WESTWORLD
ART, FASHION, MUSIC & CULTURE
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Editors
Dulcie Horn westworld@westerneye.net Portia Lyons music@westerneye.net Elly Novick musicassistant@westerneye.net Hannah Rooke westworldassistant@westerneye.net
Hello! As deadlines loom ever closer and the academic year draws to a close, for us that means one thing... we’re hiring! This is your chance to be a part of our fantastic editorial team from September. We’re looking for an all over creative director to manage both the online and physical presences of WESTWORLD as well as a music editor, an art & fashion editor, assistants for both and a graphic designer.
If you think you’ve got what it takes head to wstwrld.wordpress.com for more information and send a 200 word manifesto along with the name of the role you’re applying for in the subject line to westworld@westerneye.net explaining why you’d be great at the role. We’re also always on the lookout for contributors, so whether you’re an artist or a writer join our contributors group on facebook to get involved: facebook.com/groups/WSTWRLD/
Contributors Jasper Veale Cadi Jones Hannah Rooke Portia Lyons Elly Novick Amii Little April 2016 wstwrld.wordpress.com instagram.com/wstwrld twitter.com/wstwrld issuu.com/wstwrld
FEATURED ARTIST
CADI JONES
My name is Cadi Jones, I’m a Fashion Communication student from Cardiff. What media do you work in? What attracted you to that? I use digital photography most of the time, although I prefer using film photography as I've always liked that there's much more consideration and value to an image. What are you working on at the moment? I'm currently working on a photo book that questions the generic and ideological fashion images we're bombarded with daily. What plans have you got for the future? I would love to get an internship or work for a studio like Vallée Duhamel. As a practitioner I aim to question ideological fashion imagery. It takes more than a generic fashion image and pose to capture attention. Injecting playfulness into my work transforms the expectation of monotonous fashion imagery.
This project is targeted towards the contemporary print based brand Agi & Sam, it consists of a Look book introducing womenswear to their collection. It introduces a fresh take on the repetitive and bland nature of advertising. COVER IMAGE Using a face for the brand gives a clear identity to the campaign, I wanted to include different and dynamic poses to show the eccentricity and personality of the brand. RIGHT I wanted to include the feminine pink colour theme in a more subtle way. Her blank expression and pose of leaning on something creates ambiguity and uncertainty, by doing so this captures an everyday action in a more captivating way. ABOVE
Would you like to be a featured artist? We’re looking for people who work in all formats.
I was inspired by Vivianne Sassen’s photography to create this image, as it uses the body more as a texture or form like she does to create a more sculptural quality.
Get in touch with us via westworld@westerneye.net to show us some of your work.
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MINI SINGLE REVIEWS Words: Hannah Rooke, Elly Novick, Portia Lyons, Dulcie Horn
REG MUROSS MAN IN A BOAT
ABRA FRUIT
BIRDY GROWING PAINS
COMMODO MY LIEGE
Man in a Boat is a track off Reg Meuross’ new album December. The light strums of the guitar guide you through the song as if it was the waves he is describing. The song transports you to a tranquil spot along the English summer seaside. A perfect song to dream to.
This track comes from Abra; Awful Records’ self proclaimed ‘Darkwave Duchess’ and her new album Roses. Originally from London but now residing in Atlanta, Abra has not only provided the soulful vocals layered over this track but she’s also made her own beats - expected minimal electronic r&b with catchy etheral vocal refrains.
It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything from Jasmine van den Bogaerde aka Birdy but she’s back with her soft yet powerful voice with third album “Beautiful Lies”. Growing Pains is a combination of a Japanese oriental backing immersed in the crystal clear notes of Birdy’s delicate voice. With the use of a drums and violins there is a much more upbeat vibe about this song than classic Birdy. There are definite influences of Florence and the Machine emerging in her vocals.
Hailing from Sheffield UK, Commodo has ripped through the dubstep world with the same ferocity as the impact of his basslines. His latest track from his debut solo album, appropriately named ‘My Liege’ resonates with his dark, meditative style added to by a continuous, dissonant harpsichord motif. His unique production style and continuous use of new sounds have paved the way to landing a spot on Mala’s Deep Medi Musik alongside the likes of Kromestar, Kahn and Quest.
GUTTERFUNK WIN
RED BULL CULTURE CLASH 2016 DJ DIE TAKES HOME THE TROPHY THE REST IS NOISE
Red Bull Culture Clash ventured out of its familiar ends, bringing the world’s biggest music battle to the underground scene of Bristol, much to the delight of the Bristolian crowd. The line-up was big, bringing the sounds of DnB, dubstep and grime to the historic Passenger Shed of Bristol. It was my first encounter with both a culture clash and this venue. What an experience it was, clap-o-meter the full works. The transformation of the Passenger Shed made a perfect alternative to a fighting ring, giving enough space for the crowd to run freely from stage to stage. Beats 1’s Dj Julie Adenuga hosted the night bringing on Bristol’s own Blazey Bodynod to greet the crowd, getting us all in the mood for a little bit of grime. I had just enough time to grab myself a beverage of Red Bull and spiced rum, before the contesting teams were brought out. Butterz Sound, Gutterfunk, Stylo G’s Warning Sound and Team Tectonic, came out for a heated battle of sounds. Stylo G’s crew were at the ready in full combat gear. Favourites for taking the winning Butterz sounds were off on the right track stealing the first round and waiting in a collective manner reading newspapers. Whilst the others crews started off their first set of the night, beaming with competition and envy.
When it came to round two, the category where each crew had to play each other’s sounds, the battle really got underway. Special highlights of this round go to Stylo G for sure, taking very naturally to playing grime and hurling abuse at DJ Die before giving a compilation of Stormzy’s ‘Shut Up’ and JME & Giggs’ ‘Man don’t care’. Round three proved tough especially for Stylo G who appeared shocked and in dispute when the round was handed over to Gutterfunk. The round winning moment sparked when the distinctive sound of Trigga filled the venue. Triggering loyal Stylo G fans running to the opponent’s stage. With the battle at one a piece the final round Armageddon meant war. Even with special guests from Chipmunk and Lethal Bizzle, crowd favourites Stylo G’s warning sound didn’t do enough to take the winning trophy of Bristol’s first Culture Clash. Dj Die and all at Gutterfunk stole the show. It was mixed emotions in the aftermath of the clash with a range of opinions floating around as to whether this lived up to the main clash of London. By unanimous verdict it seems Bristol are now a second home for the culture clash. That’s it until next year.
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GET IN FREE!
LOVE'S SAVING THE DAY. Have fun for a cause at some of the biggest festivals this Summer. LOOK AT ALL THE H20 YOU CAN BUY WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE TO PAY FOR YOUR TICKET?! MY CAUSE UK
With summer fast approaching the prospect of beers in the park, the glimmer of sunshine and a string of festivals B2B festivals, is becoming almost too much to bear. Something is happening every weekend and it’s near impossible to stay on top of where your mates are going and having the money to keep up. Your options are limited, you could stay at home feeling sorry for yourself, or you could spend the afternoon attempting to scale the fences (not advised), but there is an alternative...
Day now in it’s 5th year, and with acts like Stormzy, Shy FX, & Ben Klock, it’s setting up to once again be an unmissable weekend. Volunteering with My Cause is a great way to get involved and earn your ticket to the festival. On top of that, in exchange for your time they will make a donation to a charity of your choice - whether it’s Cancer Research, Aid Box Convoy, or even the UWE Student Union. And once you’re done doing some good for the world, you can go and get up to all the mischief you like.
My Cause UK are now recruiting volunteers for a number of events this Summer including Shambala, Boomtown & Tokyo World. Kicking things off this May is Bristol’s own Love Saves the
Head over to the My Cause website for more info and to sign up now. mycauseuk.com
HOW DID I GET HERE?
PHOTOGRAPHER SARAH KOURY Sarah Koury, with her camera in hand, is a regular sight across Bristol’s biggest underground club nights... Here she talks to Jasper Veale about her journey into photography and dishes out some valuable advice to any aspiring event photographers.
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What event photography are you currently involved in? So I’m a freelance photographer and I’ve just been signed on to a collective called Entirety Labs which is a bunch of artists working together doing not only photos but also videos and branding. It’s really cool to work with them on some of the bigger shows for example The Blast which was at Motion a couple of weeks back and Hospitality which was at the weekend, have been my most favourable recent shows. Another more recent one was An Evening With, which is a group who bring in one DJ to play all night, in a very intimate setting. Daniel Avery was there a few weeks ago, the way the boys present the night is very tasteful and simple, the artist really takes you on a journey.
Could you describe some of the more creative, less commercial photography that you’re working on at the moment? Right now my creative work culminates with the series of light painting, long exposure shots where I really play with an idea or concept, and express that through manipulation of light and the human body. I’ve always been really fascinated with long exposures but I kind of wanted to just open the doors of how I could utilize that for actual portrait work; long exposure work is really fun to play with but I became really interested in creating a piece out of that and turning it into an actual piece or portrait. I’ve always been really fascinated with negative space, atmosphere is my thing, it’s what I’m always trying to cultivate; at the club, at a festival, or in for example those light painting pieces, it’s all about that moody atmosphere.
What made you pursue event photography? Music has always been a pretty fundamental part of my life, so naturally I’ve always gravitated towards the music scene anyway. How I started out was when a group of friends and I formed an art collective back in Calgary in Canada, building stages for music events. We built very elaborate and artistic stages with projection animations; it was all about constructing the visual atmosphere. In turn that brought me a lot of exposure to musicians and it all sort of spiralled from there. I ultimately do event photography because I love it; I don’t love anything more than that. What would you say to people who want to get in to the scene which you’re working in? Well I think the best advice I was ever given for photography in general is that it’s really important to put yourself out there and get inspired by the people around you: other photographers, other videographers, whatever it may be. Take inspiration from them but then make it your own. Networking is absolutely key in this industry, and most of the time you just end up working with your friends! You’re with all these different interesting people who are doing all these really cool things and then you get to be a part of that because you’ve made that personal connection with them. The Bristol scene for me kicked off with my friends, Tremor Sound System, who like to promote all varieties of bass music. They just shake things up, bring in different people and they’re also really good friends of mine. Link up people you know, hit up your friends, DJ’s, [people] running nights, [people] taking photos with them, and that just leads you in so many directions; it’s all down to the networking. Like-minded people come together and they’re all doing different things; if you all support each other and work together it all just works out for everyone and you get so much experience out of it; that foundation is there and you can feed off each other.
Were you educated formally in photography or in the arts in general? My events and photography careers came completely on my own terms, I do have a four year bachelor in fine arts from University of Victoria in Canada, and that definitely helped me develop a skill set to which I could put myself out there and market a creative brand. You get to know how to get into the ebbs and flows of the scene. Do you struggle to find the time for commercial and personal work? Obviously it does come with some challenges sometimes because your core work dictates your timeframes and you have to dedicate yourself to meet those requirements, [but] I like to set myself some creative goals for the year of what I want to accomplish outside of my core work and have that with me throughout the year. If I find myself with free time, I refer to the list. It’s a proper expression of who you are and it really expands your horizons. It lets you put yourself out there in to a world where you might not be very comfortable because it’s not your regular scene, but it really allows to experiment, develop and grow as an artist. That why its important to keep doing those personal projects, setting those goals and staying on top of those goals. What do you say to the assumption that you can’t make money as an artist? For starters, if you want to get in to the events, the music industry, for money, then it’s not gonna happen. You know, it’s easy to be deterred by how much you might or might not make but you’ve gotta stick with it because you love it, in any industry but especially the creative industry. It demands diligence and passion and drive and as long as you have those capabilities money will always come. You need to enjoy the work you’re doing, you’ve got to believe in the work you’re doing and that always shows through. Consequently it’s a nice cycle, it might take a while but the money will always come, and if you love what you’re doing its always worth it.
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RAVE ON AVON THE MIXTAPE SERIES Brisfest’s biannual, venue-hoping, genre-spanning fundraiser returns to Stokes Croft on the 14th of May. Rave on Avon features more that ten areas of music across Stokes Croft’s underground venues programmed by the best in Bristol promoters; including ASBO Disco, Tremor, Parallel Dimensions and 24hr Garage girls. Best of all it’s FREE until 6pm (including oudoor terrace parties in the sunshine!) and then just £12.50 for a evening wristband granting you access to all the venues.
WESTWORLD
WHAT'S ON
RAVE ON AVON SAM DUCKERIN
We want to hear from you! Let us know your picks for the coming month by tweeting us @WSTWRLD or tag #WSTWRLD in your Instagram pictures to show us what you’re up to.
If you want to volunteer in return for tickets or learn of any other opportunities with The Bristol Festival Community Group get in touch by emailing getinvolved@brisfest.co.uk.
SOUL SHAKE
FILM NIGHTS
START THE BUS 16/4
AT THE LOUISIANA
April sees the launch of a new night at Start the Bus, perfectly timed to give you a quick break from those long nights revising and boogie off the stress just before we get into exam season!
The Louisiana has launched a new film exhibition on a Tuesday night showcasing music related movies appealing to all characters, including the award winning Amy. The screenings will take place in the intimate cellar, equipped with high-quality speakers and projection equipment to create the perfect atmosphere for film lovers. The agenda for the first program in full:
Promoter Ben Gaynor let us know what to expect of the night; “Soul Shake will bring to you an eclectic mixture of Disco, House, Funk, Soul, Jazz and Hip-Hop. It will be a night to whack on your best dancing shoes for. Our debut shindig will see none other than Tito Wun coming over from Cologne to drive those groovy vibes, along with top quality support from Pat Bedeau, Jobi and Ben Oakland.”
April 19: Lemmy April 26: I'm With You/Dirty Girls May 3: Control May 10: Amy May 17: Almost Famous May 24: 20,000 Days on Earth May 31: I'm Not There June 7: Scott Pilgrim vs The World Doors will open at 7pm and films will start at 8pm and entry is only £2.
TH
ARTSPACE'S 40 KALEIDOSCOPE SPIKE ISLAND
SMALL HORSE 11/4
An exhibition in celebration of the 40 year anniversary of Artspace, expect to see displays of letters, photographs and posters from the Artspace archive. Alongside this a new film in celebration of the milestone will also be showcased. Spike Island will be holding a preview of the exhibition on 29th April 6-9pm to kick start the event. The exhibit will then run until 19th June.
Immerse and lose yourself at Kaleidoscope’s Festival of Animation and Music. Listen to the sultry sounds of saxophonist James Morton or rave the night away to a Jungle and Dub set from Bristol’s very own Dutchie. Entry is £3 on guestlist (comment on event page) and £4 on the door with money going to Bristol School of Animation.