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glabella. DOUBLE ISSUE MAY–JUNE 2K16
CONTENTS 2
The Prodigal Zine 3
How to Disappear in a Mall 6
Burn 8
Deep Space Explorers 10
Q 13
Subconscious Sountrack 15
Krencin’s Kaleidoscope
Submit to Glabella: ginoongcervantes@gmail.com Follow the Maker on Twitter @sicarlcervantes Visit sloppydasein.wordpress.com
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It's been five months since I began this pet project: an eclectic little zine called "Glabella". The title comes from the relatively unknown label for the space between your eyebrows, where the third eye is supposed to be. Thus Glabella, born out of a personal
I’d also like to include your work in these pages. Anyway, this is something I'd like to share with all of you. It's a collection of spirits: mine and many others'. Join us, if you like. In this issue, we will look at things that aren't always seen—from the mundane to the cross-dimensional.
passion to explore the unknown, featured the strangeness that we are aware of but rarely talk about.
Once again, my good welcome to Glabella.
From odd places to mystical energies, from exhibits that push the limits of art to the fantastic realm of dreams, from thoughts of suicide to disbelieving a God that exists—we’ve entered a vast realm that exists in the collective psyche of humanity.
-Carl Lorenz Cervantes, Editor
My baby's still too little and it's always so tempting to give up on it, but I've given up many times before and it's not really something I want to do again. Unfortunately, I've missed an issue—I haven't released anything for May. If I didn’t release anything this month, I would indeed be giving up. But as I said: no more giving up. So, this one is a double issue, to make up for the one we missed and to cover this month. Many people have already contributed their work to these issues; I am always happy to present their work through the pages of Glabella. 2
friends,
BY CARL CERVANTES
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“I felt like I was in a museum, watching one of those art pieces–the celebration of the mundane.” The soft sounds of the mall have
Murmurs.
lulled me to sleep. Sitting on a couch
clicks.
Cashier
beeps.
Stiletto
meant for elders and husbands, I decided to ignore the distraction of
“As time passes,” he continued, “you
pulling out a cellphone. Instead, as I
will discover an increasing number of
waited, I watched. A baby smiled
sonic details around you.”
back.
Blank-faced
adults
slowly The
descending with the walkalator. A
sounds
became
more
pronounced. I began to drift deeper
woman on the couch in front of me
and deeper into a quiet trance. I
was so focused on her cellphone, a
noticed itches on my body–signals
subtle smile on her lips. I felt like I
from my brain trying to keep me
was in a museum, watching one of
awake
those art pieces–the celebration of the
by
reflex
scratching.
But
instead of moving my interlocked
mundane.
fingers, I focused on the itches as I decided I could try an experiment,
they descended, moving from one
from Hartham El-Wardany’s “How to
place to another, trying to discern
Disappear”.
what was causing them. Underneath my clothes, imaginary insects moved.
“Consider the sounds that reach your
I did not ignore them–in fact, I found
ear,” he said, “without granting any
that by focusing on them, they faded
one
away on their own.
sound
significance
over
the
other.” “When I closed my eyes.
you
ultimately
succeed
in
listening to a place in its entirety, you will find that the distance between 4
yourself and the space’s sounds have
movie. I was pulled into some kind of
diminished,
drama–something important. At least,
and
that
you
have
become part of the place.”
I think it was. And then, as if rising from a swimming pool, I emerged
I let myself drift deeper and deeper. A
from the dark theater of my mind, wet
weight pulled my head down, and so I
from the lips as drool dripped to my
nodded off. The mall’s sounds faded
shirt.
into white noise and grainy images began to surface. They moved slowly, Originally published on
taking their time. The colors were
sloppydasein.wordpress.com
faded, as if I were watching an old
“The sounds became more pronounced. I began to drift deeper and deeper into a quiet trance.”
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BURN PHOTOGRAPHY BY NIKKI VESAGAS
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POETRY BY RUDY MATIAS
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Adventure, endurance, and desolation— The cold spirit roughly commands the planet. Oh the worlds we could travel! The spirit rises like a rough sea. Cold, stormy worlds calmly pull a clear, misty planet. All universes fight misty, cold spirits. Lively, rainy worlds swiftly love a warm, big spirit. Never pull a planet. The clear planet roughly leads the universe. Alas, spirits sail! All universes fight rough, rainy universes. The warm spirit calmly loves the planet. Oh the planets we could travel! Lord, faith! Travel quietly through the core. Endurance, desolation, and desolation. All spirits desire big, rainy worlds. Courage, endurance, and life. The spirit rises like a cruel planet. Universes endure. The clear world swiftly desires the spirit. Wave swiftly like a dead planet. Worlds endure! Make us mine, cosmic explorer. * Rudy Matias’ full name is actually Rudolf. He has had a tough childhood, being the butt of unfunny Christmas jokes all year around.
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Q From the Lectures of Prof. Oriata Gallezo
From the KWLN archives.
The rush of the dense crowd of
haven't done much to alleviate the
sprawling
working class. So, a lot of them
concrete
jungle
Metro
Manila has left a collective memory in
dream
its wake. Their daily routine lingers in
lagoons,
the thick humid air—human transit
communities—things
lines through the metro's business
Philippine
districts: roads often taken. Most of
“Despite its flaws and pollution, Metro Manila carries with it a secret life that very few people care to notice.”
the members of this crowd curse the awful traffic and the daily congestion of
trains
and
jeepneys.
The
government has had a long time to deal with it, but it seems like they 10
about the
the
mountains
beaches
Department
and which of
and rural the
Tourism
“Their travel, called the Dérive, is an inexpensive method of reaching an altered state, a way to traverse the mental landscape of the urban neighborhood.” constantly
foreign
alleys, under its neon lights. The
neighbors. Once you step outside
smoke carries with it the collective
Metro Manila, you'll easily find your
memory of its crowd and the mental
well-deserved respite.
landscape they leave behind when
However,
boasts
to
despite
its
its
flaws
they go back to their homes. The
and
gritty urban environment of Metro
pollution, Metro Manila carries with it a
Manila is the subject of our present
secret life that very few people care to notice.
I'm
not
talking
about
psychogeographical exploration.
its
history. Sure, the once brilliant Manila
Perhaps
has
has
psychogeographers from travellers is
suffered the collateral damage of war,
the purpose of their travel. Travellers
it has been soaked in the blood of its
seek to enrich themselves through the
people, and it has been choked by the
experience of alternate cultures and/or
greasy hands of corrupt politicians.
a closer connection to nature. Often,
And
a
travellers are escaping the rush of
testament to the Filipino's resilient
their usual lives and are constantly
spirit. But I am not talking about
seeking a fresh perspective through
Manila's past. I am talking about how
adventures. Psychogeographers, on
it is now.
the other hand, do not seek to
been
yet
through
it
stands
a
lot—it
today
as
what
differentiates
escape. Their travel, called the Dérive,
There is an intoxicating smoke that
is an inexpensive method of reaching
wafts up from the cracks of its
an altered state, a way to traverse the
pavements and through the narrow
mental 11
landscape
of
the
urban
neighborhood. It allows chance to
spaces that the exhausted rushing
dictate them on their wanderings.
crowd often passes by without giving
The
Dérive
requires
psychogeographer
(from
that
the
here
on
labelled the flâneur, or loafer) lets go of his usual preconceptions as he walks (or loafs) around an urban environment. He allows the collective memory of a place to call him to
much
notice
buildings, stickers left by art groups, hidden
galleries,
bars. It is an exercise of urban adventurism, a way to see what is often ignored. The
becomes "lost". In doing so, the
movement.
chances
upon
the
hole-in-the-wall
restaurants and cafés, bars within
random turns and alleys until he
flâneur
to—abandoned
city
calls.
Be
part
of
the
secret
“It is an exercise of urban adventurism, 12 a way to see what is often ignored.”
F E A T U R I N 13 G WASHERE
SOUNDCLOUD.COM/WASHEREMUSIC
JOHN SAN JUAN
I’m a bedroom producer/artist who tries to translate and express the emotions I felt in my recurring dreams since childhood. I’ve been trying to unlock the secrets of my past life. I'm pretty sure I drowned; that's how I came up with "Bodies of Water". I went with the totally unoriginal and uncreative name "WASHERE" because to me, music is a place. When I listen to certain music I have this strong feeling that I've been there before. That's what I'm trying to express, the things I felt in the places I've been to. I washere. I also love how the name's always mispronounced. I'm still not sure where I'm going with this new hobby, but I want to score a film in the future, or maybe score my own film.
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FROM THE COLLECTION OF SWEDER VAN RENCIN
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Visit a hidden gallery at kwln.tumblr.com KAWALAN
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glabella. Thank you for being with us. It’s already been six months. if you can believe that. I was tempted to let go of this little pet project last month, but I’ve given up on many things before; and as the philosopher Shia LaBeouf said, “If you’re tired of starting over, stop giving up.” I’m tired of starting over. So, here we are, sticking with it, a double issue to cover for last month’s non-issue. I’m happy that there are still some people enabling
me,
letting
me
continue
the
confusing and messy thing that is this zine. The themes have come and gone, but as we have diverged into different paths, we’ve discovered the path that is the most interesting—to this humble walker, at least. So, here’s to more strangeness.
For more Glabella, follow: issuu.com/sloppydasein
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