LostBoyZine #4

Lost BoY Zine Dikembe Pentimento Initials + more A Music.Arts.

Literature.Zine.

ISSUe4june14

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wtf iz in dis Books

‘Bone Season’ - Samantha Shannon ‘Cypherpunks’ – Assange, Applebaum, Zimmermann & Muller-Maguhn ‘An Austronaut’s Guide To Life On Earth’ - Chris Hadfield

Interviews

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Initials Pentimento Dikembe

Records

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Luca Brasi Closure In Moscow Sledding With Tigers Donor

Art

Sol LeWitt @ Art Gallery of NSW Mob Rule – Tony Garifalakis @ Art Gallery of NSW Domestic Bliss – Various Artists @ Deakin University Art Gallery Nite Art - Various Artists @ Various Melbourne Locations Incomplete, Open – David Rosetzky @ Sutton Gallery

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Thank YOU for buying LBZ and supporting the community it fosters.

Huge thanks to Adam, Mike and Ryan for contributing.

Infinite thanks to Wil, Chris and Bosma for being legends. all photos courtesy of the respective owners. all text: oliver dan-cuthbert - triangleshoe@hotmail.com all design: jasmin stengos - jasminstengos@gmail.com news: www.lostboyrecords.tumblr.com records/distro: www.lostboyrecords.bigcartel.com

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books

Bone Season – Samantha Shannon

Debut novels are often make-or-break situations for authors, but when a major publisher throws a six figure contract at you, it’s probably a good sign. Shannon delivers a work that depicts an alternate Britain, a dystopic police state where ‘clairvoyants’ – those able to communicate with the spirit world in a variety of ways – are treated as a lesser citizen, misunderstood and hated because of their abilities. The reader is placed straight into the elaborate universe, following determined protagonist Paige Mahoney, a ‘dreamwalker’, through daily life before she is ripped from it and dumped in an oddly familiar Oxford. Here she learns the truth behind the Scion corporation that governs her world, and must quickly fight to dismantle the two hundred year rule of the Rephaim, a supernatural and almost god-like race which feed on clairvoyants. Apart from offering a unique plot line and take on the world, the strong personalities of the major characters bring an extra sense of life and reality into the novel. Although many have likened Shannon to JK Rowling, the infallible author of the 21st Century, the young author has a lot of room to mature her writing.

Nonetheless, her debut will be well received by any Fantasy/Sci-Fi reader, leaving many to look forward to the six books to come in the series.

Cypherpunks – Assange, Applebaum, Zimmermann & Muller-Maguhn

Although too brief throughout its entirety, Cypherpunks is a succinct record of conversations between four of the most notorious and knowledgeable men regarding internet security, privacy and its abuse. The book acts as a relatively up to date (June 2012) documentation of the changing nature of the world wide web, largely in consideration to the general population’s use of it and its use against the general population. In parts, politics are discussed (although not overtly), giving an interesting insight into Assange’s views, especially given his current status as a recognised activist, as well as in Australian politics. Having been formerly denounced as ‘distorted’ and ‘paranoid’ assumptions, it is hard to not read this book in the light of current NSA leaks and be a little bit scared, however the contributors are optimistic and wish their conversation to be a precursor to change that inspires the average Joe to care about his virtual footprint and the world itself.

An Astronauts Guide To Life On Earth – Chris Hadfield

Having become the most highly recognised and esteemed contemporary astronaut, Chris Hadfield has had a life like no other, and obviously relishes in sharing it with readers. Hadfield shot to international public fame from his YouTube videos, filmed in space, performing various science experiments and playing David Bowie’s Space Oddity on an acoustic guitar. Unexpectedly a somewhat motivational text, Hadfield never shies from imparting inspirational messages to his readers, luckily it is rarely done in a cheesy manner. What is left is an autobiography that never fails to amuse and astonish with stories and experiences that few will ever truly comprehend, although the author clearly tries to relate such events, like the absurd and utterly amazing feeling of being in anti-gravity space or the beauty of the world juxtaposed to the sheer emptiness of the universe. Possibly the books only downfall is Hadfield’s lack of literary ‘touch’, and to a lesser extent the constant jumping around in narrative so that it becomes hard to establish a chronological timeline. Easy and fun to read, this is a great book to lose yourself in for a few hours, forgetting your banal life in comparison to Hadfield’s.

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initials

Having released an early contender for album of the year on many people’s lists, t his shining light from Melbourne take on a bunch of 90s influences and fuse their sound with contemporary artists, creating a record not only refreshing but down right beautiful. We talked to Adam from Initials to get a behind the scenes look at recording, artwork and touring.

Hi Adam! Tell us about your role in Initials.

Hey Olly! I play drums in Initials, handle some of our artwork and design and also make sure no stray beers on our rider go undrunk.

You guys released your debut LP, Leave Expired, a few months ago. What was the song-writing and recording process like?

We’re a very collaborative band in terms of songwriting and every song we’ve written has come about by the three of us jamming and feeding off each other in the rehearsal room.

Initials have also previously put out a 7”. In my opinion, you guys sound a lot tighter on the LP as a band. Do you feel like there was a noticeable shift in the dynamic between releases?

The first 7” was written and recorded a month after our first ever jam together and was recorded live off the floor at Three Phase. The other guys were super keen to get a release out and something on my ‘bucket list’ of sorts was to release something on vinyl, so when the opportunity came up I jumped at it. What you can hear on the 7” is the rawness and energy of a brand new band still trying to work out our sound, although we still slip those songs into our set on occasion. For Leave Expired, the writing process was a lot more measured and I feel we were able to incorporate each of our experiences and influences into the songs a lot more, and we sound much more of a cohesive unit. We wanted to retain the rawness and natural ebb and flow of a live performance while improving our recorded sound sonically, so we recorded without a click track or much messing around with it digitally, but recorded track by track (as opposed to live off the floor like the 7”).

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For Leave Expired, the band teamed up with Arrest Records. What was it like to work with a label, instead of self-releasing?

It’s been great working with Greg from Arrest.

We’re all on the same page with our values, work ethic and attitudes towards music, which made it an easy call to make. After sinking money into the recording process, it can be a really expensive exercise if you want to press your release on vinyl by the time you pay shipping from the other side of the world. Thankfully, Greg helped us in a massive way by pressing the record and letting us get it out there - he also let us run wild with some awesome vinyl colour variations, which was totally awesome to be able to do and something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time!

You personally looked after the artistic elements for the LP, which are pretty unique and definitely add an extra element to the release. What did you draw inspiration from in creating the record sleeve and insert?

Thanks, I’m glad you like it! One thing I wanted to achieve was to allude to the musical content in a visual sense, keeping it aesthetically pleasing but with an inherent sense of tension and uneasiness that’s hanging out in the background but still very obvious. I’d also been thinking lots about concepts of existentialism and, using the title itself as inspiration, wanted to somehow (albeit ambiguously) symbolise a general idea of trying to make the best for yourself in circumstances and the unavoidable trade off that comes along with it. Do you spend your life working way too many hours in a job you hate to afford a few nice things that can help ease that sting for a moment?

While the front cover is quite sparse and involves some symbolism related to the title of the record, when you flip it over the scene continues with a grainy image of a man holding what looks to be an umbrella to protect himself from weather, but upon closer inspection it’s in fact a juxtaposition with a jellyfish, the stinging tentacles actually causing more harm than the original need for protection. A remedy that’s worse than the disease itself. The insert came from an idea behind the lyrics of ‘Drones’ - alternating viewpoints of a friend serving in the armed forces on the other side of the world and the loved one at home he’s writing to and the subsequent censoring of the communication by the authorities. I love releases that are really tactile and thought that including lyrics, liner notes and sketches in a stamped envelope the way we did would be a little more interesting than just a one sheet.

I couldn’t help but notice in the liner notes, you thank Newcastle Police Department. It sounds like there is a good story behind that one, care to share it with us?

The first time we played in Newcastle, we played at the Tiki Party at the Great Northern put on by our great friends (and one of Australia’s most underrated noisy bands) I Am the Agent. Pete and I had driven up in his vehicle and it was parked outside on a bit of a hill. During the course of the gig, Pete went to grab some gear from it and threw the keys onto the back seat, which somehow bounced out and down a deep drain. After a tense hour or so, the NCPD came and helped us out and thankfully we were able to make it to our show in Sydney the following day!

Initials have been compared to bands like Blueline Medic and Restorations. What would you say are the primary influences behind Leave Expired musically?

I think we are all very much influenced by the bands that were known for frequenting the Arthouse (RIP), Pete and Jim would regularly go there to shows and I’d drive a couple of hours each way when I lived in the country and needed an escape to go and see bands play there. It’s actually funny how many times we have recounted gigs we saw there and realised we used to go to the same shows long before we knew each other. I think the likes of A Death In The Family, Blueline Medic, MYC, Away From Now and the like have all influenced us very much with their distinctive ‘Melbourne sound’, while we draw from other influences like Restorations, Quicksand, Small Brown Bike, Thursday, RVIVR, Bridge & Tunnel, La Dispute, Able Baker Fox and Hoodlum Shouts as well as a whole bunch of 90s guitar bands and Midwest emo. We’re currently jamming some ideas for record #2 and it could really go in any direction.

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Over the last two years, Initials have opened for bands like La Dispute and Pianos Becomes The Teeth, as well as playing as part of last year’s Weekender. What is one band you would love to play with in the future?

I think we’d all put Hot Water Music or Small Brown Bike right at the top of that list, both are bands that have been hugely influential for all of us and still are to this day! I don’t like my chances of ever seeing Small Brown Bike live but I’m still clinging onto a little shred of hope.

This year, you’re playing with rad bands like Grim Fandango and Paper Arms for the Weekender. Do you think such an event is crucial for maintaining the scene it supports?

I do think it is very important, and it’s been great to see the community surrounding it really burgeoning as years have passed. It has seemed to be the catalyst for the growth of interest in that sort of punk rock in Melbourne - so that can only be a good thing - and I think Andy and Aaron do a great job of nurturing the scene while doing things the right way.

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I think it’s also important for people to realise that there’s a whole world of excellent bands and excellent shows out there that exist beyond it, and any weekend you can go out and see some incredible bands playing for just a few dollars to far too few people, because being seen at the ‘right’ types of shows sometimes takes precedence over supporting great bands unfortunately.

Thanks for chatting with us Adam! Finally, what are some Melbourne bands you have been backing lately?

There’s a band called Laser Brains I’ve booked for a couple of shows that I really dig, kinda punk ‘n’ roll sorta stuff with all the riffs. Regrets (Atom from A Death In The Family’s new band) are really great and I’m looking forward to a release from them. Daysworth Fighting are back making music again and killing it, as are Daybreak. Angry Seas are doing good garagey punk in the vein of Hot Snakes / Wipers and I also really like a post-hardcore / skramzy influenced band called Feverteeth.

Yo’ Put That bag back on ’ s new ep and debut 7 ’’

‘Sometimes There’s Nothing You Can Do’

Stream available now @ yobagpunk.com Purchase from lostboyrecords.bigcartel.com or Beatdisc, Blackwire, Resist, Red Eye + Poison City Records 7

pentimento

Pentimento have sort of blown up in the last two years.

Having put out a 10” EP, Inside The Sea, last year – the follow up to their incredible self-titled LP – the New York four piece have jumped between headline tours and festivals across America. Their distinct take on pop-punk has hit a soft spot with fans globally, and an Australian tour looks to be on the near horizon.

Hi! Who am I talking to, and what is your role in Pentimento?

Hey! This is Mike and I play drums for Pentimento.

You guys have recently released a four track EP, Inside The Sea, a follow up to your self-titled LP from last year. The EP, in my opinion, has definitely solidified Pentimento as a driving force in the scene today. What has the general reaction been like to these new songs? Have you had much feedback from fans?

That’s really cool of you to say man. We really appreciate that. The response has been awesome to say the least. We were worried about what would come out of it, as most bands are when releasing new music. But this proved to be a solid release for us and has helped our band grow for sure.

Pentimento have opened for bands like Less Than Jake and Boysetsfire, as well as Reggie and the Full Effect, in the last year or so. Is it surreal to be playing with bands that you no doubt grew up listening to?

Absolutely! Boysetsfire is a great example because that’s one of those bands that changed my life when I heard them for the first time. I got After The Eulogy in 10th grade and haven’t stopped listening to it since. Less Than Jake has been our bass player’s favourite band since we were kids. Ya know? It’s wild. We consider ourselves very lucky to have the chance to be on those tours.

A few months ago you put out a double 7” through Arrest Records in Australia, obviously a precursor to a tour here later this year. How did this release come about, and has the band had Australia on the ‘to do’ list for a while?

Greg at Arrest Records messaged us with the idea initially. We’d been trying to get an Australian release going for the last two records, but to no avail. Greg was very outright and forthcoming about his plans and was really stoked on the idea of a double 7” to show off some feature tracks from the LP and Inside The Sea. We absolutely want to make it to Australia ASAP.

We are pretty excited to have you coming down here!

What are you most looking forward to doing whilst here?

I believe you had some early, unpleasant relationships with record labels. What has it been like to work with Paper+Plastick, a quite distinguished independent label, for your last release?

The shows, the scenery, and your adorable accents.

Paper + Plastick has been really great for us up to this point. They’re always open to ideas and do whatever they can to support our band. It’s been a very smooth experience.

The band have played Fest in the past, and will do so again this year. How does it compare to other festivals you have played, like Bled Fest or Spring Fling, and who are you most stoked to catch live this year?

Fests like Bled or Spring Fling are really great, but they’re very concentrated. It’s just in a building that houses multiple stages. It’s a really cool atmosphere, but FEST is unlike anything else on the planet. It’s an entire downtown area of punk rock kids going to see punk rock bands and it’s like a little utopia for a weekend. It’s unreal.

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Various people have classed Pentimento in a spectrum of genres: pop-punk, emo, punk, indie. Obviously you draw a pretty wide influence from different music in general. What are some artists that have particularly inspired you as a musician?

Me personally? That’s a tough one. Being the main songwriter in the band has opened me up to so much music over the years, and I feel that growing every day. My favorite bands and my favorite writers don’t even match up most of the time. Genre wise, I have no idea what the hell is going on. We just play what we think sounds cool. At the end of it all, we call ourselves a punk rock band because we feel most comfortable in that world. it’s where we grew up and had our minds molded. But as far as particular sources of inspiration, Dashboard Confessional showed me what it meant to talk about the stuff under the surface. Strike Anywhere showed me that you can be aggressive and beautiful at the same time. Taking Back Sunday showed me that you can carry a melody and still sound like you really, really fucking mean it. I don’t know man. There’s so many bands I owe credit to. Art is a wild thing.

Your lyrics, although quite conceptual, are also on the whole really universal. Do you guys aim for this with each release?

Absolutely. When I spend time with editing the things I write, it’s normally because I don’t want it to sound like I’m trying to capture what things are like just for me. I’m nothing special. The experience we want to share with our lyrics is a universal one.

Not a particular one. I want everyone to be able to take something away from our songs. They mean something different to every single person and I think that’s beautiful.

As a band, you make a big point of keeping up to date with fans via social media, answering a seemingly endless stream of questions and comments on Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook. Is this constant ‘contact’ an important aspect of what the band aims to do?

It is now. In the beginning, it was just fun and something to do in hopes people would pay attention. as the band has grown, i think we’ve built a rapport with everyone to be responsive and be silly and all that. it’s really cool and I know a lot of people appreciate it.

Thank you so much, I look forward to catching up with you on tour soon! Lastly, what are some top local bands from New York at the moment that we should all be checking out?

My pleasure! Much love from all of us. Listen to The Traditional.

Stream Pentimento’s music at: pentimentony.bandcamp.com

Credit: Carolyn Ambriano

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records

By A Thread – Luca Brasi

The kings of Tasmanian punk are back with their sophomore release, a more refined and – dare I say it – ‘mature’ record, that starts strong, ends strong, and doesn’t drop the ball throughout. Opening with two optimistic tracks, Luca Brasi set the tone of the record from the outset: lyrics that say something, drums that don’t let you stop nodding your head and guitars that perfectly pulls everything together. ‘K.D.R.’ is a perfect Brasi song, summarising the band’s past and current releases in one song and acting as a tie between LP1 and LP2. If anything, what pushes this release past where the band’s debut record landed is the lyrical evolution. Brasi had great lyrics beforehand, but now they have perfect lyrics, encapsulating the determination to be positive and live life in a world that only marginalises. ‘Get Sad, See Mates’, continuing the Poison City injoke, will be another crowd singalong to add to the setlist, with lyrics like “I’m gonna chuck a feeling / and wonder how I ever lived without” and “I pinch myself, I’m not asleep / I haven’t been since Friday week”. Far from stacking all the best songs first, the stand out track comes two-thirds in with ‘Borders and Statelines’. What a fucking belter. Those who already listen to Luca Brasi know of their musical prowess and explosive live shows, now it’s time for the band to blow up – which is exactly what they deserve.

Stream @ lucabrasipunkrock.bandcamp.com

Pink Lemonade – Closure In Moscow

It has been a massive five years since Closure In Moscow put out their last release, the phenomenal debut record, First Temple, and it seems the band have spent the time creating a truly innovative release. Closure In Moscow have created a body of songs that have an underlying sense of unity, but which push the band’s sound in all directions, each track different to the one before. There is a sense that all of them are innately a “Closure In Moscow” song though, whether it be the frantic title track or the radio-friendly single ‘Church Of The Technochrist’ or the spiralling vocals of ‘That Brahmatron Song’, overlaid on soaring guitar work that calls back to the heyday of Zeppelin and Sabbath. It is through this that the band present their true talent as musicians. As with their previous releases, the truly beautiful vocals delivered by the band’s enigmatic and eccentric front man set Closure In Moscow apart. Getting a workout throughout the record, the high-pitched vocals sound almost like they are delivering a sermon in parts, and perhaps that is intentional. Tracks like ‘Seeds Of Gold’, in a sense a more relaxed track, allow for a nice break, however with an Eighties style dance track playing throughout. This is mirrored by ‘Mauerbauertraurigkeit’ a haunting vocal-driven track that allows listeners to regain their jaw from off the ground and their eyes from the back of their skull. Never shy in creating highly conceptual art, the band imbue the lyrics, artwork and entire release of Pink Lemonade with psychotic hallucinations. Maybe this won’t be the record fans want or expect, based on the more post-hardcore sound Closure In Moscow were tuning on their debut record, but it is definitely the record Australia needs to hear.

Stream @ closureinmoscow.bandcamp.com

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A Necessary Bummer – Sledding With Tigers

Banjos? Check. Ukulele? Check. Self-depreciating lyrics? Check.

An overriding sense of being optimistic? Check. The debut record from San Diego’s Sledding With Tigers, is ultimately a collection of stories about growing up, but told in a way that will have you singing along and dancing around your room like a twelve year old in one listen. Self-describing their music as ‘not folk enough for folk and not punk enough for punk’, the band pulls out the best of both genres and creates a unique combination that is by no means tacky, but a complete winner. A Necessary Bummer is definitely their best material to date – lyrically, instrumentally and production wise. You can’t really call it a more mature record though, and that’s exactly why you’ll love it. Imbued with references, from Brand New to Limp Bizkit, the record reflects a deep personal reflection in the most joyous way possible. Who knew it would be such fun to sing about hating your body or being overcome with anxiety! It is encouraging to see music like this being made, bringing together people of all kinds in the hope that we can just have some fun and accept each other, and hopefully ourselves eventually. This is ‘folk-punk’ at its absolute finest, and you really should give it a listen, just try not to get stuck hitting repeat for days on end.

Stream @ sleddingwithtigers.bandcamp.com

Ache Through My Bones – Donor

Side projects can often be a little bit off. Too much b-side material, not enough passion. Not so with Donor. Having recently released their debut 7”, Ache Through My Bones, the band have come out of nowhere with a bang. Made up of members of Dikembe, You Blew It!, You’ll Live and a former Crucial Dudes member, Donor acts as a culmination of creativity that blends the emo and punk sensibilities already displayed in these bands. What sets Donor apart, though, is that everything works really, really well. This isn’t just another band cashing in on the ‘emo revival’ trend, but a bunch of guys who are obviously really into the music they make. Opening track ‘Bitt Will Fit’ has a nice bouncy groove to it that perfectly summarises the 7” in a song – layered guitar work under passionate vocals.

On the flipside, ‘Katy Perry Please’ has a feel that will stay with you for days, as you replay the track in your head. An ambiguity surrounds every song, as if the band wishes to keep a secret by sharing vague details of their private lives. Yet, an overriding sense of melancholy plagues the 7”, with lyrics like “I know we’re young / these bones feel so old / left a home / but it won’t leave me” from ‘Pool Dad’. It’s hard to tell where the best part of Ache Through My Bones comes from; the constantly volatile instrumental parts or the resonating vocals. As a band, however, Donor shine most brightly in the ‘jam’ sections of each song, where the synchronisation of all members turns into something really beautiful.

Stream @ donor.bandcamp.com Limited copies of the 7” available @ lostboyrecords.bigcartel.com

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dikembe

Innovation is often lacking in bands – easier to be a copy of a copy than something new – but some artists are pushing boundaries and creating incredible music.

We talked to Ryan from Dikembe about their much anticipated new releases this year (!!!), putting out splits with mates and, of course, FEST……

Hi! Who am I talking to, and what is your role in Dikembe?

Hi! I’m Ryan. I play guitar and answer interview requests.

First things first – preorders for a split 7” you guys have done with Jazz June went up recently, their first release in twelve years. How did this come about, and what do you think of the reemergence of a bunch of old school emo bands, like Jazz June?

I don’t exactly recall how everything came about. I think it might have been when someone compared us to a ‘sloppy Jazz June’ (which was an apt description at the time) and Bryan from JJ got in touch with us on twitter just to let us know he liked what we were doing. At first we just sort of chatted with Bryan about this and that, and kept in touch with the idea of doing something together down the line.

I think it’s cool that older bands are coming back.

I didn’t start listening to a lot of those bands until they were already broken up so it’s nice to have a chance to see them. I also think some of these bands are getting the attention they should have gotten the first time around, which is great for them. Just please, a plea to all of the potentially reuniting emo bands reading this, please play in Gainesville, FL, or at the very least, put out a split with us.

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As a band, do you draw heavily from that ‘scene’ for inspiration or are your influences quite diversified?

We used the mid to late 90’s emo bands as a starting point for this band so we definitely draw from them to an extent. We encourage everyone in the band to bring whatever they want to the table though, so we certainly aren’t limited to taking inspiration from those bands, and our new output is a more varied mixture of influences, in my opinion.

I think it’s safe to say, Dikembe are no stranger to split releases; you guys have been on a heap of them with some really rad bands – Hotel Year, Modern Baseball, You Blew It! and Empire! Empire!, to name a few. Is this because of the fun involved in doing releases with friends, or are there other motives behind it?

We were already friends with the majority of the bands we’ve shared splits with but some projects tend to be more cooperative than others. For example, the Jazz June split was much more of a cooperative effort between the bands than a label-orchestrated release. It was an idea we came up with and intended to follow through with before we even talked to any labels about it. Aside from that, the other reason we do a lot of splits is because we are a part time band in the sense that we only have about 3 months out of the year that we can tour. Throwing out a song here and there helps to keep people from forgetting about us.

Credit: Nick Karp

A few of those splits have been released to coincide with Fest, held in your hometown of Gainesville. Have you seen a change in the local music scene since the inception of Fest over a decade ago?

I think I’m the first Gainesville resident in the band, and I only moved here 7 years ago, so I can’t speak much to how the Fest has changed the scene here.

Gainesville has always had a vibrant and eclectic scene though, which I’d attribute to the presence of No Idea in the 90’s.

Dikembe have been included, again, vvin this year’s Fest line-up. Has it become as much of a ritual for bands, such as your own, to play as it has for the fans who attend?

I guess you could call it that. It’s really just something that we’d never have a good reason to say no to. We live here, the people who run it are all fantastic, and most of our friends get to come, hang out, and play.

Your second LP comes out later this year. The song from your Jazz June split was from the same recording session. What can we expect from the record; a similar vibe to the song on the split, or the more atmospheric tone of the Broad Shoulders LP?

Though it was announced as being from the same session, it actually wasn’t. We wrote the song concurrently with the LP but recorded it a bit after the LP, oddly enough. The reason we saved that song for the split was because it was just too different in mood from the rest of the album but we all loved the song and wanted it to see the light of day.

To be honest, I don’t really remember atmosphere being something we were focusing on with Broad Shoulders. I could be way off base but I think that a lot of what might be perceived as atmosphere on Shoulders is more of an attempt to salvage the really disjointed tracking of that record. I’m not knocking it in any way and I really like the aesthetic of that album. I just think that it was more of a result of circumstance than intention. Our drummer, David, handles all of the production stuff like that though, so all praise be to him.

To answer your question, the new LP, Mediumship, is definitely more closely related to Healer of the Pride than anything off Broad Shoulders. I don’t necessarily know that I’d describe Mediumship as atmospheric but it is very spacious, and keeps with a distinct mood throughout.

Some of the Dikembe guys are in other bands, like Donor and Government Breakdown . Are these bands put together out of boredom, or just for the hell of it? I know Government Breakdown was in reaction to the American government’s “shut down” last year, so it’s a bit of a joke band, but the songs on the ‘Fuck Your Health’ cassette were actually really good.

Ha. Thanks. Government Breakdown was purely a project for fun. I came up with the idea, brought it up in a group chat on Facebook, and, to my surprise, everyone was on board. We wrote and recorded those songs in two or three hours with our friends Ross (lead guitar) and Dave (vox, also recorded Mediumship). We originally didn’t have any other plans for the band but it ended up being pretty well received so we made a stupid video and played our only show without ever practicing. I never intended on it being anything other than just for fun. I can’t speak for Donor but as I understand it, it is mostly just a fun project for those dudes to fill roles that they don’t in their other bands. It is astounding how a band with four frontmen manages to produce such terrible stage banter.

What’s on the cards for the rest of the year, apart from the LP release? Just touring to back it up, any other splits hidden up your sleeve?

We are touring this summer, and we can’t wait to tell people about it. Other than that and the LP, we have nothing planned. Post-summer tends to be our hibernation period where we write and record.

I know there are a bunch of people down here that would LOVE to see you tour Australia! Is there any chance we might see you sometime soon?

I’ve said it to others before but we’d love to play anywhere. We don’t really have the means to do something like tour Australia without any help but if anyone ever wants to (seriously) discuss touring outside of the US, we are happy to talk about it. It would be a dream come true.

Thanks for your time, one last thing – I hear Florida, and in particular, Gainesville has become a bit of a hotspot for bands. What are some of your favourite local bands at the moment?

Whatever bands Scott Carr happens to be playing in at the moment in Tallahassee.

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New South Wales

art

Sol LeWitt @ Art Gallery of NSW

Several years after his death, the AGNSW are hosting an incredible exhibition of Sol LeWitt’s life work. Being a pioneer of conceptual art, the artist’s works are generally large-scale wall paintings, with bold blocks of colour. Although sometimes dismissed as ‘simple’ or ‘not art’, his works are imbued with highly aesthetic painting and a prevailing concept that nothingness can be given the deepest of meaning. The sense of fun and playfulness embodied in each of the works separates them from others of a similar vein. Most important, however, is the ability for viewers to infuse each of LeWitt’s works with their own meaning. The perfection and structure of these works is unparalleled, represented through forty years of pencil, water colour, silk screen prints, painting and other mediums. Although reconstructed, repainted or remade for the exhibition by a team and not the artist himself in many cases, due to the nature of these works, it should be remembered that above all the idea remains – and as LeWitt himself wrote “in conceptual art, the idea or concept is the most important aspect of the work”. To truly appreciate these beautiful works they have to be seen in the flesh.

Until 3rd August.

Mob Rule – Tony Garifalakis @ Art Gallery of NSW

An investigation into contemporary political, social and religious systems juxtaposed against the questioning of mechanisms that involve surveillance, compliance and control. Garifalakis artistically ‘censors’ real prints, posters and advertisements, using a process actually employed by government agencies. Ultimately the artist aims to challenge audiences’ perspectives of what is socially correct in regards to surveillance and censorship, begging the question: when is too much?

Until 21st August.

Domestic Bliss – various artists @ Deakin University Art Gallery

This exhibition exemplifies the use of ‘everyday’ materials and representations through art. With an underlying sense of playfulness in each artist’s exploration of life, audience can discover a new perspective on their day-to-day interactions with the world. All the works are taken from the university’s permanent collection, full of contemporary Australian artists.

Until 12th July.

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Victoria

Domestic Bliss – various artists @ Deakin University Art Gallery

This exhibition exemplifies the use of ‘everyday’ materials and representations through art. With an underlying sense of playfulness in each artist’s exploration of life, audience can discover a new perspective on their day-to-day interactions with the world. All the works are taken from the university’s permanent collection, full of contemporary Australian artists.

Until 12th July.

Nite Art - various artists @ Various Melbourne Locations

For one night, Melbourne is going crazy and installing a bunch of light-based works around the city.

Being one of the most contemporary forms of art, these light works will push to question social and philosophical issues in relation to the spaces they are found in – ultimately what the purpose of a city is. The biggest let down is that this will only be on for one night, spanning across areas in Carlton, Bourke Street, Flinders Lane, Southbank and North Melbourne. Check the interwebs for further details.

ONLY on 23rd July.

Incomplete, Open – David Rosetzky @ Sutton Gallery

The video artist premieres his new work, created whilst in residency in Italy, which considers themes in contrast, such as sameness/difference, anxiety/comfort, desire/restraint and proximity/distance, through music and dance. On display will also be <3 Forever, an exploration of young love in the Yarra Valley, confirming its legitimacy as a contextual relationship. Finally, a series of prints, Against Type, will also be shown, displaying several semi-abstract and personal memories of the artist, in which he hopes will encourage discussions in regards to what memories are and how they are preserved.

Until 6th September.

Dreamwork Animation: The Exhibition @ Australian Centre for the Moving Image

Boasting over 400 items, this exhibition is the place to catch a rare look at the workings behind all your favourite movies (that aren’t Disney/Pixar). Highlights include concept drawings, models and original artwork from films like Shrek, Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda. There a bunch of coinciding events at the gallery, like film screenings and workshops, so check out what’s happening before you go!

Until 5th October.

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Lost Boy Records

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