TOM BOY Digital Culture Magazine
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CREATIVE DIRECTOR/CO-EDITOR CO-EDITOR/PUBLIC RELATIONS WRITING CONTRIBUTORS
ABI LAMBERT MEGAN SMITH RACHEL WALDEN ALANNA GARDNER JAY MORRIS MAX GOLDWASSER NABHANYU CHILUVERU
PHOTO & ART CONTRIBUTORS
BRIAN NABHANYU CHILUVERU AYANO SUDO COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS 3D KIP OMOLADE THOMAS MCCALLISTER MICHAEL SCHMELLING MATTHEW SHAEFER MAX GOLDWASSER FEROSH MAGAZINE ARTISTS
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TOM BOY Digital Culture Magazine
TOM CAT Digital Culture Magazine
pHOTOGRAPHY / mAX gOLDWASSER 3D rENDERS / aBI lAMBERT MODEL / dENZEL
TOM BOY TOM CAT www.tomboytomcat.com www.facebook.com/tomboytomcat
This magazine is sponsored by the Idea Lab Mini Grant Program. The Idea Lab Mini Grant Program is supported by Ideas for Creative Exploration (ICE), an interdisciplinary initiative foradvanced research in the arts at UGA. ICE is supported in part by the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, and the Graduate School.
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Exposure v. Exploitation PAGE 22
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Cyber TOM CAT 9
cyber - /ˈsībər/ “Of, relating to, or characteristic of the culture of computers, information technology, and virtual reality.” Story / Max goldwasser
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ART / Thomas Mccallister
ike so many textbook definitions, a Google ber attack occurs when an entity comprises one of search for the word “cyber” yields a broad, the fundamental pillars of cyber security on a given vague, and otherwise unhelpful explana- system or network: confidentiality, integrity, availtion of what the word truly means. This ability, non-repudiation, and authentication. In the definition would have people believe that cyber is a case of an attack, scale is irrelevant. A DDoS attack physical manifestation of our personal information. on a small, independent cat-lover website is akin to Some understand it as a lucrative tara similar attack on a website hosted by get for criminals while others shudder Cyberspace Sony or the Department of Defense. in fear of the impending doom of an While these are cyber attacks, neither is all around necessarily constitutes an act of cyber electronic attack. So what is cyber? On us in nearly war. The Tallinn Manual, a doctrine its own, cyber is nothing. It’s merely a prefix. How to understand the cyber published by NATO to address the everything domain or cyberspace, however, is a difdefinition and laws for cyber warfare, we do. ferent question in its entirety. states that “An international armed If asked to visualize cyberspace, conflict exists whenever there are hosyou would likely conjure up images of 1’s and 0’s, tilities which may include or be limited to cyber dark scenes of hackers and landscapes similar to operations, occurring between two or more States.” that from Tron. You’re not entirely wrong. But this Therefore an attack by a state through cyber opermisconception is what drives the mystery. Like the ations on another state or its sovereign territory or stock footage broadcasted by Fox and CNN every property can potentially be considered an act of cytime there is a large data breach, these dark scenes ber war. The difference between a cyber attack and are Hollywood’s imagery. Really, the cyber world cyber war has nothing to do with scale, methods, or is far more commonplace. Cyberspace is all around means. The two terms carry a significantly different us in nearly everything we do. Your smartphone, meaning diplomatically, however, and must not be Facebook account, refrigerator, thermostat, and lo- used interchangeably (although the media erronecal coffee shop are all cyberspace. Because we’ll be ously uses them this way). the ones to inherit it, I believe our generation has a But who is hacking us now? The news is full of responsibility to understand the vastness and com- breaches of personal information, private photos, plexity of the space. and credit cards. There are some groups who operFirst, we must draw a distinction that isn’t illus- ate in the cyber domain to conduct criminal activitrated in news coverage of current events. A cyber ty or promote a political message. Cyber crime and attack is not the same thing as cyber warfare. A cy- corporate espionage are incredibly lucrative oper-
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ations with estimated annual losses reaching over skilled navigators of networked systems and dig$400 billion. Organized crime has profited hugely. ital interfaces, their strength lies in leveraging the Bringing black market items into the dark web, human element of our interconnected world. Social trading in stolen credit cards, and paying in Bitcoin Engineering is a field of study dedicated to “human have all been exploited by online hacking,” understanding the unmobs at huge expenses to victims. derlying characteristics of human Back up your Meanwhile, others conduct cyber nature that govern our interacattacks for targeted humiliation information. Keep tions. Where directly attacking an or to promote a political agenda. encrypted login server can take copies offline. At the forefront stands Anonydays of persistent attacks, a phone Understand that call and a bit of research can get mous. “Expect Us” is the end of the public wifi is just a valid password offered up by popularized tagline associatan unsuspecting victim. Once an that, public. ed with the amorphous hacker attacker has an entry point to a group who has made it back into network, the possibilities are endthe news in recent months. They are online “sol- less for means of exploitation. Therefore, keeping diers” who hold meetings in chat rooms and work good cyber hygiene is a must for safe use of any to promote an agenda of autonomy from govern- networked applications and devices. ment and fulfilment of human rights. The news porI believe this is where your responsibility as a trays Anonymous as a group of deranged, masked member of cyberspace becomes critical, and so I cyber-terrorists. But what have they terrorized? will offer you some parting words of advice. It’s up They have launched attacks on ISIS propaganda to each of us to keep strong passwords and limit the accounts on Twitter, pedophiles around the globe, personal information we distribute freely on social and (formerly) totalitarian governments in Egypt. media. Everyone needs to understand the genuine These are all things that Western media portray as threat of identity theft. Back up your information. endangering, however the same networks catego- Keep copies offline. Understand that public wifi is rize Anonymous as one of these threats to national just that, public. Keep an open mind when mainsecurity. Anonymous has taken the initiative and stream news speaks on cyber attacks and breaches; acted on their own. This is not to say they have a they likely don’t have the whole story, and exagclean record, but perhaps it’s time they’re seen in a gerated buzzwords typically sell for much better different light. It may be dangerous in the long run ratings than the simpler truth. The internet is a meas they’ve proven to be unpredictable and volatile, dium, one which we enjoy for pleasure, business, but as of yet, they have merely proven their tech- and education, and abuse of this privilege can lead nological prowess and attempted to make positive to grave (and often unintentional) consequences for changes in their own right. yourself and those around you. Although hackers like Anonymous are highly Cyber Responsibly.
The views and opinions in this article are my own, and do not reflect those of the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Navy, the Department of Defense, or the United States Government in any form.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Oxford American English Dictionary Distributed Denial of Service: using a network of infected machines to overload a server with traffic to the point of shutdown. Tallinn Manual on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Warfare, Rule 22 “Net Losses: Estimating the Global Cost of Cybercrime” by Center for Strategic and International Studies, June 2014. Sections of the internet hidden from view from search engines and only accessible through encrypted routers Digital, secure currency which is held independently from a bank and managed through secure channels
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AYANO SUDO
須藤 絢乃 The subject of Ayano Sudo’s work is the desire to transform oneself, surpassing one’s granted gender. Ayano Sudo photographs herself and other models in various locations and countries, and also in her studio in Japan; the settings and the processes that undertake the transformations thus go further beyond given nationality, sexuality, or time period. The resulting work, color prints on textured paper, floats between photography and Shojo-Manga (a genre of manga destined to girls between ages 10 to 18), and is decorated with rhinestones and glitter, sparkling and shining almost like stage make-up under spotlights when installed.
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Exposure vs. Exploitation Cashing In On The BDSM Community STORY / Alanna Gardner Photography / Courtesy of Ferosh magazine’s Hillany Scofield
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hen the buzz surrounding “50 in sexual experiences that were previously taShades of Grey” began, I wasn’t boo. at all interested. I couldn’t finish Emma Green, contributing writer for The AtHarry Potter, never started Twi- lantic, discussed the mainstream targeting of the light and didn’t see a lot of value in investing film: “It’s worth noting that the fantasy of Fifty in the next craze. But since the beginning of the Shades is targeted at a very mainstream set of 50 Shades frenzie, I can’t help but women. It’s incredibly straight: notice BDSM popping up unexand Christian stick to maxi“There are as Ana pectedly. Cosmo was giving me mally traditional versions of femmany ways to ininity and masculinity. It’s also BDSM lingerie and prop tips, and my typically conservative practice BDSM solidly middle- to upper-class: roommates were inquiring about owns an Audi R8 Spyas people that Christian bondage. Finally, I came across a der and wears Ray-Bans; Ana practice it.” cookbook entitled “50 Shades of gets a Mac laptop and wears Chicken,” displaying a roasted Louboutins. Not all the characbird wrapped up in rotisserie string; I thought ters cast in the Fifty Shades movie are white, but perhaps there was more to this phenomenon the vast majority are; the main non-white characthan I was crediting. ter is José, Ana’s friend, who has a crush on her During its peak, two copies of the book were and ends up being a bit of a sexual predator.” sold every second; and only two weeks after its Russell Perreault, vice president of the serelease, the film hit the $400 million mark. A ries’ publisher Random House, confirmed that quick Google search of film merchandise led me the novel was most popular with those to be to apparel, jewelry, wine, dog toys, cosmetics considered typically under-exposed and sexand naturally, sex toys. It is obvious that plen- ually deprived. These women were described ty of people are profiting from the franchise’s as mom-types in their 30s, 40’s and 50s that success, but it doesn’t appear to be the BDSM have admittedly read the books five, six, seven, community that single-handedly drove its pop- times—one woman in San Francisco said she ularity. had read them 73 times. According to 2013 data BDSM (Bondage/Discipline/Sadism/Masoch- from an online survey of 1,075 adults by the Barism) is a variety of erotic practices based on pow- na Group, a faith-focused polling firm, 9 percent er exchange between a dominant—who asserts of practicing Christian women in America have the power—and a submissive—who receives it. read at least the first book. While the media continues to perpetuate a conThese women allow themselves to embrace crete stereotype of BDSM, commonly associating their “newfound” interest in eroticism guilt-free it with whips, chains and leather, community by denying any parallels between themselves member Michael says, “There are as many ways and members of the BDSM community. The film to practice BDSM as people that practice it.” nurtures this denial by continuing to marginIt would seem that the recent accessibility of alize and inaccurately portray the BDSM comBDSM would offer opportunities for education munity and its members, only allowing them and understanding, humanizing the communi- humanity in an alternative reality.This is mainly ty. However, I fear that this mass production— accomplished by presenting an abusive relationmasquerading as normalization—has instead re- ship to the public and labeling it a BDSM one. duced members of the community to lepers only “50 shades of grey is essentially romanticisexisting as entertainment in our arcane fantasies. ing their lifestyle,” says Michael. “It has all kinds This fear also stems from my belief that the of negative effects, It’s making people say ‘I interest in this series is rooted in the sexual re- want that’ without knowing what ‘that’ really is. pression of our overwhelmingly conservative, It makes people say your relationship is abusive Christian nation. “50 Shades of Grey” has al- and wrong.” This widespread sensationalism is lowed the mainstream woman to safely indulge an unfair representation of the BDSM communi-
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ty, making the profits gained from it exploitive. sexual relationships most are familiar with, alBDSM is a lifestyle that requires a great deal cohol invalidates any consent given and BDSM of trust, skill, and education, none of which have relationships are no exception. been emphasized to the general public through Another consensual element missing from the the film or related media attention. One set of plot line is the ability to retract consent. While standards the community folAna did initially verbally conlows to prevent abuse is SSC. sent to BDSM play, she came to BDSM is a SSC stands for safe, sane and discover that she did not enjoy lifestyle that consensual, three elements it and no longer wanted to be that are absent in “50 Shades of Christian’s submissive. Howrequires a Grey.” ever she was never made to feel great deal of Safe, by definition, means comfortable expressing her distrust, skill, and comfort and creating her own to be “secure from liability to harm, injury, danger, or risk.” boundaries. In actual BDSM education Safe BDSM practitioners take relationships, there is constant care of their partners to ensure that no matter communication which is virtually absent from how intense the scene may be, no unwanted Christian and Ana’s relationship, inside and injury occurs. While a majority of BDSM activ- outside of the bedroom. BDSM partners discuss ities may involve harming their partners, it is in detail what will and will not take place.. Even against their code of ethics to injure or abuse an- during play, community members often use safe other member physically or mentally. At several words to prevent any lines from being crossed. points in the novel, Ana is clearly in an undeni- Ultimately, no matter what has been previously able amount of pain and discomfort whenever agreed to, submissives and dominants both reChristian demands violent sex and successfully serve the right at any moment to retract consent asserts himself. In addition to the physical harm, and cease activity that they are no longer enjoyChristian’s tactics of stalking, intimidation and ing. isolation are all characteristic of emotional abuse. The “50 Shades of Grey” franchise has made Next, safe BDSM activities should be sane: a fortune from feeding the desires of a sexually considered to be of a healthy mind and free from repressed nation. Unfortunately for the purpose psychological derangement. This is a major mis- of profit and entertainment, they have fed Amerrepresentation in the book and the film. BDSM ica a further marginalizing, abusive depiction of is presented as a sick habit to be overcome by a community that is truly founded on trust and the end of the series. Even Ana immediately re- love. sponded to the prospect in shock and disgust. In an interview with Elle Magazine, lead actor Christian, who lost his virginity to one of his Jamie Dornan recalled his trip to a dominatrix mother’s friends at the age of 15 is a victim of dungeon:”I saw a dominant with one of his two childhood sexual abuse. This is the perceived submissives. I was like: ‘Come on guys, I know reason for his interest in BDSM. However, there I’m not paying for this, but I am expecting a is no evidence linking childhood abuse or psy- show…Then going back to my wife and newchological disorders directly to the BDSM com- born baby afterwards… I had a long shower bemunity. fore touching either of them.” Lastly, BDSM relationships are completeThese candid comments are reflective of the ly consensual. In order for consent to be giv- existing mindset and perception that has been en, partners must be fully aware of all possible shaped by the popularity of the film. While the risks and their environment. Ana, not being an sexual behaviors of BDSM members are admiteducated member of the BDSM community, is tedly unconventional, like any community it is never fully aware of what the relationship en- populated by humans, humans that are being tails and so is not able to give consent. She is also exploited in the wake of a cash cow. frequently under the influence of alcohol. In the
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first met Nick Weidenfeld in 2004 when he showed up at my family Christmas party as the cool, new weird guy dating my aunt—his now wife—Amantha. Nick lived up to my first “cool new weird guy” impression when my sister and I unwrapped his Christmas presents for us. We each received personalized hoodies decorated with bizarre, warped drawings of Lindsay Lohan and Aaron Carter. Nick drew them himself. They were absolutely ridiculous and I – a fourth grader who had a shrine dedicated to Aaron Carter in my closet at the time – fucking loved it. As I grew up, I realized I wasn’t the only one Nick was making weird shit for. In addition to making handmade sweatshirts for his girlfriend’s nieces, Nick was also busy creating award-winning shows for Cartoon Network’s late-night television program, Adult Swim. D.C. native Nick Weidenfeld broke into the television industry in 2004 when he unexpectedly became the development executive for Adult Swim after bonding with Cartoon Network exec Mike Lazzo during a magazine interview. From 2004 to 2012 Nick served as head of program development for the Cartoon Network, turning shows like Robot Chicken and Children’s Hospital into major hits. Two Emmy awards, a marriage, and a kid later, Nick opened up a new animation block on late-night FOX known as Animation Domination High-Def (ADHD). With shows like Lucas Brothers, High-School USA, and the recently premiered Major Lazer cartoon, ADHD has marked its place in late night television with short form cartoons hilarious enough to keep the attention span of our generation.
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How did you get into the television industry? Was it something you always saw yourself being a part of?
An expression I’ve used a lot is that “you just don’t let talent out of the building.” If you have someone and they’re not doing necessarily a great job, but they’re really talented…you don’t let them leave. You find them the job that’s right for them.
It basically started in 2003 when I went to Atlanta to do a piece for Esquire on Adult Swim. Before that, my brother, who was in college at the time, So maybe that’s had called me and been all “Yo there’s this crazy shit on late “Everybody night cartoon network - you has ADHD and gotta check it out.” So I had aleverybody loves ready watched a lot of their stuff pizza. So when we and gotten pretty into it.
have this cartoon
what Mike Lazzo saw with me? He was like, “I don’t know what he’ll do, but we should have him here.” Another thing is that Adult Swim was still very much growing at that time. So when I just sort of showed up at his doorstep, I think Mike thought “ok, we’ve gotta make this guy a part of that process.”
So I was definitely into animanetwork associated tion, but I just never thought with ADHD and I would do TV – ever. I didn’t pizza, people can He said to me, “You should have any experience with it and connect to it.” come in and you could do whatjust didn’t really know who to ever you want here. You’ll be get involved with it. I liked to draw and I found cartoons funny…but I didn’t the head of development – what that means, you figure out.” even know how they were made, you know? But then I go to do this piece on this guy at Adult Swim, Mike Lazzo, and he basically offers me a job while I’m interviewing him.
After all the work you did with Adult Swim, what made you decide to leave and start you own cartoon network?
So things went from you interviewing Mike Lazzo…to him interviewing you and offering you a job? Did that catch you off guard?
There was a point where Kevin Reilly—who was the chairman of Fox at the time—had been put in touch with me through a friend to ask me questions about animation in general. He was trying to figure out why things weren’t moving as fast as he would have wanted to at Fox – why there was really only one guy [Seth MacFarlane] making all the shows, and if there were other things to learn about the process. When we were discussing all these things he basically offered me this job that was to take everything that I had learned from Adult Swim (in this sort of finding creative talent and working with talented people) and to do it all under one roof. That was the thing with Adult Swim. When you’re just the network and you’re going to all these different places to make the show, there is this sort of a breakdown creatively and it’s very difficult to manage all of that.
It was totally surprising. I think it had a lot to do with a couple things, the first being that we were very similar people. The other thing that might have contributed was the subject of the piece I was writing. Mike came in thinking it was the normal conversation of “Oh, what’s your background,” etcetera. Instead, I came into the interview with an interest that related to gender and the specific kind of comedy in the shows at that time. So he was like, “Okay. Here’s this person who is thinking of the actual shows we are creating and the way comedy is made.”
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For example, there was this moment when I saw things. I moved into the kid stuff and you could we were working with one studio and we had four really see the way things were changing with the shows with that one studio, but none of the cre- “Regular Show” and “Adventure Time.” We realators ever talked to each other. They’re work for ized things needed to be more positive. It needs to hire and they’re just there to make sure the job gets be more fun and have a sort of a more upbeat vibe done. The problem is that there’s no one creatively than the Adult Swim shows. in that process that says “hey, you know we have four huge creators that are all That was important to me and amazingly smart and talented— it’s what I think a lot of people “Sometimes I do what if they interacted with things at ADHD and like about “Loiter Squad” and each other and maybe make some of those later shows. GoI’m like ‘oh, this each other’s shows better? Maying after that talent—that is the is too negative— be be on each other’s shows?”— stuff that works. So, sometimes I that’s the way the best collabomaybe it would do things at ADHD and I’m like rative work happens. I mean it have worked on oh, this is too negative—maybe doesn’t have to be like Warhol’s Adult Swim, but it’s it would have worked on Adult factory but let’s keep everybody not the vibe here.’” Swim, but it’s not the vibe here. together. That was how the early Adult Swim truly, truly startIt’s interesting how the ed—like right before I joined Adult Swim—when ADHD Tumblr is broadcasting current it was “Aqua Teen” and “Space Ghost.” events through GIF art. Is GIF art and net art an influence for ADHD? So our vision was, what if you got to make all of your shows in one place and hire all the talent? Yeah, absolutely. That’s what I think made ADHD That seemed like something that was not necfeel off the bat just a little bit younger and more essarily a move up from Adult Swim, but just a connected than a lot of what other people are domove more in the direction of being creatively in ing. control. And so, I left Adult Swim—which I love and which is where my wife still works, where my brother still works, and where my friends still work—because I think it was an opportunity to grow and to try something more the way I think it should be done—to truly form a creative process. How do you decide which shows are a fit for ADHD? For the most part it’s really going after a specific thing. For example, I really love the Lucas brothers. I thought, okay, these guys are really interesting and funny and I’m going to work until that show works. When I was at Adult Swim, I worked on the “Regular Show,” but I was also very much a part of the Adventure Time side of
I think that this .gif news thing and .gif art in general is really the main influence, it’s how a lot of us are getting our ideas and getting our talent. We’re straight up on Tumblr finding people’s interesting work and then contacting them and asking them to work for us, because I think it’s a really great place to find the youngest talent. ADHD seems like a very fitting title for a cartoon network. Cartoons such as Lucas Bros Moving Company change so quickly. How much – if at all – do you think Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a literal essence of the network? So, Fox needed a name for this block and I had a bunch of different ideas. I wanted to call it
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“I’m part of an ADHD generation.” Friend’s Night, but they wanted to connect it to Animation Domination because that’s a brand for them. For me, that feels very much connected to “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy” and all that Sunday stuff, but we’re this sort of red-headed stepchild making a lot of short form programming and it’s going to be potentially more experimental and weirder. So, I suggested we call it Animation Domination High Def- which would just be ADHDreally just to get away from the Animation Domination and to separate us. Surprisingly, they were okay with that. On top of that, it was obvious to call it ADHD because it is supposed to be the content for a generation of kids with attention deficit disorder that can’t focus on one thing for too long. I think people respond to the name because it’s so identifiable of who you are. You are a part of this odd future. You’re connected to something specific and ADHD definitely felt like oh, I can relate to that idea – I’m part of an ADHD generation. You need something like that. Everybody has ADHD and everybody loves pizza. So when we have this cartoon network associated with ADHD and pizza, people can connect to it. Does ADHD have any aspirations past being syndicated on Fox and FX? I would like to see Friend’s Night making more than just the cartoons that are on there. It would be amazing to do live action stuff and to just have Friends Night be a brand where the cartoons that we make have a certain vibe. Mainly I just want that same-place, same-spirit connection. For people to be able to look at stuff we made - whether it was a cartoon, book, music video, movie – and know that it came from the same place. If ADHD could go on to make stuff that’s dope and even bigger than cartoons, but still have our style…that would be awesome.
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Digital Energy ART / Brian @ brianbrianbrianbrianbrian
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Born in Harlem, New York, Kip Omolade began his art career as a graffiti artist while interning at Marvel Comics and The Center for African Art. He continued his studies at The Art Students League of New York and earned a BFA at the School of Visual Arts. His paintings have been featured in exhibitions throughout the East Coast. Diovadiova Chrome portraits historically connect to ancient, realistic African sculptures such as Benin ivory masks and Ife bronze heads. The oil paintings are psychological studies that investigate immortality, the universal masks we all wear and contemporary notions of beauty and luxury. The labor-intensive process involves making a mold of each model’s face, reworking the cast plaster sculpture, producing a version in resin and adding a chrome layer with artificial eyelashes. The final sculpture then serves as a model for the hyper-realistic oil painting. This technique maintains the likeness qualities of portraiture while re-presenting a mask that serves as a conduit between the spiritual and natural world.
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STORY / JAY MORRIS Photography / Matthew Schaefer
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lectronic music is a broad category. It encompasses a variety of sounds such as Electronic Dance Music (EDM), Intelligent Dance Music (IDM), Chillwave, Witch House, Glo-Fi, Indietronic, and more seemingly infinite varieties of genres and styles. While existing as its own sphere of music, the roots of electronic music are inextricably tied to hip hop. Signature stylistic components of electronic music like the 808 drum machine, frenetic hi-hats, and synth keyboarding can be traced back to the First Wave of trap movement that started in Atlanta during the 1990s and 2000s. We are in the midst of a second wave popularity of trap music that started in the early 2010s due to recent marriage of electronic beat production and trap lyricism. This new-found mainstream success was pioneered by producers Young Chop—who has produced songs for Chief Keef and French Montana, and Lex Luger who has produced songs for Jay-Z and Kanye West. These producers are credited for opening the door for electronic producers like Diplo, Flosstradamus, and Hudson Mohawke. Their success has inspired artists outside of the hip hop spectrum to experiment with electronic music in hopes of realizing their own musical potential. However, this surge in popularity has still only partially quelled some of the criticisms from a minority musical “purists” who claim that electronic music, being synthetic in nature, cannot be considered “real” music; disregarding the fact that electronic music has legitimized itself as an esteemed art form and movement. I was able to speak with electronic musicians Michika McClinton, Ryne Meadow, and Wiley Falconer to get their opinion on how they persevere creating electronic music amidst claims that their music isn’t legitimate. What struck me when I interviewed Ryne was the reason behind his decision to create electronic music; he doesn’t like the limits being an acoustic musician places on him. “I would find myself becoming frustrated with the material I was generating because it didn’t feel artistically unique, and it was acoustic and I felt too boxed in. I gravitated to the electronic side of things because the possibilities are endless.” When asked how he felt about electronic music being real, he answered, “Although it is true that nearly anyone can make music nowadays, there are still many things that have to be considered. Is the music they make uniquely inspired? Can it be brought to life on stage? Does the music maker have the raw talent it takes to be remembered?”
Michika McClinton, the front-woman for the experimental shoegaze project, Tantrum, echoed Ryne’s sentiments: “[It was] the appeal of literally being able to replicate any idea that I have in my head with precision.” Additionally, when asked about the “reality” of electronic music, she answered “That’s ridiculous. Sure anyone could grab a computer program and make a song, but ‘anyone’ could grab an instrument and make a song too. Computers are just more accessible, so I guess the argument is that it’s too convenient. I say ‘whatever.’ Music is music. It is what it is.”
Digital noises have created new frontiers for every genre to experiment with, and there is no telling what new things artists will try next. They both raise an interesting point point about why musical conservatives are so skeptical about the authenticity of electronic music. Recognizing music as an art form means recognizing that every song is the culmination of hours of hard work practicing and acquiring musical knowledge by learning to play an instrument. Widespread accessibility to making music demystifies the creative process and releases specialized knowledge. It threatens the exclusivity of music. For some, this could be viewed as a democratization of music production. On the other hand, for some this could be viewed as a bastardization of it. But even in the midst of a marginal, but vocal enclave of musical conventionalist, these musicians maintain an inspiring optimism. Wiley Falconer contributes synth to the Michigan quintet Kid Grizzly, who describe themselves as a band “[whose] sound blends electronic music with jazz, rock, screamo, hip-hop, and indie influences,” looks towards the future of electronic music with ambition. “There has never been a better time to be an electronic musician. Just look at the influence electronic music is having on other more traditional genres. Synthesizers and samples now drive every Top 40 pop song . Digital noises have created new frontiers for every genre to experiment with, and there is no telling what new things artists will try next.
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Adelaide, AU
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STORY / Nabhanyu Chiluveru
Selfie / strictface
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e live in the era of convergence. The electronic music diaspora no longer exists within the physical limitations of geography. Enter Strictface. He’s a burgeoning Adelaide producer who represents the digital collision of cultures. He grew up on a healthy diet of lo-fi, pop, R&B, rap, and grime. All these seemingly disparate genres seamlessly synthesize in his conscious. He makes everything from icy, sino-grime to spacious, ethereal riddims in seamless form. He’s seen recent releases on Gobstopper and Tuffwax and isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Check out the interview and get to know this one of a kind producer.
What’s the Australian movement like? Who is making the most innovative and interesting music right now? It’s in a pretty good headspace at the moment, though obviously a lot of people don’t really know what’s good yet since they’re all still riding the house and techno wave. We’ve got a lot of really good crews, producers and DJs exploring uncharted territories around here, so I think it’s just a matter of time and persistence. It helps a lot as well that Nina Las Vegas (who’s a major representative for club music down under) fucks with a lot of my mates/peers and reps them as much as she can in her DJ sets + radio show. What I’ve heard from Air Max ‘97, Dexter Duckett, Secundus and Dellity has blown me away. I don’t think I’ve heard anything quite as head-turning and speaker-knocking before them, in terms of Australian producers. Who’s your favorite rapper, and heck since this is a trans-continental interview who’s your favorite MC in general ATM? Favourite rapper... Drizzy’s practically a given (no lie), so I’m gonna say it’s a three-way split between Thugga, Sy Ari Da Kid and OG Maco right now. As for MCs, I’ve been
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feeling Jammz and Youngs Teflon lately. The Square are smashing it as per, and the way Riko’s been riding some of the weirder beats lately like it’s nothing has been jaw-dropping. The Miss Modular co-sign goes hard, how did that remix come about. Was it a surprise or were you in the loop? Fred/MM sent me the remix straight after he tweeted about it at the start of 2014. I didn’t actually know it was gonna be on Her Records Vol. 3 until the 11th hour when they hit me up out of nowhere about it. It’s all chill though, I really like the HER gang and what they’re whipping up right now. Big up MM, Suda, Frax and CYPHR! Is there an aboriginal rap/musical movement and does the issue of appropriation come up? I’m not exactly the most knowledgeable when it comes to Australian rap in general, but there definitely is an Indigenous rap movement in Australia. What I’ve heard has leaned more towards the hip-hop spectrum though, I haven’t really heard anyone inspired by the Dirty South yet. If anyone knows more than me, feel free to hit me up!
What is the attitude towards weed down-under, can we expect to find you outside the club burning one? Do you smoke while you produce and does this change your modality, body music versus mind music? I’ve never really touched green personally, and I haven’t really felt the need to either. I’m chill with peeps who burn one though, I’d rather deal with weed smoke than ciggie smoke. I’m based in Adelaide, which is practically Weed Central, so people fuck with it heavily ‘round here. Do you ever trek out to New Zealand to play shows? Somehow I haven’t been asked to play a show in New Zealand yet, but I’d love to play down there, for sure! I know Air Max ‘97 grew up there and I’ve heard decent things about the country, so it seems like a really sick place to visit/play in. Is Iggy Azalea taken seriously in Australia? Obviously opinions vary, but is she perceived as a hot MC in the public opinion? Yeah, the general public in Australia seem to dig her, even through the apparent lack of rapping ability and concern for black issues. It’s not a surprise though. How did you synthesize your unique take on Grime? Do you DJ your own tunes mainly or prefer selection? I think it was mostly through a diet of synthpop, avant-garde music, lo-fi garage pop and rap/R&B that I raised myself on during my seminal years. When I discovered Rinse FM in my last year of high-school, it all kind of came together... the rest is history, I guess?
As for DJing, it’s a bit of both. If I’m booked for a show because of “Strict Face,” I’ll definitely try and throw in a couple of my own tunes in DJ sets, though sometimes it kind of depends on the mood as well. I feel like my music isn’t exactly club-friendly at times, so I try and save ‘em for when it’s kind of fitting. Gobstopper must have been an awesome moment for you, can we expect anything else in the near future? Obviously there’s the Peace Edits 12”, but I also told Mr. Mitch I’m keen to work with him again in the future, so I’m not ruling anything out. Working with Gobstopper was an absolute blast, so I’d love to put more stuff out on that label! What is your preferred DAW? Do you use any hardware? I’m an Ableton dude, through and through. I sample the fuck out of any hardware I get my hands on so I don’t have to deal with the loss of space in my room. Which Australian city has the biggest/ best scene? Melbourne, without a doubt. It’s home to two of the best crews I’ve had the pleasure of working with (Club_ESC and OnePuf) and, considering it’s got a pretty big population, people there are generally more open-minded and proactive when it comes to pushing new sounds. Anything else you wanna tell the readers? Tours, releases, anything... A couple of tracks on compilations, a couple of remixes, a few shows. Without saying too much, I’m writing new material at the moment, so I’m hoping it all goes smoothly somehow...
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TRANSHUMANISM Stopping Point or Tipping Point? STORY / JAY MORRIS
Art / Nabhanyu Chiluveru
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Transhumanism: The enhancement of human capacity through technology
T
his is a simple definition for the philosophy known as Transhumanism. Transhumanism lies at the intersection of atavistic ideology and futuristic biotechnology. But presently, examples of Transhumanist technology exist all around us whether it is a titanium hip replacement, Google Glass, or exoskeleton prototypes developed by DARPA. Some interpret Transhumanism as the logical next step in human evolution, while others view it as further proof that humans have achieved what was thought impossible: a technological cessation of the evolutionary process. Currently, the most vocal advocate of Transhumanism is Humanity Plus (H+). Their mission statement reads: “Humanity+ is an international non-profit membership organization which advocates the ethical use of technology to expand human capacities. In other words, we want people to be better than well.” Which is a highly ambiguous statement. What does it mean to be better than well? Does it simply mean to be healthy, or does it allude to the possibility of enhancing a person’s body to be impervious to disease or by allowing the person’s mind to transcend the body entirely? The latter is evidenced in H+’s support for the development of mind uploading technology and “wearable
sensors” that can help monitor electrolyte levels, glucose levels, and even detect the presence of cancerous cells in the body. For H+, “expanding human capacities” means dodging disease and redefining the inevitability of death as we know it. The consequence of changing our biology at such a fundamental level is that it would force us to reconsider what it means to be human now and in the future. The cyclical nature of human biology and human evolution have been a source of heated debate within the scientific community since Darwin’s “The Origin of Species.” As we change and adapt, so do the diseases that target us; both being informed by the concept of natural selection. Death and disease are external forces that drive evolution. So if we transcend death and disease, are we pushing ourselves into a new evolutionary era, or are we halting the process of evolution altogether? This is the contentious fault line that divides evolutionary scholars Sir David Attenborough and Dr. Briana Pobiner. Attenborough is a naturalist who works with the BBC Natural History Unit and is credited with the discovery of numerous species living and extinct, while Pobiner is an evolutionary anthropologist working with the Humans Origins Program of the Smithsonian Museum. According to The Guardian, Atten-
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borough believes that abortion and birth control, which have reduced infant mortality rates to the point that 90-95% of human babies survive, have stopped natural selection to our detriment. By being able to control who can or can’t be born, we’re taking natural selection’s ability to select for advantageous genes and against disadvantageous genes. On the other hand—according to LiveScience, Dr. Pobiner believes that our larger populations and lower infant mortality rates are actually driving human evolution at a higher rate than ever before. The catch is contemporary human evolution is characterized less by external changes and more by changes in brain size and function. Ominously, she adds that as we evolve so do the diseases that target us. Either outcome is wrought with its own consequences. If Transhumanism is the key to reaching immortality – to reaching our final step in evolution, devoid of disease and death, then will it serve to create a new beginning for humanity or an end to the human species as we know it? Will elevating the human condition elevate us as humans, or will the marriage of biology and technology transcend us into something non-human – more machine than man? These questions are all speculative, much like the technological frontier that Transhumanists have committed to pioneering. We have all the questions, but only the future has the answers.
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And the future might be arriving a lot sooner than anticipated. The 2045 Initiative, a non-profit founded by Russian billionaire Dmitry Itskov, believes they can accomplish the goal of “cybernetic immortality” by the year 2045 through what they call an Avatar. While it sounds like something out of science fiction, the Avatar is currently being developed by an interdisciplinary team of biologists, neurologists, engineers, artificial intelligence specialists, investors, and even spiritual leaders. Their hope is that by 2045 they will have reached an understanding of the brain that will allow them to replicate a person’s brain activity, transfer it into a digital medium, and then upload it into a robotic avatar that, if successful, will retain their thoughts, memories, and personality. Unsurprisingly, they don’t state whether or not they intend for this technology to be widely available to the general public or if it’s only going to be accessible to the richest of the rich. Which means that in a world that is already ravaged by global disparities in wealth, health, and opportunity, there will be a new technological disparity to contend with as well; effectively creating a new social class in an already claustrophobic social hierarchy. This is but one of the criticisms facing the Transhumanist movement. Philosophers, scientists, and religious leaders alike fear that Transhumanism will create a world that trades hu-
man dignity for transhuman enhancements; that development of this technology will open the gates to unregulated human experimentation in the name of progress. In fact, one of the most outspoken critics of Transhumanism is the World Federation of the Catholic Medical Associations (FIAMC). As their name suggests, they are a global consortium of Catholic medical professionals who use their religious backing to advocate against perceived medical and technological injustices committed against humanity. In 2013, FIAMC released the Madrid Declaration on Science and Life calling for the establishment of “an international criminal court before which those experimenting with human life, understanding it as a mean of production, or simply destroying it in the early stages of its development, be held accountable.” Again, we can only speculate on the consequences of Transhumanism and its technology. There is so much hope to be had in believing that one day we can live in a world where technology has eradicated global epidemics like HIV/AIDS and cancer. On the other hand, there is so much fear that this technology could be used to further separate and dehumanize a world already so unequal. Transhumanism can be our deliverance or our doom. Only time will tell.
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friend of mine always talks about how she wishes she could have two lives: one in which she is plastered in tattoos and another where she doesn’t have any. Apparently, she settled for neither and landed right in the middle of the tatted-up spectrum. What she doesn’t know is that she has had the potential to live this second life since 2003 when the online virtual world, Second Life, was launched. This online world with over a million active residents was a technological craze in the mid2000s that businesses had meetings inside of, clothing companies had stores in, and content creators made fortunes off of designing real estate within the world. Since then, the hype has faded but the number of active residents has stayed the same; these members have second romances, friendships, careers, and families on the platform; within Second Life, much of the first world--such as the high fashion industry--replicated itself in virtual form. The fashion industry in the first world is occupied and run by the rich and famous. Fashion Week front rows are populated by A-list celebrities and we can count on Anna
Wintour’s, expressionless face to be among them. The gates of the fashion world are notoriously kept by those with the most economic and cultural capital. The fashion world dipped its feet into Second Life around the peak of the Second Life craze in 2007-2009. Armani Exchange, Reebok, Adidas, and American Apparel all opened virtual stores inside Second Life. Jean Paul Gaultier, Christian Dior, Lacoste, Calvin Klein, and Yves Saint Laurent held in-world exclusive events to release virtual perfumes and jewelry. This fad quickly faded and the hopes of using Second Life as a platform for public relations and advertising purposes fell to the wayside for most corporate entities. Even though the first world fashion giants left the virtual world, a committed fashion community remained dedicated to avatar sartorial. Online magazines such as Ferosh, Avenue, Fusion, SF, Modavia Fashion Marketing, and Visage serve as the avatar Vogue, i-D, W, and Schön Magazines. Artists design avatar clothing and creative directors pick out avatar models, clothing, and location. Most photographers shoot the models
in-world with Second Life Viewing Software where they can manipulate their surroundings to create beautiful, high resolution photos of the fashion magazines we know and love in the first world. So, how did such a highly-skilled collective of people end up on an online platform known for lonely misfits who get married on the internet? Being a Second Life resident is certainly unorthodox, but this is the reason subculture thrives within it. A study published in 2010 in Luxury Online stated that the average age of a Second Life user is 32 but they usually come from a tech-savvy cohort and most are a part of the innovator and early adopter consumer groups. These are the cohorts that wait in line to get the latest Apple product; staying up to date with technology is a priority for them. Some might even speculate that Second Life is inherently socially progressive because it allows users to act as a different gender within the world. (Dazed and Confused recently published an article about how avatars can function as therapy for transgender people.) The freedom of expression and social mobility that Second
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allows a perfect situation for creatives to thrive in. Absinthe Montenegro, the editor-in-chief of the SL fashion magazine Ferosh, was able to explain the appeal of the Second Life fashion world to me. “Clothing items are of a great demand because people want to wear things that they may not normally be able to wear or afford. So in this way, it’s like we can experience wearing haute couture and gain some satisfaction out of that then having to shell out thousands and thousands of dollars,” she says. The first world fashion industry is so out of reach for most of us. Not only are most people who enjoy fashion not able to afford the clothes they are infatuated with, they cannot afford to move to New York or Paris where the fashion industry is centered. Second Life allows people to skip the unpaid Vogue internship fetching soy lattes and offers an opportunity to participate in a virtual fashion culture that many could only dream of. There is a level of uniqueness to Second Life fashion that could never be achieved in the real world fashion industry. Since everything is created through imaging software, literally anything you can imagine can be created. Montenegro described Second Life Fashion Week as a fantastical wonderland.
“Some fashion weeks are all about the sets where audiences sit on clouds in the sky and the models walk down rainbow runways or there could be an underwater show with fish swimming around. Anything is possible.”
“I think that people are naturally dreamers. I believe that people have a sense of wanting to do something special, or to wear something special, or to be something special.” With this unique opportunity come unique challenges. There is no show time like at New York Fashion Week. This means models, instead of continuously walking down the runway, turning, and going backstage, must pause on the runway at certain times so servers can load. Clothing lines also release each season’s line within the season instead of the season before. Designers design clothing for the current season rather than pre-season so that they can be sold and make money immediately. It’s surprising that out of a million regular Second Life users, enough of them are passionate about fashion, savvy with technology, per-
ceptive about trends, and creative enough to put together fashion weeks, fashion magazines, and design innovative clothing. Maybe there’s a selection bias for Second Life users to be more creative. Or maybe its human nature to seek out ways to live your life that you can’t realistically or financially materialize in this world. Montenegro concludes romantically, “I think that people are naturally dreamers. I believe that people have a sense of wanting to do something special, or to wear something special, or to be something special. With the ability to make clothing in Second Life, anybody can learn the software, make an avatar, and start creating. This is a way for people to actually participate in fashion culture instead of sitting on the sidelines purchasing magazines and being an observer.” With the ludicrous amount of classism that is embedded into the fashion world, it is heartening to learn that people express themselves through their clothing without the approval of the institutions of Fashion Weeks and fashion houses. Before the advent of internet-influenced fashion lines like Hood By Air and Vfiles, and fashion blogs was Second Life which was just one of the first pieces of the internet puzzle to dismantle the fashion oligarchy.
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COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS 3D pieterjossa.tumblr.com facebook.com/collectiveunconscious3d
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TOM CAT Digital Culture Magazine
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