

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BJÖRZH Z.

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n verdad resulta difícil catalogarla y es que es jodidamente buena en todo lo que hace, clasificarla en una sola cosa resultaría injusto. Sin embargo, todo proyecto o participación donde aparece el nombre de St. Vincent es sinónimo de excelencia musical.

Las comparaciones no han parado desde que sacó su primer disco llamado “Marry Me” en el 2007 no obstante a cada opinión opositora ella tiene una nueva aptitud con la que se aleja de las formulas gastadas que solemos encontrar en la industria de la música.

Annie Clark, su verdadero nombre es una fémina grácil, con una mirada que pareciera que esconde un secreto con el que puede derrotarnos al solo contarlo. Nacida en Oklahoma y criada en Texas, aprendió a tocar la guitarra a los 12 años de edad con la cual inició su exploración en una veintena de instrumentos musicales, los cuales domina a la perfección.

Clark tomó el nombre de St. Vincent para nombrar a su proyecto de la canción de Nick Drake sobre el poeta inglés Dylan Thomas y bajo este nombre ha entregado seis álbumes de estudio entre los cuales se encuentran “Actor”, “Strange Mercy”, “Love this Giant” junto a David Byrne y el multipremiado “Masseduction”.

Su sonido es muy característico, la guitarra en distorsión es su fiel compañera cuando toca el pop en todas sus variantes, nos regala guiños en sus momentos más poderosos al techno industrial y al glam que contrastan con su melodiosa voz que lo mismo toma un aire de narración en sus canciones o se torna cuasi perfecta a

la hora de entonarse al ritmo de sus intrincadas composiciones futuristas.

Nombrada como la Bowie femenina ha compartido escenario con Sufjan Stevens, junto a los miembros originales de Nirvana interpretó Lithium en el veinteavo aniversario de la muerte de Kurt Cobain y recientemente se presentó en los Grammy al lado de Dua Lipa e incluso ha sido la imagen para la marca de ropa Marc Jacobs La sobrina del dúo de jazz Tuck & Patti puede presumir de tener su propio café, Bring me your Mugs (en alusión a la canción Bring me your loves) y de ser directora de cortometrajes ya que fue invitada a la antología de historias de terror dirigidas por mujeres llamado “XX”, en las cuales junto a Karyn Kusama y Jennifer Lynch, Clark exhibe un cuento surrealista de una comedia negra en el festival de Sundance y según declaraciones prepara una adaptación de El retrato de Dorian Gray.

Ya sea por sus parejas sentimentales (Kristen Stewart, Cara Delevingne) o por su apariencia Annie ha estado en el foco de los tabloides que a toda costa quieren demeritar su trabajo como músico, pero no lo han logrado, tal parece que su talento está más allá del escándalo.

Su innegable belleza física y su imponente personalidad la hacen un personaje hipnótico a la hora de estar en el escenario, St. Vincent es sin duda una mujer hechos, talentosa y visionaria, una mujer poderosa en toda la extensión de la palabra.

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EL PASOANS BLEND

ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SOCIAL JUSTICE “We have so far to go to realize our human potential for compassion, altruism and love.”— Jane Goodall, conservationist, anthropologist and primatologist.

WORDS:

DENISE NELSON

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l Paso-born brothers Adrian and Alejandro Velez, along with 3 other partners, founded Austinbased Reto! Accessories in the spirit of altruism, love and compassion. The online sunglasses retailer was launched this March.

“We’ve witnessed some things going on [politically] since Trump took over, and we wanted to find a way to give back to people who are immigrants,” said Adrian Velez. To that end, 20 percent of each sale is donated to various non-profit groups that provide free legal services to undocumented families and individuals.

Velez said the sunglasses are “culturally flavored,” and display the red, white and green colors of his family heritage. The idea to incorporate Mexico’s colors was also influenced by the country’s participation in this year’s World Cup games.

In June 2017, the Velez’ and their 3 founding partners decided to incept the idea after discovering a manufacturer in China that would make the products.

However, they didn’t actually establish the business until early 2018.

“Sales have been kind of slow,” Velez acknowledged.

“We’re trying to increase our user base and establish our brand through social media.” He added they plan on donating to non-profits dedicated to helping

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D.A.C.A. recipients. “We just haven’t found any groups that create scholarships for D.A.C.A recipients,” he said. “If this thing takes off and we make some money, we’ll just fund it [a scholarship] directly.”

Upon assessing the success of sales next March, the founders will decide which direction to take the company. If there is a healthy profit margin, that could include donating to other groups, including veterans’ non-profits.

Velez himself is a veteran and is currently a Major in the Texas Army National Guard. He added all of the founding partners hold different causes, including immigration, near and dear to their hearts. “We all come from immigrant parents,” he said.

The founders of Reto! comprise a highly educated, motivated group. Among them are a couple of pilots, an attorney and some business folks. Collectively their college degrees have been bestowed on them by such prestigious universities as Texas A & M, Notre Dame and Rice.

Velez acknowledged while the group would love to dedicate themselves fully to running Reto!, their current level of commitment and desire to help shows “we can all do our part.”  For more info, check out the group’s website retoworld.com, or facebook.com/retoaccessories

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BORDER SOUNDS: LOCAL BAND I-ARTIFACT

WORDS:

BEN SANTANA

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PHOTO:

COURTESY OF I-ARTIFACT

W

ith progressive complex structures and jazzy shifting time signatures, experimental local rock group I-Artifact have been jamming around the borderland with shows at Warszawa as well as crossing over and entertaining Juárez crowds. With a fresh record released last year and plans for future tours, I-Artifact show no signs of stoping as the creativity and drive keeps on flowing. Guitarist and composer Manny Lozano shares some words with Fusion.

How long has the band been around and how did it form?

I-Artifact has been a band for about 3 years now. I Manny Lozano started this band with local musicians in search to tour and write music.

Where does the name come from?

The name comes from a passage in Victor Wooten’s book The Lesson.

Where did you record your album and how long did it take?

The album was recorded in the studio Brainville and it took about 2 years to write.

Faceless) has been touring the world with all the bands he can.

Maria Lozano (vocalist) is a graduate in music at UTEP, Daniel Rivera ( saxophone) is a touring musician for the Golden Groove, Benny (ex guitarist ) has been in various projects and is currently writing r&b and electronic music. I Manny Lozano (guitarist/ composer) have had the pleasure of touring with local heroes Triumph Over Shipwreck as their ex guitarist, I’m also in a blackmetal band Hunhau Mitnal and currently playing in a jazz band called Juju and All That Jazz.

What do you think of the Music scene in El Paso?

Very supportive and with plenty of talent.

Is there a central message or theme behind the music?

We want our souls to create sound.

What would you like for the people to take when listening to I-Artifact?

All the different influences and the amount of work put into the recording process. We would love for people to come out to our shows and experience the full thing.

Who did the artwork on the album?

The artwork is done by Daniel McBride of Sumerian Records.

What is in store for the future? Shows? Tours? New music?

We are currently working on our second album. We are heading on 3 tours to Mexico and 2 midwest tours in the states.

You guys shred, what kind of musical background do each of the members have?

Bryce Butler (drummer of Brojob, Abigail Williams and ex The

soundcloud.com/iartifact facebook.com/IArtifact/

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EL PASO, TEXAS • 915-565-8288 • OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 11AM-12AM

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