HONK!02 The Fairy Tales by KALTBLUT Magazine

Marcel Schlutt Alexander Stoddard Nina Kharytonova Amanda M. Janssen Suzana Holtgrave 1 Drew Eastman TL Stiegler visualdrugstore Arcin Sagdic Haniball Saliba Asha Mines Polys Larissa Cata単o Mike A. Rattigan Bartholot Robert Klebenow Polly Balitro Tudor Naparu Stephan Springer Bruce LaBruce Shelbric A. Fuller Christo Mitov Mitsuko Naguno Emma E.K. Jones Claudio Alvargonzalez Brice Hardelin Silvio Hauke Nicolas Simoneau Daniel Ellmenreich Shel Fuller Haikal Noyes Coverphoto by Robert Klebenow Model Philip Milojevic

ART PHOTOGRAPHY MEDIA

H NK! #02

ONCE UPON A TIME THE

FAIRY TALES ISSUE

FAI TAL

People with schizophreni ality that are strikingly d and shared by others aroun torted by hallucinations a schizophrenia may feel frig

where do the days go

that no one remembers? they go the way of dreams

no longer inhabite.

R AI Y ALES

ia may have perceptions of redifferent from the reality seen nd them. Living in a world disand delusions, individuals with ghtened, anxious, and confused

#01 #02

Chief Editor Marcel Schlutt Editors Christo Mitov, Polys, Amanda M. Jansson, Stephan Springer, Nina Kharytonova, Claudio Alvargonzalez Production assistant Silvio Hauke, Nicolas Simoneau Translators Shel Fuller, Drew Eastman, Anton Z Risan, Thomas Langnickel-Stiegler Layout Haikal Noyes, Marcel Schlutt Web design Nicolas Simoneau, Daniel Ellmenreich Published by Marcel Schlutt & Nina Kharytonova HONK! is based in Berlin

Once Upon A Time … Who doesn’t know those words? As a child you grow up with the Grimm Brothers or Disney, and you get enthralled by their fantastic worlds. However, the older you get, the more influential fairy tales will become. Be it in books and motion pictures, be it in politics, religion, or arts: fairy tales are omnipresent. Stories often get misused to influence people. Let’s be honest, sometimes it would be nice to be a child again, wouldn’t it? To be able to let one’s imagination run free, to forget about space and time. Right? Well then: welcome to HONK!’s Fairy Tale issue!

We, the team of HONK!, have recently found ourselves in a fairy tale of our own. A few months ago, I came up with the idea to initiate a new online magazine. A magazine that wouldn’t be elitist, edifying, or mindless. A periodical publication to be great fun, and to bring together topics of a classical magazine, without making one subject area or another stand in the corner waiting to be noticed. HONK! is made by creative people from within a diverse online community, and it’s a magazine for all those who are interested in arts, music, fashion, or photography. The vision of HONK! has since been prospering. We are still astonished by the amazing success of issue #001. And we would like to thank all the artists, contributors, and friends, who have done their bits to make it become reality. Thanks a lot to all you HONKS! out there! We appreciate you making our world a fairy tale of its own. Issue #002 is dedicated to you, thanks to whom we can keep up our vision. It’s quite a glorious experience to be going online with HONK!#002, now. To see our concept work out. For the second time we invited artists to engage themselves with a specific theme in their own creative way. The result has been a true potpourri of photography, terrific texts, interviews – and tons of fun. And now – I wish you loads of fun with our current issue. Join us on a trip to the colourful world of fairy tales, myths, and legends! Plus, I hope you’ll read us again in two months’ time. Enjoy! Marcel Schlutt

C NT #02

8 Natural Born Talent

Photo

Self portraits by Alexander Stoddard

34 A bunch of outsiders

Photos by Emma E.K. Jones & Amanda M Jansson

62 Light Muses

by Visualdrugstore

72 L.I.A.

by Marcel Schlutt

120 Atlantis

Photos by Bartholot

136 Inteview: Polly Balitro 168 Interview: Mitsuko Naguno 172 Clock Work White by Brice Hardelin

20 Fairy Tales are the soul of Russian culture Text by Nina Kharytonova

Topic

70 Popâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d to death

by Drew Eastman

86 Fairy tale 9595

Shortstory by TL Stiegler

112 Who is the pervert? by Mike A. Rattigan

158 1001 Nights

by Tudor Naparu

178 Letter from Madrid 202 Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you believe it by Stephan Springer

216 Last Fairytale

by Shelbric A. Fuller

226 Revenge of the nerds: Self-exposure for dummies 228 The X-Insider

TENT 24 Horse Princess

Fashion

Photos by Arcin Sagdic

94 Rick Owens

Photos by Asha Mines

116 A woman should wear 118 A man should wear 142 The Elf

Photos by Suzana Holtgrave

188 Snowqueen’s Kay

Photos by Arcin Sagdic

168 Must Have 218 The Young Knight

Art/Media

Photos by Robert Klebenow

42 Interview: Olaf Hajek 55 Who the hell is Madonna? Music reviewed by Polys

83 Pop Art Heroes 100 Mama Interview

132 Oscar’s Curse

Movies discussed by Claudio Alvargonzalez

161 Life Automat

by Nicolas Simoneau

180 La Llorona

Artwork by Larisa Cataño

198 206 208 232

Interview: Billie Ray Martin & Hard Ton ACMI Dreams Come True Interview: Bruce LaBruce

What Where When

by Christo Mitov

NATURAL

born talent Selfportraits by Alexander Stoddard

NATURAL

born talent

NATURAL boRN TALENT

I don’t want to just exist. I want to live! Interview with Alexander Stoddard by Marcel Schlutt HONK!: Alex, we love your photography. and your project 1/365. When did you start with the project? And why? Alex: I started the project in April of 2010. There were several reasons why I undertook it. Firstly, I really wanted to see growth within myself as a photographer. I had seen the 365 projects of others on flickr and how much they had improved, so I wanted that to happen to me as well. A big influence in starting my 365 was Rosie Hardy. Seeing how much effort she put into her images each and every day made me strive to do the same. I think I’ve grown tremendously so far, but I still have a long way to go. Looking at your pictures. We can see , that most of them have something to do with nature and the other ones are very poetic. Is it part of your personality? Are you a poetic guy? Yes, I do think my natural photos have a lot to do with my personality. I really enjoy my solitude, being alone, and I think that relates to nature. In the natural world, there isn’t a society to judge you, there aren’t other people to influence or irritate you -- It’s just you and the trees and the earth. There is so much beauty in forests and rivers and all of these places that most people overlook in their everyday lives. Everyone is always in a rush. Sometimes I just like to stop and appreciate the little details in the world. You are 17 years old and i think, doing a project like yours needs some time every day. What do your friends and family say about your project? My project takes up so much time! It’s insane. Between high school, my job at a restaurant, and my project, I barely have enough time to sleep. My friends and family are so incredibly supportive of my photography. They have helped me set up and shoot several of my pho-

tos.. Whenever I ask them to help out, they do -whether it is tossing a bucket of water over my head while I snap a photo or scouting out abandoned houses for pictures, they have always been there to aid me. My friends and sisters love that I take photos, as it gives them the opportunity to model.

Do you have a favourite photographer? Who is your icon? Tim Walker! His whimsical photographs and so imaginative and wonderful. He blows my mind. I got his book for Christmas, and I spend hours just lying in bed with it, in awe of his work. Where do you see yourself in 10 years ? In ten years, I hope to be shooting for major fashion magazines like Vogue or Harper’s Bazaar. I want to be traveling the world, soaking up gorgeous sights and meeting all kinds of people. It’s such a cliche answer, but it’s what I truly want. There is so much of the world to see that it would be a waste just to live your entire life in the same city with a boring office job. I don’t want to just exist. I want to live! http://www.flickr.com/photos/alex-stoddard/

Fairy tales

are the

soul

Russian culture! Text by Nina Kharytonova

What would humanity be without their myths, legends, tales and stories? Fairy tales are the soul of our culture. They belong to our continued development. Everyone knows them and everyone loves them. We suck and digest them simultaneously with our motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s breast milk; a childhood without fairy tales is hard to imagine. They are our first encounters with the environment, and through them, we become familiar with them. Each culture has its own. They reflect the diversity of our nations, our fears, our joys and our dreams. They are the priceless heritage, each generation passes on to the next and are as old as humanity itself. One country has a particularly deep and wide range of fairy tales and stories to offer. We are talking about Russia. Since the beginning of their culture, the Russians have created a unique fairy tale world full of evil and good: the witch Baba Yaga, the strict Grandfather Frost, the swan

princess, the immortal Kostschej, talking animals and plants, werewolves, witches and wizards, the forces of nature. These recurring figures come mainly from pre-Christian Slavic mythology and therefore, reflect major differences to the sagas and traditions of the Western world. Each generation contributed something to the tradition; to a diverse and complex world of myths based upon Russian history that is deeply connected with their life experience and their sense of self. The Slavic gods were worshiped almost exclusively in nature and so this love of nature is reflected in the characters. Witches in Russian fairy tales play an equally important and frequent role like in Middle European fairy tales but their positioning and function, be-

Illustration by Larisa Cata単o

cause of their Slavic background, is notably different. While still ugly, evil and cunning, they often help the hero and are groundbreaking key figures in the events of history. First and foremost is the Baba Yaga, who lives in a home on stilts made of chicken legs, and flies on a broom. Princes and princesses are not defined by their wealth but rather by their beauty, kindness and purity of character, precisely the qualities, which at that time, were still very highly regarded. This usually meant that the Prince was often called Ivan and Princess - Vasilisa. Probably the most famous fairy tales, however, are those which take place during the harsh Russian winters and the main protagonists usually are Father Frost and Snegurochka (in German: Snow Maiden). These figures have survived long enough to have even made it into the present day and deliver the gifts for the forthcoming year since Christmas in the Slavic calendar is not celebrated until January 6th.

Without the fairy tale collector, many of these fairy tales would have never seen the light of day and thereby, would have never been part of our generation. Just like the German-born Brothers Grimm, there were Russians fairy tale aficionados who devoted their life to the collecting and cataloging of fairy tales. The most famous among them are Alexander Pushkin (who was himself a great writer too), Lev Tolstoy, and last but not least, Alexander Afanasyev. But it was another Alexander, that made Russian fairy tales well-known, far beyond the borders of the Soviet Union; although he was born approximately 100 years later - Alexander Rou (1906). His father was a migrant worker, came to Russia to work as an engineer, in the then burgeoning, grain industry. However, the carefree childhood of Alexander was already over at the age of 10, when his father left the family and returned to Ireland. Now it was Alexanderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s responsibility to take on the financial burden for the family. He sold matches and took small temporary work. Adher-

ing to the advice of his mother, he applied at a technical college but the economic charm of art gained the upper hand and Alexander began his studies at the Chaikowski film school. With luck, he was hired as Assistant Director at “Mezhrabpom Film”, the studio that was then in charge of children’s films (later renamed Gorky Film Studio). He was the first that used living actors to bring fairy tales alive on the silver screen. Until then, the genre was always done in animated form. His work has always been extremely creative. His entire attention was paid to the costumes, the scenery and decorations, the elaborate makeup and especially, unprecedented special effects. Actors were however given very short directions and therefore often fell flat on their faces. Alexander, however, made it up with a good cup of tea. There was always lots of tea on the set and everyone who garnered his respect and admiration was honored with a cup. He was greatly appreciated and loved by all his colleagues. It is no coincidence that Alexander Rou is acknowledged as one of the founding fathers of the fantasy genre. For Fantasy, Horror and SciFi, as we know them now, were born out of fairy tale films. He was awarded several times for his life’s work. He shot over 16 films and wrote most of his screenplays himself. His films not only culturally sweetened the heavy existence during the Soviet era, but also illuminated the lives of many over the continents of our planet. He died on Dec 28, 1973 in Moscow, but his work is immortal, exactly like the tales themselves, which he filmed so lovingly.

HORSE PRINCESS

Photos by Arcin Sagdic Creative Direction/ Styling/ Production Diana Nagler www.diananagler.com Production Assistent Verena Wolf Make-up / Hair Sofie Ühla www.sofieuehla.de Model Clara Hoffmann (Seeds) www.seedsmodels.de Photographers Assistent Conny Kirste Location Riding Farm Rüdnitz www.foxtrotter-online.de/

Jacket One Vintage Skirt Erdem Top Hendrik Vibskov Gloves Belstaff Headdress, Necklace Weekday

Dress Paula Immich Headdress Hanna&Demetrios Tights Palmers

Jacket, Pants Paula Immich Top Vince Boots Belstaff Stockings Palmers

left page Jackett Paula Immich Wig Sofie Ă&#x153;hla

Photos by Emma E.K. Jones & Amanda M Jansson

When looking back into childhood, a period of time when everything seemed possible and the belief in magic and trolls and fairies was still vaguely existing, there will always be at least this one fairy tale, or the remnants of one, haunting your mind, engraved in it forever.

SEA

Now if you try to locate this strange faint image stuck in the back of your head and seemingly forgotten in time, you will be surprised to discover that most of the times it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a brave valiant hero/ine or a damsel in distress but one of the more sinister figures, one of those that

WITCH

from Little Mermaid

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know what you want.â&#x20AC;?

A BUNCH OF OUTSIDERS

could keep you up at night or at least make you laugh violently. And yet, how surprising that there has always been such little mention of these antagonists, these evil, seductive, ugly, creepy, old, disfigured, demon-like or even death related outcasts. Perhaps that can be

traced back to their role in the story, to everything they stand for and to the power they hold as characters in themselves. First of all, it is the very existence of an antihero that makes it possible for the fairy tale to exist. The villain is what brings the story to life, what adds

CARABOSSE

from Little Briar-Rose

“The king’s daughter shall in her fifteenth year prick herse lf with a spindle, and fall down dead.”

flesh and bones to a nebulous idea, he or she is the

them might be there just at the right moment to of-

key that turns an empty picture into a fairy tale to

fer some precious help to the despaired hero/ine in

excite the wildest of imaginations. In the strange,

the form of a potion or some advice, but who would

far away land of the tale resides a multitude of evil

imagine that a tiny piece of the endless wisdom of

guys and devilish dames and what they all hunger

all evil would be given away for nothing?

for really is causing some serious trouble. Some of

IDLE

from Mother Holle

â&#x20AC;&#x153;That is the reward for your services.â&#x20AC;?

A BUNCH OF OUTSIDERS

The price to be paid is most of the times far too high

them, or even in devouring them. And then there’s

to leave the protagonist unharmed. There is others,

those who are plainly and simply ugly and lazy and

others of hurt pride or simply of a malicious nature

rude, those who just can’t be bothered and of course

that wish to satisfy their vices in tricking the good

spite the beautiful capable ones hoping to make

and innocent people, in laying the most horrifying

their lives a living hell. From the most horrifying

curses on them, in imprisoning them, in murdering

sea serpent to the most artlessly lazy daughter, all

The

Godfather

“...I peeped through the keyhole of a door, and there, godfather, I saw you, and you had long,long horns.”

these creatures creep up from the same obscure,

secret fantasies, the fairy tales. The pagan demons

misty well, strange as it might seem. The place they

of the past, as much as our subconscious drives, are

all emerge from is a place that has been thought

way too powerful, actually growing strong on man’s

well sealed, that has been trying to hold them in for

flesh, to be wiped out. Thus, they have to be allowed

hundreds and hundreds of years, and yet there they

to sneak into the narrative, yet remain highly feared

are governing over the primary expression of all our

and condemned.

WICKED

WITCH

from Hensel & Gretel

“Oh you dear children, who has brought you here? Do come in stay with me. No harm shall happen to you.”

BABA

YAGA

from Vasilisa the Beautiful

“Well, what are you standing there for as if you were dumb? Have you nothing to say to me?”me?”

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OLAF HAJEK

DARK

CLOUDS ARE

GATHERING Interview by Marcel Schlutt The Berlin-based illustrator Olaf Hajek is one of the few Artists of this city, who is recognized internationally and with his art he is well known all over the world. Each of his paintings has a certain magic that no one can´t resist. They are colorful, they are beautiful, they are a piece of Hajek. HONK! asked Olaf Hajek for an interview, to talk about his life, his work and the up coming Exhibition „Dark Clouds are Gathering“ in South Africa. Olaf, you are on of the leading illustrators our times and not just in Germany, but worldwide. How did you discover this passion for drawing? As a child i was already drawing and painting a lot and i discovered that passion quite early on in life. My mother told me many times that i spend hours on end in the day just hidden in my

room being busy with drawing something. Obviously Arts & Crafts was also my favorite subject in school. In my spare time i was visiting drawing classes and from an early age it was already clear to me that i wanted to something art related in my later life the problem only being that my parents

DARK CLOUDS ARE GATHERING

kinda forbid that i studied Art and so i managed to get into a graphic design studies. He was a few classes further ahead of me and just about to sign into FH Münster for Graphic Design Studies so he took a map of my drawings with him and passed it onto them. Thanks to this little stunt they already reserved a study place for me while i was in 10th class and commented on my “Outstanding artistic abilities”. Graphic Design Studies are not Art Studies so how did this help you along? Oh Well, Graphic Design is very concentrated on advertising, typography and business related studies. Illustrations where not really the focus here. All in all the practical part of these studies really helped me as well because as a illustrator you are not just a creative person you are also a business man, After studying i moved to Amsterdam and just spend a whole year just paniting and drawing and copying my work then sending it all to magazines. This is how i was discovered by SZ Magazine who printed my work and the jobs followed and since then i am making a living from it. When you look at one of your pictures its pretty clear right away that one is looking at a “Hajek”. I think you have you own signature which is recognizable right away. Did you have this from the start or did you develop this while you where studying ? No, i had a certain identity right away as artist and this just evolved over time. Which is very important especially if you want to work globally you need a unique style and identity your own signature! I try to let all my passion and aesthetics flow into my works. When a magazine approaches you to commission something to a certain theme how does the pic-

ture evolve ? Do you start with drawings or do you just let freedom reign or do you work strictly within the bounds of what the magazine dictates ? I always have an idea right away, especially if you work for magazines you have really tight deadlines and i usually have more than one job on the table so you gotta be abel to multitask and be really organized. You just gotta be abel to come up with new ideas naturally and fast. I read the text and i usually have an idea right away to which i to a draft drawing which i send onto the commissioning magazine to look at and sign off, once

they done that i start painting the picture, Every commissioner is different from the other some are more open and some are giving you less freedom, how was it for you when you saw your work in a magazine for the first time ? This was very exciting, naturally. I was living in Amsterdam at the time and my first job was for the Dutch Playboy and i was super proud. Shortly after that i started work for SZ Magazine which was a big deal. A few weeks later i did the “Sommerriddle” for them and because they

where so excited about my work they also asked me to do the cover. I still remember how i was waiting for my local News Agent to open up to see “my” Cover. Yes, this was a very special moment especially since this was at the beginning of my career. Well now you have been douing this for a number of years can you explain why Illustrations do not have the same status and importance as lets say in the USA ? There are markets that just have totally different traditions, especially in Illustations.

DARK CLOUDS ARE GATHERING

In America illustrations have a far higher status and they have been working with them for much longer. It is changing a little in Germany though here Illustrations are more trend releated and not used in so many ways as they do it in the US or UK. There they have “The New Yorker” which always uses an illustrated cover and this leaves a completely different status on how people recognize illustrations. In the times of the internet alot is being copied and stolen,. Did this happen to you so far as well with your art? I believe my style has been copied before... especially young illustrators let themself be inspired by other artists and idols. It becomes difficult when my paintings are being used in on the internet,

Print or in Advertising material without a license or copyright. I find your pictures very surreal, everywhere you look on them there is something happening, often very dreamy, often very playful but then also very tough. Which artists have inspired you in becoming who you are? I been inspired by manny artists especially when you are young you are always on searching. At about 10 - 11 Years i was a big fan of Impressionists which for me was more about the colors rather than the shapes. Later it was Gustav Klimmt and Egon Schiele who inspired me a lot. After my studies i was a huge fan of American Illustrators. There is a book “American Illustration” which was and still is produced very

extravagant. I always stood in front of it and thought “WOW” !!! This is Art and this is how Illustrations can be done. Today i know many of these artists personally who inspired me and for a few years now i myself are now in these books. These days i am very much excited and inspired by “American Folk Art”, African or Indian Art. The haptic, the imperfection and the textures are what really interest me and the aesthetics are what i incorporate in my paintings and drawings. Unfortunately i am not very creative when it comes to painting and drawing. I sit in front of a white piece of paper and all that i come up with is with doodles. Are there any guidelines for hopeless cases like me so that even i can come up with a decent picture? (Laughs) You have to overcome the fear for the piece of paper. Getting over the anxiety to create that perfect picture. When i was young and visiting a nude and portrait course the teacher was giving us the courage to see the whole picture and not to concentrate too much on how to make the ‘Nose’ look perfect “Leave it out” as long as the picture is right and the energy comes across!! Thats what its all about, a painting has to be good because good pictures are often the ones in which nothing is right.

Do you also do private commissions? Say if i want to gift my grandma a painting made by you? I am asked all the time but it’s my prices that scare most people away (Laughs) Let me put it this way, i really prefer not to do it, As illustrator most of the work i do is commissioned work where i already have text and some kind of idea to what i am about to do. But if someone wants a portrait, they usually have their own ideas and own vision of how the final result should look like and all i am thinking is: Oh God, i have no artistic freedom here. Which i find very restrictive.

DARK CLOUDS ARE GATHERING

I am exhibiting my works at Galleries so if you want anything i did you can always buy something there. Picking up on that, you are exhibiting worldwide and your next exhibition is this march in Cape Town. How did that come about and how did it happen that you are showing your works there? That is correct, the exhibition starts on March 16th at the “whatiftheworld” Gallery n Cape Town. About 2 years ago i met the curator of the gallery at the ART BASEL in Basel. It’s one of the cool new galleries in Cape Town. There is a lot happening in this regard over there and since i been there a lot for the last few years it has been really fantastic meeting these people over there. But it was only a year later that they asked me if i could envision showing my works over there. I was excited right away but also in a little panic that i had to prepare a whole exhibition.

“DARK CLOUDS ARE GATHERING” BY OLAF HAJEK WHATIFTHEWORLD / GALLERY First Floor, 208 Albert Rd. Woodstock 7925 Cape Town, South Africa 16 MARCH - 16 APRIL 2011

The theme of the exhibition was suppose to have be african orientated, which obviously i did but naturally : Olaf Hajek - African Style ! There are about 14 Paintings at about 80cm in size and a few smaller ones that i did for the Documentary “Pray the Devil back to Hell”. This film is about african themes like: Child Soldiers, Blood Diamonds, Rape and Woman who demonstrate against the war in Liberia and with that move quite a lot of things. When someone is painting this much and this beautiful do you gift a lot of paintings and drawings to family and friends and / or do they actually expect them at holidays like christmas ? I certainly have gifted many paintings in my life (He Laughs) oh yes, i gotta be careful that it doesn’t become a regular thing and doesnt take over :) But No, they certainly do not expect it and huge paintings i do not gift anyway.

References: Apple, United Airlines, Macy’s, The New Yorker, The New York Times, Playboy, Forbes, Wallstreet Journal, Architectual Digest, GQ, Shape, NZZ, Bolero, SZ Magazin, Qvest, IO Donna, MAN,

www.olafhajek.com

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Who ThE hELL Is MADoNNA MUsIC

Music reviewed by Polys His taste in music is legendary in Berlin. No dance floor is safe! He loves music and music loves him! Now the top of the top of Polys playlist!

MEN • MEN is a band and art/performance collective • It was left to JD Samson to carry the flag when, Le Tigre announced they were going on hiatus on 2006. • She (JD) is a cult icon and leader in the LGBT community. • MEN started out of two different projects. One of those was a DJ/remix/production team that was formed by JD and Johanna. They started writing original music around the same time that Ginger, Michael, Emily and JD were playing in a band called Hirsute. • JD and original Hirsute members Michael and Ginger now comprise the core of MEN, with Johanna and artist Emily contributing as writers, consultants, and producers. • They have also already completed US tours with both Peaches and Gossip • Main goal in Le Tigre was always to reach the queer kids and that stayed the same.

• MEN’s debut is the best of the niche area where gender politics and dance music intersect. • Their infectious, arty, punk-tinged disco house sounds won’t allow you to stay still. • The Band speaks to issues such as trans aware ness, wartime economies, sexual compromise, and demanding liberties through their lyrics and an exciting stage show. • Credit Card Babies, for instance, contrasts a gay couple’s desire for a child with the effect it would have on the environment • ‘Who Am I To Feel So Free’ shouts out support for gender and sexual orientation awareness and equality and talks of ‘radical surgery’ and ‘prosthetic sex’. • MEN have been selected from a shortlist of 500 to represent today’s youth for the first edition (called “Younger Than Jesus”) of the exhibition “The Generational” held in the New Museum of New York.

Interpret: MEN Album: Talk About Body Genres: Disco, Reggae, Punk Label: IAMSOUND Origin: Brooklyn (NY/USA) Released: 1. February 2011 Line-up: JD Samson, Michael O’Neill, Ginger Brooks Takahashi, Johanna Fateman, Michael O’Neill

Interpret: Cut Copy Album: Zonoscope Genres: Alternative dance, Dance punk, Electro-pop Label: Modular Recordings Origin: Melbourne (Australia) Released: 8 February 2011 Line-up: Ben Browning. Dan Whitford, Mitchell Dean Scott, Tim Hoey

CUT COPY • On the live show, JD’s girlfriend – the visibly pregnant Sia – joined in on “Credit Card Babies” with its twin motifs – Fuck Your Best – Fuck Your Friends – urging procreation! • The first single “Off Our Backs” nods to a lesbian feminist journal that ran from the 1970s to the early 2000s, combining political activism with a down to earth mission to ‘liberate all peoples’. • The official video features a tug of war on between butch women, hairy-chested bears, skaterdressed transmen, women who aren’t so butch but more athletic. JD Samson dances around in the front like a boy band idol. • Favourite tracks: Credit Card Babies, Life’s Half Price

• Cut Copy started in 2001 as a solo project by songwriter, producer and DJ Dan Whitford. • Zonoscope -> the 3rd album of Cut Copy • Zonoscope is a well thought and good produced complete recording! Exactly the opposite of the flop of the year “Blue Songs” from Hercules and Love Affair! • The album touches on many facets of electropop while continually kicking in unique diversions influenced from 80s new wave, synth-pop, and post-punk that lend nearly every track an identity of their own. • The band recently rejected offers for supporting Lady Gaga, Nine Inch Nails and Coldplay on their tour! • Cut Copy deserves some plus points for the album artwork, which was created by the late Japanese artist Tsunehisa Kimura. The cover features an image of New York City being destroyed by a massive tidal wave.

• Another Plus point goes to Cut Copy for their courage (nerve) to such a progressive concept, which will first be noticed from the vinyl listeners. • The arrangement of the songs allows a successively non-stop play of the vinyl • The typical cracking noise of the record player will add a nostalgic element to the sound, as from the band probably desired. • „Blink and You’ll Miss a Revolution“ with his bold bass line and the interesting hollow wooden sounding percussion, has one of the most beautiful disco-melodies i’ve heart for a long time. • The last song (”Sun God”) with its 15 minutes breaks out of the familiar Cut-Copy-pattern. The song transitions through a variety of individual stages, opening to the cry of “Please, please, please, please, please won’t you give your love to me,” before reaching its moment as the vocals yield “You got to live, you got to die.

So what’s the purpose of you and I?” From there, nearly half the track drifts away into instrumental and electronic bliss. It’s quite beautiful, really! • Favourite tracks: Blink and You’ll Miss a Revolution, Sun God

The Hundred in the Hands • Delicate gloomy moments and a hint of club atmosphere, dressed with a trendy electronic garment. • Overwhelming, impulsive sound wrapped up with the gentle and distant delicate voice of Eleanore. • Their sound could be placed somewhere between Goldfrapp and Client.

Interpret: The Hundred in the Hands Album: The Hundred in the Hands Genres: Disco House, Indie-Pop, Psychedelic Label: Warp Records Origin: New York (USA) Released: 20. September 2010 Line-up: Eleanore Everdell, Jason Friedman

• They manage to deliver a clarified mix of electronic, post-punk, pop and influences from the 80s, without letting their music sound like being ripped-of. • They write the songs together. Writing as the record, offsetting the precision of electronic production with analogue machines, combining live loose guitars, vocals and percussion with stiff and exact programming. • If “Hundred in the Hands” stay this diversified and undistorted, then I’m sure that we are going to hear more nice things from them in the future. • This record is a really good production. Everything is mixed-up in a right way and the sound is clear and clean but not sterile. • They don’t restrict to a single style. So that every song could be classified in his own mini-niche • Dance floor meets bedroom. • Extra bonus points for Eleanore’s incredible

voice, which is clear as a bell! • All the German reviews I’ve read till now named “Dressed in Dresden” as the best song of the album (just because Dresden and Berlin are mentioned in the lyrics). Dear reviewers: You are so pathetic! • Favourite track: Commotion, Pigeons

THE NAKED AND FAMOUS • 2008 -> Alisa and Thom met each other during their studies at the Music and Audio Institute (MAINZ) in Auckland. After breaking up their studies they formed the band “The Naked and Famous” and produced at the same year two EPs, supported from Aaron who was studying Audio-engineering.

Interpret: The Naked and Famous Album: Passive me, Aggressive you. Genres: Alternative, Electro-Pop Label: Fiction Records Origin: Auckland (New Zealand) Released: 13. September 2010 (NZ) Line-up: Aaron Short, Alisa Xayalith, David Beadle, Jesse Wood, Thom Powers

• 2009 -> David and Jesse enter the band. • They took their name (The Naked and Famous) from a song of the band “Presidents of the United States” • TNaF are more than just an electro synth-pop band. They’re reinventing the genre and have come up with something unique. • Thom describes their music in a previous interview: “It’s popular music, and to some super pretentious indie dickheads it is pop sell-out rubbish, but to most people on the planet it’s alternative music, even if it is part of popular culture.” • In their homeland they already wrote history. Their single “Young Blood” reached immediately place 1 on the charts and so did 3 months later the whole debut album “Passive Me, Aggressive You” • They received furthermore the Australian songwriter award “APRA Silver Scroll” for the song “Young Blood”. • BBC took them in the list “Sound of 2011” for

Interpret: Amiina Album: Puzzle Genres: Ambient, Post-rock, Instrumental Label: Amiinamusik Origin: Reykjavík (Iceland) Released: 27. September 2010

the most promising newcomers for 2011. • The songs are mixed by Billy Fish in LA who is part of the studio process of “Garbage”. • It would have been easy for the Naked and Famous to take their heavenly pop hit to heart and write 12 more for the album - but they didn’t. Instead, they retained the mix of minimal and steely electronic rock and dream pop they conjured up on the EPs. • Favourite track: Young Blood, Punching in a Dream

AMIINA • Amiina, the masters of beautiful and delicate ambient sound and half-sung operatic ballads are back! • Amiina was formerly the string section for Sigur Rós and they frequently perform live and

in the studio along with them. • Their first commercially-available recording was the four-track EP Animamina • 2007 -> They went on to release their debut album “Kurr”. • Puzzle is their first release after expanding from a quartet to a sextet by the addition of a drummer and an electronic artist. • They make powerful and brooding music with a plethora of unusual instruments. • They use instruments like: Compact synthesizer, Digital piano, Baroque guitar, Solidbody electric guitar, Celtic harp, Harmonium, Melodica, Celesta, Glockenspiel (which they sometimes bow), Cello, Viola, Violin, Gideon harp, Call bells, Glass harp, Kalimba, Mandolin, Musical saw etc. • The eight tracks which make up “Puzzle”, show a slightly stronger emphasis on synthesisers than its predecessor. • The music contains elements of minimalistic style, contemporary classical, ambient, and electronic loops. • In fact, the band Amiina brings to mind more than anyone Efterklang, the cloudy, Danish, post-rocking quintet. • In their performances, each of them plays from the large range of instruments, moving from one instrument to another mid-song. • On a sheer technical level, Puzzle is stunning; understanding the amount of studio time and rehearsal work it would take to make something like this happen is truly mind-boggling - and it demands a certain level of respect. • Favourite track: What Are We Waiting For?, Assin

COCKTAIL D’AMORE • The Italian duo Discodromo (Giacomo Garavelloni and Giovanni Turco) and DJ Boris (resident at Berghain, Berlin) extended recently

Interpret: José Manuel, Miss Plug Inn, Hard Ton, Ichisan Album: Cocktail D’Amore Sampler 1 Genres: Disco, Nu-Disco, Electronic, House Label: Cocktail D’Amore Germany Origin: Div. Released: 21 February 2011 Line-up: Remixes from Discodromo, Bottin and Massimiliano Pagliara

the crew’s monthly Berlin party with the name “Cocktail D’Amore” to an imprint and make now their first steps with this sampler. • I’m not gonna start writing the typical complicated shit others do, just because I can’t! ;-) • What I know is that I wanna dance every time I put this record on! • Also digitally available! • Buy this tracks and dance to the beat of Cocktail D’Amore. • “The apocalypse takes the form of a cocktail party” (Cocktail D’Amore) •Track list: A1: José Manuel - Vampyros in love (Discodromo Remix), A2: Miss Plug Inn - Chanson d’amour (Bottin Energy Tango Mix), B1: Hard Ton - Earthquake (Massimiliano Pagliara remix), B2: Ichisan - Neli • Favourite track: Miss Plug Inn - Chanson d’amour (Bottin Energy Tango Mix), Hard Ton Earthquake (Massimiliano Pagliara remix)

by Visual Drugstore

Susann Bosslau studies fashion design and lives in Berlin, Germany. Traveling around the world a lot she is always busy catching new trends and lifestyles in the most important fashion metropolises this planet has to offer and translates them into her own designs. New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s East Village, Tokyo, Music and ballet as well as video art and intriguing characters define her inspiration. Markos A. Kern aka Mar-K.os is a passionate visual artist from Munich, Germany. He remains one of the few who develops visuals, designs and performances all by himself. With 10 years of experience in this field, Mar-K.os is keeping his eyes peeled to catch everyday, for others maybe banal scenes, to redefine and reflect them afterwards with artistic competence.

HONK!: How did you come up with the idea? The Light Muses are a recreation of the white muses which were dancers wearing white skin tight catsuits that were used as screens for video projections by VJ Mar-K.os at events like Time Warp, Nature One or Cocoon In The Park. Designing the light muses the idea was to go off screen with an actual physically present visual and not just to create a new outfit but a new abstract, nothing to compare to creature so beautiful in its way that viewers would be awestruck. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your vision with the project?? Making the light muses so enormously tall that they make an 8ft guy look ridiculous is part of its enigmatic looks. Viewers are supposed to look up, be confused gazing at its faceless, organic figure and fail to identify themselves or anything with it. H-Booking Usually the light muses perform together with VJ Mar-K.os (myvisualworld.com) who sets up a whole show and stage design with and around them but you can book them separately as well. Find us at www.lightmuses.com or www.visualdrugstore.com for more information. Future Projects We are constantly working on new and better ideas. The next big thing is in the works and might as well be seen at HONK!MAG very soon

PoP’D To DEATh 71

by Drew Eastman

The lights are going crazy around you, the music is building up in a pulse like just before a stroke, Marco Schreyl (Germany’s Ryan Seacrest) is counting down to announce the winner of this seasons DSDS endlessly interrupted with more ad breaks to crush your nervous system then you could imagine. Standing on this huge lit up stage, there you are full of hope of what may or may not happen to you in just a few minutes. You endured endless weeks of singing and bunking with other contestants that you honestly would rather see drown in their own piss than compete here with you. But you wanna win this so you show yourself from the best possible angle, well mostly anyway. Now the time has come and the moment is near, could you be the winner? BOOM! There you are … - You made it! The crowd is screaming and you are close to tears, not the last tears you will be crying too. Once again you perform your winners song and then you are rushed to do your first round of interviews it should be start of something huge considering that millions of people been watching the show the last few weeks. BUT it’s over faster that you can digest the first champagne you had that night. The Dream of becoming a real POP star via a casting show is just that: a DREAM. At least when it comes to Germanys DSDS or POPSTARS with the latter being especially good at picking the ones that not even make it into the top ten with their winning singles or albums. Do you remember Some & Any? No? Well that’s because their claim to fame didn’t last a whole week. There is currently a new series of DSDS on German TV and wouldn’t you know it from the Final

TOP 10 the one that was giving the leaving papers is in fact the one with the best voice and singing abilities. Still remaining are the ones that forgot their lines or the ones that are more famous for treating the female counterparts like cheap servants or such. Germanys talent shows are on the air to entertain rather than to really find the next big thing to have a great career in pop and become a world wide known celebrity like it happens in the UK or the USA. In Germany you also count as a failure if you do not have an Album ready to go within hours or days of winning the show. In the UK at least they give the artist a year till the next season of X-Factor to work on the album and the whole package that is the artist him or herself to launch into a full career. This has worked for many of them but in germany we groomed the audience and media to expect everything within days and then they all act surprised that the result is more an insult to ear rather then a full on start into a long career. No one is making an effort to teach the audience that all this should take time. It really is all about viewing figures and a quick buck in advertising monies. It seems to work for RTL, PRO 7, VOX and the labels behind this, otherwise why would they keep on casting and not caring about what happens after the show is over when the show should really be starting? WHY? Well because after knowing all this there are still more and more teens and young adults coming to the castings and singing up to be in these shows so why would they want to stop if we keep watching? I guess what I am trying to say is we should shut the hell up and stop watching it or just enjoy this circus for what it is: A FAIRY TALE GONE POP.

lock-in amplifier

A lock-in amplifier (also known as a phase-sensitive detector) is a type of amplifier that can extract a signal with a known carrier wave from an extremely noisy environment (S/N ratio can be -60 dB or even less ). It is essentially a homodyne with an extremely low pass filter (making it very narrow band). Lock-in amplifiers use mixing, through a frequency mixer, to convert the signal’s phase and amplitude to a DC—actually a time-varying lowfrequency—voltage signal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lock-in_amplifier

Photos by Marcel Schlutt Hair/Make up/Styling by Tanja Hennings Model Lia May special thanks AXEL HOTEL BERLIN www.axelhotels.com

L.I.A.

Fairy Tale

9595

A dystopian short story by TL Stiegler

Aeons ago, most of the beings across our cosmos1 still believed they where alone out there. It was almost as if their worlds were each trapped within a pocket of black air causing the various species to drift on the immeasurable cosmic ocean without having the slightest idea of the endless waters of which they were but a drop. However, it was merely the cage of their own narrow-minded perception of reality that prevented the species from seeing things the way we are able to see them today. Like all the other species, our ancestors used to live within their own dark bubble of reality. Four-dimensional thinking was the only way of perceiving reality they had ever known, so they weren’t able to conceive the events that were happening beyond their threshold of perception. Furthermore, they did not have the slightest idea of the things that had been and gone long before their reality had come to existence in what had been but a by-product of a blip between two minor strands of the cosmic plot. Thus, sidelined by their limited ability to comprehend the ungraspable2, our forebears were confined to the relative infinity of a star system in the outer arm of one of the billions of galactic vortexes whirling all across their universe3. At another shore of the cosmic ocean, at a time that is incompatible with our current chronology, there will exist another universe. It will be there, within the realm of the Sha’ddars of Izarthu, that the disastrous events will start to unfold. An alien creature, which we might be tempted to prematurely label an old man, will grumble the words: “Kl’llvn Tr’rhn, have you come before the elders of the Izarthu’shu’Sha’ddar to complete the ritual of shc’chan?” His long, pale blue hair as well as his beard, which might best be described as a

blue-green designer stubble partly turned white, will emphasise what we would consider a most dignified appearance. “Yes, honourable Thk’krn,” a little being lacking any characteristics that would make it possible to pigeon-hole it into one of the gender categories that we know of, will then reply. “I’ve come here today to request the nomination for the final stage of aspiration. In order to honour the one whose presence I lack so much.” “Your request, Tr’rhn,” the elder will return with a low voice, “has been granted. Inhale now – breathe the nucleus of the human reality.” And thus it will begin ... In their limited capability of grasping the dimensions of time and space, our ancestors considered the year 2031 to be what they back then called the present. On their home planet our forebears had by then managed to unite the once quarrelling nations of the world under the banner of one federal government. However, despite the fact that their planet was no longer segmented into national realms, our ancestors were hardly any closer to living in serene harmony with the lacks and abilities the cosmos had given to them. Quite the opposite, the allegedly joint global society split up into several factions that were each convinced they were destined to control the fate of the world’s population. Known as the Regulators, the Believers, the Emittents, and the Adepts, those factions didn’t take each other especially seriously. Nor did they care about each other most of the time – as long as what the other factions were doing would not affect their own agenda in a negative way. Thus, the factions lived within their own fields of expertise, in which they claimed to have the prerogative of interpretation: The Regulators made

In order to avoid possible confusion, I shall use the term “cosmos” to refer to the concept of a “multiverse” (which hypothetically consists of various universes); cf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiverse 2 Cf http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_dawkins_on_our_queer_universe.html and http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=vioZf4TjoUI 3 One single bubble within the multiverse (referred to as “the cosmos” within this story) 1

FAIRY TALE 9595

the rules that would guarantee security and public order, the Emittents would provide the population with audio-visual entertainment programmes, the Adepts concentrated on calculating what they would then call scientific knowledge, while the Believers were busy enthralling their followers with a well-balanced suppressant of both threats of punishment as well as comforting ideas of salvation. There had also once been a fifth faction, known as the Cogitators, but those had long lost all their advisory influence. The main reason for their descent was the fact that the other factions had little to interest in having their laws, their content, their progress, or their faith scrutinised. Therefore, the Cogitators were considered the pariah of the faction system. Meanwhile they had become almost a myth – one that nobody was even interested in hearing about any more. Within the shrinking remains of the Cogitators’ realm, there lived a little girl – the last of their faction. Having studied our ancestors’ other factions for years, the little girl knew their ways. She had long understood the social phenomena that were playing a major role within their societies. What’s more, she was aware of the discursively constructed concepts of good and bad, right and wrong that determined the other factions’ perception of reality. Most of the time the little girl, however, was busy studying the floods of scientific data the faction of the Adepts would constantly come up with. Being a keen thinker, she had soon come to the conclusion that in a universe consisting of trillions and trillions of planets the idea of Earth being the only one blessed with intelligent life was a highly irrational hypothesis. What if those species one day decided to visit our planet, she wondered. And even if none of them could ever reach us – or even if none of them might exist at all – wouldn’t it still be wise to re-evaluate our ethnocentric selfimage for the reason alone that it has been based

upon such small-minded ways of self-perception? Those were the thoughts the little girl would ponder over day in, day out ... One night, something strange happened to the little girl while she was asleep. After what felt like a surreal dream about gigantic rainbow bubbles that first turned black, then collided with each other while bizarrely drifting in the waters of a gigantic ocean – an ocean that was actually flying in the sky above Earth – she woke up, her mind enlightened by the things she had seen. She felt as if she had looked into the heart of the cosmos itself. Suddenly, she realised how narrow-minded her perception about the universe had been. For what she had considered to be reality was only one single sphere of perception among billions of bubbles of reality drifting across the cosmic ocean. But there was something else the little girl had witnessed in her dream, and she could still see it. Flashes of reminiscence were showing her what looked like the body of a genderless child absorbing blueish energy from a gigantic black bubble that seemed to be deflating. Although the girl suspected that the Regulators, the Believers, the Emittents, and the Adepts would probably not care about her insights, as long as it did not acutely affect their accustomed daily routine, she decided she had to share her visions with the other factions. First, the little girl tried to advise the Believers of the moment of enlightenment that was about to come. Unsurprisingly, the Believers did not want to hear a single word about what she had to tell them, amen. When they started accusing her of heresy, the girl left the Believers behind. Second, the girl tried to advise the Lawmakers of the imminent excitement. “I have news that might affect the fate of this planet,” she told them. Our politicians listened carefully to what she had to tell them. They then replied: “Well, that sounds quite interesting indeed. We shall consider carefully, what you have told us. Good bye for now!” Being under the impression,

they hadn’t taken her too seriously, the the girl left the Lawmakers behind. Third, the girl tried to advise the Emittents of the upcoming events. Yet, when they had listened to her with half an ear for 13 minutes, they told her, they liked the plot of her story, yet unfortunately they were no longer able to change the production schedule for tomorrow’s histortainment. “Let’s talk again, soon – farewell!” Fourth, the girl tried to advise the Adepts, who had meanwhile begun to degenerate into mere custodians of scientific data, of the situation. “Well, that’s quite an interesting thesis you’ve got there,” they said. “However, what’s far more impressive is this data corpus that we’ve just finished receiving. We have to compile it as fast as possible, so we can collect additional data. Good bye, little girl.” Having been refused four times, the little girl went back home, disillusioned with her fellow humankind. When the following night, after only 6000 years of recorded history, our kind was facing their final curtain, they had not even an idea whom to blame for their horrible fate. Our ancestors were running around all over the planet, screaming, not knowing how to escape the destructive forces they could neither see nor comprehend in the slightest. The little girl, however, was lying on her bed, cannily smiling to herself, while she mentally zoomed in on the events that were being mirrored into her mind, and she could see billions of galaxies crash-

ing and collapsing inside of the bubble that was fading out into nothingness. The little girl knew there was nothing left to do other than to accept the end of all things. The end of the things that humankind had ever cared about, that was. Then came … the dark. In a distant future, myriads of event horizons away from the dying universe’s point of space and perception, the elders of the Izarthu’shu’Sha’ddar will by then be finishing their conjuration. Speaking slowly and in a sacred tone, the one with the blue-green-white beard will declare: “F’lk b’g’ ww’dwu, ‘nga s’nn’chs’n th’nkus’m’ch – don’t you weep no more about that what has been lost, Tr’rhn. For those who had nothing left to lose except for their interest in themselves will soon have nothing left at all. Thus, it is them who shall shoulder the torment of your soul. May their sacrifice make your mind a fortified haven of tranquillity again.” And while the young one will be falling into the half-conscious state of shc’chan, in his fluctuating appearance it will seem to us like a living, transparent stone sculpture. And as the elder will say: “Let there be light,” there will be light. Exhaling stardust through his mouth, the child will begin to shimmer with bluish opalescence, while only moments later, in some distant universe, a whole civilisation will have ceased to exist, as if they had been but a homoeopathic agent within the eternal stream of the cosmos.

Fairy Tale 9595 is the prelude to The Eschaton Paradox, a dystopian short story cycle by Berlin based writer TL Stiegler. Further episodes are to be published until the release of his work-in-progress novel A Late Summer’s Discourse. Holding an academic degree in Language and Communication, TL Stiegler aims at critically reflecting on the unconscious patterns that underlie today’s systems of public dialogue. Visit http://tlstiegler.com/ to stay tuned for his upcoming works, and follow his short stories on http://eschatoncycle.blogspot.com/. Photo © 2011 Brijbag/Wollgarten

By SĂŠbastien Sistebane www.facebook.com/sistebane http://www.sistebane.com

PoP ART hERoEs

POP ART HEROES

Come bitter

rain, AND wash the saddest of all

words from my

heart. HOME

Photo Bernhard Musil www.be-musil.com

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Interview by Polys Photography Suzana Holtgrave Production assistence Natalie Reichmann Mama wears SADAK www.sadak.de

It’s only a matter of milliseconds to fall in love with Mama after meeting her! She is an exceptional talent with a really beautiful, strong and penetrable voice. We met her in Berlin one day before the Batty Bass Album Launch Party and i had a great time with her and the lovely photographer Suzana. Talking, laughing, eating the tasty food Natalie cooked for us, shooting some awesome photos and of course laughing again! Watching her live the day after at the Batty Bass party (which kicked ass!) confirmed my opinion about her: WOW! This girl definitely has to find a producer! So my lovely Honks, let me introduce you to : MAMA! Polys: So tell us about you… Who are you? And where are you from? Mama: I’m MAMA and I’m from London (Great Britain). South London, to be more specific. I’m a singer, songwriter, producer, club promoter, party monster and lover! What’s the music scene like in south London? South London has a great history of urban music such as drum & bass, jungle, dubstep, garage, UK funky and I grew up in with these rich urban influences which I’m sure has done me good. Well it taught me how to dance anyway. You were born there and grew up there? I was born in London but up to the age of 7 I also spent my early years in Nigeria where my father is from and a few years in Martinique the French West Indies where my Mothers family are from. I was a little exotic jet setter from a young age; I love to travel!

When did you move to Berlin? I moved to Berlin a year and a half ago, but I’ve visited Berlin the first time 6-7 years ago because of a gig I had with a band I used to be in and I fell head over heels in love with this city. The second I arrived at Schönefeld airport it felt like I’d gone back in time, seeing people with mullets and 80’s clothes on but then I walked into Berghain and felt like I had stepped into the future or some kind of secret world that I had never experienced before. What kind of a band was it? “Mama Shamone” was an electro-pop band I fronted with full on live bass, guitar, drums. Hardcore, heavy and hi-energy. We had a top 20 UK hit song and lived the dream for a while, headlining a tent at Glastonbury etc. I had some of the best times of my life in that band, traveling, true rock n roll tours around Europe where we’d lost members of the band, caught infections, laughed until wet ourselves. It really gave me the knowledge to push my solo career.

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to describe it I would say it’s simply the Mama sound; a delicious concoction of music. When did you start making music? I decided to work on a solo project two years ago when I was in London, I wasn’t in the band anymore so I searched high and low for a producer to help kick start my dream as a solo artist but that special person was no where to be found so instead of waiting around I packed all my shit and just moved to Berlin to do it all by myself. I got a book and sat in front of my computer and just learned how to use the logic music program; locked my self away for three months and wrote an album. Is the album finished? I’ve done the best that I can with it and I still need to find that genius producer to give it the finishing touches, turn the record into an absolute monster. If you’re out there, show your face!

So how did living in south London influenced you as an artist and the music you make? London is great because it buzzes with a melting pot of cultures and sounds from all over the world. I grew up with neighbours from Ethiopia, Egypt, Jamaica, Ireland, Nigeria and Greece so I naturally developed a taste for world music. Having an open mind about different genres can only do you good. Throw me in a jungle with some natives beating on drums and I could probably get down with them. I’m pretty prepared for any musical collaboration. So how would you describe your music if someone would ask you…? I’m not quite sure how to describe it. I guess it’s just a little bit of everything that I like. Some people say it’s too poppy and then some people say it’s too minimal and not commercially worthy… too this and too that… If I really have

Have you done any releases till now? Any singles maybe? Yes, I released my first solo EP ‘Renegade’ in August 2010, with a remix from Jay Haze (Bpitch). My second single is out now, it’s called “Horses” out on the Batty Bass Compilation Album. Is there also a music video for this single? Yes. It was a really fun video to shoot despite the -2°C weather. I had to dance in a swimsuit on a rooftop of east London. We also filmed in a friend’s Shed. This is not just an ordinary garden Shed but a ravers shed, sound proofed with a disco ball, banging sound system, smoke machine, lasers and a hot tub. 95% of the people in the video were still up partying from the night before so it gave the video a trashy effect which I love. What is the song “Horses” about? It’s a trippy song about hallucinating in the name of love and obsession for a man. When I first moved to Berlin I loved the space and how peace-

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ful and safe it was, so I used to walk up and down Schönhauser Allee late at night, skipping around creating song ideas. This is how ‘Horses’ was born. I sang the entire structure of the song into my iPhone then ran home to record it in my bedroom. How many songs do you have on the Batty Bass compilation Album? One of my own songs ‘Horses’, ‘Shake it up’ with Hanna Holland. And then I do the dark, hypnotic voices for the intro and the outro of the album. It’s a really unique album with tracks from Hannah Holland, Posh the Prince, Pilocka Krach and more, out now! From your early age you was always involved with music. Was it always your dream to make music? Yes, I never doubted in my mind that this was the path that I would take. I used to make up cute little songs about taking a poop and would record

them on cassettes tapes. From around the age of 6 or so I used make my own little radio show where I would sing and talk about murdering aliens. So funny, I think I should reinvent those shows. How do you produce your music? I use Logic on Mac with a very basic set up; drum pads and a keyboard. I don’t play instruments but I just trigger synth sounds and layer them up, go with the flow, doing whatever captures how I feel at that moment in time. Can you name some songs that inspired you the most until now? Hm… difficult… I would say Kate Bush “running up that hill” and lots of Disney songs! I love Mary Poppins and little Mermaid not forgetting gangster rap music… Snoop Dog and the beats of Dr Dre. If you had the chance to collaborate with one of your favourite artists, who would you choose? I suppose I would choose someone like Tricky from Massive Attack or Dr Dre. I think that would be a beautiful collaboration, the birth of a new sound. What brings the future for Mama? I will continue making music for me and if people appreciate it then that is a bonus. If I find myself drinking tea with Oprah Winfrey then the universe just might have a mission for me to complete, who knows? Let’s talk again in 10 years. Buy Mamas music and the Batty Bass compilation album on iTunes and all good stores! Watch Mama´s new video „Horses“ www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6QY_-6Wm4k www.myspace.com/mamalondontown www.soundcloud.com/mama-1/northern-line-demo

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RICK oWENs

MEN’s UNEDITED

Photos by Asha Mines

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WHO

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THE

PERVERT Text by Mike Rattigan Illustration by Philip Latz

Once upon a time Red Riding Hood went into the dark forest. She was heading for her grandmother’s house. It was a late afternoon and hardly any sunlight came through the dense treetops. She was all excited to see her granny again. To mark the occasion, she had put on her new red leather boots, covering her legs from heel to knee. They perfectly suited her red miniskirt and cloak, all made from the same calf leather. Step by step, they made wonderful creaky sounds. She liked its smell, too. The sounds perfectly harmonized with the crickets and birds. It was late summer and still warm. A cool breeze caressed her bare legs and thighs. What a welcome relief! It kept her from sweating too much. Sweat stains were not to be tolerated in any way—especially not on her new white lace panties of light, soft linen. Her magical black triangle showed through, nothing more than a hint. The linen held the faint memory of her herb womanly odours. This thought aroused Red Riding Hood and made her crisp nipples go hard and tight. It just had to be a wonderful day. Some people may find fantasies like these offensive. They combine the immaculate world of

infant fairy-tales with adult imagery of the raw exchange of bodily fluids. However, such notions are more common than you expect. Settings similar to the one described are an essential part of a series of comic books called “Grimm Fairy Tales”, published by Zenescope Entertainment, one of the world’s biggest publishing houses for comic books and graphic novels. These stories are dripping with sex and violence: death, splatter and lust are the main characters in those tales. All female characters wear corsages, hardly covering their huge bouncing boobs. The same goes for Red Riding Hood: Not only does

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she display a lot of leg underneath a skirt hardly worth its name; she now and then stretches her white linen panties toward the reader. Sexual allusions could hardly become less subtle. Sex sales fairy tales too While further exploring the combination of sexuality and fairy-tales, it becomes apparent that this is a widespread phenomenon. Thousands of pictures that show grown-up women impersonating sexualised versions of Cinderella, Snow-white, Rapunzel or Red Riding Hood can be found online. Many of these images play with stereotypes of the innocent untouched school girl and the always lusty, man-eating and never-to-satisfy slut. The mix of fairy-tales and sex is especially popular with the Fetish and Gothic scene. With it is obsession for death and the night, Gothic style is driven by a strong romanticism that corresponds to the dream-like feeling of many fairy-tales. This surely has to do with the eternal nostalgia of the “once upon a time”, the yearning for a better time that has never been and will never be. The connection to the Fetish scene may seem less likely. However, perverted forms of innocent fairytale figures is quite common here. The version of Red Riding Hood in lace boots and red leather can be counted for as such. As implied, this relates to the childlike naivety and innocence often associated with fairy-tales. In our heterosexual societies, the female stereotype is also strongly related to innocence, weakness and submission. In contrast, the zest of fetishism has a lot to do with spoiling the innocent and pure body, to taint it, for example by soiling it with bodily fluids. This also has a strong link to the general function of eroticism: Tempting and overwhelming the apparently innocent is one of the strongest motifs in the history of eroticism. It can be found in movies, literature and the arts. The stimulus from eroticizing fairy-tales is especially strong. For what could be more innocent and non-sexual than the world of fairy-tales? It’s

the world of pure princesses and brave princes, of speaking—sexually neutral—animals. By putting them in touch with the adult world of sex, the pureness of fairy-tales is thereby crossed with the impure—thus transforming them into erotic objects. Stories for everyone Looks, however, can be deceiving: Although they nowadays appear to belong to the pre-sexual lives of children, most fairy-tales in fact contain a strong hidden link to sexuality. Yet this link has been buried or even denied throughout the centuries. Originally, fairy-tales were not only told to children, but to adults as well. Both gathered together in small groups to listen to the stories, which have were traded on from generation to generation. By listening to and remembering fairy-tales, children should be prepared for their adolescence. Adults, on the other hand, would remember their own troubles and problems as teenagers. They would perhaps laugh at the one or the other sexual allusion which the children could not understand yet. The important role fairy-tales played—and in some sense still play—for the preparation of children for their adult lives is a reason why many protagonists are in fact young women or teenage girls. More than for boys growing up to be men, the female adolescence has always been considered especially risky—due to the dangers of rape and unwanted pregnancy. The connection between fairy-tales and sexuality already begins with one of their most common plots: a young woman, mostly a princess, is rescued by a young man, mostly a prince. This widespread figure is known as the “damsel in distress”. It is clearly related to a common stereotype of heterosexual relationships. It is the prince—the man—who rescues the passively waiting woman. It is also the man who activates their slumbering sexuality with the cathartic kiss. By this form of initiation, Sleeping Beauty and

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Snow White for example, transform from maidens to full-fledged women. But before this can happen, most princes must pass dangerous and difficult tests. This stands for the difficulties of male courtship on the one hand, and the moral firmness of women on the other. Many symbols in this context deal with the overcoming of female frigidity. One especially outstanding example are the thorn hedges in “Sleeping Beauty”. For centuries Sleeping Beauty sleeps behind these thorn hedges, thus keeping away unwanted and unfit princes. This sexually inactive state prevents her from maturing. Only the one prince bold and stubborn enough will be able to overcome her protective state and unlock her sexuality. The fairy-tale “Rapunzel” tells a similar story. Here, the thorn hedges have changed to a solid—and literally impenetrable—tower. Blood plays a crucial role in many fairy-tales as well. It can either symbolize defloration or the first menstruation: After Sleeping Beauty pricks her finger on a spindle , she falls asleep. This can be read as a symbol for her first menstruation. Now fertile, Sleeping Beauty remains in her asexual state until she finds the right partner. The red cloak of Red Riding Hood also stands for menstruation. From this moment on, the young woman can become pregnant and must therefore protect her virginity . The wolf, on the other hand, is a symbol for the wild, untamed male sexuality. He tries to trick Red Riding Hood into sexual intercourse. The violent act of eating can thus be understood as a metaphor for the rape of Red Riding Hood. Now, who’s the pervert? One may find such interpretations far-fetched. In fact, the sexual allusions in fairy-tales are not as evident as they used to be. This has to do with the fact that the well-known versions of these stories have only little in common with the original ones, which had been published in the first edition of the fairy-tales collected by the Grimm brothers.

Maybe somewhat surprising, the stories had not been considered suitable for children by contemporaries. There had been too many outright sexual allusions for the prude audience. Thus x-rated by the public, the brothers Grimm censored all offensive parts and increased the degree of violence instead, particularly when villains are punished. On that score, the fairy-tales we know today are merely trivialized versions without the archaic, sexual spices they once had possessed. Only one century later, the kitsch film adaptations by Walt Disney ultimately purified and sterilized them. That way, Disney created visual icons so strong and sticky that they often are the very first images that pop into our minds whenever we try to think of a fairy-tale. Nothing could be further away from sex than this prudery. Re-awakening the sex in Sleeping Beauty? All things considered, fairy-tales, in fact, have a lot to do with sexuality—if it’s not even their core. They provide stories surrounding the blossoming and the dangers of sexuality. From this point of view, many fairy-tales are in fact very sex-positive and not prude at all. For in the end, all strands culminate in a wedding, which of course is nothing more than a preliminary stage to the first of many nights of marital sex. Bearing this in mind, one could ironically conclude that the sexualisation of fairy-tale figures actually brings them back to their essence. Although the charm of fairy-tales, of course, lies in the fact that they usually insinuate without saying explicitly. Either way, fairy-tales are not innocent. With them goes a great responsibility. They have a strong impact on what children will consider a normal sexuality or gender identity. Thus, the perversion of fairy-tales may help staying aware of their subliminal messages. For the question of who rescues and kisses Sleeping Beauty is not a trivial one at all.

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by Claudio Alvargonzalez Oscar’s Curse… Are you afraid? I think you should… After a long awards season from all over the globe, The Hollywood Academy Awards celebrated their 83rd edition this year. By the time you are reading this article you already know that The King’s Speech (Tom Hooper, 2010) is perfectly spoken and Colin Firth and Natalie Portman have take all the pos-

sible awards from north to south. The Academy Award is supposedly the greatest honor for an actor all over the world. It means respect, success and a long career. Really?... no way man. But why? It is true that there is only one Meryl Streep (2 Oscars and 16 nominations) and one Jack Nicholson (3 Oscars and 12 nominations) or one Tom Hanks, one Clint Eastwood or one Jodie Foster but it is also true that some other actors didn’t have the same

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luck. I repeat the question. Why? Is there some kind of curse that ruins the career of the winner?

Let’s see… I´m writing this after coming from my therapist (that’s how I call my fortune-teller) asking her if there’s such thing as a Curse ( according to the dictionary a Curse is an appeal or prayer for evil or misfortune to befall someone or something). Of course her answer was positive and I may have one so I would need a rose quartz stone, a four leaf clover and a rabbit foot… all together. But as I am my own demon I won’t need them right now so I think I will send them to Natalie Portman in case she needs them. The truth is that some careers tend to stall, freeze, go into reverse, or sputter out afterward. This is more common in women than men but speaking about male actors I can find some good examples like Cuba Gooding Jr. or Timothy Hutton. Remember them? Yes, the black guy from “Jerry Maguire” (Cameron Crowe, 1996) with one of the longest acceptance speeches ever and the boy from “Ordinary People” (Robert Redford, 1980). Of course they are still working but are they stars? Could you name one of their movies from the past 5 years?... me neither. And what about Adrien Brody? He is an amazing actor. He won the award back in 2002 for “The pianist” (Roman Polanski), great film and

better performance. He made memorable turns in more independent fare like in “King of the Hill” (Steven Soderbergh, 1993), “The Thin Red Line” (Terrence Malick, 1998) and “Summer of Sam” (Spike Lee, 1999). But since his win he has done nothing really remarkable, specially “Predators” (Nimród Antal, 2010). Yeah, he looks more muscular but apart from that not much. But let’s talk about women. The Oscar jinx for them is devastating. For reasons that are not totally clear (but at the end I will tell you my opinion), the Oscar doesn’t affect the lives and careers of male actors the same way. But although I love gossip too, I don’t get paid for writing about Sandra Bullock’s divorce or Reese Whiterspoon’s love life. Put If someone want to pay me double I’m all ears. Anyway, consider some of these big Hollywood stars: Charlize Theron, the gorgeous South African became very popular after a long modeling career. We all remember “The Italian Job” (F. Gary Gray, 2003) and “The Cider House Rules” (Lasse Hallström, 1999). But she decided to do something braver and she uglied herself up to win the Oscar in 2003 as the serial killer Aileen Wuornos in “Monster” (Patty Jenkins, 2003), lesbian love included. But her next move was nothing really interesting, including a movie with my fellow citizen Penélope Cruz (with an Oscar on her own too so we’ll see what happen with her role in the 4th part of “Pirates of the Caribbean”) and a total monstrosity called “AEon Flux” (Karyn Kusama, 2005). He’s back on track and she has some projects in production. But the only one that really interest me is the Alien prequel called “Prometheus” with Ridley Scott and Michael Fassbender. We will see.

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Now one of my favorites. Gwyneth Paltrow. Yes, I know 50% of you people hate her but I love her and as I’m the one writing this… two cups! Ok, my dear Gwyneth won for “Shakespeare in Love” (John Madden, 1998). And after that? Nothing. Yes I know, she played Sylvia Plath or an insane mathematician in “Proof” (John Madden, 2005) but to me that was nothing. And don’t make me talk about “Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow” (Kerry Conran, 2004) because I’m in a good mood. Thanks God she’s thinking wiser lately and back to the right track with “Two Lovers” (James Gray, 2008) and “Country Strong” (Shana Feste, 2010). By the way, if you haven’t seen Shana Feste’s first movie you are taking too long, a small but delicious melodrama called “The Greatest” with Susan Sarandon and Pierce Brosnan at their best. Want more? Rachel Weiz and Reese Witherspoon won the Oscar the same year, funny, uh? But for the American actress things went much worse. She became the most bankable female star in Hollywood after Julia Roberts, but after her perfect performance in “Walk the line” (James Mangold, 2005) she vanished. To me filming something like “Rendition” or “Four Christmases” means exactly that… to vanish.

And believe me her next projects are nothing to write about, maybe her next “Water for Elephants” (Francis Lawrence, 2011) with the extremely boring Robert “Twilight” Pattinson has something to show but I don’t see myself paying 8 euro to watch it so I’ll wait for the dvd. The British Miss Weiz seems to be clever. She was becoming quite a star after “The Mummy” saga and after the Oscar her star was much brighter but for reasons I can’t explain se decided to take part in “Fred Claus” or “Definitely, Maybe”… two movies, just one word… “trash”. But she learned the lesson and came back to Europe to film the Spanish movie “Agora” (Alejandro Amenábar, 2009) and some other British films. And still more to come, the Terrence Malick’s new project and “The Danish Girl” (Lasse Hallström, 2012) with Nicole Kidman. And Speaking about Keith Urban’s wife, she has decided to finally forget everything about Botox and show the great actress she is. She was nominated again this year for “Rabbit Hole” (John Cameron Mitchell, 2010). Just watch the trailer on YouTube and you’ll know what I’m talking about. Still more? Ok, Mira Sorvino (“Mighty Aphrodite”, 1995), Halle Berry (“Monster’s Ball”,

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2001), Kim Basinger (“L.A. Confidential”, 1997), Helen Hunt (“As Good As It Gets”, 1997) or Renee Zellweger (“Cold Mountain”, 2003). What happened with the big movie star from “Chicago” or “Bridget Jones’s Diary”?? Well, a big cold mountain is what defines her career after the Oscar. Only one good film called “Appaloosa” (Ed Harris, 2008) but I bet no one went to watch it and what it’s worse, she has no projects from 2011. Her weird faces like eating chewing gum drive me mad but she’s an excellent actress after all. And last but not least, one question? How is it possible that someone with 2 Oscars has such a terrible career? The answer has one name: Hillary Swank. What she did in “Boys Don’t Cry” (Kimberly Peirce, 1999) and “Million Dollar Baby” (Clint Eastwood, 2004) makes me love her forever. She’s a gifted talented actress. So what is the problem? Why is it that her next film called “The Resident” is something Jessica Alba should be doing? Believe me if I say I have no answer. But I’m telling you my conclusion. To speak about a Curse is simply idiot. A real Curse is to watch Megan Fox acting if that is what she does. The truth is that being a woman in Hollywood is

hard. And if you turn 40 it’s even harder. How many good roles can you find? And how many Meryl Streeps can it be? Yeah, not many. So if you are not as talented as Cate Blanchett, Jodie Foster (who is also a director and producer) or Annette Bening, you have to think clever. Even Julianne Moore and Julia Roberts have problems finding good roles so you can have two golden men in the middle of your living room and a lot of free time to look at them. Now look at last year’s winner Sandra Bullock. She doesn’t act like Katherine Hepburn or Judi Dench but no one can say she is not very intelligent, specially looking at the box office. But take a look at her moves after winning the Oscar. She’s filming with Stephen Daldry (“The Hours”), Tom Hanks and Alfonso Cuarón (“Children of Men”), three of the most gifted minds in Hollywood these days. I told you she was clever. So my advice to Natalie Portman is simple. Just do what you have been doing and wait for “Thor” (Kenneth Branagh, 2011) to be a big hit. But if the meantime if you have any problem give me a call. I can always give you my therapist’s number or lend you my rabbit foot.

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BALITRO by Amanda M. Jansson www.pollybalitro.com

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I happen to know that birds have a very special significance for Polly Balitro (much like they do in fairy tales). Can you go a little into it? First of all, I have to say that each animal holds a very special significance for me - but you are absolutely right about birds: they are my favourite among all creatures. Especially small birds, like the very common house sparrow - are a great source of inspiration for me. The house sparrow is such a tiny creature but it’s oh so smart when it comes to survival skills! It manages to triumph over the pigeons and even over the seagulls, since eventually it is the fastest one to get food leftovers. I also really appreciate birds’ colours and sounds - it’s amazing that they are never “wearing” something inappropriate for the season and that they are never out of tune! And above all they can fly! If we were birds, we wouldn’t need to use any means of transport at all because we would just fly - it would be so convenient for our planet. Seagulls are also great - and all the birds that are searelated. And owls! Is there a fairy tale you relate to a lot? I have thought about it for quite a while and then it hit me - the Moomins (MUUMI) of course! I know this probably doesn’t come as a surprise - after all I moved to Finland for a reason - but I am sure that whoever has come across some books, comics or cartoon about the Moomins must understand why. I personally believe that Tove Jansson is a genius. Each Moomins story has many fictional and creative elements but it is still somehow so much related to real life, it makes it hard to believe that Muumipeikko, Nuuskamuikkunen, Pikku Myy and the others don’t exist somewhere. What makes Moomins so special is, above all, the serious topics in it - which makes it something adults can relate to. The fact that Nuuskamuikkunen has to leave Muumipeikko every winter and the complex relationship between the two of them makes me wonder about how kids deal with friendship and how “grown-ups” do. I also like that the Moomin Trolls sleep for the whole winter - they never have to go through the coldest and darkest months but they always get the best adventures in summer time. What elements of a tale do you see in your life?

My life is full of elements of a tale! First of all, birds wake me up in the morning when they come to eat at my window. When I look outside, I see birch trees and the ground covered in snow all winter. I live by the Baltic Sea - which is a very special sea, that tastes more like a lake but it’s still a sea. And last but not least, I get to eat the delicious Finnish baked goods anytime I want - if I have to name one, voisilmäpulla is one of my favourite and I could translate its name into “butter-eyed ball”. What inspires you? Birds. Whales. All the other animals. Birch trees. The sea. Old photographs. The smell of antique papers. Snow. The forest. In no particular order. How does the environment influence your work? The environment extremely influences my work - and my behaviour in general. I really need to feel comfortable to start producing something and the search for an ideal environment to settle has been an on-going process in my life for many years now. I have now lived in Helsinki for over 6 months and I feel like Finnish surroundings have worked wonders for my inspiration - I have found myself much closer to nature than I have ever before - especially after the last 4 years in Milano. I’m quite restless though and I am starting to wonder if an experience even closer to nature could create that ideal environment that I have been looking for - at this stage, I am dreaming of a life on a small Finnish island. I also have this other dream of living in the Finnish countryside among fields and forests - but I think I would miss the Baltic sea too much in that case. In a fairy tale, what would be your bad quality and what would be your good quality? I think someone else should answer this question - but if I try and look at myself, I would probably say that my bad quality is cowardliness - which is an extremely bad quality for a character in a fairytale. I guess I could really use some courage, even in my everyday life. Ah, if I could only be like Pikku Myy in the Moomins! Speaking of good qualities, I would say honesty. I am not so sure if in real life honesty is considered a good quality anymore, but I know for

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sure that it is an important trait belonging to the good characters in fairytales. If you could have any super power, what would it be? Even though my answer is quite easy to guess after all that bird-mentioning... Obviously, if I could choose to have a super power it would be the ability to fly - for all the reasons mentioned above and because it would be so much faster to get to places and I could get to photograph the earth from above. I would also be much braver because of that, I am sure. What was it that got you interested in photography in the first place? As a kid, photography interested me because I thought it was the best way to remember things - the face of an old friend, the places where I went to. A way to hold your memories “forever”. I used to get really upset when someone’s face turned out unfocused in a photograph- because I thought I wouldn’t be able to remember that moment properly. Years later, I got re-interested in photography because of that slightly uncertain aspect of it. I want things to appear different in photographs because they no longer have to be an everlasting portrait but on the contrary they must be the portrait of a second. Then I realized that a single element could have such different forms and aspects, being still the same element and that would make it more special. I simply like the fact that a photograph will never be exactly the same a second afterwards - because of the light, because of my hands, because of my mind. One well known project of yours is Project Recollection. What does recollection mean to you? In Project Recollection, I wanted people to share a story related to a specific moment - to explain what a certain photograph meant to them. When I look through all the stories and photographs I have re-collected so far, I feel like I was given the special gift to see through my own eyes what other people have experienced. Of course, what I see is not what they have seen - but that’s what makes a recollection so interesting - there is no rule of interpretation, but just two very strong guidelines: the photograph and the written paragraph.

What are you working on at the moment? I am living a transition at the moment - I have moved to Finland and have decided to start anew. I have challenged myself into something that I have never experienced before and have decided to try different ways of art making - that is why I am now getting closer to environmental art. At this stage, photography is becoming a way to document a process: I am trying to visualize my attempt to settle down into a new environment and into a new field of art - even though I usually don’t like to label what I do. Whatever comes up now is going to be for sure a product made of birch trees and the Baltic sea.

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1001 NIGHTS

or Democracy In

The Arab World by Tudor Naparu

The past couple of months the Arab uprisings captured the news and most of my attention. True, it is my job but I saw it happening to others around me. From the comfort of a democracy, having more than others, less than we want, yet enough to keep a decent balance between complacency and complaining, sipping beers and lattes (hopefully not at the same time) checking the news, Twitter and Facebook, we were and still are a bit enthralled with what is going on. Admiration and tweets of encouragement poured from all over the world. And why shouldn’t they? Uprisings against oppressive leaders are to be admired and encouraged. But was it simply the admiration of such an event or did the fact that it has happened THERE have something to do with it? Hypocrisy aside, is not uncommon for many of us, emulating some intellectuals, pundits, public figures and what have you, to think that in that part of the world democracy simply won’t stick. Mostly we blame it on Islam. We blame it on a system of laws that collides with what we are taught, and mostly, with what we enjoy. Freedoms and rights

that we believe are as desirable as they are universal. And now, we like to think that young Arabs are finally getting it. In full swing of Egyptian protests, Arabnews, a Saudi English daily, wrote, acknowledging both sides of the coin: “Suddenly, it’s cool to be an Arab, easily the most vilified, dehumanized and demonized character in Western popular culture”. 9/11, burqas, Sharia law, honor killings and the list could go on, all things that for us definitely won’t stick. But beyond all that, democracy is about basic needs and freedoms. And that is what the young Arabs in northern Africa and Middle East are fighting for. Before politics, ideology, religion and anything else, there is life, or the lack of it. While we were busy with Christmas shopping and New Year’s Eve plans, a Tunisian man set himself on fire. That particular self-immolation of a highly educated young man working as a fruit and veggies vendor is still seen as the spark (pun intended) that set the Arab world on fire. Tunisia, Egypt,

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ers for decades, oppressive regimes and isolation. Uprisings seem like a natural and only way for a change. Whatever that may be. For now, change for the sake of change, seems like a good bet if you ask me. When leaders in power for decades, who had the time to make it better for their people, are adding insult to injury, offering them money, as BenAli tried in Tunisia, Mubarak in Egypt and Gaddafi not a few days ago, then it is time to respond in kind.

Yemen, Algeria, Bahrain, Libya and the flame is still burning. A recent STRATFOR analysis warned against the danger of having the impression that there is a domino effect under way citing the differences between different countries and the political and religious struggles and planned transitions in the making for quite a while. Maybe it is so, maybe it isn’t, but one thing is certain: there is a red thread. And that is the socio-economic factor. In Tunisia unemployment stands at 30 percent in the 15-29 age group. Similarly, in Egypt, is 25 percent and in Algeria, 20 percent. Libya gets the crown on this averaging between 40 and 50 percent in youth unemployment. So, then, what to do? There is no CDU, Torries or UMP, with a 4 year term that you simply punish with a vote coming elections. Lead-

The image of the Egyptians waving their shoes at Hosni Mubarak on February 10th during his last speech as president signaled the beginning of the end. “It’s not over until the fat lady sings,” goes a saying; but when shoes come off, the time for curtain calls has passed. The harshest insult in Arab world (throwing your shoe at someone) could easily be a new symbol for democracy and fight for freedom. So, yeah, I say it´s cool to be an Arab. But I can’t help wondering how long will the coolness last? Until the bad leaders are ousted? Until the most-likely scrapings and political turmoil of the new regimes (formed by old faces) will start showing the same predilection for corruption and lack of will for real change, just as it happened in Eastern Europe after the fall of communism? Until, the newly found, as expected, political reform will bring to power Islamist movements that will push the Western rhetoric back to square one? What will happen when the other shoe drops? And what should the West do? After decades of supporting Arab rulers it is time to turn the page towards new responsibilities. Maybe it is time for Obama to start earning that Nobel Peace Prize. Of course, as interests dictate – no time for illusions.

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by Christo Mitov Photography Mitsuko Nagone www.nagone.com

Mitsuko Nagone would challenge your expectations and perspectives on Asian art. Her photographs carry a hidden yet not so obvious message and represent Nagone’s passion for detailed perfection. Mitsuko grew up in a small southern city in Japan. She moved to Tokyo and studied photography at the College of Tokyo Visual Arts. She then moved to New York City to continue her studies at LaGuardia Community College. Her photographs appeared in magazines published in NYC and Tokyo. Currently, Mitsuko resides in Japan, works as a freelance photographer, and contributes to Getty Images, La-vie Factory, and so on. She also graduated with a BA in Photography from Kyoto University of Art and Design. Photography remains her passion where she currently exhibits her personal work in area galleries. Her latest work is displayed online in Nagone’s latest project - Unpublished Magazine http://www.unpublishedmag.com Mitsuko and I talked about the challenges of being a female artist in patriarchal Japan, East and West and nomadism. Oh, and she told me a traditional Japanese fairytale. When and how did you start making art? About 10 years ago, I took photography class in Tokyo, and it really showed me that I can make art. Why are you hiding your model’s faces? They are all self-portraits. The human face seems to emphasize “who” a person is and gives some insight about the individual. This may misinform the audience. I would like to challenge the viewer’s misconceptions and stereotypes.

Why hair? To hide a face, the hair is just the closet thing from the face. In some of the photographs, I use my hair or a wig purposely to hide my face, but also in the others, I just face down then it comes over my face, or just turn back. Do you plan your work or is it more spontaneous? Yes, I do plan especially what materials to use in the photographs, but sometimes I alter the plan during a photo shoot.

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Do you find inspiration in Japan or in other cultures for your art? Wherever I live, I get different kind of inspiration. Since I live in Japan now, I guess I am under the inspiration of Japan culture. Do you think Japan artists get enough exposure to the Western art scene? Unfortunately I am afraid not. There are so many great artists in Japan. I wish people in the world to know more about Japanese artist including ME! Do you follow the art development in the West? Yes, I follow and love the western art development, but I always try not to be limited to the Western. As an Asian woman educated in a Western way, I try to put myself in a position of diversity. What is your top 3 artists right now Western from Japan? I like the works of René Magritte, Henri Matisse, and Wolfgang Tillmans!

Your top 3 Japanese artists? Shoji Ueda, Genpei Akasegawa, Nam June Paik. What is your day job? My one and only job is freelance photographer. For example, I sometimes make a living by licensing my images to photo stock agencies. They have recently used my images in the movie trailer of “The Social Network”. Is it challenging to be a female artist in a patriarchal Japan society? Not really. There are so many acknowledged female artists in Japan. Yayoi Kusama, Yoko Ono How did you have to change yourself while moving form a smaller city to Tokyo and later to yet another metropolitan city, New York? How did your thinking change? I actually think the large cities I have lived in are very influential to my work, but I don’t know how or what exactly catches my attention and which part of mine was changed by life in cities. I guess I naturally embrace the changes and not really notice them. I can say that the cities really made my

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eyes open to art, life, and people in general. New York will always remain a very special and attractive place to me. What is the next city you want to embrace after Tokyo and New York? Somewhere in Europe maybe? I am moving back to Tokyo soon, but also I hope to visit in Berlin and Munich soon. Germany is the country I would like to go to the most in Europe right now. Tell me a Japanese fairy tale. Kaguyahime (The Bamboo Princess) Long, long ago, an old man who was a bamboo cutter found a shining bamboo in a mountain. He cut it, then there was a baby in the bamboo. He didn’t have a kid, so he took her home and he and his wife took care of her. She grew, became the most beautiful lady, and called her “Kaguyahime”, the bamboo princess. Many great men visited her to propose to her, but she always gave very difficult questions which they never can answer, then she rejected their proposals of marriage. Actually, she was the Moon Princess. Finally, she had to leave to the moon.

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CLoCK

WoRK WhITE Starring actor Pedro Cunha Photos by Brice Hardelin www.bricehardelin.com

Paper accessoires and drawings Pedro Cunha and Brice Hardelin Make up and facial hair Susana Correira Special thanks to Paulo Cesar in Lisboa for the last minute help.

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I change pigeons for seagulls. No, it’s not a math problem like the one with two trains leaving from somewhere and when are they going to cross each other in the middle. No, I don’t sell birds on Ebay either. To me, it’s just a new reality. I moved from my old apartment in one of the trendiest areas of Madrid to one close to the river in the south of the city. “Why?? Are you nuts!!” (I’m being theatrical but that’s what some people said). My answer is simple: Do you want to put a face to the economic crisis? Well, just look at mine because I am the whole global economic crisis in one person. So, yes, the flat is cheaper, if that is what you are asking. But I have a terrace!!... Ha!... Look who’s laughing now. No one?... whatever. Well, yesterday morning, a really loud scream woke me up. I thought someone was dying or something. The noise became much stronger and it was coming from my terrace. “Shit! Where’s my gun?” “Shit! I don’t have one!”. I got up and took an umbrella (that’s the most dangerous weapon I have at home) and like Mel Gibson in “Braveheart”, I decided to fight the enemy. But when I opened the door, there was a huge white seagull staring at me. What the hell was a gull doing 500 miles away from the sea? And why has it chosen my terrace?... Is this some kind of revelation? Is it telling me, I have to go back to Church after 15 years? No, I bet she is hungry. “I don’t eat fish lady (I’m sure she was a female), but I can offer you something organic” (that’s my new eating trend). “Have you tried tofu?”. She looked at me thinking: “Poor boy” and she left. What a mystery, huh?... I’m taking about the bird, not about the tofu. I decided to do some research (I know, I’m terribly bored some days) so I went to the river because my gifted

mind told me it could be a great place for a gull… and because I saw a bunch of them on the way but that was just a small coincidence. Sherlock Holmes was an apprentice compared to me. Anyway, I still have nightmares about what I saw there. Hundreds of gulls were all over the riverside. They had built their own republic. Their own Kingdom of Terror. The rest of the birds were their slaves, especially pigeons. Do you think a pigeon is a dirty, filthy animal? Well, you haven’t seen a gull stealing a sandwich from a baby and then fly away laughing. I could see horror in the pigeons’ eyes. I felt sad for them somehow…. Naaah… they deserved it. After too much Hitchcock drama, I decided to go back home before I had to build a pyramid for the gulls. When I opened the street door, I heard the same voice like every morning: “Don Manuel??”. That’s my old neighbor living in the basement . She’s an old lady from the Dominican Republic. She’s quite creepy actually. She never leaves the flat and she likes to live in total darkness with all the curtains drawn but with the TV on watching South American soap operas. She’s like Norman Bates’ mother but with a Caribbean accent and a bum five times mine… or maybe eight. She repeated: “Don Manuel?” I could only see the shadow of her profile through the door. And again: “Don Manuel?”. “Listen lady, for the third time today, my name is not Manuel and I definitely don’t want to be your Don Manuel”. No answer, just the bright of two eyes… Ok, time to go then. I have to drive my own Miss Daisy. I forgot to say that I’m the only European on the block apart from a gothic guy living on the second floor but he could fit perfectly with the old lady because they both like living in

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by Claudio the dark, not too sure about the soap operas. Anyway, to find a neighbor not talking to me is quite common but you get used to it. To me, they are the Salsa people and to them, I’m that weird, skinny, white boy living in the attic. When my friend Christian came to visit from NYC last month, he thought I was living in Spanish Harlem. But you know what? I kind of like it. And the best thing is, I can learn to dance salsa or get a Caribbean hairdo in the blink of an eye… you never know when you will need one. So what do you think? Not bad for a white guy, eh?... but did I mention I have a terrace? Ok, but did I mention it is really cheap?... Never mind, I’m used to being misunderstood (ask my neighbors). I’m leaving you now, I’m out of fresh tofu to feed my new pet before she calls me “slave”. But you know what they say…. “Once you go organic….”

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LLoRoNA

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The classic legend of La Llorona is a very popular one which for more than three centuries was instilled in the memory of the citizens of Mexico City. It has its roots in Aztec mythology and dates back to the time of the Spanish Conquest of Mexico. The legend tells us that the goddess «Cihuacoatl» appeared in the city of Tenochtitlan at night as a woman dressed in white, accompanied by deadly omens which foretold the conquest of Mexico. One night, her voice was heard, weeping loudly: «Oh, my poor children, their destruction has arrived, for we must soon depart!» Other times the voice would cry in desperation: «My children, where shall I take you? Where could I hide you?» This was interpreted as an omen for the fall of the Aztec Empire. http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/history_mexico/58848

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LLoRoNA Soon after the arrival of the Spaniards to the American continent, the Aztec Empire of Tenochtitlan was conquered. As you will most certainly remember from one of my previous articles, the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes was aided immensely by Doña Marina, better known as «La Malinche». Now, some say that La Llorona is La Malinche, mistress of Cortes, endlessly lamenting her betrayal of her own Indian people to the Spaniards. You will also remember that Cortes and La Malinche had a son, but after the Conquest, Cortes went back to his wife in Spain. The legend

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tells us that they had twins... One day a beautiful Spanish lady convinces Cortes to return to Spain with his two sons. When La Malinche finds out about his plans to leave her and taking the children with him, she escapes with the babies. Soon Cortes and his men set out to find them. They are able to surround her at the lake that Mexico City now rests on, but when they try to capture her, she pulls out a dagger, stabs her babies in the heart and drops their lifeless bodies into the water... Up to the time of her death she was seen and heard near the lake weeping and wailing for her children, which was why she was given the name ÂŤla LloronaÂť. http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/history_mexico/58848/2

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LLoRoNA

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As time went by, the legend grew. In Mexico City, in the middle of the sixteenth century, the inhabitants claimed that they could hear the cries of a woman afflicted with terrible grief. Some even claimed that they could actually see her at midnight on nights during a full moon, wandering the streets wearing a white dress with a thick veil covering her face. Her agonizing cries would terrorize everyone who sees or hears her. The legend continues and extends to other parts of the country showing itself in many different forms...

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La Llorona was a beautiful woman by the name of Maria who killed her children by drowning them in order to be with the man that she loved, but was subsequently rejected by him. Then she killed herself. When Maria reached the gates of heaven, she was asked, “Where are your children?” and she replied, “I don’t know, my Lord.” She was not permitted to enter heaven until she found her children. She now wanders the Earth for all eternity, searching in vain for her drowned offspring. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Llorona

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LLoRoNA Artwork by Larisa Cata単o

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we are not tolling for little kay, we do not know him. we sing our song, the only one we know!

snowOueenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

kay

Photos by Arcin Sagdic http://www.arcinsagdic.com/ Model Adrian Bleschke (Modelwerk) Styling Marina German Hair/Make up Katharina Franke (Nude) Location VOO Shop

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Jacket DRYKORN Chain with Feathers VINTAGE

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sNoWQUEEN’s KAy

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“Are you still cold,” she asked, “or I should kiss you to death.“

Jacket DRYKORN Chain with Feathers VINTAGE

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SNOWQUEEN’S KAY

Hans Christian Andersen (1845)

Suit DRYKORN Shirt AMERICAN APPAREL Shoes ZARA MEN

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Billie Ray

Martin Hard Ton Sold Life EP (Disco Activisto Records, Berlin) Interview by Polys Photos by Christos Kapralos http://homoanarchy.tumblr.com

Billie Ray Martin comes up with a very interesting and fresh collaboration this year. The “Queen of electronic soul” meets “The biggest disco queen of the 21st century” Hard Ton. Billie Ray Martin is a well known artist with

a unique voice. She first came to prominence leading the acclaimed deep house act “Electribe 101” (1990) and has in the meanwhile a plethora of Albums, EPs and Single releases. Her song “Your Loving Arms” became a worldwide number 1 and is now considered as one of the alltime classics of dance music. Hard Ton is composed of two incredibly charming Italian boys, Max and Mauro. They signed to the legendary label “Gigolo Records” of DJ Hell. With their music combining Disco, Italo Disco, 90es House and Chicago House, the brilliant falsetto voice of Max and their outstanding live shows filled with pure erotic and tons of positive energy they found the perfect way to fascinate people all over the globe promising to become something really big! We had the luck to meet the guys before their live show in Berlin and spent some really nice hours with them where they answered us to some questions about their work in general and the collaboration with Billie Ray Martin. Honk!: You are the new discovery of DJ Hell, how did that came about? Hard Ton: Through Abe Duque. We gave him some demos and he opened the gates to Hell! ;-)

How you two did meet each other and who “gave birth” to this new project (Hard Ton)? Hard Ton: We met through a chat-room. It soon became obvious that we had opposite musical

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backgrounds but also felt the same need of coming up with something new, camp and fun. You spent about 15 years as a heavy metal singer and you are actually still singing in 2 heavy metal bands. Now you are also the biggest disco queen of the XXI century! How did that big change happened? Hard Ton: It was simply a matter of changing wardrobe. And what is that, that heavy metal music gives to you that Disco doesn’t? Or the other way round, what does being a Disco queen offers to you as an artist that heavy metal doesn’t? Hard Ton: Heavy metal means machism, being a disco queen means queerness. I’m bipolar... Who is responsible for this new collaboration with Billie Ray Martin? Tell us everything about it! Who

wrote the songs? Where was the recording made? And when is the EP coming out? Hard Ton: Billie got in touch with us via mail, looking for underground producers. We met in Bologna, where Mauro lives and where our recording studio is. It has been an interesting challenge working with such a unique voice, also so different from mine. We’ve recorded 4 tracks, two for her and two for us. The E.P. is due out in March, also featuring a remix by Snuff Crew, our favourite jacking house act. What brings the near future for Hard Ton? Are you planning something now? Hard Ton: We are working on several new tracks for the album. We also had plenty of featuring requests from other artists. So expect tons of Hard (T)on’s. And a cover of Vogue soon.

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What have you being up too the last years? Tell us something about the new projects you are running at the moment. Billie R. Martin: I had come collaborations out with DJ Hell and various other people and I did some touring and Dj’ing around the world. But in terms of releases 2011 will definitely be my year. As to my current projects: my new single ‘sweet suburban disco’ is out now and it’s beginning to do really well. Radio is picking up on it and all the tastemaker Dj’s have embraced it. So let’s see. It’s an exciting time. Next in line is my collaboration with Hard Ton which comes out on the 26th April and after that the full length album by a project called “The opiates”. The opiates are me and musician Robert Solheim. We already played a gig at rough trade and released an EP and have become a minor cult band in the UK already. Next in line is the much awaited album, which our fans have been driving us crazy about. Wolfgang Tillmanns

has provided 8 unseen and unpublished images for this CD so this is exciting on the musical level as well as on the art level, with Wolfgang involved. Honk!: You are also Dj´ing around the world with growing success. How did that come about and where are you Dj´ing in the near future? Billie R. Martin: I have been Dj’ing a lot in Italy, south America, all over really. It’s been fun as it allows me to travel to a lot of places I’ve not been before and also allows people who have never seen me before to hear me sing as well as hear me Dj. Most of the shows are Dj sets with a live show on the same night, so everyone gets the best of both worlds... and I get exhausted. Why you choose Hard Ton for this collaboration? Billie R. Martin: I think what connects us is the love for old school house and techno and we both continuously explore new ways to explore that. I

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really liked their EP on gigolo and played it in my sets so I had the idea to contact them. And they were as excited as I was. I think they are great songwriters, above and beyond everything else and because my approach is also to write real songs, I knew it would work. I also am featuring on two songs for their forthcoming album. This project with Hard Ton is for you a return to your classic house beginnings. What led you to this decision? Billie R. Martin: It’s been on my ‘list’ of things to do next. I did a lot of electro and electro-disco in recent years but I feel that real house with it’s warmth and space allows the real voice of mine to shine through. When I heard ramadanman’s mix of Jamie Woon’s ‘Night Air’ I made the decision that this was going to be it (again). So I’m just writing and recording songs like this now.

What brings the near future for you? Are you planning something new now? Billie R. Martin: Yes I guess I already mentioned above what comes next. The next two years are definitely going be spent releasing material and touring and promoting it. Because I run my own label it’s hard work on every level so I’m going to be busier than ever. Hard Ton @ www.myspace.com/hardtondiscoqueen Billie R. Martin @ www.billieraymartin.com

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Don’t You

Believe

It!

Text by Stefan Springer

Illustration by Larisa Cataño

By what right do you call yourself life, what’s the reason for you to present yourself in such infinity, why do you keep changing, yet still stay the same? Where do you come from, and where do you go? Myths and fairy tales, they say, are as old as humankind itself. They are the origin of any philosophical experience, the true nucleus of religion. Their belief drawn upon the observation of the ever-recurring cycles of nature, they aim at finding out what holds nature together at its very heart. Born from a fantastic, inner world, formed by stunning imagery both vaguely colourful and abnormal, mystic symbolism serves the interpretation of our surrounding world. Thus, myths and fairy tales probably have laid the foundation stone of our cultural evolution. In today’s time, though, it is common belief that fairy tales are merely baseless entertainment for children. However, apart from the stereotypically ever-present collected works of the Grimm Brothers, there are so many more; for example the ancient Greek mythology – and the idea of a six-year-old taking classes in Humanities sounds rather like a fairy tale itself, doesn’t it? So, what is it that makes Greek history such an interesting field for Psychology, the study of the mind? According to the men of science, the Greeks created their gods in their own similitude. Therefore, they were formed as figures featuring all-too-human characteristics. Implemented in inter-divine events full of passion

and desire, elevation and tragedy, which in their rich extent could hardly be more obvious. However, the Greeks haven’t been the only ones to personalise their gods, giving them a human face. The Christians have also rendered homage to their great god, the father of everything that exists. It was him who created humankind in his image. That god is without any vice, without tragedy, without fallibility. A good Christian will try to emulate his example. It’s better not to get involved with the tragically sinful – a field of expertise that’s been left to the devil. True to the motto to have blinders on, finding salvation in the Everafter is preferred over managing one’s life on Earth. That might as well be the source of Christian discomfort towards primeval fairy tales. The portrayal of temptation, on the other hand, has always been less modest. At least as far as sexuality is concerned. It wasn’t possible to simply ban it from everyday life. With a body of thought so deeply rooted, even a sentence to the stake will prove useless. Adapting it slightly according to the respective moral values, has already been a more adequate solution of the problem. That in fact differentiates Christianity from other cultures and their religious point of view, e.g. Buddhism

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or Hinduism. Some of them are built upon a will to reign through suppressing the allegedly destructive properties inherent in nature, especially in one’s own. Others regard themselves as inexpugnable; as a part of a greater whole. Frederic Vester, a professor of biochemistry, and a renowned researcher in biocybernetics, once wrote: “Even navigating the ship one is still part of the system.” Francis Bacon says: “He, who wants to control his own nature, first has to learn to obey it.” Franz Vollenweider, professor of psychiatry and leader of the research unit “Experimental Psychopathology” at the University of der Universität Zurich, in a 2003 interview about the modes of effect of LSD, said: “No other substance causes such extensive change to ego limits. It begins with the dissolution of the borders between the body and its environment. Perception gets severely altered. One is under the impression to be at one with the surrounding world, even to merge with the cosmos itself, and to experience a certain kind of ecstasy. The whole thing being a far reaching experience, they had no clue how it is achieved.” Such quotes will, of course, result in speculations, to whose religious ideas’ advantage the cards are stacked. Blind enthusiasm won’t protect from the consequences of mental silence. Or, will it? Everybody knows of the so called placebo effect. Faith might after all be able to move mountains.

All in all, there’s one thing you can say for sure: fairy tales, be it those applied to everyday life by the Grimm Brothers, or be it those of the minor as well as the major religions, they all have one common thing in mind. The aim at conveying comfort, where it needed, they evoke a feeling of safety where there is utter discontent. They want to warn of those dangers that come soft-footed. They want to point out mistakes that, since the beginning of time, have been made again and again. To put it briefly, they want to impart wisdom. Unquestionably, fairy tales have their raison d’être. And, as fas as their veiling symbolism is concerned: it’s simply not advisable to take metaphors literally.

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Frank Christian Marx Actor & Producer Mister C. Marx is definitely a big multitalent. The 31 years old German can sing, dance and act. He studied acting at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Stuttgart. He is not only a feast for the eyes, he is always on the lookout for new tasks. 2011, he founded a film production company and he will produce the movie „Men who Cuddle“. Frank also plays the main role in the film. He is just back from India, where he held a role in the new film of super star Shahrukh Khan. Future Germany’s number one mister charming and a big star of German cinema. www.frankchristianmarx.com

Stereon / Dj Stereon (aka. Mark Hardbone) was born in Vienna Austria and is involved in djing, music and parties since 1991. After winning captian comatose’s “$100 worst remix contest” with his electro live project “Divinyl feat. Seven”, he relocated to Berlin in 2004, djing in most known clubs of Berlin since. Though he has always been working on some own tracks aswell, he never released anything of his own stuff... YET!!! Future international DJ , Dancefloor Killer all over the world. www.stereonberlin.de Alexandra Elisabeth Starnitzky / Actress The beauty and the beast. She can play everything, from the shy lady to the murdering vamp. When ever you will see her in a movie, you will immediately fall in love with her. Miss Starnitzky was born in Israel but grew up all over the world. So it is no wonder that her career began as a successful model. 2011 will be her year, because she is the star of a major motion picture. Watch out for the beautyful Actress! Future Leading roles in the film of the biographie of Joan Collins and kicking Sandra Bullock from the throne of romantic comedy movies. www.starnitzky.com Bianca / Model The 16-year-old beauty is the newcomer of the German fashion scene. For almost a year, the Berlingirl is under contract with the model agency IZAIO-Models. Bianca will continue the tradition of German supermodels like Claudia Schiffer, Nadja Auermann and Toni Garrn. She is born to be one of the most succesful models ever! Future: Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, London, Milan, New York, Muse of HONK!magazine www.izaio.de

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The

Future Berlin

faces

you Should know

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A unique institution at the heart of Melbourne’s iconic meeting place, Federation Square, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) celebrates, explores and promotes the cultural and creative richness of the moving image in all its forms - film, television and digital culture. Through a vibrant calendar of award-winning Australian and international exhibitions, films, festivals, live events, creative workshops, education programs and Collection resources, ACMI provides diverse audiences with unsurpassed ways to engage with the moving image. As one of Victoria’s major cultural, tourism and learning attractions, ACMI is an integral element in Melbourne’s position as one of the world’s truly creative cities. Starting life as the State Film Centre in 1946, ACMI evolved from being a Collection based institution to an internationally recognised national hub for screening and advocacy, screen education, industry engagement and audience involvement. Driven by the desire to fulfil its vision to become the world’s leading moving image centre, ACMI has now carried out the most significant phase of its development and growth since the doors

DREAMS COME TRUE Discover the artistry behind Disney’s timeless animated films. ACMI hosts a unique exhibition drawn from the archives of the Walt Disney Animation Research Library. Dreams Come True is a rare opportunity to see original concept art, story sketches, drawings, maquettes and final frame cels from some of the Walt Disney Studios’ most celebrated animated films. An Australian exclusive, the exhibition features artworks from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,

opened in 2002. With the support of the Victorian Government, a suite of new production and exhibition spaces and refreshed public offers were introduced at ACMI in 2009, providing audiences of all ages and abilities with diverse, stimulating and creative opportunities to actively engage with the moving image and screen culture. The centrepiece is a new, free entry, permanent exhibition charting the journey of the moving image and, in particular, Australia’s engagement with screen culture as consumer and creator. Screen Worlds: The Story of Film, Television and Digital Culture is a unique, interactive and immersive exhibition that dynamically illustrates how each of the forms of the moving image have emerged and evolved as a powerful creative medium. The exhibition is the cornerstone of the major development project which also includes a second special exhibition space, two new state-of-the-art production studios, a new national screen culture resource centre - the Australian Mediatheque and a unique external exhibition space, the Video Garden. Adult $16, Concession $12, ACMI Members $11 Family (2 adults, 3 children) $50, Child (aged 4-15) $9, Unlimited entry: Full $40, Concession $30, ACMI Member $25 http://www.acmi.net.au Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Princess and the Frog, and Disney’s latest animated feature, Tangled. Walt Disney began adapting fairy tales for animation in the 1920s, inspired by the traditional tales of the Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, and Hans Christian Andersen. The exhibition explores developments in story and animation techniques and showcases the work of artists such as Mary Blair, Kay Nielsen, Eyvind Earle and Glen Keane. Fall under the spell of Disney’s classic animation till Tuesday 26 April 2011 Exhibition open daily 10am-6pm

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BRUCE LABRUCE Text by Christo Mitov Photos by Sean M. Johnson www.seanMjohnson.com

Combining independent cinema is just one of the things Bruce LaBruce is famous for. Besides being a successful, provocative director, the 47-year-old Canadian is a photographer, journalist and theatre director based in Toronto. He is also a diva – not in terms of extravagant outfits, but in terms of attitude and self-confidence: you can literally hear his eyes roll. Before becoming an underground gay icon, he had a shockingly pastoral childhood: Justin Stewart grew up in a small family farm together with his four siblings in Ontario, Canada. He approached cinema very systematically, pursuing film studies in Toronto and film theory at New York University. In the 1980s, Justin became Bruce LaBruce and launched the independent queer punk zine J.D.s, giving the finger simultaneously to the punk and the mainstream gay scenes at the time. He practically gave birth to the so-called Homocore or Queercore movement, which corrupted a whole new generation of homosexuals. Bruce’s career as a director started with a series of short, low-budget movies. He gained international acclaim with Super 8 1/2, a bio-pic about his rise to cult stardom that became a favorite in high-profile festivals like Sundance and Berlinale. In 1996 he directed Hustler White - the flick that reinforced his initial success, proved his great talent and featured a sex scene with an amputee gigolo. The movie paid homage to classic Hollywood and combined porn industry aesthetics with classical cinema techniques. With his following flicks, Bruce LaBruce officially became a movie-genre supercollider, mashing up revolutionaries, skinheads, deaf gay hairdressers and terrorists in detailed, close-up sex scenes. Bruce’s latest passion is the zombie-horror genre. The “melancholic gay zombie picture” Otto Or Up With Dead People premiered at Berlinale in 2008 and became his most commercially successful project to date. It was followed by LA Zombie, the story of an alien zombie who

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wanders around LAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ghettos, fucking dead people back to life. Oh, and by the way: every year Bruce LaBruce stages a play in Berlin. Since 1998 he has contributed as a journalist/editor/photographer to diverse magazines like Dutch, BUTT, Index Magazine, Dazed and Confused and Vice. In the beginning of March 2011 premiered his new theatre play Pierrot Lunaire by Arnold SchĂśneberg starring Susanne Sachsse and Luizo Vega in the main roles (see portraits). Bruce invited me to the last dress rehearsal where we talked about Canadian urban legends, reality TV and Lady Gaga.

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How have you been spending the time in Berlin except working on Pierrot Lunaire? Besides directing I was a celebrity DJ while I am here. I haven’t been out that much, because we have been rehearsing 6 days in the week. This has been more of a work trip. I’ve been here already 5-6 weeks. How do you feel as a celebrity DJ? I actually feel embarrassed, because I know what art it is to be a DJ. I just select songs and play them. I only mix when I am with a real DJ partner - we ping-pong back and forth. The last time I did this was with Joel Gibb from The Hidden Cameras and Matt Sims, too. He is an amazing gentleman... and DJ. Let’s talk about the play. Who is Pierrot Lunaire? Pierrot Lunair is a comedia dell’arte character. Arnold Schöneberg a musical melodrama based on Pierrot. Pierrot Lunaire is an abstract character in this melodrama. The part is a male character writ-

ten for a female actor. We have Susanne Sachsse playing Pierrot. I’ve turned her character into a female to male transsexual. How is that coming out? She is a very complex character. She becomes dellusional and in the same time a murderer. So it’s certainly not a politically correct character. First of all, it is totally politically incorrect to apply a narrative to Pierrot Lunair, because it is based on 21 poems by Albert Giraud so it’s totally non-narrative, imagistic and symbolistic. The narrative I’ve applied is based on an urban legend from Toronto date in the 70s or 80s. It is about a woman who lived as a man with a girlfriend who didn’t know she was really a woman. When the girlfriend’s father finds out that his daughter is dating someone who is really a woman, he forbids his daughter from seeing her. So the female to male hires a taxi, goes to the outskirts of town, murders the driver, cuts off his genitals, glues them to his pussy and goes to the father to show him he has a real dick.

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So it is a bit darker than comedia dell’arte which is already darker genre. Pierrot Lunaire are extremely grotesque and violent. That’s not something I am adding to it. And the music is grotesque and violent as well. In our research we found out that Schöneberg was heavily influenced by Grand Guignol theatre from Paris. The movies that I always associated with Grand Guignol like Sunset Boulevard and Whatever Happened To Baby Jane are very melodramatic, hysterical and extremely violent - so I took inspiration from them too - for Pierrot. Are you nervous about staging a play at HAU 1 (a 102 year old classical theatre in Berlin)? I was initially I’ve done two productions at HAU 2 before. I was very intimidated by the stage here. But, you know, once you begin to work with it, you adjust yourself to the stage. The opening is already sold out - there will be about 500 people - this is also kind of intimidating. I will be there for the premiere - very high up; in

a private booth with my hands on my face. I will be looking through my fingers. You and I talked already last year about Pierrot when did you decide to stage the play? I can’t remember when it came up, but it was the conductor Premil Petrovic - a Serbian up and coming strong young talent, a friend of Susanne’s - who suggested that we collaborate on a production of Pierrot Lunaire. I imageine it was about a year and a half ago. I was really ignorant of Schöneberg and Pierrot Lunaire, so for me it was just out of the blue. When are you going to stage a play in Canada? It is very difficult to stage experimental theatre plays in Canada. It’s even hard for me to get financing for my films in Canada, because usually if I have sexually explicit content, it is very difficult. I have a new script for a movie that will be shot in Canada.

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So Gerontophilia is happening? It’s Gerontophilia, yes. It’s set in Montreal. I have 3 or 4 different scripts in development and this is only one of them. Why is it easier to find your funding in Europe rather than Canada? It’s about a sensibility against non commercial art in North America. USA and Canada seem to be really focused on the narrative based commercial movies. Europe and other parts of the world are more open to non-narrative and experimental films. There isn’t the same predominance of one form of filmmaking. Do you find any inspiration in contemporary pop culture? In a way, yes. I’ve never been a snob in terms of pop culture. I’ve always been influenced by it in various ways. For me personally the new Hollywood from the past 20 years becomes less and less interesting to me.What I like is reality TV - narrative fiction. It’s not so much about the content, but

the pure pace and accelerated information that’s more interesting. The standard reality TV show is cut so dynamically that every shot lasts no more than 3 seconds. I find it stimulating - you process information so fast that it has the same effect as a video game. That’s also what we are doing with Pierrot Lunaire - a lot is happening for the short duration of 45 minutes. The pace is super fast. I will give you a couple of key words or names and you will tell me what come up in your mind: Black Swan? My favorite thing about Black Swan was the pace. It was so fast, there is no time to catch your breath. I wasn’t so interested in anything else. the performances were good, but that’s not what intrested me personally. Lady Gaga? Why do you have to ask me about her? My only reservation about her would be that I think it’s kind of bringing the avant-garde to the masses

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and I’m not sure that is necessarily a good idea. Things that are avant-garde and abstract should not be made massively accessible. It can make the ideas too popular and I think sometimes certain things should be left under ground. Like graves... (laughs) The other thing is... I can’t say too much about her, because I have too many friends who work for her. What TV shows do you watch? The most amazing pop culture thing I saw in the last year was called Dead Set - it’s a British mini series about zombies on the set of Big Brother. They shot it in the actual set of Big Brother using former Big Brother contestants from the show. there is a whole narrative around it - it is the best zombie movie! It’s even better than The Walking Dead. Dead Set makes Walking Dead look hilarious. Did you watch the Oscars? No, no interest. I usually guiltily watch them, but this year I was in Berlin and I had a good excuse

not to watch it. I watch Hollywood movies on airplanes now. The last one I saw was the movie with the blue people... Avatar. How do you feel about 3D? It’s too gimmicky for me. One last question - when do you take off your glasses? Well... I am not wearing them now! (laughs) For photographs I am keeping them on because I want to hide the bags under my eyes. But my friend Billy Miller tells me that I have to let go of my vanity, but this hasn’t happened yet.

Bruce la Bruce www.brucelabruce.com Luizo Vega www.luizovega.net Hau 1 www.hebbel-am-ufer.de

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LAST FAIRY TALE

THE

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by Shelbric A. Fuller Painting „Pele“ by Michael Shapcott www.michael-shapcott.com

The words “Once upon a time...” for many of us is just a vague childhood memory. Memories... ...of innocence. Memories of a time when our parents wrapped us up warm and cuddly at night, murmuring dreams of hope before we went to sleep with the promise of a bright new morning. Those were the days when the idea of being the next Rupunzel was a real possibility. Some of us wanted to be the knight in shining armor that gallops over the hills, just in time to save the princess from her inevitable fate. Who will save us now? Today, we are far more interested in the reality of the present. We have swarms of information at our fingertips which attempt to dispel the fantasies of yesterday. We have lost our suspension of disbelief because we have simply forfeited our ability to be interested in such things. Our new heroes are made up of modern day, public relations driven, pop icons who can only promise us new trends or controversial crotch photos taken by a paparazzi who probably can’t remember the last time that the morals of a beautifully woven fairy tale ever touched his life. In the past, our dreams and hopes were passed along through candlelit whispers, not like today where social networking, blogs and the news scream them at lightening speeds. Who really needs so much information? What morals do we have to pass on and how will we deliver them? The

oral traditions of storytelling which allowed us to remember that ancient civilizations existed have now become the new internet super highway of today. Fairy tales were not only about the stories. They were about the sense of security and optimism that they delivered us. They were about the experience of closeness that came when your parents sat with their arms, air tight around you and sent you to slumber. The beauty of fairy tales was that it removed our fears, taught us how to believe in ourselves and taught us how to treat other people, thereby building the moral foundation on which we would later stand. With almost 7 billion people on this “blue wonder”, a sense of loss hangs in the air. So many people and yet, we are all so alone, wandering aimlessly, searching for the next covenant. I, personally, wish that someone would whisper a story in my ear, just like those whispers I heard as a child. I wish Sleeping Beauty would wake up and show me the new way. Somehow, we are all in mourning. The last fairy tale was told a long time ago. We can only hope and wait for the day when someone put pen to paper; turns sounds into words and opens up our doors for a new day of aspiration.

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THE young THE YOUNP knigHT KNIGHT

Photographer Robert Klebenow www.klebenow.de Production, Concept, Styling Haniball Saliba www.haniballsaliba.com Hair/Make-Up Mischka Hart @ Basis using MAC Model Philip Milojevic @ Seeds Managment PhotographerÂ´s Assitance Judith Johns

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SELF-EXPOSURE

FOR

DUMMIES by Christo Mitov

There are two really good reasons to celebrate. The first one is, that you are reading issue number two of HONK! which automatically means that issue number one was a tremendous success. The second occasion is that Revenge Of The Nerds is becoming a constant part of HONK! and in this way my personal tool for mind control and agenda setting. Yet another small step on my own roadmap to world domination. This is, by the way, one of the main goals in an average self-exposer’s life. Self-exposers or self-

publicists are people on a never-ending quest to conquer your attention and make you one of their devoted fans. They mostly create an image for the crowd that presents only their virtues and none of their vice. They are your friends on Facebook, you follow them on Twitter, you read their blogs in your RSS reader. You follow every step in their lives and you love it. In other words, you are doing nothing different than your grandmother who is watching Columbian tele novellas at 3 in the afternoon. Technologically mediated identities is what social researchers call those web personas, but I’d rather spare you the science jabber. Social media has made it possible for self-exposers to stream their lives 24/7 - from their morning glory to their good-night tweet. Don’t get me wrong, I am myself addicted to social media and I’ve made it my job as well, but I don’t find staging my life and playing a role on my top list of things I want to achieve in life. And yet, if it is on yours, let me guide you through the process of transforming from a desperate attention-seeker to an experienced self-publicist. However, keep in mind I’ve gathered that knowledge only by observing the self-exposers (lat. Attentiones Desperados Vulgaris Irritantis) So applying any of those techniques is exclusively your responsibility. Bloggers Start a blog! Give your talents a well designed platform of display. Whether it’s drawing, taking photos of yourself with what you consider funny faces or documenting the growth of your hair, beard, nails and other growing things. Tell people what music you like, what videos you watch, what designers inspire you, where you go, which party you attend, what shirt you wear every day. Don’t forget to document everything with the appropri-

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ate amount (over 15) of photographs. Categorize your posts, tag them appropriately with the hippest words in your slang. Make posts with no text - post only one picture of you laying in the grass, you and your fedora, you and a famous person, you, you, you. And don’t forget the most important ingredient for everything - arrogance. Twitter Now it’s time to create a Twitter profile! Choose a short name. Be creative - nobody likes nicknames like @miranda_365. After you have chosen the shortest nick that best describes your colorful and rich personality, it’s time to tell your fans and readers that you are now on Twitter. Here you can post everything that you thought was excessive for your blog - pictures of your breakfast, drunk videos of you at home, at parties; thoughts from the toilet; post coital revelations; express your anger against your boss; boast about your new shoes or gadgets; ask your followers whether to buy a certain T-Shirt or not; post philosophical quotes pretending you just came up with them, etc. Simply post every thought that goes through your beautiful head. Be more arrogant than on your blog. Especially when you criticize politicians without having a clue about politics; breaking up with your boy/girlfriend; expressing your hatred against the color orange or your love for birds on random pieces of clothing. Facebook What used to be MySpace in terms of ego boosting is now called Facebook. It has better design and algorithms for organizing and streaming information. Germans doom it for its privacy issues, but you have nothing to be scared of. People are going to find out just about everything about you if they are really devoted to their search. Facebook is the Mother Queen of ultimate tools of self-exposure. You need to change your status at least 3 times a day. Some of them can be just oneword expressions of appreciation for a certain food; others song lyrics; or just random thoughts that you couldn’t fit in your Twitter stream. Links you post have to be mostly to music videos or cool stuff you find on other blogs (that you secretly follow but would anytime deny of doing so) Boastful facebooking should become your tool of expression.

Photos, photos, photos! This is the only way to true success as a self-publicist. Here you have to gather all the photos from your blog, all the photos from your Twitter and on top of that you need to make extra photos for Facebook. Change your profile picture every week (or even twice a week if you are ambitious) Photoshop your images if needed. Add mobile pictures - at least 5 every day. Tag yourself in every picture you add. By now you should’ve mastered the art of arrogance and there must be no need of intentionally thinking about it. However, if you need a little push for impersonating arrogance, just put a dirty smirk or raise an eyebrow on every profile picture. One more thing... videos! As a respected selfpublicist you have a Mac and your iSight camera is your mirror and window to your friends. Dress up properly, have your best clothes on, accessorize. Record the video and add after effects. Lip syncing to a song, a TV show or expressing your humble opinion on the crisis in the Middle East should be your first topics for videos. Comments, Likes, Shares - the ultimate expression of appreciation. Make sure you comment on your friends’ links, but don’t exaggerate. One comment per week is enough. Let your friends comment on your pictures and profile escapades. Having 15 people comment on your status and 32 like your new profile picture feels good, doesn’t it? And let me remind you, this is just the beginning. Unlike a mirror, which reminds us of who we really are and may have a negative effect on self-esteem if that image does match with our ideal, Facebook can show a positive version of ourselves. This will make your brain produce more and more endorphins (the hormone of happiness) which will make you feel ecstatic. So Facebook is not only good for your ego, but also for your health! Just like those funny smelling pickles in the Asia shop say on the label. So now you have mastered the art of self exposure and your desperate seeking of attention should be wearing off with every day that has past. Remember, if you want to achieve optimal results, you have to make this your everyday routine, your life. That way, when someone comments with “get a life!” on your beach photos or party pics, you will know, that you actually have one and that you are living the fairy tale. Right there, online.

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A mother and 2 girls .. sweet and innocent! It sounds like a fairy tale. But it is not. Being a mother is not easy these days. Our X-Insider this time is Katja, a young and modern mother from Hamburg.

My little girl wants to be a horse rider! The nanny has 3 horses - well, that’s for a little girl a real fairy tale, or? And my older daughter wanna be an eye doctor .... there rather attracts a fabulous salary! But never forget: the world is not pink.

HONK!: You are a single mother of two girls. Katja: The dream of many women out there. Are you living your own personal fairy tale? K:I had the thought completely different! I never wanted children! But now I am glad that the two monsters are here! Magical is usually the time between 21 und 6 clock - because they are sleeping! No, i was kidding - I have a full time job and enjoy every minute with the girls. But, being a mother is not like living in a fairy tale? No way!

There are so many different TV programs for children and so many bad once. What do you let your children see on tv? They love Cosmo and Wanda, Hannah Montana and iKarly! That’s ok - Pokemon or something similar does not exist in our home, because I find that totally stupid. Lotte would like to see CSI always - but I think with 10 years of age she is too young for that. Laughable, but certainly not educational value of course, shows like „Farmer wants a wife „ then we laugh for hours.

Your two kids are 6 years and 10 years old. They are exactly in the age where children have the greatest imagination. Are your children in 2011 still excited about the classic fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm? Or must it be Harry Potter? Harry Potter, they only know the books by name. Sure, when they were small, there was once a classic tale - but then told more by Grandma and Grandpa or a Christmas story in school. I had never been such a fairy tale fan. My children love books like „Mio my Mio“ or „The Brothers Lionheart “. My older daughter also writes stories already on the PC, she has a lot of imagination. When I was a kid, my mother has read to me a fairy tale before going to bed. Do you do the same with your two children? And if so .. Which is the favorite book of them? We have read - but books like “Lilly the Witch” or “the Olchis. Every child has a dream, what they wanna be when they grow up. What is the dream of your two children?

The whole life is a fairy tales and lies. Did you clean up your kids on what will happen in life one day? Or are you one of those mothers protecting their kids as much as possible? My children do not even know how to write protected - laughing! I call my children „little monsters“ - I think that makes no “supermama”! My girls are very independent and they know that the money from the vending machine is sometimes empty. They know you have to work hard for success. If I have to work, they make the dinner by themselves, they leave their things clean. They go to bed when i want it! I am sure my two girls will grow up as strong, young and modern women. In some years, the oldest of your children will bring her first boyfriend home.Have you ever thought about how you will educate your children? Oh, she already knows - she has learned in school about it and then she asked me. We talked about it and she thinks it is totally disgusting and boys are arghhhhh! and honestly, if you wanna know something about sex, just google :-)?

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If you imagine your dream son-in-law. How would he be? OH .... well, maybe the same way then I imagine my dream man ... Tall, dark, handsome ... Down to earth, good job, independent, honest .... Why not another child? A boy? On a sunday you

can go with your son to the football field and when he is older, he will look after his sisters? No way! I am so glad that the chicks are out of the woods - again all this shouting and trouble? No! And you know the ladies play football too! Were you playing football, when you were a child?? laughing !!!!

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WHAT WHE

WHAT, WH to the most interesting hand-

ERE WHEN

HERE and WHEN are the questions that will guide us in this issue -picked music festivals for 2011. The first one starts tomorrow, so you better hurry up or follow it online. Bon voyage!

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WHAT WHERE WHEN by Christo Mitov SXSW What: The SXSW Music and Media Conference showcases hundreds of musical acts from around the globe on over eighty stages in downtown Austin. Celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2011. One of the most important festivals for music industry insiders, in 2010 SXSW welcomed over 13,000 industry reps and over 2000 performing bands. Where: Austin, TX, USA When: March 15-20 More info at: www.sxsw.com

Lollapalooza Chile What: Lollapalooza has decided to make a move into other cities, in addition to it’s current home base in Chicago. Enter Lollapalooza Santiago, in Santiago, Chille. Lollapalooza organizers chose Santiago because it’s a cool, hip city with a good musical backdrop and a space that works for up to 100,000 people. They’re calling it the “first Lollapalooza International,” so maybe it’s a sign of more to come? Where: Santiago, Chile When: April 2-3 More info at: www.lollapalooza.cl/en/

Sonar Japan What: Sónar is Spain’s mashup of music and film and video, all rolled into one big multimedia festival. Now they’ve branched out to Tokyo, Japan; the dates are April 2 - 3. You get installation art, audiovisual concerts, and medialab presentations next to DJ sets, electonic music, film and more. It’s the new media jet set in the heart of Asia. The SonarSound Festival

has started to name its 2011 lineup, check back for more details! Line-up includes Boys Noize, Die Antwoord, M.I.A., Nicolas Jaar, A-Trak, Paul Kalkbrenner, Steve Aoki, etc. Where: Tokyo, Japan When: April 2-3 More info at: www.sonarsound.jp/en/

Coachella What: California’s flagship festival is Coachella, a large outdoor event that mixes together fans of rock, hip hop and electronica under the beautiful Indio Valley skies. Taking place over three days about two hours east of Los Angeles, Coachella boasts five large stages, an epic campground and an open-minded crowd that is ready to party. New for 2011: Listen for the massive rumblings of a Pure Filth stage both during the festival and at the wild afterhours in the campground. Line-up features Jay Z, Muse, Gorillaz, LCD Soundsystem, Faith No More, Kanye West, Kings Of Leon, Arcade Fire, PJ Harvey, etc. Where: Indio, CA, USA When: April 15-17 More info at: www.coachella.com

ATP curated by Animal Collective What: For ten years All Tomorrow’s Parties has set itself apart from other festivals by embracing seemingly disparate artistic genres, with events featuring art exhibitions, cinema programmes, spoken word performances and stand up comedy. Since then the festival has appeared every year and has expanded across the globe continuing to set itself apart from large scale corporate festivals by staying intimate and fan-friendly. The line-ups are chosen by significant bands or artists which results in eclectic events that combine performances

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by legendary and influential acts with appearances by the latest crop of experimental artists from any (and every) musical genre. This year’s ATP is chosen by Animal Collective. Artists so far: Group Doueh, Vladislav Delay, Big Boi (Outkast), Terry Riley, Kria Brekkan, etc. Where: Minehead, UK When: May 13-15 More info at: www.atpfestival.com/

Mutek What: The Mutek Festival puts Montreal on the Techno map. It features minimal techno artists from all over the world in a 5 day festival of beats and workshops. They’ve got about 40 performers and panels, workshops, and events at a variety of locations, all set to start on Wednesday and continue through Sunday. Last year, Mutek launched DIGI_SECTION, a series of discussion sessions, panels, and workshops centered around artists, technology and media. The 2011 Mutek Festival has not named a lineup yet. They have, however, closed their call for artists, so a lineup is due at any time Where: Montreal, Canada When: June 1-5 More info at: www.mutek.org

Pitchfork Music Festival What: Love or hate their snarky, snooty reviews, no one can deny that Chicago-based Pitchfork.com has an affect on the evolution of music and art culture. The website started throwing its own event in 2006, and so far the Pitchfork Music Festival has made as big of as splash as their website by booking both hot-asfire new artists and those on their way up. This year: Girls, LCD Soundsystem (one of your last opportunities to see them still together), James Blank, Animal Collective, Das Racist, Cut Copy,

amongst many. Where: Chicago, IL, USA When: June 15-17 More info at: www.pitchforkmusicfestival.com

Sonar What: Just in case you needed another excuse to visit Spain except food, climate and men, Sonar Festival just might be it. This three-day event draws in people by the thousands with huge acts from a wide variety of new sounds. In 2010, Sonar took place in Barcelona with a satellite event in A Coruña in northern Spain; for 2011 watch for a stage curated by Mary Anne Hobbs, an experimental bass bad ass formerly of the BBC Radio 1. Line-up features Air, The Chemical Brothers, Hot Chip, Salem, etc. Where: Barcelona, Spain When: June 17-19 More info at: http://2010.sonar.es/

Roskilde What: The 2011 Roskilde Music Festival has been rolling out its lineup in waves of announcements. The newest additions to Roskilde 2011 include PJ Harvey, Matthew Dear, Kurt Vile, Anna Calvi and Kloster, added on on Feb. 9. Check back for more details and lineup additions. Tickets are just €190 Euros / $240 U.S. for a 4 day festival, or you can sell your soul to the work camp to get in for free. The Roskilde Festival is holding an architectural competition called “Build What Here,” with an opportunity to design and build a structure and also win tickets for you and your team. There’s also a Roskilde Lounge, which will feature electronic acts from across Europe and strippeddown singer-songwriter performances in a tent for smaller crowds. Where: Roskilde, Denmark

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WHAT WHERE WHEN

When: June 30 - July 3 More info at: http://roskilde-festival.dk/

EXIT What: One of the most important festivals on the Balkans is called EXIT and takes place every year in Novi Sad. This year’s line-up includes Beirut, Petrol, Tiga, Carl Craig, Hadouken!, Pulp, Portishead, etc. It is the cheapest possibility to combine a great fesitval experience with an exotic vacation in Eastern Europe if you are based in Europe and want to leave your city and yet not spend more than 300 euros. Where: Novi Sad, Serbia When: July 7-10 More info at: http://eng.exitfest.org/

MELT! What: Surrounded by Lake Ferropolis, this three-day festival literally takes place in an iron museum; its stages are surrounded by large coal mining machinery that has fortunately been dormant for as long as the 13-year festival has been running. Its organizers describe it as electronic meets rock. This year, marvel at the likes of: Hercules and Love Affair, Miike Snow, Friendly Fires, Delphic and Tiga Where: Ferropolis, Germany When: July 15-17 More info at: http://www.meltfestival.de/

Fuji Rock Festiva What: The Fuji Rock Festival is set on a ski resort on Mt Fuji in Japan in what has got to be one of the most ideal settings for a music festival - it takes place in a thicket of lush forests, streams, and hills. Festival goers can watch music on 7 different stages, and the largest can

accommodate 30,000 people. They can also take the gondola (renamed the ‘Dragondola’ for extra special local flavor) to the top of the mountain to hang out in the Day Dreaming & Silent Breeze area for a break and some great vantage points to the surrounding mountains. The Fuji Rock Festival has not named its 2011 lineup yet. Where: Naeba Ski Resort, Yuzawa-machi, Niigata, Japan When: July 29-31 More info at: http://www.fujirockfestival.com/

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