— Subbacultcha quarterly music magazine Issue 12, Summer 2018
subbacultcha.nl
Subbacultcha is an independent Amsterdambased platform devoted to new music. ➔ We unearth the best emerging artists and bring ‘em to alternative stages near you. ➔ We make this unruly magazine to let you in on all you need to know. ➔ Become a member for €8 a month and always get into our weekly shows for free. Come hang out. subbacultcha.nl/ join ➔
— Subbacultcha quarterly music magazine Issue 12, Summer 2018
FRIENDS with BENEFITS * Two close friends who enjoy NEW MUSIC together
D e ar er, memb friend a p u sign se r e t he a h s and ts : benefi
1.
You both get a month Subbacultcha for free.
You can access amazing shows together. Check page 63 for upcoming shows.
3.
You’ll help expand the Subbacultcha community and support independent music and art.
find out how it works at subbacultcha.nl/benefits
This deal ends on 4 July, 2018
at the Kirin J Callinan show at De Nieuwe Anita, shot by Subbacultcha’s Click Click Club
2.
Gerrit Rietveld Academie Graduation Show 2018 4 — 8 July
Fred. Roeskestraat 96, Amsterdam rietveldacademie.nl
— Shygirl shot by Kamila K Stanley in London, UK read more about Shygirl on p. 46 07
Todays Art 2018
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The Hague NL Todays art.nl
Issue 12
Dear reader, As the sun blinds our eyes and blurs our minds, summertime has the knack for catching us all off guard. The frenzy of excitement, promises of adventures and new chapters to-be, we’re calling it: summer is the season of ‘Eureka!’ Catching ourselves wondering if there’s simply something in the air, we tempted the most exciting emerging artists out there to let us in on their journeys in creation and reinvention. The best ideas, it turns out, can’t be traced back to any one place. Bar None manifested in a classic late-night conversation, while extroverted Karel creates by concentrating his energy within. Shygirl escapes all restrictions by juggling double lives and Negative Gemini finds her sound in contradiction. If we take these tales to heart, dear reader, there’s only one thing for it – get out there and find your own way.
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Contents
Recommendations
Karel
15
Interview by Maija Jussila Photos by Isolde Woudstra
Grand Prix
38
Interview by Valkan Dechev Photos by Sarah Michelle Riisager
Shygirl
20
Interview by Deva Rao Photos by Kamila K Stanley
Kate NV
46
Interview by Derek Robertson Photos by Sasha Mademuaselle
To ‘Like’ a Living Legend
22
by Brittany McGillivray 55
Pardans Interview by Cheri Amour Photos by Dennis Morton
When Things Go Black
24
57
Negative Gemini
Click Click Club
Interview by Julia Yudelman Photos by Casey Doran
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26
About Last Night
by Carly Blair
60 Bar None Interview by Emma van Meijeren Photos by Nick van Tiem 32
10
Upcoming shows 62
— Karel shot by Isolde Woudstra in Amsterdam, NL read more about Karel on p. 38 11
Colophon Subbacultcha quarterly music magazine Issue 12, Summer 2018 Front cover: Shygirl shot by Kamila K Stanley in London, UK Publishers: Leon Caren and Bas Morsch
— Subbacultcha quarterly music magazine Issue 12, Summer 2018
Editor in chief: Roxy Merrell Art director: Tjade Bouma Copy editor: Brittany McGillivray Advertising and partnerships: Loes Verputten Shari Klein (shari@subbacultcha.nl) Contributing writers: Cheri Amour Carly Blair Valkan Dechev Maija Jussila Brittany McGillivray Emma van Meijeren Deva Rao Derek Robertson Julia Yudelman Contributing photographers: Casey Doran Sasha Mademuaselle Dennis Morton Sarah Michelle Riisager Annabel van Royen Kamila K Stanley Nick van Tiem Isolde Woudstra Contributing illustrator: Olivia Brown Printer: Damen Drukkers Werkendam, The Netherlands
Subbacultcha Team Shows and bookings: Robert Lalkens Online editor: Maija Jussila Design: Lin Ven Production and finance: Anne-Nynke Knol Interns: Valkan Dechev, Daniel Ibarbo, Jeroen Klootsema, Dominik Rodemann Thank you: Alena Ethembabaoglu, Alette Boogman, Alex Christodoulou, Alyssa MacGregorHastie, Annemijn Von Holtz, Bonnie van Vught, Callum McLean, Carolina Calgaro, Cecilia Orozco Martinez, Cissy Lott-Lavigna, Crys Leung, Daniel Encisco, Desiree Schouteten, Evelyn Andoh, Faith Hardman, Flavien Tridel, Floortje van Oosterhout, FotoLabKiekie, Gábor Kuncevics, Gido Lahuis, Grace Lott, Hanna Blom, Holland Festival, Illias Karakasidis, Isabel Milano, Isza Parchini, Izzy Cotton, Jan van der Kleijn, Jente Lammerts, Kaitlyn Smeeth, Kalina Petkova, Karolina Howorko, Katharina Wahl, Laura Vargas Mora, Laurien Winckels, LouLou Kusters, Lucile Tommasi, Lucy Barker, Marlene Fally, Martine Haanschoten, Monika Simon, Nienke Bernard, Patrick van der Klugt, Quilla van Lieshout, Randy Schoemaker Regina Fisch, Sandra Zegarra Patow, Sheona Turnbull, Daphne Verweij, Vicky De Visser, Victor Niessen, Yennhi Le Subbacultcha office: Dr. Jan van Breemenstraat 3 1056 AB Amsterdam Netherlands Contact: editorial@subbacultcha.nl © photographers, artists, authors, Subbacultcha quarterly magazine, Amsterdam, June 2018
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Subbacultcha magazine
RECOMMENDATIONS Recent finds from our editorial team
Music
Bunny Michael
Bunny Michael is the NYC meme-making visual artist and psychedelic rapper that’s here to appeal to your higher self. Melisa Rincón, previously performing as part of the Bunny Rabbit collective, is now trailblazing an energetic, art rap path fuelled by her highest priority – her spirituality. Recommending her #surrealistlyrics and pretty much everything else she does. @bunnymichael soundcloud.com/bunnymichael
Art
The White Pube Aching for art criticism that subverts the stale, overly-academic art-world rhetoric? Say, something wildly personal, unashamed, provocative, non-white/male and quintessentially relevant? Enter: The White Pube, the collaborative identity of Gabrielle de la Puente and Zarina Muhammad. Their sincere and entertaining thoughts on art, life and politics are published as reviews, ‘baby essays’, podcasts. Get into their prerogative of helping ‘people feel more casual about being in an art space’. thewhitepube.co.uk
Awards for Good Boys
Magazine
Pisswife PISSWIFE is a feminist art collective and zine from Amsterdam. Re-appropriating a mistranslation of the Dutch slur ‘zeikwijf’, PISSWIFE is a platform for the voices, artworks, activism and events organized by the collective. Order Issue #1 on pisswife. bigcartel and check out their upcoming PISSFEST zine fair 29 June at VLLA. One to watch! pisswife.com
The hilarious Instagram page finds levity and catharsis by unpacking toxic masculinity and the impossible double standards faced faced by women far n’ wide. @awardsforgoodboys
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Subbacultcha magazine
RECOMMENDATIONS Recent finds from our editorial team
Music
Event
Subbacultcha on SoundCloud
Different Class
Red Light Radio has been hosting such stellar radio session with us and our fav artists, we’re finally giving it the extra love it deserves. Tune into our best booth times again and again on our SoundCloud. soundcloud.com/subbacultcha_nl
Games
Our Belgian counterpart – Subbacultcha Belgium – have been hosting it’s disruptive members-only festival for the past five years. Different Class relentlessly boasts an epic line-up year after year – and with this year’s is yet to be confirmed, turn to 2017 edition to get excited (2017 featured Gaika, Kedr Livanskiy and Marching Church). Stay tuned for upcoming announcements and get ready to book your summertime trip to Bar Bricolage in Ghent 11 August. differentclass.be
Magazine
Terrible People
Play ‘Who Am I?’ You might think we’re being witty, but we’re actually just recommending some good ol’ fashioned offline summertime fun with friends. All you need is a pen, paper and a couple of pals. Get out there!
YouTube
Ed Edd & Eddy 24/7 YouTube livestream youtube.com
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‘If you’ve ever wondered why people do some stupid things, so have we…’ The new culture and lifestyle magazine Terrible People explores the dark side of human nature, aspiring to provide insight into why people are such bastards at times. Brimming with humour, sarcasm, illustrations and social commentary. Issue 2 out now! Available in Amsterdam at Athenaeum Nieuwscentrum. terrible-people.com
Subbacultcha magazine
RECOMMENDATIONS Recent finds from our editorial team
Crossword
Exhibition
New Yorker Puzzles Department
Places of Hope
Get ready for a weekly crossword more ‘New Yorker’ than you could ever fathom. Expect incomplete Fitzgerald quotes, nods to big thinkers, song lyric references and clues such as ‘Hairless arcade-game character who wears a hair bow: eight letters.’ newyorker.com/crossword
Lil Miquela
Places of Hope is an exhibition exploring the potential of a sustainable future for the Netherlands. Part of Leeuwarden Cultural Capital 2018, the exhibit features pioneering projects, artists, workshops and science fiction films that offer hope for a better tomorrow. Free admission, running until November. placesofhope.nl
Music
Venetian Snares x Daniel Lanois The world’s new it-girl is here to stay… forever? Miquela Sousa, aka Lil Miquela, is a 19-year old American-Brazilian model, musician and influencer boasting 1.1 million followers. She’s also not real, but rather a CGI creation that was produced in 48 hours. Hit follow, give it a double take and witness how the virtual sensation is shaking up our perception of reality.
Putting the blistering breakcore artist back on your radar. Venetian Snares returns with explosive collaboration with Daniel Lanois in eight-track full-length exploration out since May on Timesig/ Planet Mu. In Venetian Snares’ words: ‘I love making music with Dan, he has a real understanding of how to create a world. Bassdrums are trombones and they are a colossal whale which floats on clouds of leaves speaking to the blast furnace feeding the mammoth.’
@lilmiquela
venetiansnares.bandcamp.com
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Subbacultcha magazine
RECOMMENDATIONS Recent finds from our editorial team
Exhibition
Magazine
Indiana Romana Voss & Lois Cohen Metamorphosis
Offscreen Magazine
Metamorphosis is a visual project by photographer Lois Cohen (you might recognize her from our Tads Thots feature in Issue 10) and stylist Indiana Roma Voss. Visually reimagining iconic female figures in the 21st century, Lois and Indiana stir your perception to celebrate inclusivity, individuality and female strength. Until 10 June.
Offscreen is an independent magazine published from Melbourne, printed in Berlin, that celebrates the human side of technology. Countering fast-paced, buzzword-heavy tech coverage, Offscreen is a journal of thought-provoking opinions and ideas about technology and the web – asking critical questions about how we shape technology and how technology shapes us. offscreenmag.com
melkweg.nl
Music
Event
Deli Girls
Arty Party
Danny Orlowski and Tommi Kelly make up New York noise duo Deli Girls. Drum machines, industrial noise, vocal samples and unabashed rage forge debut album Evidence, out on Brooklyn label Sweat Equity. Pulling and provoking crowds with their raw shows, Deli Girls embody an utterly contemporary approach to noise and punk.
Art Party is where exceptional graduate artwork and local music meet. Returning for its second edition, Melkweg Expo presents their selection of the most exciting emerging artists, alongside talks by The Construction Club (Voordekunst) and tunes by Subbacultcha. Line-up tbc! 27 July in the Melkweg.
deligirls.bandcamp.com
melkweg.nl
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Subbacultcha magazine
NEW MUSIC introducing you to fresh artists we admire
Interview by Valkan Dechev Photos shot by Sarah Michelle Riisager in Copenhagen, Denmark
Grand Prix
Grand Prix, the Copenhagen-based artist Bastian Emil, might just be the modern hero we’ve been waiting for. Oscillating between victory and defeat, fear and bravery, Grand Prix’s synth-pop tunes and Olympic-sports aesthetic possess a futuristic charisma with a touch of ancient Greece. With a series of upcoming releases and enchanting visuals to accompany them, Grand Prix is the one-man show infused with pain and a pinch of twisted love. 20
Grand Prix
‘Being on stage is the closest I get to feeling like a hero.’
How was your weekend? Busy! Yesterday I was providing live commentary on a cycling race. I’m really into cycling and that was great fun. Amazing! What else gets you excited? What got you out of bed this morning?
Speaking of heroes and battling, is there something you fear at this moment? I want to leave my mark and not be forgotten, so I think I am fearful of not being able to do that. Can anyone be a hero? What does a contemporary hero look like to you? I think about this a lot. I believe there is a huge lack of heroes today, and it is really hard to become a hero. Our time is simply less heroic. This is not a critique, but just how it is – the absent need to find something grand and beautiful. It seems like today it is more spread around and deeply specific. If you are into cycling, you can get one hero in the sport of cycling. Heroes will not just appear to you. You have to search for them. Tell me a story about something heroic you have done. [Exhales deeply] I think it is really heroic
being on stage. I perform alone, and I want to keep doing it because it just takes a bit more; you have to deliver more. Being on stage is the closest I get to feeling like a hero. If you could be part of a heroic duel, who would you battle against? I would go back in time, battle on a horse and conquer Julius Caesar. That would make an exciting turn in history, if the Roman Empire never became an empire. What was the last song you listened to before our chat?
soundcloud.com/grandprix-3
For a long time, I had a really hard time getting out of bed. Lately, I have been thinking about what Achilles or other Greek heroes would do if they felt like lying in bed. I think it’s good to keep yourself busy, especially if your life has so little structure.
‘La Fanette’ by Jacques Brel. He does a one-man performance in front of a huge grand orchestra. I think this is really where I want to end up at some point.
— Grand Prix plays 10 August at De Nieuwe Anita Show free for members. Grand Prix has self-released a series of singles, including ‘Persistence’ and ‘Freedom from Fear’ in April. Next up ‘Nightlife’ drops in June.
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Subbacultcha magazine
NEW MUSIC introducing you to fresh artists we admire
Interview by Derek Robertson Photos shot by Sasha Mademuaselle in Moscow, Russia
Kate NV
Kate Shilonosova is hard to pin down. With both her glittery, hypnotic synth pop as Kate NV as the visceral, avant-garde post-punk noise merchants Glintshake, her music exists outside the boundaries of genre. Borrowing from a dizzying array of musical styles, she’s constantly seeking out new ways to blend sounds and still her restlessness. Creative freedom and national identity are important pillars in her work, yet the playful cool of her music belies the constricting circumstances facing artists in her home country. 22
Kate NV
‘When you don’t have direct access to information for such a long period of time, you find ways to get what you need.’ Is it easy to know where Glintshake ends and Kate NV begins? It’s difficult to switch between two (or three) different projects. I think NV is going to conquer all of my brain soon, so it’s going to be obvious for everyone that there’s no proper borderline where something ends or begins – it’s just Kate NV plays guitar and sings in Glintshake.
Sometimes I think about that too. I imagine some lonely bug dug deep into the Siberian abyss making some spectacular groovy grooves. But I also know lots of people born and raised in Moscow who are creatively curious, probably sometimes even too much. I’m very adventurous, but I don’t think that’s because I’m from Kazan; people from Russia are generally like this. When you don’t have direct access to information for such a long period of time, you find ways to get what you need, overcoming all the obstacles. It’s our mentality. You’ve said before that ‘heritage in Russia is treated very carelessly’. Is a musician’s role to preserve it? It varies – sometimes you have to demolish to free up some space. Anyway, Russia feels so corrupted nowadays that practically every move you make feels like it has been taken on by some other people’s game.
There is one good thing about censorship – it gives you something to press against. As Moscow artist Shilo puts it, if you don’t know what to do with your freedom, then you don’t need it. Given the variety of styles of your output as an artist so far, what can we expect from the new album? My upcoming album для FOR is going to be an ambient one, influenced by artists like Yoshimura and Midori Takada. Lots of tracks were born from improvisations that I’ve been playing and recording at concerts. I always wanted to make an album like this but never thought it would happen this soon. I often compare making music with scientific research – everything changes all the time, so you’re trying to explore yourself and how you perceive and feel music at certain periods of your life. These tracks just came to me in a natural way.
soundcloud.com/kate-nv
You’re from Kazan. I often find that the most creatively curious people aren’t from big cities, they’re from smaller places, their curiosity born from a sense of isolation.
Artistic censorship is on the rise everywhere, but particularly in Russia. Do you feel free to write whatever you want?
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для FOR drops via RVNG on June 22.
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Subbacultcha magazine
NEW MUSIC introducing you to fresh artists we admire
Interview by Cheri Amour Photos shot by Dennis Morton in Copenhagen, Denmark
Pardans
While most of us were scraping our knees in the playground, no-rock sextet Pardans had their minds set on bigger things. Bound together from strands of various musical projects, the group bonded over alcopops at an end-of-school blow out. Frontman Gustav Berntsen’s intent was crystal clear: ‘to form a band that would mix rock with orchestral elements.’ Listening to their skronking debut, Heaven, Treason, Women, it’s fair to say they’ve aced it. 24
Pardans
‘It drains you of all energy and you enter a psychotic state of mind.’ Pardans is a welding of disparate tastes and instrumentation – pounding drums meet with chugging brass as free jazz thrusts itself from a saxophone reed. It’s an approach to craftsmanship that actually isn’t out of character for the Copenhagen contingent. Emphatic horns and laconic sneer have helped fellow Danes, Iceage, to make a name for themselves in Europe. It is fitting, then, that Pardans will join their postpunk peers on their European tour.
Long gone are the tired pop references to Eurodance export, Aqua and multi-platinum metalhead, Lars Ulrich, in Denmark’s capital. Today’s scene is decidedly more underground. The band recalls playing out the final show at Christiania’s jazz club Salon Pissoir before its closure. ‘The crowd was going wild, so for us it was a perfect and slightly sentimental way to say goodbye to one of our favourite places.’ Another place dear to the band’s heart is Danish festival juggernaut, Roskilde – so much so that Bernsten was able to eject from his sick-bed to take to the stage.
Strength seems to be a reoccurring theme for the band who, since forming back in 2015, has been through a lot together. Debut Heaven, Treason, Women speaks to that transformative phase of your teens, gaining independence and moving on from your first heartbreak. As Berntsen shares, ‘I had just finished high school and broken up with my girlfriend. We had been together for almost three years and she was really my first true love. At the same time, I found myself in an apartment learning how to live on my own.’ Over the heartache and into the limelight, Pardans step out later this year with a full-length release.
pardans.bandcamp.com
Touring itself is a subject that Berntsen weaves through his lyricism in album tracks like ‘Over The Alps and Into Milan’ and ‘Eurostar’. ‘I was travelling between Paris and London on the train a few times. There was something funny about that name but also quite ironic,’ he explains, but is quick to mark the difference between that and being in the back of the tour van. ‘It drains you of all energy and you enter a psychotic state of mind. It’s not until I’m back in Copenhagen that I can digest these experiences and write songs.’
As Patrick explains, ‘Gustav had been sick in bed with mononucleosis and strep throat, so we didn’t get to practice during the month leading up to the show. On the actual morning of the show, we were quite nervous but it turned out great. Suddenly, he had the strength to party for a week.’
— Pardans play 3 August at De Nieuwe Anita. Show free for members. Heaven, Treason, Women was released in September 2016.
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Interview
Negative Gemini Interview by Julia Yudelman Photos shot by Casey Doran in Atlanta, USA
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Negative Gemini
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Interview
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Negative Gemini
You might expect an interview with rising club-pop star Negative Gemini (aka Lindsey French) to be as sublime and seductive as her music. Yet as I quickly discover, chatting with French is more akin to getting a big hug: warm, fuzzy and life-affirming. In the span of a few short minutes, we’re sharing daily intimacies like two friends meeting for a drink. I hear about her parents, her partner, her dog – a husky named Kody who, French jokingly admits, dictates her entire life. It’s not what you’d expect from the critically-acclaimed producer who’s garnered comparisons ranging from Britney Spears to Björk. But that’s the mysteriously doubleedged sword that is Negative Gemini, who, by the way, is actually a Sagittarius. By the time we shift the conversation to music, I’m completely under the sway of her southern Virginia drawl. Read on for insights into weirdo rock music, the New York house scene and the journey that led to French’s charttopping, heartstopping and highly-addictive new EP Bad Baby. Ok so, Negative Gemini. I really like your stuff. I’ve been listening to it all week. Thank you! Awww. Something that I’ve been nerdily dying to ask you is, what’s the deal with your name? Is it astrology-related? Okay, so, I’m not a Gemini. I’m a Sagittarius. I’m not a negative person either, I don’t think. When I made up the name I had written down 100 words that I liked on a piece of paper, and then I was pairing words to see how they sounded. Negative Gemini was one of them. Another was Oxygen Rave, which I was going by for a little while [laughs]. But I like the way Negative Gemini sounds and I kind of relate to the Gemini sign. They’re known for having two personalities, and that resonated with my music. Especially with my first album, the songs were really sad and low and gloomy, and my personality was really not that way –
I’m more free-spirited. Your new EP Bad Baby is a pretty big departure from your previous work in almost every way: production-wise, with your use of analogue instruments, and then the whole vibe is a lot more dreamy, ethereal and warm. Was that a conscious decision on your part? It definitely was a conscious decision, but it also happened really organically out of the desire to want to go that direction, just feeling like I want to produce more of a tactile work. I began writing songs on guitar when I was a kid, and recently I was like, I want to return to that. It just feels more stripped down and honest to me. More personal. I think this part of my life just needs this kind of music. Why do you think you felt inclined to make something more personal? When I made Body Work, I was living in New York and I was getting super into house music and was just obsessed with the idea of making that kind of music. I think that when I’m feeling settled and happy in life, I’m more drawn to learning about technical things like production and I end up making songs like I did on Body Work. Then if something goes awry in my life, I’m feeling more emotional and I’m feeling the need to express myself in a more succinct vocal way. That was definitely what was going on with this new EP. I think I just had a lot to say, and just wanted to get out there and scream on the microphone. It feels good. You’re four albums deep into Negative Gemini now. What have you learned along the way? I’ve learned a whole lot technically about producing and recording music, and that’s been super fun because the more you know how to do, the more you can change about a recording. It’s allowed me to be so independent with the way I write. Artistically, I’ve 29
Interview
learned that the things that seem the most random sonically and not attached to some kind of trend end up being some of my most successful work. And just really to trust your instincts and not worry about the end product so much.
‘It’s hard to tell whether it’s me changing or the world changing around me, because I do feel a lot more respected as a performer and artist than I felt in the beginning.’ It’s interesting you’re saying not to think about what’s trendy, because I can’t ignore that there’s been a lot more attention on women electronic artists in the last few years. Do you feel like you’re part of a growing movement? Yeah! I guess I do feel part of something happening. It’s hard to tell whether it’s me changing or the world changing around me, because I do feel a lot more respected as a performer and artist than I felt in the beginning. Nobody asks me anymore if I produce my own music or write my own songs. That was honestly why I first started this project. I had been making music with two guys, and I was getting really involved in the production, but people would make remarks assuming that I had no part in it, and sometimes that I didn’t even write my own lyrics. I do think things are changing, and I’m determined to be a part of women getting equal rights and equal respect.
point. I’m really into artists that fall into the same thing, like John Maus and Ariel Pink. They’re all still pretty underrecognized, but they definitely inspired Bad Baby – going on musical tangents, and that intentionally crappy sounding, lo-fi, psychedelic feel. Growing up I had a lot of definite pop influences too. I loved the Beach Boys, and I had a lot of women that I looked up to, like No Doubt, Lauryn Hill and Destiny’s Child. What’s up next for you? I’m wrapping up an East Coast tour and then I’ll be going to the West Coast and Canada. And then, oh gosh, I’m going to be playing a lot of festivals in the summer, and hopefully finding time to record some new music. In October I’ll be doing my first European tour, so I’m excited and nervous about that. I also need to make some music videos for Bad Baby because I’ve neglected that so far. Do you have any ideas floating around yet? Me and my friend wanna make a video for ‘Skydiver’ that’s inspired by a scene in Edward Scissorhands where Scissorhands is cutting an ice sculpture and it’s really beautiful. That’s what I’m going off of right now [laughs]. Nobody steal my idea!
Who are your biggest influences? I’d say right now that I’m really inspired by what they call ‘weirdo rock music’. When I heard Wise Blood that was a big turning 30
— Negative Gemini plays 10 October at SugarFactory. Show free for members. Bad Baby EP was released in January via 100% Electronica. negativegemini.bandcamp.com
Negative Gemini
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Interview
Bar None presents (aka Bar None) started at a houseparty, grew into a party-party and is now pushing that status to its limits with the upcoming festival ‘Islas Inutiles’ at OT301 in June. Co-founders Maarten Brijker and Fedor Oduber match low-key vibes with experiment and participation. Traversing geographically-fragmented identities locally, Bar None expands our understanding of grassroots initiatives to the dancefloor, creating a club night that feels relevant to our time. They bring together the sounds of local talent and global hitters; from Dutch talents Fiend and LYZZA to UK’s Manara or South Africa’s FAKA, Bar None presents the bangers from the worldwide underground. We met up with the founders as well as their community to find out more about Bar None’s beginnings and nights to come.
Bar None Interview by Emma van Meijeren Photos shot by Nick van Tiem in OT301 in Amsterdam, NL 32
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Bar None
PAST The best ideas are born at the (very) late hours of house parties, but they rarely become a reality. That’s not the case for Maarten and Fedor who, initially amongst a group of six friends, came up with the idea for Bar None presents after some living room drinking and dancing in 2016. Rather than arising from something missing, their idea came together in a combination of aspects of already existing local parties. As stated by Maarten: ‘We wanted to offer a platform to this specific type of music that was maybe already present at, for instance, Progress Bar, but more focused on local people and their talent. We both came from a background of frequenting parties like Boston Strip, Cable and The Rest is Noise, and what we were looking to create was something that could be equally low-key as those initiatives, with low prices at the door and the promise of running into some friends.’ Bar None presents started off in De Ruimte, a restaurant space on the top floor of a travel tower in Amsterdam Noord. A rare hot Dutch summer night made the space almost unbearably humid; with the windows cracked open the venue’s charm was revealed: it was new, undiscovered and not quite intended to host a party. Such an environment allowed something new to grow, and Bar None quickly found itself a recurring group of visitors. Maarten & Fedor’s top Bar None track: Jones & Stephenson - ‘The First Rebirth’ Maarten & Fedor’s favourite Bar None memory: Anni Nöps dropping ‘The First Rebirth’ in De Ruimte when the lights were turned on, her jumping into the crowd and dancing her heart out.
PRESENT A year in, Bar None started to travel. Firstly it grew in its own neighbourhood, to Garage Noord for an edition with FAKA. Later, the party moved to Amsterdam West squat space OT301 for an edition with MM and Mina. The initial low-key get-together focus started to make way for a new understanding of what Bar None could be. The sound of Bar None became more carefully curated, representing a versatility of DJs and genres that make the party unique: from bounce to trance, hardcore to funk. Bar None is, in many ways, an ode to the diaspora blues, bringing styles and peoples with geographically-fragmented identities together in the mix of global music styles and their more current offsprings. Like the way music travels and creates new genres, people travel and come into new communities. One of the key DJs along for the Bar None journey is DJ Nadia Rodrigues, who brings Gqom together with Soukous and Batida. To DJ Nadia Rodrigues, this new, difficult-to-define community is mirrored by Bar None’s audiences: ‘The crowd is very appreciative and they receive me in an amazing way. They give me motivation and joy in performing.’ Nadia’s top Bar None track: DJ Lilocox - ‘La Party’ Nadia’s favourite Bar None memory: Experiencing Gqom live for the first time with FAKA at Garage Noord.
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Interview
‘Bar None is, in many ways, an ode to the diaspora blues, bringing styles and peoples with geographically-fragmented identities together in the mix of global music styles and their more current offsprings.’ FUTURE Interaction with Bar None’s community is central to Maarten and Fedor’s vision of the future. Using a multidisciplinary approach, they hope to make their conversation with their crowd even more explicit. One key non-musical element is their visual identity – recognizable from the flowing forms and bright colours that enable natural and cyber references to play off each other’s strengths – created by Enrique Arce Gutierrez. Gutierrez, who used to do live coding visuals at techno parties in Mexico City, sees Bar None as a platform to interact with the crowd through live visuals. ‘I started incorporating the faded out post-internet aesthetic into my real-time visuals, on the flyers and the visuals on the site. The aesthetics evolved to be a texture-based amalgamation of found images of the common networks associated with the parties.’ Bar None’s multidisciplinary approach will soon come full form in a one-day festival titled ‘Islas Inutiles’. Literally translated to ‘Useless Islands’, Maarten and Fedor take this description of the Caribbean islands colonized by the Netherlands as a way to engage with what this term means today. Noticing how Caribbean subcultures such as Bubbling are getting new attention in the music scene – both in the Netherlands and abroad – Bar None is celebrating its origins and progression in the local Caribbean diaspora. They’re inviting one of its musical originators, DJ Moortje, alongside new talents such as Curaçaoan photographer Gilleam Trapenberg, to turn the spotlight on the many different art forms that are used to express Caribbean identities in the Dutch context. If art was ever able to find connections in new communities, Bar None will be its platform. Enrique’s top Bar None track: Dinamarca - ‘Descontrol’ Enrique’s favourite Bar None memory: Yon Eta has me covered during most editions, he plays Cumbia when I ask him and Migos on top of it.
— Bar None presents Islas Inutiles ft DJ Moortje, Jus Now and more at OT301 on 2 June. Free for members until 00:00. soundcloud.com/bar-none
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Bar None
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Field trip
Karel
Interview by Maija Jussila Photos shot by Isolde Woudstra in Amsterdam, NL
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Karel
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Field trip
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Karel
I find Karel and Isolde on the corner of Dam Square, high in spirits and ready to kick-off our day in Amsterdam. Karel, local solo-performer with an enthusiasm that’s hard to contain, is dressed in jeans and an Umbro sweater in a dark shade of blue, his blond hair freshly cut; ‘I wore my best today,’ he smiles. His recent move down from Groningen broke the ice to an unexpected solo career; for a little over a year, he’s been a regular performer at underground locations around the city, while keeping up his day job as a food technician. Singing along to a backing track, Karel’s energy-filled one-man shows are the kind to delight in, while feeling slightly afraid he might hurt himself climbing up whatever happens to be within reach. In the past, our field trips have taken us outside of Amsterdam, but as Karel found his way to us, we’re doing it a little different this time – a touristy tour of the city.
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Field trip
teachers so I learnt how to Go Go dance from them. It was fun, and weird. I was almost naked, dancing in a speedo, which was super weird at first but also something to push me out of my comfort zone’. One thing’s for sure, Karel’s no wallflower. His curiosity has led him to test many waters over the 27 years he spent in Groningen: ‘I’ve had all kinds of hobbies,’ he kicks off, ‘speed skating, horseback riding, field hockey, I already mentioned dance. I tried out lots of different instruments; I played clarinet, saxophone, guitar, drums…’ He derails into future aspirations. ‘The ultimate goal is to become one of the statues at Dam square. Not one that doesn’t move, but one that never stops moving’.
From the moment we meet, Karel’s positive energy complements the sunlit day. I stay on bike guard while photographer Isolde and Karel head over to flocks of pigeons in the Dam Square with ‘popular pigeon food’ (the bag actually reads that). Just like on stage, Karel has no reservations basking in the limelight – pigeons rest on his extended arms; he lays in the thick of them as they eat out of his cupped hands. He’s made himself comfortable: ‘I do see what I do sometimes. Even with friends, when I’m not getting enough attention, I do something weird just to get it. My friends say it too, “Oh Karel wants attention.”’ He laughs off the self-reflection, but I wonder when does downtime come into play? ‘I need to socially recharge. I get so excited when people are around, but it takes a lot of energy too. So I always need a few days totally on my own – that’s when I make music... I can’t be around anyone. Until that tension builds up again and I want to go out to see people again.’ Our journey continues. Changing scenery to Amsterdam Noord, the sudden peacefulness is abrupt. To compensate for the stillness, Karel amuses us with chronicles from his past. ‘I once saw Go Go dancing at a nightclub in Groningen. All the dancers were 42
Karel’s assorted hobbies mirror the many musical projects he’s been involved in, from the Friesian-equivalent of Happy Mondays’ percussionist (as part of the 11-headed Yakumo Orchestra) to drumming Santa Fé, in the punk band Fake O’s, and most recently, as the drummer of the lo-fi, synth-driven duo Idiott Smith. All this musical output materialized in Groningen, where the former creative center De Gym served as backdrop for the city’s bustling underground scene. De Gym was forced to close doors last year in March, and the move to Amsterdam must’ve meant faces in the crowds changing from friends to strangers. How has stepping out of this comfort zone affected his performance? ‘I think I find it easier, actually. The audience changes way more at each venue, which I prefer but I do miss De Gym. It was really a birthplace for a lot of bands and had a nice communal feel.’ Abandoning our plan to visit the statue of famous Dutch musician André Hazes, we sit down for a beer at Elandsgracht. Karel goes missing. It’s not just during performances that Karel’s a climber; throughout the day he’s climbed various objects we pass along the way, from ledges to signs. We spot him up a lamp post nearby.
Karel
Field trip
Karel’s cheerfully contagious spirit never seems to falter, not even when faced with a grim place of darkness – we steer our bikes toward the Torture Museum. Out of all the different modes of torture, the best is without a doubt The Flute of Shame, a medieval instrument of torture used to punish and put bad musicians to shame by hanging the device on the neck of the offender. ‘I’d definitely hand out the Flute of Shame to people who ask me things like, “why do you only play covers” or “where’s your band”, or say “good for you that you play your own music” in this horrible, patronizing way’. The truth is, Karel creates his music withdrawn to his own bedroom using an old school drum machine and keyboards. He records the music right onto his computer, transfers it to his iPhone and then hits ‘play’ to serve as his backing tracks during live sets. ‘I was first just making music at home, then performing it at house and birthday parties. Robert [as in Robert Lalkens, then De Gym-rep, now Subbacultcha booker] said I should try out a show in De Gym, it was with Jimmy Whispers.’ The all-consuming hustle of the day has built up Karel’s appetite, so we set out to find a pastry shop in our last essential Amsterdam stop – the Red Light District. We pick out the most awful looking waffle, covered in chocolate that’s sat out for too many days. We ask for an extra strawberry, the order totaling up to a classic tourist trap rate – a whopping €7. Karel digs in, not minding Isolde and my repetition of the word ‘gross’. All the components are terrible but Karel finds a way to turn it into something relishable. There’s an undeniable impact of the city on Karel, ‘I like it, it’s nice for all the things that you can do.’ His reflections extend to himself, ‘I don’t know if I would still be doing my solo thing 44
Karel
if I was in Groningen or if it could get to the point where it’s at now. There’s one song I still play from the first set I did. The rest is so cringe now. I couldn’t let go the way I can now, I didn’t feel as comfortable. Now I don’t really care. At my last show, I screamed in someone’s face [laughs]. I really felt like it was something I just needed to do.’ After a day of talking about his whims, it occurs to me Karel’s dealt his own fortuitous hand. ‘Nowadays I’m pretty fine with where I am. I have the feeling like it’s going somewhere, I don’t know where, but I like how it’s evolving’.
‘I couldn’t let go the way I can now, I didn’t feel as comfortable. Now I don’t really care.’
— Karel plays s105 on 19 July with BEA1991, and Internet Explorer, Berlin with BEA1991 + Raven Artson on 20 July. Both shows free for members. soundcloud.com/karelkarelkarelkarel
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Interview
A guide to navigating double lives, domination and darkness.
Shygirl Interview by Deva Rao Photos shot by Kamila K Stanley in London, UK
Shygirl makes music for the kind of ultrahedonistic future dystopia you secretly hope might actually come about. It’s night music, music imbued with all the tension and temptation of a nocturnal ride through the glimmer and grime of a sinister, swarming metropolis; all black chrome and smeared neon. This remains true with newly dropped EP Cruel Practice, which refines the blueprint set by earlier singles like ‘Want More’ and ‘MSRY’ to devastating effect. The combination 46
of the London vocalist’s cold-blooded delivery and frequent collaborator Sega Bodega’s shadowy, exoskeletal production is a lot for a human body to handle - our feeble physiology just isn’t yet equipped to resist club music this narcotic. But with a new release out, a song featured in Rihanna’s Fenty x PUMA show and a label (NUXXE) to co-manage, we opted to talk mainly about side pieces, side piece maintenance and establishing side piece relationships. Take note.
Shygirl
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Interview
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Shygirl
Okay, before we get into things, I need to disclaim pretty extensively. I’m currently hidden away in an obscure meeting room at my office, and it’s my penultimate day here because I’m leaving the company.
I think I can be quite an intense person. If I focus all my energy on one person, I don’t leave room to breathe and live. But if I accept I can have connections with different people, I have way more opportunities to have fruitful relationships.
Oh cool! I literally quit my job the other day. I actually know that, I’ve been lurking your Twitter quite shamelessly. Oh god… that’s like the inner recesses of my mind. Any random thought, so stupid. Yeah, I did not restrain myself. I really dug, went almost embarrassingly far back. Oh my god, I dread to think how deep. Anything interesting that caught your eye? Yeah, there were a couple of side piecerelated things… Oh yeah, the inspiration to my music. You seem pretty forthright about your romantic life. I think if you keep secrets, there’s shame in that. An openness is a sense of acceptance, there’s no shame in that. I’m still cautious about certain things, and how I say things, but that doesn’t mean these things shouldn’t be said. If I only have myself to talk to and I don’t get things out in the open, then I’m probably going to make some dumb decisions. Air it out. Do you have any tips on maintaining healthy side piece relationships? I say this theoretically, but I couldn’t do it. I get way too easily attached emotionally. I get attached too. I have side pieces but I’m attached to every one of them. What I’ve come to enjoy is connections. I don’t think those connections need to be confined to one person. I think that’s really intense,
These relationships, good or bad, are really formative. I enjoy it when I know a person’s going to be really bad for me, but it’s going to be good along the way. I don’t believe in 100% bad. If I didn’t encounter bad things I wouldn’t have anything to be happy about. I can’t write about happy things, that’s boring. But yeah, I think a lot of it is selfishness, like it’ll make me feel good to be with this person. It all comes down to me [laughs].
‘I enjoy it when I know a person’s going to be really bad for me, but it’s going to be good along the way.’
So how do I establish a side piece relationship? What’s the protocol? It’s all about spontaneity and being instinctual. You have to be able to recognise a vibe between yourself and another person, and not wait for another person to make a decision in that moment. Got it. So speaking of side pieces, did your former coworkers know about Shygirl? They knew I did music and stuff, I’d keep booking days off to do shows, but I didn’t really talk about it all the time, it felt weird. It’s like talking about your mistress. It’s weird to talk about it, like you don’t really do it justice. And vice-versa, I never really talked 49
Interview
about my job while talking about music because it’s irrelevant. It’s two different sides of me, where you don’t need to know one to understand the other. Did it ever feel like you lived a double life, sort of? Definitely, but I do that kind of often. I feel like it’s a good way to organise myself, to compartmentalise different attributes of my personality. And then each one can thrive in their own field, if given time to shine.
‘I think that’s what the Shygirl project is. Just having no restrictions, or the ultimate me.’ As far as compartmentalising different aspects of yourself, what is it you get out of Shygirl? Shygirl is like an exaggeration. I take something like a feeling or a mood or a decision and really run with it. This idea of like, if I let a feeling live longer, what would it have been like? Jealousy or bitterness, ego or confidence. Each one in a moment, a feeling that didn’t really get its time to shine in that moment or that I decided against acting on. I think that’s what the Shygirl project is. Just like, having no restrictions, or the ultimate me. I feel like if your sole exposure to a person’s being is their art, it can frame perception of them in a distorted or oversimplified way…
Ever been negatively affected by preconceived notions? I think maybe not so much because of my artistic persona, but in life, yeah definitely. I definitely experience that, partly, I think, because of my race or my economic background or even that I’m from London, the accent, whatever. You can sense when you’re with someone and they underestimate you. And that’s a good thing, there’s room there for you to, without pressure, be what you want to be. Tell me about ‘Want More’. It’s my favourite track of yours. ‘Want More’ was the first thing I made, ever. We literally made that in the studio in one day and put it out. I’ve been working on more songs since then, but the music I have out… those are the first things I ever made. So it’s weird looking at it now as something that ‘says’ something about me. When Sega Bodega first made that I was like ‘we’ve made this thing together and it’s sick’. I still feel that, but I’ve obviously heard it like a million times. But I still feel really good about it. I don’t look back at it as a cringe song. I like how the lyrics are exactly what came to my head that minute. It’s good to have songs like that that are reactionary, but I also appreciate the stuff where it means a bit more in the lyrics, like ‘MSRY’. With that song, it was like writing a diary you know someone’s going to read. Where you just write in code a little bit. That’s why I like ‘MSRY’ more. How would you describe your new music?
I’m fine with that. That’s what I’m giving you, you can only base it on what I’m giving you. And then someone else might get a totally different side. But that’s the relationship I want with those people, so it’s still a choice.
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It’s a big jump for me. I refined my style a lot more. It’s very much like the stuff that’s out, but it’s a lot more intelligent, lyrically and in the ways I used my inspirations. Now I’m getting to this weird point where people show
Shygirl
Interview
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Shygirl
me old tracks and I’m like, ‘ah, that’s cool’… but I don’t really want it to be ‘me’ right now. Your music has a darkness to it but it’s playful too, it makes me feel like I’m being taunted or disrespected or something. The first time I heard your stuff it sort of… hurt my feelings. [Laughs] Good. There’s this program on Channel 4 about these girls, like, students and stuff who were using call-lines to fund their degrees, chatting to guys over the phone. There was this one girl who was a dom, being like ‘you’re worthless’ to guys over the phone. I was like, ‘oh my god, that’s a dream job’, telling people they’re worthless over the phone and then going about your day. This is my equivalent right now. It stings… okay, you can play one song at your funeral, what’s it going to be?
Damn, played right into your hands… It’d have to be ‘I Get Knocked Down’. It’s pubbier. I’d love to hear it in the pub. I’m a lager lout.
‘I was like, ‘oh my god, that’s a dream job’, telling people they’re worthless over the phone and then going about your day.’
Fair. Any shout outs before we bring this to a close? Shout out my team, always. NUXXE family and friends. Everyone else is irrelevant. Nah, I’m joking.
I was thinking about this recently… a funeral is not for [the deceased], I really could not care less. You’re dead, and I’m too selfish. I don’t care. Whoever’s left behind, they can deal with it, they can choose what they think I would like. It’s for the people you leave behind. And maybe by the time I die I’ll hate music and just not want anything to do with it. So like… field recordings. Yeah, just… silence. Listen to the blood pumping through your veins. Chumbawamba’s ‘I Get Knocked Down’ versus Smash Mouth’s ‘All Star’. Which is the best? I don’t know what either of those are… what are they? No way, of course you do… *sings both* Ha, I just wanted you to sing them.
— Shygirl plays 15 June in OT301 with FAKA, coucou chloe, LYZZA and Yon Eta. Show free for members. Debut EP ‘Cruel Practice’ will be out on the 25th May via collective/record label NUXXE. soundcloud.com/shygirl_93
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Point of view
To ‘Like’ a Living Legend by Brittany McGillivray illustration Olivia Brown More days than not, I wake by grabbing my phone, alarm already twice-snoozed, and begin scrolling through an infinite stream of images on my Instagram feed. I know that this is not a nice, nor healthy, foray into the day; the plethora of golden retriever videos hardly outweighs the anxiety-inducing posts of succulentlined window sills and trips to Iceland. I had finally deleted the app this winter (probably a good call), when my friend clued me in to pure Insta-gold: @ThisIsPattiSmith, the account of living legend Patti Smith, newly created this March. Instagram has a funny social effect, bringing in close proximity your closest friends and family with superstars, brands, publications and meme-generators. The mix can be dizzying, lending to a sense of faux familiarity with those you’ve never met in real life. Suddenly, Patti was just one @ comment away; I vacillated on whether or not to tag her in my photo from her book signing at the ABC Bookstore, or from my solo adventure to Portland to scream along to Horses front row at the Crystal Ballroom. The tricky thing about obsessing over living legends, is, well, the living part. One can only imagine how deflating it might be to see your idol throw a Valencia filter over their avocado toast. With Patti, I needn’t worry – her feed is as poetic as her writing, acting as a supplement, not erasure to, the iconicness of her work. I swoon at not only the content of her posts, but the reverence she has for all things, from Renaissance literature to modern-day TV. A recent caption: ‘This is my desk, ready for work. The silver chair is from the interro-
gation room in Law and Order: Criminal Intent, that featured two of my favourite detectives, Goren and Eames. Before I write I will mop the floor with hot oolong tea, that gives a very mild fragrance, and see what kind of words will spill from a little self-interrogation.’ With Patti, we are given a critical closeness – and, dare I say, authenticness? – that can feel impossible in a sea of Kardashians and social influencers. Other musical icons give us similar glimpses: missives from the dog-filled world of Cat Power’s Chan Marshall (@afasm); heartfelt clips from queen Erykah Badu (@ erykahbadu); quirky glamour shots from Subbacultcha’s much loved Jimmy Whispers (@summerinpain). These snapshots humanize our idols, and hand little pieces of them to us, right into our palms. Patti once said: ‘Nothing is a hobby – each discipline is its own world with its own high standards.’ Browsing through her feed, I wonder if this is simply her newest discipline; her enduring 1970s brilliance channelled into a 2010s medium. From verse-like reflections on US gun laws to pictures of dawn at Rockaway Beach, Patti keeps a beautiful record of daily life that reminds me of why we engage with these apps in the first place: to share, to connect, to feel seen. Maybe these artists have the power to save us from our memes and #avocadotoast just yet.
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THU 14 JUN / Location: De School
GOAT (JP)
Muziekgebouw aan de Ring
SAT 23 + SUN 24 JUN / Location: NDSM-werf
STRANGE SOUNDS FROM BEYOND WED 17 OCT / Location: Bimhuis
WACŁAW ZIMPEL + SAAGARA WED 30 JAN
tickets MUZIEKGEBOUW.NL / THERESTISNOISE
STA R G AZE Björk’s ‘Debut’
g e melkw g e melkw
Da 00 mnd
BAND
da 00 mnd
wo 24 okt Flatbush Zombies
BAND LOS PIRAÑAS
do 07 jun
PRESENTED BY ALTA CUMBIA NITE
di 30 okt
BLOOD ORANGE
do 04 okt
PURNO DE PURNO MARATHON BLOSSOMS
za 16 jun
wo 24 okt
FLATBUSH ZOMBIES
DI 20 NOV
AVEC
tickets: tickets:melkweg.nl melkweg.nl
Point of view
When Things Go Black by Carly Blair illustration Olivia Brown In a classic Youtube clip, a little boy in a suit and tie delivers a speech from the movie Miracle that Herb Brooks, coach of the USA men’s hockey team at the 1980 Olympics, gave before the team went on to win gold. Clearly put up to it by an earnest, hockeyloving parent, and nervous at first, the boy manages to deliver the speech’s final lines with gusto: ‘Screw ‘em! This is YOUR time! Now go out there and take it.’ Those same lines open the new album from Amen Dunes,Freedom. They are immediately followed by another quote, this from the abstract painter Agnes Martin, read by frontman Damon McMahon’s mother: ‘I don’t have any ideas myself. I am a vacant mind.’ While McMahon’s first three albums as Amen Dunes were deliberately opaque, shrouded in fuzz and lyrics mostly mumbled, with 2014’s luminous L ovehe took a step out of the darkness of his solitude. His initial plan for its follow-up was an even more approachable album about identity and what it means to be a man: about growing up in an unsafe household, with a ‘hard-living’ mom and a ‘stereotypically macho’ dad who disapproved of his being a musician. But McMahon’s mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer in L ove’s wake, and the fearless and unapologetic stance she adopted in its face led him to reexamine his outlook on her life as well as his own art. If an artist’s calling is to achieve total dissolution of ego, as Agnes Martin suggested, then perhaps his mother’s self-nullification was sublime in its own way. The idea of being more vulnerable
and selfless with his songwriting fit nicely into this new world view. So rather than being an album about defining and memorializing all the versions of self that make up a person, Freedom became an album about examining those notions and discarding them, or as McMahon described it, ‘a relinquishing of self through an exploration of self.’ In that light, the album’s opening epigraphs come off as symbolic of his beginning state and desired end state: a little boy playing grown-up, so eager to prove himself, versus an artist who’s lost all shred of self-importance, possessed by some kind of cosmic inspiration. Accordingly, while male egos inhabit the album in droves, it’s McMahon’s mother’s voice that delivers the album’s opening mantra, and it’s his mother’s spirit that permeates the album’s emotional centerpiece, ‘Believe.’ In it, he seems at peace with his mother’s life and acknowledges the encouragement she’s given him. Its lyrics are rife with poignant details, their impact heightened by heavenly tempo changes and McMahon’s incomparable delivery. It is a line from this song – ‘When things go black, I got you’ – which is emblazoned across the album art above all others. As McMahon sees it, the best pop musicians have mastered the art of making the music not about them. Their music is seemingly impersonal, yet undeniably their own. Freedom is far from universal, but by being more transparent and letting his singular voice shine through, McMahon has made his most enlightened album yet. 57
Click Click Club
Click Click Club Subbacultcha through your eyes
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The Click Click Club means future #tbt material by our members. We hand over a disposable camera at our shows and you show us what you see. The Click Click Club Want to join our Click Click Club? Pick up a camera at the cash desk of one of our next shows or shoot an e-mail to clickclick@subbacultcha.nl for more info. 01. At the Gun Outfit show at OT301
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02. At the Bonne Aparte show at s105 (De School) 03. At the Unfair Afterparty at Machinegebouw 04. At the Magazine Release Party issue 11 at Cinetol 05. At the Bonne Aparte show at s105 (De School) 06. At the Gun Outfit show at OT301 07. At the Duds show at De Nieuwe Anita 08. At the Magazine Release Party issue 11 at Cinetol 09. At the Coals show at De Nieuwe Anita 04
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Subbacultcha magazine
Click Click Club Subbacultcha through your eyes
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— All s105 shows are sponsored by Jupiler. Thanks to FotoLabKiekie for developing our negatives. 09
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About last night
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Subbacultcha magazine
About Last Night We drop by a member’s place the morning after a show
Name: Deniz Gülsöken Age: 26. Though no Albert Heijn cashier seems to believe it. Subbacultcha Member since: 2015 Show: Kedr Livanskiy (who couldn’t make it) Day job: Freelancer aka looking for a job Dream job: The general dream is to have a regular, disposable income
I wake up to ‘Bitch Switch’ by Leikeli47 everyday.
How was the show last night?
Today’s soundtrack?
In all honesty, it took me longer than expected to get to the venue – I have trouble leaving places – but it was fun once we finally made it.
Ugh, I can’t decide. I always spend a lot of time looking for the perfect song for specific moments and end up going back to the same ones I always listen to. (Analogy for life?)
What went down? Give us your best new story (made last night).
What Subbacultcha show are you looking forward to next?
I made a friend on the ferry back, we cycled together for awhile and had a chat about dog breeds. Conclusion: dog breeding is evil and the best pups are mutts.
Sean Nicholas Savage.
Get lucky? Roommate got me pastries and coffee this morning, so yes, pretty lucky. How’s your head? Not so bad considering. I drank lots of water and had a snack before bed - maybe that’s it.
What does today look like? Going to head outside to check out this thing called the sun, possibly Rauwe School in the evening.
Got any advice for the people? Drink lots of water and have a snack before bed (see above). Anything else good to share? I recently figured out that the spoons I thought were teaspoons were in fact not teaspoons. So, if you think the smallest spoon in the drawer is the teaspoon, I suggest some googling.
What time did you get home? Around 3:30am. What’s the best music to wake up to?
— Want to let us in on your ‘woke up like this’ situation after a Subbacultcha show? Email editorial@subbacultcha.nl to talk about last night. Text Roxy Merrell Photo shot by Annabel van Royen
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Subbacultcha
Upcoming Shows Highlight: Soho Rezanejad 07 July, Garage Noord
Armed with a raw, explorative energy, Soho Rezanejad’s voice holds an otherworldly power. You may recognize her never wavering and completely intoxicating sound from Danish post-punk trio Lust For Youth. In her solo project, her wide-ranging vocals stretch and soar over darkwave drones. Listen closely to recent album Six Archetypes (Silicone Records) to reveal its depths; built of synth soundscapes, sci-fi chronicles and philosophical reflections.
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Subbacultcha
Upcoming Shows All shows free for members Sign up for €8 a month at subbacultcha.nl
June a r No n e Pre s e n ts: B I s l a s I n u t i l e s
+ Idio t t Sm ith + R e n d e z- v o u s Aft e rp a r t y
Garage Noord
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Ka r e l + B E A 1 9 9 1
20
OT301
14 M u z i e kg e b o u w
aan d e R i n g: G OA T [JP] + A b le No is e
h yg i r l + c o u c o u S c h l o e + FA K A + LYZ Z A + Yo n E t a
15
OT301
Cra c k C l o u d + Pe r s o n a l Tra i n e r
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Butcher’s Tears
s105 (De School)
a re l + BEA 1991 K + Ra ven A r ts o n Internet Explorer, Berlin
A r t y Pa r t y w/ L e 1f
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De School
R e z a n ej a d
OT301
S e a n N i c h o l a s S a v a g e
8
7 Soho
L.A.N. Summer Special
2
July
Melkweg
August Pa r d a n s
3
De Nieuwe Anita
G ra n d P r i x
10
De Nieuwe Anita
D iffe r e n t C l a s s
11
Bar Bricolage, Ghent
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Get a friend to sign up to Subbacultcha and both get a month for free. subbacultcha.nl/benefits
at the Gun Outfit show at 0T301, shot by Subbacultcha’s Click Click Club
FRIENDS with BENEFITS