http://www.natalye.com/natalye daily 0.75 2016-10-11 http://www.natalye.com/natalye/bicepsapp monthly 0.5 2015-02-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854866728-GOQEGRMQDDQAAIN3YJKG/tumblr_nklpgrhFIc1r5ijzoo5_400.png Tumblr Import https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854866913-5ADSNW1ZTHRDNZDQBNFR/tumblr_nklpgrhFIc1r5ijzoo6_400.png Tumblr Import https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854867389-7HL48MY5WPXX07DPNZD7/tumblr_nklpgrhFIc1r5ijzoo1_400.jpg Tumblr Import https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854868203-4M3PN662HO02V5PWL8BN/tumblr_nklpgrhFIc1r5ijzoo2_400.jpg Tumblr Import https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854868211-8F65ENXSH6EQL3VB1RRR/tumblr_nklpgrhFIc1r5ijzoo3_400.jpg Tumblr Import https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be81176dc44a8e3a280a/1424818800000/tumblr_nklpgrhFIc1r5ijzoo4_400.jpg Tumblr Import http://www.natalye.com/natalye/3dgraphicswithscenekit monthly 0.5 2014-12-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854876141-825KBSI85S1U9R1FHU6U/tumblr_nhnnag1U3Z1r5ijzoo1_1280.png Tumblr Import 3D GRAPHICS WITH SCENE KIT Copy editor for a book about creating 3D graphics in Scene Kit. http://www.natalye.com/natalye/socialfeedsforsocialproof monthly 0.5 2016-10-11 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be81176dc44a8e3a2811/1415833200000/tumblr_nka4vuysPa1r5ijzoo2_r1_1280.jpg Tumblr Import - AVARI Social Feeds for Social Proof AVARI Social Feeds for Social Proof Anybody can do something to get your attention. But keeping it—that’s the hard part. As a business owner, you’ve probably dealt with this at some point, wondering “How can I keep my customers engaged?” The answer: Let your customers do the talking. While celebrity endorsements and expert advice can boost your company’s image, it’s the positive social proof of other buyers that can have one of the strongest effects. When customers see how satisfied other people—people just like them—are with your product, it increases credibility, encourages adoption, and promotes acceptance. It’s the foundation for building a huge, engaged community of brand ambassadors. At RetentionGrid, we recognize the importance of providing fresh, relevant content to your customers in a way that increases both reach and participation, resulting in higher levels of engagement. That’s why we use embedded live social feeds, which are integrated directly into your email campaigns and updated automatically. The Advantage of Embedded Live Social Feeds It’s likely that you’re already utilizing a variety of social media outlets, from Twitter and Facebook, to Instagram and Pinterest. But each of these platforms is a separate site, and each of your customers likely has a preference for a certain one. What’s more is that each experience tends to be isolated. In other words, a customer may post pictures of your product and see the pictures you post on Instagram, but he or she won’t see related content that other people are posting, which is cutting out a large part of the experience. How do embedded live social feeds fix this? Choose one or more of your channels, whether they’re the most popular ones, or simply ones that you want to boost engagement on. Each week, when RetentionGrid sends out an email campaign, a live feed will be inserted into the email. For example, zeroUV encourages users to post selfies with the product using the hashtag #zeroUV. Insert that hashtag in the embedded feed, and when a customer opens his email, the most recent selfies show up in the stream. This does two things. First, it demonstrates just how many people are buying your products. Second, it subconsciously exerts a form of social pressure—everyone else is buying, so why aren’t you? Creating a Real-Time Experience The best part of this is how your social feeds combine with open-time technology to provide an up-to-date experience on subsequent opens. Consider this: your email campaign arrives as your customer is standing in line at the grocery store. She scrolls through quickly, and comes across the live social feed. It’s interesting, but the cashier is already ringing up her items, so she puts her phone away. Later at home, she jumps on her computer and sees that email in her inbox. She opens it again and the social feed has been refreshed; instead of static content, she sees the newest addition to the stream. This is perhaps the best way to leverage and repurpose your investment in social, while keeping your email campaigns buzzing and fresh. Don’t let your social sites sit stagnant; use embedded live social feeds to promote your brand and inject some freshness in your emails. Contact RetentionGrid to find out how you can start sending out campaigns that give you a boost through social proof. http://www.natalye.com/natalye/retentiongridmanitobahmukluks monthly 0.5 2016-10-11 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be82176dc44a8e3a2835/1412114400000/tumblr_nj1zlgVwpZ1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Tumblr Import - RetentionGrid: Manitobah Mukluks https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854871193-535P5U9FSHRE86SXW62J/tumblr_nj1zlgVwpZ1r5ijzoo2_1280.jpg Tumblr Import - RetentionGrid: Manitobah Mukluks http://www.natalye.com/natalye/ticoh monthly 0.5 2016-10-11 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be87176dc44a8e3a2955/1405715170000/tumblr_n8usw1xomX1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Tumblr Import - THE INDIE CONFERENCE ORGANIZER HANDBOOK THE INDIE CONFERENCE ORGANIZER HANDBOOK Copy editor for a handbook about indie conference organizing.  http://www.natalye.com/natalye/kestrelapp monthly 0.5 2014-03-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854897066-QPWCSPG6TMBR1BKI6QUQ/tumblr_n322ppkmFh1r5ijzoo2_1280.png Tumblr Import https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854897981-YTKX2J3ZF1PNP620ZIB1/tumblr_n322ppkmFh1r5ijzoo1_1280.png Tumblr Import https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854898346-1ZXPBTM61DOKR4BONFM8/tumblr_n322ppkmFh1r5ijzoo3_1280.png Tumblr Import http://www.natalye.com/natalye/petersteinberger monthly 0.5 2016-10-11 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be8a176dc44a8e3a2a62/1391295600000/tumblr_n1mb9jnqZx1r5ijzoo1_1280.png Tumblr Import - 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How is it Tuesday already? Tuesday is #tastemaker time, so allow us to introduce Natalye Childress, our #tastemaker of the week. You can find her over in the editor’s office of Berlin Beat, where she puts her passion for music to work and brings a little west coast sunshine over to Berlin. Take it away Natalye… In a couple of hours you’ll receive her recommendation for upcoming live music events in #Berlin. Curious? Quick, subscribe to our newsletter and check your inbox after lunch! Hallo #tastemaker, who are you?  I’m Natalye, a California-born music journalist, writer, editor, and author! I love cats, vegan food, road bikes, the ocean, and mixtapes. First live music show of your life? My parents took me to see the Beach Boys performing on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, sometime in the late 80s, which I only somewhat recall. The first real concert that I fully remember was in the early 90s when my dad took me and one of my siblings to see country singer Randy Travis. Comedian Jeff Foxworthy was the opener - you know, the “you might be a redneck if…” guy. What about the last one? Last week I interviewed Crystal Fighters and then saw them perform at Lido. They have a fantastic stage presence and the (sold out) crowd ate it up. It’s rare that I say this, as I prefer intimate shows to big huge ones, but Crystal Fighters are definitely a perfect festival band; their music and antics are just so fitting for getting large groups of people excited! Best music event attended in Berlin? I go to multiple concerts every week so it’s not easy to choose. That said, I have really loved the annual Indie Pop Days and Popfest Berlin festivals because they bring together such talented people from all over the world and emphasize the community ties of the indie pop/twee/C86 genres. As far as best and consistent sound overall, every time I see Purity Ring, my heart soars. And finally, the most fun I have ever had at a show was Astronautalis performing on Valentine’s Day in 2012. Not only is he a talented musician, but he is hilarious and a total badass. Track of the week? If it’s a live track, we’ll love it even more. “Strong Talk” by PTTRNS. Not only is this German band super catchy and tons of fun live, but this video was filmed in Berlin and is pretty fascinating to watch, as it subverts the standard music video format. ——- Hope you enjoyed the chat, and if you want to be the next #tastemaker, just drop us a tweet!  :: the frestyl ladies http://www.natalye.com/natalye/minibar monthly 0.5 2013-04-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854949424-Y9NM11BAK0YOODFBULI5/tumblr_mmwdm9WZe91r5ijzoo1_1280.png Tumblr Import https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854950126-O2D09PV8X6WUCDTVD5B8/tumblr_mmwdm9WZe91r5ijzoo2_1280.png Tumblr Import https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be9b176dc44a8e3a2fb1/1365372000000/tumblr_mmwdm9WZe91r5ijzoo3_1280.png Tumblr Import 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I think I worked there for like the whole summer, which makes me wonder how much I was getting paid. I remember being pissed that I had to buy sneakers because I was on my feet all day and wearing boots hurt too much. I picked this one to do a comic about because it was actually the closest thing to a real job I’d ever had at that point, besides working part-time at the museum [mentioned below], which I was still doing. I could do something really poignant about calling rich alumni to beg for money now. What is the BEST job you’ve had? The best job I’ve ever had was working at a small contemporary art museum in Detroit called MOCAD — I worked there when I was 16 and 17 with a dozen other high schoolers doing event planning for local teenagers. It was actually not as art-focused as you’d think — there were some workshop events but also a lot of movie nights and video game tournaments. Having to get a real job after that kind of sucked. I work at a call center basically telemarketing for my college now, and I really miss getting paid to torrent X-Men movies. At least none of my coworkers are 13 now, though. What is the value or purpose in making art? I totally cannot imagine being anything but an artist. Almost everyone in my life is an artist in some form and it manifests in everything about people — the way you communicate, the way you think, the way you dress, the stuff you like. Art is such a great vehicle for collaboration — as someone whose entire life is music, having that natural exchange is amazing. There are downsides, though. Because I started out doing lots of freelance when I was like 16, tons of people figured out they could rip me off because I was young and dumb, especially musicians and people who I respected. I’ve learned not to tell people too many times that I’d be honored to work with them — that doesn’t mean I don’t need to get paid too! Do you think artists have a social responsibility? I think everyone who contributes to society in any way does. At the very least, there’s a responsibility to think about the things you put into the world. If you’re not making work that actively speaks out against bigotry, make sure your work at least doesn’t reinforce bigotry, is my philosophy. It’s complicated, though, because bigotry is so wired into societal norms. What I really think about is the way I draw people, because that’s what most of my work focuses on. I never saw different body types and races and presentations in the art I drew inspiration from, so I never represented it in my work either until I was maybe 15 or 16 and realized how bad that was. It sucks — a lot of my favorite artists are still guilty of that, especially the way women are drawn. I saw a great Nicole Miles comic recently called How I Learned To Draw Black People Like Me that really resonated with me. I have a lot of respect for artists who take the initiative to work against the norm and include more representation. What are you working on now? Since January I’ve been trying to do a comic every day and that’s been cool. I tried it last year and only made it through a month, so I’ve scaled back on my expectations, and sometimes if I’m busy I’ll go a few days without one. I post them all up for subscribers on my Patreon, and all of last year’s are on my site. Other than that, I’m planning on doing some more longer comics when classes let out and printing those into physical zines, which I haven’t done in a long time. I’ve also been doing a lot of freelance lately, mostly shirts and stuff for bands. I did a shirt for CUTTERS and that’ll be printed in the near future, which I’m really stoked on. I’m always looking for more musicians to work with! It’s my favorite thing about being an artist. If someone liked your comic in As You Were, what would you recommend they check out next? I don’t have any other comics in print available right now, but most of my work is online at amyfieldmouse.com. As far as other artists, I really love Rayne Klar’s work — they had a comic in As You Were #5 too, and they’ve been a longtime friend and inspiration. Cristy C. Road’s memoir Spit and Passion changed my life. Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis, Ulli Lust’s Today is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life, anything by Phoebe Gloeckner. Those are all my biggest inspirations. For more from Miles Honey, check out her website and follow/like her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Patreon. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithbrittanynaundorff monthly 0.5 2017-03-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1489753641454-KI52S0CGPENM6398DV0N/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Brittany Naundorff SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Brittany Naundorff Interview with Brittany Naundorff by Natalye Childress for Silver Sprocket Tell us more about your comic in As You Were. I decided to talk about this because I think that sexual harassment in the service industry is kind of overlooked, and I wanted to talk about something that people might experience or come in contact with every day. You're expected to be nice to customers, and sometimes they cross a line that's inappropriate and unwanted. When I was thinking about making this comic, I talked to so many people who have worked in coffee, and EVERY single one of them had multiple stories to share. That's not OK! Can you tell us more about the job you share in the comic? I actually really liked the job that this comic was based off of. It was in a super tiny coffee shop in New Jersey that totally embraced the local music and art scene with open mics, artist features, book signings, etc. I started working there when I was fed up with retail and stayed for years until I graduated college. I left when I got this big-girl job and got the heck out of Jersey! I sometimes still fantasize about quitting my current job and going back to being a barista… What is the BEST job you’ve had? The job that I have right now is pretty awesome. I design children's books at a publishing house. Since it's strictly design, I don't get to illustrate or anything, but I kind of like that! It's still super creative, and I have learned A LOT about design programs and text that I never would have known before. My coworkers are great, and I have a nice cube that I get to hang up all the Christmas lights and horror movie posters I want in. What is the value or purpose in making art? For me, I just like to MAKE. I guess like a writer who has to write, or a musician who has to play an instrument, sometimes I get the urge to create something. It's just inherently part of who I am that has to come out. The only downside for me is that I sometimes struggle with making really personal work. I don't like to be vulnerable, and I don't like letting people know how I feel sometimes — but I just kind of see this as a challenge that I'm going to overcome eventually. I'm workin' on it! I'm really inspired by autobiographical comics and artists who have the ability to be so raw and so SAD and let the world see it. One day I will! Do you think artists have a social responsibility? I think that artists have a social responsibility... only if they want it. For some people, making art is really personal, and an escape from this CRAZY INSANE world. I don't think fun frivolous art is any more or less important than something politically/socially charged. Just do what makes you feel good! What are you working on now? I've recently been doing a lot of pet portraits! Which is totally different from comics. My cat recently had to go to the vet and the bill was pretty huge, so I reached out to friends and asked if they wanted their pet drawn for donations toward the bill. And I got SO MANY requests. The bill was fully paid, and I just kept going with them. (I'll probably be stuck doing them now until I die, to be honest...) But they are a lot of fun and it's a nice break from the usual [work]. If someone liked your comic in As You Were, what would you recommend they check out next? Honestly, anyone else in AYW (Liz Bolduc, Sam Grinberg, etc. etc.). You can't go wrong — I love them all! For more from Brittany Naundorff, check out her art and comics Tumblr pages. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwitherinkwilson monthly 0.5 2016-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1479818744548-XTA5G0LX7Q6N9B3NSSD4/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Erin K Wilson SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Erin K Wilson The work of Erin K Wilson is so enthralling not only because of the subjects she draws and the palettes she chooses, but also because of the engaging storytelling and history contained within her art. Read on to find out more about her graphic novel, her involvement with NOCAZ, and why she put down roots in New Orleans. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket Tell us about yourself. How did you get involved in AYW? What other kind of things do you do? I got involved with As You Were because I received an invitation based on the recommendation of my dear friend and colleague, Ben Passmore. Ben and I have very different styles, and we write about very different things. But we are both trying very hard, and I think we respect that in each other. I also like to think we find the other quite funny, but in completely different ways. He recommended me to the editors at AYW, and I was honored to receive an invitation! It was my first anthology submission, and I tried really hard to rise to the standards set by previous issues. Your work as an artist covers a lot of different ground: what contributed to this kind of diversity? I would call myself a Jill of all trades. I have wanted to write comics ever since reading Blankets when I was 16. But like most artists, I hate everything that I make, and at the exact moment that my dream of writing a graphic novel was born, I also KNEW that it was impossible and that anything I made would be worthless anyways, so I decided to pursue other things. I got a degree in theater, which eventually made me unhappy. I became obsessed with animation, but realized that pursuing it as a profession would also make me unhappy. I spiraled into depression and became a traveler—ending up in a traveling art collective (the one referenced in my graphic novel Snowbird), where I was politically educated and decided to become the white savior and save the world. All of these things, everything I did, was truly to avoid the eventual task of trying to write a graphic novel. Of course, I am glad that I did all of these things; they inform what I have made. But I also feel like everything I’ve done is motivated by guilt, shame, and requirement. I feel ambitious and also insincere in my motivations. This tends to bleed out in everything I do. Does this make sense? Your graphic novel, Snowbird, was set to be one book and now is supposed to be three. What can you tell us about this? When I got to page 50, I realized that while I knew generally what I was writing about, the story was about to careen out of control. I wrote Book 1 as a stream-of-consciousness style type of story. This is not appropriate for the story that I’m setting up to tell. In the winter of 2010, the artist/musician/punk community was rocked by a series of violent assaults, murders, and a fire that led to the deaths of eight travelers. Police violence escalated, and eventually our info shop was shut down by the police. This is the shortest way to tell you what I intend to tell you at great length, with loving detail, in books2 and 3 of Snowbird. It became clear at page 50 that I didn’t have a true plan, and that I needed to take a break and write out my script. I have now been working on the script for Book 2 for the past three years, doing more research than I’ve ever done before. I’ve been going to court cases for a person who has been indicted for the murder of a member of my community (whose name was Flee). This young person was also indicted of 19 counts of violent crime, including violently assaulting another close friend of mine (who will go unnamed). Very long story short: I realized, with a shocking fear, that I was going to do a mediocre job. I needed to do a very good job. A stellar job. An honorable and loving job. That’s what I’ve been working on for the past few years. It’s going to be a few more years before you see more from me. You might forget about me during that time. But don’t worry… it’s going to be worth it. I promise. Snowbird also hints at you being an activist of some sort, but it’s not entirely clear. For those of us who don’t know, what kind of work do you do? For many years I was a member of the Beehive Design Collective. I gave lectures at universities across the nation about global political politics. But these days, my mental and physical health have limited my ability to organize and work. I also have been analyzing the white savior in myself and questioning when and where I should be putting my big loud voice to use. I’ve decided, for now, to use it to organize the New Orleans Comics and Zine Festival (NOCAZ) with a bunch of my like-minded peers. It is a pretty low stakes event, but we are doing our best to make it as sharply on point as possible. It is an experiment. Can we create a space that resists white supremacy, serves lunch, and is fun and inspiring? If we can, what does that mean for our future? I guess for me, what does it mean for my future? Not sure yet. What is your living situation like now? As someone who has lived elsewhere and been a lot of other places, what can you tell us about New Orleans? Now I am fully settled in New Orleans. I currently work at an elementary school as an after-school comic book teacher (I KNOW, IT’S AMAZING) and I do have free time during the summers. In fact, I have to find work in the summers to offset the time I have without making money. Two of my best friends in the world own a farm in the mountains outside of Asheville, and they are about to have a baby. While it is a far cry from the snowbirding that I used to do, I do like to take a summertime trip to the mountains and hang out with my friends on their farm. It enables me to visit my family (who live in Atlanta) and I will return home after two months away. I get lots of jokes from people about my summer travels; they love to point out that I am still snowbirding. My response to this is that I am easing up on the harsh judgments I have on myself and others. New Orleans cannot be a place with a one-way door. What world is this, if people are not allowed to leave? I also have lessened my grip on judging people for their individual choices. My own struggles with mental health have taught me that you truly don’t know what is going on inside someone else’s life. It’s okay for me to take a summer trip. If people want to make fun of me for it, I guess I asked for it by writing a book called Snowbird. I’ll take it. And when it comes to New Orleans, I do believe it is the most special city in the world. But that is because, for me, it is. I’ve lived on the same block for the past five years. I’ve developed relationships with the families that live there. I have children in my life now. I am friends with mothers, their children are my best friends, and we all go to the park. I work for two week-long summer camps. I have been witness to many young people growing up. Birthday parties. New babies being born. This is the magic of staying in one place. It has so little to do with New Orleans itself. It has to do with you, and the places and people you love. For all the traveling I ever did, I never thought about what would happen to me if I stayed. There is a different world of adventure and magic available to you when you put your roots in the ground. Every passing year opens up new doors for me. New opportunities. New achievements. It’s special because I chose to stay. Yes, New Orleans is special to me. I like to be hot and sweaty and swimming in the city pool with my friends. Playing Red Light, Green Light with kids at sunset and then closing the door on my solo apartment and laying in front of the fan and planning my comic book curriculum gives me a peace I have never known. But what is special to you? Where are your people? Where are the children that you want to read to? What traditions call to you? Do you actually like to be hot? Do you think snowmen are fun? I hate them. They hurt my hands. As a co-organizer of NOCAZ, what can you tell us about the festival and its beginnings, as well as how you have seen it grow? I think that NOCAZ is a beautiful place to experiment. Because it is so lovely and low stakes (amazing and talented people gathering to share their work and have a pretty good time), it seems like, theoretically, a straightforward environment to create the community we want to see, amirite? But despite what I wish, it’s harder that I imagined. Not terribly difficult, but it takes focus and intention to make sure that white supremacy doesn’t become the narrative. It’s easier than you think for that invasive weed to take over your beautiful idea garden—especially when it’s a collaborative effort involving many participants. So far, it’s been wonderful. But it’s a very healthy exercise in taking something that seems harmless and making sure it stays so. The bigger that NOCAZ gets, the more worried I get that total jerks will show up hearing that this “cool thing” is happening and try to get on the bandwagon. Does this make sense? We are very focused on making sure that we always highlight individuals over large presses, give the spotlight to newcomers, and never allow bigoted content to slide under our noses. This is hard too, since we are not a curated event. But we do pay careful attention to make sure that nothing hateful lands on the table in the New Orleans public library. What does 2016 look like for you in terms of creative things? I turned 30 this year, and I’m struggling to find a way to make enough money to live and still be happy. Currently, I’m not able to produce Snowbird at the rate that I want because I’m struggling to pay off all my debt (cue violins). But only in the last few months I’ve finally landed a really solid illustration contract with a decent magazine, and it’s looking like I’ll finally have the room to breathe to exit the research phase of Snowbird and move into thumbnailing the page layout. But while I’m still writing, I’m trying to explore new mediums and expand my work in backgrounds. If you wanna take a look, I’ve been busting out standalone editorial illustrations for the past year. I’ve also been working on experimenting with short story and creative storytelling this past year. I’m trying really hard to experiment with using environment and background to tell the story without as much “narrator” voice. That’s one of the strongest critiques I’ve received of Snowbird, and something I’m going to try to slowly tone down in books 2 and 3. It’s a useful tool, but I tend to lean on it really heavily. I wrote a short story called “Nothing” using no narrator voice and no explanations at all. I’m trying to remember that the reader is smart enough to pick up context clues and I don’t have to explain everything. Off the top of your head, who are some artists whose work you love that fans of your comics should check out? Ben Passmore’s Your Black Friend: half available to read online here The way that Ben writes deeply informs that way that I do; I look to him for inspiration, guidance, and laughter. While he and I make extremely different things, he is like my comic sensei. He is my true critic and confidant, and I listen to him more than most people when it comes to comic writing theory. His is a true love of the art form, and he is probably the most dedicated person I know. Vulpes’ Çapulcu: read the whole thing online here When it comes to writing about stories that are lesser told, and perhaps swept under the rug by the media, Vulpes is key. He creates stunning and ethereal real-life recounting of life at the barricades in Istanbul in this comic. The violence and silence of bodies bruising under brute force is subtle and also gut-wrenching with Vulpes’ loose and thick black lines. I have a hard time with inking, so I really look to artists like Vulpes for inspiration. Alisha Rae’s Bio Comics: most available online here There is a lot of conversation within comics about fiction verses non-fiction, and I’ve always been a vocal supporter of biography comics. None are more sweet and honest than that of Alisha Rae. Her concise and sweet biography comics often make me laugh out loud. They walk the line between self deprecating and openly honest while crystallizing the beautiful snippets in the day-to-day that we all tend to forget. Also, she’s been delving into watercolor lately, which I’m a huge fan of. Luke Howard’s Dead-End Rob Issue One: savailable to read here Luke Howard is my hero. That’s it. Dead-End Rob has me hooked, and you are so lucky to be reading this right now because he is inches away from posting Issue Two and I’ve been dying to read it for the past year. Luke’s crisp aesthetic packs a punch and is so recognizable that I can identify his drawings from a mile away. His line work, story, and color choices constantly inspire me to clean up my act. I’m desperate to know what happens to Rob. LOOK AT EVERYTHING M CHANDELIER HAS EVER MADE here If there’s anything I can tell any human being, it’s this. Look at everything this human has ever made. M has created an aesthetic that defies definition. There are no words that I could use to concisely describe the world they have created with their music, words, illustrations, and comics. They blur the line between performance, historical fiction, science fiction fantasy, queer porn, diary, and speculative fiction. All I want is to get all of their drawings tattooed on me endlessly. What question do you like to be asked / wish you were asked but never were… and what’s the answer? Do you know what you’re doing? No. Please don’t assume that I do. And please never look to me for answers. I’ll give you whatever I’ve got. I promise I’ll do my very best. But mostly I wake up plagued by the same doubt and indecision that anybody does. I think that the assumption is made of art makers that by releasing their work publicly, they believe that what they are saying is infallible. I am an ever-changing dynamic human being. I learn from my mistakes. But my mistakes are on the Internet for you to read. They are not my gospel. In fact, they haunt me. By making them public, they have changed me. If I had not posted them publicly, I would not have changed into the person I am now. I do not regret what I have done. But I have been looked to for guidance by a few people, and this alarms me. If there’s anything you should learn about me from my book, it’s that I live in a constant state of staring in the mirror and questioning the validity of the words coming out of my own mouth. This may or may not be useful. This may or may not be a catch-22 endless funhouse mirror of white guilt. But it’s the way that I am. I am not promoting it, per se. I am hoping to use it as a narrative device to say a few very important things that I haven’t said yet. Trust me, they’re coming. The past five years of my life have all been working toward what will total up to be a paragraph of very meaningful text. I am not sure if this is good writing or not. It is just my process. Okay, that’s it! That’s what I’ve got. If you want to see more of Erin’s work, visit her website, follow her on Tumblr, get a copy of her book, and check out her contribution to As You Were: Living Situations. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithmeghasissues2 monthly 0.5 2016-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1479816230173-VNG8J3JTYGLN9B54W31V/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Meg Has Issues SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Meg Has Issues We’re really into Meg’s art and her cat obsession, but we’re also really into her realness. Find out what she’s been doing (and what’s been bumming her out), what kind of asshole antics the cats in her life have been up to, and how comics have helped her relate to people and find her place in the world. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket What have you been doing since we last talked to you? Mostly just working my ass off. I now work even more jobs—one of them in a comic shop, and one as an assistant to another artist, and I still work for myself making comics and other horrible things. I’ve been struggling a lot with feeling like I’m not good enough and not in the right place. So to combat that, I’m trying to fix the things I don’t like about me and about the way the art business works down here (Atlanta). Hopefully by next year I’ll be in a place that works better for me both literally and figuratively. Your newest project is dating through comics, which is such a rad and unique idea! Can you explain it a bit more for us? Now that it’s been out there for awhile, I feel kinda stupid for starting the project. So, long story short, there was a relationship I had years ago that still kinda sticks in my mind as being as close to perfect as you can get. We both loved comics, and most of the time we spent together—the times that were happiest—were when we drew jam comics together. Everything was great… except for me. I was really unstable and messed it up. I’ve spent the time since then getting myself together, and even after all that, I still miss the feeling of having something that’s such a big part of my life that I can share completely with someone else. So yeah, the whole project has been kind of a weird attempt to get that feeling back or at least have fun while I’m dealing with the feelings from that stuff. I’m not even looking for a partner; for the most part, I just wanted to connect to people again, and that’s something I struggle with unless it’s through comics. I put up the info online for what I’m looking for. It’s basically that I thought it would be fun to draw a jam comic as a date, kinda like a pseudo romantic version of James Kochalka‘s Conversation series. I’ve gotten maybe 20 submissions, and out of those, only maybe 3 or 4 have been other cartoonists. I know I should be responding more and finishing these, but a lot of the situations that have come out of these are not comfortable for me. I feel like I made a mistake leaving myself so open and being so up front about everything, but I don’t like being fake. It’s led to a lot of problems with people crossing boundaries or getting aggressive. I’ve received more emails of people calling me an attention whore and or a bitch than I have submissions. I’ve had people think that if I respond, it’s an obligation that I start an exclusive relationship with them. I don’t know if I’m going to continue or if I should just take it down or if it’ll ever come to anything. Sorry to be such a downer. It sounds like a fun project and I think it would be with the right people. I just don’t know if or when that’s ever going to happen. [Editor’s Note: Anyone being a jerk here is a way overly entitled shitbag that needs to quit ruining Nice Things for the rest of us. If you can’t learn some basic human decency, please fuck off forever.] What is your dream date? This is actually a hard one for me. I don’t really go on dates very often. I’d like to say something cool like “doing something neither of us has done before” or “having an adventure.” Honestly, I’m more of the “let’s grab coffee and draw or work on a project together” type. I think the last date I went on that I’d call a “dream date” was just me bringing over cookies and milk and we snuggled on the couch watching cartoons. If you had to choose one artistic piece of output of yours (comic or otherwise) that would be representative of who you are to show someone who is not familiar with your work, what would it be? Uhh… that’s another tough one. Honestly, the piece of work that I love the most and put the most of myself into is Open In Case Of Emergency, but unless I know it’s something that the person I’m suggesting it to can handle, I don’t recommend it. It can be a bit of an intense read. There’s a reason why I’ve only printed bits and pieces of the full book so far. It’s still a work in progress and it’s nothing but what I feel and what I struggle with. As for what actually seems to represent me as an artist… usually people just point at me and go “You’re the cat lady, right?" You’ve said that your life “revolves around comics.” What makes you excited about comics / making art in general? How do your life and your comics inform one other? I’ve always had trouble making friends and relating to other people. I never really fit in completely. I could fake it pretty well, but I never really felt like I was wanted. Books helped me escape that. I’ve also always had problems with not feeling good enough. There was a lot of pressure on me to be good at sports or to get good grades and I just wasn’t. The only thing I was good at or received any real reaction from was art. So when I discovered comics, something just clicked. It was something I finally felt that I was good at that allowed me to communicate with other people without getting misunderstood. I feel like comics allow you to interact with people in a way that no other medium besides maybe music really can. It’s a full connection that you can take your time with, to put everything you are out there with, and if you’re lucky, maybe someone else will feel that connection too. I guess the main way my life has become inseparable from my comics is that I find it really hard to communicate fully without them anymore, especially when it comes to dealing with my symptoms. I can explain to someone what’s going on when I have a swing or flashbacks or a panic attack, but they may not be in the right place to understand or may get distracted by the physical things going on. If I show them a comic about what I’m going through, it seems to help them understand more. In our last interview, you talked about how much you love cats, and of course the cats in Cat Therapy say really lovely and encouraging things… but your comic in AYW #4says the cats are assholes. So how do you REALLY feel about cats? I love cats. Mostly I love my cat. She’s the best. My old roommates’ cats, not so much. They really were assholes—one of the MANY reasons I now live alone and will continue to do so for as long as I possibly can. What is the most asshole thing your cat (or the cats of your roommates) has/have ever done? The worst thing my cat has ever done is actually pretty hilarious. She is extremely attached to me and gets upset if I don’t spend enough time with her. So I was out of town for awhile and had just gotten back. I fell asleep like I normally do, on my stomach. Dot somehow managed to get in my room and throw up exactly in the cup of my feet so that I could not get out of bed or move without getting cat vomit all over my bed. I was actually pretty impressed at that. My old roommates’ cats just broke everything… or at least I think they did. I’m starting to have my doubts. My roommates used to blame everything of mine that was broken (on) the cats. I know they constantly ate my bread and chewed on my power cables, but I doubt some of the other stuff. Off the top of your head, who are some artists whose work you love that fans of your comics should check out? If I listed out everyone I wanted to, this interview would be five feet long. Since I work in a comic shop now, I get my hands on a lot of cool stuff. If I have to keep it to a few notable picks (aside from all my buddies at Silver Sprocket who I recommend everyday), I’d say Sam Spina, Andy Hirsch, Sophie Campbell, and Isabella Rotman. Sam is literally the nicest guy in comics. He draws some amazing work. Some people might have picked up some of the things he’s been doing for cartoon-related titles, but his solo work is amazing. If you don’t laugh after reading Sheriff, something is wrong with you. Andy draws some amazing books. The thing that makes me a huge fan of his is his crazy detailed mini comics. I’ve never seen anyone play with format the way he does to create beautiful functional comics. Sophie Campbell is my favorite artist, hands down. I picked up her work when I was in college and haven’t been able to put it down since. She draws the most amazing people. I am completely in love with the way she draws women. Isabella Rotman is ridiculously cool. She draws funny and informative comics about sex and consent. They’re gorgeous too. Please go check her out. What question do you like to be asked / wish you were asked but never were… and what’s the answer? Um… Do you want to be friends and watch cartoons? Hell Yes! What are you waiting for? Go check out Meg’s website, and maybe send a (non-asshole, non-creepy date comic), but don’t forget to also grab a copy (or two) of As You Were: Living Situations. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithlizprince monthly 0.5 2016-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1479816886017-KFVVHGS0GGW9DCBHC74J/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Liz Prince SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Liz Prince Liz Prince is someone whose illustrated anecdotes are guaranteed to make us laugh, but in addition to sharing more about her cats’ lives with readers, Prince also tackles many deep, thought-provoking, and important issues surrounding gender, identity, and emotions. Read on to find out about how she’s seen the comics industry change, her advice for those who deal with anxiety, and her dental fixation. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket Tell us about yourself. I’m a full-time comic artist, and I work very part time in a library. My hobbies include trying to watch every episode of The Simpsons (some seasons are incredibly painful), cooking and eating, and my cats, Wolfman and Dracula. How did you get involved in AYW? I got involved with AYW through Mitch Clem, who started the anthology with Avi. We’ve been friends for a few years, and when he was talking about this anthology, I gave him some advice about the things that I’ve seen work for previous anthologies that I’ve been involved in. The release of your Tomboy graphic novel was a big deal. How do you feel about its reception and what people seem to be taking away from it? Tomboy continues to be an incredible experience for me. It was really hard to imagine the reception gender would get, and since it’s a memoir about my childhood—growing up in the 80s and 90s—I was unsure if it would even be relevant to a teen audience today. I’ve gotten lots of really touching emails and letters from kids as young as 9, 90-year-olds who never got to express themselves as children, and parents who felt like my book helped them understand their own children better. It has opened up a lot of doors for me that my previous books couldn’t; I recently returned from a week-long trip to Macedonia, where I did comics workshops with elementary school students and teenagers, gave some university talks, and met a lot of really interesting people—all because of Tomboy! It’s been a decade since your first book came out. How have things changed since then? EVERYTHING has changed in that decade, except that I still make comics about myself—but basically everything else has evolved. I draw “better” now, or at least I feel a lot more confident in my drawing ability. I have worked with both traditional book publishers and monthly comics publishers, as well as indie comics publishers. There are so many more comic conventions now then there were 10 years ago, the downside of which is that almost all of them are curated, whereas when I was starting out, none of the ones I went to were. And I actually think that the growth of interest in comics, and the explosion of new people making comics, is probably directly related to the access to comics that the internet has fostered. When I was a kid, you had to seek comics out at a comic book store in order to discover books that you liked, but now you can discover comics creators all over the place! It’s a great thing, but hopefully people still go to comic shops to discover new artists as well. Your contribution to As You Were tackles the concept of a “haunted” house. Lighthearted question: Do you believe in ghosts? Heavier question: What kind of advice do you have for people to cope with anxiety/fear in any of its forms? I do believe in ghosts! I have had many encounters with ghosts! Ghostbusters was my favorite movie when I was a kid, but I can’t really say with confidence that “I ain’t afraid of no ghosts,” unfortunately. Anxiety/fear, in my experience, is the anticipation of something that isn’t actually there. I don’t have much advice for conquering those feelings, because I struggle with them myself, but I did recently start taking Zoloft to manage my anxiety, and it has been so great. I had avoided using medication for my anxiety for years, because I thought it was admitting some kind of defeat or weakness, and I was afraid that I might lose my creativity if I was medicated, but the opposite has happened: I’m far more productive and excited by the results of my productivity than I have been for the last few years. Honestly, I wish I’d tried Zoloft earlier, because all of that time spent worrying about everything feels like wasted time now that I’m on the other side of it. You occasionally work with BOOM! Studios. What’s that like? What other work do you do? It’s fun to get to write and draw comics about Cartoon Network characters in my own style. I like throwing in punk references for my friends to spot, and in the case of my Lemongrab story for Marceline and the Scream Queens, it even turned one young reader into a punk fan! Warping young minds is just one of the many perks of the job. I’ve also done textbook illustration projects (I updated the illustrations for a series of math textbooks); I wrote and drew a comic based on Flo, the Progressive spokesperson, in which she was “superhero”; and I supplement my income by doing paid workshop and speaking gigs. My main project at the moment is a daily comic project that I’m funding through Patreon. I’ve always wanted to draw a comic every day for a year, but the task always seemed too daunting. After finishing Tomboy, I went through a pretty intense year of writer’s block, and finally committing myself to a year’s worth of journal comics seemed like a good way to force myself back into the habit of drawing everyday. I have also felt very estranged from self-publishing, so putting together monthly collections was a way to get making my own books again. And Patreon just seemed like the best platform for me to keep track of payments and addresses and subscribers: I’ve wanted to do a subscription service for a long time, but keeping tabs on the business end of it felt like too much busywork. Luckily, Patreon is (mostly) good at taking care of that for me. And drawing these comics has become the highlight of my day! I definitely didn’t expect for that to happen, but I’m so excited about how they come out, which is something I wouldn’t have guessed for myself. We read recently about having your wisdom teeth out (apparently punk rock ruined them anyway) but it sounds awful. Is it intentional that your signature self portrait involves chewing on something? Oh, I think you mean that you read about my recent gum graft surgery, because I had my wisdom teeth out when I was 18 (which, even with my recent surgery, was probably still the worst procedure I’ve ever endured, and not just because I watched “Little Nicky” during my recovery). So, for those uninitiated folks, a gum graft is when tissue from the roof of your mouth is sewn onto your gum line to cover up areas of recession. It was pretty damn awful, but it seems to have “worked,” so hopefully I’ll never have another issue with gum recession again. Let this be a lesson to all you readers out there: use a very soft bristle toothbrush (better yet, electric toothbrushes are best), and don’t brush very hard! I was brushing too hard for years and no one told me! And I’ll get off my soapbox of dental hygiene and say that I never thought about the correlation between my dental fixation and my self-portrait of biting stuff, but there is probably a strong subconscious connection there! If you had to choose one artistic piece of output of yours (comic or otherwise) that would be representative of who you are to show someone who is not familiar with your work, what would it be? Definitely Tomboy—that book makes all my other work look like a pile of puke. It’s my most ambitious book, and it tells a personal story about my own experiences with gender stereotypes. It’s still funny like my other work, but it also has an important message. Off the top of your head, who are some artists whose work you love that fans of your comics should check out? Nicole Georges, Sam Spina, Carrie McNinch, Kevin Budnik, Corrine Mucha, Melinda Tracy Boyce, Kettner, Ramsey Beyer, Lynda Barry, Phoebe Gloeckner, Jennifer Hayden, and so many others whom I can’t think of at the moment. What question do you like to be asked / wish you were asked but never were… and what’s the answer? It’s a tie between: Q: “Who’s your favorite Otter Pop, and why?” A: “Sir Issac Lime, because he’s the most delicious and he’s a scientist!” And Q: “What is your favorite thing about Frankenberry?” A: “His strawberry fingernails! I want to meet the person who designed that character and give them a high five!” If you weren’t already a mega fan of Liz Prince, we’re betting that you are by now. Get up to speed on her work here, check out our Liz Prince merch here, and don’t forget to get a copy of As You Were: Living Situations here. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithjoshpmfrees monthly 0.5 2016-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1479817929870-5JXC061X40RFTIX3L1DO/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Josh PM Frees SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Josh PM Frees Josh PM Frees first joined the As You Were family with Issue #1, and now he’s back for the newest installation with a comic about his college days. Read on to find out how he got into comics, what he thinks about Philly and San Francisco, and what his favorite ska bands are. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket Tell us about yourself. Well, currently I’m managing a shoe store in my spare time, in between drawing and putting together a Cheers-themed sitcom-ska/punk concept album in San Francisco. I like root beer and watching people skateboard. How did you get involved in AYW? Mitch e-mailed me to ask if I would do it and I was all “Heck yeah!” It was good timing because I’d just moved to San Francisco to start grad school but was having health problems and was feeling pretty down about my art. As You Were sounded like a really fun way to get involved and also reconnect with the punk/comics scene that had fostered my artistic growth throughout college. Is your AYW comic based on a real-life experience? Do you find yourself drawing from real life a lot when you make art? I would say my As You Were comics have all been pretty solidly based on life, though my latest one was more an amalgam of experiences in college. I like using events in life as the basis for my work but to let the drawing process and the internal characters dictate how the story flows. I usually use references like photos and life models when I draw, because I’m not actually that great at anatomy and structure, so it helps to have something to offset that in my work. When did you first get into comics? I started making comics when I was in grade school. My friend Nick and I would pass a cardboard folder we made out of shoeboxes and duct tape back and forth, adding to each other’s drawings, and making up little weird Calvin and Hobbes-, Invader Zim-, and anime-inspired stories to kill time in class when we probably could have been paying attention. More recently though, around 2006, I started making journal comics a la Liz Prince, whom I befriended through LiveJournal (pre-Tumblr Internet). She and other rad folks—like Rachel Dukes, Mitch Clem, Anthony Clark, and so many more—pushed me to make stories and zines, and I’ve been hooked (inconsistently) ever since. What is your creative process? My creative process usually centers on me sketching for a few hours until something makes enough sense that I want to develop it further. A lot of times I don’t really know where to start, but I’ve found that doing some free association exercises with words and drawings is a good way to get the blood flowing and make some marks on paper. I’ll often bounce ideas off of friends to develop them further before actually starting on anything. Then thumbnailing, sketching out rough pages, refining, penciling, inking, scanning… it’s a long process and not super streamlined! What does your workspace look like? My workspace is often something of a mess. I’ll usually have my computer with some music going, and a sketchbook and my notebook with ideas out, and then I kind of go from there. I’d love to dedicate more space in my house to making art, but it’s at a premium with how we’re set up. A lot of times I’ll have to sit on the floor to spread out and ink things because my desk is too crowded, but it’s also kind of a zen mess. You’re originally from Philadelphia but live in San Francisco now. What made you move? In what ways are those two places strikingly similar or different? I moved out to SF originally for grad school at the Academy of Art University. I really didn’t like their program and ran into some health issues my first couple years here and ended up dropping out, but I really liked SF and wanted to be somewhere other than Pennsylvania for a while. PA is lovely and I still consider it home. I love going back to visit because it usually means catching up on all the stuff the East Coast does better, like punk shows and cheese steaks, as well as hanging out with old friends, maybe playing a show with my old ska band, or just family time. SF is a stress pit, but it’s also beautiful and still pretty weird if you know where to look. Both cities are very walkable and have good secret pockets of punk/DIY culture. I’d say the biggest difference is in SF people are trying to make it big and get rich and famous. In Philly, people are creating stuff to enrich their lives and the lives of others and create a community that fosters that. What are some of your favorite contemporary ska bands? Is it weird still being this into ska? Sometimes I wonder if I’m the only ska kid left. I still love the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Bruce Lee Band, and Streetlight Manifesto, but for newer stuff, I usually go for bands my friends are in, like The Snails, The Heat Machine, Behind Deadlines, and Max Levine Ensemble (they have a ska song on that latest record!). It used to be a much bigger part of my life and I would love to start another ska-inspired band some day… anyone else in?? I have some song ideas. Let me play you some demos… If you had to choose one artistic piece of output of yours (comic or otherwise) that would be representative of who you are to show someone who is not familiar with your work, what would it be? I think one of my old Hardcore Dan minis would actually still be pretty representative of my work as a whole. Those zines depicted college life with my roommate/friend Hardcore Dan in a very narrow and goofy way that I still love. I also often show people examples of my illustration work, like a t-shirt I did for Joyce Manor that I’m pretty proud of. I feel like I want to show people work that they’ll think is cool so they’ll also think I’m cool and I can trick them into being my friend and then we can hang out and we’ll have more people to play board games with. What does 2016 look like for you? It’s looking like a crazy busy year. I was promoted at work and it’s been eating into a lot of my free time. All of my bandmates have moved away from San Francisco, so I guess I’m back to square one there, although hopefully we’ll get everything squared away with Normcore and our six-song EP/comic book will be out by the end of the year! Mostly, I’d like to dedicate more time to making art and comics again, because 2014 and 2015 were very quiet on that front and I think I can do better. I have a couple ideas and some collaborations, so while there’s nothing set in stone, I think I will make at least a couple rad things coming soon! Off the top of your head, who are some artists whose work you love that fans of your comics should check out? Sam Alden, Georgia Webber, Becca Tobin, and Eric Kubli are just a few pals that I know are making amazing comics and other work. Kevin Budnik has revived the journal comic format for me. Flynn Nicholls is a sleeping giant just waiting for his big break. Sam Bosma‘s Fantasy Sports series can’t be missed. I’ll also name drop Kevin Czap, Jeremy Sorese, and Jessi Zabarsky, because if you haven’t read their books yet, you’re missing out! In music, I just saw that David Combs and Erica Freas have a new band called Somnia. Their debut album drops in June and there are a couple rippin’ tracks on their Bandcamp page that I’ve been jamming to. My co-worker just showed me a band from Nevada called Failure Machine that has some cool soul-inspired tunes that I can get down with. What question do you like to be asked / wish you were asked but never were… and what’s the answer? Q: What ever happened to the “Josh PM” Encyclopedia Dramatica page? A: No clue, but it did say I was “King of the hipsters” for liking ska and wearing a bandana, so that’s something, right? If you liked what you read, or if you’re just looking for someone to play saxophone in your ska band, pick up a copy (see what we did there?!) of As You Were: Living Situations, or follow Josh on Tumblr. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithstevethueson monthly 0.5 2016-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1479814135745-RC7GMOHKB3R7YF0B9EH9/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Steve Thueson SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Steve Thueson As You Were contributor Steve Thueson gets mega-honest with his comic about that fateful day back in July 2009 when he almost had sex for the first time… and when a musician playing solo acoustic ska covers made it so he didn’t. Read on to find out more about what happened, and what he’s been up to since. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket Tell us about yourself. Hey! Well! I’m from Utah, and up until last August, I was living in Salt Lake City, playing in bands, drawing flyers and comics, and working at call centers. But now I’m in Vermont getting an MFA at the Center for Cartoon Studies, which is real real cool but also real real different. How did you get involved in AYW? Mitch Clem, for whatever reason, asked me to do a comic for As You Were #4, which was probably the best email I’ve gotten in my life. I was a super fan of the first three issues of AYW and everyone involved, and was, and continue to be, incredibly stoked that I got to have a comic in there. You studied English and Printmaking in college. What made you decide to pursue these degrees? How do they inform the work you do (in obvious or not so obvious ways)? I did! Both degrees were pretty much just ’cause I wanted to make comics. Like, I figured studying fine arts would help me draw comics better, and studying English would help me write comics better. The school I went to ended its Illustration program the year before I got there, so I majored in Painting instead, which I was awful at. After a year of that, I switched to Printmaking because I had friends who were into screen printing and it seemed really rad, plus I felt like the more cartoony style I had fit better with prints than with painting. I think I learned a lot about composition, using black and white, and visual storytelling doing prints, which has been really helpful for comics. I mainly did Intaglio printmaking, which is the longest, slowest process in the world. So I got used to sitting and drawing and listening to podcasts for hours, which is my favorite thing to do now. Re: podcasts, I like, almost exclusively listen to comedy and movie podcasts. Comedy Bang! Bang! is great; Hollywood Handbook is my favorite; The Dollop rules; We Hate Movies; You Must Remember is a super interesting film history podcast. Any time I try and venture into podcasts about important things I just can’t do it. What is your workspace like? What is your process like? Right now I draw almost all my comics on a little desk in my room that’s covered in coffee mugs and pens and action figures and is right next to my bed. Since I’m going to school for comics right now, I kind of have to make them regardless of if I’m inspired. But even before that, I’d get really antsy if I wasn’t working on stuff, so I try and draw or write every day during any free time I have from work or school. Which involves a lot of me rewatching The Office while I draw. What is this Making Coffee webcomic series of yours about? It looks like you stopped in 2014. Will you pick that back up again? Also, it looks like Hell Fight is a current project of yours. Tell us more please! Well! A few years ago I read The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck by Don Rosa, which is one of my favorite comics ever, and I started drawing myself as a Scrooge-style duck, like, constantly. Basically every print or drawing or whatever I made around that time was a duck version of me doing something. And also pretty much all the comics I had done up to that point had been autobiographical in some way. Like, I had never really done a purely fictional comic that lasted more than a page or two. So Making Coffee was me trying to write something long and fictional that starred an anthropomorphic duck. And it was cool and fun to do, but I think the scope of the story I had in mind was too big and long for what I was actually able to keep up with, and I got kind of burnt out and unsatisfied with it and stopped on a real cliffhanger of a comic. So I’m not sure if I’ll pick it up again or not. I think I might use some ideas I had written down for some other stories, but I also miss drawing ducks all the time. So who knows! Yeah! HELL FIGHT is what I’m doing right now in between projects for school. It’s a totally silent comic about a kid who gets transported to hell and has to fight a bunch of demons. I’m doing it kind of in the opposite way that I did Making Coffee, where it kind of just goes right into it without a lot of build up. So, like, there’s sword fighting demons pretty much right away. I think it’s a good time! Your contribution to AYW is pretty hilarious, though it probably wasn’t for you at the time. We really loved seeing a glimpse of the different people living in the same house as you went room to room thinking “Holy Shit” non-stop. What more can you tell us about that living situation? And who was the musician playing that show? Thanks so much! I’m glad you think so! That story’s set at the Boing! Anarchist Collective in Salt Lake, which is a rad house that’s been around forever, and that I’m pretty sure every punk in Salt Lake has lived at at some point or another. I lived there super briefly, but went to shows and hung out there all the time, especially around 2008/2009, which is when the comic’s set. So it was really fun and weird looking back through old photos and stuff to remember who was living there and hanging out at the time and what they all looked like. That summer, Boing! had shows pretty much every single day, and that was right at the beginning of a weird time in Salt Lake where a bunch of bands had broken up or were taking breaks. So instead, the members of these bands were all starting solo acoustic projects. The show in the comic was this kid Henry who played in the ska band Illegal Beagle, doing, if I remember correctly, mainly acoustic versions of Illegal Beagle songs and then also a cover of “Hope.” That house is still around and having shows with a lot less acoustic Descendents covers. Check it out if you’re in Salt Lake, pals! What does 2016 look like for you? Will you be publishing or releasing anything? Is there any new direction you want to experiment with? I’m not sure, honestly! I mean, I know I’m going to be doing some more illustrations for Razorcake, and I’ve got one more year here at CCS. I’m gonna keep HELL FIGHT going for as long as I can, and I’ll be updating more regularly when the semester’s over. Last year I came out with a month-long journal comic, and since then I’ve been trying real hard to not do anymore autobiographical stuff and instead just work on fiction. I’ve got some ideas for the rest of the year, but not really have anything worth announcing. So I guess check out my li’l Tumblr, pals! Oh! Also, I grew a mustache this year, which is the 100% most controversial thing I’ve ever done in my life. If you had to choose one artistic piece of output of yours (comic or otherwise) that would be representative of who you are to show someone who is not familiar with your work, what would it be? That’s tough! I think my comic in As You Were ‘4 would be good, honestly. Like, I think the art and the humor in that comic is pretty representative of what I want to do and what I think is funny. Maybe if you could look at that, and then look at HELL FIGHT, and combine the two in your mind so that instead it’s a demon that’s nervous about having sex. That would be good. I would make that comic. Off the top of your head, who are some artists whose work you love that fans of your comics should check out? Everyone in As You Were is my favorite ever. Liz Prince, Mitch Clem, Jim Kettner, Ben Snakepit, Emily Timm, Aimée Pijpers. Liz Bolduc‘s swell. Ricky Vigil from good ol’ Salt Lake is a champ. Kristen Rosa is fantastic and my best friend. Sophie Yanow, Anna Sellheim, Noah Van Sciver, Tillie Walden. Head Lopper by Andrew MacLean is my favorite comic in the world right now. What question do you like to be asked / wish you were asked but never were… and what’s the answer? My friends and I used to do a zine called Driven that was all about punk in SLC, and we’d always ask people in interviews if they liked Crush or Sunkist orange soda more. And y’know what? I like Crush! It’s the best orange soda! Psst: Follow Steve on Tumblr for the latest and greatest of his work. And hey, by the way, don’t forget to buy a copy of As You Were: Living Situations. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithlindsaywatson monthly 0.5 2016-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1479817571730-GVGV8HNWE8LRVCI7G6TZ/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Lindsay Watson SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Lindsay Watson As You Were contributor Lindsay Watson is like the Björk of comics, with art full of magical, wide-eyed wonder. But it’s not all sweetness and light, as she refuses to shy away from depicting raw, dark emotions in her work. To find out more about her “nihilistic but deeply sincere” world view, keep reading. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket Tell us about yourself. How did you get involved in AYW? It’s funny being a part of As You Were and the Silver Sprocket crew in general, because I don’t consider myself to be a part of the punk community in any way except for the fact that I’m friends with people who are involved in it. When I was in high school I was into all of it, and I even owned and coveted some Silver Sprocket things before ever really knowing who or what they were. I grew away from punk, and a few years ago while living in San Francisco, I met Avi at zine shows, and then as soon as I left California, we started a friendship. He asked me last minute to throw in some filler pages for the book, and so I did! Now I live in Portland and work in a bookstore and make comics and play guitar and dream a lot about a lot of houseplants. When did you know you wanted to be involved in art? I was 12 when I first realized I wanted to pursue art—my art teacher at the time said, “Damn girl, you can draw!” and it made me feel amazing, and then he helped me pick out the best art class to sign up for going into high school. I had an amazing teacher there, who guided me through all my high school years, and soon after meeting her I felt pretty sure I cared about nothing else, career- and life-wise, although everything I made was total shit until I was 20 years old. What’s your process like? The process involves a lot of self-doubt and questioning and a LOT of feeling like not making anything, ever. I went to art school, and after graduation was determined to make art my career, full-time. It didn’t take long for me to realize how absolutely stifling that is for my creativity and confidence and health, so I abandoned that whole idea. Now I just make art when it feels right. I don’t pressure myself to do it every day or try to make money from it; I only do it when I have something to say. And it’s so much better this way. I made so much unnecessary, half-hearted, fake bullshit when I was living with the belief that to be an artist I had to make art literally all of the time. So now it’s very casual and infinitely more meaningful. What kinds of mediums do you work with—do you have any favorites or ones you want to explore more? Every so often I’ll fall in love with a medium and stick with it for a while until I get itchy for something new. I’ve been working with India ink and nib pens for maybe six months, and that feels really good. I also have some little rollerball pens that show every shake my hand makes, and those are lovely too. In the past two months, I’ve worked on two risograph projects and that’s an interesting process and result that I’ve not worked with before, so I’m excited to see those two comics in print. You have a lot of reoccurring imagery and themes in your work, which focuses on magical creatures, nature and the wilderness, and the cosmos. It also feels very Scandinavian like. Is that on purpose? I don’t think I do any of those things on purpose, although I am very aware of them. People have been using those exact descriptors for years, and I’m certainly proud of them, I think those are good images to provoke, and I’m happy to bring that into people’s hearts and minds. What inspires you to draw what you draw? I’m not sure, but I think what draws me to these types of things is just a boredom of the things I see every day. I’m a city person—like I NEED to be in a city, and I love the pavement I walk on every day, and I love the buildings and the way things change and don’t change. But when that’s translated to ink on paper, at least when I do it, it’s so lacking magic. It’s gotta be the straight lines. They’re good in real life—they’re pretty magic, actually. But I don’t care about drawing them. So I draw more organic things—things that are kind of alien. It’s exciting to enjoy a different or faraway world without literally traveling, because planes, I think, are also pretty ugly. Does your art reflect your world view or the way you approach things? My world view, which I think has come out in my work pretty accurately the past year, is pretty sarcastic and nihilistic but deeply sincere and full of heart. So everyone’s like a clumsy, sloppy, gorgeous yeti stumbling through a world that’s made of mistakes, and that’s the beauty of the world. That’s why it’s OK to be alive. You have made a lot of little zines, some of which were part of mail subscriptions. Can you tell us more about what those entailed and if you’re still doing them? I started my first subscription the summer I graduated art school and then moved to Florida for a little bit. Everyone I loved was in some distant place, so I was into sending a lot of mail and gifts and art to my loved ones elsewhere. This was when I was trying to get most of my income with art, so I was thinking up a lot of ways to make things interesting, that I could sell. So I got a few subscriptions, and the coolest thing was knowing that there were a few people in the world who liked me enough to pay up front for things I hadn’t conceived yet; they liked me enough to believe in me six months into the future. And then, of course, I was obligated to publish something every month for six months, so that was a good challenge. The second time around I did it because someone who missed out on the first round just reminded me on Instagram, like, “Hey, when can I subscribe?” And I was like, “Alright, I guess I’ll do it again.” I’m not sure if I want to start it again. Maybe if I’m in a mood and feeling diligent I’ll do it. As someone who has taught art classes to children, how has that impacted your own work? There’s this cheesy sort of cliché that teachers learn just as much, if not more, from their students, so we’re wondering if you’ve found that to be true, and if so, in what way. Absolutely—I learned SO MUCH from my students! Mostly they really got in my head and taught me to be good and gentle and patient with everyone I meet, including myself. Everyone’s psychology and personal experience is so delicately complicated that you can’t treat everyone the same way. Even if you think you understand a kid one day, you probably won’t understand them the next. So an important thing I learned was how to ask questions that can inspire the answers that will help someone with whatever is troubling them. And there are a few magic words you can say too. Like if a kid was having a breakdown because their drawing didn’t look like mine, I could say, “Hey, that’s OK. Do you like it though? Did it feel good to draw it that way?” And almost every time I used that line, they immediately felt better and loved the drawing. Some kids need you to literally hold their hand. Some need to cry alone and be ignored while doing so, and some need you to hold them and look into their eyes while they cry. I only got to teach for about 10 months, but I learned so much about caring for myself and others; not just loved ones, but strangers too. It helped me as I climbed out of a deep depression, and my relationship with myself and my art feels really great now. I would never force a child to do anything they feel bad about, and so I don’t force myself to do the same. Everything is much more simple that way, and much more fun. I taught a few lessons that felt important while not being at all related to art. I taught a rude girl that if she hurts a friend’s feelings, it’s important to apologize instead of screaming “BUT I DIDN’T HURT YOUR FEELINGS” in that friend’s face. And I think she had never thought of it in terms of the other persons’ feelings, just in terms of her own intentions and how it feels to be confronted. That’s a lesson that has improved the way I treat people who are close to me, in a very important way. Also, I taught a kid not to hold in his farts and not to be embarrassed because all of us are basically whispering songs out of our asses all the time, so he should just go for it. What does 2016 look like for you? Will you be publishing or releasing anything? Word on the street is you’re working on a book for Tiny Splendor. We’d love to know more details. The Tiny Splendor book is being printed right now! It’s called I Don’t Need Eyes and it’s inspired by my faraway relationship with my babe. Some of the conversations in the book actually happened, and some are totally fiction but inspired by the actual ways we interact, and some are a combination of both. The first time we kissed he asked me to make comics for/about him, and I told him I wasn’t good enough. But then I made a whole book’s worth, and it’s a really cool way to communicate feelings from a very long distance. So that’s coming out in May, and I’ll have it at Linework NW. I’m working on something now that will be printed in the second issue of Cold Cube, coming out in June, I think. And then I’ll be contributing to a Gridlords anthology, the release date of which I’m not sure. There are some zine fests I’m trying to attend. The rest of the year, beyond summer, I’m not sure what will happen, but I’m feeling inspired by those upcoming things. If you had to choose one artistic piece of output of yours (comic or otherwise) that would be representative of who you are to show someone who is not familiar with your work, what would it be? I think HUNK is a pretty perfect representation of myself. It’s actually the first thing I published that I feel is truly a comic, and I was really surprised when I found myself writing and making art in that way. It was a great and welcome surprise that I still feel proud of six months later, which is kind of rare for me. It’s me laughing at myself, my depression, and my shortcomings, while also celebrating how these things don’t always necessarily prevent one from being beautiful and smart and just generally OK. I just feel like it has a perfect balance of honest tender feelings while not being cutesy, and the current that moved that book along is one of cynical optimism. Off the top of your head, who are some artists whose work you love that fans of your comics should check out? Nathaniel Russell and Hiller Goodspeed and C.F. What question do you like to be asked / wish you were asked but never were… and what’s the answer? I tend to ask myself a lot of questions while I’m working that I feel would be good things to write about, but nothing specific enough to remember or mention here. I think I’d like to talk to people about the way certain symbols reach them or the way they interpret my words, because whatever I write goes through so many phases and transmutations that it has like five different meanings by the time I present it to the world. So I’m always interested to know if anyone’s interpretation matches any thought I’ve had, or if they’re just completely new to me. And it’s reasonable that no one ever asks me if I’ve been bitten by a zebra, but, like, the answer is yes. You can see more of Lindsay’s art by following her Tumblr or picking up some art here. While you’re at it, get your hands on a copy of As You Were: Living Situations here. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithwyethyates monthly 0.5 2016-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1479813791826-107LV6EIQ4AKFHGDT8AS/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Wyeth Yates SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Wyeth Yates While many artists like to experiment with new technology and digital tools, As You Were contributor Wyeth Yates likes to keep it old school. Keep reading to find out about his fear of deep, dark voids; how he came to be a cat owner in spite of being a dog person; and the reasons behind the limited use of color in his art. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket Tell us about yourself. How did you get involved in AYW? I got involved with AYW through my friend Alex Krokus, who gave Avi my contact information. I had about a week to pull something together before the deadline, and between that and my other work, I wasn’t sure I would make the cut. But I found some time and came up with a story I liked. So I decided to make it really short and sweet and cranked through it in a day. Usually I draw comics for fun, hahaaa. That’s changed a bit since I started working as a freelance artist. I’ve had to find other outlets so I don’t burn myself out. I like to read books and search the Internet for music I like, and I’m half-assedly learning (read: strangling) my roommate’s guitar. What is your process like? What tools do you use? You also seem to limit your palette to a handful of colors for each piece—how do you decide which colors to use? My process has gone through a few incarnations. I used to be regimented to the point of formalism; I’d plan my comics to death to make sure they were as perfect as they could be structurally before going to final. But planning so much took away the fun of actually drawing, so I tried to ease up and allow my process to be looser. Less planning, more spontaneity. So far that seems to be the ticket. I work almost entirely traditionally. Pencils, then brush and ink. I use Faber-Castell pens for straight lines and panel borders and lettering. I color digitally, and I will often make corrections or clean my work up that way, but otherwise I like to work on paper and get my hands dirty. My reason for limiting palettes has had a lot to do with being partially colorblind. For a long time, coloring my work was really daunting, and I’d constantly be second guessing my choices. I found that a limited palette was a good way to ease into it. I’ve now clocked enough hours coloring personal and professional work that I don’t really feel scared by color; I’ve actually gotten more work as a colorist than anything else so far. I think my skewed color sense winds up working to my advantage most of the time, too. Clients and peers tell me my choices are really strange, but they work, so that’s cool. Sometimes I get stuck though—I once spent 10 hours flatting a cover over and over because I was using one color that didn’t compliment the others and couldn’t tell. I had to ask a friend with normal eyes for help. I wish I’d asked sooner. Lesson learned! When did you know that you wanted to draw comics for a living? I’ve known I wanted to draw comics professionally since I was really young. My earliest comics were done in marble notebooks, straight to ink with those felt-tipped Flair pens you can get anywhere. If I did a drawing that looked bad, I’d put an “X” through it and redraw the panel right next to it. I remember bringing one of those notebook to see Disney’s “Atlantis” (which came out in 2001, I think?). If that’s right, I was 10. So I think I knew what I wanted pretty early on. You have a BFA in Cartooning, which is rad! What’s the most important or best thing you learned about art while you were studying? I got a LOT of great advice while studying comics. These are a few off the top of my head, from comic pros and an editor or two: 1. Keep it as loose as you can, for as long as you can. 2. Whatever you dislike about your work is nothing drawing 700 pages can’t fix. 3. With a good night’s sleep and a good meal, you’d be surprised what you can get done in a short amount of time. 4. Comics are hard. (Number 4 will most likely be my epitaph.) Your comic, Hard Luck, has an intriguing premise. What can you tell us about it? Hard Luck is about an art thief in the future who is terrible at stealing paintings but always gets away with the crime. There are alien princesses, totalitarian police states, and two lovers who can’t exist in the same place at the same time all mixed together into a sci-fi adventure that’s a fun ride with a lot of heart. The idea for Hard Luck kinda just manifested itself on paper. I was in a really bad place in my life and wanted to make a comic that I just sat down and drew, and that was funny. All the comics I made in my marble notebooks when I was younger were funny, and somewhere along the way, I lost that. I got this idea in my head that comics had to always be serious business, which is bullshit. I wanted to remind myself why I’d gotten into the medium in the first place, so I sat down and just drew the first issue of Hard Luck. No planning, no scripting, no thumbnails or designs. I didn’t even think I’d do a second issue, but some friends in the industry convinced me to. And now I’m 100 pages into a graphic novel of it, and have been pitching to publishers with positive responses. Go figure. In regards to using space as a setting a lot, I think it has to do with being both fascinated and terrified by it. I’m really scared of sunken ships and other man-made things that are found underwater; space evokes the same fears. There’s something enthralling but terrifying to me about deep, dark voids. It feels like humans aren’t supposed to be there. Space is no exception. For some reason, an overwhelming amount of As You Were contributors, yourself included, seem to be cat people. Why do you think that is? What can you share with us about your cat? Gosh, cats. CATS. I don’t consider myself a cat person at all. I really love dogs, honestly. My cat was a stray who just kinda wandered into my life. I was living in a street level apartment and she must’ve seen my light was on one night. She started meowing at the window, and I went out and said hi. She was so friendly and sweet that I walked with her up the block and got her a few tins of food from the deli. After repeated visits I let her into my room. She spent the whole first night turning my lights on and off, so I named her Switch. I’m actually allergic to cats, so the first month I had her I was really sick. But I’d lived with cats before and knew it would subside, and it did. I do get colds more than I used to, though. I’m probably constantly bashing my immune system to bits. But it’s worth it, I think. She’s a sweetheart… when she wants to be. What does 2016 look like for you? So 2016 is looking like it’s gonna be a good year for my work. I’m going to be putting out the third issue of Hard Luck, and there are a few projects lining up on the horizon after that. I can’t talk about those quite just yet, though. I’d really like to get back into working with watercolors, and to start up with silkscreening again. Making a bunch of big silkscreen prints would be a blast. Maybe a watercolored comic? Who knows. I also have a story I’d really like to pitch to an animation studio. Projects projects projects. If you had to choose one artistic piece of output of yours (comic or otherwise) that would be representative of who you are to show someone who is not familiar with your work, what would it be? HMMM. That’s a hard one. I think certain excerpts from my comics, probably. There’s a sequence at the end of book 2 of an older comic of mine called The Other Gang that I thought was really strong in the storytelling/drawing—but that’s about two years old now. I think it might be an illustration I did a while back called The Paper Castle. That’s a really quiet piece that I think tells a good story and is a nice drawing all in one image. I liked making that one. Off the top of your head, who are some artists whose work you love that fans of your comics should check out? Here’s a quick list of comics (in no particular order) you should check out if you like my work, because they’ve given me a swift kick in the feelings at one point or another: 1. Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo 2. Asterios Polyp / City of Glass / Rubber Blanket #1-#3* by David Mazzuchelli 3. How To Be Happy by Eleanor Davis 4. This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki & Jillian Tamaki 5. Krazy & Ignatz by George Herriman 6. Love & Rockets by Los Bros Hernandez 7. Ranma 1/2 by Rumiko Takahashi 8. Bandette, by Colleen Coover & Paul Tobin 9. Blue Pills, by Frederik Peeters *(specifically “Discovering America” from Rubber Blanket #2, but best of luck getting your hands on a copy, I haven’t yet)* What question do you like to be asked / wish you were asked but never were… and what’s the answer? A question nobody has ever asked me? Huh, I don’t know, that’s a tough one. When comics life gets really tough, I often ask myself “Why don’t I just stop?” As in, why not quit? The industry is crazy and the pay is low and the workloads are massive and the deadlines are practically fatal. I could be out doing other things with my time, so why this? I don’t have an answer for that question, which is probably best, because if I did I bet you I’d have quit comics a while ago. I just know that I have to get up every morning, sit down, and make something. And then when that’s done, I have to get busy making more things. Haven’t seen Wyeth’s comic yet? Get your copy of As You Were: Living Situations right over here. And to check out more of his work, head over to his website or follow him on Twitter. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithnomikane monthly 0.5 2016-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1479815259199-GU2EQ49OUJIED2MJOKVZ/Nomi-Kane-Header-1.jpg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Nomi Kane SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Nomi Kane Nomi Kane made her As You Were debut with our Living Situations issue, and we really dig the way she uses her art to talk about important issues like feminism, politics, and race. To find out more about her time studying cartooning, her day job working with Peanuts, and the terrible roommate in her piece, read on. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket Tell us about yourself. How did you get involved in AYW? I was super excited to be invited to participate in AYW #4; I’d read the earlier issues and really enjoyed them, so contributing was kind of a no-brainer. I’m a Staff Artist at the Charles M. Schulz Creative Studio by day and a self-publishing cartoonist by night. Your resume shows that you’ve been pretty entrenched in the fields of writing and drawing for many years (not to mention studying them for your BA and MFA). How did working these various jobs and studying them in college help you become better at your craft? YES! I’m an alumni of the Center for Cartoon Studies (2011), the tiny MFA program in the tiny town of White River Junction, VT, just for cartoonists! I’ve been doodling pretty much since I learned to hold a pencil, but it actually took me a long time to realize that I could dedicate my life to it. CCS is probably the best thing that ever happened to me, partially because the students and staff there provide such great instruction and support, but also because there’s no replacement for taking two whole years of your life to do nothing but draw comics. You grow exponentially as an artist when there aren’t any other things taking up your time and energy. I think CCS also taught me that I never have to stop learning and growing and honing my craft—I spend a lot of time to this day looking at comics and art other folks are making and trying to reverse engineer how they made them and incorporate those skills into my own work. You didn’t ask this, but I think style is always an amalgamation of all the things you’ve loved and absorbed, so the more cool art you take in, the better an artist you’ll be. How did you get into drawing? What is your process like? What is your workspace like? With such a wide variety of art, is there a medium you prefer over the others, or do you like switching it up? I’m pretty sure I was born drawing—and there were so many adults in my life who encouraged me. My parents and all of my extended family and friends were always extremely supportive of my interest in creating. I was the kind of kid who would make something out of literally anything. I’d sculpt things out of the Babybel cheese wax; my mom still has this silly covered wagon I made out of Post-Its pulled by oxen I made out of paper clips when I was eight and she left me alone in her office for 10 minutes; I was that kind of kid. These days I do a lot more work at home than I used to. I have this tiny red drafting table that’s probably the material item I love the most in the world. I still like working in a cafe when I can, especially one with outdoor seating; being outside sometimes helps me think. My first love will always be pen and ink, but lately I’ve been really into colored pencils and pastels. I’m not sure these are practical for longer form stuff, but for one-offs and illustration, color is so much fun. If you’re experimenting with these, I highly recommend the Faber-Castell Polychromos colored pencils. They’re really creamy and layer/blend better than any others I’ve tried. Your comic for As You Were addresses a roommate who is seriously shitty. We also love that you talk about menstruation in it. Do you have more to say about it? AYW gave me an opportunity to finally tell that particular story: about a Craigslist roommate who had some really deep serious issues when it came to women. Even looking back on that experience eight years later, I can’t even begin to unpack what must’ve been happening in his mind. It’s always boggled my mind that menstruation, an everyday occurrence, is something that no one is allowed to talk about. This roommate not only didn’t want me talking about it, but he didn’t want there to be any evidence anywhere, in my own house, that my body sometimes underwent this process. I definitely fantasized a lot about making a garland of used tampons to hang above his bed—but even that seemed like it was too much effort to expend on someone the point would be totally lost on. The silver lining of this story is that my other roommates (and close friends to this day), Jeph and Derek, were super supportive and helped me remember that there are a lot of dudes who don’t hate women and are really great. A look at a lot of your other work shows strong feminist and political themes. Why is covering these themes important for you? Do you do much autobiographical work in your comics too, or do you prefer to stick to social commentary? For a long time, I did almost exclusively autobiographical stuff, but I think everyone gets a little bored with themselves after a while—and your own life is a well you can keep coming back to forever, whereas covering current events forces you to seize the moment a little bit more. I think we’re also going through a really strange and scary shift as a society that disturbs me so deeply that it’s just kind of crept into my work. We’re seeing all the racism and homophobia and transphobia and xenophobia and misogyny that has always been bubbling just under the surface really boil over into something dark and increasingly oppressive and violent. I guess I subscribe to the belief that there are no innocent bystanders; you’re either part of the solution or you’re part of the problem, and with that sense of responsibility in mind, what I can contribute to this national dialogue is art that reflects my feelings on these issues. It’s therapeutic for me to process my feelings through drawing, and I hope that sometimes it helps other like-minded folks articulate their feelings to see it expressed in comic form. Your day job is working for Schulz Studio. What kind of work do you do there? How does that work impact your personal work? I LOVE working for the Schulz Studio—it’s totally a dream job. Part of what we all do there is essentially brand management; we look at Peanuts product that licensees all over the world want to make, and we help steer them toward meeting the official Peanuts guidelines. The basic principal is we want Peanuts, even on a toothbrush, to remain as true to Schulz’s original creation as possible. So, you’ll see Peanuts characters on product or on advertisements, but you’ll never, for example, see Charlie Brown saying something like “I’m a winner and Colgate is my favorite toothpaste!” I also do design and illustration work there so, y’know, super fun stuff like: designing items for Comic-Con; I just made a set of Peanuts emojis; we do the BOOM! monthly series in-house… that kind of stuff. On the one hand, having a full-time gig definitely takes up most of the time I used to spend on my own work, so output is way way down. BUT, I also think that working on Peanuts has probably improved my technical skill just as much as the two years I spent at CCS, so with that in mind, the time seems like a small price to pay for being happy to get up and go to work in the morning. What does 2016 look like for you? Do you have any personal projects planned or any anthologies or collections you will be contributing to? Ooooh, 2016, so full of possibility! I’m going to do my first 24-hour comic this month, which I’m pretty excited about. I’m also thinking about starting a Neil deGrasse Tyson fanzine! I’ve edited several anthologies in the past (Lies Grown-ups Told Me in 2011, Wings for Wheels in 2013) and it’s a lot of work (as I’m sure you know!), but I think this is a topic I’m enthusiastic enough about that I’m ready. I also want to find the time to finally write the script to this summer camp story that’s been bouncing around my head for a year or so. If you had to choose one artistic piece of output of yours (comic or otherwise) that would be representative of who you are to show someone who is not familiar with your work, what would it be? I think probably my story from my 2013 anthology Wings For Wheels, which was a tribute to Bruce Springsteen. The anthology a) shows off my love for the little details (it comes in a 7″ record sleeve and the cover is hand Mod-Podged so it looks like a real record) and b) my story in that book is sort of an overview of my life from ages 5 to 25 through the lens of what this music has meant to me—and music means A LOT to me. Off the top of your head, who are some artists whose work you love that fans of your comics should check out? Woof, this is always a hard question and there’s SO MUCH cool stuff out there. I think I’m just gonna shamelessly plug some other CCS alumni I think are making amazing work: Beth Hetland, Josh Kramer, Ben Horak, Jen Vaughn, Penina Gal, Betsey Swardlick, Melissa Mendes, Laura Terry, Colleen Frakes, Andy Warner, Dakota McFadzean, Donna Almendrala, and Denis St. John… to start. See more of Nomi’s artwork and social commentary over at brewforbreakfast.com and nomikane.com. And don’t forget to pick up a copy of As You Were: Living Situations from our store. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithsamgrinberg monthly 0.5 2016-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1479814406077-LOLDGGIWYKU8M0T146KT/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Sam Grinberg SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Sam Grinberg Even though As You Were contributor Sam Grinberg really likes ska music, we still think he’s a cool dude. Read on to discover more, including all about his first animated short film, his work on The Simpsons, and how drawing superheroes made him want to be an artist. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket Tell us about yourself. How did you get involved in AYW? I discovered As You Were two years ago when I moved to LA and attended LA Zine Fest for the first time. I bought a copy, LOVED it, and got in touch with Mitch Clem. I showed him my stuff and then was lucky enough to later contribute to AYW #4! Right now I’m working in production at The Simpsons. I also make comics and stickers and table at as many comic/zine shows in the LA and NYC area as I can! I also love show flyers; I’ve been doing a lot of those lately. How did you get into drawing? When did you know that you wanted to get into cartoons/animation? As long as I can remember I’ve been drawing. The earliest memory I have of deciding to pursue it as a career was in second grade when our art teacher told the class to “create your own superhero.” The superhero I created stuck with me and I then decided that [I was] going to try to make my own animated show. (Oddly enough, I don’t even draw superhero comics at all.) Since I was only a kid at the time and had no idea how to animate, I started creating stapled folded paper comics with my characters. My interest in comics grew out of that, and I later I attended The School of Visual Arts, where I really got a great education in art and comics from some great cartoonists. What do you do on The Simpsons? How did that all come about? I interned for about a year which lead to the job! Right now I’m a production assistant on the show, so I’m basically on call to help out with any tasks that come about. I do a little research, reference, work with coordinators to make sure the shows run smoothly, etc. You have a couple different comics on Curbed that are historical in their contents, and they’re really cool! How did you get into doing these? Do you have more planned? What is harder—the research and writing or the drawing? They’re both hard in different ways. The technical aspect of drawing is always going to be challenging. The research is difficult in its own way also; I had to sort of become a detective when it came to the Chelsea Hotel comic. I really researched a ton and tried to talk to as many people as possible who were associated with the hotel over the years. Curbed was looking for writers for their site, and I mentioned that I’m a cartoonist and would love to do something different, like a comic essay. During college, I walked by the hotel every day on the way to school and never stepped foot inside, so this comic was a chance to learn more about it. They were really into the idea and we decided to do the piece on the Chelsea Hotel. Right now I don’t have more planned, but if I do another one it would most likely be centered in LA since I live here now. You released a mini comic, Scumburbia, in 2015. Is that autobiographical in nature? I’m technically still working on the first issue of Scumburbia. Right now, I have a short 16-page comic released (Issue #0) that features one of the two stories I plan to include in the first issue. I grew up in suburbia around a lot of metal heads and punk kids, so I always wanted to tell stories loosely based on my high school experiences. Each issue will have an entirely different story! What can you tell us about Heart-Ache? Heart-Ache was my first ever animated short film. It was originally going to be a comic while I was in undergrad, but once I entered grad school at UCLA, I decided it would work way better as a film. It’s a black and white surreal love-ish story. It’s currently on the festival circuit (just screened in Silicon Valley at Cinequest and will screen at the Melbourne International Animation Festival next). I’ll probably put it online after! If you had to choose one artistic piece of output of yours (comic or otherwise) that would be representative of who you are to show someone who is not familiar with your work, what would it be? That’s a really hard question. I’m not sure. I don’t think I have that one singular “piece” yet that exemplifies me as an artist. I’ll probably be figuring that out for a while, and when it happens I’ll get back to ya. Off the top of your head, who are some artists whose work you love that fans of your comics should check out? That’s also a hard question! I’m not sure if the stuff I read is anything like the comics I make. BUT, here’s just some of my favorites off the top of my head. City of Glass is one of my favorite comics by David Mazzuchelli. Some favorite cartoonists of mine are Charles Burns, Jeff Smith, Art Spiegelman… (the list can go on). I pick up as many interesting comics as I can from all the shows I go to; there are so many great cartoonists working now. In recent memory, I picked up this really cool comic, Windowpane, by Joe Kessler. What question do you like to be asked / wish you were asked but never were… and what’s the answer? The question I wish I was asked but never were was “What question do you like to be asked / wish you were asked but never were?” You can read Sam’s contribution to As You Were: Living Situations by buying a copy in our store. Check out more of his art on his website and be sure to follow him on Tumblr and Instagram. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithracheldukes monthly 0.5 2016-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1479814801014-WO2I9HYZ9R4NVDGPSO81/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Rachel Dukes SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Rachel Dukes All of our As You Were contributors keep busy with multiple artistic projects, and Rachel Dukes of Mixtape Comics is no exception. To learn more about her cat, find out what it’s like working for BOOM! Studios, and get the details on Dukes’ forthcoming graphic novel, keep reading. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket Tell us about yourself. I’m a Los Angeles-based cartoonist, cat enthusiast, and lover of coffee and gingham. I draw comics for BOOM! Studios, Silver Sprocket, and other independent publishers. I’m 105 pounds, 5’ 3”, and have a difficult time telling “conventionally attractive” people apart from one another. I watch a lot of children’s TV (Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, the new Disney Shorts Mickey Mousecartoon) and daytime crime dramas (SVU, Forensic Files, Disappeared). My favorite movies usually involve David Fincher or Simon Pegg. How did you get involved in AYW? I started contributing to As You Were because Mitch invited me. I’ve been following Mitch’s work online since early Nothing Nice to Say, have been friends with Avi from Silver Sprocket for a few years, and a ton of my favorite cartoonists are also attached to As You Were (Liz Prince, Andy Warner, Sarah Graley), so there was no way I would turn that invitation down. You are in a million anthologies and zines all over the place. But you’ve also got a (secret) solo book coming out next year. How is that coming along? What can you tell us about it? The solo project I’m “secretly” working on for a 2017 release is a 170+ page graphic novel titled Let Me Walk You Home. Narratively, it’s about the aftermath of a female student being sexually assaulted on a college campus, and how it impacts her relationship and friendships, with a realistic telling of the recovery process from trauma… Thematically, it’s about self-empowerment, self-advocacy, and how you can survive traumatic events with your self intact. The book is drawn and was originally going to be published in 2016 by Abrams Books, but there were a series of unfortunate setbacks that lead to the book’s cancellation at the last minute. I recently bought the rights back and am going to retool it for a few months before I find it a new home or move to self-publish it. I’m currently finishing up Frankie Comics #4 (shipping later this month), talking with a couple of my favorite publishers about printing a large full-color collection of Frankie Comics issues 1-4, and drawing a four-page back-up story for Care Bears. I recently drew 50 pages for the upcoming Steven Universe graphic novel Steven Universe: Too Cool for School, and I contributed to a 13-page comic for the upcoming queer superhero anthology Oath. Those should both be available soon. We appreciate your comics directly dealing with “taboo” topics like queerness and sex without it being a “big deal.” Does this reflect on your own values, or is this more political as fan fic for the world you’d like to see? You know, we self-select our friends and influences as they fall in line with our personal beliefs. My good friends are mostly queer, non-binary, and poly, so my comics will reflect that. That being said, any casual regard toward sex or sexual identity / expression in my comics stems from my own values and experiences. I feel like living your life honestly isn’t something that anyone should be judged negatively for. My family’s roots are midwestern conservative. Spending time with my extended family reminds me that my experiences within my friends group are blessed and unique, and that there is still very much a need for political fan fic and stories about the world that we want to exist in. Even with queer issues becoming a part of the larger conversation in our culture, we still have a long way to go. The majority of the American public isn’t even comfortable with feminine sexuality—which is so basic!—so it’s going to be a while longer until they’re comfortable with the idea of sexuality and gender being fluid. Until then, the best we can all do is be honest with ourselves and in our art. People will catch up. You’ve got four volumes of comics about your cat, Frankie. Do you ever feel like you’ll run out of material? And how do you decide what to draw? I don’t think I’ll ever run out of material—Frankie is hilarious—but I do feel like I repeat the same type of jokes. (How many jokes can you tell about a cat enjoying human food, right?) Part of that is learning what my voice is within the context of the jokes and the characters. For instance, I have a lot of set ups for jokes where if Frankie could talk the punchline would be a witty or sarcastic quip. But since Frankie doesn’t talk in the series, I have to find other ways to tell the joke, or other jokes to tell. I take notes day-to-day as things happen. Sometimes she plays a whole comic right out in front of me as it ends up on the page, while other times I have to shorten the experiences (something that will play out over a couple instances becomes one story), or build off of a silly moment (she was playing with my keys)… I’ll usually have a little sketchpad nearby and will collect 10-20 ideas before I have a chance to go back and flesh them out and draw the final strips. Has having some comics go “Internet Famous” changed anything for you? You’ve talked about the downside of work being shared uncredited. Do you have anything you want to include on that? On the flipside, what are some positives of your work becoming more widespread? I’m not sure I have much to say about the negative impact of the “Life with/out A Cat” strip having gone viral with the credits removed that wasn’t covered in my original write-up. But it’s been three years since it happened and I still have folks come up to me at conventions (for the very first time) saying, “Oh! Did you draw that? I JUST saw that on Facebook! I didn’t know a person actually drew it! Cool!” Then they’ll usually buy a $3 book. That’s pretty cool of them. It’s difficult to discuss internet “fame” because the experiences are so varied. My experience is different from Nation of Amanda’s, which is different than Kate Beaton’s, which is different than Kate Leth’s, and so on. Even when a strip goes viral with your name attached, it’s rare that folks reading the strip will remember it or seek out the rest of your work. How many cartoonists are household names, really? My family doesn’t know who Jim Davis, Bill Watterson, or Charles Schulz are—but they certainly recognize Garfield, Calvin and Hobbes, and Charlie Brown. So the work may be recognizable. That proves useful over time—like that recognition and $3 sale noted above. Eventually—hopefully—that recognition grows more common over time. What’s it like getting to work on such rad shit over at BOOM! Studios, like those Adventure Time and Lumberjanes covers? How did you come into that job? What other kinds of things do you do there? What’s your absolute dream job? It’s super great being able to work on licensed properties that I love. BOOM! has given me several opportunities to draw covers and comics featuring characters that I absolutely adore, and I’ll always be stoked to do that. Working with BOOM! is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long while (since they started acquiring Cartoon Network properties), but the actuality of it happening was mostly an accident. I had a couple friends who had been working there who were leaving for other opportunities. When my friends left, my partner applied for a job and was hired on the design staff. Shortly after he started, he was asked if he knew anyone who could quickly turn around a variant cover for Adventure Time with Fionna and Cake. He immediately suggested me (along with other rad freelancing pals like Sophie Goldstein and Cole Closser), I drew that cover, and I’ve been testing (trying out) for properties and filling in for quick jobs when needed ever since. I’ve done a handful of things for BOOM!, but it’s mostly variant covers (Fionna and Cake, Lumberjanes, Over The Garden Wall) and short / back-up stories (Garfield, Steven Universe). Being able to work on Steven Universe: Too Cool for School was the most surreal thing! Absolute dream job at BOOM!? I would love to do more work for Lumberjanes, Steven, and Over The Garden Wall… but I guess my ultimate goal is always original, creator-owned work. Hopefully I’ll get around to submitting a pitch packet for something cool with them this year! Tell us about No Gods, No Dungeon Masters. How did you get mixed up with that thrash ork, Ion O’Clast? I met Ion a few years ago at Comic Con international (2009 I think) when they were cosplaying as crust-punk Finn (from Adventure Time) and was immediately endeared. Ion and I started hanging more regularly within the last three years, as I’ve been making frequent trips up to the San Francisco area for conventions, zine fests, and assorted good times. No Gods, No Dungeon Masters first started with an anthology put out by Ninth Art Press; they were publishing an anthology about various subcultures and I knew I wanted to pitch for it but I didn’t have any ideas right away. I reached out to Avi and asked if they wanted to write something or could recommend someone who might have an idea. Avi paired Ion and I together. Almost immediately, Ion emailed me a gigantic unreadable tome of amazing ramblings about how gender, anarcho-punk, and nerd culture can overlap and co-exist. We created the first version of the story during the summer of 2014. Later that fall, Ion wanted to revisit it and add some bonus pages, in order to print it as a mini-comic. We reworked the story a bit and will publish the final version of the story with Silver Sprocket in the summer of 2016. If you had to choose one artistic piece of output of yours (comic or otherwise) that would be representative of who you are to show someone who is not familiar with your work, what would it be? I would hand potential friends Frankie Comics #1. It’s an easy primer for all the childlike and dorky things I’ll say and do when my guard is down. I’m going to talk about my cat like she’s a person. Sorry new friends—don’t say I didn’t warn you! Off the top of your head, who are some artists whose work you love that fans of your comics should check out? Dear readers: please Google all the cartoonists I already mentioned. In addition to those above, I would recommend Mathew New, Eleri Mai Harris, Luke Howard, Luke Healy, and Mike King. Now that you’ve gotten to know more about Dukes, pick up a copy of As You Were: Living Situations and check out her piece inside. You’ll also find some more rad shit—which you can buy too—over at Mixtape Comics. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithjimkettner2 monthly 0.5 2016-10-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475856837220-5J6PELSO1VUDPHUX5LM0/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Jim Kettner SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Jim Kettner Jim Kettner’s contribution to As You Were: Living Situations provides readers with a glimpse of life at the infamous Philly punk house Book House. But these days, Kettnerd calls Portland his home. Read more to find out about his recent nuptials and forthcoming book, tips for giving your punk house a good name, and what exactly a “cool bag” is. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket What have you been doing since we last talked to you? Well, I’ve been super duper busy the past couple of years. Some of that has been professional and some of it has been personal. The biggest craziest most life altering things were that I got engaged on Space Mountain, got married a few months later, found out that I got a book deal with my wife while we were on our honeymoon, and then relocated from Oakland to Portland. This was all between January and August of 2015, so it felt really non-stop. I definitely felt like I was living several years of big events in just a few months. And in that time, I was also privileged to continue teaching comics classes at a few Bay Area colleges, and I attended a great comics residency at the Atlantic Center for the Arts with A.D. author/cartoonist Josh Neufeld. So yeah, all of that. Plus drawing some short comics for magazines, illustrating the cover for theTørsö record, and getting started on this new graphic novel. Whew… I’m tired just typing that. (EDITOR’S NOTE: Kettnerd also contributes to two podcasts, Galaktacus and Adult Crash.) You got married! Hooray! Celebrating love is awesome. Tell us more. My wedding was pretty nuts. Like, geez. I dunno. Getting married might seem like the least punk thing ever. I’ve been to so many dumb weddings, I mean… not that getting hitched is inherently dumb, but there are a lot of aspects to traditional weddings that I think we can all agree are pretty bogus. But hey, celebrating love and hanging with your best homies is great, so it was really important to me and my wife (still getting used to saying that) Lacy that we create a fun day for us and our friends to remember. I had a couple of very specific requirements. I had always thought that weddings were backward, you know? Like there’s this ceremony that’s supposed to be the important part, but then on the day, I’ve seen it sort of rushed through just so we can then worry about getting grandma to the buffet. So I wanted to flip it and have things that were still surprising and spontaneous. It was basically a field day event/BBQ hangout at a picnic site. We had a bounce house and a high striker (you know, the ring-the-bell-with-the-hammer thing). I had designed a bunch of game events like bocce and croquet, and a sack race, and had all of these custom trophies made up for all the events. AYW contributor Ramsey Beyer actually won the bounce house competition for “Most Brutal Bounce.” Lacy and I didn’t know when the ceremony was going to take place. We entrusted our best friend Monica with the “wedding horn,” which sounded at a random time of her choosing—at which point we dropped what we were doing and raced to the mystery spot lookout point where we said our vows. All our guests were led up to this mystery spot and we improvised our vows. It was so fun and silly. Great vegan food. We had a DIY YouTube karaoke afterparty at our gym and sang Gorilla Biscuits and Bikini Kill. It was excellent. So now your first big task as a married couple is writing a book together… The book was a long time coming. It was a project that had been in development at one publisher. So there had been a pitch with sample pages I had drawn and it had moved along quite a bit, and then the editor who was working with us left the publisher and it flatlined. Months later, I was contacted by a friend who was working for New Harbinger Publications. They were looking to get into the graphic novel game and he was contacting me about potentially being an illustrator for a project if they found a good one, and “Oh by the way, do you know anyone who writes about health and wellness issues?” And I was like “Well… me and Lacy already have a pitch book of her memoir about eating disorder recovery…” So from there we had some meetings. We made another revised pitch book with new sample pages. The process of making art just to show to publishers is its own special pain in the ass, because as you’re working on them, you are almost positive that the work won’t be in the final book. But anyway, we put that out there and then moved on to the craziness of planning the wedding. It was easy to not worry or obsess about it because, again, planning and prepping for a wedding takes up a lot of brain space. And it wasn’t until we were on our honeymoon in Kauai, where we are already at this level of insanely happy newlyweds in paradise stoked, that we got the email with the green light for the project. Their only real note: Make it MORE PUNK. It is pretty exciting, and right now this book, tentatively titled Ink In Water, is my full-time job. I have an October deadline for a 224-page project. Lacy only finished her full draft around the new year, and since then, I’ve been trying to stay on a page a day schedule. I started the final art on January 7, and I’m currently closing in on page 50. So it is a pretty nose-to-the-grindstone life from here until October. But hey, can’t complain. Dream Job. Since you seem to be the As You Were expert on punk houses, what would you say is the criteria for choosing a good name for a punk house? Ha! I don’t know if I’m an expert. There were so many good contributions and experiences represented inIssue 4. That being said, I feel like a good punk house name just has to come out of its personality. You shouldn’t force it. Take into account the personalities of the housemates, the aesthetics of the place, the location. These could all be good cues to draw from, but for the most part, I feel like you should live someplace a couple of weeks before you decide on a nickname. What is the “cool bag?” Oh my gosh… I just sort of realized that it is only inferred in my AYW story and maybe not very explicit. OK. So, a cool bag is a silly as hell, fun, and cheap way to cool down on a hot summer night. All you need is a garden hose and extra durable industrial strength Hefty bags. Climb in the bag. Tie it close around your neck. Insert hose. Turn on faucet. Chill the eff out. It is super fun, just like a person-sized pool. It’s sort of like a kiddie pool, but more like a pod. A swimmy pod. OK, maybe I’m not selling this super well. But trust me. On a super hot sticky August night in Philly, it was pretty awesome. You mentioned in your last interview that studying writing helped you a lot when it comes to trimming the fat and narrowing in on the narrative in your comics. For this newest contribution, are there any things about Book House or memories from there that didn’t make the cut? What were they? Yeah, gosh. That story was really tough because I wanted to include so much, and looking back the narrative feels so crammed, but I so didn’t want to leave anything out. But yeah, I did omit a few of the other silly things we did. Like, for a while, we had a season-long couch surfer named Craig. He basically spent a winter on our couch… which I should note, we called the mom couch, because it was made of the kind of denim you usually see in mom jeans. Anyway, Craig made a blanket fort that lasted for seriously three months. It was big enough for most everyone in the house to get in and watch TV together. I don’t know if you know this, but Philly houses have notoriously bad heat. So winter hangs are all about bundling. That was pretty great. If you had to choose one artistic piece of output of yours (comic or otherwise) that would be representative of who you are to show someone who is not familiar with your work? This question is tough. Really, I guess it’s another fire under my ass because it doesn’t exist yet. I sort of think, in terms of visual art, I’m making the best work of my career on the book I’m drawing right now. It’s definitely the comics work I’m the most proud of in terms of visual storytelling/illustration. But while I definitely am helping write it in terms of editing and adapting it to a comics format, ultimately it is Lacy’s writing, and readers will get a much better sense of her than me when they read it. I have another graphic novel project (that is on the back burner right now) about my time working answering phones for an escort agency. That is a comics project that is in many ways the most personal auto bio kind of thing that I’ve made. I also have a draft of a prose fantasy novel in progress. Neither of these works are published (yet), but I do share them with friends and colleagues looking for feedback, and every time I am aware of how close the work is to me. Like, “Hey this is me, I hope you don’t hate it.” But out of the work that is actually out in the world, so much of it is either super short or freelance/collabs with other writers, so I don’t know how much of me is in it. The stuff in AYW is a decent representation in short chunks though. I would probably hand someone AWY #2, ’cause I just think that mosh story is really funny, even though I wince at some of my poor lettering and sloppy drawing. What makes you excited about comics / making art in general? When it comes down to it, I really just love telling stories. I get excited about it almost every day. I mean… part of me has to if I want to make deadline. But often I sit down at my tablet (I made the switch to all digital work last year, so that happened too), and I see the given challenges on my next page. And I might have to do a tricky bit of character acting with my drawings in a scene, or draw a big crowd in an establishing shot and make all the people seem real and unique. I’ll read something funny my partner wrote that I get to draw and feel inspired. I also try to pick my head up from drawing every once in a while. And when I see other folks, artists, or whoever crushing their goals and making good things, doing good work, I feel stoked and inspired to bring my best to what I’m making. That could be the novel I’m listening to (I Audible non-stop when drawing), or the latest demo I downloaded from Bandcamp, or seeing other cartoonists doing very good work. How do your life and your comics inform one another? Real life and comics are constantly informing one another. Sometimes it’s the content that seeps into stories. Sometimes it’s how I work. For instance, since Lacy and I are both super busy workaholic types who are freelance… basically we could live life never taking breaks until we drop from exhaustion, so we try to keep pretty strict rules about calling it quits by a certain hour and making sure we spend time together chilling out. Your past two contributions to AYW have been autobiographical. Do you think that one day you will make comics about this period in your life? Absolutely! I mean, there is always the instinct to look back, especially for AYW and depending on the theme of the issue. But I think there’s storytelling potential everywhere. I mean… I don’t know if I would ever write a 200-page graphic novel about this time where I am intensely illustrating a 200-page graphic novel, but there are definitely funny moments and stories that are worthy of short strips, and the story of planning our wedding could definitely make a fun short story. Off the top of your head, who are some artists whose work you love that fans of your comics should check out? Oh boy. Paul Pope and Jaime Hernandez always and forever. Ursula LeGuin. Jessica Abel. Walt Simonson.Nate Powell. Kelly Sue DeConnick. Alan Brown. Greg Rucka. Liz Prince. Joe Abercrombie. Michael Chabon.Brian K. Vaughan. I could go on and on. I don’t know how much of me you’ll see in these folks’ work, but it is a big melting pot of influences that inform my work all the time. What question do you like to be asked / wish you were asked but never were… and what’s the answer? Hrm. I feel like… it’s really tough for an artist to make a living, and generally I wish people were more aware about this stuff when requesting work from illustrators and cartoonists. People are generally clueless about how long certain projects take/what fair compensation should look like. I guess I’d like the average person who asks about my work to be a little more aware of that. People who don’t draw look at work and think it’s magic. Like you snap your fingers and it happens, and why should they have to pay for it. This is probably just some saltiness from freelance gigs showing through. But I wish more employers/clients asked about it. Also, does your drawing hand hurt? And Yes. Yes it does. If you haven’t yet seen Kettnerd’s contribution to As You Were: Living Situations, get yourself a copy straight away.While you’re at it, check out his website. For a sneak peek at some pages of Ink In Water, you can also follow him on Instagram. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithcarolinaporras monthly 0.5 2016-10-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854856037-E5MQ0SDBN0N06LMGO8G0/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Carolina Porras SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Carolina Porras Carolina Porras‘ contribution to As You Were: Living Situations is more than just a comic; it’s a goodbye of sorts. After three years in San Francisco, she recently relocated to Gainesville, Florida (where the high today is 80 degrees). Keep reading to find out how Florida’s nature, architecture, and obsession with tourism inspire her. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket Tell us about yourself and about Toaster. How did you get involved in AYW? I just moved back to Gainesville, FL, after living in San Francisco for three years. In San Francisco, I worked at Ritual Coffee Roasters where I met the amazing Avi. A friendship blossomed and he asked me to contribute to this AYW, which was perfect timing for my big move across the country. Now that I am back in Florida I have been working on murals, crocheting like a grandma on speed, biking around, and spending ample time with Toaster. So speaking of Toaster, I adopted her here in Gainesville four years ago at a feral cat shelter. She is the snuggliest weirdo cat ever and has been very patient with her mom, traveling from state to state with me while I figure out where to live. You’ve said you’ve been drawing all your life; when did you decide it’s what you wanted to “do” with your life? What is your process like? I remember in the fifth grade Tiffany Wang was drawing flowers on all the girls’ backpacks, and I was like, “Woah, teach me how to draw a flower; I want to learn how to draw cool flowers.” And that feeling never stopped. I wanted to learn how to draw everything I could since that point. I remember drawing comics when I was in middle school—dorky little things—and that kind of stopped as I got more “classically trained” when I went to an art high school. When I moved to San Francisco, I started working as an after school drawing teacher. The program was geared more toward comics, and I fell back in love with telling stories in a visual way! My process is kind of willy-nilly. Sometimes I feel really drawn to a specific thing and HAVE to draw it. Other times I sit at my desk staring… and waiting. Lots of times ideas come when I am biking; I have been really inspired by the Florida nature / architecture of the houses in Gainesville. What made you decide to get a degree in drawing? What things did you learn in the program that made you a better artist today? My parents were really great and pushed me to go to an art high school starting from grade 10. This really put me in an environment that cultivated an art community and I loved it. After I graduated, though, I had a post high school crisis and went to culinary school for a couple weeks. All I did in culinary classes was draw the food, and I thought, “Okay, this is clearly what I need to continue following.” So I applied to University of Florida for a drawing degree. The drawing program really helped me think about my art in a more conceptual way, which was really great, because high school was focused more on technical skills. I also met some amazing people and artists through my program. Your contribution to AYW #4 talks about moving across the country. When was this, and why? What was the most difficult part of moving? What was the best thing about it? So, very soon after I graduated from college, me and my best friend, who I was in the drawing program with, moved to San Francisco because she got into grad school at SFAI. Toaster, me, my best friend, her two cats, plus everything we owned crammed in a car drove across country. That was a hard road trip. We arrived after about a week and I called San Francisco my home for three years! It was such a struggle at first. I wasn’t really sure what I was doing in San Francisco and I spent a lot of time alone walking those damn hills all day. It takes time, and finally I found my place in the city and had a great house in the Sunset District. I traveled a lot during those years—around the West Coast, but also to visit my friends and family in Florida. The last trip back to visit my parents made me realize I wanted to be closer to them again, and there was something about Florida that was calling me back. Maybe it was the heat and cheap rent. Anyway, I made the decision in a month, packed my bags, said my goodbyes, and left. It has been almost six months and it has been a rollercoaster of emotions. Some days I think, “Why would I ever move back to FL when I was living in SF?!” And other days, when it’s hot, and I’m biking to a clothing swap followed by a comic book reading followed by an art show, I think, “Hey, this isn’t so bad.” Tell us about C.O.R.A.L. Project. C.O.R.A.L (or Cosmic Ocean Reef Adventure Land) is a project that I started at an artist residency in Colorado (Elsewhere in Paonia; it’s amazing!) This is a project where I was constructing a visual interpretation of a fictional theme park in a different dimension. Some of it is in space, some underwater, some in a non-gravitational plane. There are galactic rides, holographic admission tickets, and don’t forget about the souvenirs to take home with you after a day in the cosmos! This theme park stemmed from my upbringing in Central Florida, the epicenter of all things adventure theme parks and tourism. Florida has a really interesting history of tourism, and I began to do research on old roadside attractions and abandoned tourism ideas. This desire to make Florida a destination through quirky gimmicks and facades of paradise is really peculiar, like the underwater performing mermaid theme park or the abandoned “Beautiful Atomic Tunnel” and the home of “Happy” the Walking Fish. One day I would like to make my drawings of the water slides, tunnels, and galactic pools into sculpture form, where I make an interactive Adventure Land tourists can walk through. What does 2016 look like for you in terms of creative things? Currently, I am working on a mural with my friend Gracy Malokowski. This will be our third mural in Gainesville since I moved back. I am working out of a studio in downtown Gainesville with four amazing artists. We are hoping to form a tight-knit collective in our studio space, opening it up to the community for art shows, flea markets, and general arts and crafty nights. I am also working on a new project with my friend Alicia Toldi who lives in San Francisco. We are creating an artist residency atlas that will be created from our experiences traveling around the country and visiting small / emerging residency spaces. We are still in the process of collecting research on different spaces and creating a tour road map. This project will happen this summer and will take us on a month-long road trip around the Pacific Northwest. More to come on that, but that project is called Piney Wood Atlas. If you had to choose one artistic piece of output of yours (comic or otherwise) that would be representative of who you are to show someone who is not familiar with your work, what would it be? Oof, that’s hard. Maybe the drawing of my Cosmic Treats galactic donut, because its silly, sugary, and in space. Off the top of your head, who are some artists whose work you love that fans of your comics should check out? I love Jason. I think his style is genius. Frederik Peeters and Vanessa Davis. Tessa Brunton is an amazing illustrator and I’ve met her before; she is the sweetest! My friend Maxine Worthy is spectacular. I met her here in Gainesville and she is doing the SAW program, which is an amazing program! Everyone come do SAW and live in Gainesville with me :D! Leela Corman, James Turek, Aidan Koch, Pat Aulisio, Laura Callaghan… so many more, ahh! Though I’m also obsessed with Moomin (Tove Jansson). What question do you like to be asked / wish you were asked but never were… and what’s the answer? My favorite question is: Do you want to go grab a beer and draw? YES! As You Were: Living Situations is out now! Grab yourself a copy in our online story and check out Carolina’s comic! You can also see more of her art here. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithandywarner monthly 0.5 2016-10-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854858146-U178M13DZQH0ECCH1KXF/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Andy Warner SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Andy Warner Andy Warner is not only a long-time contributor to As You Were (he’s four for four right now), but he’s also sort of like the human version of Wikipedia; a quick glimpse at his work reveals a wide range of interests, in things both commonplace and obscure. He’s also a really busy person, but luckily we caught up with him after an impressive year to talk a bit about his art, his teaching, and his forthcoming book. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket How did you get involved in AYW? I got involved in As You Were because my buddy Avi was publishing it and needed a quick page to fill out the first issue. I’ve been in every issue since. It’s sort of serendipitous, except I also work out of a garden shed in Avi’s yard, so I’m easy for him to corner. How did you first get into drawing / comics / art? I decided to become a cartoonist when I was in elementary school, but then I spent the next decade doing other stuff like studying Lebanese Civil War era literature and working as a graphic designer. In my early twenties, I realized comics were the thing that fascinated me the most, and I went for it. I ended up getting an MFA at the Center for Cartoon Studies in 2012, and I’ve been working full time as a cartoonist ever since. What is your process like? I work on a Wacom Cintiq, and I’ve been entirely digital since I broke my drawing arm in three places in a bike accident in 2007. I got the arm back after many months, but I learned digital tools to be able to draw with my left hand while I was still in the cast. Is the scene you contributed to AYW someplace you’ve lived before? What can you tell us about the house, the people, or the period in your life spent living there? It’s sort of a house mash-up, but I think the strongest element was the house I lived in in San Francisco from 2008-2010 called “Tapalpa.” Between five and eight people lived there, including a woodworker, animator, writer, etc. It was a really interesting, beautiful, and sometimes frustrating environment. I think it worked best when we all got the hell out of the house together and forgot about who wasn’t doing dishes. Actually, the last party the house threw was in 2013 when my wife and I got married in the awesome backyard that we’d terraced and made into a garden. Then, the next week everybody that still lived there got rent evicted. Your art and writing are both serious and political and lighthearted and fun, depending both upon the outlet and the topic. Do you feel like the work you do is sometimes on opposite ends of the spectrum, or is it all more connected than it might seem? It’s sort of hard to get a grasp on what I do sometimes, but I don’t mind that. I think the thing that ties it all together is that it’s stuff that interests me that I can really dig deep into. Oddly, that includes both the Syrian refugee crisis and the history of the toothbrush. It’s not difficult to switch gears, because I think my mind is working the same way in both: trying to figure out what’s really going on, and how to tell it as an interesting story. What does 2016 look like for you in terms of creative things? Your book will be published, is that correct? What can you tell us about it? Yeah, I’ve got a book coming out in October from Picador called Brief Histories of Everyday Objects. I’m really excited for it. Just found out that it’s up for preorder on Amazon already. It’s going to be more than 200 pages hardcover, which is like four times as long as anything else I’ve ever done, and I’m really excited for it. For other stuff, the amazing nonfiction and journalism comics publisher The Nib is getting resurrected this Spring. I’m really looking forward to working with them again. They published stories I did on everything from treasure hunters on the lam from the feds to the history of the Boko Haram insurgency in northern Nigeria. So I never really know what kind of stories they’ll bite on! I’m going to try to put out a couple new mini comics for the convention season, too, and tour around with the new issue of Irene, a comics anthology that I co-publish. Irene 6 has a cartoonist from every single continent in the world, including Antarctica. I think we were the first people to ever do that. Tell us about teaching for Stanford and CCA. Teaching is really fun! I think about comics theory and practice a lot on my own, and it’s awesome and weird that I get paid to talk to other people about it. It’s very performative, which can be exhausting, but it’s rewarding when you see the effect you can have. Comics are an exciting subject to teach. It’s a whole visual language and tradition that’s so complex and interesting! I’ll be teaching at Stanford again this fall, and I can’t wait. If you had to choose one artistic piece of output of yours (comic or otherwise) that would be representative of who you are to show someone who is not familiar with your work, what would it be? Haha, I dunno. I guess you’re supposed to brand yourself with one thing that you do really well, but I’ve always been too scattered in my focus to do that. So it’s hard to find something representative of the whole. Brief Histories of Everyday Objects would be a good place, but it’s not out until October. I guess this piece I did about invasive python hunters in Florida is a decent place to start. Off the top of your head, who are some artists whose work you love that fans of your comics should check out? There are SO MANY fantastic artists working in journalism/non-fiction comics right now. Jackie Roche, Lucy Bellwood, Emi Gennis, Matt Bors, Sarah Glidden, Sophie Yanow, Susie Cagle, and Wendy McNaughton are some of my favorites. Check out more of Andy’s art on his website or by following his Tumblr. Then get yourself a copy of As You Were: Living Situations, out this week. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithstevelarder2 monthly 0.5 2016-10-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854859318-EDBESZJN5M2C34AJ0S0U/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Steve Larder SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Steve Larder It was around this time last year that we talked with Steve Larder, one of the As You Were regulars, so we figured it was about time we found out what he’s been up to since. Hint: it involves making art, playing music, and traveling. Keep reading for the specifics. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket What have you been doing since we last talked to you? Well, I managed to bust out three issues of my zine, Rum Lad and it’s made me think about how I approach zine making. Older issues would sometimes take months and months to complete, but in February ‘15 I decided to scribble something together on my work lunch break and the majority was done in about half an hour. It’s definitely scrappier but seemed to go down well.   I played a lot of gigs in the UK as well as in Europe (including Supersonic Festival in Holland), recorded a bunch of songs, and even The Copy Scams managed get together and play! In the summer, me and my partner, Tanya, flew over to the USA to visit some mates (Alex of Brain Scan zine and her boyfriend, Paul) where we all leapt into a car for a road trip over to Yellowstone National Park for some sightseeing. It was a real good treat. In the newest AYW, we learn about your time living with a bunch of hippies. At the very end you appear to have assimilated as one of them, with your Hawaiian t-shirt and Birkenstocks. Did any of their hippy ways rub off on you? What aspect of your behavior/personality would you say is the “most hippy like?” Well, I was with my brother the other day and he commented that I had a bit of B.O., so apparently I’ve inherited some hippy funk along the way since leaving that house. Gonna start washing extra careful under those pits since that enlightenment.   A lot of your prints deal with themes of the environment. What is it about this topic that interests you? I just like drawing places; it’s as simple as that really. I’ve always enjoyed getting lost in details, and when you’re drawing forests, that’s pretty easy to do. I’m also a mere train ride away from beautiful Peak District scenery, so I’ve got fairly easy access to landscapes that have a lot of folklore attached to them. You also seem to draw a lot of storefronts—bookstores, record shops, restaurants, etc. Do places have to be architecturally or visually interesting, or do you choose them more based on businesses you go to a lot/support? A bit of column A, a bit of column B. Most of my work is in reportage illustration so I tend to keep an eye out for visually interesting buildings and what have you.   Some of your work appears in an adult coloring book, “Colour Me Bad.” Tell us about this. The editor wanted work of mine that could be defined as “stressful,” and I had plenty of illos of busy streets and city environments, where it could be argued that they’re inherently anxiety and stress-inducing. I’ve never colored anybody else’s work, but if people are into it, I don’t have a problem, obviously.   If you had to choose one artistic piece of output of yours that would be representative of who you are to show someone who is not familiar with your work, what would it be? I suppose the more recent issue of Rum Lad. I reckon it’s got a nice balance of my more “realistic” and comic styles. What does 2016 have in store for you? 2016 has some travel plans and a new issue of Rum Lad, where I’m going to attempt drawing something that’s been a part of my life for a little while now. I can’t be more descriptive than that at the moment! Off the top of your head, who are some artists whose work you love that fans of your comics should check out? I would have to encourage people to check out Jack Fallow’s work—their comics and artwork are always riveting and relatable. Also, my mate Tara Hill creates some beautiful drawings for gig posters and stuff. Dead nice. What question do you like to be asked / wish you were asked but never were… and what’s the answer? If somebody asked me what my favorite Neurosis album was, I’d probably talk for hours and hours. The answer would probably be like an essay. Maybe I should make a zine about it? Now that you’re as stoked on the forthcoming Rum Lad as we are, check out Steve’s art, buy a print or two for someone you love, and order your copy of As You Were: Living Situations. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithemilytimm monthly 0.5 2016-10-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854858838-STAOJ21S10JG8B9V8WII/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Emily Timm SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Emily Timm Of all the contributions to As You Were: Living Situations, Emily Timm’s stands out as one of the quirkiest, most straight-up fun ones; if you haven’t yet read it, let’s just say it involves a punk house on the moon and leave it at that. We spoke with Timm, who is busy juggling playing in bands, making art, working part time, volunteering, and so much more to find out how she stays motivated, why she’s interested in Florida, and what we can expect from her in 2016. Keep reading to find out. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket Tell us about yourself. The good stuff: I live in Bloomington, Indiana, where rent is cheap and I can work part time and still have hours in the week left for what I love—that is, whatever creative project I’m currently working on. Recent past projects include finishing the first chapter of The Count of Florida, recording some newGhost Micesongs, block printing Yule cards, painting murals on the walls of the new (kind of secret!) DIY venue in town… oh, and I sang in an X cover band on Halloween, which was super fun! I also volunteer at the Midwest Pages to Prisoners Project and organize bi-monthly drawing clubs. If I’m not doing any of that stuff, I’m probably playing guitar in my room or cooking yummy vegan food with my partner, Nick. How did you get involved in AYW? The first time I was handed a copy of AYW I drank it in, finished it, started hastily googling artists from it that I liked, and searching for the next release! AYW is everything I’m looking for in a small-format comic—it was contemporary, it was punk, it had a bunch of different contributors, and it was packaged beautifully. So as you can imagine, when my friend Rick V., who is a past and current contributor, asked if I wanted to be a part of it, I jumped at the chance! How did you first get into drawing / comics / art? A few years ago, I started making comics because they struck me as a type of art/expression that is possibly the most approachable. I’m driven by some unknown force within me to make art, but to make isn’t enough. It’s vital that I connect with people, that I reach out and communicate, or else I might as well live in a studio apartment on the moon! What is your process like? Oftentimes it’s the loose doodles and the heartfelt scribbles that turn into something bigger—if something strikes me, I’ll write it in my journal. Then I’ll look back on it later and edit it (or not) and turn in into a more finished product. On your website, you talk about how self-motivation is a struggle for you as an artist. How did you learn to motivate yourself? Deadlines really get me motivated. Short-term ones are good too—for example, set a goal/intention for the day when you wake up and try to meet it. I read a book recently called “Daily Rituals” that describes the routines of a slew of different artists, philosophers, writers, etc. It highlighted to me the benefit of having a morning ritual—something you do that tells your body you’re about to get to work. For me, I wake up, eat breakfast, get dressed, and make a cup of tea. This tells my body I’m ready. I’ve read that you should never sit down at the drawing table in your pajamas—that you should “dress for work,” even if it’s just you and your cat at home. The book also made it clear that most of the people in it only got 2-4 hours of real work done per day. Make your goals achievable, have a daily routine, and make sure you give yourself time to work—even if it means skipping a show or another social event. Lately I’ve been trying something new, where I plan my leisure time and not my work time—for example, I’d give myself 20 minutes to go online, check my email and Facebook, or sit down and eat lunch and watch an episode of something. Then all of my unplanned time is for getting work done. Routines help immensely because they set you up for success. When I’m feeling stuck, or feeling unhappy with something, I remind myself that I make things because it’s what brings me joy; it’s what feels important. That reminder is enough to knock me back onto the right track. On the flipside, sometimes being an artist can be all-encompassing, especially when you’re in the thick of an idea or project. Do you have ways of making yourself take a break from your work or enforcing some sort of self care routine? I’m still really bad at getting up and taking breaks—a tip for this that I’ve yet to try is clearing off your desk, and putting your water/coffee/snack/phone/whatever far enough away that you have to get up to reach it. That way, you’re forcing yourself to take a mini-break. What is The Count of Florida? Over the past few years that I’ve been in Ghost Mice, I think we’ve toured in Florida more than anywhere else. I also toured there when I was in Inky Skulls (my first band—dark ukulele pop) and a more short-lived pop-punk band I was in called Tooth Soup. That adds up to a lot of hanging out in Florida. Whenever I’m there, I’m aware of a certain duality—there’s all the allure of sunshine and orange groves and beaches, but on the fringes there’s a sense of something darker—maybe it’s all the Spanish moss, the swamps and gators, or the uniquely Floridian stories that come up in the news. I’d always find this combination intriguing, in a morose way. On our tours to Florida, I started making lists of funny things a vampire might encounter in Florida—how they might mesh in some ways but devastatingly clash in others. I’ve got quite a stock of silly vampire jokes that I’m looking forward to weaving into The Count of Florida. What does 2016 look like for you in terms of creative things? In 2016 I hope to make a lot more progress on The Count. I finished the first chapter as a January “fun-a-day” challenge where you’re supposed to work on something or make something every day. I didn’t meet that challenge per se, but it definitely motivated me! Now that I’ve got the ball rolling, I hope to have the first volume published by the end of the year, possibly by Secret Sailor Books. I just enrolled in an online/weekly meet-up web design course through the Bloomington Code School(It’s free! Shoutout to the Monroe County Public Library). I’ve done book design and graphic design and I’m really excited to learn this new medium. And if I’m ever to become a self-employed graphic artist (which I’m planning on!), I think in this digital age, having web design in the bag is going to help. I’ve also been dreaming of starting a new band for a while, and I’m hoping 2016 can be the jumping-off point for that, too. If you had to choose one artistic piece of output of yours (comic or otherwise) that would be representative of who you are to show someone who is not familiar with your work, what would it be? If I had to choose something to show someone who wasn’t familiar with my work, I think I’d show them the Los Gatos Negros comic. It’s my first published comic so it took me a long time; I was constantly making mistakes and learning from them. I’m happy with how the final product turned out, and I want to share it with people so they’ll hopefully go and listen to Los Gatos Negros, who are great! Off the top of your head, who are some artists whose work you love that fans of your comics should check out? I really like Lynda Barry, Ben Katchor, Daryl Seitchek, Ron Regé, Jr., Peninal Gal, Katie Skelly, Dave McKean,Eleanor Davis, Sam Alden… I read “Seconds” by Bryan Lee O’Malley a while ago and it was great! You can keep tabs on Emily’s art by following her on Tumblr. To see her contribution to As You Were: Living Situations, which comes out this month, be sure to pick up a copy over here. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithalexbarrett monthly 0.5 2016-10-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854859874-UAZR33XCE3K8M29M7MBA/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Alex Barrett SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Alex Barrett Alex Barrett has been into comics — both reading them and drawing his own — since around age four, so it’s no surprise that he’s well versed in them, getting inspiration from a slew artists whose work spans the past century. But even though he’s got a lot of comic heroes and influencers, his style is unique and bold. See for yourself in this interview where he talks about comic books and video games, punk music, and beer and pinball. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket Tell us about yourself. How did you get involved in As You Were? Getting involved was easy; I received an email invite from Mitch Clem to be in AYW #4 and I responded yes. I’ve been a Razorcake contributor for several years now, [so] I’m pretty sure that’s where he knew my work from. Thanks, Mitch! So, what I do is mostly work, make art, and hang out with my wife and friends. I’m currently working at a print shop by day and drawing at night and on the weekends. But I also like to go out in public and drink alcohol, beers mostly, and shoot a little pinball. Portland is pretty much the greatest place on Earth if you’re into those two things. I have an irrational desire to collect comic books and old video games. The comics thing has been a part of my life since I learned how to read, and video games came shortly after, so I’ve accumulated a pretty impressive amount of both (nothing but quality stuff). Music, of course, is a big part of my life. I go out to see live music whenever possible and, although I haven’t been in a band in a few years, I love playing music, too. Your comic in AYW is about being illegally raided by the cops. Some of your other comics also seem to have a common thread of run-ins with authority, or a sort of us vs. them mentality. Is that an accurate summary of what growing up in Tallahassee was like? Technically, they had a fresh search warrant, so I believe that was a legal raid. They were just too incompetent to know that the guy they were looking for had moved out. But, yeah, growing up in Tallahassee (and later moving back in my twenties), I hardly know anyone that wasn’t arrested at least once. It seemed like the police force was larger than necessary and that resulted in a lot of bored cops with nothing better to do than harass skateboarders and other “suspicious”-looking kids. It wasn’t unusual for my friends and me to get pat-downs by police for simply walking down the street around my neighborhood. I love a lot of things about Tallahassee, but not the oppressiveness. Nazi TPD Fuck OFF! That said, myself and my friends had little to zero respect for authority and liked to stir up some shit. I liked to have a good laugh at the expense of those who thought they were in control. That same attitude has always been present in my art. How did you first get into drawing / comics / art? What is your process like? I think it was probably my public library’s comic book section that got me into comics. I know I was drawing around the same time; I would have been about four years old. My process usually starts with me jotting down a quick idea in my sketchbook—typically a barely decipherable sketch. I then draw it onto a sheet of bristol board. I use India ink and a brush over the top of the pencils for the final line art. Then I scan it, clean it up, and color it in Photoshop. I love black and white art. It’s the most striking to me, but most of the time, my clients want color. The palette is usually the last thing I choose. I’ll start off drawing and thinking of one color scheme but, in the end, I’ll mess around in Photoshop and turn up with something completely different than what I envisioned. What does 2016 look like for you in terms of creative things? I I’m determined to do more comics in 2016. It’s hard to make time for comics since I usually take any illustration work that comes my way (because $$$). I think I can do it this year, though. The plan is to work part-time at one or two jobs and free up an extra day a week for art. Also, I’m going to print up some of my t-shirt designs. I need to hone my screen printing skills in order to print decent stuff on my own. I’m looking forward to taking some workshops at the Independent Publishing Resource Center for that. You list your influences as punk rock and (weird) comic books. If you had to curate a playlist of music to accompany particular comics, what would that look like? The first four Ramones albums would go with Hate (and anything else by Pete Bagge), early Mad, earlyEightball/Dan Clowes, and Jack Kirby’s 1960s to early 80s work. The first four X albums would be forLove and Rockets, later Eightball/Dan Clowes, the D&Q Yoshihiro Tatsumi 1969-72 trilogy, and The Cabbie by Martí. A lot of your art is music related, i.e. logos for bands and posters for gigs. How do you come up with ideas for them? Do you have input from the bands or are you given free reign? I’ll listen to a band first if I’m going to do some work for them. Ideas come from their style or maybe their name or song titles. I generally get free reign or very little input from the band/venue/promoter if there’s not much $ involved. If I’m getting paid well, I’m at the mercy of whatever the client wants. I like it best when I can take a little nugget of an idea from them and expand on it, giving back something even better than what they had initially pictured. If you had to choose one artistic piece of output of yours (comic or otherwise) that would be representative of who you are to show someone who is not familiar with your work, what would it be? I printed a mini-comic called Junk Shop a few months back. It has an assortment of comics and art in it that I feel pretty solid about. It’s black and white with a neon green cover and has some collage and photo elements mixed in. I tried to give it the kind of mysterious and trashy vibe that I’d get as a kid from underground zines and comics that I discovered (pre-Internet). My younger self would be into it. Off the top of your head, who are some artists whose work you love that fans of your comics should check out? Besides all of the stuff mentioned in the above playlist: Harvey Kurtzman, Jim Rugg, Steve Ditko, Jim Phillips, Basil Wolverton, John Holmstrom, Rich Tommaso, Chester Gould, Akira Toriyama, Chuck Jones, Ted May. What question do you like to be asked / wish you were asked but never were… and what’s the answer? “What’s your favorite game system?” Ooo, that’s a tough one, but I gotta go with the NES. You can get yourself a copy of As You Were: Living Situations right over here. In the meantime, if you like what you read (or saw), be sure to follow along with APB’s artistic ventures. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithandrapassen monthly 0.5 2016-10-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854859557-E7E0CJ9D4MKCK95FD2GZ/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Andra Passen SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Andra Passen Andra Passen is super rad, and it’s not just because her comic takes its name from a Lawrence Arms song. In addition to drawing, she’s all about making themed dresses, watching Netflix, and other nerdy things. But don’t take our word for it; read on to find out more. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket Tell us about yourself. How did you get involved in As You Were? I got involved with AYW by just being a big ol’ fan of Mitch Clem. I shared my comics before I felt that they were ready to be shared, and I’m really glad I did! You make some pretty amazing dresses! How did you get into that? Thank you!  I enjoy thematic dresses so that every day can be a costume party. It really just helps as I count down to Halloween each year. In high school my uniform was a baggy band shirt and jeans. My mother would suggest dresses, [and] then when I stepped out in my first comic book dress I think she was a little appalled with the direction I took. When I look at my growing collection, I remember that a loud wardrobe does not indicate a loud personality or wanting any form of attention—it’s just fun. Regarding your contribution to As You Were: Living Situations, we’re dying to know what terrible entertainment would we find in your Netflix history. My Netflix history is super embarrassing! It includes Breaking Bad, The Wire, Lost, The Sopranos, andFirefly.  Terrible stuff! How did you first get into drawing / comics / art? I had an idea with no skill. What is your process like? Sharpie, paper, scanner. Is there something new or different you’ve been wanting to try or experiment with? It’s a weird line between defending style and being open to improvement, but I think I would like to take a lesson or learn a computer program. Maybe. One of the things that stands out in your art is that each new autobiographical drawing features you wearing a different band t-shirt. Is it always the shirt you were wearing when that thing happened, or do you choose your shirt based on how you feel or what you’re listening to? I choose the shirt half as that nod to the insecure dope I was in high school, but also to correlate with the title of each comic, always being a lyric or song title relating to the theme. If you had to choose one artistic piece of output of yours (comic or otherwise) that would be representative of who you are to show someone who is not familiar with your work, what would it be? My comics are definitely the most representative. It’s my diary. I think I keep one or two people who are fully aware of the extent that I worry, so when a few friends read the comics they were surprised when it even hinted at that side of things.   Sometimes the feedback I get is that I write about my husband too much. I remind them again that it’s my diary. How do your life and your comics inform one another? By the time I post a comic, it’s usually pretty far removed from the incident I wrote about. It’s a lot of fun to write something in real time, not think about it, then let hindsight kick in by the time it’s uploaded. Off the top of your head, who are some artists whose work you love that fans of your comics should check out? Jeffrey Brown was a leading influence. I felt there was this common theme in his work of being awkward in relationships, and I wanted to write about how incredibly awkward I could be when I was single. What question do you like to be asked / wish you were asked but never were… and what’s the answer? The answer is 42.  See Andra’s contribution to As You Were: Living Situations by ordering it from the store. Then head over to Crowded Thoughts and Crooked Teeth and click that “Follow” button to make certain you never miss a comic of hers again. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithrobcureton2 monthly 0.5 2016-10-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854860871-NBBC6A2P0VKCHRPVTWT1/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Rob Cureton SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Rob Cureton It’s been more than a year since we last caught up with Rob Cureton, and boy oh boy has he been busy! This time around we got the scoop on his mustache drawings, his artistic process, and how he really feels about pets. Get all the juicy info below. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket What have you been doing since we last talked to you? Hello again, good to be back! Been a busy year since we last spoke I think. I’ve managed to get work animating on no less than FOUR broadcast cartoons this year and got a full 18 months of work lined up on one of them again for this year. I’ve had my first piece of work published on a monthly comic in Dynamite’s Bob’s Burgers. I’ve spent a lot of time traveling back and forth visiting my girlfriend, and I’ve been thoroughly neglecting my own comic output. Some other stuff happened too I’m sure. You recently celebrated the seventh birthday of Orful Comics. Tell us more. Orful Comics’ birthday is the day that what I consider to be the first “proper” Orful Comics strip went online. This year was celebrated at the UK’s finest comic convention, Thought Bubble. Unfortunately, I had been too busy with work to organize anything special for it, so it was more of a private celebration for myself. It’s nice to celebrate the birthday at a convention though. Your latest contribution to As You Were is about a retirement home for old punks. Where did the idea come from? Aside from the obvious nod to “Mattersville,” it kinda morphed out of an idea for Issue 3 I couldn’t get to work. I’d had this idea for a mockumentary-style comic in my head and have been a little obsessed with the idea of trying that ever since. Trying something in the vein of an infomercial seemed like a more workable idea for a short format comic, so I went with that. I’d also been watching a LOT of Alan Partridge around the time so that’s who Barry Plops is based on. You’ve been doing mustache portraits lately. Tell us about those. What does your self-portrait look like? I noticed at comic conventions this year that customers tend to really get behind portraits with a gimmick, and to be honest, I wanted a slice of that pie! [In the past, I’d] done a little bit of work forGallery Of Mo during Movember and done live mustache portraits at events, which have gone down brilliantly, so decided I’d bring that back. I’ve not done a proper one of myself, to be honest. Just whacked a quick mo’ on an old picture when needed. I did commission Josceline Fenton to do one of me through Gallery Of Mo one year though. Why do you hate pets so much? Haha I guess this is about the Crap Pets badges? I don’t REALLY hate pets. It’s just something fun to take the piss out of and people really like them too! They’re all very tongue in cheek but true. I especially like the “Cats Are Shit” ones because I’m quite allergic to them. Cats that is, not the badges. Also my friend’s cat bit me the other weekend, so totally justified. We like finding out about people’s processes and work spaces, and we didn’t ask you about that last time, so what can you tell us about how you work? Oooooooo finally! I’ve wanted to answer one of these for AGES! I like to work traditionally, so [I] hand draw everything in pencil. I then use an animation lightbox (which is my favorite purchase I’ve ever made btw) to ink on a separate sheet of paper. I find not having to rub out pencil lines makes for nicer line quality, and also, I’ve ruined plenty pages trying to ink on the same page as the pencils. I tend to work with standard printer paper and cheap pens you can get from pretty much any stationery shop. It’s then scanned in and cleaned up in Photoshop, where I also add in tones, effects, lettering, panel borders, whatever else it needs. Workspace is pretty DIY in that it’s a big plank of wood stretched between two A-frames. Amazing light box sits one side and computer etc. the other side. I’ve recently been developing a bit of a nerd corner of bits and bobs that side too. If you had to choose one artistic piece of output of yours (comic or otherwise) that would be representative of who you are to show someone who is not familiar with your work, what would it be? I’d say the latest issue of Orful Comics is the best to show people (Volume 5). It has some of my favorite comics of mine in it and the artwork is the best I’ve ever done. There’s a few slightly experimental comics in there too which I really like, particularly the Space Team strip.   Off the top of your head, who are some artists whose work you love that fans of your comics should check out? Y’all should DEFINITELY be checking out my pal Rachael Smith if you aren’t already. She’s got a great style and some very imaginative writing. Definitely check out her graphic novel The Rabbit and her new web comic, Bess, which has only started recently. There’s also Ask Flimsy, in which a wine-loving blue cat gives terrible advice to real people on Tumblr. Well, there you have it. To keep tabs on Rob’s future endeavors, give him a follow over onFacebook or Twitter, and check out his contribution to our latest and greatest, As You Were: Living Situations. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithbensnakepit monthly 0.5 2016-10-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854860824-D2UDHDXPY6I360CGTCTT/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Ben Snakepit SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Ben Snakepit Ben Snakepit has been making daily diary comics for fifteen years, inventing the genre as a punk-comix pioneer without learning how to actually draw. Read on to learn more about the artist behind the madness. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket What have you been doing since we last talked to you? I’m still drawing diary comics every day (my newest book will be out in 2016!) and working at my dumbass “normal” job. If your contribution to AYW #4 is any indication, you sound like a terrible person to live with. Has that changed? Aside from being the “roommate from hell,” what are some selling points for having you as a roommate? What’s your ideal living situation? My ideal living situation is the one I have now: me and my wife in our dumb little house in the suburbs. I hope I never have to live with another roommate again, I always kinda hated it. You said in your last interview with us that you make it a point to only do one-page comics. Why is that? What kinds of artistic things would you consider doing that would take you out of your “comfort zone?” What sorts of things are you content never trying? Much in the way that I enjoy the challenge of fitting my days into three panels each, I like the idea of keeping my other comics constrained within a one-page format. There have been times when I’ve done two or three pages, but that usually has to be some kind of epic story to justify it. Something I’ve never been interested in trying is writing/drawing a fictional story. I keeps it real. Your drawing style has stayed remarkably consistent over the years. Is this on purpose, or do you secretly do epic detailed weird shit on the side that doesn’t make it into the journal comics? Nah, I’m just a crappy artist and always will be. One big reason is that I never use pencils. I always go straight ink on paper, so if I make a mistake I just have to deal with it. I think this contributes to my “carefree” attitude about drawing, ha ha ha. Having what is essentially a “diary” of your life spanning such a long period of time perhaps gives you greater insight into yourself. How often do you read back on your old work? What’s that like? What sorts of things have you learned about yourself? I like to go back and re-read the old stuff every few years or so. Usually it’s kind of embarrassing, especially when I read the really early comics when I was severely depressed and self-medicating. It really makes me feel good about how far I’ve come in just 15 years, and makes me wonder how far I will go in the future. If you had to choose one artistic piece of output of yours (comic or otherwise) that would be representative of who you are to show someone who is not familiar with your work, what would it be (and if you feel like it, why)? I think my first book, The Snake Pit Book, gets the idea across fairly well. The main thing that’s important to me is that readers understand that each book is just part of a larger thing. This is quite literally my life’s work. What does 2016 have in store for you? Are there any new projects you’re planning on or would like to get involved in, or conventions you’ll go to, or creative directions you want to explore? My new book, Manor Threat, will be released in the summer from Microcosm Publishing. I’m going to be at STAPLE! Con in Austin this year (sharing a table with Silver Sprocket as a matter of fact), and I might do some other cons if the opportunity arises. Off the top of your head, who are some artists whose work you love that fans of your comics should check out? John Porcellino, Julia Wertz, Jeffrey Lewis, Adam Pasion, JT Yost, Noah Van Sciver,Delaine Derry Green, Rachel Dukes, and Chynna Clugston are a few favorites I can think of right now. What question do you like to be asked / wish you were asked but never were… and what’s the answer? My favorite question ever came from a five-year-old kid at a convention once. He picked up a copy of my zine, “Tales From the Crapt,” which has a picture of me coming out of a toilet on the cover. The kid looked at it and asked “Why are you weird?” My answer: “Because it’s fun!” For more from Ben Snakepit including books you can buy, portrait comissions and upcoming events, visit http://www.bensnakepit.com/ or creep on his personal FaceBook account. Ben’s comics can be found in every issue of As You Were including the brand new “Living Situations” volume. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithalexkrokus monthly 0.5 2016-10-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854860649-RZ4N0CEZB7Y2J7CKSMN9/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Alex Krokus SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Alex Krokus Alex Krokus, like many of our As You Were contributors, is a man of many talents. In addition to drawing comics, he’s played in a band, he made art of people from The Office, his art was featured in a craft beer magazine, and so much more. Read on to discover the other kinds of art he likes to make and find out why he uses animals in his comics. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket Tell us about yourself. How did you get involved in AYW? Up until recently, I was a member of a touring band that traveled around the country pretty extensively. Last year, we went on a tour with Blackbird Raum through the Midwest and we got to talking about making an animated music video together. Naturally, that pulled Silver Sprocket into it and I eventually found out about the AYW series, which my buddy Ben Passmore (creator of DaygloAyhole) encouraged [me] to take part in. What other kind of things do you do (for work, for art, for fun)? I think my main thing I’m doing now is animation. I’m a freelance animator and I have a pretty nebulous relationship with it when it comes down to work or fun. They often overlap in ways that are difficult to separate. I also cook a buttload. I get real bougie with it too. Your contribution to AYW #4 centers around a house meeting and a character wanting to name the house. What are some of the best-named houses you’ve lived in? What is your dream house name? The only house-house that I ever really lived in was 592 Van Buren, which is portrayed in the comic. There were several names being thrown around all of the time, but it’s hard for a name to stick with a house that has 10+ people, y'know? I think that place is always going to be 592. As far as my dream house names go, they’re all listed in my comic. Usually the kind of folks who name their houses are kinda romantic, so I doubt any of my names would fly. What made you decide to draw your characters as animals? Do you have other comics where you do this? Is there some sort of differentiation (e.g. animal characters for autobiographical, and not for anything that’s fictional or someone else’s life)? For me, using animals is a tool for detachment. I think it’s especially important in autobio work where I often feel weird putting lots of work into a comic that is just drawings of me. I’m usually pretty bored when other people do it too. Ideally, I’d like my comics to be read firstly as stories about dopey animals before they’re read as “my life.” What kind of art do you like to make the most? Is there a preferred medium you like working with? You recently started working with color, correct? What about that? What’s your overall process like? The purist-art college version of myself would hate this, but I’ve really grown fond of finishing things digitally. I still do line work traditionally for illustration and comics, but for animation, unless I’m doing some experimental stuff I really wanna put the time into, I do it all on my Cintiq. It’s great. If you had to choose one artistic piece of output of yours (comic or otherwise) that would be representative of who you are to show someone who is not familiar with your work, what would it be (and if you feel like it, why)? That’s hard. Boiling it down, my work is either comedy or shallow/cool looking stuff. I just did a series of Pokemon gifs that I’m really excited about. And this month, I’m doing a series of 20 comedy bumpers for a new studio called Cartuna, which is coming out really well. Can’t show that yet, though. What makes you excited about comics / making art in general? How do your life and your comics inform one another? Lately, it’s been the feeling of getting better. Usually, with every project (comic/illustration/animation/whatever) I try to challenge myself in a new way. The results have been especially good for animation. I’m still relatively new to it, so it’s easy for me to impress myself. Off the top of your head, who are some artists whose work you love that fans of your comics should check out? For my comics specifically? You should check out out Daygloayhole, Thunderpaw, andGingerland Comics. Now that you’ve got the scoop on Alex K., head over to Tumblr and click that follow button. Then be sure to stop by the Silver Sprocket store to add As You Were: Living Situations to your library. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithrickv2 monthly 0.5 2016-10-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854862733-GEC99MEM90DQRQHHJYXD/tumblr_nzf1j2klzt1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Rick V SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Rick V When we first interviewed Rick V at the beginning of this year, he was in the middle of season four of Star Trek: The Next Generation. In the 10 months since, he’s made it to season five, recorded some music, released a zine, beat a lot of video games, and contributed to As You Were: Living Situations. For the specifics of what’s kept him busy in 2015, keep on reading. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket What have you been doing since we last talked to you? I did a voice for a Jimmy Buffet-style puppet for a PBS station. I’ve gotten slightly better at skateboarding. The movie screening series I do has had a lot more attendees. The band I’m in, Found Drowned, recorded a cassette and a 7". I beat the games The Adventures of Link, A Link to the Past, Link’s Awakening, Clash at Demonhead, Monsterworld IV, and Chiki Chiki Boys. I have been posting a comic on the Internet every Monday. Some of them are classy little gems that I came up with while staring at a blank piece of paper for a couple of hours. Also, Lyndsey Girlfriend judged me for stating that I don’t really watch TV in that last interview. Here are shows I watch sparingly: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Conan the Boy of the Future, Ghost Sweeper Mikami, Doug, Steven Universe, Tales from the Darkside, Cowboy Bebop, Doctor Who, Ash vs Evil Dead, Bob’s Burgers, and of course, Star Trek: The Next Generation. It feels so good to be honest. You’ve got a new zine out, Nineteen 1919 Hemphill Stories. How did you go about selecting the stories you wanted to include? Can you give us a preview of what’s inside? I reached out on the Book of Faces (Maria Bamford joke) to see if anybody could jog my memory on things that have happened at 1919. I wanted to make the stories more from my perspective than just stories overall. There could easily be a zine called Nineteen More 1919 Hemphill Stories by people who have attended and volunteered at 1919. I gave myself a deadline by setting up a zine release show across the country at 1919 Hemphill. I made a Book of Faces event page for the release before I even started the zine. I finished it the morning before I got on the plane for Texas. The show was really good, and from what I gathered, everybody who attended got really positive vibes from my stupid stories. Tell us about Drawlloween / Inktober! What’s your theme? What made you decide to do it? Is this your first time? I guess I didn’t know you had to pick a theme. I just used the list from http://drawlloween.us. I thought it would be a fun exercise. And it was! I mostly just doodled out the drawings quickly without much effort. I told myself that I wouldn’t pretty them up on the computer. It’s Inktober, not Photoshoptober, right? As You Were alumni Kett Nerd and Steve Thueson did a much more elaborate job at their Drawlloween drawings. Even though Steve bailed in the middle of the month. Well, you’ve sure lived with a lot of people! What qualities make up a good roommate? What are total dealbreakers for you? If you had to live with yourself (not like you already do, as a person existing, but rather if you were your own roommate), what would you say are the best and worst things about that? Clean up after yourself. Leave a room like you were never there. Dealbreakers? Smoking inside is pretty gross. Or being a drug dealer. [Having] somebody who sells drugs out of your house means constant shady characters will be in your living room. I once couldn’t stand living with my very good friend of mine because they made disgusting eating and drinking noises. I had to put on headphones when they were dining or I would start dry heaving. Which could have possibly ruined their eating experience. I also ended up not sleeping in my own house because they snored very loud. As a housemate, I have been criticized for playing music too loud and letting bands sleep over without much more than 10 minutes notice. I’m that guy. What makes you excited about comics / making art in general? They’re fun. Simple. You’re really committed to Star Trek: The Next Generation. But the real question is, when you finish watching the entire series, what major undertaking will you pursue next? That might be a better question for co-writer Brett Bays: Brett: Rick will continue his path down The Star Trek by watching the nearly-as-good-as-Next-Generation Star Trek series, Deep Space Nine, which will allow him to text me such questions as “Is Principal Snyder from Buffy a Ferengi bartender?” and “Why is Odo able to master the form of an eagle but not LIPS?” Off the top of your head, who are some artists whose work you love that fans of your comics should check out? Do I have fans? Check out my pals David Yoder, Emily Timm, and Penina Gal. I really like Richard Sala, Evan Dorkin, and Shmorky. But those don’t have much to do with my comics. What question do you like to be asked / wish you were asked but never were… and what’s the answer? That might be a better question for Brett Bays. Brett: Rick, you famously remember where you were when you first met every person you’ve ever met (including where you were when you first met me a million years ago). Do you remember where you were when you met every character on Star Trek: TNG? Do you remember where you were when you first met Lwaxana Troi? I was watching TNG on my phone in a boiler room of a hospital.  So there you have it, kids. Keep up with Rick V by following his Tumblr, where you’ll see new art and get updates on things possibly happening in the next year, like a probable split zine with Cassie J. Sneider about birthdays, or a print version of “I Text Brett After Each Star Trek TNG I Watch.” While you’re at it, get yourself a copy of As You Were: Living Situations too. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithaimeepijpers monthly 0.5 2016-10-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854863735-BHUW1TZAKW2BBYC8JBYB/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Aimée Pijpers SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Aimée Pijpers Aimée Pijpers’ comics are like a well-curated mixtape, the kind that the maker stays up all night recording, rewinding, and re-recording, in order to make sure the song selection, the message, and the flow are just right—which is one of the reasons we adore her art. Read on to find out about her love of lists, why she’s lived in so many places, and what gets her excited about comics. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket What have you been doing since we last talked to you? Since we last spoke, I got a full-time job and still spend all my free time making stuff and riding my bike and being an occasional shut-in. I’m in a new band with my friends that doesn’t have a name yet. I’m currently finishing up some projects I’ll have available at the Twin Cities Zinefest (11/14) and just started a very personal month-long project for November (which you can check out on my blog). I just finished watching all seasons of Daria for probably the fourth time. Now I’m re-watching episodes of Hey Arnold! Tell us about your bunny. My bunny is called Nijntje. It was given to me by my older sister shortly after I was born, not that I remember it. Its name is Dutch and translates to “Miffy,” like the name of that little cartoon rabbit that wears the orange dress. In actuality, it translates to “bunny.” Nijntje has traveled all over the world with me and has logged more miles than a lot of people I know. Nijntje currently lives in my room. Nijntje is my friend. You’ve lived in a lot of places… care to share why? Army kid? Missionary parents? Family that just likes to live all over? Was it art school that brought you to Minnesota or something else? What made you stay? Also, how has living all over the world shaped who you are? And in particular, how have each of these places defined you? My father used to work for an international bank. Through working his way up in the company, we would move around. Before I was born, they started in Amsterdam (both of my parents grew up in the Netherlands), then went on to Singapore. My siblings were born in those places. Then they moved to America, and I was born. Then we went to Belgium, Hong Kong, back to America, and I’ve been here ever since. My father explained to me once that he never wanted to stay in the Netherlands: “Staying there would’ve been boring.” I’ve always admired that thought. My parents live in Belgium now. All of the places I’ve lived have let me experience so many things that a lot of other people don’t get exposed to until they are adults, or never. I got to absorb different landscapes, cultures, languages, and climates. Moving around from drastically different places gave me an understanding of people and the world that I wouldn’t trade for anything. I chose Minneapolis primarily for art school and for the music that came from there, as well as a desire to experience a new part of the United States. I hated it the first few years, but grew to love it as I found friends who like the same weird stuff I do. I couldn’t tell you if I’m going to stay here or not; I’m always down to pick up my shit and start somewhere new. For now though, it works. You told us before that punk has been a part of you and your art since you were 12. You’ve been in Minneapolis since 2007, which is a long time to be in one place compared to the rest of the places you’ve lived. That said, you probably have a pretty good feel for it. What’s the punk / art community like there? We would assume it’s a positive thing because you’ve stayed there. What aspect(s) of it are you most appreciative of? Minneapolis is a great city. There is so much going on with music and art that I can’t keep up with it. There are shows every day, every week, all the time. That’s my main reason for staying put. The Connecticut town I lived in before I moved to Minneapolis was completely dull, uninspiring, and overwhelmingly white and privileged; needless to say, after my log of worldly adventures, I was not okay with everyone looking the same and playing beer pong in their parents’ basements on the weekends. While I met some of my best friends there, I wanted nothing more than to live in a place that embraced all forms of art and had a diverse population. Minneapolis has that, weirdly enough, considering its location. I can’t speak for the punk scene; it has so, so many facets. But I can say it is alive and well. There are always new bands popping up. What kind of art do you like to make the most? Is there a preferred medium you like working with? What’s your process like? I love to draw the most. Comics and flyers are my favorite things to make. While pen/ink is implied as my preferred medium, I love doing other stuff too. I still love painting despite not having done it in a while, and in the past two years I’ve started playing music with other people and that is insanely fun. I don’t think I can just love one medium. There are too many. My process is a lot of mulling things over and staring. It’s also a lot of listening to music and making lists. Every comic starts out as a list, then evolves from there. I make lots of mistakes. I go through erasers very fast. I multi-task. I lose patience frequently and walk away. Then I come back and finish. If you had to choose one artistic piece of output of yours (comic or otherwise) that would be representative of who you are to show someone who is not familiar with your work, what would it be and why? If I had to choose one representative thing, it would be the book I made called “1,055 Minutes.” It was a year-long project that involved keeping track of all the music I was listening to, making lyrics into images, and keeping meticulous lists, all of which I love. What makes you excited about comics / making art in general? How do your life and your comics inform one another? Knowing I can depict or evoke certain emotions using imagery makes me excited. To me, reading comics is a very personal experience. It’s your eyes and your brain and the images in front of you and that’s it. Knowing that someone can look at my stuff and have something resonate feels special, like I’m telling the truth to that person directly, one-on-one. Art, in any form it comes in, creates a platform for honesty for its creator. Some people take advantage of it, some don’t. I know people that couldn’t look away from the ground to tell you the truth, but could spill all their beans in a song or comic they wrote. That is one of the most exciting things about art. Off the top of your head, who are some artists whose work you love that fans of your comics should check out? As far as comic artists go: Liz Prince, Ben Snakepit, Mitch Clem/Nation of Amanda, Simon Hanselmann, Ryan Pequin, Steve Thueson, Mike Funk, Ramsey Beyer, Jeffrey Brown…more I can’t think of. It comes down to honesty and simplicity. All of these people make things in a manner that evokes all sorts of responses. They’re nothing like the insanely elaborate superhero comics that so many people start off reading; they’re human and real and you instantly know that the person that made them has a bunch of guts in their belly just like you, the reader. If you aren’t already following Aimée on Tumblr, what are you waiting for? And while you’re at it, order your copy of As You Were: Living Situations too! http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithkrissstress monthly 0.5 2016-10-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854862627-ATP4OXMVFVKJTJEG6PRN/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Kriss Stress SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Kriss Stress In case you missed the big announcement earlier this week, As You Were, Volume Four is now available for pre-order. The theme this time around is Living Situations, and we’re stoked to feature cover art by Chicago-based Kriss Stress, whose stuff we dig because of its intricate ink work and stark use of black and white. But Stress is into more than just comix. For starters, there’s the vegan peanut butter cups and the spoken history of Chicago’s music scene. Have we piqued your interest? Read on… Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket You went to culinary school in Chicago… if you had to introduce yourself and what you’re about to readers who aren’t familiar with your work via a meal, what would you prepare for us? It wouldn’t be a meal, but a snack! I make vegan peanut butter cups and sell them under the name Peanut Butter Wars to a few coffee shops around Chicago. I do a ton of different varieties and include everything from Dandies Vegan Marshmallows (from Chicago Vegan Foods) to crushed up jalapeño chips to vanilla birthday cake frosting. I sell them a fair bit at DIY shows and it often throws people off, and then they’re surprised when they try them and find their new favorite treat! Earlier this year, you did an IndieGoGo fundraiser for your book, “Blank Expressions.” How did you go about deciding who to use for that? “Blank Expressions” was a project that I did where I drew a portrait of a Chicago resident every single day for the entirety of 2014. Most of the people who participated are various musicians and artists within the city’s creative community. It was a really rewarding project to do because it stretched me and gave me discipline to carve out a few hours every single day to work on art and build consistency, but it was also extremely exhausting and I was pretty happy to finish it when time was up in December.  The process of putting together the book has been really slow going—much slower than I expected—as cleaning up and scanning nearly 400 pieces of art is its own project, and I’ve had a really difficult year with various things, including the end of a decade-old relationship that I was a part of. I plan on having the book out in the coming months, though! Tell us about your Notes and Bolts podcast. Where did the idea come from? How did it work out logistically (the way you chose participants, how the interviews occurred, what level of production went into them, etc.)? Notes and Bolts was a project that I did from 2012-2014 that spanned interviews with 300 different bands, musicians, artists, and labels in Chicago. The point of the whole thing was to document the spoken histories and thoughts of all of these people in an attempt to archive them, and while I got a pretty good swath of activity documented, this city is so huge and so wide reaching that I don’t feel like I really scratched the surface.  Because I’m constantly swirling around with projects, I put the podcast on hiatus last August, but I have a few dozen backed up that I want to release at some point in the future before resuming with fresh recordings.  In terms of production and such, it was really simple. I just used a Tascam tape machine to record the interviews and then spliced the interviews with the music in GarageBand. As for the recording and scheduling, I would often do interviews with six to eight bands every Monday and did that for two years. I didn’t want to do them daily and have them take up my life, so I just compacted them to one day a week and marathoned them.   How did you come to be involved in As You Were? Mitch asked me to do the cover a little while ago and I was super excited to do so. His comic, “Nothing Nice To Say,” was my first peek into webcomics and, really, things beyond the Big Two (Marvel and DC -ed) when I was in high school, and [it] played a huge role in getting me into punk-based art and showing me that I could do more in terms of being actively involved in the culture outside of just simply playing in a band.  What other kinds of things are you working on or do you plan to work on? Any projects you’d love to undertake? Any specific goals you have (for art, or for life in general)? Right now, I’m starting up a new project where I’m going to try to draw 400 days worth of weird and oddball character portraits and would like to get those published at some point when I’m done. I’m also working on a few comics projects and have a couple (like the “Blank Expressions” book) that I’m waiting to get scanned and cleaned up before I’m ready to put them out.  It’s weird; I feel like I have a decent-sized body of work finished but nothing physically to show for it since I’ve not done any substantial print stuff yet, aside from one-off things like covers for records and tapes or magazine features. Hopefully I can change that in 2016! What kind of art do you like to make the most? Is there a preferred medium you like working with? You use a lot of black and white; is that what you prefer or do you see yourself experimenting more with color? Additionally, some of your older stuff is full of textures and patterns but you’ve more recently done some sequential type art—is this a new direction? I’ve tried experimenting with color here and there throughout the years, but I’ve never been satisfied with it because my work is so detail heavy that the color tends to just wash it out and obscure it all. All of my favorite artists are folks like Charles Burns, Jaime Hernandez, and Gary Panter, who all make great use of heavy, deep blacks, and that’s something I’ve been moving more toward. Texture and patterns are a huge thing, for sure, and I still use those, though the influence of those doesn’t come from art; more so they come from music because I enjoy listening to a lot of ambient and electronic music while drawing, and the elements that inform those genres tend to be things I try to funnel into the visual stuff I’m doing. All of the tiny lines and things that go into my work are really just me trying to make a visual version of all of the Kraftwerk and Klaus Schulze records that I obsess over. If you had to choose one artistic piece of output of yours (comic or otherwise) that would be representative of who you are to show someone who is not familiar with your work, what would it be and why? I would likely show them a newer comic that I’ve been working on that features a lot of the elements I’ve really been growing comfortable with—that combination of heavy black inks with lots of tight texture and pattern work—because I feel like that’s the best stuff I’ve come up with. My opinion on that will change next week because I tend to not like any of my art, and that’s one reason why I’m constantly drawing, so that I can some day come up with something I actually do like. What makes you excited about comics / making art in general? How do your life and your art inform one another? More specifically, how does gender identity play into your art / the punk rock lifestyle? I’m not honestly sure how to answer this because I’d imagine tons of other folks have come up with an answer to this before me who can convey what I’m thinking way better. Really, I guess my art gives my life definition in so far as I just do it constantly and tend to live for it more than anything else. Relationships come and go, and so do scenes and cultures, but I know that I’ll always have art, and that means a lot to me. There’s a real catharsis in having a frustration and working that out with some pen and ink. In terms of my gender identity, I tend to not necessarily downplay that element of myself in my work, but I don’t exactly run toward it. Again, I think there have been others who have been better equipped than I in their storytelling abilities to put that across in the comics medium, and I figure it’s best to leave it to them. Gender is a huge part of my day-to-day experience, but it’s something that I tend to be fairly private about. Off the top of your head, who are some artists whose work you love that fans of your work should check out? Anya Davidson, who does a comic called “Band For Life”—she puts out a new installment every week and that’s consistently great! Edie Fake, who does some really great stuff with more silent storytelling. A lot of the usual suspects like Michael DeForge, Box Brown, etc.—really, just anything that has good pacing and flow to it while also maintaining really sharp and clean line work. The art tends to attract me to comics more than the actual story when I first become acquainted with something.  What question do you like to be asked / wish you were asked but never were… and what’s the answer? Why do I love the B-52s so much? Because they’re some of the only weirdos to come out of my home state of Georgia totally deformed and strange and odd and that was a huge encouragement to me growing up as a teenager in a small, conservative town where I often felt like I was the only one who was listening to punk rock that wasn’t on MTV. To keep up to date with Stress’ goings-on in 2016 and beyond, be sure to check out Facebook. And don’t forget to secure your copy of As You Were: Living Situations! http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithstevelarder monthly 0.5 2016-10-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854868854-DRPOY01KUQNTIJ231Z6K/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Steve Larder SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Steve Larder Steve Larder has been with As You Were since the very first issue, when his artwork appeared on the cover. Since then, we’ve come to love and expect his intricate, and dare we say beautiful, illustration work. In addition to his comic contributions, he also creates his own zine, Rum Lad.  We were able to steal some of his time and get the scoop on his relationship to Dropdead, Calvin and Hobbes, and his city of Nottingham. Keep reading to find out more. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket How does someone like you end up being a contributor to As You Were? Like many other contributors to As You Were, I received an e­mail out of the blue from Mitch Clem. I’ve always been an avid follower and fan of Mitch’s artwork and comics, so to be asked to draw the cover of the first issue was a real honor. Not only that, but I got to share pages with a bunch of other punk artists I admired in the first place, as well discover some whose work was completely new to me. I’m kinda proud to be a part of it. Can you give us some insight on your artistic process? What inspires you? How do you decide on B/W or color? Is there anyone you’d attribute your artistic development to? How did you get into making art in the first place? I think a lot of artists have a similar story of not really remembering a specific moment when they decided that’s what they wanted to do; they just always have. I was lucky to have an encouraging family who noticed I was big into drawing. For instance, my grandmother would tear ­up cereal boxes for the blank ­inside cardboard in an effort to find me something else to doodle on when I ran out of paper.  I enjoyed art at school, then progressed into college doing Art & Design. However, I found it hard to develop anything I was particularly proud of due to the vagueness of what was expected of me. I know that some people can find that kind of freedom liberating, but it had the opposite effect on me. I found it incredibly daunting. I shared a class with someone who, for their first project, covered themselves entirely in paint to writhe naked on a canvas, as well as another person who collected their own hair, urine, and stool samples to display as a final piece of work. I just wanted to draw stuff, y'know? Eventually I discovered that “illustration” was a thing and took a course at Uni. It seemed to be a much more focused and comfortable approach to apply my work to. Around the same time, I was being introduced to the world of comics by people like Jhonen Vasquez, which was a total lightbulb moment for me, as my previous experience of comics was an extremely limited view of Marvel superheroes and the like. While I totally recognize the influence and importance of that side of comic culture, it’s never been a genre I’ve been particularly keen on. Indie comics seemed relatable to the environment and attitude found in local DIY gigs, which is where I was exposed to zines as well. Punk gave me the confidence boost to say “I can do that.” When I started drawing zines and flyers, I generally stuck to black and white because it was just easiest to photocopy. Since then, it’s been a method I’ve stuck with out of habit. I occasionally play around with color if I want to highlight certain areas of a drawing or whatever, but I’ll be the first to admit it’s not one of my strengths. Occasionally an illustration job demands it, which is good for me to get out of my comfort ­zone, but it’s often a trial to settle on something I like. I keep the artistic process as tangible as possible where I can, but it can make things a little arduous when things go wrong. There’s no undo button when I mess something up at the last minute. You have an autobiographical zine, Rum Lad. Is this your first zine or did you make others before? What inspired you to create it? How do you decide what kind of stuff makes the cut, versus things that don’t? Rum Lad was the first I made myself. The first issue was released in 2006 as a split with my then-girlfriend’s zine, “Scared of Bees.” Prior to that, I’d drawn a few covers for my mate Marv’s zine, “Gadgie,” and occasionally wrote some naïve and straight-up terrible “columns” for a local webzine, which I hope have disappeared into the ether. Rum Lad was the first attempt at my own zine, but it took a couple of issues before I developed any sort of structure. I was inspired to contribute something back into a scene I’d gotten so much out of socially and even ethically, really. I also liked the idea of being an active part of a supportive, global network of people who made stuff just because they could. Rum Lad has almost turned any experience I have into potential source material to draw and write about. I think I do much better at documenting things like touring in a band or generally meandering about than coming up with something fictional. It’s almost an incentive in the first place to do things I normally wouldn’t have the confidence or capacity to achieve on my own. I guess making a zine has been a handy prop in a few situations, too. I’ve had conversations and made friends that sparked through an exchange that usually started with “Oh hey, wanna trade?” I’m often not as candid as I could be; there [have] definitely been one or two moments where I’ve omitted a couple of details where I don’t want to land anyone in hot water, or whatever. Also, I think to some extent I don’t have the courage to be too “raw,” and I try to have a critical ­eye on whatever I draw or write about. I’ve had a few occasions where I spent ages on a single paragraph or drawing to then eventually think, “Nah, nobody cares about that.” In your AYW contribution you cite Dropdead as one of those bands that, upon first listen, made you realize that “your world [had] just instantly changed.” What is some other music that’s done that for you, and how? Or, not limiting it to music, are there certain artists of any kind whose work has had that effect as well? This is such a tricky question for me to answer. If I’m not careful, I’d just find myself reeling off a list of my favorite bands and artists, and it’d be incredibly hard work to decide the significance between them. I don’t wanna get too “High­ Fidelity!” I wrote about Dropdead in particular, as I can remember hearing songs like “Superior” and “Idiot Icon” off their second LP for the first time and just knowing that I’d found something which just nailed it for me. When I started playing in bands, I often used them as a basis for comparison in how I approached writing my own fast punk songs, and still do, to some extent. Also, I reckon the idea of convincing me to rethink a few aspects of my lifestyle in a 30-second hardcore song is pretty rad. You also talk about your conversion to veganism, and the idea that art can be a tool to influence people and alter perspectives. What are some other examples of this, where art has made you or someone else think of things differently? Why do you think people are more open to accepting new or uncomfortable messages in art, as opposed to an opposing viewpoint in a newspaper or conversation with someone else? When I started reading Calvin and Hobbes, I realized that Bill Watterson had this knack of succinctly expressing so much in about three or four panels. It amazes me that a tiger and a naughty kid can discuss philosophy, political science, ethics, economics, and beyond, [and] then present them in a really precise, human way that allows you to relate on such a base emotional level. The strip where Calvin finds an injured raccoon makes me tear ­up (not even joking, my bottom lip quivered a bit when I looked that up again for this answer), and the final comic, despite bringing things to a halt, is just incredibly powerful to me in how hopeful it is.  Also, Calvin and Hobbes is bloody hilarious! I think humor is a common language that art can use to deliver whatever content or perspective it’s pushing. I can only speak for myself, but I’d definitely say that reading Calvin and Hobbes has taught me to try and avoid cynicism when there’s so much to be in awe of, sometimes. You currently live in Nottingham. When and why did you decide to move there? For those of us who have never been there, what is it like? I moved to Nottingham at the end of 2007. I was just ready for a change, and as a visitor to the city and the punk gigs there, I always liked it. I had some friends from the music scene who lived there already, so it definitely was easier to settle in with their help. I soon felt welcome and wasted no time in getting involved with bands and gigs. It’s not a big city at all; you can usually get by on foot, and its geographical location in the midlands means you’re never too far away from other major cities. It’s fairly easy to get to, say, Leeds or London on public transport, plus there’s the Derbyshire Peak District nearby if you fancy something a little more remote. Nottingham is always evolving, and across the years, I’ve always seen it as a hub for bustling creative, music, and activist scenes. There [are] loads of spaces and businesses that have a strong community-­based DIY spirit that’s rooted in helping each other out. From studios/venues like Stuck on a Name, JT Soar, and The Sumac Centre, to businesses like The Music Exchange record shop, LeftLion Magazine, and Annie’s Burger Shack (to name a few), there’s just a great sense of support and camaraderie. I proper love living here now! Do you make art exclusively, or do you also have to work? If so, what do you do? What’s your dream job? I try to make art my living, but as I’m sure a lot of people will attest to, it’s hard. I usually need a day ­job, which isn’t ideal, but totally necessary if I want to pay my bills and rent. My dream job would be to eventually support myself with my art, but I’m a long way off. I don’t think I have delusions of what to expect by calling illustration or making comics my “career,” so long as I can get by OK with it. Whenever I have a “Why do I bother?” moment, I usually revert back to the fact that I’ve been making art for most of my life anyway, so I’d might as well carry on. What are some of your favorite zines to read? Is there a particular genre you’re into? A lot of my favorite zines are by my friends! Off the top of my head I love reading Brainscan, Gadgie, Truckface, Cometbus, Invincible Summer, So Midwest, I Was a Teenage Mormon, Facial Disobedience, and loads more that I’m forgetting. I don’t have a particular genre I favor over another, but I guess I read a lot of per­zines, so I’m more likely to look in that direction than any. How do you define success? I suppose in the sappiest way possible: trying to make the best out of what you have, keeping a solid, life­-affirming group of people around you, and ultimately just to be happy. Ready to devour the rest of Larder’s body of artwork? Head on over to his Tumblr, and fill in the missing pieces of your As You Were collection here. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithrickv monthly 0.5 2016-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854859874-VOYYPYIPCHVWXRRQ6GHY/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Rick V SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Rick V Rick V is probably one of the only ones among us who still actually uses LiveJournal. If that’s not reason enough to keep reading, get off the Internet. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket How did you end up as a regular contributor to As You Were? One day I got an email from AYW editor Mitch Clem asking me to do a comic for this cool anthology. He then told me it had to be done in three days. I managed to meet the three-day deadline with a shaky-looking one-page comic. Mitch has asked me to be in it every time since. Unless it’s on Issue #8 and Mitch has cleverly blocked anything about the anthology’s existence from my radar. When did you first start drawing? Was it something you always did as a kid, or was there some other event that instigated it? How have you seen your style evolve over the years, and who or what would you cite as your main influences? I’ve been drawing since I was tiny. I used to be so proud of my four-year-old self for not just drawing stick figures. I did have an issue with drawing hands. They would just be a bunch of squiggles. The first comic I think I ever made was with my friend Don. It was a Bill and Ted ripoff where the title characters, Rick and Don, went back to Medieval England. The only comics either of us had were Mad and Cracked Magazine. I always knew comics were cool but never owned any. I wish I knew libraries existed back then. I don’t know if I have influences. I only started drawing myself because of Ben Snakepit. A lot of people say I draw like the Simpsons. I do like the Simpsons. But I never intended to style anything after the show. Am I allowed to say my influences are funny cartoons? I do really like funny cartoons. Your contribution to AYW3 talks about moving across the country and trading in cheap rent and a well-paying job for a higher cost of living and not as much money. What other things did you gain or lose in the process? And what do you think is the take away from it? I don’t think I lost anything other than the ability to spend money like a very stupid king. What did I take away from it? Maybe nothing. I still spend money on things I don’t need. I foolishly spent money on cases for my Nintendo games the other day. I’ve learned nothing. Wait wait! I thought of something. Don’t stay at a job that steals away your life and soul because you make a lot of money. I work three days a week now as a nurse’s aid and that gives me time to do all the things I like doing. I don’t get a huge salary, but I like the job, and all the days off allow me to do the things like staring at a computer screen trying to answer questions I don’t know how to answer. Aside from AYW, where else has your work shown up? Great question! Nowhere. How does the creative process tend to work for you? Is there a specific place where you draw? What kinds of things inspire the topics you cover? Do you prefer to make art that is specifically for something (a contribution, for example) or do you like not having a specific assigned subject matter? I think about things to draw or write about all the time. And I tend to forget them until days later. When I’m sitting at home by myself and think of something good, I drop whatever I’m doing and go attempt to make that thing. I tend to draw in an office in a house I share with my girlfriend Lyndsey. Her side is covered in 1960s dolls and my side is covered in cables, VHS tapes, old flyers, and an oversized drafting table. I used to love drawing in the abandoned doctors’ dining room in the hospital I work at. And I have a love/hate relationship with having to cover a topic given to me. I love it because it forces me to make something. And I hate it because it takes me so long to think of something that covers the subject matter. I don’t know if any of you have watched any of my DOODLE THYME shorts, but those are usually made the day of the screening. Something usually clicks before the film is due. I think the hastiness of some of those shorts are what makes them funny. One of your regularly occurring comics is about Star Trek: The Next Generation. Is this your first time watching it through? Why Star Trek and not any other show? I don’t really watch a lot of TV. I’m sure a lot of TV shows are great. I just don’t care to watch them. This is the first time I’ve ever watched Star Trek: TNG. I had known Brett has seen it at least once all the way through. I started texting him as I was watching the episodes as some sort of running joke. I was scrolling through our text conversations and thought they were pretty funny. I started drawing comics using our text convos and it became a fun drawing excercise. It also shows folks how funny my friend Brett Bays is. In addition to comics, you also design show flyers. What are some of your favorite ones you’ve made, and why? I have probably made more than 400 flyers. Some are insanely terrible and made with whatever I could find at Kinko’s. Since I don’t set up many shows anymore, I don’t get asked very often to make any. Some of the flyers I made recently have references to things I like on them in hopes that someone will approach me and be like “I really like that dumb thing you like too!” But that has yet to happen. I made one that has Killer from All Dogs Go To Heaven and Hoodoo from Lidsville. And of course we all know that both of those characters are voiced by the late great Charles Nelson Reilly. Yet nobody has approached me to tell me what a genius I am for making that flyer. Tell us more about 1919 Hemphill. Have you gotten involved in any similar kinds of projects in Indiana? 1919 Hemphill is a collective-run DIY space in Fort Worth, TX. It has been running for about 12 years now. I was event coordinator there for the first 10 years and I accidentally ran it by myself for 2. It’s a big place that does a lot of shows, and has a free store and a lending library. All events are welcome there, but only rock shows seem to be what people want to set up there. People have asked me about starting something like that in Bloomington, but I only want to be an advisor. I love 1919 Hemphill, but I also like that I don’t get my inbox flooded with rock show requests every day and I am not spending most my evenings in a cement building. How do you define success? Having someone I don’t know tell me they like my stuff. Which has only happened to me once. A kid wrote me a very nice email about how much he liked “Day Off,” a long-lost mini comic I made. If I can please people with whatever silly thing I am doing, I call that success. Do you spend money on things you don’t need? Do you appreciate the subtle genius that goes into making show flyers? Do you want the Cliffs Notes on episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation? If you answered yes to any of these questions, point your cursor to Rick V’s Tumblr. Don’t forget to grab a copy of As You Were issues 1-8 while you’re at it. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithmel monthly 0.5 2016-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1479820908437-GMW9QTLD2UBBUDAVK0Q9/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Mel SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Mel Far be it from us to define what constitutes “good” art, but we do have to admit there is something refreshing about art that is real and just doesn’t give a fuck. For an example, we need not look any further than Mel’s comix, which are sometimes funny, sometimes gross, but always offer an honest, unfiltered world view. Intrigued? Keep reading to find out about Mel’s artistic process, her projects in the pipeline, and her favorite kinds of cake and cookies. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket Please tell us the circumstances that led to your work showing up in As You Were. I don’t know how I ended up in As You Were. I’m just a scrap kid with a notebook and a fat head. The Silver Sprocket kids must have liked my old Big D and the Kids Table shirt or something, because they asked me to draw a couple pages for this zine. I got lucky. How/when did you first get into making comics? I’ve been doing this shit forever. I drew a comic about Osama Bin Laden crashing a plane into my elementary school after 9/11. I was bored. I learned a long time ago that this world isn’t what I want it to be (this world kinda SUCKS). I get to make my own world when I draw comics. Plus, it’s one of the only things I’m good at. What is your process? Step One: Fresh tunes. Step Two: Bong hits. Step Three: Draw until my hand hurts and I can’t tell the difference between the fibers in my notebook and the vast expanse of the multiverse. Step Four: Snacks! What kinds of materials do you use? Mechanical pencils, black inky pens, markers, colored pencils, box wine, crayons, glitter glue, highlighter, Elmer’s glue, construction paper, notebooks, acrylic paint, tape, tea, chocolate, floss, cloth scissors, rulers, pencil sharpeners, Photoshop, digital drawing pad, weed. Anything can be an art supply if you smear it on paper (I just like saying the word “smear”). What is the deciding factor as to whether your comics are in color or black and white? My feelings. Sometimes I just need to scribble everything black so it matches my rotten insides. Other times I feel like a rainbow. It’s a metaphor. You’ve described your art as weird… what do you think makes it weird? What does that mean to you? I have it in my head that my art is weird because people tell me it’s weird. I hope they mean weird like it’s quirky and lovable, not weird like bad weird that feeds anxiety and creates nightmare visions. I try to be honest when I draw and write, and that makes my comix raw like a journal entry. We can either look at life as half empty, or as six bars of chocolate and a liter of wine. I just want my lips to be a lovely shade of merlot. I just hope someone can relate. Is your character Goose supposed to be you or a version of you (or is there another character who is)? If so, how true are you to one another, or do you take some liberties with the interpretation? Where do you get the inspiration for the people in your comics? Goose is cooler than me, and she’s way less awkward. Sometimes I want to say stuff to my friends but I don’t know how, so I draw it instead. Everything is sort of true, most of it totally made up, and other parts I drew when I was drunk at a bar in the middle of the night. My friends know who their characters are, and I’ll give them shout-outs even when it isn’t obvious. Because I love my friends and it’s my way of telling them thanks for putting up with my bullshit. You’ve done commissions, and you also have other stuff in the works. Currently, what kinds of projects do you have in the pipeline (this can be stuff you’re working on, or stuff you want to do but haven’t yet started)? There is so much I have to do, so much I want to do, and a lot of stuff I’ve been putting off and I swear I’ll get to it eventually. I’m in the process of “getting my shit together.” It’s going great actually. I’m feeling really good about it. -Right now I’m making a zine (Cometbus style) of old and new stuff—something I can send to friends in the mail and barter for beer. -I just learned how to make those mini-zines, you know, those little ones that are made from one sheet of paper all folded up, and I want to make a lot of them because it’s so fun and easy. -Also still working on my nipple pin project, trying to make nipple pins from real nipples, because every nipple is different and beautiful and something about diversity and love, so send me pics of your nips please and I’ll make you a custom one wink wink xoxox finger guns. Get all your friends to do it too and we can trade. -I’m making a cartoon. It’s time consuming and I’m pumped on it. I don’t want to talk about it yet. -I want to paint a mural. -I want to plant a garden. OK, this isn’t an art project, but I still wanna do it. Where do you make the majority of your art? Do you have a set schedule for when and where it occurs, or does it just happen? Usually drawing and writing happens when I find the time in between all my other bullshit. That’s why I end up inking all wild and crazy in late-night bars and 24-hour diners. On my days off, I draw in my little room. I call it the Broom Closet, because my building used to be a hotel and my room was, you guessed it, the broom closet. Sometimes I get on a kick and I don’t leave my room for days, and I show up to work a half-hour late all crazy and twitching, smelling like nag champa and pretending that I forgot how to speak English just because I haven’t said anything out loud for a long time. You’ve admitted to drawing art in the bathroom at Sparky’s. What other business establishments are lucky enough to have your art on their walls? Do you have a bucket list of places to draw on? Oh yeah, the management at Sparky’s hates me for very good reasons. My friends used to work graveyard shifts there, and nothing good happens after 2am. If you need advice on how to get 86’d from a restaurant, then I’d be happy to help you out. A lot of bathrooms in San Francisco have my art on their walls; if you’re in the city keep an eye out. When I first started making zines, I used to leave them above urinals at clubs in the Castro. It was funny watching drunk guys holding their dicks and pissing and reading my comics at the same time. A lot of bathroom stalls at clubs don’t have doors. This story sucks. From my brain to the toilet, that’s the natural progression. In As You Were #3, your comic talks about some of the changes that accompany puberty. What made you decide on this topic for your contribution? What else can you tell us about it? Our bodies grow and change everyday. It’s like puberty never really ends. Life is always going to be awkward and gross. We’re all doomed. I thought everyone should know. Who are some other artists you admire, be they contemporaries of yours or people who made you want to draw in the first place? Tank Girl was one of the first comic books I read that put dat fire under my ass. I didn’t finish Julia Wertz’s “The Infinite Wait” because I was too inspired to read. I also really like Julie Doucet because she draws freakin’ whippets all over her comics. I admire a lot of my contemporaries but I’m too shy to tell them how I love them so. Making me blush. What’s your favorite kind of cake? “Cakes” is a slang term for a nice booty. I’m not saying that’s my favorite kind of cake. I’m just saying that I like carrot cake with white chocolate on top. I don’t need frosting. What’s your favorite cookie at Hot Cookie? Peanut butter. Once I ate two in a row. Once I took a bite of peanut butter and a bite of chocolate fudge at the same time, and that was great. What are five songs (at least, feel free to get carried away) that would make a good soundtrack to your comic? THIS IS THE HARDEST QUESTION TO ANSWER IT FEELS LIKE I’M UNDER PRESSURE LIKE THAT DAVID BOWIE SONG. I made a playlist but it was genre queer and going through a temporal disturbance and was also really long and I’m not going to write it all out but to sum it up I’m just gonna say: [Every World/Inferno song.] If money, time, and responsibility didn’t play into your decision-making process, what would you do with your life? Or, rephrased: you just quit your job, so maybe those things don’t play into your decision-making process… so what are your plans moving forward? I don’t have any plans to move forward, I’ve just been following my stupid little pipe dreams and my pounding heartbeat and holding onto what I have real tight. It’s gotten me this far at least. Luckily, my friends love me and manage real businesses and want me to work wage labor for them, so I have a lot of odd jobs that pay the rent (I’m that creep sitting at the club’s coat check sketching all the cuties and rubbing my face in your fuzzy sweaters). I want to draw comics, plot the revolution, and listen to music real loud all day, but I don’t get paid for that. Moving forward has been a slow and stoney-bologna process between making money and making art. I nominate myself as the governor. The first thing I’m gonna do is get drunk and abolish the wage system. Ask me this question again in two years when I freak out about losing my healthcare and I have to pay for another root canal ‘cuz all I do is eat cookies and cake all day. Has Mel charmed you yet? If yes, go check out more of her art. If no, you probably just need to see more of her art. While you’re at it, order yourself a copy of As You Were. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithjimkettner monthly 0.5 2016-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854875577-OT2WJ46GRLAYLPPY6JDS/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Jim Kettner SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Jim Kettner A lot of artists got their start with drawing in their younger years, and our pal Jim Kettner is no exception. But what many artists don’t do is consider themselves writers, at least, not in the traditional sense. For Kettner, however, drawing and storytelling have always gone hand in hand, as he finds inspiration in both the art and words of others. Keep reading to find out about Kettnerd’s writing and drawing influences, how he came to live in a place called Book House, and what success means for him personally. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket For those who don’t know you, describe yourself using only song lyrics. Wake up and live your life see what there is to see I won’t sit around all day cause life means more to me So many kids content to sleep their lives away But I’m gonna try to make the most out of this day It takes some motivation, it takes some love for life Why just sit complacent and let life pass you by Boredom is a choice I choose not to make Unlock that door, strive for more, there’s a better path to take What are the circumstances that led to you having your art featured in As You Were?  Punk is a small town, ya know? I’ve been buddies with the awesome and talented Liz Prince for a really long time. She was actually the first person to really push me into doing auto-bio material. I had been drawing mostly sci-fi and superhero type stuff, but a few years ago there had been a call to make a comics page for the website If You Make It. She was basically like “Dude, you’re a comics punk, you’re an idiot if you don’t jump on this.” That led to a series of my first webcomics that focused on underground music culture. I was super insecure about writing non-fiction at first, but it turned out to be really fun. Flash forward a couple of years to when Mitch was pulling together As You Were #1. I had never met Mitch before, but I think he had seen my work on IYMI, and once again Liz had passed along my info and by proxy sort of gave me a shove to make some new comics. Unfortunately, I was super duper busy with grad school at that point and didn’t have time to jump back into the punk comix game ‘til issue #2.  How did you first get into making art? What were or are some of your biggest inspirations, and what forms and mediums do you like best? Well, probably like most of the contributors you’ve spoken with, I’ve been making pictures and stories since I was a really small kid. I’m just lucky I never grew out of it. I was one of those kids who could sit super content as long as I had a sketchbook or some action figures handy. I was always making up new characters or playing roleplaying games. I always loved comics, but by the late 80s I had discovered an old school, grimy, hole-in-the-wall comic shop one town over from where I lived and went from being a causal corner store comics reader to a member of the true faith—a back issue-digging comics explorer. The book that really made my head spin around that time was Walt Simonson’s run of Thor comics. That was the first book I read that was written and drawn by a single creator, and it was filled with all this completely bonkers sci-fi/mythology mashup. But yeah, that was the first time it clicked that I could write and draw my own stories, and that was 100% what I wanted to do.   Later in high school, I worried that my drawings weren’t up to snuff and I almost gave up. I was convinced that my comics sucked eggs. I was never going to draw Uncanny X-Men, you know? I struggled through three-point perspective lessons from How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way and considered film school as an alternative way to scratch that storytelling itch. Fortunately, I had one of those heroic high school teachers who really encouraged me, and I ended up studying Illustration at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. From then on, my comics diet expanded exponentially, and I was reading all different kinds of material, from dystopian sci-fi of Enki Bilal, to Jessica Abel’s slice-of-life Artbabe, Jason Lutes’ clockwork masterpiece of comics storytelling historical fiction in Berlin, [and] hardcore comics reporting from folks like Joe Sacco. I read everything I could get my mitts on, and I’d like to think my own comics reflect that balanced diet of diverse comics. I think I’ve been picking up important storytelling lessons from all these different influences, and they occasionally peek out. A little bit of Paul Pope here, a little Jaime Hernandez there. I think my stuff is really influenced by film and prose as well. I read a lot of fiction and write prose…I think form has to fit function, you know? Some stories are ideally suited to comics, others not so much. Your contribution to As You Were talks in part about moving across the country for education, a chance on love, and just to do something new for yourself. How important was that change of scenery for you? What sort of lessons did you learn (aside from the fact that it’s not easy to juggle a master’s degree and a social life at the same time)?  I think it’s important for everyone to shake up their routines occasionally. It’s very easy for things to get stagnant if you’re not careful. I struggle with it, [and] I saw many friends struggle with it in New York and in Philly. Sometimes it means you need to throw yourself into a new project, or line of work; sometimes it means skipping town. When things get too comfortable for me, I just get itchy or something…and it’s not that I think that everything neeeeds to be some grueling struggle, but I do think that if we stop challenging ourselves, we are selling this whole human experience short. It’s weird because I’m creeping closer and closer toward “settling down” age, but I’m less and less convinced that I would ever say “this is it, this is where I want to be for the rest of my life.” If anything, leaving a sheltered cheap punk paradise like Philly reminded me that I have the power and ability to do it again and again. I’ve been living in Oakland for over three years now, but it doesn’t feel permanent. I spend a lot of time thinking about what’s next, where can I live where I’ll get to spend some time around best friends? What would be a great adventure for me and my partner? What other places do I want to experience living in before I really am too old to hop around as much? But yeah, as far as the learning experience of going back to school…it was just fantastic. The MFA in writing program at CCA felt really special. We had our own private studio with a zen garden that only the MFA writers had keys to, so my first visit there literally felt like having a secret entrance into a Hogwarts common room or something. How did going to CCA help you with your creativity? Did you go for drawing or for writing? What sorts of things were the most beneficial in growing your artistic abilities? Did you find that while you were studying one skill/specialty that it somehow informed the others? And if so, in what ways? Grad school had a ton of interesting challenges, not the least of which was a total shift in focus from visual art to literary art. As I mentioned earlier, storytelling was always the primary motivation for everything I made, even as a little kid. Even a bunch of my standalone illustrations are very narrative in nature. The…writing program forced me to abandon the crutch of my ability to draw pretty pictures. The pieces I submitted for critique had to be compelling on their own merits without that visual component. This was super intimidating at first. I imagined my peers were all going to be super stuffy poets who wouldn’t respond to what I had to say or how I expressed it. What I realized though was that writing meant flexing my visual imagination constantly, imagining people, conversations, and emotions of this fictional world in my head. My job, as ever, was to put those ideas on paper, just using a different set of tools. When I write and it’s going well, I really just sink into the story in my head. Like total trance mode. The story plays out like a movie and I find that the job, for the first draft at least, is to just write down what I see. My prose style is very conversational, very informal, and that helps with the flow of information. In a way, this shift was completely liberating, because I didn’t have to agonize over how to execute any given image, or dig up reference photographs, or worry how much space on a page a particular sequence would take up. Writing a scene is MUCH much faster than having to draw it. I leaned a lot about pacing and transitions. Sometimes I was able to translate certain skills and storytelling ticks I picked up from comics and apply them to prose. My classmates got lots of cliffhanger endings to my chapters.  Another important lesson from grad school was really the benefits of review and revision. In comics, especially indie comics, you know, we kind of all create our stories in a little vacuum, and when they’re ready to put up on the interweb, or we’re lucky enough to have someone like Avi who will publish us…you know, it’s a done deal. People can critique the work, but there is much more of a focus of getting it done and getting the work up in front of eyeballs. That’s all well and good, but I’ve seen so many original graphic novels that seemed to need an editor. Someone to help the artist trim the fat, or make sure that all the plot threads connect in a satisfying way in the end. So my writing program really informed how I thumbnail my projects. Figuring out the pacing and puzzle of the story before I commit to inking a tome…because nobody is going to want to redraw a chapter once it has been inked. I also find my instincts for dialogue and chapter construction are much sharper after my time at CCA. For awhile, you used to live in Philadelphia in a place called Book House. Was it a house made of books? Or filled with books?  Not MADE of books, though that would be amazing. I’m a big reader. I’m always reading a couple of books at a time and listen to audiobooks when I draw. I was excited when we found the house because it was half a block from the Free Library of Philadelphia, a resource that I ended up not taking as much advantage of as I had imagined. But anyhow, the other connecting thread was that most of the people who lived in Book House were big Twin Peaks nerds. It was probably the one piece of pop culture that we all agreed on, and Twin Peaks features a little secret society called the Bookhouse Boys, so we just ran with that. We did have a lot of books in the house though. Me and my then-housemates Jon and Cody read a ton, and we decided to keep all of our book collections in our common space and have a sort of informal lending library. So that if any of our neighbors—we were kind of in the center of a ring of South Philly punk houses like The CATsle, the Funeral Home, and Sweet Sixteens—if anyone wanted to borrow one of my Ursula LeGuin novels, or some of Cody’s X-Men comics, or Jon’s copy of The Golden Bough, then it was there for them to sign out. For a hot second, we even had CB radios set up and would have morning announcements with the other punk houses. All the Book House call signs were author names like J.K. Rowling and Danielle Steele. You’ve said that you used to be in a hardcore band. What bands have you played in? Are you in any bands now?  Sigh…So my one and only band experience thus far was in my final months in Philly. We were called Eyes Of Ibad, and we were a super duper nerdy HC band. It started as a joke, fondly remembering all of the hardcore bands in the 90s who were named after things from the Dune novels, or would sample stuff from the David Lynch film. I was always frustrated that none of those bands ever actually sang about the stuff from the novels though. I was lucky enough to be in the right time and place as other science fiction-loving punks who wanted to be involved in a project like that. We only had six songs and only played six or seven times, but our set was very narrative and roughly followed the arc of the first book. I used to think it would have been rad to make a 7-inch for each novel…the music would have to get progressively weird by the time we got to Chapterhouse: Dune; we wanted to build stillsuits and props and be like a sci-fi R.A.M.B.O., but it was not to be. All of the members ended up moving from Philly, but I would be in another project with those folks in a second. I’m not currently in a band; that was another hobby that got sidelined by grad school, but now that I’m out I would love to do it again. My partner has been really itching to be in a band. She just recorded guest vocals on a friend’s new record. This weekend she’s gonna play the song live for the first time and I’m super stoked for her. We’ve talked about doing a project together for years, but all either of us can do is scream, so we’re sort of at the mercy of having friends with the free time who want to start something new with us. And even then, I think she wants to be in a band like Saetia or Hiretsukan, and I want to sound like old Chumbawumba but with youth crew mosh parts. So anyone out there who wants to combine those influences and write songs for us to scream dual vocals over…we are game! A lot of your work touches on themes of punk rock, be it trying to find the heart of scenes in different cities or trying to continue living a punk rock life as you get older. What are some of the challenges of getting older but still staying connected to punk? What parts of punk rock ethics are still a part of you and important to you, versus the parts that you’ve let go of over the years (whether willingly or not)? At this point, so much of my punk rock life is really internalized. Like, I go to shows less than I used to, but in some ways I feel more punk than ever…partially because I’m getting older. I’m set in my ways in many respects, and I would be surprised if I didn’t still Identify as punk in another 30 years. I sort of give equal credit to punk and comic books for informing my value system, and in that way, punk will always be relevant to me, be that through my approach to telling stories, or my politics, or my diet, my awareness of privilege and sense of responsibility in regards to others. Punk has had a giant impact on most aspects of my day-to-day. But yeah, I strive to treat friends and strangers and animals with respect and compassion. I give people the benefit of the doubt, but I’m not afraid to call people out on their shit. I recognize the importance of being a self-motivated artist, and that the rewards might not be financially great, but that creating work and contributing to a community—be they punks or comic geeks, or whatever—is incredibly valuable. As far as shit I’ve let go—again, this is one of the nice things about being older in the scene—the divisions that used to feel really intense are practically insubstantial. I remember being a baby hardcore kid in NYC and I remember going to shows at Coney Island High, or the Wetlands, and people telling me “Yo, don’t go to ABC No Rio, that’s some drunk punk bullshit.” And for a couple of years I just sort of ignored this whole other part of the scene. I finally listened to an Aus Rotten record and was hard pressed to find anything SUPER different from other hardcore I was listening to at the time. I think so much of that is just costume politics. Now I’m old and everyone’s uniform has toned down and it’s much more evident what all the little subgenres have in common. Sometimes it just takes a couple years to Break Down The Walls (yuk yuk). But there are some challenges to be sure. I’m not in it as much, [and] I’m an older punk in a different city, so going to shows doesn’t have the same faces I’d been used to seeing for 20 years on the East Coast. I’m also just not as aware of new bands and new records. Most of the new stuff I get into are my friends’ new bands (everyone go check out the Everybody Row record!). I know that everything is more accessible with the interweb now, but I felt like I knew more about the current state of punk I cared about when HeartattaCk was still coming out. I would love for a 20-year-old hardcore kid or pop punk [fan] to make me a mixtape though. Seriously, anyone out there who wants to make me a tape, I’ll totally trade. Hit me up. If you could only draw or only write, which would you choose (sorry, this is a terrible question)? Goddamn, that’s super duper tough. At this point, I think I’d say if I HAD to choose…I would write. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE to draw. It can be so much fun and so gratifying to really capture a moment with an expressive drawing, but writing seems more sustainable. I constantly worry about getting enough work done. I want to tell stories, and some of the ideas that I have would take thousands of comics pages to tell properly. I get terrible hand cramps from drawing now, so it’s kind of scary to imagine what that’ll be like in 10 years. I plan to continue writing and drawing my own comics, but wouldn’t be surprised if at some point I’m spending more time with a Word program than with Bristol board. How do you define success? Success is just living well…and by that I guess I mean to stay engaged with the world around me in interesting ways. Success is staying curious, staying active. Success is making time for friends and loved ones, but also not closing yourself off to new relationships. Success is trying to beat my fastest time around Lake Merritt, or attempting a PR in the gym. It’s making special time to just laugh and goof off with my partner. It’s new pages up on the wall and blank pages to fill on the drawing board. It means eating lots of healthy leafy vegetables, but treating myself to a vegan sundae now and again. It’s the-always-tough-to-manage balance between work and play. It is to defy complacency and apathy and contribute something new to the mix. I always think back to the idea of fight clubbing your life, and you know…not the beating each other to bloody pulps, but stripping away all the things that don’t matter and really devoting yourself completely to the things that do. In that story, one of the big questions that motivates all the space monkeys is “What do you wish you’d done before you died?” Keeping that question in mind can be a sort of compass, and a safeguard against fucking up too drastically. If you like what you saw, then what are you waiting for? Check out more of Kettnerd’s art over here, and don’t forget to pick up the latest As You Were. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithmeghasissues monthly 0.5 2016-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1479821311840-J6EKWH5RIWVTKJT3D9BT/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Meg Has Issues SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Meg Has Issues Navigating this life unscathed is no easy feat, and no one knows that better than Meg Has Issues. Her contribution to As You Were #3 is intense as they come, and deals with issues of depression, mental illness, and bipolar disorder. Yet in spite of hardship, Meg is a survivor. Keep reading to uncover her advice to people who are struggling, why she doesn’t set standards for success, and why cats are sometimes the best therapy. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket What was the course of events that led you to contributing to As You Were? I was at STAPLE! Independent Media Expo a couple of years ago when I met Mitch Clem. My best friend Dave was a huge fan of his and had introduced me to Nothing Nice To Say. So as a friendly gesture, I asked Mitch to take a picture with me holding up a little sign that said “Suck it Dave.” I ended up hanging out with Mitch during the show and giving him a copy of my book. He emailed me a little while later asking me to be part of As You Were. I haven’t stopped freaking out about being picked to be in something so cool since then. I’m still amazed that I keep getting asked for more. If you were a cat, what would you be like? I’d like to think I’d be like my cat: fluffy, friendly, and just plain awesome. More [likely], I’d be one of those little street kittens that you take home, and they’re really sweet sometimes but then bug out, hide under the bed, or run into walls for no reason. Either that or a munchkin cat—you know, the corgis of the cat world. It’s hard to think of another type of cat that would manage to match my level of awkwardness. In addition to painting and drawing, you also make artsy things, which you sell in your Etsy shop. When you’re feeling creative, what medium do you prefer working with? Is there any other form of craftiness/art you like or that you want to try out? Drawing and painting is still my go-to. Whenever I have something I need to think about or express to others, I tend to do it through comics, so there’s less chance of me being misunderstood. I’ve made a huge point of trying to learn every crafty thing that I get the opportunity to. Lately I’ve been sewing a lot more. Making stuffed animals and embroidering things helps keep my mind from freaking out about all the stuff that I can’t fix. When I have more time, I’d like to get back into prop making, specifically casting and molding items. I’ve never been very good at sculpting, but I love being able to make something that was just an idea into a real item, ready to be used. Last year you ran a Kickstarter project for your book, Cat Therapy, which was inspired in part by your cat, Dot. What was that process like? What were the biggest challenges for you? What is the cutest thing Dot has ever done? Cat Therapy has ended up being a very odd yet, rewarding project. I still have a bit of trouble telling the story behind it, even though I end up telling it all the time. It started out when I was in a treatment center after my suicide attempt. I made a few friends in there. One of the things that I had a lot of [trouble] with was focusing on myself and what I needed to do when people I cared about around me were having trouble or were upset. I tend to draw things when I can’t express things through words, so I ended up drawing my friends kittens on little notecards to cheer them up. I kept making more so that they lined up with the interests of different people that needed cheering up. If I saw [people] in the hallway who [were] having a hard day, I’d just sit there and show them pictures of cats until they smiled. It worked almost every time. By the time I finished the program, I had around 80 cat drawings and a bunch of people asking me for a book. I had nothing to loose, so I kickstarted it and it’s been crazy since then. The biggest challenges on the project were not knowing how to do my own print layouts for a project this large, and shipping. I had everything ready to go, and then the first person who was helping me just stopped talking to me the week I was supposed to send in all my files to meet deadline. I had no idea how long things took, so I had no backup or anything I could do besides apologize and find another person ASAP. Since then, I’ve learned how to do layouts myself. Then I had to send out around 200 orders, most of which were personalized, to several different countries. I did most of the shipping myself, just ‘cause I was afraid of what might go wrong. Everything got to where it was going, but it also took a lot longer than expected, and I had to replace a few books. I also paid for all of the shipping out of pocket, since I decided to produce a nicer book rather than have the money left over for shipping. So biggest tip for anyone out there trying to get a book made: OVERESTIMATE EVERYTHING. Your time, your money, your sanity—always assume it’s going to take more than you expect, so that way it doesn’t leave you unprepared. Dot is a huge ball of ridiculous fluff. It’s hard to think of something she does that isn’t cute. If I had to pick one cutest thing it would probably be her habit of sitting in my lap when I’m working. When I was painting a piece for a solo show making fun of modern art, Dot stuck her paws in the paint and started walking across the canvas. My mom now owns that painting. I still don’t think she realized my cat painted all the parts she likes. Your contribution to As You Were #3 deals with issues of depression and suicide. But at the end, you talk about hope, which is a powerful emotion. What’s the best lesson or piece of advice that you could give to others who struggle with these kinds of things as well? This is going to be a long answer and I’m sorry for that. So, I went without help for the better part of a decade, because I had people tell me as a teenager that I would never live a normal life and that there was something wrong with me because I have a mental illness. My mistake was denying myself help because people made assumptions based on social stigmas. Programs suck, hospitalization sucks, having a chemical imbalance you can’t control sucks, but saying “fuck it, it’s fine, that’s the way things are” sucks even more, because I’d be denying myself control over my situation. Not everything doctors or psychiatrists tell you is going to work or work straight away. Part of getting to the place you need to be at is having the patience to try everything. That’s my biggest [piece of] advice. TRY EVERYTHING AND KEEP AN OPEN MIND WHILE DOING IT. People assume that what works for one person is going to work for another, and it’ll get your hopes up or frustrate the hell out of you if someone assumes that they have found the answer. It’s different for everyone. Therapy is not going to work unless you find a way to make the things you’re being taught relate to you. The two things that anger me the most are when people give up ’cause “fuck it, it’s not getting better,” or when people tell you to blindly believe it’s going to get better and the knowledge of that “fact” will make it all OK. Here’s the secret: Whether things get better or not is always in your hands, even when you feel you have no control. Yeah, life can suck, things can go wrong, stuff can happen to ruin your day that you have no control over, but you do have the control [over] how you react to it. It’s ultimately your choice, whether it’s a bad thing or a chance to make something better. That’s just how I see it and it’s different for anyone. If anyone gets angry with me for that or is having trouble with these issues, you can email me. I try to always respond when it comes to stuff like this, ’cause I would have liked it if someone did that for me when I needed it. One of your comic projects, Damn Hipsters… well, it’s sort of self-explanatory. But where do you get the inspiration for it? Do you solely use anecdotes based on what you’ve seen or experienced firsthand, or have the characters come to life more and evolved into individuals of their own? Damn Hipsters started out as a joke class assignment in college that ended up becoming a habit. Whenever I went out drinking, I’d write down the most ridiculous things I overheard and work them into comics the next day. I’ve gotten dumped before for using things that someone I was involved with said. The characters are vaguely based on people I’ve met, but have evolved into their own personalities. Thom is actually mostly based on me. Margot started out being based on a guy I knew and evolved into her own person pretty fast. People get creeped out ’cause I do have Margot moments where I’ll start speaking and acting like her while I’m working out dialog or if I’m in a situation she’d have a good zinger for. I do feel like they’ve become real people in more than one way. One day, two people walked into the gallery I work in. They looked exactly like my characters, and the first thing they did was pick up my book and start freaking out over how much it sounded like them. They are real life roommates that talk and act the way my characters do. We’re friends now. It’s weird. I don’t know whether I willed them into existence or if I was somehow channelling them. I’m too afraid to ask. You’ve mentioned tacos in passing, and some of your art deals with this delicious food as well. What’s your favorite kind of taco? If we were to visit you in Georgia, where would you take us to eat tacos? It’s hard to pick a favorite taco. It’s like having to pick a favorite child; you kinda have a favorite, but you don’t want to say anything ’cause the others might get mad, or at least that’s what I assume, [me] being a childless cat lady. I’d have to say breakfast tacos. It’s all the best parts of a taco, plus it’s acceptable to pair with coffee, and that makes a winner in my book. There’s a tiny place in Decatur called Bad Dog Taqueria. They are amazing. They have tacos that are actually samosas in a taco shell, tacos made with mashed potatoes, and just plain awesome service. I started going there when I heard the rumor that they had invented a mac and cheese taco. I have never seen this mythical taco, but I will keep going back in the hope that one day it will become real and fulfill all my taco dreams. With the Internet, it makes it easy to share your art with a wider audience, but it also makes it more difficult in the sense that anyone can use it as a public forum, which makes it difficult for some people to wade through and find the worthwhile stuff. What do you think are the pros and cons of this form of sharing? Pros: Comics and other media are more accessible; it’s easier to get feedback on your work; you have a lot more chances of people finding you; and you can find other people to work with no matter what you’re doing. Cons: Since everyone can make and post things, it’s hard to find what you’re looking for or stumble across new things unless someone you know introduces you to them; there is a hell of a lot of negativity, since being anonymous makes people more comfortable with being mean; it’s also easy for people to take your work or post it without consent in ways you never wanted it used. Even though I have most of my stuff online, I’m still always wary. It’s a little scary putting yourself so out there when anything could happen. The Internet is amazing in the fact that it’s a source of never-ending potential. The awkward part about potential is people forget that it can be potential for good or potential for bad. I love the ability to put my work out there and the fact that people I would have never had contact with before can share my stuff and talk to me about it. I’m a rather socially awkward person so I probably would not have a career as an artist without the Internet. A lot of times, the only thing that keeps me going is having [people] email me about how much my comic meant to them, or how much someone they know loved it. It’s hard to get that in real life. So there [are] tons of amazing things about the Internet, [but] that said, it’s also led to bad stuff. I used to draw a journal comic online, and I had to stop because someone was using it to stalk me. I’ve had my work ripped off, been sent hate mail, and had to deal with a lot of flack because of Internet stuff as well. It’s not going to stop me from using it to share my work, but I am a lot more careful now. How do you define success? I don’t. I personally choose not to define success, because I find it limiting, and in some cases, hazardous to my mental health. I know that sounds weird, so I’ll explain. Since I’m bipolar and have huge struggles specifically with the depression side, if I get too attached to the idea of something being successful, then I’ll lose all sight of the other things I need to do in order to balance my life just to succeed, or I’ll end up throwing out all of the good things I did if I didn’t meet my goals. Even if I do something I’m proud of, if I put that label on it, my brain automatically goes: “Yeah, that was a success, but you could have done so much better.” I try to just manage in terms of “I did it.” Whether it’s good or bad is up for grabs, but doing something at all is a good start for me. Even the most well adjusted among us need some cat inspiration every now and again. To keep up with the adventures of Meg Has Issues and Dot, be sure to check out Meg’s home on the web. While you’re at it, be sure to snag a copy of As You Were, if not for yourself, then for that someone special in your life. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithmarcossiref monthly 0.5 2016-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854877840-9W6JW7RE3TZBXI0BDWMO/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Marcos Siref SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Marcos Siref For more than five years now, Marcos Siref has been contributing his badass art to Razorcake, one of the most legit magazines around. Lucky for us, he’s also appeared in two-thirds of the As You Were comix anthologies, most recently as our personal astrological adviser.  Keep reading to discover more about the man behind your punk rock horoscope and his immense love for oil painting, bright colors, and Tumblr. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket Of all the punk psychics in the world, how did they decide upon you for As You Were? Mitch Clem sent me an e-mail following the release of AYW #1, told me the theme surrounding the next installment, and asked if I’d want to contribute. Since we both do illustrative work for Razorcake, I figured he’d seen a chunk of what I do and didn’t hate it.  I’m also way cheaper than punkrockpsychic.com How did you first get into drawing and making art and comics? Would you say there are particular artists who were influential in inspiring you? I’ve been drawing longer than I can remember. Most of my childhood was spent at a small desk with a pad of paper while Nickelodeon played on the television, and it was amazing. I just wanted to draw every cartoon that popped up. I remember really getting into Keith Haring; he had such a pleasing and recognizable style. My dad had a bunch of the old underground comix, the weird druggy Robert Crumb and Gilbert Shelton comics I was way too young for. Mad Magazine was a game changer for sure. William Kentridge, Antonio Prohías, Art Speigelman, Rob Schrab were my biggest influences soon after. How would you describe your artistic voice? It’s probably really bratty and snarky? I know it relies heavily on puns. What did you study at CalArts? How would you say that going to college helped you refine your craft? What do you think were the benefits of that as opposed to if you’d not decided to go to school? I studied Fine Arts during my time at CalArts. Since the program is heavily centered around theory and conceptualism, rather than teaching a technical trade, I didn’t have too many classes where I was actually drawing. So I learned about post-structuralism and relational aesthetics rather than how to oil paint or the right way draw a figure model. Oil painting is fucking infuriating anyway. Looking back now, I was probably way too young to really appreciate and fully utilize those years. Art school is its own bubble. College itself is a complete break from reality. I did make some of my closest friends as a result. One of which is fellow AYW contributor and wondrous being, Adrian Chi! So hey, there you go. Your work is varied, and it involves drawing, making show fliers, creating art over existing photos, etc. What techniques/mediums do you enjoy working with the most, and why? Are there other ways of making art that you want to get into? Drawing will always play a strong role in my practice. Anything to keep the hands busy, so to speak. My favorite mediums usually hold an element of immediacy. I don’t have the patience to wait for photos to develop or paint to dry. Again, oil painting is the worst. I like to finish pieces in a single session. It’s nice not to overthink things, get frustrated, and give up halfway. This is why lengthy comics are so fucking difficult for me. They take far longer than you initially plan for. By the time you’re finally inking the damn thing, you’re already tired of the script, you notice all the technical flaws or inconsistencies, maybe you drew a character poorly in the first frame compared to the last. Sky’s the limit with self-doubt. And it’s incredible how quickly the reader can just plow through it when it’s finally printed. Nothing but respect to all the cartoonists of the world.  I’d like to learn the art of legitimate tattooing one of these days. Though I’ve scarred so many loved ones already. When you use color in your art, your palate seems to be limited to a certain part of the spectrum, or a minimal combination. What is this technique? Can you explain why you use it (if there is a reason to it)? Yeah, I try not to overdo it with color. The most I’ll use on a piece is, like, three separate colors, along with the shades and tints they produce. It’s definitely a comfort-zone-based decision. I feel most of my work is pretty minimal to begin with. Most of my favorite illustrators growing up worked almost entirely in black and white. Looking at the etchings from Goya's Disasters of War series, to Raymond Pettibon’s early ink drawings, you see they didn’t need a wide spectrum to make immensely important work. The message holds its own. In AYW #3, you provide readers with punk horoscopes. Was this your first foray into this? What was your inspiration for it? Originally, I though it would be a fun idea to assign astrological signs to various subcultures in the punk movement based on the traits they’re known for. I consulted my celestial advisor, Melody, about attempting such a thing. Some groups matched nicely; others were a real stretch. Cancer consists of pop-punk kids apparently? I scrapped that idea and wrote a bunch of dumb jokes about reunion tours, hipsters, and communal living spaces. I was pleased with the outcome. You work for Razorcake. How did you get that job? What does your workload consist of? I’ve been friends with the numerous organizers and volunteers at Razorcake for a while now, even before they asked for my talents. Without giving too many company secrets away, they needed some columns illustrated, and I said “sure.” The workload fluctuates based on what projects are going on. One month they’ll need something visual to accompany an article, the next maybe a slip mat design. I probably do the least amount of work possible compared to the others, bless their hearts. If you’re itching to do some volunteer work and live in Los Angeles area, their HQ is super cool. You’ve said that “Tumblr is the devil’s scrapbook.” Can you elaborate on this? From an artist’s perspective, what are the pros and cons of a platform like Tumblr? One of my main concerns with websites like Tumblr, or even the Internet in general, is how easy it [is] to cruise by so much information without actually processing it. You have the ability to consume what one person created in a lifetime in less than a day, which is both amazing and frightening. You really take these things for granted and just assume it’ll always be there. It’s like when a TV show gets canceled, and people petition for it only so they can pirate the new episodes later on. It shows how little value we give people working in the creative field. These works and projects don’t just fall from the sky; people fucking work themselves to the bone, not to mention the years it takes to learn the craft. I’m tired of seeing so many artists having their ideas plucked, rewritten, reposted without context, or otherwise transformed as a common occurrence. I guess people are getting better now and taking more responsibility when relocating other people’s work. Most of the stuff I make belongs on a lonely WordPress website. My little island where you have to type in a different URL to get there. I had a friend create a Tumblr for me many moons ago, and it was weird seeing my drawings void of all context on some stranger’s hodgepodge of a website. Not my scene I guess.  Whew, OK, sorry about that. I’m not as old as I just made myself sound, I swear. What does success mean to you? The ability to receive at least eight hugs a day, which is actually recommended by many in the medical field.  Stoked on Marcos’ work but don’t wanna sell your soul to Tumblr? Check out his art at Up Tha Meex and God Bless S'miracles, subscribe to Razorcake, and, of course, pick up the latest As You Were. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithrobcureton monthly 0.5 2016-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854878825-54XBQXTI1D4BEHNLCQJC/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Rob Cureton SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Rob Cureton Not everyone is lucky enough to work full-time doing what they love, but our pal Rob Cureton is. By day, he’s an animator, and by night, he’s either drawing comics or making the memories that inform the comics. Though his free time is limited, we were able to tear The Cure away from his recent birthday celebrations to get the scoop on where he gets his ideas and how he draws a line between work and play. Read on to discover more about how Wallace and Gromit set him on his career trajectory, which songs he’d choose as a soundtrack for this interview, and what part of Scene City he’d live in (this week). Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket What’s the story behind why your art graces the pages of As You Were #3? It mostly came pretty much out of the blue. Mitch Clem just casually sent me an email one day asking if I’d like to be in issue one. Couldn’t quite believe it at first. Nothing Nice To Say was the first web comic I ever started reading regularly, and suddenly the guy who drew it is asking me to be in his new project. I guess I must’ve been on his radar after buying a painting off him a year or so before. Obviously, I turned it down the first time because I’m an idiot. Also I had a lot of other work on at the time and couldn’t fit it in. Thankfully Mitch asked again for issues two and three, so there we go. You have an autobiographical comic, Orful Comics. Where does the name come from? What made you decide to start drawing the comic? In what ways is making art about your life beneficial for you? Because comics can be less vague than, say, poetry or song lyrics, do you ever feel like you have to leave moments out or censor yourself? The name is pretty much just a stupid play on words. I’m a big fan of self-deprecating humor, so it makes me laugh that the first impression I give of my work is that it’s terrible. I first started doing auto-bio just to practice the process of actually drawing comics. I wasn’t really confident enough to try and write something original at the time, so figured I’d work my way around that and just use moments in my life as a starting point. I started to quite enjoy it, and friends were keen to be the next guest, so I carried on and it became a thing. Doing a weekly comic keeps me in practice too. If I don’t draw a comic for a while, it comes out all dumb when I start back up again. It’s also nice to look back on and remind myself of good times I do censor quite a bit. There’s often moments that I’d LOVE to put into comics but can’t for various reasons, be it not wanting someone to know about a certain thing, or maybe it’s a bit too personal for me to want to share. I change quite a lot too. I’ve obviously only got so much space on a page to fit things in and sometimes little details need to be switched about to make an actual story out of it. You also draw Scene City, which is sort of like a science fiction-y musical adventure. Where does the inspiration come from for that? Is it 100 percent fictionalized, or do you use moments from your life as the basis for some of the stuff that occurs? The idea of Scene City actually came as a bit of an afterthought when writing the first book. I pretty much just had this story I wanted to tell taking the piss out of ska bands turning emo. I wrote a few different drafts of it but none of it was working. I had a little re-think and came up with the idea of it being set in a city divided by musical genres, and then everything just fell into place. From there, it opened up this idea of being able to make fun of various genres of music and the interactions between them wrapped around some supernatural/sci-fi junk. It’s pretty much entirely fictional. A few locations have been pinched from real life, and there [are] obviously a few celebrity parodies, but it’s mostly not based on anything. Apart from the bit about giant robot pop stars. That actually happened. An excerpt from Scene City appears in As You Were. What is the larger context surrounding this inclusion? Is it from those comics or was it created as a complement to them? The Scene City stories in As You Were [were] written specially for those books. I made a conscious decision when I signed up to not use the auto-bio comics for it. I knew there were a lot of artists already signed up who would be doing auto-bio, and I wanted to do something slightly different, and also use it as writing practice. The As You Were submissions fit into the same universe as the Scene City books. If you look carefully, the two stories are linked and tie into the main comics. I thought it would be a bit of fun to have some short stories that run alongside the Scene City timeline, using different characters. In addition to drawing comics, you work in animation. What sparked your interest in that? What’s some of the work you’ve done? When you’re inspired to work, what is the deciding factor between whether it will be comics or animation, or is it a pretty clear split between comics = play and animation = work? I’ve always been into animation since I was a kid. It’s great fun! I loved Wallace and Gromit growing up, and [wanted] to be the next Nick Park, so [I] studied animation at uni. Unfortunately, stop-motion animating is HARD, so I did something a bit easier instead. I’ve worked mostly in corporate animation over the years, making animations for conferences openers, internal communications, health and safety videos, that sorta thing. This year I’ve finally broken into broadcast animation though, which is where I really want to be. I’ve been working on a preschool series for Cartoonito called Childs Farm for the past few months and recently started working on a pilot for something I can’t really talk about in public yet (sorry). Animation is entirely work for me. I’ve considered doing some animation for myself again over the years, especially when corporate was dragging me down a bit, but honestly, when I’ve spent all day staring at a screen pushing keyframes around, I just want to put on some music and draw. Which is thankfully where comics come in. Good old pen and paper comics. I’ve read that Jim Mahfood is one of your comic heroes… who else do you find inspiring (artists or otherwise)? Sooooooooooooo many! Pretty much every convention I go to, someone points out an influence in my artwork I didn’t even know was there! There’s obviously a bit of Mahfood and some nods to Brian Lee O'Malley in there. Both big inspirations of mine. I’m hugely inspired by Jamie Hewlett, Skottie Young, Charles Schultz, Quentin Blake… there [are] many. A lot of incredible artistic influences and too many to list properly. Based on your dates posted online, it looks like you’re very active and make appearances a lot. That said, what’s the comic community like in the UK? Is it very close-knit? Do you tend to see familiar faces at each of the events, or is it different depending upon where you are? Yeah I do a LOT of conventions. Too many sometimes. They’re great fun but hard work. The scene in the UK is really strong at the moment, with lots of great creators popping up all the time. We’re all pretty close too. Me and some friends started a UK creators community on Facebook a few years ago to try and help each other out and get to a point where we’re all friends. It’s been pretty successful over the three or so years it’s been running, and I’ve made some great friends through it. You see a lot of the same faces at the bigger events, which is great. It’s also nice going to smaller local shows and seeing the people you only see around there where they live.  Music is obviously a big part of your life, which is not only evident in the comics themselves, but also in your inclusion of your drawing soundtrack at the beginning of each collection. Is there a certain kind of genre of music that you work best to, or does it vary? And if you had to create a soundtrack for the person reading this interview, what would you include on it? I love putting the soundtracks in the comics. It’s a thing I nicked from Jim Mahfood books (yes, more Mahfood) that I quite liked. There’s not really a particular type of music I work best to. I more have to make sure I have the right music on for the mood I’m in. It’ll be some dumb pop-punk or ska if I’m feeling great. If I’m a bit down or sleepy, it’ll be nice acoustic stuff or ambient electronic-y something or other. Sometimes no music works best. Favorites at the moment for the interview playlist would have to be Masked Intruder, Dizraeli & The Small Gods, The Dreadnoughts, and By The Rivers. Also, The Aggrolites, because I went to see them last week If you could only listen to one genre for the rest of your life, what would it be? (Or I guess another way of phrasing this: if you lived in Scene City, what part of town could you be found in?) Ooooooo why would you do this to me!? I’m so torn! At the moment, it’d have to be pop-punk, since I’m really feeling it at the moment, but [I] might have to make a sneaky defection in like a week or something. It changes too often; don’t make me choose! You seem to be lucky working in a field that you studied and also that you enjoy. However, if you were to branch out in the art world, what would you want to try next? Being in a proper band is something I’ve always wanted to do but has never really materialized more than one practice (I’m looking at you, Ceiling!). I’m not sure what I’d want to play though. There [are] a few styles I’d love to do, and I want to do them all, so it might end up being a pretty weird band. Latest idea was ukulele covers of video game music with beat boxing and rapping over the top. Maybe I’ll do that one… Wanna keep tabs on what Rob is up to? Head over to Orful Comics, sneak a peek at his animation, or buy some comix (available as digital and physical copies). And don’t forget to check out all of the awesome art in As You Were. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithsarahgraley monthly 0.5 2016-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854879816-UHFFULS3O6YSTUIH1B5Y/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Sarah Graley SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Sarah Graley If the contributors to As You Were #3 were all songs on a mixtape, well we’re not yet sure what the others would be, but Sarah Graley would absolutely, hands-down, without a doubt be the super cute twee song… and with a British accent to boot! Talk about dreamy!  But don’t take our word for it! Read on to see her colorful art, listen to her two bands, and discover why her art is (obvs) the best ever. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket Describe yourself in exactly 11 words. I couldn’t decide, so I asked my boyfriend, and he said: “Sarah Graley I’m lazy please don’t sit on me i’m fragile"—(sung whilst playing the guitar, good in person, less good typed out). I think “cute space cowboy fragile messy trash puppy cartoon drawing cat person” would also work too, though. That is a tricky question!! What’s the story to how your art ended up in As You Were? Mitch Clem emailed me, and I was like, “I’m on Mitch Clem’s radar? I gotta tell my mum!” Your art makes use of a lot of color, particularly pastels. How do you make your art? What mediums do you rely on? Do you tend to stick to one way of doing things or do you like to experiment? I pretty much use biros on printer paper for everything, but lately I’ve been using mechanical pencils on nice sketchbook paper. It’s kind of boring of me, but I love the basics! The basics are so good! Then I color everything on Photoshop. Aw man, I wish I had a way more exciting answer for that question. Your comic, Our Super Adventure, details moments from your life. Have you always told your life through drawing, or did you ever have some kind of traditional written diary or journal? At what point did you begin using artwork as a way of documenting your day? And do you do something every day, or with less frequency? I totally had a diary from a very young age up until I was about 17/18 I guess? Which is probably when I started drawing about my everyday [as opposed to] writing! I think that was around the time [I] was really getting back into comics and my first brush with autobiographical comics. I’m a really open book, which is kind of comforting to me to have everything laid out, but also terrible because I will overshare and not everybody wants to know your wedgie has peaked to irreversible conditions. I draw everyday unless I’m really really tired. Then I just think about drawing instead. I just got the first volume of American Elf by James Kochalka and I’m thinking of doing a diary comic every day through October… Creating and sharing a finished comic every day seems kinda tough to me! Like badass tough, though. I wanna become badass-comics tough. You also have a comic, RentQuest, which is pretty self-explanatory. What was the impetus for that? Do you feel a certain kind of freedom in making art that is somewhat removed from your own daily occurrences? Haha! Well, some aspects of RentQuest are very loosely based around stuff happening in my life. The protagonist is bummed out because she wants to be a successful Warrior but doesn’t know how to get an agent to hook her up with quests, where I have the same problem but with being a freelancer and finding an agent for myself. Her housemate also changes into five cats. I live with four cats and one cat-like boyfriend. I guess we’re both slowly making portfolios for the things we want to do. I’m hoping I get an agent before my fictional character does, though.  When I was first drafting the comic up, I was really stressed about making rent and frustrated with the uncertainty of what to do next, art-wise. Fictional comics are really fun, because you can draw ghoul fights and outfits you wish you owned. I really like making up stories, so I started up RentQuest. Your comic in As You Were #3 talks about removing negative relationships from your life. What made you decide to take this step? What sorts of challenges did you face? What did you learn about yourself in the process? And how is your life better now as a result? This is pretty hard to answer eloquently! The toxic relationships I cut from my life were between me and my hometown friends, and consistently drama-filled. I guess when so much drama happens, it sort of becomes this dull hum? I got used [to] it and figured it was standard, although a lot of it still upsets me when I think about it. I moved cities, but still visited home a lot. There was always new drama. I moved cities again, a lot closer to my hometown. One of the big issues for me was that I’d always visit home, but nobody would visit me. Near the time I realized these friendships were so toxic, I had started a band with my boyfriend Stef. I started hanging out with new people because of the band, and everyone was dead lovely! We played our first show in my hometown, and my “friends” missed it because they were drinking in a pub on the same street. We played our set and we watched our new friends play and then we all danced, and I was like, “Why am I trying to hang out with people who make me feel so bad, when there are people out there that are so great?” (If your friends are actually terrible/you’re moving to a new city, start a band. It is a great and also very fun way to meet new and beautiful people). Challenge wise, I’d sometimes feel like I was making a mistake, but then I’d remember the time they bailed on my birthday to put up a shed (like wow, c'mon) or one of them went through my email after we fell out, etc. etc. ugh rubbish. I’d like to think now that I wouldn’t put up with any rubbish from anyone, but luckily I haven’t had to since I stopped hanging out with that group. Now I just hang out with the cutest and best people and it is bloody lovely. 10/10 would recommend ditching your mean-as-hell friends. You don’t have to put up with that!! In addition to comics, you also have a new job, play in two bands, and are working on making a video game with your boyfriend. What can you tell us about any or all of those things? I am in a band with my boyfriend Stef called Sonic the Comic. We are indie pop with a lot of video game-y bleeps. We both loved Sonic the Comic (the actual comic) as kids, so we chose that name. We sing songs about video games and stars and sleeping in loft beds and such. I am also in a band with my friend Elly Kingdon and we are called Treetrunks, either after Tree Trunks from Adventure Time, or actual tree trunks, or how big legs are sometimes referred to as tree trunks? I forget which; I hope it’s all three. We sing songs about cutting your own hair, Sandy Cohen’s eyebrows, watching scary movies, and more. We play shows in cosplay and played our first show both dressed as Sandy Cohen, but I’m not sure people got it. I am not very musically talented at all, but both Stef and Elly are, so it works out. I provide very dumb song lyrics, out-of-time handclaps, and ukulele. My job is incredibly unexciting! I work in a stock room and anyone else who works there will tell you how much they hate working there without any prompting. It’s sort of like a greeting. A very sad greeting. I’m only working there to make rent, but my contract will end in the new year and I will be able to return to drawing 24-7 and stressing out about bills again. I am excited!! The video game is a little on the back burner. Stef said we should make it about vampire dads but then changed his mind. I am being fussy and not budging off vampire dads. It’s going to be an RPG and feature chiptune versions of our songs and our friends’ songs. How long did it take you to “fine-tune” your artistic “voice,” or do you feel like it’s still a work in progress? What do you think are your strong points? What techniques do you feel like you could improve upon? I think between starting to draw comics to present day, my artistic voice has become fine-tuned to what I’m about now! I started getting back into comics about six years ago, after discovering indie comics, small press, and autobiographical comics. My first diary comics used to be full-page, single-panel drawings with odd notes on my day. The more comics I read, the more direction and ideas I get for my own. I’m pretty sure I’m where I want to be now, although I’m sure when I look back on what I’m making now in two years time it’ll be very different. A lot better, I hope! Haha! My favorite thing about illustration is that it’s easy to see the progress you make over the years. I would like to do some more serious comics. I just need to actually do them. They’re all planned out in my head! But I think currently what I’m making and what I’m about is synced up. I’m not sure about what my strong points are! ALL OF IT, all of the points are strong, I am great, my art is the perfect package, wink emoji. Techniques I could improve on? NOTHING! (But really coloring. I need to work on my coloring). Aside from things like pizza and cats, what other things inspire you? Furthermore, are there specific artists, writers, musicians, etc. who inform your work or technique? Cartoons! There are some incredible cartoons being currently made that are both visually and storyline awe-inspiring! I need to catch up on my cartoons, but I can tell you the first series of Gravity Falls is a masterpiece. I’m a big fan of C.H. Greenblatt’s work too, from the humor that gets put into his show, to the art style. I find some movies very inspiring too! I recently saw The Boxtrolls by Laika Studio (they make their films with stop motion animation) and I’m still buzzing from the incredible character design throughout. They make me want to up my character design game! Liz Prince, Marc Ellerby, [and] Lucie Ebrey are a handful of my favorite comic artists currently. Liz Prince really got me back into comics when I came across her work in 2008/2009? (Thanks Liz!) Lucie Ebrey does a daily diary comic and I’m so very in love with her style and comics. Ellerbisms by Marc Ellerby is one of my favorite comics. They make me want to make better comics! Atom and His Package is probably the most influential musician on my work. Have you listened to his live album “Hair: Debatable?” I think that totally shaped me as a person, and as the majority of my work is autobiographical, I should probably thank Adam Goren too. Ha! If you could do whatever you wanted and get paid a living wage to do it, what would it be? I would love to be a storyboard artist at Cartoon Network/Nickelodeon/Disney/actually anywhere. I’m really not fussy. Hire me! I’m cute as heck! Basically though, I just want to be able to pay my rent/bills with drawings! That’s the dream. If I could travel about and draw comics too while making rent, that would be even better! Sadly, that’s all for today, but you can get an extra dose of Sarah, Tumblr style (here, and here, and here). And if you want the exclusive how-to guide on ditching your terrible friends and hanging out with awesome folks only, pick up As You Were #3 from our store. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithjedcollins monthly 0.5 2016-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854881953-KJ9O1XX4CPULQEWP6ZA5/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Jed Collins SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Jed Collins You all like sports, right?! I mean, who doesn’t? That’s why we’re super stoked to bring you an interview from Jed Collins, who plays fullback for the Detroit Lions! Number 45, woooooo!!! How does he do it? Well, read on to discov— Oh wait. My sources are telling me that there are in fact at least two dudes named Jed Collins, and I guess we interviewed the one who makes art, which sort of makes sense. A quick google of his name provides no useful information whatsoever, so Jed Co. (the artist, not the football guy) had to do all the hard work and fill in the blanks for us. I guess this is how things were done before the Internetz? Read on to get the scoop on Jed’s experiment in not drinking, his drawing routine, and how having a kid makes him cry while watching commercials. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket How did you get wrangled into having your comics in As You Were? I noticed a post on Facebook or Tumblr from Mitch Clem that said he was looking for cartoonists for the anthology, I think. Or, maybe I just emailed him and asked him if I could be in it. Mitch’s comic, My Stupid Life, was one of the first comics I ever followed online, so that’s why I knew who he was. He said I could be in it; that’s how he wrangled me. Aside from the fact that you share a name with some NFL dude, what else should the general public know about you? Oh, man. I hate that guy. It’s a real bummer trying to google yourself, only to see some famous hunk that’s not you. About me? I recently had a kid with my girlfriend, Marseille. The kid’s name is Iggy. We’re into him. We live in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where I make a living as an illustrator/graphic designer, and by buying and selling computers on Craigslist. Though we may not be here much longer, since our building is being sold. We’ve been lucky enough to have cheap rent for a while, but now that that’s about to be over, we may leave the city. We’re thinking about Cleveland, since we’re both from Ohio. We’re also considering getting an old RV and moving into it, but I think maybe that’s a really stupid idea. What’s the backstory to Champ? When and why did you start the comic? Where do you get material for it? Champ started Jan. 1, 2010. It was initially called Champ 2010, and the premise was a daily comic for the whole year, documenting my not drinking. I was drinking a lot before then, and was miserable in general. I started drinking again on Jan. 1, 2011, though not so destructively (though still annoyingly). Now, Champ is just the title for my autobiographical comics. I came up with the name because there [are] tons of comics out there with self-deprecating titles, and I was trying to think of my own self-deprecating title. Then, I decided to go the other direction. I think first it was going to be called Chump 2010. In addition to your Champ comics, you seem to collaborate quite a bit, whether it’s designing album covers or illustrating things. What other sorts of things do you do art-wise? What mediums do you enjoy working with the most? Are there additional things you’d like to do but just haven’t got around to yet? I illustrated a book that my pal Caroline Knetch wrote, called The Rock ‘N’ Roll Exterminator. It’s about being broke and getting rid of rats and cockroaches and stuff like that. You should buy a copy. I’ve also done various other illustrations for companies and bands and people. I recently worked for a company, Red Marble Media, on a TV show for the H2 Channel. I did these simple whiteboard illustrations for them, where they recorded my hand drawing things. The show is called “How 2 Win,” and I think it airs this fall. I’d be happy to do more stuff like that. I mostly work with a fountain pen or a brush and ink. Sometimes I color things with watercolors. I usually clean stuff up in Photoshop. Sometimes I get drunk and make stupid paintings on canvas, usually with acrylic, and usually of fat people, or drunk people, or fat drunk people. I also work with my pal, Chris Monday. He recently put out an anthology, My Stupid Raygun. The title comes from me making fun of one of his drawings one night, I think. I have a comic in that. We also used to do an advice comic called Bad Advice for Bad People. I ended up moving to New York, and the advice comic sorta dwindled away, though it was funny, and really fun to work on. That was during the year I was sober, and he’d come over and we’d stay up really late writing the advice. It was fun, and sorta like being a kid, when you get really excited about hatching some kind of scheme with your pal, and all your ideas seem hilarious, because they are. I hope we pick it up again someday. You should read some of his comics. As for things I’d like to do, I want to make a comic book. I’ve made minis in the past, and I printed a collection of the Champ 2010 strips. But I want to make a comic book. You know, not a collection of strips or a bunch of little stories, but one big story. A comic book! You also mentioned that you’re in the middle of launching a new comic project. Can we get the inside scoop on that? Like I said, I make money buying and selling computers on Craigslist. I’ve been doing that for a few years. With that and the illustration and design gigs I get, I haven’t had to have a real job for over two years (and the last real job I had was delivering weed on my bicycle in Manhattan, so maybe I haven’t had a real job for more like three years). Anyway, I run into some weirdos doing that, and I’ve started to make some comics about it. You can see the first official one here. In 2010, you didn’t drink all year and instead focused your energy on making comics. Could you share more about that experience, e.g. its inspiration, if you really abstained from drinking the whole time, what you learned from it? I really did abstain the whole year, except for some generic Nyquil with alcohol in it when I was sick (which I document). I think I may have taken a shot of that once or twice when I wasn’t sick too; I can’t remember. I was drinking way too much before I started Champ 2010, and I needed to stop. I was a fan of journal comics—James Kochalka's American Elf in particular—and I had been thinking of trying to make my own for a while, with a few false starts. When I knew I needed to dry out, I thought it would be a good idea to make a comic about it. I also thought putting it all online for people to see would motivate me to follow the rules (#1 draw a comic every day, #2 don’t drink) and possibly garner some attention, which I’m a fan of. The experience, summed up, was good. It was a change in that most of the problems I had during that time were just normal money issues, or hating one of my three jobs. I no longer had problems like, “I need to avoid Jim because last night I got drunk and told him I hate him, and even though that’s true, I don’t want to deal with him knowing that.” Or, “I shit my pants last night.” I also met my girlfriend that year. We would not have started dating if we had met while I was drinking all the time. I moved to New York, following her, which was a really nice change from my life in Athens, Ohio. At some point, it dawned on me that I could have a good time without alcohol. Even though I started drinking again once the year was up (these days I only drink on the weekends, as a strict rule, which I’m guessing is the last grasp at normalcy for a lot of drunks), I still have a lot of fun sober. I really enjoy doing things sober, which wasn’t the case before 2010. Your contribution to As You Were is about a big change in the form of bringing a child into the world. In what ways has having a kid changed your life, your relationships, your thoughts, your art, etc.? I think I’m still in shock that he’s here, and it’s been a year. A year of shock. I got sappier immediately upon his arrival. TV commercials affect me differently (by getting me to have strong, emotional responses) if they’re relating to kids, or having kids, or protecting or doing a good job by your kids. It’s also a lot easier to be less selfish because of how guilty I feel when I’m being selfish. I feel obligated to make better comics and drawings and work toward sustaining us financially while doing something I like. I’d like him to see it’s possible to enjoy the way you make a living. I’m trying to learn things about drawing that I should have learned around the time I dropped out of art school. Do you stick to some kind of art-making schedule, or do you simply create when inspiration hits? Do you have a designated spot or studio where it comes together, and if so, what’s that like? I like to draw in our tiny kitchen, even though there are four other rooms available. It’s an inconvenience for the rest of the family, but I really like drawing in the kitchen by the window, which looks out to the back of all the buildings on our block, and there are some trees out there, and it’s usually quiet. I used to draw in another room at the other end of the apartment, but the window in that room looks out to a red brick wall, covered in pigeon shit, bearing the weight of the BQE. I like to draw in the morning, which can be difficult with a small child, but I get to draw some most mornings. I usually have a few comic strips written, or mostly written, so I’m not waiting for inspiration to hit; I’m just waiting for the ability to sit down and draw to hit. It can be hard. I’m easily distracted. I like to write or sketch with the TV on sometimes, because then I’m not fully committing myself to the task. It’s like a compromise, so I’m sorta tricking myself into getting work done by allowing myself to watch old episodes of The Simpsons that I’ve seen 40 times before. If you could do anything for the rest of your life and have all your basic needs provided for, what would it be? I’d like to be a scientist that is well-respected because of how brilliant and handsome he is. If you just can’t get enough of Jed Co., check out his comix, or follow him on Tumblr, or both. Bonus pro tip: if you haven’t already, you can get yourself your very own copy of As You Were #3 from our store. http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/interviewwithlaurenmonger monthly 0.5 2016-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854883161-HGVDKJXS0B6D7UGP4Z9J/image-asset.jpeg Silver Sprocket - Interview with Lauren Monger SILVER SPROCKET Interview with Lauren Monger There’s a certain gritty, self-deprecating vibe to the characters in Lauren Monger’s comics; her main character is Clementine, a punk rock opossum, and the rest of the ensemble includes characters that are equally angst-y and heartwarming, all at once, with bonus points for animal faces. In addition to themes of class, mental illness, and finding your way through the shitstorm that is life, these comics sort of smack you in the face in the best kind of way with their raw presentation and straightforward and vulnerable subject matter, while still managing to be funny and surreally weird slash strangely uplifting. Read on to find out what inspires L. Mo, how she started making comics, and what other kinds of art she dabbles in. Interview by Natalye for Silver Sprocket So what’s the backstory of how you got invited to the As You Were party? Mitch Clem asked me kind of out of the blue! I remember avidly reading some of his stuff in high school. How could I resist? Which came first: drawing comics or painting? What was the impetus for making art? Are there any other mediums you are experimenting with or wanna try out in the future? I’ve been compelled to make stuff, and especially draw, since I can remember. I grew up in the Georgia foothills and spent a lot of time alone, without much in the way of entertainment, besides running around in the woods and reading, so that was just what happened I guess! I later went to art school with the intention of majoring in sequential art, because I was really getting into some of the Vertigo and Dark Horse titles at the time. I didn’t even get a chance to take a sequential class before the painting department brought me to the dark side. I was a little more than two years in (my time at school was very erratic, since I couldn’t afford it most of the time) when I started doing these paintings of these characters. I spent a quarter and some time outside of school painting them, and while I was working on them, I started coming up with little stories and personalities for them. Eventually I pretty much switched entirely to making comics about them instead. I used to think it would be fun to try animation, but I’m not sure I have the patience for it! Printmaking is probably the big one. I’ve been trying to do some very DIY-style screenprinting lately. You’ve said in the past that your artwork is inspired not only by your life, but more specifically by mental illness and the lower class. I am assuming these are also experiences you’re familiar with, so to the level that you’re comfortable speaking about them, can you explain how they inform your art and, in turn, what you hope your art can communicate to others about these topics? Yeah, although I think I failed to elaborate enough on the intentional cartoonish-ness of what I was initially going for with the paintings, with regard to class stuff. They were originally sort of intentionally silly in their presentation. There were some rough times when I was a kid, but I’d say overall [that] my friends’ lives were more of an inspiration than my own life was. Old houses that have gone to shit due to neglect and shortness of money, living with family too long—that sort of feeling—was something I was going to approach, but I’ve changed directions somewhat. That’s better for something properly autobiographical, maybe. The paintings, at least of these characters, are something I’ve pretty much given up on as I’ve done more writing. I was aiming for just this kind of ridiculously lowbrow sort of thing on huge panels and canvas that I can’t imagine anyone with the money would be willing to buy. I just got kind of mad that painting was so inaccessible. It felt like decorating for rich people, you know? A little misguided. Anyways, that concept feels really flat compared to what I can do through a narrative. One thing that’s going to keep coming up, though, is the money that’s wasted on distraction and little pleasures, and how it’s hard to make money when you have none. Family tensions and this sort of transient feeling as you begin to realize you need to care. And, in the case of mental illness, still not doing a very good job of caring whether you want to or not. Hopelessness and no discernible future. A lot of people are intimately familiar with some of that, I think. Would it be fair to say that Clementine is supposed to be a version of you? What made you decide to make her an opossum? (Or do you call her a possum, since you’re from Georgia—I hear they do that in the South?) Hah, yeah, in a way. She’s a lot like I was when I was around 18-21. I’m not so much in that place anymore, so it’s weird to write her. Kind of cathartic, just pouring out a lot of my own flaws. But she’s also her own person and there are quite a few differences. She spends a lot more time on the manic side of things, I think. Since these were the first comics I’d ever really tried to stick with, I went with the whole “write what you know” thing pretty hard. I wasn’t really expecting anyone to notice them. A lot of the characters are lifted from friends and acquaintances or combinations of people I’ve known. As I’ve written more, they don’t feel like those people so much anymore. I just straight-up named Kyle after a friend of mine. Thankfully he’s the sort of guy who finds that funny. As for Clementine being an opossum (maybe I’m a weird Southerner!) it’s kind of a long story, but basically an opossum moved into my house without my permission. She had a bunch of babies and they were really adorable and would come into my room and I’d give them strawberries or whatever. They also brought fleas with them. It was both a magical and terrible time, but I’ve been sort of crazy about opossums ever since. What is your studio/room/work space like? Do you have any specific rituals you rely upon when you’re making art? I work in my room, and my living conditions are not the greatest in general, so it’s a total wreck. I try to rearrange things every so often just to keep things interesting. I almost wish I wasn’t a traditional artist sometimes because I have to keep so much stuff. It’s everywhere. I keep a lot of books, too. I’m not sure about rituals. I have a big calendar on my wall that I write deadlines on and try to keep little lists with little checkboxes on it of stuff I need to get done that day. I try to get to work almost right after I wake up because it’s easier to stay focused that way. Then I’ll have it on hand if I start shitting around on the Internet later, and then I’m like, “Why am I shitting around on the Internet? This is so much better a way for me to spend my time.” Your contribution to As You Were deals with a lot of heavy stuff, and all of the things you touch on (the patriarchy, the class system, social interaction, self-worth, etc.) are tied in to one another in the form of this systematic oppression. What do you feel is the role of art in inspiring or instigating people to change or consider these issues in ways they might not have before? Does art still have that power to influence and sway in a positive direction? Or do you approach it more on a personal level of self-expression? I honestly don’t approach these with a whole lot of an agenda. I’m not sure I’m so much interested in making people change their ways as I am in making the people who can relate feel less alone. I’m pretty uneducated and misguided in a lot of areas, and I can be really fatalistic and miserable, so I think if I made comics with a solid agenda, they’d be really shitty and fucked up. Some people may have thought I was compelling the audience to think Clem’s boss was some sort of asshole, but when I was writing it, I wasn’t thinking he was intentionally trying to denigrate her or whatever, you know? People don’t know what they’re doing half the time. Life just isn’t a black and white thing and sometimes good people are shitty and vice versa. A lot of the main characters are extremely flawed, but I try not to make them unsympathetic because of those flaws. I may not always be successful, but I think that sort of understanding might be one of the major things I’m trying to accomplish. All the same, oppressive systems exist and I try to be aware of them. As for art itself compelling people to change, well, I think it can be done really well or really poorly. A lot of the time, the audience has to bring themselves to the table when viewing some work, so it can be unwise to make them feel attacked. At other times, in-your-face, no-bullshit stuff is what is needed. It all depends on what you’re aiming for and who your target audience is. What format does your art come in aside from the Internet and as paintings? Do you distribute your comics or have you been featured in any other collections, and do you have any plans or aspirations to publish a book of your work? Also, what’s the deal with your collab with Space Face Books? I’ve only been making comics for around a year, and I often feel like I don’t know what I’m doing, but my goal is definitely to get more stuff out in print. I just have a personal preference for holding comics in my hands when I read them. I recently finished my first mini comic with Space Face Books, but I’m not entirely sure when it’ll be out yet. People will just have to stay tuned I guess! I totally want to make a graphic novel and plenty more mini comics while I’m at it. Whenever I hold other people’s mini comics or zines, I feel like I’ve got little jewels or treasures in my hands, so that’s definitely something I want to continue with. You’ve cited the filmmaker Jan Švankmajer as an inspiration. What other artists (or things) inspire you and in what ways? Yeah, I think about film and animation a lot for sure. I just like the way Švankmajer so intimately (and often hilariously) expresses feelings around politics, oppression, and interpersonal relationships. I think about a lot of older stuff I grew up with, too. Namely, Rupert Bear and Beatrix Potter. There’s a lot of literature. I really love a lot of early 20th century authors. Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited has been important to me for a long time, as well as Thomas Wolfe’s Look Homeward, Angel and You Can’t Go Home Again. I think I consider literature more often than I do comics when I’m writing. I’ve also got a massive soft spot for Romantic painters and a lot of more contemporary types like George Condo, Basquiat, Richard Prince, Keith Haring, and also Kent Williams and Phil Hale; the list goes on forever. A lot of my local peers are pretty inspiring as well. If your art were a mixtape, what would the tracklist be? This question makes me nervous! Probably just, like, The Replacements’ entire discography. If adult things like money, time, and responsibility weren’t factors to consider, what would you do with your life? I think I’d be pretty happy if I could just live relatively comfortably doing art things. I just like making stuff. I’d be miserable if I couldn’t make stuff, really. Take a look at more of Lauren’s art on her Tumblr, and if you dropped the ball and forgot to pick up a copy of As You Were #3, head on over to our shiny new store and get one now.  http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Andy+Warner monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Jim+Kettner monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Meg+Has+Issues monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Miles+Honey monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Rachel+Dukes monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Interview monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Lindsay+Watson monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Rick+V monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Steve+Thueson monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/X monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Steve+Larder monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Liz+Prince monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Wyeth+Yates monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Sam+Grinberg monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Aim%C3%A9e+Pijpers monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Lauren+Monger monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Carolina+Porras monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Alex+Barrett monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Rob+Cureton monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Josh+PM+Frees monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Nomi+Kane monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Andra+Passen monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Marcos+Siref monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Silver+Sprocket monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Jed+Collins monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Alex+Krokus monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Mel monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Emily+Timm monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Kriss+Stress monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/As+You+Were monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Ben+Snakepit monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Erin+K+Wilson monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/silver-sprocket/tag/Sarah+Graley monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin daily 0.75 2017-01-24 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/diefantastichenvierato2 monthly 0.5 2017-02-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854873218-5VOS9PHFZ5ZYDC49CMSN/tumblr_ni8326NC6f1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Die Fantastichen Vier SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Die Fantastichen Vier, O2 World, 8pm Fanta 4 is nothing short of a household name in German – and no, it doesn’t refer to a type of soda. Rather, it’s a nickname for Die Fantastischen Vier (the fantastic four), Germany’s first hip hop group to achieve mainstream popularity. Formed in Stuttgart in 1989, the group’s lineup of Michael Beck, Thomas Dürr, Andreas Rieke and Michael Bernd Schmidt has remained unchanged during its 25 years of existence. Early on, the group spent time in the United States and realized quickly that the hip hop music of Black America was concerned with political and social issues that were foreign to those of middle-class Germany. As such, the four never attempted to sing about those kinds of topics, focusing instead on lyrics about relationships, daily life and other topics the German population could relate to. Late last year, Fanta 4 released its ninth studio album, ‘Rekord’, to celebrate the quartet’s 25th anniversary. In addition to performing as a group, some members have released solo albums, two were coaches on the 2014 season of ‘The Voice of Germany’, and all four did the voices of the penguins in the German version of ‘Madagascar’. Natalye Childress O2 World, O2-Platz 1, 10243 Berlin; 030 20 60 70; U + S: Warschauer Straße; admission: from €45.05. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/orendafinkatprivatclub monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854874015-QRYCJHJU0ENXW0P3G1CK/tumblr_nhqzgyNjbV1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Orenda Fink SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Orenda Fink, Privatclub, 8pm Though she’s perhaps best known for her work as one half of indie dream pop band Azure Ray, Orenda Fink is also an established solo artist, having released three albums and one EP since 2005. Her most recent album, and the first in five years, was last year’s Blue Dream. The trademark lush layers and minimal ethereal sounds of Azure Ray are present on Blue Dream, but it’s still very much a Fink album, with a haunting, darker edge that seems to be searching as it winds along. Fink’s husband, Todd Fink of the The Faint, and musician Ben Brodin both take credit as producers on the album, making it very much a Saddle Creek Records affair. Natalye Childress Privatclub, Skalitzer Straße 85-86, 10997 Berlin; 030 61 67 59 62; U: Schlesisches Tor; admission: €13.80. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/jamesyorkstonatheimathafenneukoelln monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854874525-P6HZY63N5YPJWJNE5T7S/tumblr_nhqzhuuTe31r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - James Yorkston SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN James Yorkston, Heimathaften Neukölln, 9pm While Scottish indie folk singer-songwriter James Yorkston isn’t necessarily a household name around the world, it hasn’t kept him from carving out a peachy little niche for himself. Hailing from Fife, Scotland, Yorkston was an early member of the Fence Collective, the name for the group of artists that were signed to King Creosote’s now-defunct Fence Records. Since 2002, Yorkston has released eight studio albums with London-based Domino Records, the most recent of which was last year’s The Cellardyke Recording and Wassailing Society (or TCRAWS). More so than other albums, it’s a collaborative effort, featuring tracks with KT Tunstall, the Pictish Trail, Fimber Bravo, Emma Smith, Jon Thorne, and Rob Smoughton of Hot Chip. The latter’s bandmate, Alexis Taylor, also contributed vocals in addition to producing the album. Yorkston will be bringing his delicately-laced, spoken word-infused brand of melancholic folk to Heimathafen, as perfect a venue as there ever was for music like his. Natalye Childress Heimathafen Neukölln, Karl-Marx-Straße 141, 12043 Berlin; 030 56 82 13 33; U: Karl-Marx-Straße; admission €15. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/littledragonatastrakulturhaus monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854876442-7MKRF6EHHD4AMD7FXL0G/tumblr_nfi6ruKih11r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Little Dragon SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Little Dragon, Astra Kulturhaus, 8pm Swedish electronic group Little Dragon has been around since 1996, and has four albums to its name, but it was only the most recent – this year’s Nabuma Rubberband – that branched beyond the band’s inner core to collaborate with other musicians. More specifically, the album boasts the musical contributions of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Danish producer Robin Hannibal and Dave of De La Soul. Singer Yukimi Nagano has stated that the album was influenced by Janet Jackson, and the melding of electronic, pop and R&B is apparent throughout the album’s 12 tracks. But perhaps more interesting than the record is the band’s live performance, which features a balanced interplay between Nagano’s vocals, the slow jam beats, echoing bass and a stunning light show to boot. Natalye Childress Astra Kulturhaus, Revaler Straße 99, 10245 Berlin; 030 20 05 67 67; U + S: Warschauer Straße; admission: €26. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/theruralalbertaadvantageatlido monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854876341-FE5IAHUWKP03GOWKM41E/tumblr_nfi6sc3h1S1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - The Rural Alberta Advantage SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN The Rural Alberta Advantage, Lido, 8pm While plenty of bands pick their names based off inside jokes or the sound of random words strung together, Nils Edenloff of The Rural Alberta Advantage chose a name steeped in nostalgia; having grown up in rural Alberta and relocated to Toronto, his mind often turned to thoughts of his childhood home, which he described as a ‘really a wonderful place to grow up’. And, as the name might suggest, many of the lyrics and emotions evoked in The RAA’s songs connect to Alberta, both abstractly and concretely. This year, the Canadian three-piece came out with album number three, September’s Mended with Gold. The musical structure doesn’t depart much from what people have come to expect out of the indie-folk genre, but combine that with the universal themes of love and loss in the lyrics, and there’s a certain comfort to it – a sense of expectations met, if not exceeded. Natalye Childress Lido, Cuvrystraße 7, 10997 Berlin; 030 69 56 68 40; U: Schlesisches Tor; admission: €14/€18. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/theclienteleatmarieantoinette monthly 0.5 2014-11-28 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be83176dc44a8e3a28b3/1417215650000/tumblr_nexbfbHsLE1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN The Clientele, Marie-Antoinette, 9pm You wouldn’t be alone if you thought British band The Clientele was never coming back. After releasing 2010’s ‘Minotaur’, the indie four-piece toured through the end of the year, and then fell quiet with the announcement of an indefinite hiatus. Early this year, The Clientele regrouped for a one-off performance in March, but that quickly evolved into a series of 10 more live performances, the final of which will be in Berlin. In addition to the shows, the band’s debut release, a 13-track collection of singles entitled ‘Surburban Light’, was reissued on vinyl in May, as part of Merge Records’ 25th anniversary celebration. 2014 also saw the release of two new singles, which is – with any luck – a hint of things to come… a new album, perhaps? But nothing is confirmed, so if you’re one to err on the side of caution, consider catching Alasdair Maclean and Co. when the four arrive in town this month. The after party will be hosted by the Firestation Records DJs, as if you needed any more convincing. Natalye Childress Marie-Antoinette, Holzmartkstraße 15-18, 10179 Berlin; S + U: Jannowitzbrücke; admission €17,20. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/laurastevensonandthecansatschokoladen monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854876873-W9Q9RLG5V6JYOCW52720/tumblr_nexbdzEmeK1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Laura Stevenson and the Cans SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Laura Stevenson and the Cans, Schokoladen, 8pm Some might say music runs in Laura Stevenson’s blood; the 30-year-old singer-songwriter is the granddaughter of composer and arranger Harry Simeone and singer Margaret McCravy. Stevenson’s own musical trajectory started to take shape at a young age, when she learned the piano and wrote songs of her own. Later, in her teen years, she performed in choral groups and picked up the guitar as well. But it wasn’t until she began playing with friends’ bands that Stevenson discovered a new-found confidence in music. After joining music collective Bomb the Music Industry!, she embarked on the solo singer-songwriter path, forming Laura Stevenson and the Cans, and releasing albums in 2010, 2011, and 2013. The most recent, last year’s ‘Wheel’, is a 13-song work complete with gorgeous vocal lines, vulnerable lyrics, moments of finger-picking brilliance, and a whole gamut of emotions. This autumn, Stevenson takes her music out on Europe’s roads, with a 26-date tour. Her Berlin stop is on Thanksgiving Day, as Stevenson plays Schokoladen alongside fellow American Emperor X. Natalye Childress Schokoladen, Ackerstraße 169, 10115 Berlin; 030 28 26 527; U: Rosenthaler Platz; admission: €5-7. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/mandodiaoatchalle monthly 0.5 2014-11-15 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be84176dc44a8e3a28c5/1416092457000/tumblr_ndy87r44Ta1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Mando Diao, C-Halle, 8pm Swedish pop artists are a dime a dozen these days; since ABBA arrived on the scene in the 1970s, the country has given us a steady slew of infectious, melodic pop musicians, ranging from mainstream Ace of Base and Max Martin, all the way to indie artists Peter Bjorn and John and Lykki Li. But while bubblegum hooks and catchy riffs abound, Swedish music also has a more straightforward rock edge, best represented by bands like Mando Diao. Formed in 1999, the group has steadily built up a following for itself, particularly in Germany. The band’s seventh album, ‘Aelita’, came out in April of this year, and is named after the Russian synthesizer which is featured across the 10 tracks. And though it wasn’t intentional, the sound of the synth contributes an 80s electronic pop vibe, making tracks like ‘Black Saturday’ and ‘Sweet Wet Dream’ repeat in your head all day long. Natalye Childress C-Halle, Columbiadamm 13-21, 10965 Berlin; 030 69 81 28 14; U: Platz der Luftbrücke; admission: €44,90. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/sondrelercheatkantineamberghain monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854877833-SZP9WBMSVD3JC65AXEZ0/tumblr_ndy7x0kkj11r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Sondre Lerche SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Sondre Lerche, Kantine am Berghain, 8pm At age 32, Norwegian singer-songwriter heartthrob Sondre Lerche has already spent more than half his life writing songs and performing them; his first song was penned when he was 14, and it wasn’t long after that he was ‘discovered’, which kickstarted his path toward becoming a full-time musician. For most of his career, Lerche has won over listeners with romantic tunes and endearing lyrics, so when it comes to his seventh full-length, this year’s Please, it’s an interesting departure – or perhaps evolution – for him. A tried-and-true breakup album (Lerche and his wife of nearly a decade split in 2013), the lyrics on Please run the emotional gamut from sad and wistful, to apologetic and grateful. But though Lerche’s lyrics have always shone bright, his guitar work has always been the real star, and this time around is no exception. Having been trained in classical and jazz styles since he was eight, Lerche is intimately familiar with his instrument’s in and outs, and he knows both how to get fancy and how to shred among the best of them. After a month-long tour through the U.S., Lerche heads over the Europe on Oct. 27 to kick off a European stint, before continuing on to Japan, Korea, Australia and Indonesia. Catch his headlining show in Berlin, his first visit to the Hauptstadt since October 2011. Natalye Childress Kantine am Berghain, Am Wriezener Bahnhof, 10243 Berlin; S: Ostbahnhof; admission €15. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/laluzatkantineamberghain monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854878240-OX9FH70VH3DZ6F869S77/tumblr_ndhrglsnhS1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - La Luz SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN La Luz, Kantine am Berghain, 8pm If sultry vocals, fuzzy guitars and dreamy melodies are your thing, then La Luz is likely right up your alley. The four-piece band formed in Seattle, and though the city’s not exactly a surfing mecca, the band still manages to nail down the perfect melding of carefree surf tunes, twee-inspired riffs and polished, doo wop-y garage rock. After 2012’s ‘Damp Face’ EP, the group put out debut album ‘It’s Alive’ on Hardly Art. The result is 11 tracks that are as aurally infectious as they are fun, a fact that is further cemented in the live shows, which – if they don’t already feature a dancing crowd – consist of the band doing what it can to make people move. For La Luz’s brand of breezy pop, be sure to check them out when they stop off in Berlin… and don’t forget to dance. Natalye Childress Kantine am Berghain, Am Wriezener Bahnhof, 10243 Berlin; S+U: Warschauer Straße; admission €12,50. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/yohunaatmadameclaude monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854881098-EJ7FS7C8MRVK6MH2MP20/tumblr_nbw8pypAAj1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Yohuna SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Yohuna, Madame Claude, 8:30pm Just six short months ago, Johanne Swanson moved to Berlin and wasted no time getting acquainted with the local scene. Under the name Yohuna, Swanson – a native of Eau Claire, Wisconsin – has released a series of collaborations, covers, splits and singles over the past few years, and since arriving in the Hauptstadt, has played half a dozen or so local shows, including a set at August’s Torstraßen Festival. Armed with little else but her voice, a Casio keyboard and some background tracking, Yohuna’s sound is delicate and airy, with minimal beats, haunting vocals and vulnerable lyrics. Still, it’s powerful, with lines like ‘take my eyes i didn’t know i / had them til you held them so’ – the kind of words that can take over a room with their demands. For her upcoming date at Madame Claude, Yohuna will set the tone for the night when she opens up for touring musician Katrina Stonehart. Natalye Childress  Madame Claude, Lübbener Straße 19, 10997 Berlin; 030 84 11 08 59; U: Schlesisches Tor; admission: €1-5 sliding scale. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/nilsfrahmatadmiralspalast monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854881423-FECLA7NPIN7TQUAAHDZL/tumblr_nbw6yucXgu1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Nils Frahm SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Nils Frahm, Admiralspalast, 8pm German musician Nils Frahm started playing music at a young age – and having learned from Nahum Brodski, a student of one of Tchaikovsky’s protégées, it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to say he was “grandfathered” into a line of musical prodigies. As is the case with many other famous pianists, Frahm wrote his first compositions as a child, though his first solo recording, ‘Streichelfisch’, didn’t come out until 2005, when Frahm was in his early 20s.  In the decade since his debut, Frahm has released an additional nine recordings, and since 2009 has worked exclusively with London-based Erased Tapes. His most recent album, last year’s ‘Spaces’, features live performances from various venues. At the end of 2013, Frahm also released a music book, ‘Eins’. For his upcoming Berlin date, Frahm will be co-headlining a show with English producer Jon Hopkins, known for his collaborations with Brian Eno, Coldplay and Imogen Heap, among others. Natalye Childress Admiralspalast, Friedrichstraße 101, 10117 Berlin; 030 32 53 31 30; S + U: Friedrichstraße; admission: from €37,98. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/popfestberlinatgruenersalon monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854882335-OCSNZL9VOSV8VG9ZQFRZ/tumblr_nbkvqzSrgi1r5ijzoo1_1280.png Slow Travel Berlin - Popfest Berlin 2014 SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Popfest Berlin, Grüner Salon, until 27 September More Pop Less Shit! is the slogan of Popfest Berlin, an annual event that showcases indie pop bands from around the world. This year, for the fifth anniversary, Popfest Berlin will feature nine bands during a two-day jangle-pop jamboree. The Popfest tradition is widespread, with the cities of Limoges, Madrid, San Francisco, Vienna, New York, and London – among others – hosting a yearly event. And while a variety of bands both young and old play, their music spanning beneath the wide umbrella of indie pop music, the roots of these festivals arguably date back to C86, a cassette compilation put out in 1986 by NME. Of the 22 artists featured on the C86 tape, a handful have already played Popfests. This time around, Spearmint, The Popguns, The Flatmates, Fire Island Pines, The Understudies, Trambeat, Loor A Los Heroes, Lost Tapes and Woog Riots will make the soundtrack for the nights. And once the bands end, the DJs begin, playing tunes until the last dancer drops. Natalye Childress Grüner Salon, Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz 2, 10178 Berlin; 030 24 00 93 27; U Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz; admission: €20 on Friday, €20 on Saturday, €36 for both days. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/helmetatso36 monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854882224-U1S8C0EI1SR79P35OW7V/tumblr_nbkvrmitv31r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Helmet SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Helmet, SO36, 8pm It was 20 years ago this June when New York alternative band Helmet released highly-anticipated third full-length, Betty. Since then, the group has gone on to release four more albums (with a new one due next year), break up and get back together, and cycle through 15 members, with lead singer and guitarist Page Hamilton remaining the only constant. The band has often been credited as being founders of the nu metal sound, a label Hamilton is quick to reject. Others note that Helmet is the link between the indie rock and metal genres. But whatever you want to call them, there’s no denying the influence Helmet has had on the alternative rock scene. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Betty, hailed as an experimental success, the band will hit the road to play songs from the album. The majority of July and August were spent touring the US, and Helmet touches down in Europe on Sept. 11 for a seven-week tour. Natalye Childress SO36, Oranienstraße 190, 10999 Berlin; 030 61 40 13 06; U: Kottbusser Tor; admission: €23,10. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/chadvangaalenatkantineamberghain monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854883635-EH3A4VRSLY9JVZPFHPZG/tumblr_naai0e3rr61r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Chad VanGaalen SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Chad VanGaalen, Kantine am Berghain, 9pm It has been three years since Canadian singer-songwriter Chad VanGaalen came out with his last album, 2011′s Diaper Island, which was his fourth full-length and the first album recorded in his home studio, Yoko Eno. A collection of straightforward rock tracks, the album stands in stark contrast to his newest release, Shrink Dust, which came out in April. Hailed as a country record, the album’s 12 tracks are full of twangy strings, mournful vocals, and a healthy dose of pedal steel guitar. The latter is something he bought just to experiment with, but VanGaalen ended up loving it so much that he made it a focal point of the album – though he’s admitted he’s not good enough to play it live. In June, it was announced that Shrink Dust made the long list for the 2014 Polaris Music Prize – a noteworthy achievement, in spite of not making it to the final 10. However, VanGaalen has other plans for  the album, most notably its use in a sci-fi film he’s made. And though he has no reservations about admitting just how much he doesn’t like touring and performing live, he will spend the first half of September touring the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, and Germany. Natalye Childress Kantine am Berghain, Am Wriezener Bahnhof, 10243 Berlin; S: Ostbahnhof; admission €13,20. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/berlinmusicweek2014 monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854884394-KLKWSBPGHMCT9MKU6WRV/tumblr_nakkhv3qJ61r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Berlin Music Week SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Berlin Music Week, various venues, until 7 September Berlin Music Week—otherwise known as BMW—is back for the fourth year in a row, and not only will the five-day musical celebration offer many of the same events it has become well-known for over the past few years, but there are also some new additions in the mix. Things will kick off on Sept. 3 with the WORD! conference catering to music professionals such as label employees, journalists, bookers and promotors, as well as musicians. The event, held at Postbahnhof, features two full days of lectures, panels and workshops, with themes ranging from diversity and startups to the ever-changing music scene and new technologies accompanying it. A pre-hack day workshop will also take place on Sept. 4 as a predecessor to the two-day Music Hack Day taking place on the weekend. Complimenting the WORD! half of things is SOUND! It begins on the afternoon of Sept. 4, when First We Take The Streets hosts an open-air musical celebration between Postbahnhof and the East Side Gallery. Musicians who have previously applied and been selected will play these stages, with Berlin-based Mighty Oaks headlining the entire event on the main stage across from O2 World. First We Take Berlin also returns, with free admission (first come, first served) to those with festival wristbands. These showcases consist of more than 100 artists and will take place at 15 clubs throughout the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district along the Spree. Then, on Sept. 5, theBerlin Festival returns, this time moving from Tempelhof to the Berlin Arena for 48 non-stop hours of music. But that’s not all: the Berliner Pilsner Music Award, VIA! VUT Indie Awards and the New Music Award will be given to promising and accomplished musicians, with live performances and juries on Sept. 3, 5 and 7, respectively, and BMW will also play host to an Independent Label Market, the Auf den Dächern Festival, and the Die Neuen Deutschpoeten showcase before finally winding down on Sunday evening. Natalye Childress Events, venues and admissions vary — check the above links for full programme details http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/berlinatonalfestival monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854884777-NCPN5DN1CJU5C4MOPU1E/tumblr_n99vzatWTL1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Berlin Atonal SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Berlin Atonal, Kraftwerk Berlin, until 24 August Founded in 1982, Atonal enjoyed an annual run at SO36 until 1990, when it went on hiatus… for 23 years. Now it’s 2014 and Atonal is back for the second year in a row, set to take place over five nights in Berlin Kraftwerk, a power station-turned-venue.  It’s sort of like your favourite band you never saw that finally got back together decades later and decided to give it another go. Unlike that band, however, Atonal hasn’t sold out; the festival is still committed to highlighting cutting-edge electronic and experimental music, which means the lineup is as intellectual as it is revolutionary. Catch a diverse lineup of artists, including Tim Hecker, Dasha Rush, Miles Whittaker, Helm, Cabaret Voltaire, SØS, Imaginary Softwoods and dozens more, and explore the relationship between sound, sight and space. Natalye Childress Kraftwerk Berlin, Köpenicker Straße 70, 10179 Berlin; 030 53 32 03 23; u: Heinrich-Heine-Straße; admission: €24.64-€86.70 – individual and festival ticket prices available here. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/thurstonmooreatlido monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854885200-Z3QUUE9Y17BZ4YZAN72U/tumblr_n99vzm8BMF1r5ijzoo1_500.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Thurston Moore SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Thurston Moore, Lido, 8pm Though he is perhaps best known for his role—alongside ex-wife Kim Gordon—as the singer and guitarist of noise rock band Sonic Youth, Thurston Moore is also a solo artist in his own right. After releasing three solo albums between 1995 and 2011, the latter of which came out shortly before Sonic Youth broke up, Moore is set to put out full-length number four, “The Best Day,” in September of this year. Featuring Steve Shelley from Sonic Youth on drums, Deb Googe from My Bloody Valentine on bass, and English guitarist James Sedwards, it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to assume that it will be a bit more rock than 2011′s acoustic number, “Demolished Thoughts.” Catch the legend himself when he stops in Berlin in the middle of his European tour.Natalye Childress Lido, Cuvrystraße 7, 10997 Berlin; 030 69 56 68 40; U: Schlesisches Tor; admission: €24.90 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/petitalarmeatradialsystemv monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854885635-KVFHQA755ZC2T9IWKEH2/tumblr_n99vyxLlcE1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Petit A L'Arme! SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Petit A L'Arme!, Radialsystem V, 8pm For the first two installations of the A L’ARME FESTIVAL (in 2012 and 2013), Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson blew both minds and eardrums with his collaborations, first with Neneh Cherry and then with Thurston Moore. This year, Gustafsson returns to Berlin with a jazz group consisting of Italian bassist Massimo Pupillo (from the band ZU) and American drummer Brian Chippendale (from the band Lightning Bolt). In a scaled-down version of the festival, the avant-garde super group will perform a set that is guaranteed to be anything but. Expect experimental jazz, distorted noise, frenetic drumming and tonal belligerence. Natalye Childress Radialsystem V, Holzmarktstraße 33, 10243 Berlin; 030 28 87 88 50; S: Ostbahnhof; admission: €12/€16. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/hiphopopenair monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854885373-SX63APGHR02Z7FO4Z1VU/tumblr_n99vygyIo71r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Hip Hop Open Air SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Hip Hop Open Air, Badeschiff, 2pm Start off with a swimming pool in the Spree, add in some hip hop beats, then extend it from the early afternoon and well into the evening, and what you’ve got is a recipe for a good time. And that’s exactly the aim of the Hip Hop Open Air. With a killer lineup creating the soundtrack for the day, attendees can cool down in the pool while listening to the hot sounds of some of the best hip hop talent coming out of Germany today. Check out the lineup, get yourself a ticket, and don’t forget your swimsuit! Beginner Soundsystem (Denyo & DJ Mad) DJ Craft (K.I.Z.) DJ Eskei83 (Red Bull Thre3style Champ National) Harris Live (DJ Binichnich) feat. DJ Maxxx (Heroes Berlin) DJ Schowi (Massive Töne / 0711) Natalye Childress Badeschiff, Eichenstrasse 4, 12435 Berlin; 030 53 32 03 23; S: Treptower Park; admission: €12. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/krakefestival monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854885903-7IEINI0WM3YN924QSJBR/tumblr_n8sz3geNYL1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Krake Festival SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Krake Festival, various venues, until August 10 Now in its fifth year, Berlin’s Krake Festival is an electronic music festival that does things a bit differently. As the name suggests—der Krake means octopus in German—Krake is a multi-limbed creature, which reaches out beyond the conventions of normal, offering a diverse lineup of non-pretentious acts at a variety of venues in town. The main event will take place at Urban Spree this year, though the adjacent Suicide Circus and nearby Berghain Kantine will also figure in to the festival. Expect performances from Ancient Methods, Axiom, Demdike Stare, Felix Kubin, Karsten Pflum, Khan, Sofus Forsberg, and plenty more. In addition to innovative and experimental electronic music, there will also be readings, as well as a robot battle and visual art on the final evening. Natalye Childress Events, venues and admissions vary — check the above links for full programme details http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/thechillsatlido monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854886001-M5FHGA2O8GPOA5HXNK33/tumblr_n8sz4inXO41r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - The Chills SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN The Chills, Lido, 9pm Starting in the mid-1980s, jangle pop was a new genre of music that developed out of the post-punk scene in the US. But it refused to remain exclusive to North America, and various bands in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand adopted the genre for their own purposes. The latter country’s spinoff, the Dunedin Sound, is so named because of the second-largest city of the southern island, Dunedin. A university town, it gave birth to a disproportionate amount of musicians, a handful of which went on to be some of the better-known bands in all of New Zealand. Among these luminaries is The Chills, a band formed by Martin Phillips and made famous by 1984′s “Pink Frost.”  Later, the group went on to release four full-lengths, four compilations, and three EPS—almost all of which were put out on New Zealand’s legendary Flying Nun Records. However, The Chills were not technically together for all these years, with what could be considered either a break-up or hiatus in the mid-90s, in addition to a high turnover in membership throughout the years (see: “the curse of The Chills”). Yet after close to a decade of near-radio silence, Phillips released a mini-album in 2004, followed by a brand new single in the summer of 2013. Now, the group is on tour, and will play Berlin for the first time since 1987. Not to be missed. Natalye Childress Lido, Cuvrystraße 7 10997 Berlin; 030 69 56 68 40; U: Schlesisches Tor; admission: €17/€19. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/downbytheriverfestival6 monthly 0.5 2014-07-24 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be87176dc44a8e3a294f/1406239273000/tumblr_n8sz4035L11r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Down By The River Festival, various venues, until July 26 What began six years ago as a small festival of friends sharing music along the Spree has since evolved into, well, something bigger. But as its popularity catches on, the Down By The River Festival remains true to its DIY ethics and its commitment to showcasing and supporting non-mainstream musicians. This year’s incarnation will take place over the course of two days and at two different venues. The first, a warm-up show overlooking the roofs of Neukölln, takes place at Klunkerkranich starting at 1pm on July 25th. DJs Falko Teichmann, Soda Club, and Joe le Taxi will craft an atmosphere with three-hour sets, punctuated by a live performance at 7 p.m. with Rozi Plain, Jamie Harrison, and This Is The Kit. The main event takes place on the following day, with all the action at://about blank. Doors are at noon, and from 2pm on, a dozen or so artists will play on three separate stages, indoor and out. Come 10pm, attendees can stick around for a DJ, or else head to nearby Zukunft for the afterparty, featuring—you guessed it—more music. Natalye Childress Events, venues and admissions vary — check the above links for full programme details http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/schokoladenhoffestatschokoladen2014 monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854886524-LDRBY0XY1E329M7D69FU/tumblr_n7ou938fFT1r5ijzoo1_500.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Schokoladen Hoffest 2014 SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Schokoladen Hoffest, Schokoladen, until July 20 Earlier this month, Mitte’s headquarters for independent music, Schokoladen, turned 24. And as is the annual tradition, Schokoladen will have a no-holds barred birthday celebrationrunning three days and featuring more than two dozen musical acts. Extending beyond the bar itself, the celebrations will also take place in the courtyard and the cellar, as well as the backyard theatre. Keeping within the confines of its strict, 10 p.m. noise curfew, the venue will also end all live music at the proper time but keep the party going until the early hours of the morning with DJ sets from the Gewalt Disney DJ Team, 3nt3n m3n, Offbeatclub and others. Those who have been to Schokoladen before are likely familiar with the building’s longstanding history, and the owners are also requesting for anyone who can to donate money (rather than gifts) that will be put toward renovations of the venue. Natalye Childress Schokoladen, Ackerstraße 169, 10115 Berlin; 030 28 26 527; U: Rosenthaler Platz; admission: free. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/parquetcourtsatcassiopeia monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854887366-PPNRIYNOGHXQ7NZ823F8/tumblr_n7otaawvTo1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Parquet Courts SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Parquet Courts, Cassiopeia, 7:30pm Though most bands today exist with at least some semblance of a social media presence, Brooklyn’s Parquet Courts eschews anything of the sort. The reasoning is simple enough. With all kinds of information available via a few clicks, it’s easy to get lazy. Whereas when the members were growing up, they had to put in an effort and seek out new and non-mainstream music, today they see too many people not putting in that effort, instead waiting to be exposed to new music through Facebook feeds or buzz blogs. That’s not the only DIY aspect of the band, either. In the beginning, the four-piece sent out 150 mixtapes to people who had ordered the first EP. Though it was meant to showcase and share Parquet Courts’ musical influences, it also was an effective tool for kickstarting a grassroots movement, and additional mix tapes continue to be made and posted to the band’s WordPress page. Today, Parquet Courts is perhaps more famous than they foresaw: this summer saw the release of third full-length Sunbathing Animals and the band is now in Europe for a month-long tour and festival circuit to promote it. A far cry from the Parquet Courts of old, but the important thing is that they did – and continue to do – things their way. Natalye Childress Cassiopeia, Revaler Straße 99, 10245 Berlin; 030 47 38 59 49; S+U: Warschauer Straße; admission: €14/€17. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/slowmagicatgretchen monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854887880-7H63RAV7874EH4BT70HK/tumblr_n7ot5saCfN1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Slow Magic SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Slow Magic, Gretchen, 11:30pm The Knife, Daft Punk, Slow Magic – what do these names all have in common? Well, for starters, they’re all anonymous musicians in some sense, taking to the stage with masks or hoods, keeping their real identities secret, and in some cases even flat-out refusing to entertain media requests. Though they all have their own rationale for this, Slow Magic keeps his real name on the down-low because he wants the focus to be on the music, not on him. However, it’s not necessarily music for focusing on – rather it’s music you can get lost in: transcendental chillwave soundscapes and cascading ripples of electronic dream pop mixed with ambient downtempo beats. The year 2012 saw the release of the album “▲,” and this year Slow Magic signed with Downtown Records for a follow-up, How To Run Away. Check out his new single, “Girls“, to get a sneak peek of the sonorous bliss that awaits your ears. Natalye Childress Gretchen, Obentrautstr. 19-21, 10963, Berlin; Tel: 030 25 92 27 02; U: Hallesches Tor; admission: €8 before midnight/€12 after. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/berlinmidsommar monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854888973-JBRFB2XOB9UMMXZMKVKX/tumblr_n72cwv931k1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Berlin Midsommer SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Berlin Midsommer, Urban Spree, 4pm Warm days, extended sunlight, smiling faces – yes, the signs of summer are already everywhere around. To celebrate the summer solstice in style, Berlin’s very own Nordic By Nature, a PR and music consulting agency with a Scandinavian focus, is joining forces with the embassies of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway and throwing – what else? – a free party. As one of the most important holidays in Scandinavian culture, Midsommer is not a time for holding back; as such, the celebration will highlight all of the favourite traditions of our neighbours up north. Treat your tastebuds to culinary delights like dumplings, vodka, coffee, and ice cream; enjoy a round of Kubb and play some tug-of-war; make your own flower wreath for dancing around the Maypole. And last but certainly not least, soak up the sweet tunes supplied by a smattering of Nordic musicians. DJs Svenska Musikklubben, Linnea Palmestål, and Locker & Easy will set the mood, and Adna, Summer Heart, Ice Cream Cathedral, Blaue Blume, Sandra Kolstad, Rytmeklubben, and Pooma will entertain your ears until the early hours of the morning. Oh, and be sure not to miss the chance to win a trip to Gothenburg (see website for details)! Natalye Childress Urban Spree, Revaler Str. 99, 10245, Berlin; 0 30 74 07 85 97; S+U: Warschauer Straße; admission: free. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/phedreatmonarch monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854889592-1XYEFF3HGVP5WO5QW3XN/tumblr_n6cbpyf5B71r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Phèdre SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Phèdre, Monarch, 10pm Phèdre emerged on the Canadian scene two years ago with a self-titled debut album, and wasted no time following it up with last year’s “Golden Age,” which was written and recorded during a six-week stint in Berlin. Composed of core members Daniel Lee and April Aliermo, the band insists it’s flexible with its membership, a trait that also carries over to the music, which tends to defy any one musical genre. Asked to describe the music, Lee said that “Phèdre is a rotten, decadent fantasyland for us to live out our dreams in, and travel the world.” Intrigued? The band is particularly known for its dramatic, colorful, and unexpected live shows, so don’t miss your chance to see and hear for yourself. Natalye Childress Monarch, Skalitzer Straße 134, 10999 Berlin; 030 61 65 60 03; U: Kottbusser Tor; admission: €8. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/templesatlido monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854889703-XLB23O5XTYURW1PWVZX6/tumblr_n6cd2dydXj1r5ijzoo1_500.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Temples SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Temples, Lido, 9pm Just as you can’t read an international press article about Berlin that doesn’t refer to the city as “poor but sexy,” you can’t read an article about Temples without the author mentioning that Noel Gallagher, one half of the dueling Oasis brothers, has dubbed the psychedelic rock group “the best new band in Britain.” Yet while the claim may be controversial to some, the band’s appearance at Introducing earlier this year certainly solidified its place in the German scene, as Deutschland’s denizens are all too eager to pick up what Temples is putting down. Earlier this year, the group released Sun Structures - a 12-track debut rife with warm, fuzzy, mellow pop tunes that sound as though they were made in the ’60s. And tonight is a rare chance to hear that sound live as the band takes a break from the summer festival circuit.Natalye Childress Lido, Cuvrystraße 7 10997 Berlin; 030 69 56 68 40; U: Schlesisches Tor; admission: €17/€20. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tangerinedreamatadmiralspalast monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854889922-NID0IS8635G2S7KS0725/tumblr_n5euhpMqwL1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Tangerine Dream SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Tangerine Dream, Admiralspalast, 8pm Krautrock bands may be a dime a dozen, but not every group of the genre can claim the kind of catalogue that Tangerine Dream can. Formed in 1967 in West Berlin, the free-rock band  has released more than 100 albums – over 20 of which were soundtracks. Unsurprisingly, for a band that is nearly 50 years old, the membership has changed here and there. In fact, 22 individuals have been members of Tangerine Dream at any given point, though frontman Edgar Froese is the one constant. Add to that nearly 50 guest musicians, and it’s no easy feat to keep tabs on the band. In addition to a rotating body, Tangerine Dream’s music has also, undoubtedly, evolved over the years – so much so, in fact, that each musical period of creation is known as a particular era, e.g. the Pink Years, the Blue Years, the Melrose Years, the Seattle Years, and more. Since 2005, the band has been in the Eastgate Years, a reference to its current record label. Catch the legendary group on a European tour, the Phaedra Farewell Tour. Natalye Childress Admiralspalast, Friedrichstraße 101, 10117 Berlin; 030 32 53 31 30; S + U: Friedrichstraße; admission: from €36,27. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/pharmakonatkantineamberghain monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854890825-AQK9J1XDVWT7EKJYEJLK/tumblr_n5ete28XRi1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Pharmakon SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Pharmakon, Kantine am Berghain, 9pm When Pharmakon first showed up in 2008 with a self-titled EP, it’s probably fair to say that a few people were taken by surprise. That’s because the appearance of the woman making the music, Margaret Chardiet, hardly seemed to match up with the sounds she produced: layers of noise, drone, power electronics, and screams. But Chardiet, a native New Yorker, isn’t concerned with any of that. This is, after all, the same person who likened her music to an exorcism and described her motivation as wanting to make listeners feel uncomfortable. But more than that, Chardiet–who considers her music to be an incredibly personal extension of herself–hopes that in the process of being vulnerable, she forces listeners to allow their own misconceptions and walls to break apart and fall away. Last year, Chardiet came out with the five-track full-length “Abandon,” which is as haunting and raw as you might expect. As such, it’s somehow fitting that she’s playing at Berghain’s adjacent venue, the Kantine. Natalye Childress Kantine am Berghain, Am Wriezener Bahnhof, 10243 Berlin; S+U: Warschauer Straße; admission €11,50. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/snowwhiteatwasserspeicher monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854890702-7PBNN3XREOA25IT5UJHY/tumblr_n5lz95vRnA1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Snow White SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Snow White, Wasserspeicher, various times We all know the story of Snow White, the German fairytale about the fairest lady in the land whose jealous stepmother plots her demise, forcing her first to live in the mountains with seven dwarfs and then to fall into an eternal sleep, until a handsome prince comes along and rescues her. But while popular adaptations have painted Snow White as naive and helpless, a theatrical performance here in Berlin will delve deep into her mind, exploring the psychological and emotional journey she underwent. Combining dance, light, music, production design, soundscapes, and video, this performance aims to deconstruct conventional notions of narrative storytelling. As part of the experience, the audience will have a rare opportunity to experience the cavernous underground of Prenzlauer Berg’s disused 19th century water reservior, travelling to and through the story in a unique and interactive matter. Installation: May 23 from 1pm-8pm May 24 from 12pm-2pm May 25 from 12pm-2pm Performance: May 23 at 10:03pm May 24 at 3:37pm and 7:37pm May 25 at 3:37pm Natalye Childress Wasserspeicher, Belforter Straße, 10405 Berlin; U: Senefelderplatz; admission: €15/€12. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/iheartsharksatbinuu monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854891165-JA3U2AMW0WQKKRT9RQ0T/tumblr_n3q21fEwI21r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - I Heart Sharks SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN I Heart Sharks, Bi Nuu, 9pm Anyone that attended the Berlin Festival two years ago is likely familiar with the chorus of I Heart Sharks’ tune, “Neuzeit,” which was the official anthem of the event. “Und das ist die neue Geschichte,” sang frontman Pierre Bee over double-time drums and synth sounds reminiscent of the 80s. Back then, the band was soaring high off its debut album, Summer, which made waves throughout the German indie music scene. But then came the test: to see if the band was a one-trick pony or if album number two could live up to the expectations. Well, the proof is in the pudding. Anthems was released in the first quarter of 2014, and to accurately judge, you will have to check it out for yourself. Or better yet, see the band on tour, when the trio return to Berlin this month. Natalye Childress Bi Nuu, Im Schlesischen Tor, 10997 Berlin; 030 69 56 68 40; U: Schlesisches Tor; Admission: €16. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/10yearsoffourtrackonstage monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854891658-4U5B9CPOCYRBKMZU4L8T/tumblr_n3q22cKnig1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - 10 Years of Fourtrack on Stage SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN 10 Years of Fourtrack on Stage, various venues, until 25 April Ten years ago, four friends had the idea to get together and host a monthly night of music in Berlin, which they named Fourtrack on Stage. Though it was small in the beginning, they were persistent, and now it’s difficult to imagine the Berlin music scene without them. Although Fourtrack on Stage was initially formed out of the anti-folk movement that permeated Europe in the early 2000s, today the group books shows for local and touring artists alike, regardless of genre; what’s most important is the passionate spirit behind the music. The group is also responsible for the annual Down By the River Festival. To commemorate reaching the double digits, Fourtrack on Stage will host four evenings of music, each one at a different venue that has been a regular home to the shows over the years. Just don’t forget to bring a tip for the Trink Fix can. April 22 at Madame Claude with Sorry Gilberto, Brandon Miller, Remove Control, and Axel Lilienblum April 23 at Schokoladen with Café 612, Daantje & the Golden Handwerk,  and Martha Rose April 24 at nbi with Oska Wald, Horror Me, MoreEats, and Breaking the Bell Jar April 25 at Zosch with Stanley Brinks, Freschard, and Einar Stenseng Natalye Childress Events, venues and admissions vary — check the above links for full programme details http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/65daysofstaticatcclub monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854892489-XQIDH58Q9WXG6PDUB8CF/tumblr_n2ss88mxYg1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - 65daysofstatic SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN 65daysofstatic, C-Club, 9pm It’s been ten years since UK post-rock band 65daysofstatic first emerged on the scene with debut album, The Fall of Math. Most recently, the group came out with studio album number five, last year’s Wild Light; now, to celebrate this milestone of a decade of music, the first album has been released on vinyl for the first time. But that’s not all. This March, the foursome played a sold-out show in London that consisted of a normal set alongside a set consisting of the entire first album – and they’re doing it again. In April, 65daysofstatic will come to the mainland to play in Paris, Berlin, Brussels, and Utrecht, where the band will repeat this performance four nights in a row, an event that fans of instrumental music and math rock should certainly not miss. Natalye Childress C-Club, Columbiadamm 9-11, 10965 Berlin; 030 78 09 98 10; U: Platz der Luftbrücke; admission: €20,55. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/horaceandyatyaam monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854892639-367USOJIXJUR7BMOP95A/tumblr_n2ssdruT6C1r5ijzoo1_r1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Horace Andy SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Horace Andy, YAAM, 9pm Prolific is a word thrown around somewhat freely when artists release new work on a semi-regular schedule. But for someone like Horace Andy, who has put out 38 albums, not to mention countless solo productions, remixes and collaborations in his remarkable 47-year career, it’s almost an understatement. After a few false starts, the Kingston, Jamaica-born Andy came out with his first album, “Skylarking,” at the tender age of 21. He continued to pave the way for roots and dancehall reggae musicians, and though he moved to the United States in 1977 and the United Kingdom in 1985, he continued to return to Jamaica, both to perform and record. In the 90s, Andy joined forces with trip hop duo Massive Attack, and has the distinction of having appeared on each of the group’s five albums. Last year, he came out with “Broken Beats,” an album featuring older tracks of his, reimagined by various musicians and featuring new vocals from Andy himself. Whether you’re a fan of his original tracks or the dub interpretations, there’s no mistaking the fact that Andy is a living, breathing musical treasure. Natalye Childress YAAM, Stralauer Platz 35, 10243 Berlin; 030 61 51 35 4; S+U: Ostbahnhof; admission: €14. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/fiveyearsofthirstyandmiserable monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854895837-5UDBQXN0AYQEOCF06HGY/tumblr_n3cmb4NCsz1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - 5 Years of Thirsty & Miserable SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN 5 Years of Thirsty & Miserable, various venues, until 7 April Thirsty and Miserable isn’t just the name of a Black Flag song; it’s also a Berlin-based booker that has been putting on shows in the area for half a decade. Now, to celebrate five years of local bands and DIY music and ethics, Thirsty and Miserable is doing what it does best: hosting four nights featuring ten artists across two different venues. And in proper fashion, the music will keep on going, even after the bands finish, thanks to after-party DJs, including the Gewalt Disney DJ Team and 3nt3n m3n. April 3 at Schokoladen with U*N*S and The Antikaroshi April 4 at Schokoladen with Auxes, Gorgonoisid, and Buman April 5 at Kastanienkeller with Ampl:tude, Petethepiratesquid, and Zelf April 7 at Schokoladen with Mutiny on the Bounty and mOck Natalye Childress Events, venues and admissions vary — check the above links for full programme details http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/slowcityguidewarsaw monthly 0.5 2014-03-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854893003-H2S9X90WMMDCTNGM9XD8/tumblr_n3ipcgv1tP1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854894141-BWVFZ1PNYX9J4966Y51W/tumblr_n3ipcgv1tP1r5ijzoo2_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854894119-61YYXJQ9C6VALHCYSSV1/tumblr_n3ipcgv1tP1r5ijzoo3_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854894513-D9DAO2SQYFRVAP9T9I5R/tumblr_n3ipcgv1tP1r5ijzoo4_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854894830-VPBDZ3OWHG0KLNXC45SG/tumblr_n3ipcgv1tP1r5ijzoo5_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be89176dc44a8e3a29eb/1396216800000/tumblr_n3ipcgv1tP1r5ijzoo6_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854895043-8RVZFOCU10XFOY7LN3P6/tumblr_n3ipcgv1tP1r5ijzoo7_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be89176dc44a8e3a29f3/1396216800000/tumblr_n3ipcgv1tP1r5ijzoo8_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854895370-QXCUXWVOBN89KEINLO2J/tumblr_n3ipcgv1tP1r5ijzoo9_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/michaelgiraatkantineamberghain monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854896128-TYIZ62IVXH6OLSV8GSJH/tumblr_n1wvj8E2A51r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Michael Gira SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Michael Gira, Kantine am Berghain, 8pm Shortly after new wave music arrived on the scene in the 70s, a counter-movement – no wave – emerged. Espousing the beliefs of underground punk culture, no wave was opposed to the commercialization of music. A handful of bands participated, but one of the most prevalent was New York City’s Swans. Though Swans had more than two dozen members, its only constant has been lead singer and guitarist Michael Gira. And when the band broke up in 1997, Gira stayed active, putting out albums as a solo artist and under the name Angels of Light. He also formed a label, Young God Records, which put out his own music and that of other musicians. In 2010, Swans reunited and has gone on to release three albums, with another projected for later this year. In the meantime, Gira is touring on his own during the month of March before Swans go on a tour in the spring. His show in Berlin is the last night of the solo leg. Natalye Childress Kantine am Berghain, Am Wriezener Bahnhof, 10243 Berlin; S+U: Warschauer Straße; admission €18. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/carlabruniatudk monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854897787-BBQOS8ABC66JNIA8COI1/tumblr_n1wtb6QlpN1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Carla Bruni SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Carla Bruni, Universität der Künste, 8pm Though she’s famous for being the third wife of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Carla Bruni is undoubtedly better known outside of France as a model-turned-singer. The Italian-born Bruni spent her childhood in Italy and then France, and attended boarding school in Switzerland and university in Paris before deciding to become a model at 19. After a decade in the modelling industry, Bruni then turned to music, and in the 17 years since, has released four full-length albums – though her career slowed down noticeably during her time as the First Lady of France. Though the majority of her songs are in French, Bruni’s second album, 2007′s No Promises, was written in English. Meanwhile, last year saw the arrival of “Little French Songs,” an 11-song album full of, as the name suggests, short and sweet chanson tunes. Natalye Childress Universität der Künste Berlin Konzertsaal, Hardenbergstraße 33, 10623, Berlin; Tel: 030 31 85 23 74; S+U: Zoologischer Garten; admission €57,55 – 103,55. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/slow-travel-berlin-folk-punk-rock-festival-so36 monthly 0.5 2014-03-07 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be8a176dc44a8e3a2a43/1394233278000/tumblr_n193ptLoSU1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Folk Punk Rock Festival, SO36, 8pm The first year of the Folk Punk Rock Festival (FPRF) was a great success, with The Real McKenzies, The Men They Couldn’t Hang, The Roughneck Riot, and Sir Reg performing. This year, for its third installment, FPRF will take place at SO36, with bands from Germany, the Netherlands, and Scotland in the lineup. DJ Spider Mahone will get the crowd in the mood, spinning a special brand of Irish punk music: Shamrock ‘n’ Roll. And from the sound of the band and artist names -Mr. Irish Bastard, The Wakes, The O’Reillys and the Paddyhats, and The Grolschbusters – it’s not difficult to imagine the atmosphere that festival goers will be privy to. With drink specials on whisk(e)y, beer, and cider to boot, it’s certain to be one hell of a night. Natalye Childress SO36, Oranienstraße 190, 10999 Berlin; 030 61 40 13 06; U: Kottbusser Tor; admission: €19/€16. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/forestswordsatberghain monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854898331-YBBXH667S8OZZ7P0TX1L/tumblr_n190lzIHT81r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Forest Swords SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Forest Swords, Berghain, 8pm More or less a month after opening for Scottish band Mogwai at Tempodrom, Forest Swords is back in Berlin – this time headlining Polymorphism #10, a Berghain-based concert series that began in the summer of 2012. An experimental project of Liverpool producer Matthew Barnes, Forest Swords released his first EP in 2009, and has gone on the put out a slew of singles and EPs, which culminated in last year’s full-length, “Engravings.” The 10-track album made it onto several “best of” lists for the year, including Pitchfork, Stereogum, and Tiny Mix Tapes. Though the album was mixed on headphones, and in spite of its minimalistic composition, those in attendence at a live gig can attest to Forest Swords’ no-holds-barred approach to sound, making Barnes’ forthcoming appearance at the legendary Berghain something that shouldn’t be missed. Natalye Childress Berghain, Am Wriezener Bahnhof, 10243 Berlin; S+U: Warschauer Straße; admission: €18/€15. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/theesilvermtzionmemorialorchestraatvolksbuehne monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854898871-LJKVTMESZ4YRU460AESW/tumblr_n18xhjQt5r1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra, Volksbühne, 9pm Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra has gone through its fair share of name changes since forming in 1999, but rest assured that the Canadian five-piece hasn’t strayed from its goal of staying true to itself. Touting a punk rock ethos infused with an instrumental post-rock-esque sound, the band has been making waves since it first burst onto the Montreal music scene. SMZ, as the band is often referred to as, is perhaps most well-known via member Efrim Menuck, who also plays in Godspeed You! Black Emperor. But the band is important in its own right – much more than a side project, rather an organic entity unto itself. In January, the group’s seventh full-length, “Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything,” was released by Montreal-based Constellation Records. The album features the standard array of SMZ instrumentation, with guitar, bass, organ, piano, violin, percussion, and various sound effects, along with collaborative vocals. And speaking of the latter, though the band established itself in the instrumental scene, the lyrics on these six songs are every bit as engaging as the music itself. Natalye Childress Volksbühne, Linienstraße 227, 10178, Berlin; Tel: 0 30 24 06 57 77; U: Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz; admission €20. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/balthazaratpostbahnhof monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854901205-JN52UCNPAXM8D4V0AEPF/tumblr_n0hmstAByk1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Balthazar SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Balthazar, Postbahnhof, 9pm Belgian bands that achieve international success are few and far between – Balthazar just so happens to be one of them. The five-piece indie rock group formed in 2004, but it wasn’t until around 2010, with the release of “Applause”, that the band began to be noticed. In fact, the album won best of the year at the Belgian Music Industry Awards, an honour that was also bestowed upon the group’s follow-up, 2012′s “Rats.” More recently, the group released its newest single, “Leipzig.” With any hope, the song is indicative of a forthcoming album. But in the meantime, there is a European album to tide over fans, with stops in Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, and of course, Germany. Catch them on the tail end of their tour at Postbahnhof to see what the fuss is all about. Natalye Childress Fritzclub im Postbahnhof, Straße der Pariser Kommune 8, 10243, Berlin; 0 30 69 81 28 0; S: Ostbahnhof; admission €16. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/introducinginfebruary monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854901228-4MBW6FX7WTC6WA0TYTP1/tumblr_n0hmtc7jn91r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Introducing in February SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Introducing in February, Bi Nuu, 8pm As the name suggests, Intro Magazine is all about introducing its readers to new music. That’s why it kickstarted the Introducing music series – a monthly showcase of up-and-coming bands (or just those that should be better known) that takes place across a handful of German cities. Last month featured Kate Boy, Son Lux, and Youth Kills, but February is already packing a punch with a lineup of Temples, Crystal Antlers, and The Majority Says. And per usual, this five-city tour stops off in Berlin, this time at the club under the train tracks, Bi Nuu. As always, the entrance is free, provided those interested in attending sign up for the guestlist in advance. Just be sure to show up on time, because once the venue reaches capacity, all bets are off. Natalye Childress Bi Nuu, Im Schlesischen Tor, 10997 Berlin; 030 69 56 68 40; U: Schlesisches Tor; admission: free with registration here. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/berlinbeourvalentine monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854887458-OKN0LN9LGM21ZU666SLQ/tumblr_n8nnm1C6oC1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Berlin: Be Our Valentine? SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Berlin: Be Our Valentine? Cycling City “It wasn’t until I got a bike that I first got to know Berlin. For the months before that, she was the mistress who swept me off my feet, compelling me to move one-third of the way around the world on a whim. She exuded a rough charm, and her quirky charisma captivated me. But we were still strangers in a sense, until I began to bike her streets. Once I started exploring on two wheels, I saw a side of Berlin I hadn’t been exposed to before. With walking, you are often limited by how fast and far you can travel, and with public transportation, the city can feel disconnected when you go underground at one place and “pop up” in an entirely different one, not knowing what ground you covered in between. But when you ride a bike around Berlin, suddenly it makes sense, the streets connecting like synapses in the brain. And it confirms that your hunch was correct–Berlin truly is an intoxicating, diverse, and irresistible place.” Natalye Childress http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/aurevoirsimoneatlido monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854902048-XXH03ZZ3QP73YU6WSO9N/tumblr_n04czhYfvo1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Au Revoir Simone SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Au Revoir Simone, Lido, 8pm British music publication NME once referred to Au Revoir Simone as The Virgin Suicides of music, describing the members as having “looks ranging from prim librarian, to hippy housewife to raven-haired art student.” And once you’ve heard the sound of this trio of women, it’s not difficult to imagine their music as the soundtrack to a Sofia Coppola movie. Formed in 2003, the three-piece indie keyboard band officially arrived on the scene two years later with a debut album, establishing its sound with synths and drum machines. Then last year, Au Revoir Simone released its fourth album, “Move in Spectrums.” In mid-January, the three toured Japan for a short stint, and will next head out on a three-week tour of Europe. Afterward, they will support Broken Bells on a U.S. tour and have plans of releasing a remix album before summertime. Natalye Childress Lido, Cuvrystraße 7 10997 Berlin; 030 69 56 68 40; U: Schlesisches Tor; admission: €16. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/turbostaatinberlin monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854903073-UA2F4I3116C9T4SISIL0/tumblr_n045wb9cy41r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Turbostaat SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Turbostaat, various venues, until 8 January Compile a list of some of the most relevant German bands today and Turbostaat will likely top the list. Formed in 1999 in Husum, and now headquartered in Flensburg, the five-piece punk rock band has carved out a niche for itself among the descendants of the so-called Deutschpunk genre, taking a place alongside contemporary bands such as Muff Potter, Die Ärzte, the Beatsteaks and others. Last year, Turbostaat released its fifth album, “Stadt der Angst.” It boasts the band’s typical sound: sometimes upbeat, sometimes aggressive, sometimes melodic, with thoughtful and heartfelt lyrics. The band initially wanted play a show at Festsaal Kreuzberg, but because the venue burned down last year, the concert shifted to another punk rock landmark: SO36. However, that show sold out quickly, so three more were added, at Schokoladen, Lido and Bi Nuu. The latter is the only one that hasn’t yet sold out, so if you weren’t lucky enough to claim tickets to the other three, consider picking up a few before they’re gone. For the record, here are more details on Turbostaat’s four-day Berlin tour: February 5 at Schokoladen with My Kung Fu February 6 at Bi Nuu with Freiburg February 7 at Lido with Ascetic February 8 at SO36 with Findus Natalye Childress Events, venues and admissions vary — check website for full programme. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/thehiddencamerasathau monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854902935-PRBZQTNOBOAMTQ4A4NPT/tumblr_n045r4NCfP1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - The Hidden Cameras SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN The Hidden Cameras, HAU, 8pm Though his band is based in Canada, in the late 2000s, Joel Gibb, the frontman for The Hidden Cameras, found himself dividing his time between Toronto and Berlin. Like so many others before him, he found the city is full of creatives and – unlike his home back in Toronto – not quite as distracting. Be that as it may, there was still a good four-and-a-half year gap between the release of The Hidden Cameras’ last album, “Origin:Orphan,” which came out in September of 2009, and “AGE,” released this month. Perhaps this is because, as Gibb recently shared in an interview, he doesn’t write songs as much these days. An abbreviated European tour, aptly titled “The Coming of AGE”, is currently underway, and The Hidden Cameras will play Berlin as the last date before heading across the Atlantic for some shows in Canada.Natalye Childress Hebbel am Ufer, Stresemannstraße 29, 10963 Berlin; 030 25 90 04 27; U: Hallesches Tor; admission €19,80. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/atimetoloveandatimetodie monthly 0.5 2014-01-29 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be8c176dc44a8e3a2a99/1391036493000/tumblr_mzhwwqhfxU1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN A Time to Love and a Time to Die, VeneKlasen/Werner, 7pm Douglas Sirk’s 1958 movie, “A Time to Love and a Time to Die,” was based on the novel of the same name by German writer Erich Maria Remarque, “Zeit zu leben und Zeit zu sterben.” Not unlike some of Remarque’s other books, the theme is war, specifically World War II, and the story takes place on the Eastern Front in Nazi Germany. The plot-line features the Nazi soldier Ernst Graber, who falls in love with a woman from his hometown, after he returns to the bombed-out city on furlough. The film features an appearance by Klaus Kinski, but be on the lookout  for Remarque’s own role in the film, as Professor Pohlmann, a man who offers to aid the couple. Though it did not win, the film was nominated in 1958 for the Golden Bear, the highest award possible at the Berlin International Film Festival. Enjoy an evening of watching the film at VeneKlasen/Werner (VW), opened in 2009 with the aim of providing a space for screenings, performances, and exhibitions. Natalye Childress VW, Rudi-Dutschke-Straße 26, 10969 Berlin; 030 81 61 60 41 8; U Kochstraße; admission: free. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/ctmfestival monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be8d176dc44a8e3a2aee/1390518060000/tumblr_mzhx2hyFdO1r5ijzoo1_1280.png Slow Travel Berlin - CTM Festival https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854908959-R0OP2Z0OJAK3EI9UK79M/tumblr_mzhx2hyFdO1r5ijzoo2_540.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - CTM Festival http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/britishshortsfilmfestival2014 monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854911307-A4A60SIUUGKK3RA6LVEF/tumblr_mzhwr3RzJS1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - British Shorts Film Festival 2014 SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN British Shorts Film Festival, various venues, until 20 January Short & Snappy is the theme of this year’s British Shorts Film Festival, which is back in Berlin for its seventh year. Taking place over the course of four days, the event will feature screenings primarily at Sputnik Kino, with a couple one-off events at Ballhaus Ost and Filmkunst66. Each day features plenty of shorts, along with special extras, including musical performances by The Burning Hell, Slow Steve, and the Berlin Pop Ensemble, and DJ sets by Wild Zero and Foxy Boxer No. 1. Meanwhile, those in attendance can wander through the Sputnik Kinobar to take in the exhibition, which features the photography of Corinna Kern; artwork by Emily Howells, Anne Wilkins, and Alice Nyoung; and experimental films from Andrew Brand and Adam Wells. Also worth noting is the open screening, scheduled to take place on the festival’s final night. Similar to an open mic in concept, audience members are allowed to bring their own short films of 25 minutes or less. These will be projected on the big screen, with one catch: attendees can express their disinterest in the film by holding up red cards. If more than half of the audience votes a film down, it is stopped and the next is put on. Natalye Childress  Events, venues and admissions vary — check website for full programme. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/joanofarcatschokoladen monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854912108-G040JXX1QB0KX6H1AHDX/tumblr_mxcws8JJh41r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Joan of Arc SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Joan of Arc, Schokoladen, 8pm If  you come from the Midwest and have any interest in the independent scene, then “Kinsella” is already a household name. But for those not in the know, brothers Tim and Mike Kinsella, along with their cousin Nate Kinsella, are some of the better-known champions of obscure indie rock, boasting membership in bands such as Cap’n Jazz, Make Believe, Friend/Enemy, Owls, Everyoned, Mata Hari, Ghosts and Vodka, Birthmark, The Sky Corvair, American Football and many more. Their paths cross in many of these projects, but perhaps the most famous group to feature all three as members is Joan of Arc, a bit of a supergroup that has had more than a dozen members and collaborators over the years (although Tim has been the only constant). Since its formation in 1995, JoA has released 22 albums, two EPs, five singles and one split. The most recent release, this year’s Testimonium Songs, is about as avant-garde as long-time followers of Joan of Arc would expect. The album features a collaboration with musical performance group Every House Has a Door, who created a theatre piece based on Objectivist poet Charles Reznikoff’s Testimony, a found poem with origins in transcripts of court records. True, the music isn’t for everyone, but whatever you do, you can’t accuse JoA of being unimaginative. Natalye Childress Schokoladen, Ackerstraße 169, 10115 Berlin; 030 28 26 527; U: Rosenthaler Platz; admission €???. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/shamelesslimitlessaturbanspree monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854912211-QM91PJJNXCC7FR7Y9KFI/tumblr_mxcwr7GYIh1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - 5 Years of Shameless/Limitless SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN 5 Years of Shameless/Limitless, Urban Spree, 10:30pm In a city that is known for how fast it changes, it’s good to see that some things never completely go away. Case in point:Shameless/Limitless. Hard to believe, but this promotional project is already celebrating half a decade of putting on parties, shows, and music events, with no signs of slowing down just yet. To celebrate this landmark birthday–and to let off some steam before retreating into hibernation for the winter–S/L will take over Urban Spree for a night of live music and celebration. As is their M.O., the folks at Shameless/Limitless will present an evening of music that you probably haven’t heard of but definitely should watch out for. Berlin local, Touchy Mob, will make an appearance, alongside Berlin/Montreal-based Femminielli Noir and the Finnish artist Jaakko Eino Kalevi, who just signed to Domino’s Weird World label and released an EP earlier this month. Rounding out the lineup are Matt Didemus of Junior Boys, Molly Nilsson, Friendboy, Moon Wheel, Vero Manchego, and the S/L crew spinning tunes all night long. Natalye Childress Urban Spree, Revaler Str. 99, 10245, Berlin; 0 30 74 07 85 97; S+U: Warschauer Straße; admission €5 until 11:30, €10 after. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/kurtvileatlido monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854912785-4GV26GCR58WC3XEPE65W/tumblr_mxcwswol0a1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Kurt Vile SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Kurt Vile, Lido, 9pm Kurt Vile first began playing music nearly 20 years ago, when his father gifted him with a banjo. But it wasn’t until the mid-2000s when his former band, The War on Drugs, released its first album, that his musical career began to take off. Shortly after 2008′s “Wagonwheel Blues” was released, Vile parted ways with the group in an attempt to focus on his own music, and released his first album, “Constant Hitmaker,” which was a collection of songs from 2003 to 2007. Earlier this year, Vile came out with studio album number five, “Wakin on a Pretty Daze,” an album that boasts the stoner-esque trajectory of sound that the name suggests. The deluxe version of the album also included seven additional songs, some of which are reworkings of the a-side tracks. These were repackaged and released in November as “It’s a Big World Out There (And I Am Scared).” And for those who missed Vile and the Violators at Puschenfest 2012 or back in June of this year, now is as good a time as any to get a dose of his laid-back lo-fi sound. Natalye Childress Lido, Cuvrystraße 7 10997 Berlin; 030 69 56 68 40; U: Schlesisches Tor; admission: €15. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/cutcopyatprincecharles monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854913434-WHFVKGSE8XL7JS4G6FKQ/tumblr_mwz3jyfvEr1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Cut Copy SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Cut Copy, Prince Charles, 9pm When you hear the music of Cut Copy, the name suddenly makes sense, although whether it’s the synthpop scene or simply themselves they are borrowing from remains up for debate. But what isn’t questionable is how good the Australian quartet is at what it does: crafting catchy new wave hooks and infectious house-inspired dance tunes. In early November the band released its fourth full-length, “Free Your Mind.” Although it was written in reference to two subsequent summers of love in the US and the UK, the concept of freeing one’s mind is relevant even today (as Alexander Skarsgård helps illustrate in the title track’s music video). Whether it’s kicking back and relaxing, tripping on acid in the desert, or going to a show and dancing it all out, we all have our own ways of letting go of inhibition. And if the latter’s your thing, then check the band out on its brief stopover in Berlin as part of Cut Copy’s six-week world tour. Natalye Childress Prince Charles, Prinzenstraße 85B, 10969 Berlin; 01 76 86 80 39 84; U: Moritzplatz; admission:€21,60. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/nordwindfestival monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854913538-K57FMRUQF0YLMBG403IV/tumblr_mwk7pj3wiD1r5ijzoo1_500.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Nordwind Festival SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Nordwind Festival, various venues, until 8 December The Nordwind Festival began in Berlin in 2006 with the purpose of promoting the art of Germany’s various neighbours to the North — first of countries in the Scandinavian region, and then of those in the Baltic. Under the umbrella of the Nordwind Platform, the festival is actually just one of six main components; the other five include an artist-in-residence programme, cultural education, creative industry exchange, artistic research and guest performances. Held every other year, the Nordwind Festival is aimed at artists from the aforementioned areas who are living in Germany, the overall goal being to introduce them to the international stage. In the past, the countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden (also referred to as the core countries) have been featured. However, Estonia joined the mix a little while ago, and this year Lithuania is also included. The three-week festival starts in November in Dresden and ends in December in Hamburg, with the Berlin segment sandwiched in between. The 12-day run in the Hauptstadt features dance and theater performances, exhibitions, concerts, workshops, and lectures with a particular focus on the themes of isolation and aesthetics, along with a discussion of science, art, politics, culture, and society. Natalye Childress Events, venues and admissions vary — check website for full programme. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/glennjonesatmonarch monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854913654-138H6JBWEFZO9VMN6VFH/tumblr_mw7w3aO7K71r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Glenn Jones SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Glenn Jones, Monarch, 8pm Glenn Jones – the rock musician, not the R&B performer – began as a guitar player in his teenage years, later continuing to form experimental rock band Cul de Sac in the late 80s. But 10 years ago, around the time Cul de Sac put out its last album, Jones branched off on his own and started a solo career. The decade since has seen him release five albums, the most recent of which is this year’s My Garden State, out on Thrill Jockey. Though he plays both acoustic and electric guitar, Jones is perhaps best known for his association with American Primitivism, a style of playing that involves fingerpicking and which is closely related to the country, blues and folk music genres. This technical playing, combined with Jones’ lyrical storytelling, make for a strikingly personal collection of 10 tracks that run the gauntlet of both skill and emotion. Natalye Childress Monarch, Skalitzer Straße 134, 10999 Berlin; 030 61 65 60 03; U: Kottbusser Tor; admission: € TBC. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/okkervilriveratpostbahnhof monthly 0.5 2013-11-16 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be8f176dc44a8e3a2b4c/1384642885000/tumblr_mw7yqmqyKO1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Okkervil River, Postbahnhof, 9pm Compile a list of some of this decade’s mosts brilliant and prolific indie folk bands and you might just find Okkervil River at the top. The Austin, Texas-based band first met in boarding school in New Hampshire before making the practical move in the late 90s to the “Live Music Capital of the World”. Since then, the seven-piece band has released two splits, five EPs, seven albums, and a handful of other miscellaneous recordings. This fall brought listeners The Silver Gymnasium, a concept album based around childhood nostalgia, with songs that are lyrically much more concrete than those that occupied the dark, nebulous space of its predecessor, I Am Very Far. The album also signalled a move from Jagjaguwar — home to Okkervil River since their humble beginnings — to Dave Matthews’ ATO Records. Playing a short nine-date tour through Europe, beginning in Hamburg, the group will then play a one-off show in Japan before continuing south to New Zealand and Australia. Be sure to catch them on day two, here in Berlin. Natalye Childress Fritzclub im Postbahnhof, Straße der Pariser Kommune 8, 10243, Berlin; 0 30 69 81 28 0; S: Ostbahnhof; admission €22. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/cyberfest monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854913846-4K4D80DC9DC3AKYY81BT/tumblr_mvumldXK6O1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Cyberfest SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Cyberfest, various venues, until 17 November Like it or not, technology is the new god: omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. It’s a gift and a curse, but as both Voltaire and Stan Lee have said, with great power comes great responsibility. And for the next five days, the Cyberfest will use exhibitions, performances, screenings, workshops and more to highlight how technology can be used in positive ways. Created in 2007 and hosted annually in St. Petersburg, Russia, Cyberfest is a cross-genre festival dedicated to promoting and exploring the idea of technologically-based art and what it means for the present and the future. This year marks a first for the event, as it moves West, across borders, to Berlin. The theme,  Time & Place , features more than 100 artists and innovators forming unlikely partnerships with projects, organizations and venues in the city. It is the hope of the minds behind Cyberfest that this expansion will reinforce the idea of international relationships and cultural exchange. As such, it is open to the public and absolutely free, with no rules other than anything is possible.  Natalye Childress Events and venues vary — check website for full programme; admission: free. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/whensaintsgomachineatlido monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854914925-3TZ7RHQPX9FJ40G8RF5K/tumblr_mv8mhlRizl1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - When Saints Go Machine SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN When Saints Go Machine, Lido, 8pm Given that Scandinavia is a powerhouse of pop music, it comes as little surprise that Danish electropop band When Saints Go Machine fits the bill when it comes to producing danceable tracks heavy on the melody. Earlier this year, the Copenhagen four-piece released its third full-length, Infinity Pool, which spent seven weeks on the Danish charts–a significant amount less than predecessor Konkylie‘s twenty weeks, but still a far enough cry from the one week of debut album Ten Makes A Face. But in spite of its moderate success, when compared to the first two albums, Infinity Pool is decidedly less catchy than the albums before it. For some critics, this is its downfall. For others, it is the apparent lack of cohesion between the tracks that doesn’t demand multiple listens. That said, the plus column is not entirely empty, and if nothing else, the band’s determination to go beyond the bounds of convention and experiment with a new sound should be noted and applauded.Natalye Childress Lido, Cuvrystraße 7 10997 Berlin; 030 69 56 68 40; U: Schlesisches Tor; admission: €14/€17. Start time 8pm. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/majicalcloudzatkantineamberghain monthly 0.5 2013-10-17 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be8f176dc44a8e3a2b6a/1382047200000/tumblr_mutb5aQ1Xq1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Majical Cloudz, Kantine am Berghain, 9pm One look at the name and those unfamiliar with the music Majical Cloudz makes might easily mistake the group for something from the mind of a prepubescent, or at least someone with an inclination toward textese. In actuality, Majical Cloudz is actually comprised of Canadians Devon Walsh and Matthew Otto, and if anything, the lighthearted name of this experimental duo is merely a juxtaposition to the contemplative dream pop it produces. The group released its sophomore album, Impersonator, earlier this year, and are celebrating with a 14-date tour of Europe. Start your weekend off on the right foot with these two as they bring their dramatic, atmospheric performance to Berghain’s Kantine, and allow yourself to be swept away in the synthpop sound. Natalye Childress Kantine am Berghain, Am Wriezener Bahnhof, 10243 Berlin; S+U: Warschauer Straße; admission: from €17. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/washedoutatbinuu monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854915546-W102PZ1BO0N5WUREG05G/tumblr_mui2zpNSEg1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Washed Out SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Washed Out, Bi Nuu, 9pm There was a time when skipping out on a college education to pursue music was looked down upon, as it was seen as foregoing stability in order to chase what many would label a pipe dream. But today, with a stagnant job market and student loan collections knocking on the doors of American university graduates, a walk down the musical path doesn’t seem like such a bad idea anymore. For Ernest Greene, the man behind chillwave project Washed Out, that is exactly what happened, although it wasn’t necessarily by choice. In the late 90s, after obtaining a Master of Library and Information Science, Greene couldn’t find work, and instead turned to music, which proved more promising and lucrative than his degree did. In 2011, he signed to Sub Pop, and proceeded the release two full-lengths, the most recent of which, Paracosm, came out in August. Like 2011′s Within and Without, the album features nine tracks and clocks in at around 40 minutes. The music is hardly new territory for Greene; in fact, he seems pretty stylistically set in his ways, and completely OK with that. But the songs are easily accessible and comfortable, the kind of music that doesn’t necessarily require that you think, but rather simply allows you to be. Natalye Childress Bi Nuu, Im Schlesischen Tor, 10997 Berlin; 030 69 56 68 40; U: Schlesisches Tor; admission: €15. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/freespiritssundayatprincecharles monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854915928-BO2MIPH9RMYHPC9D3TQQ/tumblr_mui2wgH9wN1r5ijzoo1_500.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Free Spirits Sunday SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Free Spirits Sunday, Prince Charles, 3pm Contrary to what the name might imply, drinks are not on the house at Prince Charles on Sunday. Rather, the day-long celebration is a tribute to the free spirits among us in the musical realm. JAW Family and the Steve Reid Foundation join forces for the event, a 12-hour musical extravaganza that pays tribute to the late jazz drummer Steve Reid. Proceeds from Free Spirits will go to two causes. First, musician Arthur Blythe, a friend of Reid, will receive money to help with his battle against Parkinson’s. Second, money will be donated to help the recently burned down Festsaal Kreuzberg get back on its feet and rebuild. The party kicks off with soulfood and records for sale. Later, listen to live sets from jazz groups Astral Travel and the Horace Tapscott Tribute Ensemble. Then DJs Alex Barck (Jazzanova), Floating Points, Four Tet, and Gilles Peterson will keep the music going until 3am. Natalye Childress Prince Charles, Prinzenstraße 85B, 10969 Berlin; 01 76 86 80 39 84; U: Moritzplatz; admission: €19.50. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/popfestberlin2013 monthly 0.5 2013-10-03 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be8f176dc44a8e3a2b7c/1380837600000/tumblr_mufw9zNi7f1r5ijzoo1_500.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Popfest Berlin, Grüner Salon, until 5 October More Pop Less Shit! is the slogan of Popfest Berlin, an annual event that showcases indie pop bands from around the world. Traditionally one night of music, this year, Popfest Berlin will feature nine bands from the UK, Germany, and Sweden over the course of Friday and Saturday evenings. The Popfest tradition is widespread, with the cities of Limoges, Madrid, San Francisco, Vienna, New York, and London – among others – hosting a yearly event. And while a variety of bands both young and old play, their music spanning beneath the wide umbrella of indie pop music, the roots of these festivals arguably date back to C86, a cassette compilation put out in 1986 by NME. Of the 22 artists featured on the C86 tape, a handful have already played Popfests, with last year’s headline of Close Lobsters being followed up this year with The Wolfhounds. Rounding out the lineup are Fire Island Pines, Flowers, and The Soulboy Collective on Friday, with The Groovy Cellar, Reserve, Alpaca Sports, The Felt Tips, and The Brilliant Corners on Saturday. And once the bands end, the DJs begin, playing tunes until the last dancer drops. Natalye Childress Grüner Salon, Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz 2, 10178 Berlin; 030 24 00 93 27; U Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz; admission: €15 on Friday, €20 on Saturday, €35 for both days. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/arthackday2013 monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854916601-CXIBMS2EC6UVWE5AD10C/tumblr_mu38b48qcW1r5ijzoo1_500.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Art Hack Day SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Art Hack Day, LEAP, 7pm Though traditionally presented in strict gallery format, the advent of social media and pocket-sized technology has given art a proper change of venue, taking it out of a formerly sterile environment and injecting it into our public and private spheres, designating us as key-holders and creators. But along with this shift comes the truth that nothing is sacred or secret anymore – if you have any doubts, just ask the NSA and GCHQ. With Art Hack Day, dozens of artist and hackers join creative forces in an effort to deconstruct, subvert, and obscure the relationship between art and technology. Already, parallel events have been organized in Stockholm, New York City, San Francisco, and Boston; and here in Berlin, the theme of next year’s transmediale 2014 will work with the idea of “afterglow,” but “Going Dark” is the first step to see the remaining light. This week, after two days of connecting, collaborating, conspiring, and creating, LEAP (Lab for Electronic Arts and Performance) will open its doors for outsiders to get a peek at a flash exhibit that harnesses this swirling black hole of data and attempts to create something to inspire social change. Don’t miss tonight’s closing exhibition and party, featuring interactive and live performances. Natalye Childress LEAP, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 13, 10178 Berlin; S + U: Alexanderplatz; admission: free. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/berlinindependentnight2013 monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854916728-N5KKRWYJUA12IJOZVZ15/tumblr_mu3841J6G81r5ijzoo1_540.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Berlin Independent Night SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Berlin Independent Night, various venues, 7pm Lovers of indie music – rejoice! Berlin Independent Night has returned…. The concept is simple: one night, seven floors, nineteen bands, twenty euros. The annual showcase takes place in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, on both sides of the Oberbaumbrücke, when Astra, Badehaus, Bi Nuu, Cassiopeia, Lido, and Privatclub open their doors to an all-access music pass. For the price of one ticket, live music fans will gain entrance to all of the venues – provided they haven’t yet reached capacity – with the ability to go club-hopping all night. Established German crowd-pleasers like Kettcar, Herrenmagazin, and Adolar lead the lineup, supported by a handful of up-and-comers, on an evening that features the best and the brightest of the independent music community. Want to know what bands not to miss? Plan accordingly with the timetable here. Natalye Childress Events and venues vary — check website for full programme; admission: €20. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/builttospillatpostbahnhof monthly 0.5 2013-09-26 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be90176dc44a8e3a2b8e/1380232800000/tumblr_mu37z5Nirf1r5ijzoo2_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Built to Spill, Postbahnhof, 7:30pm If there’s any one item that tops the list of things fans of veteran indie rock bands fear the most, it might just be that the beloved band breaks up. But luckily for Built to Spill enthusiasts, even minor hiatuses and the departure of the rhythm section in the past year couldn’t force Doug Martsch to call it quits. Not yet anyway. Of course, the line-up change did slow things down; most notable is the fact that studio album number eight will be delayed. Prior to the drummer and bassist going their own separate ways, the band had written 10 songs for a new album, the follow-up to 2009′s There Is No Enemy, which hit number 50 on the U.S. Billboard charts. But Martsch, the creative genius behind the band, promptly threw them out. His reasoning is that the music didn’t excite him, but maybe the contributions of new members, Steve Gere and Jason Albertini, will. Together, the band has prepared a few dozen songs, including covers, to perform on the road, which will hopefully be enough to keep the fans satisfied until a new album arrives. Natalye Childress Fritzclub im Postbahnhof, Straße der Pariser Kommune 8, 10243, Berlin; 0 30 69 81 28 0; S: Ostbahnhof; admission €18. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/smithwesternsatmagnetclub monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854917074-WXBDWIX6WT5URSPIULNS/tumblr_mtol0eRmJu1r5ijzoo2_500.png Slow Travel Berlin - Smith Westerns SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Smith Westerns, Magnet Club, 9pm It has been four years since lo-fi indie rock outfit, the Smith Westerns, released its self-titled debut, a 30-minute, 10-track album that was filled with warm, buzzy tunes and endearing lyrics penned by barely legal boys. Two years later and they came out with Dye It Blonde, an album utilising familiar styles and motifs, albeit with cleaner production and a bit more life experience. And now – another two years down the road – comes full-length number three: Soft Will, created again with producer Chris Coady (Beach House, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Grizzly Bear) at the helm. The trademark throwback sound is there, as is the same naive earnestness too. In fact, though the band has developed over the years, it never treads too far away from what it knows best, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Natalye Childress Magnet Club, Falckensteinstraße 48, 10997 Berlin; 030 44 00 81 40; U: Schlesisches Tor; admission: €11. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/dayofdanceathausdersinne monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854916815-GG04CF41IUBF48H1W3SN/tumblr_mtooqoToDy1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Day of Dance SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Day of Dance, Haus der Sinne, 5pm If you’ve ever wanted to learn to dance but lacked the partner or the confidence, drop your inhibitions, grab your dancing shoes, and head down to Haus der Sinne for a full evening of workshops and partying in a relaxed and fun environment. The event, hosted by M.JIVE, offers lessons for beginners and advanced dancers alike, with three dance styles – Modern Jive, Blues and West Coast Swing – being taught. Those who want to learn a few moves or brush up their skills can arrive early for workshops, with special sessions geared toward advanced West Coast Swing dancers, and other classes for everyone else. Bringing a partner is fine, but not required, as everyone will be switching partners regularly. At 10pm the lessons stop and the party starts, beginning with an introductory class to get everyone warmed up, followed by music on into the night. And there’s more: everyone who shows up will be treated to fresh-baked pizza and a barbecue in order to boost their stamina and keep going – as Lionel Ritchie would have it – all night long. Natalye Childress Haus der Sinne, Ystader Straße 10, 10437 Berlin; 0176 22 73 93 37; S +U: Schönhauser Allee; admission: €12-€26 (registration required – check website for further details). http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/atributetothebeastieboysatkastanienkeller monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854917589-5IPEFQQHRV4RHI434ZTA/tumblr_mtbu6de3Ey1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - A Tribute to The Beastie Boys SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN A Tribute to The Beastie Boys, Kastanienkeller, 10pm Few groups are able to supersede the conventions of genre, but The Beastie Boys is one example of a musical act capable of uniting the bros and the nerds, the punks and the hip-hoppers, the pretentious and the simple-minded. A large part of this is due to the diverse musical influences and stylings of the group, which – unknown to many – actually started in 1981 as a hardcore punk band. By the mid-80s, the group had morphed into the three-man line-up most people know as the Beastie Boys today: Michael “Mike D” Diamond, Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz, and Adam “MCA” Yauch. That line-up persisted until 2012, when, shortly after being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, MCA passed away due to cancer. Since then, the band has ceased to perform, although the surviving members are working on penning an autobiography of the group. But there’s still no doubt of the widespread influence The Beastie Boys have had on music all around the world, which is why a group of local(ish) musicians have teamed up to pay tribute to the music of their youth. Cat N Guyen, The Dropout Patrol, Kid Ikarus, mOck, The Friedrich Briel Experience, and Wello Rausch share their take on a couple of tunes by the Beasties, and there’s also a DJ set later on by 3nt3n m3n and tunes from flachlandoptik. Natalye Childress Kastanienkeller, Kastanienallee 85, 10435 Berlin; U: Eberswalder Straße; admission: €4-7. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/andsoiwatchyoufromafaratlido monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854917885-O0PGCKOH5MZ7KYOBV2QM/tumblr_msv5wdcGES1r5ijzoo2_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - And So I Watch You From Afar SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN And So I Watch You From Afar, Lido, 9pm It’s not uncommon for instrumental post-rock bands to have long and obscure names, and Northern Ireland’s And So I Watch You From Afar – shortened as ASIWYFA – is no exception to this rule. But where post-rock is often characterized by equally long song lengths, ASIWYFA no longer fits the mold. Already, the four-piece with a stalker-esque moniker is known for its unique sound: a bit more chaotic in place of the normal calming repetition in instrumental music. But the differences are perhaps most evident on this year’s All Hail Bright Futures, an album that, if not eschews, than strays from epically long songs in favor of 12 tracks that all – with the exception of the closer – come in at well under five minutes each. In any case, the band’s performance at Lido is guaranteed to be as energetic as it is surprising.Natalye Childress Lido, Cuvrystraße 7 10997 Berlin; 030 69 56 68 40; U: Schlesisches Tor; admission: €16. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/frankturnerandthesleepingsoulsathuxleysneuewelt monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854918244-Q535GJTPSXIBKBR4QFY9/tumblr_msv607jZHi1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, Huxleys Neue Welt, 9pm Frank Turner first made a name for himself in the post-hardcore band, Million Dead, named after a lyric from Swedish band Refused. But when the band broke up in 2005, after a five-year run, Turner’s path changed courses a bit, as he began to pursue the solo route more fervently. Since 2007′s Sleep Is for the Week, Turner has released an additional four full-lengths, the most recent of which is Tape Deck Heart. The title of the album, which came out in April of this year, refers to Turner’s love of cassettes and music in general, although much of the album deals with the intimate details of a break-up. Still, in spite of the melancholy subject matter, Turner’s cleverly penned lyrics do their best to make light of a bleak situation, showing that music – whether someone else’s or your own – is often the best way to cope, recover, and move forward. Natalye Childress Huxleys Neue Welt, Hasenheide 107-113, 10967, Berlin; Tel: 0 30 78 09 98 10; U: Hermannplatz; admission €24.90 (in advance). http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/jeffreylewisatmonarch monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854919093-P6AVZSIF0M8ZGHZZOW52/tumblr_msgkczCAQk1r5ijzoo2_500.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Jeffrey Lewis & The Rain SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Jeffrey Lewis & The Rain, Monarch, 8pm Chances are, you may have heard the name Jeffrey Lewis before. That could either be because it’s a fairly common name, or simply because you’ve been exposed to one of the many incarnations of New Yorker Jeffrey Lewis, a comic book creator and musician. In regards to the latter profession, Lewis has taken the stage in all forms, ranging from a solo act to the frontman of a variety of groups, among them: Jeffrey Lewis & The Creeping Brains, Jeffrey Lewis & The Jitters, Jeffrey Lewis & The Jackals, and Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard. More recently, he now performs as Jeffrey Lewis & The Rain. Lewis has released a laundry list of albums and EPs, most notably on Rough Trade Records. His last album was 2011′s A Turn In The Dream Songs, although earlier this year he did collaborate with the Peter Stampfel Band to release Hey Hey it’s…, a 13-song antifolk album. Most recent, however, was a 3-song vinyl release, which came out on 27 August and will be available on his current European tour. Natalye Childress Monarch, Skalitzer Straße 134, 10999 Berlin; 030 61 65 60 03; U: Kottbusser Tor; admission: €9. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/veganvegetariansummerfestival monthly 0.5 2013-08-30 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be91176dc44a8e3a2bc4/1377900000000/tumblr_msgk0qfOrH1r5ijzoo1_r1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Vegan & Vegetarian Summer Festival, Alexanderplatz, 10am According to recent statistics, 9% of Germany’s population is vegetarian, which ranks the country as having the second-highest rate of vegetarianism in all of the European Union. Perhaps no surprise then that theBerlin’s Vegan &Vegetarian Summer Festival is already in its sixth year. The festival is unique in that while it attracts those who are already vegan and vegetarian, it is also targeted toward those who are interested or simply curious in changing their diet and lifestyle, be it for animal welfare, for the environment, or simply for their own health. Booths will be set up around the square with informational pamphlets available for anyone with questions. There will also be vendors from around town offering samples of and selling their products in one convenient location. The full-day festival kicks off Saturday morning at Alexanderplatz and also offers a line-up featuring vegan and vegetarian musicians and plenty of informational and motivational speakers. Natalye Childress Alexanderplatz, 10178 Berlin; U: Alexanderplatz; admission: free. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/alarmefestivalatradialsystemv monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854919597-XGCTA2N8LHHVFG3E6ABU/tumblr_mqwsh5ljBf1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - A L’ARME! FESTIVAL SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN A L’ARME! FESTIVAL, Radialsystem V, until 10 August After a successful first year, the A L’ARME FESTIVAL returns to the Spree-side Radialsystem V with a cutting-edge program spanning the course of three days and featuring avant-garde jazz from around the world. Of particular significance will be the discussion and comparison of composition and improvisation, and how the two create an interplay of structure and chaos that is a critical component of jazz music. And with a lineup featuring pairings like Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore with Swedish baritone saxophonist Mats Gustafsson, and showcasing both conventional sounds and more off-the-wall approaches, A L’ARME is guaranteed to stir up reactions as volatile as its name might suggest. Natalye Childress Radialsystem V, Holzmarktstraße 33 10243 Berlin; 030 28 87 88 50; S: Ostbahnhof; admission: day tickets – €25 (in advance), €32 (on the door) / festival tickets — €70 (in advance), €80 (on the door). http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/blackflagatlido monthly 0.5 2013-08-06 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be91176dc44a8e3a2bd0/1375826515000/tumblr_mqwsllh6Ne1r5ijzoo1_500.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Black Flag, Lido, 9pm Four bars. There’s something to be said about those slightly offset black stripes that form the logo for Black Flag. And since the hardcore punk band, formed in 1976, unveiled that logo to the world, it has been reprinted and reappropriated countless times, an homage to one of the most simplistic yet enduring music logos of all time. In fact, even Henry Rollins, lead singer of Black Flag from 1981 to 1986, said that before he had ever heard the music, the logo was what made an impression on his young mind. Now, nearly three decades after the band’s official breakup and Black Flag has reformed. The current lineup features original member and founder Greg Ginn, whose brother Raymond was the person who created the logo. It also includes the band’s second singer, Ron Reyes, and newcomers Gregory Moore and Dave Klein. May saw the release of the new song, “Down the Dirt,” and the band has plans to record and release a new album, its first since 1985. But first, the legendary foursome will plays a handful of dates in Europe, with a stopover in Berlin, before embarking on North American and Australian dates.Natalye Childress Lido, Cuvrystraße 7 10997 Berlin; 030 69 56 68 40; U: Schlesisches Tor; admission: €19 (in advance) / €24 (on the door). http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/puschenfest monthly 0.5 2017-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854920483-KC3OQW12R7EUADE7TW5X/tumblr_mqjg6u8AM21r5ijzoo1_500.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Puschenfest SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Puschenfest, various venues, until August 2 For the fourth year in a row, the Puschen Booking Agency is presenting its annual summer Puschenfest, a multi-day mini festival showcasing some of indie music’s most innovative names. Tonight, the first evening – which, in light of recent events at Festsaal Kreuzberg,  was relocated to Lido – will feature ambient rockers Moon Duo, returning electronic band Suuns (who played the second Puschenfest), and jangle poppers Generationals. The second night will be a more intimate, seated show at Heimathafen Neukölln, with the ambient jazz act Bohren & der Club of Gore playing, along with Julia Holter accompanied by a five-piece band. Whatever your musical taste, there should be a little something for everyone. Natalye Childress Puschenfest, events, venues and admission costs vary – checkwebsite for full programme; admission: €17,80 – €21,20 (in advance). http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/kiezkupalaopenairatgriessmuehle monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854920278-6WOXHD57CQGHMLCYWE4Q/tumblr_mqjg48pd3o1r5ijzoo1_500.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Kiez Kupala Open Air SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Kiez Kupala Open Air, Grießmühle, until 27 July Berlin’s Kiez Oper first debuted last summer with a goal of re-appropriating opera for the 21st century, with unconventional adaptations in unexpected places that could be accessed by anyone. In keeping with this offbeat M.O., this weekend transforms Neukölln’s Grießmühle into a fantastic open air celebration of Kupala, a hedonistic pagan midsummer soiree highlighting life, love, sexuality, and escapism. Naturally, the all-night party will feature opera, but it will also include swing music, a nine-piece baroque orchestra, and the requisite open air DJs. Additionally, there will be dancing, live art, burlesque performances, bodypainting, and various other types of art and presentations that glorify the human form. Natalye Childress Grießmühle, Sonnenallee 221, 12059 Berlin; S: Sonnenallee; admission: €12. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/theeohseesatlido monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854920744-3120JQUQBPWJCL1JK9TZ/tumblr_mqefvqJPQD1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Thee Oh Sees SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN  Thee Oh Sees, Festsaal Kreuzberg, 9pm A quick investigation of Thee Oh Sees reveals that the San Francisco-based experimental art-punk band is surprisingly prolific: in spite of changing names several times in the past decade – from OCS to The OhSees to the current incarnation – Thee Oh Sees have not ceased to release at least one record for every year. Most recent is this year’s album,Floating Coffin, the group’s twelfth studio release to date and its first self-released project since 2008. Although described as slightly darker in sound, the album still boasts the signature lo-fi, reverb-filled garage rock sound that Thee Oh Sees have become known for.  Natalye Childress Festsaal Kreuzberg, Skalitzer Straße 130, 10999 Berlin; 030 61 65 60 03; U: Kottbusser Tor; admission: €13,50. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/schokoladenhoffestatschokoladen2013 monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854920793-QH0TS725PRDU443NPKTO/tumblr_mq2ozkFnlO1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Schokoladen Hoffest 2013 SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Schokoladen Hoffest, Schokoladen, until July 22 Earlier this month, Mitte’s headquarters for independent music, Schokoladen, turned 23. And as is the annual tradition, Schokoladen will have a no-holds barred birthday celebration running three days featuring close to 20 musical acts located in Berlin. Extending beyond the bar itself, the celebrations will also take place in the courtyard and the cellar. Keeping within the confines of its strict, 10 p.m. noise curfew, the venue will also end all live music at the proper time but keep the party going until the early hours of the morning with DJ sets from Offbeatclub and Footloose DJ Squad. Those who have been to Schokoladen before are likely familiar with the building’s longstanding history, and the owners are also requesting for anyone who can to donate money (rather than gifts) that will be put toward renovations of the venue. Natalye Childress Schokoladen, Ackerstraße 169, 10115 Berlin; 030 28 26 527; U: Rosenthaler Platz; admission: free. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/wassermusik2013athausderkulturenderwelt monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854921438-RQN25RJ3J937PNFOOG9L/tumblr_mptkqnRg6Y1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Wassermusik 2013 SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Wassermusik 2013, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, until 11 August The latest exhibition to be unleashed at the ever inventive Haus der Kulturen der Welt is the Wassermusik festival, which runs from today until August 11. Under the theme of “The New Pacific,” this year’s event looks at the artistic output from the Pacific seaboard and engages with its purpose and message during a month-long program of music, films, discussions and open-air performances on the roof terrace. There will be concerts featuring the sounds of Latin America, Asia, Oceania, and everything in between, and films from these regions will also be shown. In particular, the Asian Film Festival Berlin and the Latin American Film Festival Berlin (LAKINO), both of which take place in October, will give audiences a sneak preview of what’s to come. Included in this is a night of Vietnamese short films, and screenings of work from Chile, Mexico, and Columbia. There will also be film workshops for teenagers to attend. It should also be noted that on the two evenings prior to the Wassermusik launch, interested parties are invited to attend and take part in “The Invisible Continent,” a panel discussion on which places make up the New Pacific, how the countries in this area are connected, how identify is determined across this span of water, and what questions are important and particular to the discourse. Natalye Childress Wassermusik 2013, John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10, 10557 Berlin; 030 39 78 71 75; S: Hauptbahnhof; admission: €3-€15 per event (check website for full programme and pricing). http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/feelfestivalatkiekebuschsee monthly 0.5 2013-07-11 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be92176dc44a8e3a2c00/1373580000000/tumblr_mptk1ceZE31r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Feel Festival, Kiekebusch See, until 15 July There are perhaps few things that epitomise Berlin summers more than relaxing lakeside and open airs. Luckily, the two have been combined in a weekend-long music extravaganza for the first annual Feel Festival. Located in the southeastern corner of the city, on the border between Berlin and Brandenburg, Kiekebusch See makes for a picturesque and secluded location. The shores of this usually-quiet lake will play host to 120 artists on four stages, beginning at noon on Friday and lasting until Monday morning. The days will feature live acts, including I Heart Sharks, Vierkanttretlager, The/Das, Grey Television, and more than a dozen other. At night, DJs will take over and play music that lasts until dawn. Those who need a break from all the noise can retreat to see film and theater programmes, or simply head to the campsite for some rest. Feel Festival is has a commitment to environmentalism and encourages its attendees to ride bikes or use the festival shuttle. Each ticket also includes a €5 fee that covers the clean-up operation afterwards. Natalye Childress Feel Festival, Kiekebusch See, 12529 Berlin; 01 79 94 49 979; S: Zeuthen; admission: from €29.50 (in advance). http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/goldpandaqa monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854921499-AW1LPL204VJ0I4O8DB9J/tumblr_mq2qzzxLE91r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Gold Panda [Q&A] SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Gold Panda [Q&A] Although 32-year-old London native Derwin Panda, aka electronic music producer Gold Panda, currently lives in Berlin, he admits that he’s “not very good at being a Berliner” – something he partially attributes to his time on the road. “I don’t spend much time here…compared to a lot of people,“ he says. “[I’m] always leaving.“ When he is in Berlin, he says, he prefers to stay in his neighborhood, experiencing the city in a low-key way. Given his transient lifestyle, it’s perhaps not a major surprise that his second album, Half of Where You Live, recently released via his own NOTOWN label, explores the idea of locations, both real and fictional. During a break between the European and North American legs of his current tour, the musician/producer took some time to talk about cities, travel, and the fear that he will never find the perfect place to live. You were born in London and grew up in Essex, so when did you move here and why? [Sofia Kourtesis and I] moved here nearly two years ago now, and we were in Hamburg first, for about six months, I think. And I had friends in Berlin that were [saying] I should come to Berlin [because] it’s better. So I did. And it’s cheap, actually. It’s a lot cheaper than Hamburg, and has a lot more going on, although Hamburg is a nice city. But I really like where we live. We live in Prenzlauer Berg, near Mitte pretty much…I really like it. I think if I was 10 years younger I’d like to live in Neukölln. But I’m 32. What are your thoughts on the electronic scene and nightlife here in Berlin? I make electronic music but I don’t really involve myself in any scenes or anything, so I don’t go out and DJ in Berlin. I play once or twice a year. So I feel pretty much outside of any kind of scene, and I don’t really feel like I connect with the city’s nightlife. Because I go and play, and then I come back, and I don’t really want to go to a club again or a live venue, unless it’s someone I really wanna see. I’m not a very, like, social person. I tend to stay at home and rent movies and go out for food instead. [Berlin is] kind of like a place to come and relax after being away, for me. Which is interesting, because so many people claim that the Berlin nightlife is, you know, IT. It is good; it’s got a really good vibe when you go out, I think. It’s got a really good feel and atmosphere…I feel like people look after each other a lot more, and I like the fact that you’re not allowed to take photos in a lot of places, which is great…I like the fact that, you know, you’re in a club and you have some kind of privacy there, where you can like, you know, make the separation between your work life and your night life. And the clubs are good. I think it has a good nightlife, but I miss the stress of London and the energy, and, like, how everyone has to do stuff…to survive. [They] need to earn money and get stuff done. It is inspiring and I think it pushes you to do stuff. There’s some kind of limitation there, like a financial limit or a time limit. I know I’ll go back there and I’ll get pissed off with it but for some reason I feel like I miss it. People walk a lot faster in London. It’s just a big, a huge, ridiculous city. You seem to have a love/hate relationship with London, but what about with Berlin? I do feel like the winter is really tough and grey. And I’m from England and that’s grey! But this is next-level grey. And it’s cold. It’s really cold for me. So, I mean, it was really long this year. Everyone says the same thing. But it feels like different cities. I got sick of it, [I kept saying] “we’ve got to get out of here, it’s fucking rubbish.” And then as soon as the sun came out, it’s brilliant. I was like, “oh now I know why I live here.” I’m enjoying being here, [though] I’m not sure I want to stay here forever. Where do you go to work on your music? [Sofia] had an office but I kicked her out and turned it into a music room and an Xbox room, and it’s got all my stuff in it. I had all my stuff all around the house. You’d open a cupboard and there’d be a drum machine. There’d be wires around the kitchen and stuff. I looked for a studio but I couldn’t find anywhere that I really liked, and I’ve never had a studio. And I’ve tried to make music in a studio before but it sounded just totally uninspiring and so I just thought, “well, I should just pick a room in the house and put all my crap in there, everything I own, and not clutter up the house with my rubbish, VHS tapes, and stuff.” So yeah, I’ve got everything in that one room. And I just make music in there. The new album is about travel, and many musicians visit a lot of cities but don’t get a real feel for them in the short time they’re there. Has that been your experience as well? Pretty much. You get to know a place if you go back there more and more. But, yeah, you kind of get a luxury guided tour, I guess. You know, you fly in, someone picks you up from the airport, you drive to a nice hotel ­­– usually nice, seven times out of 10 ­– you go for dinner somewhere that’s been recommended so it’s usually good, and then you do a show, you get paid to go there, and then you maybe, if you’re lucky, have some time, just to look around the city real quick, and then in a cab and back. So it’s kind of like a luxury little mini overnight experience. But you don’t really get to know anywhere until you’ve been there a few times and you get to spend a day there. Then you get more of a feel for a place. In writing the album, was it a concious decision for it to be about places, or did it just become that along the way? Since it’s not entirely clear in the titles, what specific places inspired the songs? People always ask me this and I always feel awkward because half of it is thought out and the rest is just coincidence. And I mean, it’s instrumental electronic music. How much can it really mean? If you don’t title it, I wonder if it would connect with people as much. [Anyway], I just spent lots of time not making another album since the first one, and then [after] coming back and having a week off to make new tracks…it could only be about places I’d been. But I’m also guided by sounds I find. I sample lots of old records…and I was lucky enough to find something that said “Brazil,” [which was used on that song]. “Enoshima“ was definitely after going to Enoshima with some friends. And then making something that reminded me of the sound of waves on the rocks and just trying to make it sound like Enoshima. “Junk City II” – I call it two because I like sequels, ’cause they’re always  bad. It’s just about a city that doesn’t really exist. But I watched some documentaries about how some people melt electronics down to get certain pieces out and then resell them. And I just wanted to make something that kind of sounded a bit smoggy. People always said, “your music’s so chill,” so I wanted to make something that was a bit harsher. [With] “The Most Livable City,” [there are] lots of different polls where they decide which city’s the best, but there’s a magazine called Monocle. It’s a current affairs magazine, it’s pretty, it’s got great photography and great features. They recommend you an item every month and one of them was luxury luggage tags, and they’re like £250. And they do their most livable cities, and number one was Zurich. And I was like, “Really, out of the whole world it’s Zurich?“ I don’t know, I think that [the song] is a reference to a city that probably doesn’t exist. I always get unhappy in cities or places I live. And I don’t know if I ever will find a place that I like 100%. I’m worried that I won’t find, like, the perfect place to live. And it’s the same with my music. I worry that I won’t make anything that I’ll actually be proud of. Are you not yet proud of anything that you’ve made? No, I’m way far from that…I think it’s a year ’til I come around to a track and go, “OK yeah, it’s not bad actually.” But I wouldn’t ever say that I’m really proud of any of my tracks. Maybe one or two, but that’s pushing it. But maybe that’s good, because I really wanna keep going to try and get there. What would a song about Berlin sound like? I don’t know. I can’t find the right thing about, the right sound for Berlin. I don’t know what it’d be. I feel like I could make a song about Brooklyn and it’d be lots of piano. But Berlin, I really don’t know. Maybe I won’t be able to make a song about Berlin until I leave. Yeah, so you have to go away from somewhere. Before I’d been away from the UK so much, I couldn’t actually see how much I liked it, or how much I like London. Are there any specific spots – in Berlin or elsewhere – that you like to play the most? For me, I don’t think it’s venues. There’s a lot of other factors that affect the show, such as the time you play, who plays before you, what mood people are in, what the weather is like, how you feel, what the monitors on stage are like. There are so many things that affect the show. I just want to try different places. I don’t think I’ve played enough places…to really know. I like smaller venues with around 500 people max, and a low ceiling because the bass gets trapped. And to be close to people, where they can see what you’re doing and you can see them. Where in Berlin do you like to go when you’re not thinking about, seeing, or playing music? I have this joke that I don’t leave my post code. [10119. My friends invite me out and my response is] “nah, I’m not going there, I have to get the train, I have to cycle, I don’t want to do that.” And it’s basically because I get really lazy after going away so much that I just can’t be bothered. [But] every Sunday, when the weather’s nice, I go to Mauer Park, but I avoid everyone, and I have this little route up the side. You go up the side, and then I think it’s the fourth entrance, turn left, and there’s a vegan burger van, and they do a tofu burger, which is basically, they just put everything on it. Super good. I get that [and] I feel good about myself when I eat that. And then there’s a quark bar…yeah, that’s good. Antipodes Cafe, it’s super good. They do a breakfast that I have more often than I should. And Fräulein Burger in Mitte. Record shop OYE, which is also near where I live. Anywhere near where I live. [And] I like to go swimming. I think Berlin can be a real up and down for me, but I think that’s just me more than the city. I think it’d be the same everywhere I live. But I do like it. https://soundcloud.com/goldpanda http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/factoryberlinatgretchen monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854923217-VPQAMIDRWM6E7U782RN8/tumblr_mp0jauZlCg1r5ijzoo1_500.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Factory Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Factory Berlin with Gold Panda MØ, The/Das, & more, 11pm, Gretchen Despite being on summer hiatus for the entirety of June, even Gretchen Club couldn’t resist taking a break from that break in order to play host to a lineup featuring Gold Panda (stream his fantastic new albumhere) as its headliner. Also taking the stage are English electronic music producer Luke Abbott, Danish singer MØ, and Thomalla, known better in indie rock circles as Ter Haar member Philipp Koller. Meanwhile, The/Das – a side project of Bodi Bill – will entertain concertgoers with a DJ set, along with sets or performances by Ennio and Hannes Rasmus out of Hamburg, and Berlin-based artists Modig and Sofia Kourtesis. Finally, rounding out the line-up will be Factory residents Wasted Ruffians, alongside newcomer Mendoza, making for a night you won’t want to miss. Natalye Childress Gretchen, Obentrautstr. 19-21, 10963, Berlin; Tel: 030 25 92 27 02; U: Hallesches Tor; admission: €15. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/lesbianandgaycityfestival monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854923895-P8U8FKN2HDFQFK0WG7Q6/tumblr_moe2i792O01r5ijzoo1_540.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Lesbian and Gay City Festival SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Lesbian and Gay City Festival, Nollendorfplatz, 11am While Prenzlauer Berg may be known for its families, Kreuzberg for the punks, and Neukölln for the hipsters, Schöneberg has its own subculture claim to fame: it’s the gay mecca of Berlin. And this weekend, for the 21st year in a row, the Lesbian and Gay City Festival returns to the area, with all of the action taking place in and around a 20,000 square meter space at Nollendorfplatz. The theme for the event is “Equal Rights for the Unequal,” and the festival is guaranteed to offer a bit of something for everyone. Grab a bite to eat at the food stands and explore the 7 Festival Worlds: the World of Aids, World of Film, World of Politics, World of Radio, World of Travel, World of Sports, and World of Wellness and Health. Catch speakers and entertainers on stages spread throughout the party grounds. Then, later in the day, enjoy a music program consisting of DJs and live performers alike that runs until late. More than 400,000 people are estimated to show up to the 2-day event to display their pride or offer their support, hang out in the beer gardens and cocktail bars, browse the information booths, and dance on the stage and in the street. Natalye Childress Lesbisch Schwules Stadtfest, Nollendorfplatz 10777 Berlin; U: Nollendorfplatz; admission: free.  http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/localizepotsdamzugumzug monthly 0.5 2013-06-12 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be92176dc44a8e3a2c2a/1371074460000/tumblr_mo39c1MvLC1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Localize Potsdam – Festival for City, Culture and Art, throughout Potsdam, until 16 June Today marks the sixth year that Potdam’s non-profit, Localize, hosts a celebration of the city, along with its culture and art. Each year, the four-day festival features a broad range of things to do and see — from art installations in abandoned or closed down buildings to music concerts and other performances, to film showings and even debates — all in the attempt to create an environment where people from both high culture and alternative scenes can meet, discuss, and exchange ideas in urban spaces. This year’s theme is Zug um Zug, and appropriately, the central spot is Bahnhof Pirschheide, a ghost station, inactive since the late 2000s. Situated in West Potsdam, Pirschheide was a busy thoroughfare in the GDR and served for some time as Potsdam’s central station. After the reunification, traffic slowed and eventually it was shut down. For a few days, this station will come back to life as it plays host to this cultural forum. Natalye Childress Localize Potsdam, Zum Hauptbahnhof, 14471, Potsdam; Bus Stop: Zum Bahnhof Pirschheide; admission €3.  http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/badreligionathuxleysneuewelt monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854924083-K7Z0QNYP4FGHG30YTNI0/tumblr_mo394zmnfa1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Bad Religion SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Bad Religion, Huxleys Neue Welt, 8pm Greg Graffin had big dreams from the start. When the now 48-year-old formed a punk rock band in 1979, he was already anticipating its 20-year anniversary. Today, some 34 years later, that high school punk band, Bad Religion, is still as alive and active as ever. In his non-musical life, Graffin, the only consistent member of the original Bad Religion lineup, holds a Ph.D., is a professor at Cornell University, and has published several books. Yet somehow he has managed to release 16 albums with Bad Religion, the most recent of which is this year’s True North, which made it into the Billboard Top 20 — a first for the band. True to Bad Religion’s form, the album’s 16 songs clock in at just beyond 35 minutes, with plenty of melodic riffs and “oozin’ aahs” scattered along the way, and lyrics tackling – what else – politics and social responsibility. But whether you love the new album or prefer the old stuff, don’t miss a chance to see these punk rock veterans. Natalye Childress Huxley’s Neue Welt, Hasenheide 107-113, 10967, Berlin; Tel: 0 30 78 09 98 10; U: Hermannplatz; admission €29.45 (in advance). http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/olofarnaldsatvolksbuehne monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854924880-A3MG2S5LTTCMKR5IJUWQ/tumblr_mnqddkrjAC1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Ólöf Arnalds SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Ólöf Arnalds, Volksbühne, 8pm Many Berliners are familiar with producer and composer Ólafur Arnalds, a member of the German-born, London-based Erased Tapes label. But it’s only fair to say that this musical inclination runs in the family, and one simply needs to turn to his cousin, Ólöf Arnalds, as proof. Arnalds has been active in Icelandic band múm since the mid 2000s, and released her own debut solo album,Við Og Við, in 2007. Since then, she has gone on the release two more albums, the most recent of which, this year’s Sudden Elevation, is her first consisting of only English. In addition to being a solo artist and playing in múm, Arnalds has also studied music since the late 80s, and is proficient in violin performance and classical singing, with a degree in composition and new media. Joining Arnalds at the Berlin show is British singer-songwriter Scout Niblett. Natalye Childress Volksbühne, Linienstraße 227, 10178, Berlin; Tel: 0 30 24 06 57 77; U: Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz; admission €20 (in advance). http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/midnightinberlinatgretchen monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854925193-I2M93712KLLTNSG51LIX/tumblr_mnqdgbRfUP1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Midnight in Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Midnight in Berlin, Gretchen, 11:30pm Midnight in. is the first project of the newly founded Outsiders Agency, a group promoting parties and concerts throughout Europe with the goal of creating a musical network. The emphasis, however, is not just on the music, but also on mapping projections, a visual display that will be present at each show. Thus far, Midnight in. has happened in Toulouse, Florence, Turin, and Marseille, with Berlin next on the list. For Midnight in Berlin, the organizers have chosen a mix of bigger names, including Etienne De Crécy and Surkin, along with newer, homegrown acts, for a spectacle of electronic music. With two dance floors going all night, and a mixture of music ranging from electro to indie to deep house, there is guaranteed to be something for everyone. Natalye Childress Gretchen, Obentrautstraße 19-21, 10963, Berlin; Tel: 0 30 25 92 27 02; U: Mehringdamm; admission €12. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/waajeedatchestersmusicinn monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854935353-3N3YUYN8GB6OIQFEJUA1/tumblr_mnesjhxhmT1r5ijzoo1_500.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Waajeed and Dirt Teck Rech Official Label Release Party SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Waajeed and Dirt Teck Rech Official Label Release Party, Chesters Music Inn, 11pm Detroit native Robert O’Bryant has made a name for himself as a music producer, and is noted for his work with the late J Dilla and Radiohead, among others. Performing under the nameWaajeed, which means “finder” or “seeker” in Arabic, O’Bryant is part of the hip-hop group, Platinum Pied Pipers. But there’s more to him than meets the eye, as evidenced by his newest project, Dirt Teck Rech Label. The label features work from Jeedeci, Tiny Hearts, Electric Street Orchestra, and Jeedo, which is certainly enough to keep him busy. Catch O’Bryant on a Berlin stopover of his European tour, with a DJ set at Chesters, preceded by a free in-store gig at OYE Records. Natalye Childress Chesters Music Inn, Glogauer Straße 2, 10999, Berlin; Tel: 01 63 17 37 743; U: Görlitzer Bahnhof; admission €10. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/cocorosieathuxleysneuewelt monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854935196-BCH0RKO5JAAGST6XH9Y0/tumblr_mnescoDMb31r5ijzoo1_500.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - CocoRosie SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN CocoRosie, Huxley’s Neue Welt, 9pm It has been 10 years since sisters Bianca “Coco” and Sierra “Rosie” Casady spent two months holed up in the bathroom of a Paris apartment working on a collection of recordings. But those songs, which were meant to be distributed among friends, were eventually released in the form of a debut album. Fast-forward to today and the folk freak duo is celebrating the release of its fifth full-length, Tales of a Grass Widow, with a few dates around Europe. As with past releases, haunting, intertwined melodies and childlike vocals are prominent on the new album, and the music is playful in its approach to notions of genre. Naturally, concert-goers should be prepared for an enchanting spectacle of magical realism and captivating musicianship. Natalye Childress Huxley’s Neue Welt, Hasenheide 107-113, 10967, Berlin; Tel: 0 30 78 09 98 10; U: Hermannplatz; admission €33 (in advance). http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/iconicfinnishdesignpiecesfromavarteatkippis monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854934839-F22AAJM7XSW24LNLUNGT/tumblr_mnet19LZYu1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Iconic Finnish Design Pieces from Avarte SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Iconic Finnish Design Pieces from Avarte, Kippis, until 25 May Fans of simple and inexpensive Scandinavian design have IKEA to look to, but for the more distinguished collector in Berlin, there’s Kippis. A husband and wife team opened Kippis, a boutique store on Torstraße, in an aim to bring contemporary and vintage Finnish design to Berlin in the form of household goods, custom glassware, furniture, design pieces, and more. The word itself, Kippis, is the Finnish equivalent of the German Prost or English “Cheers.” And in the true spirit of collaboration, Kippis recently joined forces with Finnish furniture designer, Avarte, to present iconic furniture pieces. Currently, the store is home to an exhibition of some of the most prestigious and timeless pieces from Avarte, including owner Yrjö Kukkapuro’s Karuselli chair, which the New York Times named the world’s most comfortable chair in 1974. The chairs and tables figuring in the exhibition range from the 1950s to present day. Head by during opening hours to get a glimpse of the furniture from this renowned designer, whose pieces are also featured in museums in New York and London. Natalye Childress Kippis Design, Torstraße 147, 10119 Berlin; 030 27 59 49 12; U: Rosenthaler Platz; admission: free. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/soleyatfestsaalkreuzberg monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854934999-VDCKWDXSDSK4WLN0NYJQ/tumblr_mnesqgugeK1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Sóley SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Sóley, Festsaal Kreuzberg, 9pm There must be something in the water in those Nordic countries, because there is a seemingly never-ending stream of music coming out of them, and Icelandic singer Sóley Stefánsdóttir is certainly no exception. Having first toured the world in indie-folk band Seabear, it wasn’t long before she realized her own star power and embarked on a solo career. To date, the singer-songwriter and pianist has two albums under her belt, the most recent of which is 2011′s We Sink. On it, it’s easier to notice the influences from Seabear, which are most definitely carried over into Sóley’s solo work, but she still retains her own delicate and distinct flair. In the meantime, stay tuned for a third full-length, due out sometime in the not-too-distant future. Natalye Childress Festsaal Kreuzberg, Skalitzer Straße 130, 10999 Berlin; 030 61 65 60 03; U: Kottbusser Tor; admission: €19. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/chelseawolfeatkantineamberghain monthly 0.5 2013-04-27 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be93176dc44a8e3a2c54/1367100000000/tumblr_mnf804YTCB1r5ijzoo2_500.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Chelsea Wolfe, Kantine am Berghain, 9pm Although she was born and raised in California, Los Angeles-based Chelsea Wolfe has been defying the usual stereotypes since day one. Armed with a special blend of moody, gothic, droning folk, Wolfe shuns the superficial, pop-infused music of many of her contemporaries, opting instead for the vulnerable and experimental. To date, she has released three albums, the most recent of which–2012's Unknown Rooms: A Collection of Acoustic Songs–made it onto charts in the U.S. This week, Wolfe set out on a headlining tour of Europe and Russia with her violin player in tow. Her set is expected to showcase a mix of old songs, as well as new ones, and may even preview tunes destined for her newest album, scheduled to be released later this year. Natalye Childress Kantine am Berghain, Am Wriezener Bahnhof, 10243 Berlin; S+U: Warschauer Straße; admission: from €14.80. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/recordstoreday monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854926337-4Y2WNB43VYPDLT6JJ9SG/tumblr_mnf7wphUmy1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Record Store Day SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Record Store Day, various locations, all day Record Store Day has been celebrated since 2007, first in the United States, where it began, and then internationally. Now, on the third Saturday of April, this event brings music fans, artists, and independent music retailers together in a celebration of vinyl. In addition to focusing on actual records, another important component of the day is the action of supporting independent music retailers. Participating stores are those that are actual physical buildings which do most of their business on site. At least half of the products sold in the store must be music-related, the company should not be publicly traded, and 70% or more of the ownership is located in the same state as the store. Each year, an ambassador is chosen for the event. Past celebrations have featured Iggy Pop, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, and Josh Homme. However, 2013 is the year of Jack White, and the White Stripes’ 2003 release, Elephant, will be reissued specifically for the event, with red and black vinyl on one side, and white on the other. Additionally, music enthusiasts can expect to catch special appearances, art exhibits, and one-off issues of vinyl releases that celebrate the day. In Berlin alone, nearly 20 record stores are slated to participate this year. Natalye Childress Various record stores across the city–check the German Record Store Day website and the venues for full details; admission: free. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/fluxfridayatfluxbau monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854926038-7VUZU4DS330EFGGDJQI9/tumblr_mnf8b2bGIM1r5ijzoo1_540.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - FluxFriday SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN FluxFriday, FluxBau, 10pm Not for the first time, Berlin-based Scandinavian music enthusiasts, Nordic By Nature, will play host to an event featuring live music from the Nordic region. This time, Norwegian electronic pop star, Sandra Kolstad, will make a guest appearance. The singer, who is based in Berlin, will be celebrating the release of her newest album,(Nothing Lasts) Forever. But no Nordic By Nature event is complete without DJs, and a collective of five prominent Berlin blogs has joined together to keep the party going long after Kolstad has left the stage. Dance until the sun comes up with the top songs of the early 2000s as your soundtrack when the folks behind Nordic By Nature, No Fear of Pop, PonyDanceClyde, Lucy Vs. the Globe, and Überlin team up to keep the hits going all night long. Natalye Childress FluxBau, Pfuelstraße 5, 10997 Berlin; 0157 73 30 98 66; U: Schlesisches Tor; admission: €5. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/anikaqa monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854939856-XM0GEV43O8O7NC7H5JNE/tumblr_mmzme8wQl01r5ijzoo3_540.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Q/A: Anika https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854940138-B47Z3QFWUODW6R0V2XL1/tumblr_mmzme8wQl01r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Q/A: Anika https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854940299-1U6PM78MM05BJM2OUF65/tumblr_mmzme8wQl01r5ijzoo2_540.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Q/A: Anika http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/ofmonstersandmenatchalle monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854929178-KBFKWIAYAV9H4PAPIBCL/tumblr_mnf6e8rUfJ1r5ijzoo1_500.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Of Monsters and Men SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Of Monsters and Men, Columbiahalle, 8pm Every country seems to have its own version of the chamber-pop group Arcade Fire, and for Iceland, Of Monsters and Men is just that. The six-piece outfit–which formed after lead singer Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir expanded her solo project into a proper band–came out with its debut full-length My Head Is an Animal  in 2012, which has since gone on to achieve gold and platinum certification on five separate charts. And although it’s only March, the band’s 2013 schedule is quite packed. Currently on a European tour with nothing but sold out dates, the group will next fly across the Atlantic for a North American stint. Then it’s festival season, and before you know it, 2014 will be sneaking up. But you won’t hear fans complaining– although they might be wondering, with all the touring going on, when there will be time to write and record the next album. Natalye Childress Columbiahalle, Columbiadamm 13-21, 10965 Berlin; 030 69 80 98 0; U: Platz der Luftbrücke; admission: returns only. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/avettbrothersatastra monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854928632-6PE3R3DGJAH70L93XGUQ/tumblr_mnf6jvuaDE1r5ijzoo1_r1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Avett Brothers SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Avett Brothers, Astra Kulturhaus, 8pm Over the past few years, folk-rock acts and Americana-influenced bands have gained greater musical recognition in mainstream circles. Be that as it may, groups like Mumford and Sons, Bon Iver, and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes may be at the forefront of this scene, but it’s the bands like the Avett Brothers who have paved the modern path toward greater recognition for their genre. And with last year’s Grammy-nominated The Carpenter, the six-piece band, formed by brothers Seth and Scott Avett, is entering into that crossover territory itself. Drawing on influences ranging from Wille Nelson and Merle Haggard, to the Beatles and the Pixies, the band released an album that debuted at number four on the Billboard Top 200, an accomplishment that is only bringing further recognition to the genre. Just don’t expect the group to abandon acoustic music anytime soon, as the intimacy of it is what drew them to folk, and ultimately, what keeps them grounded there. Natalye Childress Astra Kulturhaus, Revaler Straße 99, 10245 Berlin Berlin; 030 20 05 67 67; U + S: Warschauer Straße; admission: €22 (in advance) / €27 (on the door). http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/falloutboyatbinuu monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854928353-8QGLV5YHZ1PUT88SN0NO/tumblr_mnf6qk7eSn1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Fall Out Boy SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Fall Out Boy, Bi Nuu, 9pm It has been a long four years since anyone’s heard anything about mainstream pop-punkers, Fall Out Boy, and there’s no better way to reintroduce themselves to the world of music than with a bang. Earlier this year, the four-piece announced its hiatus was over, and that a new album is due out in April. The name, Save Rock and Roll, is perhaps a reference to the fact that rock and roll is what the band members claim saved them in their earlier years. After its release, Fall Out Boy will hit the road on a six-week tour in support of what will be their fifth full-length. Currently, however, Fall Out Boy is on a promo tour that has the guys hitting up eight major cities in the United States, the UK, France, Germany, and Australia over the span of two months. Naturally, every single show is sold out, but luckily it’s not a reunion tour but rather a regrouping. So those of you too late to score a ticket this time around hopefully have many more years of touring to look forward to. Natalye Childress Bi Nuu, Im Schlesischen Tor, 10997 Berlin; 030 69 56 68 40; U: Schlesisches Tor; admission: returns only. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/deftonesathuxleysneuewelt monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854927226-AINCXQO409CI983HZPNY/tumblr_mnf7dcOZnr1r5ijzoo2_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Deftones SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Deftones, Huxleys Neue Welt, 8pm For a band that has been around 25 years, the Deftones hold a distinct title of having a mostly unchanging lineup; with the exception of obtaining a stand-in bassist after the car accident that left original bassist Chi Cheng in a coma, the group has essentially stayed the same. However, the popularity of the hardcore-tinged alternative metal outfit from Sacramento, Calif., has done nothing but grow over the years, as evident by the group’s  one gold and three platinum releases. Late last year saw the release of Koi No Yokan, the seventh album from the Deftones, and the second with producer Nick Raskulinecz at the helm. Though the music hasn’t strayed too far from its roots, bassist Sergio Vega took a more active role in the songwriting. As for the album title itself, the translation from Japanese is “Premonition Of Love,” or the feeling upon meeting someone that you will fall in love with him or her, and also an idea that one reviewer of the album went so far as to suggest is the relationship between the listener and the songs themselves. Is that the case? Go hear them yourself and then decide. Natalye Childress Huxleys Neue Welt, Hasenheide 107-113, 10967 Berlin; 030 78 09 98 10; U: Hermannplatz; admission: returns only. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/yokoonoplasticonobandatvolksbuehne monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854927443-PMIYVYYOMZ53IHODCGYO/tumblr_mnf7a2ECsz1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band, Volksbühne, 8pm Yoko Ono may have first risen to fame as the wife of Beatles member John Lennon, but in the years since, has established herself musically in her own right. Now, more than 40 years after the release of her first solo album, the musical and visual artist will celebrate her 80th birthday here in Berlin. The performance will include son Sean Ono Lennon appearing alongside her. Sean, a solo artist, joined her musical ranks with the 2009 release of the acclaimed Between My Head and the Sky, and remains the band leader and producer of the group. More than a musical performance, the night will also celebrate Ono’s achievements over the past six decades as an artist, filmmaker, feminist, activist, and philanthropist. Natalye Childress Volksbühne, Linienstraße 227, 10178 Berlin; 030 24 06 57 77; U: Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz; admission: sold out – returns only. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/ultimateexistence monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854927652-S7HB12P5N5G6KSK0VPLV/tumblr_mnf74rdFlb1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Ultimate Existence SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Ultimate Existence, ORi Berlin, 8pm Berlin is an international city, blessed with being a place where people can attempt to, and sometimes succeed at, having it all: an active social life, a lucrative and artistic career with freedom to pursue other interests, a home base with the ability to travel, and more. But at the heart of this desirable lifestyle is the question of whether this “ultimate existence” is possible, or if it just leaves people wanting something different or something more. Artist Amanda Karlsson and musician Anton Bergendahl, natives of Sweden, have collaborated to create a cross-genre exhibition that addresses these desires and questions, and what it all might mean. During a 24-hour exhibition, visitors will be faced with videoart, games, and installations that will attempt to explain what an ultimate existence is. Natalye Childress ORi Berlin, Friedelstraße 8, 12047 Berlin; U: Hermannplatz; admission: free. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/nickcaveandthebadseedsatadmiralspalast monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854928222-KJV02M7IQD83V7GK74GI/tumblr_mnf6u9IwjG1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Admiralspalast, 8pm While many bands that broke up in the 80s and 90s are just now reuniting for new albums or to capitalise on the upcoming festival season, some bands cut out the middle man and never stopped. For Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, 2013 marks the 30th year that the band has been playing together, with an average of one album to show for every two years of existence. The most recent release is record number 15, Push the Sky Away, an album slated to come out later this month. The songs themselves are reflective of the way the Internet and access to create and obtain information have changed songwriting, with Cave’s curiosities instigating Google and Wikipedia searches, and, in turn, inspiring the lyrics. The deeper question engrained in the tracks, of course, is how we keep sight of what’s true and what matters. When this Australian group–which lived in West Berlin during its formative years–returns to Berlin, perhaps there will be some answers, or maybe, more questions. Natalye Childress Admiralspalast, Friedrichstraße 101, 10117 Berlin; 030 32 53 31 30; U + S: Friedrichstraße; admission: sold out – returns only. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/davidbazanatprivatclub monthly 0.5 2013-02-10 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be94176dc44a8e3a2c7e/1360537200000/tumblr_mnf6xn0kau1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN David Bazan, Privatclub, 7pm More than half a decade has passed since David Bazan eschewed his music projects, Pedro the Lion and the short-lived Headphones, and set out as a solo artist under his own name. But in spite of this transformation on the moniker front, a tiger can’t change his stripes, a leopard can’t change his spots, and a lion certainly can try, but in this, will likely not succeed at changing his sound. For long-time fans of Bazan, the packaging may be different but the contents are–for all intents and purposes–the same. And that’s not a bad thing. Regardless of how his music is presented, listeners are drawn in by Bazan’s delicately crafted songs and held in suspension by his brutal honesty. Of course, the music may be the best part of the live show, but the freestyle Q&A session throughout is also certain to be a draw. If you have ever had a question for a musician, no matter how inane, show up to a Bazan show and ask away. Natalye Childress Privatclub, Skalitzer Straße 85-86, 10997 Berlin; 030 61 67 59 62; U: Schlesisches Tor; admission: €8 / €12. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/kendricklamaratchalle monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854926510-UOHIVZFPTKAQLV5MI8AT/tumblr_mnf7jrmPDQ1r5ijzoo2_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Kendrick Lamar SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Kendrick Lamar, C-Halle, 8pm Last year may as well have been the year of Kendrick Lamar; just look at most any year-end album list and try to argue otherwise. Although it wasn’t his first album, 2012′s good kid, m.A.A.d city is the release the catapulted the 25-year-old rapper to fame, and in less than three months, earned itself a gold certification. Considering Lamar’s hometown of Compton, California, the album tackles issues such as drug abuse and violence that are not unfamiliar to fans of West Coast hip hop. Yet it is his honest songwriting, prosaic storytelling, and conceptual presentation that made his music stand out as more than just another rap record. Natalye Childress C-Halle, Columbiadamm 13-21, 10965 Berlin; 030 69 81 28 14; U: Platz der Luftbrücke; admission: €22. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/jenniferrostockatchalle monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854931417-FVMDG3OQZZITMAZZYPTO/tumblr_mnf5bxsDo11r5ijzoo2_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Jennifer Rostock SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Jennifer Rostock, C-Halle, 7.30pm The story of Jennifer Rostock is one of success, beginning with the band’s founding members moving from a small island in the Baltic Sea to Berlin, seeking to play music and make it big. After becoming regulars in the local scene, the group then went on to achieve national recognition on television, due largely in part to play on MTV Germany and the participation in the Bundesvision Song Contest. Since its formation in 2007, the band has released one EP, three full-lengths, and, most recently, a live album with DVD, appropriately recorded at a show in Berlin. Last year, the band hit the festival circuit hard, and now is kicking off 2013 and promoting the live album with a tour of Germany, giving fans a foretaste of what’s the come this year. Natalye Childress C-Halle, Columbiadamm 13-21, 10965 Berlin; 030 69 81 28 14; U: Platz der Luftbrücke; admission: €22. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/toroymoiatcometclub monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854929830-NDBKUCWJUPSA8YEL9021/tumblr_mnf654BjbX1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Toro y Moi SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Toro y Moi, Comet Club, 9pm Sometime between early 2009 and summer 2010, the genre of chillwave rose to prominence. While new labels for music are being generated all the time, chillwave was unique because it called into question the notion that music movements began or were tied to place. Yet with a sudden influx of solo artist with laptops and synthesizers from around the globe playing ambient dream pop, it became clear that the Internet has not only changed music’s accessibility, but also its formation. One of the first artists with the chillwave label bestowed upon him was Chazwick Bundick, otherwise known as Toro y Moi. Bundick’s third full-length, Anything in Return, came out earlier this week, and although a listen makes it clear that his music has naturally evolved to include more obvious outside influences, there is still no doubt that Bundick remains tied to the programmed beats, ethereal melodies, catchy loops, and unassuming vocals that initially captured the ears of his fans. Natalye Childress Comet Club, Falckensteinstraße 47, 10997 Berlin; 030 44 00 81 40; U: Schlesisches Tor / Warschauer Straße; admission: returns only. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/conoroberstatapostlepauluskirche monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854930418-E9O1I8JR5PBKUO6QGBKL/tumblr_mnf5fzd0rA1r5ijzoo2_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Conor Oberst SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Conor Oberst, Apostel Paulus Kirche, 8pm It’s easy to see how a man like Conor Oberst nearly single-handedly brought the genre of indie folk to the forefront of the late 90s. Active in music circles for 20 years, Oberst is most famous for his project Bright Eyes, but has also written and collaborated with others in more than two dozen separate groups, including Desaparecidos and Monsters of Folk. This month finds the prolific singer-songwriter on a short European stint performing as himself. Although he hasn’t released an album since 2011′s The People’s Key, with an oeuvre of eight studio albums as Bright Eyes and five as a solo artist, it’s a guarantee that he will have plenty of material to draw from. Oberst also appeared on Swedish sibling duo First Aid Kit’s second album, with credits as a songwriter for the final track, King of the World. The two sisters will join him on this tour as the support act. Natalye Childress Apostel Paulus Kirche, Kilxstraße 2, 10823 Berlin; 030 78 11 28 0; U: Eisenacher Straße; admission: returns only. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/margaretbourkewhiteatmartingropiusbau monthly 0.5 2013-01-17 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be93176dc44a8e3a2c60/1358463600000/tumblr_mnf7rjQ60S1r5ijzoo2_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Margaret Bourke-White: Photographs 1930–1945, Martin-Gropius-Bau, until 14 April In today’s society, women photographers and journalists are considered the norm, but a mere 50 years ago, this wasn’t the case. An American woman named Margaret Bourke-White  helped pave the way as the first female war correspondent, a privilege likely bestowed upon her because of her resilience and innovation as both an individual and an artist. It’s no surprise, then, that her work is one-of-a-kind, in the truest since of the phrase. Her photos of the war capture countless moments and stories in the former Soviet Union, former Czechoslovakia, Germany, the UK, and Italy, depicting the reins of Communism and Nazism, as well as their respective aftermaths. For the next three months, it’s possible to see the chronicling of life as she experienced it through her lens, in a retrospective of photos from between 1930 and 1945.  Natalye Childress Martin-Gropius-Bau, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin; 030 25 48 60; U + S: Potsdamer Platz; admission: €5 (adults) / free (children aged 16 and under).  http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/trustatberghain monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854931192-67ENCZPF7CD7VNTF7CIM/tumblr_mnf5ktaYdC1r5ijzoo2_r1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - TRUST SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN TRUST, Berghain, 9pm The latest installation of Berghain’s “Certain People” – a series of nights, the first of which was all the way back in 2011 – brings Canadian synthpop duo TRUST to the forefront. TRUST previously performed at Berghain’s next door neighbour, the Kantine, and must have made a stellar impression, because the duo was invited back, this time to appear on Panorama Bar’s main stage. It makes sense, though. With the combination of pulsing beats, dark wave mentality, and more than a smidgen of pop sensibility, it’s a bit of a no-brainer. TRUST’s debut album, the self-titled and vowelless TRST came out early last year, with a follow-up on the close horizon. Rounding out the lineup are performances by Berlin-based journalist-turned-musician Anika and New Yorker Zebra Katz. Natalye Childress Berghain, Am Wriezener Bahnhof, 10243 Berlin; 030 29 36 02 10; S + U: Ostbahnhof; admission: from €20.70. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/britishshortsfilmfestival monthly 0.5 2013-01-10 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be95176dc44a8e3a2ce1/1357858800000/tumblr_mnf55jQdS41r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN British Shorts Film Festival, across the city, until 14 January If it seems as though there is always one film festival or another taking place in Berlin, that’s probably because there is. With no shortage (pun intended) of creatives, and a diverse international background, Berlin is something of a breeding ground for art appreciation. Returning for its sixth year, the British Shorts festival is a five-day event committed to screening the newest and the best animations, documentaries, comedies, and more from Britain. But the festival is about more than just film, with workshops for filmmakers, an exhibition of photos and drawings for fans, and a handful of concerts and DJ-sets for the musically minded. Natalye Childress Events, venues and admission costs vary – check website for full programme; admission: €4 to €6.50 (individual events) / €27 to €32 (festival pass). http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/yeasayeratcclub monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854931701-MRAOCD34079MHV6KUZDD/tumblr_mnf4mpkcUD1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Yeasayer SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Yeasayer, C-Club, 9 pm Fans were disappointed in September when Yeasayer postponed their planned European tour, but the psychedelic indie rock band is back on the road post-festival season with a planned stop in Berlin that will make good on the promises of late summer. Earlier this year, the trio releasedFragrant World,  their third full-length and a follow-up to 2010′s Odd Blood. And while the group may no longer be the “most blogged about band” of the year, as it was in 2010, there is still quite a lot to be said for the new album. Natalye Childress C-Club, Columbiadamm 9-11, 10965 Berlin; 030 78 09 98 10; U: Platz der Luftbrücke; admission €20.50 (in advance). http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/fskathauii monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854931583-25DMJHXLQ2AN22LR3K3K/tumblr_mnf4ql2OHE1r5ijzoo2_500.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - F.S.K. SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN F.S.K., HAU 2, 9pm Neue Deutsche Welle–or German New Wave–was a genre of music first coined in the late 70s. But for the most part, this musical phenomenon remained within the German borders. Meanwhile, for those growing up outside of Germany, the bands Trio and Nena are likely the closest this music ever came to being internationally known. Here in Germany, mention NDW and there is a general understanding of what that means among those who were born before Die Wende. And although the movement has all but ended, some NDW performers still exist today: at least two of them, Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft (D.A.F.) and Nina Hagen, already played Berlin this year. Now Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle (F.S.K.), a band that, in the past three decades, has put out nearly a dozen releases on the Hamburg-based Zickzack record label and another dozen or so on various other labels, will play a special show in Berlin. Over the years, the musical interests of the band have varied, and the group has strayed from its new wave electropunk sound to dabble in country, rock, and even house and techno. What the current incarnation sounds like now is anyone’s best guess, meaning that the group’s appearance will be surprising in more ways than one. Natalye Childress Hebbel am Ufer, Hallesches Ufer 32, 10963 Berlin; 030 25 90 04 27; U: Hallesches Tor; admission €16,50 (in advance). http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/oneshottobehonest monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854932513-3NRBEBDCMZQ9D4WP6MAM/tumblr_mnf48eGNuu1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - One Shot to be Honest SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Bianca Werner: One Shot to be Honest, The Club, 8pm In a world of ever-improving technology, photographers are often concerned with having the newest, fanciest camera and gear. However, there is also the competing analogue philosophy of “shooting from the hip,” an idea which has worked its way into the art of Bianca Werner as recently as the beginning of this year. Using disposable cameras, Werner makes her way around the city photographing moments. In order to be effective, these photos rely on spontaneity, for the scenes they are capturing may only last a matter of seconds. She has compiled her shots and will be displaying them at her first ever exhibition, hosted at Neukölln bar, The Club. Natalye Childress The Club, Biebricher Straße 14, 12053 Berlin; hello@the-club-berlin.de; U: Boddinstraße; admission: free. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/christmasmarkets monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854931725-3JHGI6HUHMIMAOX8UMAD/tumblr_mnf4vj4Dfv1r5ijzoo2_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Christmas Markets SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Christmas Markets begin, across the city, until 6 January, 2013 It’s different for everyone. For some, the first snowfall marks the beginning of the Christmas season. For others, it’s when shopkeepers put out decorations, their store speakers blaring out seasonal tunes. And a small group of ex-pats consider the Christmas season having arrived once Thanksgiving is done and gone. But there’s one thing that everyone can agree on, and it’s that once the Christmas markets pop up in Berlin, it’s hard not to get swept up in the festive spirit. Much to the chagrin of any scrooges that may lurk in the city, Berlin has no shortage of Christmas markets. With close to 60 total, the markets take over the Hauptstadt each year, settling in large public spaces like Spandau and Gendarmenmarket, or taking over former palace grounds such as those at Charlottenburg, Britz, and Jagdschloss. Truth be told, it’s difficult to miss them, even purposely. Some run the entire 6-week period, others only on weekends, and a few last only two or three days. Whether visiting one or five, Christmas markets are a surefire way to spread the holiday cheer. Natalye Childress Locations and admission costs vary – check website for listings. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/johncageeuroperaiii monthly 0.5 2012-11-24 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be95176dc44a8e3a2d16/1353798000000/tumblr_mnf4i9MMZm1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN John Cage’s Europera III, HAU 1, 8pm It’s impossible to mention 20th century music without John Cage coming up in conversation. The composer, famous for revolutionising American music, was particularly known for his experimentation with sound, his focus on the piano, and for his theoretical work that frequently dealt with questioning established notions of what music was or should have been. Two decades have passed since his death and cage remains just as influential as he did while alive. And in a tribute to the music legend, Berlin’s Komische Oper is joining forces with HAU, the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music, and the Berlin University of Arts to present a three-night interdisciplinary collaboration. Although Cage was American, much of his life was spent in Europe, and the 70-minute performance will use this lens to focus on the musical traditions of the continent. Natalye Childress Hebbel am Ufer, Stresemannstraße 29, 10963 Berlin; 030 25 90 04 27; U: Hallesches Tor; additional performance Monday 26/11; admission €15 / €10 (concessions).  http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/animalcollectiveatastra monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854931788-BTOQBU2WU36A5XW2ALJG/tumblr_mnf4daVnmu1r5ijzoo2_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Animal Collective SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Animal Collective, Astra, 9pm Sometimes there are super groups that form from the ashes of former bands. And then there are super groups that become successful on their own, only to later have its members go on to succeed in other musical realms. Animal Collective is one such group. Most notably, the band is regarded for founding member Noah Lennox, better known as Panda Bear, as well as the group’s own label, Paw Tracks. In the 13-year history of Animal Collective, the band has released nine studio albums, six EPs, two live albums, and one visual album. Moreover, this long-standing relationship and continually evolving sound dates back even further, to when Lennox and Josh Deakin met in the second grade. Centipede Hz, the band’s most recent release, marks a return for the founders, as Deakin–who did not record or tour on the previous album due to personal reasons–returned. The sound is notably experimental, something Animal Collective has always been known for. But while many feel that the album doesn’t try as hard as albums past, in most cases, it’s a good thing. Here, the focus is more on trying out new things, and seeing what works – and what doesn’t. Is the band successful? Go see them and you can be the judge of that. Natalye Childress Astra Kulturhaus, Revaler Straße 99, 10245 Berlin; 030 20 05 67 67; S+U: Warschauer Straße; admission: €23. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/nadasurfatcclub monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854932855-LF9MC0KIMK38CNNJW1UW/tumblr_mnf3x6F5kc1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Nada Surf SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Nada Surf, C-Club, 8pm From the sound of things, New York indie rockers Nada Surf are just as–if not more–popular than their 1996 breakthrough song of the same name sardonically suggests. Attribute it to what you will, be it the timeless nature of vocalist Matthew Caws’ voice; the steady succession of albums, each containing a minimum hit or two apiece; or a particular penchant amongst Germans, the band just keeps coming back. Tonight’s performance marks no less than five Berlin dates in the past year. The band is still supporting its most recent album, this year’s The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy, an album that came out in January. But for long-term fans of the band, it’s fair to expect a healthy mix of old and new songs. For Nada Surf is a band that brings out both the hot hits and the deep cuts, ensuring every concertgoer leaves having heard the song he or she went into the night hoping to hear.Natalye Childress C-Club, Columbiadamm 9-11, 10965 Berlin; 030 78 09 98 10; U: Platz der Luftbrücke; admission: €22,70. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/interfilmshortfilmfestival monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854933108-ADANCGFMKK5K4945CKZL/tumblr_mnf3opkCZe1r5ijzoo1_400.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Interfilm Short Film Festival SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Interfilm Short Film Festival, across the city, until 18 November Calling all cinephiles! Directors, filmmakers, critics and fans of movies will soon be gathering for Interfilm’s International Short Film Festival Berlin. Now in its 28th year, the festival returns to the city for six days of short films from around the world. A total of 500 short films–narrowed down from more than 130 countries that submitted 7,000 entries–will be shown at various venues throughout the city. The primary focus this year will be on Africa and Iceland, but there is guaranteed to be something for everyone, movie buff or not. Natalye Childress Events, venues and admission costs vary – check website for full programme; admission: €3 to €8 (individual events) / €25 (five ticket package) / €50 (festival pass). http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/godspeedyoublackemperoratso36 monthly 0.5 2012-11-07 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be96176dc44a8e3a2d59/1352329200000/tumblr_mnf3d0cxB71r5ijzoo2_r1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Godspeed You! Black Emperor, SO36, 8pm There are a lot of headings 2012 could be categorised under, but perhaps in the music world, nothing suits it better than the unofficial title of “year of the reunions.” It happened with At The Drive-In, it happened with Refused, and then post-rock legends Godspeed You! Black Emperor made good on their–up until now–tour-only reunion and released the first album in a decade,‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!, earlier this month. It should be no surprise that the album is four tracks long but clocks in at just under an hour, with the two 20-minute tracks actually being updated versions of previously unreleased live tracks. Also worth noting is the difference in tracklistings, which asks vinyl listeners to play songs in an order that isn’t the same as the CD. Now the Canadian outfit is back on the road, stopping for two consecutive evenings in Berlin. Meanwhile, whether or not the setlist is separate from night to night remains to be seen. Natalye Childress SO36, Oranienstraße 190, 10999 Berlin; 030 61 40 13 06; U: Kottbusser Tor; admission: €24. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/flybermudafestivalattempelhofairport monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854934682-QGEL81TWOYEIU2B35DQE/tumblr_mnf360QfVF1r5ijzoo1_400.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Fly BerMuDa Festival SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Fly BerMuDa Festival, 8pm, Tempelhof Airport Summer was the season of festivals in Berlin, followed up by the week-long Berlin Music Week in September. But just when you thought the city’s music celebrations were going into hibernation, another festival – set against the backdrop of a week-long celebration – pops up. Fly BerMuDa is an all-day event that heralds the end of Berlin Music Days, a 72-hour-plus music free-for-all that puts electronic music, certainly a genre that Berlin does better than most other cities, in the spotlight. And it’s no surprise that the festival keeps to a night owl’s schedule, with doors opening at 8pm and music playing on four separate stages until 8am, or whenever the last person leaves the dance floor. There’s a ton of big name DJs as well as local acts playing – check out the website for a full schedule. And don’t forget to go home! Natalye Childress Fly BerMuDa Festival, Tempelhof Airport, Platz der Luftbrücke 5, 12101 Berlin; 030 61 67 52 43 U: Platz der Luftbrücke; admission: €48.70. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/25yearsofthedeutscheshistorischesmuseum monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854934960-TER804AIIX4GLMXO2NTM/tumblr_mnf2xcRUoD1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - 25 Years of the Deutsches Historisches Museum SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN 25 Years of the Deutsches Historisches Museum, Deutsches Historisches Museum, until 28 October Although Berlin is celebrating its775th birthday this year, Germany itself is still relatively young in comparison. In fact, the current reincarnation of a reunited Germany turned the tender young age of 22 earlier this month. Interestingly enough, the German Historical Museum located in Berlin actually predates this, as it was presented as a gift from what was then West Germany in 1987, a couple years prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Now, the museum exists as a series of permanent and temporary exhibitions, housing everything from documents and material items to photographs, art, and posters. It is also home to a research library with more than 225,000 volumes, and a 165-seat theater that regularly plays host to film series. And now, with its 25th anniversary this month, the museum will play host to a three-day celebration, which includes free entrance up to and including this Sunday. Natalye Childress Deutsches Historisches Museum, Unter den Linden 2 10117 Berlin; 030 20 30 40; U: Friedrichstraße; admission: free http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/juliastoneatpostbahnhof monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854953736-TU06R494VCM4S6VXILZ8/tumblr_mmwakba8Px1r5ijzoo2_r1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Julia Stone SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Julia Stone, Postbahnhof, 9pm Julia Stone might be best known as one half of the brother-sister duo from Australia, Angus & Julia Stone. But in 2010, after five years of playing together, the elder Stone made the decision–just as little brother did the year before– to branch out from the family tree, embarking on a solo career. The result was The Memory Machine, and if numbers sold are any indication, the indie-folk singer-songwriter path has been treating her well. Earlier this year, Julia released a follow-up, By The Horns, which came out two months prior to the release of Angus’ second album. The decision to pursue parallel yet solo routes was a mutual one, but the two have plans to next work on a third album together. In the meantime, Julia continues to tour and promote her most recent set of songs with a European tour. And whether Berlin just can’t get enough of her or the other way around–this will be her third show in the city this year–matters less than the fact that if you haven’t seen her yet this year, you really have no excuse now. Natalye Childress Postbahnhof, Straße der Pariser Kommune 8 10243 Berlin ; 030 69 81 28 20; S Ostbahnhof; admission €21. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/andyouwillknowusbythetrailofdeadatlido monthly 0.5 2012-10-16 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be9d176dc44a8e3a3066/1350424800000/tumblr_mmwaqcD2w01r5ijzoo2_r1_500.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Lido, 9pm On a musical scale of Richter-esque proportions, the newest album by Trail of Dead, Lost Songs, comes in at an overly intense. The album, which is the eighth studio full-length from the Texan-based heavy alternative rockers, was instigated by geographical separation – principal members Conrad Keely and Jason Reece were halfway around the world from one another – written in their hometown of Austin over the space of a month, and recorded abroad in Germany. These international influences and ingredients all come together in the songs, but what’s most apparent is the always introspective and occasionally caustic commentary on the world today. Lost Songs covers subject matter ranging from Pussy Riot, to American consumerism, to the Syrian civil war, suggesting that, in a world full of “first world problems,” individuals should look beyond pure creature comforts and re-evaluate what matters. As the album isn’t out until the end of the month, fans on this tour will have the opportunity for a sneak preview of what’s to come. Natalye Childress Lido, Cuvrystraße 7 10997 Berlin; 030 69 56 68 40; U: Schlesisches Tor; admission: €23 (in advance) / €28 (on the door). http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/erasedtapesatradialsystemv monthly 0.5 2012-10-12 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be9c176dc44a8e3a3060/1350079200000/tumblr_mmwausYvXB1r5ijzoo1_r1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Erased Tapes 5th Anniversary Tour, Radialsystem V, 7:30pm Five years ago, Robert Rath set out to make a difference in the music scene, and Erased Tapes was born. In the time since, the London/Berlin-based record label has strived to push the conventional boundaries of genre by blurring the barrier between classical and contemporary. This entire year has been about celebrating the music of the label and the people behind it, with events held throughout Europe. Now, Erased Tapes is in the midst of a tour, stopping off in European capital cities, as well as a handful of other places along the way, in a showcase celebration of what has happened and what is yet to come. Berlin–one of the two cities that birthed the label–will host two nights in a row with Nils Frahm, Ólafur Arnalds, A Winged Victory For The Sullen, and Anne Müller delighting the eyes and ears of musical fans. Natalye Childress Radialsystem V, Holzmarktstr. 33 10243 Berlin; 030 28 87 88 50; S: Ostbahnhof; admission: €22. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/iamoakatschokoladen monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854953013-CBEULKLHWII31DX3FCKC/tumblr_mmwb2thxgW1r5ijzoo2_r1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - I Am Oak SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN I Am Oak, Schokoladen, 8pm Singer-songwriter, Thijs Kuijken, the man behind folk project I am Oak, took his name from his hometown, Bergeijk, which loosely means “oak mountain” in his native Dutch. In a similarly themed play on words, Kuijken released his third album,Nowhere or Tammensaari earlier this year. Tammensaari points to a Finnish town which, translated, means “oak island.” He is oak, indeed. What’s more is that Kuijken, a regular on the German tour circuit, kicked off a tour of the country this week to do a little promotion of the new album. From Duisberg to Leipzig, from Göttingen to Offenbach, 10 cities will be privy to his earnest and melodic vocals, his quiet acoustic guitar, and a parade of extras like samples, beats, and other unique instruments. Natalye Childress Schokoladen, Ackerstraße 169, 10115 Berlin; 030 28 26 527; U: Rosenthaler Platz; admission €8. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/gallondrunkatcassiopeia monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854952411-PMWOVV0ACZKWKK27QGCC/tumblr_mmwb62n9iB1r5ijzoo2_r1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Gallon Drunk SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Gallon Drunk, Cassiopeia, 7pm Nick Cave, arguably one of the more prolific singer-songwriters in the rock music world, once referred to Gallon Drunk as being “cool as fuck.” Talk about a celebrity endorsement. Now, nearly 25 years after the formation of this London-based band, the group is still going strong, though things haven’t always been easy; it was early last year when band member Simon Wring passed away, leaving the band in limbo. The former four-piece band made a decision to continue on as a three-piece, and this year saw the release of Gallon Drunk’s seventh album, The Road Gets Darker From Here. Now out on a European tour,  the group is bringing its swamp rock sound to Berlin. Natalye Childress Cassiopeia, Revaler Straße 99, Tor II, 10245 Berlin; 030 47 38 59 49; U+S: Warschauer Straße; admission: €14.30 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/efterklangqa monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854952059-TUPK7M1DXROAKMXH8LZE/tumblr_mmwbactpA71r5ijzoo2_r1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Q/A: Efterklang https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854951818-GEN1DXICSRP5APNU83I1/tumblr_mmwbactpA71r5ijzoo3_r1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Q/A: Efterklang https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854952635-T7G37JANJ4MAWZ31HIXH/tumblr_mmwbactpA71r5ijzoo4_r1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Q/A: Efterklang http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/stereototalatfestsaalkreuzberg monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854951200-K2SF7YXANZ1IJRJECUB5/tumblr_mmwc7zYNnZ1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Stereo Total SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Stereo Total, Festsaal Kreuzberg, 9pm Twenty years ago, a French woman and a German man met at a bakery on Adalbertstraße in Berlin. Fast-forward to today, and the two–who have basically been in a band ever since–will play a show just around the corner from that initial meeting place. The band, Stereo Total, is made up of the aforementioned, Françoise Cactus and Brezel Göring, who play alongside a host of other, alternating musicians. But even more varied than the lineup is the music itself; Stereo Total is an eclectic mix of kitschy, catchy electropop and a sampling of just about everything else. With lyrics in German, French, and English, alongside snippets of Japanese, Turkish, and Spanish, the band is relentless and prolific, churning out song after surrealistic song. The duo’s latest effort, Cactus versus Brezel, was released in Europe this summer, and it slated for a 2013 release in the U.S. What does it sound like? A listen to the track, “Diese Musik hört sich an” will provide both a literal and figurative answer to that question. But perhaps Stereo Total is one of those things better experienced first hand. Catch them at Festsaal Kreuzberg for what may be one of the most bizarrely fun live experiences to hit Berlin. Natalye Childress Festsaal Kreuzberg, Skalitzerstraße 134, 10999 Berlin; 030 61 65 60 03; U: Kottbusser Tor; admission €17. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/beirutatchalle monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854951564-JPK2GXICLWYMLORU1FBW/tumblr_mmwcfto7Vz1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Beirut SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Beirut, C-Halle, 8pm Although the music of Beirut was born in a New Mexico bedroom, the songs have always had a feeling far bigger than their origins. This is likely because Zach Condon, mastermind behind the indie chamber pop band, found his inspiration from sources wide and far; he cites jazz music as a primary influence, but he also picked up musical traditions of ethnic groups during worldwide travels with his brother. Now, six years, five EPs, and three albums after emerging on the scene, the boy with the Balkan roots has displayed such an extensive and global-infused repertoire that he can no longer be relegated to any one kind of genre. And although his last album, 2011′s “The Rip Tide,” is a much more introspective release than those prior–both lyrically and in terms of musical composition–Condon is still exploring. Only this time, instead of going beyond himself, he’s focusing on what all that worldly exploring overlooked: his own roots. Natalye Childress C-Halle, Columbiadamm 13-21, 10965 Berlin; 030 69 81 28 14; U: Platz der Luftbrücke; admission: sold out – returns only. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/hannahcohenatrotersalon monthly 0.5 2012-09-08 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be9b176dc44a8e3a2fc2/1347141600000/tumblr_mmwcoeRsv71r5ijzoo3_r1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Hannah Cohen, Roter Salon, 8pm It’s been done many times: actresses or models will find success within their niches–and perhaps it’s at the urging of their agents, or maybe just the potency of being famous gets to their heads, but many then attempt to crossover into other artistic fields. One only needs to think of the past decade, when the lowest-common denominator of celebrities like Lindsay Lohan or Paris Hilton attempted to leave their contained Hollywood worlds and enter the musical realm. The result? Disastrous, proving that (subjective) beauty doesn’t always translate into creative prowess. But if there is any exception to the rule, perhaps Hannah Cohen is it. Born into a community that nurtured artistic expression, she first found her way in the world as a model, posing for renowned New York photographers, something which eventually inspired her enough to pursue a career on the other side of the camera. And it didn’t end there. After introducing her music – songs written in private, spare moments – to others, she was encouraged to put it out. And so in April of this year, “Child Bride” was released: a delicately melancholic debut by a Californian with the voice – as well as the face – of an angel. Natalye Childress Roter Salon, Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, 10178 Berlin; 030 41 71 75 12; U: Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz; €16,10. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/thexxatadmiralspalast monthly 0.5 2012-09-03 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be9b176dc44a8e3a2fbc/1346709600000/tumblr_mmwcvcxXxB1r5ijzoo2_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN The XX, Admiralspalast, 8pm It was in 2009 that minimalistic dream-pop band, The XX, emerged from seemingly nowhere with a debut album. In addition to selling nearly half a million copies in band’s native UK, the 11-song self-titled endeavor made such a splash that it was placed on the top album lists of major music publications such as NME and Pitchfork Media, and the album went on to win the Mercury Prize in 2010. Since then, the three members–who all met at the acclaimed Elliott School in London–have been touring nearly non-stop, pausing only to write and record a follow-up, “Coexist,” which comes out next month. While the first album consisted of catchy, dark, electropop beats, the band has revealed that the new album is heavily inspired by club music, although if sneak preview tracks “Angels” and “Chained” are any indication, the band hasn’t strayed too far from its roots. Natalye Childress Admiralspalast, Friedrichstraße 101, 10117 Berlin; 030 32 53 31 30; S + U: Friedrichstraße; admission: sold out – returns only. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/deertickatcometclub monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854948654-HGYOEUZ2GY9JWUSF3OA9/tumblr_mmwtjwdnaZ1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Deer Tick SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Deer Tick, Comet Club, 9pm What began as a solo project nearly a decade ago slowly evolved into a full-fledged band, and now alt-country outfit Deer Tick is one of the better-known bands in indie’s Americana circles. Named after a deer tick that lead singer and founding member John McCauley III found on his head while hiking, this quintet plays music that sounds more like it came from the Midwest than Providence, Rhode Island – it’s actual origin. A five-song EP, “Tim,” is the latest notch on the Deer Tick discography belt, and it consists of tracks from the sessions of the prior full-length, available in hard copy only on tour as a 10-inch. The band’s Berlin show comes in the middle of a European tour that stretches across a handful of club dates, with various festivals thrown in, and while it’s unlikely that cover band Deervana will make an appearance, fans should still expect one hell of a good time.Natalye Childress Comet Club, Falckensteinstraße 47, 10997 Berlin; 030 44 00 81 40; U: Schlesisches Tor; admission €16/€19. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/fatfreddysdropatastra monthly 0.5 2012-08-10 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be9a176dc44a8e3a2f1d/1344636000000/tumblr_mmwwjwzrAY1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Fat Freddy’s Drop, Astra, 8pm It isn’t easy to combine musical genres on seemingly opposite ends of the spectrum into something cool and cohesive, but seven-piece dub-reggae band, Fat Freddy’s Drop, does just that. Blending the organic sounds of reggae, R&B and soul music with the synthetically produced influences of dub-step and techno music, the group have carved themselves a niche in the dub-reggae genre and emerged as one of the best live bands underneath that banner. Hailing from Wellington, New Zealand, a place that might strike many as the last place to birth a band of Fat Freddy’s Drop caliber, the group first began as a distraction – more of a side project – for its respective members. Yet once they began playing and touring, it became clear that they were onto something that listeners couldn’t help but latch onto. The music is varied and infectious, and the lyrics steer clear of overt politically tinged or spirtually involved undertones, making it something that anyone can agree with. Natalye Childress Astra, Revaler Straße 99, 10245 Berlin; 030 20 05 67 67; U+ S: Warschauer Straße; admission €30 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/nitejewellucreciadaltgudrungutatkantineamberghain monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854946356-2S8YG8YB940BO4AO2EOX/tumblr_mmwvicAQcj1r5ijzoo2_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Nite Jewel, Lucrecia Dalt, Gudrun Gut SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Nite Jewel, Lucrecia Dalt, Gudrun Gut, Kantine am Berghain, 9pm Berghain is, without a doubt, the place to go for the quintessential electronic music experience in Berlin, so it makes sense that electro acts with more of an indie edge are lovingly relegated directly next door to younger sibling Kantine am Berghain. And this coming Friday, artists Nite Jewel, Lucrecia Dalt, and Gudrun Gut join forces in a night that gives nod to beat-savvy female members of Berlin’s genre mascot. Nite Jewel got her start recording songs on a handheld eight-track recorder, which paved the way for the lo-fi L.A. crooner to embark into more experimental territories. And on her newest album, this year’s “One Second of Love,” the self-described “liquid cool” singer combines a light and lofty voice with tight beats for a refreshing, bordering-on-delicate, aural treat. She is supported by Spanish ambient singer-songwriter, Lucrecia Dalt, whose newest album, “Commotus,” was released earlier this summer. A geotechnics specialist, Dalt crafts her knowledge on the subject into songs that, like the land, are tinged with bits and pieces of electronic and indie-folk influences, but never settle on one particular place. Finally, at the helm of the ones and twos is German legend Gudrun Gut, a Berlin-based artist, former punk legend, and recent-day pioneer of the minimal glitch-pop scene. Natalye Childress Kantine am Berghain, Rüdersdorfer Straße 70, 10243 Berlin; 030 29 36 02 10; S Ostbahnhof; admission €14 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/laurabeanatbassycowboyclub monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854945319-GRPI0PZJT8889XHP4DU9/tumblr_mmww2x3gGy1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Laura Bean SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Laura Bean, Bassy Cowboy Club, 10pm There’s no mistaking Laura Bean when she walks into a room. Since the red-haired Southern belle, who not-so-long-ago called Kentucky her home, settled down in Berlin a few years back, she has made damn well certain that people know who she is. And if her presence isn’t demanding enough on its own, her music is. While you can’t judge a book by its cover, this one is telling nonetheless. Bean carries herself with a graceful yet rough-and-rowdy poise evocative of a free-spirited Southern woman. Deeply engrained Americana influences point to her bluegrass and honky-tonk roots, while her lyrics tell a story of the backwoods, its people, its music, and its drink. Savour the experience in the most appropriate of venues, Bassy Cowboy Club, and treat your ears and eyes to an authentic piece of musical styling direct from the source: there’s a reason, after all, why Kentucky is the Bluegrass State. Natalye Childress Bassy Cowboy Club, Schönhauser Allee 176A, 10119 Berlin; 030 37 44 80 20; U: Senefelderplatz; admission €7 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/auslandsommerlochfestival monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854945508-GTL53684VM811TKM0KCY/tumblr_mmwvtmBdto1r5ijzoo2_r2_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Ausland Sommerloch Festival SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Ausland Sommerloch Festival, Ausland, 9pm For 10 years now, Ausland has existed as a non-commercial art space and venue in Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg district, with a focus on the experimental and avant-garde side of things. Be it live bands, a lecture series, or film showings, Ausland is a diverse space showcasing it all. The year-round program typically consists of three shows a week, with an exception in the summer, when Ausland is closed for a break. This weekend, Ausland makes an exception to the exception with a three-day festival on its premises. More than a dozen artists and performers, whose birthplaces stretch across the globe but who are all in some way connected to Berlin, will take the stage to share their crafts. From poetry readings to improvisations to straightforward live performances, these artists are all, in some way, bearing their souls. Come without expectations and inhibitions. Natalye Childress ausland, Lychener Straße 60, 10437 Berlin; 030 44 77 00 8; U: Eberswalder Straße, S; Schönhauser Allee; admission €9. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/joanaspolicewoman monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854946183-6P6DHZAGWCU2YTXXKNWR/tumblr_mmwvnece0p1r5ijzoo2_540.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Joan as Policewoman SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Joan as Policewoman, Lido, 9pm Though Joan Wasser – better known as the woman fronting Joan as Policewoman – comes from America, her music has always had more traction in Europe. So it makes sense that she is returning this summer on yet another tour, still riding on the wave of success of her last album, the already year-and-a-half old “The Deep Field.” And there’s something about the way Wasser performs: on record, her music runs the gamut of genre – incorporating the smoothness of jazz vocals, the syncopation of hip-hop beats, and a permeating indie aesthetic entrenched in a devil-may-care attitude – but it is in the live setting that Wasser is most compelling. The  informal approach underscoring a heart-on-her-sleeve  vulnerability makes her likeable, and with raw, unadorned vocals there is no hint of pretension. Instead, it’s about the music: experimental and nuanced while remaining straightforward enough to easily digest. Natalye Childress Lido, Cuvrystraße 7, 10997 Berlin; 030 69 56 68 40; U: Schlesisches Tor; admission €20. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/reginaspektorattempeldrom monthly 0.5 2017-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854944502-RNPJ14D26QS3CKKN6TM0/tumblr_mmww9qdocX1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin - Regina Spektor SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Regina Spektor, Tempodrom, 8pm Music runs in Regina Spektor’s blood. One only need look to her parents, a violinist and a music professor, to understand that writing and performing were something instilled in her core from the beginning. The Russian-born, New York-based Spektor began playing piano as a child, a skill she later pursued in the form of studying composition at a music conservatory. Today, her mastery of the instrument is apparent in the relaxed dexterity with which she plays. When combined with her mezzo-soprano voice, the effect is music that is intricately crafted and powerfully restrained. Spektor demonstrates as much on her sixth studio album: “What We Saw from the Cheap Seats,” released in May, is a collection of old songs that have been reworked alongside a handful of new ones. Interestingly enough, this musical revisiting of the past coincides with Spektor’s personal life trajectory: the current leg of her tour recently passed through Russia, marking her first return to the country since moving away in her childhood.Catch her in Berlin as she wraps up the final dates before heading back stateside. Natalye Childress Temprodrom, Möckernstraße 10, 10963 Berlin; 030 74 73 70; S: Anhalter Bahnhof, U: Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Park; admission €42-47,80. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/kimyadawsonatheimathafenneuk-lln monthly 0.5 2012-07-14 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/t/57f7be9a176dc44a8e3a2f23/1342303200000/tumblr_mmwwfaaaQR1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Slow Travel Berlin SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN Kimya Dawson, Heimathafen Neukölln, 8pm Singer-songwriter Kimya Dawson’s first name is in some ways far from fitting; in Swahili, it means “silent” – something she is anything but. Dawson, who first established herself as one half of lo-fi anti-folk duo The Moldy Peaches, has been putting out solo albums for the last decade. Her most recent endeavor, “Thunder Thighs,” came out last October, bringing the count up to seven. Prolific as she is, the larger appeal of Dawson is the awkward sincerity she maintains as a through line in all her work. Regardless of what side of herself she is putting forth in a particular song, she does so honestly and unapologetically. And time and time again through her music, Dawson reminds her listeners of what she does best, and always has: telling stories. Whether her subjects border on the serious or the lighthearted matters not so much as her ability to tackle these topics – both the staidly impassioned and the endearingly quotidian – with imaginative authenticity.Natalye Childress Heimathafen Neukölln, Karl-Marx-Straße 141, 12043 Berlin; 030 56 82 13 33; U: Karl-Marx-Straße; admission €16. http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/James+Yorkston monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Pharmakon monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Kimya+Dawson monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Beirut monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/65daysofstatic monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Interview monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/The+XX monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Avett+Brothers monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Helmet monthly 0.5 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http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Thee+Oh+Sees monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Kendrick+Lamar monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Temples monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/...And+You+Will+Know+Us+by+the+Trail+of+Dead monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Deer+Tick monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Bad+Religion monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Christmas+Markets monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Washed+Out monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Built+to+Spill monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Anika monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Little+Dragon monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Stereo+Total monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Gudrun+Gut monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Frank+Turner+%26+The+Sleeping+Souls monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Forest+Swords monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Puschenfest monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Preview monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Slow+City+Guide monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/CocoRosie monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Michael+Gira monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Q%26A monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Trust monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Deutsches+Historisches+Museum monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/La+Luz monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Thirsty+%26+Miserable monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/slow-travel-berlin/tag/Berlin+Atonal monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/unlikecityguides daily 0.75 2016-10-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1476265898356-429NMWU22T02PZMTKZ6L/unlike.jpg unlike http://www.natalye.com/unlikecityguides/avantgardediariesmeltpeoplesbrains monthly 0.5 2017-10-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1507557509990-MWS8Z0ZM942ZMBMH51AG/image-asset.jpeg unlike - Avant Garde Diaries: Bompas & Parr UNLIKE CITY GUIDES Avant Garde Diaries Bompas & Parr - Melt peoples’ brains Whether you call them food artists or mad scientists is a matter of semantics when it comes to Sam Bompas and Harry Parr. For the past five years, these two British masterminds behind the aptly named Bompas & Parr have been cooking and creating jelly, then melding and molding it into various shapes, in an experiment that is one part science, one part culinary, and one part design. And it doesn’t end there; the two undertook the task of building a miniature golf course in the shape of London landmarks and consisting of cake. Fusing together the conventional and the unlikely, these two prove that the avant-garde consists of—for them—architecture, demolition science, performance, physics, and lots and lots of jelly. For a glimpse at what’s to come at the Mercedes Drive-thru project in London from Sept 14-16, check out the video above. http://www.natalye.com/unlikecityguides/saturdayssurfnyc monthly 0.5 2017-10-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1507557531307-J0O1GHJX047DYK4QIVSD/image-asset.jpeg unlike - Saturdays Surf NYC UNLIKE CITY GUIDES Saturdays Surf NYC - Surf and the city Surfer life brings with it a mass of unavoidable things; namely, in every zephyr wave exists the possibility of getting totally wrecked. Another harsh reality? Not everyone has the luxury of living in a beach house. Luckily, Saturdays Surf NYC understand the delicate balance between the life of a beach bum and the demands of the every day. What began as a boutique advocating the melding of surfing, working, and living in a metropolis has since evolved into a self-sufficient network of three stores, with its own personal menswear line and signature coffee blend. The West Village store offers sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of NYC, as an upfront espresso bar invites patrons to kick off their shoes, grab a cup of La Colombe coffee, and linger while perusing the new apparel lines, speciality shades, and quiver of surfboards. Pure stoke. http://www.natalye.com/unlikecityguides/pantry monthly 0.5 2017-10-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1507557554441-VUQMTKKA38Z2TYDNVAST/image-asset.jpeg unlike - Pantry UNLIKE CITY GUIDES Pantry - Everything but the kitchen sink Locavorism’s the name of the game at Pantry, an upscale Mitte restaurant serving up Ibero-Pacific cuisine, something of a rarity in Berlin. Kitchen duo Ralf Geisendorf and Jarno Huhn source the majority of their ingredients from within a 100-kilometer radius, a mantra that carries over from the latter’s tenure as a chef in Melbourne; Huhn regularly hit the farmer’s markets at 4:30 a.m. to scavenge the offerings and beat others to the produce punch. The result here is a menu filled with staples like organic Shetland Salmon and parmesan Patata, meticulously garnished with rotating seasonal offerings of wild herbs, roasted nuts, ripened fruits and vegetables, and savory confectionist sauces. This is one raid on the pantry you won’t feel bad about. http://www.natalye.com/unlikecityguides/rebecca monthly 0.5 2017-10-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1507557577450-AUDVJ67GVH969D0W2NB0/image-asset.jpeg unlike - Rebecca UNLIKE CITY GUIDES Rebecca - Where fashionistas flock A boudoir boutique, Rebecca is in the vanguard ranks of designer trend du jour. Just beyond a precious storefront, young seekers of haute couture will find a rotating stock of hand-selected, offbeat and exclusive labels that evoke the edge of fashion-forward cities. Meanwhile, at the coffee bar in the back, clientèle can be found sipping lattes, trotting out their new threads, and plotting their next purchases. http://www.natalye.com/unlikecityguides/kookooatcookies monthly 0.5 2016-10-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1476274099935-BNSOH1G6VZ8CZ4BJ03EL/image-asset.jpeg unlike - KooKoo at Cookies UNLIKE CITY GUIDES KooKoo at Cookies It’s hot, it’s hip, and it only happens once a month. And in August, KooKoo—the famed underground party of Mieko Suzuki & Ara—moves from its standby location at Farbfernseher to Mitte’s Cookies with a lineup of Berlin’s haut monde. We here at Unlike are giving away two sets of two tickets each to the first people to re-tweet this news. Act now and it’ll only be a matter of time before you’re listening to the eclectic sounds of Aérea Negrot live while Elbee Bad showcases the DJ skills that earned him the moniker as the Prince of Dance. It all goes down on Thursday, Aug. 30, at 23:59 at Cookies. http://www.natalye.com/unlikecityguides/arteatsbrunch monthly 0.5 2016-10-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854935823-AMLYYIBXMCVL8BRIKTYG/image-asset.jpeg unlike - Art Eats Brunch UNLIKE CITY GUIDES Art Eats Brunch Get your brunch on this weekend as nowMomentnow hosts “Art Eats Brunch,” a merging and melding of creative and artistic types in Berlin. Art space S&yM hosts this Sunday soiree, with photography shown by Berlin-based, New York-native Alexa Vachon and high tea goodies provided by Foodgasm Berlin. DJ sets and probable surprise performances will keep the party going well beyond the afternoon. Get more details here. http://www.natalye.com/unlikecityguides/lettheuserspeaknext monthly 0.5 2017-10-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1507557642576-K3U1KVDQSAYSVM6P2LBG/image-asset.jpeg unlike - Let The User Speak Next UNLIKE CITY GUIDES Let The User Speak Next A new installation at Corbusierhaus explores the similarity between that building and a near-identical one in France, Cité Radieuse, both built by architect Charles-Édouard Jeannere, better known as Le Corbusier.  LET THE USER SPEAK NEXT / DAS WORT HABEN DIE BENÜTZER / LA PAROLE EST AUX USAGERS is an exhibit that intertwines experience, sound, and space, in and around these modernist structures.  The Vernissage was on Aug. 23 at 19:00 and featured music by Berlin’s own experimental Ensemble Zwischentöne. Now, guided tours of the installation are available on select dates through the first weekend of September for €10 (€7 reduced). Email tickets@operdynamowest.org or call 030 40 98 31 95 to get in on the action. For detailed information, see the press release. http://www.natalye.com/unlikecityguides/avantgardediariesthescentofcolours monthly 0.5 2017-10-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1507557664393-85GUGSJ7GGTA42ABBGDY/image-asset.jpeg unlike - Avant Garde Diaries: Dawn Goldworm & Samantha Goldworm UNLIKE CITY GUIDES Avant Garde Diaries Dawn Goldworm & Samantha Goldworm - The scent of colours Dawn Goldworm views her neurological condition, synesthesia, as a creative endowment. Her world is one defined by color; when she sees or hears numbers or letters, particular associated shades come to mind. Not only that, but certain scents evoke concrete pigments and hues. Along with identical twin sister, Samantha, Dawn has harnessed her collision of the senses in 12.29, an olfactory branding company based in NYC. More than a simple perfumery, 12.29 takes the idea of scent and places it into a new context; by removing fragrance from the commercial realm and focusing on its link with emotions, the two Goldworms are providing an essential form of identity branding for individuals and companies—truly avant-garde. http://www.natalye.com/unlikecityguides/avantgardediaries99percentperspiration monthly 0.5 2017-10-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1507557691326-RA7KP6B96SG27J1YFSLD/image-asset.jpeg unlike - Avant Garde Diaries: Curtis Kulig & Colin Tunstall UNLIKE CITY GUIDES Avant Garde Diaries Curtis Kulig & Colin Tunstall - 99 percent perspiration Every morning when Colin Tunstall looks outside his TriBeCa office window, he sees a building emblazoned with graffiti art reading “Love Me.” Tunstall, the creative director and co-founder of Saturdays Surf NYC (an international surf shop and clothing brand with a smattering of shops on the East Coast and one in Tokyo) is impressed with the drive of the man behind the tag, Curtis Kulig, who took a simple two-word phrase and owned it. This self-made mantra has evolved into a branding that appears in the form of stickers, tags, and other art mediums seen all over the city, and is representative of a particular kind of avant-garde: the kind that takes something ordinary and pushes the boundaries, ultimately communicating meaning via a new context. http://www.natalye.com/unlikecityguides/micachuandtheshapesatfestsaalkreuzberg monthly 0.5 2017-10-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1507557723453-6D1TTU6PEVBC5TK9MDDF/image-asset.jpeg unlike - Micachu & the Shapes UNLIKE CITY GUIDES Micachu & the Shapes Experimental noise rock group Micachu & the Shapes brings straightforward pop music sensibilities and avant-garde instrumentation together in a night of British indie music. Opening for the act is solo artist and freepop musician Kwes, whose music is largely informed by his color synaesthesia. It all goes down at 21:00, as part of Saalfest #2. DJs Masterfade and Swandansi from Urban Mutations will keep the party going all night long. http://www.natalye.com/unlikecityguides/berlinfilmsocietyrockers monthly 0.5 2016-10-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854936540-X1EN8E6ED2DDNMAZUE50/image-asset.jpeg unlike - Berlin Film Society - Rockers UNLIKE CITY GUIDES Berlin Film Society - Rockers Fifty years ago this week, Jamaica gained independence from the British. Celebrate in style Friday night as the Berlin Film Society shows an exclusive screening of the 1978 cult classic, “Rockers,” at YAAM. Show up early to feast on some delish Jamaican BBQ before the 21:00 start time. Then let the soundtrack get you hyped for a vintage reggae after party with DJs Barney Millah and Stefan from Such A Sound. An entrance fee of 12€ gets you in on all the action.  http://www.natalye.com/unlikecityguides/flybermudaopenairberlin monthly 0.5 2016-10-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854937901-V1FC4ST6954UU5F1PDY7/image-asset.jpeg unlike - FLY-BerMuDa Open Air Berlin UNLIKE CITY GUIDES FLY-BerMuDa Open Air Berlin Gear up for this fall’s BerMuDa Festival with a summer open air on Rummelsburger Bay. Put on your shades and enjoy a day along the Spree and under the sun as FLY-BerMuDa brings you non-stop beats from Hamburg minimal tech-trance duo Extrawelt, as well as sets by DJs Monika Kruse, Ruede Hagelstein, and more. Grab your pre-sale tix here. http://www.natalye.com/unlikecityguides/suspendeddisbelief monthly 0.5 2017-10-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854938076-IZ68UEDY6QXL0512S8TM/image-asset.jpeg unlike - Suspended Disbelief UNLIKE CITY GUIDES Suspended Disbelief The purpose of art is regularly disputed; some feel it should be easily understood, just as others believe it should require thought. “Suspended Disbelief“—a group exhibition featuring nine contemporary artists—falls into the latter category, asking viewers to set aside preconceptions and accept a new kind of reality in which all new possibilities can occur. The exhibition runs through the end of August at NYC’s Von Lintel Gallery . http://www.natalye.com/unlikecityguides/sincethedevilisgoneimostlyfeellonely monthly 0.5 2016-10-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854938513-3SLJXSYTMYW2HPL45XIA/image-asset.jpeg unlike - Since the Devil is Gone I Mostly Feel Lonely UNLIKE CITY GUIDES Since the Devil is Gone I Mostly Feel Lonely It’s a family affair tonight as Group Doueh, an avant rock band from Western Sahara, takes the stage at Festsaal Kreuzberg’s summer fest. The four-piece is made up of the Baamar family and a friend, and they put a psychedelic spin on conventional notions of traditional African music. Using instruments native to their homeland—including the tinidit, lute, and tbal—alongside more classicly Western, electrically amplified devices, this desert blues band has been fusing Mauritanian rhythms and straight-up rock for years. http://www.natalye.com/unlikecityguides/avantgardediariesnuestropueblo monthly 0.5 2017-10-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1507557810784-WLK7L90SYS4WSZNGQ4ED/image-asset.jpeg unlike - Avant Garde Diaries: Aaron Rose & Watts Tower UNLIKE CITY GUIDES Avant Garde Diaries Aaron Rose & Watts Tower - Nuestro pueblo Artist Aaron Rose is bored of art galleries. He sees them as archaic, out of touch and failing to engage with the people and spaces outside of their boundaries. Instead of this self-contained, self-obsessed world, Rose prefers integrating art into the public sphere. According to Rose, this preference for inclusive DIY art spaces outside of the gallery wasn’t merely a ‘lightbulb’ moment. Instead, it was the influence of the late Simon Rodia that sparked his new approach—specifically the Watts Towers, which Rodia built with discarded objects between 1921 and 1954. Check out the video with The Avant/Garde Diaries to see this monumental feat—the Watts Towers are DIY art culture at its very best. In recent decades, other examples of slightly barmy, colorful and creative ingenuity have popped up across the globe. With this in mind, we’ve used the Watts Towers as the misshapen blueprint for an inspiring guide to hand-crafted works. Here’s our list of the most self-styled, oddball, piece-by-piece public art spaces out there. http://www.natalye.com/unlikecityguides/avantgardediariesthenewbeauty monthly 0.5 2017-10-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1507557833150-Q5TVA4W0JR2JPHVG720P/image-asset.jpeg unlike - Avant Garde Diaries: Susan Dimasi & Shelley Lasica UNLIKE CITY GUIDES Avant Garde Diaries Susan Dimasi & Shelley Lasica - The new beauty Susan Dimasi believes the purpose of clothing is to immerse its wearer in an experience, as opposed to using it as a route to validation from others. She formed her Melbourne-based label, MaterialByProduct (MBP), in an effort to redefine clothing as “compositions in space.” Embarking on a collaboration with choreographer and dancer Shelley Lasica, the two hope to epitomize this idea in what is described as choreography of the wardrobe. Here, two distinct languages overlap: the movement of a body in space, and the overlay of material which conforms to that body. Through this project, Dimasi sees her vision of clothing that highlights and caters to self-confident and socially assertive women coming to life. http://www.natalye.com/unlikecityguides/sweetwaterrestaurant monthly 0.5 2017-10-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1507557858211-S2QL4GUQMI8388RRLOTS/image-asset.jpeg unlike - Sweetwater Restaurant UNLIKE CITY GUIDES  Sweetwater Restaurant - All sweetness and light In a neighborhood where swanky new eateries rampantly and regularly emerge from the woodwork, Sweetwater Restaurant is an unassuming staple of the scene. Dishing up a mixture of French and New-American fare, the food pairs well with the intimate vibe. Expect thoughtfully prepared classic dishes with a soupçon of innovation, such as the house burger served atop an English muffin or fresh watermelon salad offered exclusively during the summer season. Weekday nights are a prime choice for avoiding the droves, although brunch in the outside garden is a perfect option if timed right. Just don’t come empty-handed; Sweetwater is cash only and could cost a pretty penny. http://www.natalye.com/unlikecityguides/cafedelaesquina monthly 0.5 2017-10-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1507557884280-7ZPWAD3E15R66IV382HX/image-asset.jpeg unlike - Café de La Esquina UNLIKE CITY GUIDES Café de La Esquina - Contemporary corner cooking Decked out in consummate décor, Café de La Esquina is the alluring tenderfoot counterpart to Soho’s exclusive eatery, La Esquina. Boasting four offbeat spaces in one, the restaurant is a tailor-made Mexican dining experience. Most akin to the archetype is the diner, a neoteric interpretation on greasy-spoons of days past. Opt for the a la carte fish tacos, smothered in chipotle mayonnaise and grilled to perfection, paired with one of more than 100 tequila varieties. http://www.natalye.com/unlikecityguides/goldencalf monthly 0.5 2016-10-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854943716-5AUJORSUOBPH5N5JOHJE/image-asset.jpeg unlike - Golden Calf UNLIKE CITY GUIDES Golden Calf - Cult image A charming home furnishings store just off Williamsburg’s “furniture row,” Golden Calf is earthy in the way urbanites dream about. Ascribing physicality to the design credo, this quaint store-front offers goods handcrafted from natural materials, with treasures encompassing the old-school Chinese countryside, mid-century Czech digs and modern Danish design, plus all the accoutrements to put the finishing touches on your household habitat. The revolving-door nature of Golden Calf means new items often snatched up in a day’s time, making it more than a one-off destination. And if you’re merely looking to revitalize your own furniture, consider reupholstering here, where the owners sacrifice neither aesthetic nor functionality in revitalizing worn-down yet classic pieces. http://www.natalye.com/unlikecityguides/mottocharlottenborg monthly 0.5 2017-10-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1507557931814-9DCYNDTNWN8U26J4VMYC/image-asset.jpeg unlike - Motto Charlottenborg UNLIKE CITY GUIDES Motto Charlottenborg - Cultural compendium The integrity of tangible books might be in jeopardy, but places like Motto Charlottenborg remain ever-resilient to change. Cross-genre in nature, Motto is housed in an elegant art hall and cultural hot spot. 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This territory between order and chaos takes on the vast and uncharted terrain of digital technology, bringing it into the physical world in the form of abstracted, photo-realistic canvas images and virtual sculptures. Together, the two see themselves as contributing cutting-edge new approaches to the conversation of art. http://www.natalye.com/unlikecityguides/thebarberlounge monthly 0.5 2016-10-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1476268140816-B7O6C2895L4KB2WXICR5/image-asset.jpeg unlike - The Barber Lounge UNLIKE CITY GUIDES The Barber Lounge - Aveda-concept store What sets a place like the Barber Lounge apart from its competition is the full-service treatment. With old-fashioned barbers, modern stylists, massage therapists, estheticians, and nail care specialists, it functions as a one-stop beauty shop. 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His work is an homage to the form itself—all captured by friend and collaborator Brett Novak’s elegiac cinematography, as Kilian takes freestyle skateboarding into the twenty-first century with his artful and inspiring take on the sport. http://www.natalye.com/unlikecityguides/avantgardediariesspiritshapedbymusic monthly 0.5 2016-10-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854942308-YE7IFA4RGVV3E7JSH20I/image-asset.jpeg unlike - Avant Garde Diaries: Steve Aoki UNLIKE CITY GUIDES Avant Garde Diaries Steve Aoki - Spirit shaped by music Flying cakes, champagne showers, thousands of party people: Steve Aoki’s gigs are over the top and unpredictable, and that’s precisely the point. Born in Miami in 1977, Aoki can be called one of the most successful DJs and music producers of today. Through his label, MAKRecords, Aoki has helped shape the trajectory of electro-house music for the past 15 years. 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Avari AVARI 22 Uses for Embedded Social Feeds in Email Co-writer and editor of a guide to using embedded social feeds in email. http://www.natalye.com/avari/ctorrevival2015 monthly 0.5 2016-10-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854869771-OLG1UPLKE82PY3FFJMAY/tumblr_nk0yjybI1e1r5ijzoo1_1280.png AVARI - CTOR REVIVAL 2015 AVARI CTOR REVIVAL 2015 Co-writer and editor of a white paper about Dynamic Content 2.0 and Click-to-Open Rate (CTOR) http://www.natalye.com/avari/tag/Guide monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/avari/tag/Writing monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/avari/tag/Editing monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/avari/tag/X monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/avari/tag/White+Paper monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/avari/tag/AVARI monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/hubbub daily 0.75 2016-10-11 http://www.natalye.com/hubbub/bycatch monthly 0.5 2015-01-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854870361-ISBEVKOMGP5IS4AJL324/tumblr_njwu5jtVCr1r5ijzoo1_540.jpg Hubbub HUBBUB  Bycatch Copy editor for the text materials (website, rules) of a sur­veil­lance-themed card game. http://www.natalye.com/hubbub/victoryboogiewoogie monthly 0.5 2014-03-04 http://www.natalye.com/hubbub/tag/Hubbub monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/hubbub/tag/Bycatch monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/hubbub/tag/Editing monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/hubbub/tag/X monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/hubbub/tag/Victory+Boogie-Woogie monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/microcosm-publishing daily 0.75 2016-10-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1481286041166-AC0BH1YN51K6NZC6S2W5/micro.jpg Microcosm Publishing http://www.natalye.com/microcosm-publishing/theaftermathofforever monthly 0.5 2016-12-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854889132-XNS8RV2718FMZXXPGHWK/tumblr_n72csb1qJP1r5ijzoo1_r1_1280.jpg Microcosm Publishing - The Aftermath of Forever MICROCOSM PUBLISHING The Aftermath of Forever The Aftermath of Forever is a memoir that chronicles the romantic coming-of-age of a woman in her 20s dating in San Francisco. After the disappointment of a failed marriage, Natalye Childress embarks on a soul-searching journey to discover what happens when the one you thought you would be with forever breaks your heart. Using music as a vehicle to express herself, she revisits ten men from her past and paints a portrait of their relationships through the mixtapes she made for them. She catapults herself into the hedonistic world of noncommittal beaus, abusive boyfriends, and friends with benefits. She candidly dissects her love life on the page as she shares the inspiring and hopeful moments alongside the awkward and painful realizations that accompany dating in the present day, when everyone is looking for something different. These men, although they leave her life almost as quickly as they entered it, collectively help shape her future as she embarks on a quest not only to find love, but to find herself. Ultimately, she learns the age-old lesson that in order to truly be loved by someone else, she needs to first learn how to love herself. http://www.natalye.com/microcosm-publishing/alivewithvigor monthly 0.5 2016-12-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854896712-77Q96MRIC8Q1F1VR7IWJ/image-asset.jpeg Microcosm Publishing - Alive with Vigor MICROCOSM PUBLISHING Alive with Vigor! Alive With Vigor! compiles stories of surviving—and thriving—from a wide spectrum of contributors. Deeply personal essays recount matters of preventative health care, the hard decisions we each have to make, Do It Yourself health care, and how to deal with extracting health care from government/corporate health care systems. Alive With Vigor! has a special focus on queer, youth, and transgendered people, recognizing that everyone has different health care needs. Finally a how to book where you can put the advice directly to use in your life! http://www.natalye.com/microcosm-publishing/tag/Microcosm+Publishing monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/microcosm-publishing/tag/Alive+With+Vigor monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/microcosm-publishing/tag/Contributing+Writer monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/microcosm-publishing/tag/Author monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/microcosm-publishing/tag/The+Mixtape+Diaries monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/microcosm-publishing/tag/The+Aftermath+of+Forever monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/microcosm-publishing/tag/The+Aftermath+of+Forever%3A+How+I+Loved+and+Lost+and+Found+Myself monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/young-germany daily 0.75 2017-01-24 http://www.natalye.com/young-germany/ashorthistoryofgermanmusic monthly 0.5 2017-01-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854863268-VT0ZEZVPR663NNFGLXCR/tumblr_npbs74ymqR1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Young Germany - A Short History of German Music: From Bach to Blumentopf YOUNG GERMANY A Short History of German Music: From Bach to Blumentopf Germans have been contributing to and changing music for centuries. While it would take volumes to cover them all, here’s a basic primer to some of the bigger names in German music and their musical stylings and innovations. Germany is a country known far and wide for its countless contributions to the world. Martin Luther translated the Bible to a language churchgoers could read and led the Protestant Reformation; individuals such as Kant, Hegel, Heidegger, and Marx helped shape philosophy; Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, Albert Einstein, Max Planck, Werner Heisenberg, and Erwin Schrödinger all won the Nobel Prize in Physics for their scientific discoveries; Werner Herzog and Rainer Werner Fassbinder made a name for German cinema; and modernist movements like Bauhaus helped shape the way we think about design. German musicians have also made a noticeable mark on world culture. Classical Music: The Three Bs German classical music has enjoyed a reign of a several hundred years, beginning in the 16th century and kept alive to the present day. But it was the composers of old—in particular, the “three Bs”—who arguably put the country on the musical map. Considered one of the most important composers of all time, Johann Sebastian Bach is best known for his contributions to Baroque, a style of music that features ornate compositions formed around strong tonal chord progressions. Though his music was mostly written for organ, he also wrote pieces for the harpsichord and clavichord, along with sonatas and suites for orchestral and chamber groups, and even pieces that were meant to be performed by choral groups. Some of his better-known works include the preludes and fugues in “The Well-Tempered Clavier,” along with the “Brandenburg Concertos.” Other influential German Baroque composers include Johann Pachelbel, Georg Philipp Telemann, and George Friderich Handel. The Romantic era of Classical music also gave birth to handful of famous Germans, most notably Ludwig van Beethoven, whose nine symphonies are considered by many to be his greatest works. The music of Beethoven can be segmented into three periods. His early period, which began with the emulation of other classical composers, consists of a handful of piano pieces and string quartets. Later, he began to discover his own voice and include music that experiments with themes. Beethoven’s middle period is when he shifted his focus to large orchestration, along with the inclusion of motifs. During his late period, as Beethoven’s deafness became more apparent, his works took on a more fervent, emotional depth. Another important Romantic composer of this time was Richard Wagner, who wrote operas. In fact, Ludwig II of Bavaria built Neuschwanstein as homage to Wagner, a man with whom he had a questionable obsession. Rounding out the trio of German Bs is pianist Johannes Brahms, a traditionalist and perfectionist who utilized counterpoint heavily in his compositions. Though he endeavored to live up to Beethoven’s greatness, Brahms was also fond of the Austrian composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Franz Joseph Haydn. Popular Music: Cabaret, Swing, & Theatre As the cultural and political climate in Germany underwent drastic changes between the first and second world wars, German music also saw itself transform. Eschewing the focus on the tradition of classical music, people wanted music that expressed how they felt, which was often (though not always) political. In contrast to the Gebrauchsmusik (utility music) of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, cabaret music first appeared in Germany in the club scene of the 1920s, serving as a culturally fun and racy form of music that gave its performers room to experiment. Marlene Dietrich was one of the more popular figures after she rose to fame in the film “The Blue Angel,” which featured her as a cabaret singer. She sang in both English and German. Along with cabaret, many Germans—particularly teenagers—expressed an interest in swing music. Though actual German swing groups were practically unheard of, due to the Nazi party’s disapproval of the genre, many young adults revered American musicians, and listening to swing music was seen as a sign of counter-culture. Around this same time, individuals like Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht also made names for themselves. Most famous was the satirical musical play they composed together, “The Threepenny Opera,” which was an adaptation of an earlier British ballad opera. Music of the People: Folk Music and Schlager The defintion of “German folk music” varies, depending on the time frame and geographical region in question. In general, the older tradition consists of working class and political songs. But over the years, folk music has branched out to include different cultural groups (such as the Swabians and Sorbians) and encompass different styles (such as the brass oom-pah bands associated with beer festivals and Bavarian yodelers). Meanwhile, just as Americans have easy listening or “soft rock” music, Germans have Schlager. Its roots date back to the early part of the 20thcentury, but Schlager experienced its real height of popularity in the 1960s and 1970s with musicians like Rex Gildo and Heino. Schlager is a popular style of folk music, with pop rock and ballad sensibilities. The lyrical themes are lighthearted, often dealing with love and emotions, not unlike the present-day French chanson. German-Language Music: Pop, Neue Deutsche Welle, and Hamburger Schule Though Schalger music is part of the pop tradition, it occupies a special, somewhat devisive niche; people tend to either love it or hate it. But then there is straightfoward pop music, generally viewed as more palatable and widely loved. A classic example of this is singer Herbert Grönemeyer. Though many outside of Germany know him only from his role in the film “Das Boot,” he’s also the most successful artist in Germany, with a career that, thus far, spans 36 years. Another popular German pop act is Die Prinzen, which began as an acapella group in the 1980s and continues to release catchy, playful tunes today. As New Wave music gained a following in the English-speaking world, German artists emulating the sound helped create Neue Deutsche Welle, the New German Wave. The musical stylings and influences were similar, at least on the surface, but NDW featured German lyrics, which made the genre distinct, thanks to the sound of the German language. While Nena’s hit song “99 Luftballoons” is perhaps the most famous example, other performers like Trio (anyone remember the VW commercial?), Nina Hagen, and Fehlfarben also gained a following for their pop-infused, heavily synthesized style of music. Meanwhile, the Hamburg School (Hamburger Schule) music movement was a post-modern musical movement formed in the late 1980s for many of the same kinds of reasons as Neue Deutsche Welle. Though it wasn’t as pop-oriented or mainsteam as NDW, the emphasis on German lyrics was a common thread between the two. Many count the group Ostzonensuppenwürfelmachenkrebs as one of the founders of the Hamburg School, but they never achieved much success. It wasn’t until the early 90s, when bands like Blumfeld and Tocotronic arrived on the scene, that this style of music started to gain traction. The label L’Age d'Or was home to many Hamburg School bands, and later, in the late 1990s, Grand Hotel van Cleef became known as the label supporting the Hamburg School revival. Tomte, Kettcar, and Olli Schulz are just a few of the musicians who make up the roster of post-Hamburger Schule groups. Electronic Music: Krautrock and Techno While some German speakers were reappropriating existing styles via language, others were crafting new genres entirely. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a minimalistic style of electronic music arrived on the scene: Krautrock. As the name might suggest, the moniker was given to the music by the English-speaking world, and though many krautrock bands had overlapping similarities, there was no single defining feature. Even so, quite a few krautrock bands had psychadelic and prog rock tendencies, and keyboards and synthesizers featured heavily in the sound. Some of the more famous examples that reached international fame include Tangerine Dream, Can, Kraftwerk, NEU!, and Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft. As the 80s arrived, Germany’s obsession with electronic music evolved, and techno began to make its way from Detroit and Chicago to Berlin and Frankfurt. In the beginning, techno was very much underground, and when the DJ Dr. Motte founded the Love Parade in 1989, it was a small, grassroots musical movement meant to celebrate music and peace. Over the years, it grew in both size and popularity, as did the spread of techno itself. Musicians like Sven Väth and Paul van Dyk became key players in the trance scene, while brothers Paul and Fritz Kalkbrenner established themselves in the minimal scene. Germany’s techno scene still thrives in Berlin today with a new generation of musicians at the helm. DJs such as Ellen Allien, Modeselektor, Apparat, and Moderat are largely associated with the IDM movement of the past 15 years. Labels like Cologne-based Kompakt and Allien’s BPitch Control release much of the popular techno today, though the famous clubs Tresor and Berghain have their own house labels, known as Tresor and Ostgut, respectively. Beyond the music, techno also served to help reunify East and West Germany in the 90s, and today is a musical bridge between various genres and members of older and younger generations. Hip Hop Somewhat related to Germany’s techno scene is the rise of hip hop, particulary as techno artists like DJ Koze also collaborated with hip hop and rap groups, such as Fischmob. Though hip hop got its start on the streets of New York in the 1970s, it wasn’t until nearly two decades later that it made it to Germany. Since then, hip hop has seen itself divided into various “schools.” Groups like Advanced Chemistry considered the music inseparable from its politics. Meanwhile, Die Fantastichen Vier, Fettes Brot, and Blumentopf started making music that focused on lighthearted themes, relying on the use of humor and wordplay in a lot of their music. In addition to hip hop groups, many solo artists have established names for themselves. Rapper Sido is known for his “aggressive” style of music, whereas Samy Deluxe derives inspiration from American-style rap. More recently, “emo rapper” Casper and “Raop” performer Cro have made hip hop music that appeals to a younger generation of German music fans. Rock Music: Industrial, East German, Neue Deutsche Härte, Punk Rock Another form of music that grew out of the electronic style was experimental industrial, though it was not exclusive to Germany. Two major players in this scene were Einstürzende Neubauten and KMFDM, both of whom were known for their eclectic performances as much as their music. Einstürzende Neubauten gained a reputation for implementing non-conventional instrumentation into their live shows, and the band’s avant-garde experimentation often involved destruction on stage, whereas KMFDM helped industrial music become slightly more mainstream. At the same time, in East Germany, various rock bands were also making a name for themselves. One of the most famous was The Puhdys, a band that was popular both in and out of the GDR. The Puhdys were signed to the state-run label Amiga, but weren’t allowed to have political lyrics. This wasn’t much of a problem, however, as many East German bands steered clear of politics entirely. The band Karat also enjoyed success at the time, and both bands are still releasing albums today. Another East German band, the punk rock Feeling B, was relatively unknown outside of the GDR. However, two members went on to form the band Rammstein, which is arguably one of the most easily identifiable German exports. Though many classify them as Neue Deutsche Härte, Rammstein plays a mixture of heavy metal and rock music. Finally, on the punk rock front, bands like Die Ärzte and Die Toten Hosen formed in the early 80s and are still making music today. In more recent years, younger punk rock bands like the Beatsteaks, Donots, and Turbostaat started, and all of them have enjoyed moderate success in the German music scene. http://www.natalye.com/young-germany/10greatbandsyoudidntknowweregermany monthly 0.5 2017-01-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854851331-KDGPZQ6OCBQHHJ4EGADV/tumblr_oa57yq9BAt1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Young Germany - 10 Great Bands You Didn’t Know Were German YOUNG GERMANY 10 Great Bands You Didn’t Know Were German Mention German music and certain musicians might come to mind, be it classical composers like Beethoven and Bach on one end of the spectrum, or hard rock and industrial names like Rammstein and KMFDM on the other. But within the hundreds of years that span between these two musical extremes are countless German artists, a handful of which have gone on to achieve relative success outside of their home country. Without further ado, here are 10 bands that you (probably) didn’t know were German. And no, David Hasselhoff doesn’t count. Alphaville Though a lot of German bands have been divided in their success, either achieving fame in their home country or on an international stage, Alphaville remains one of those bands that topped charts around the world. Formed in Münster in 1982, the new wave band got its start at the same time that the Neue Deutsche Welle movement was taking over Germany. However, Alphaville resisted German lyrics and sang instead in English, which is one reason their sound spread beyond the borders of West Germany. Debut album “Forever Young” came out in 1984 and had a handful of successful singles, including its title track and “Big in Japan.” Though an additional five albums followed, the band arguably was never as famous as in the first few years of its existence. Atari Teenage Riot Digital hardcore pioneers Atari Teenage Riot (ATR) formed in Berlin in 1992 and quickly became known for their unique fusion of hardcore and techno music. The original trio consisted of Germans Alec Empire and Hanin Elias, and Swazi-born Berlin-based MC Carl Crack. In 1996, Japanese-German-American Nic Endo joined ATR. One of the group’s more famous incidents was an outdoor performance on May Day 1999 in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district, wherein the members were arrested for inciting violence that resulted in a riot with the local police. In 2000, the band called it quits, but 10 years later, ATR reformed with Empire and Endo, adding two more members to the lineup. The band is still radically left wing, writing politically fueled songs that are as dissonant, noisy, and emotionally charged as they’ve always been. Digitalism You wouldn’t be blamed for thinking that Digitalism were French; the electronic music duo not only shares some similarities with French house group Daft Punk but is also signed with Parisian music and fashion label Kitsuné. In actuality, however, Digitalism was formed in 2004 in Hamburg by Jens Moelle and İsmail Tüfekçi, after the two met at a record store. The band’s particular brand of electro house dance-punk is lively and energetic, with plenty of gear (keyboards, sequencers, MIDI controllers, drum machines, synthesizers, laptops) combined to achieve their vibrant signature style. Two albums, a handful of EPs, and dozens of remixes have cemented Digitalism as one of the top groups in their genre. Milli Vanilli New jack swing is a genre name that might have you scratching your head, but Color Me Badd, Keith Sweat, Paula Abdul, New Kids on the Block, MC Hammer, and even Janet Jackson have all incorporated this sound into their music, particularly in the late ‘80s. Another classic example of new jack swing is the shortlived R&B dance duo Milli Vanilli. The title track from their 1989 debut album, “Girl You Know It’s True” was number one on the Billboard Top 200 for eight weeks, and in 1990, Milli Vanilla won a Grammy for Best New Artist. Formed in Munich and consisting of members Rob Pilatus (German) and Fab Morvan (French), the duo actually had five total tracks appear on the Billboard Hot 100, but by 1990, their 15 minutes of fame were up when news broke that they had not recorded the lead vocals on the album. Instead, they continued for a short while as a duo, Rob & Fab, but never achieved the same level of success as Milli Vanilli. Mouse on Mars IDM, or intelligent dance music, first hit the scene in the early ‘90s, the same time as Düsseldorf electronic music duo Mouse on Mars came into being. Members Andi Toma and Jan St. Werner play music that is a little bit glitchy, a little bit ambient, a little bit industrial, and a little bit trancey. Though many electronic musicians today rely solely on digital instrumentation and programmed beats, Mouse on Mars have a distinctly analog side to them, which includes live instruments during performances and songs recorded and performed on self-created software. The Notwist One of the standout bands on the indie rock circuit is the Notwist, which formed in the Bavarian town of Weilheim in Oberbayern in 1989. A few years of experimenting with hardcore and post-rock passed before the band settled on its current sound, a mixture of indie rock and electronica. In 2002, the group released its fifth studio album, “Neon Golden,” which won over American fans with its layers of smooth, glitchy beats and minimal guitar textures. Members of the Notwist are involved in additional projects that have also achieved varying levels of popularity outside of Germany. In 2003, they joined with Californian artists Themselves to form 13 & God, an indie hip hop side project. The band’s programmer, Martin Gretschmann, has also been releasing music as solo electronic musician Console since 1996. Pantha Du Prince Pantha Du Prince is the stage name of Hendrik Weber, one of the top minimalist techno artists today. Born in the town of Bad Wildungen, Weber started making music under the Pantha Du Prince moniker in 2002, and has become well known for his particular brand of house music, which consists of field recordings, layered shoegazey synths, acoustic sounds, and percussive meanderings. Eschewing traditional house music structures that build and grow, eventually exploding at the apex, Weber’s songs are lush and chill aural soundscapes that wander along and bleed into one another flawlessly. The Scorpions If you grew up in the ‘80s, if you’re an avid “Guitar Hero” fan, or if you’re a regular on the karaoke circuit, then you’ve likely heard “Rock You Like a Hurricane” more times than you can count. But what you might not realize is that the Scorpions originate from Hannover. Founded 50 years ago in 1965 in what was then West Germany, the group is still active today, churning out solid metal tracks and pop-infused rock ballads on the regular. But even though the band has released 18 studio albums, their six albums that came out between 1978 and 1991 were considered their best work. This stretch of time also gave birth to the single “Wind of Change,” which sold more than 14 million copies, placing it in the top 15 best-selling singles of all time. Tangerine Dream Unless Krautrock is your thing, it isn’t immediately obvious that Tangerine Dream is a German band. Formed in West Berlin in 1967 by Edgar Froese, referring to the band as prolific might just be an understatement; over a span of nearly five decades, the group has released more than 100 albums. Naturally it follows that the music hasn’t stayed the same, with different periods in time giving way to changing influences and sound. The band’s psychedelic and Krautrock beginnings evolved to include jazz, classical, house, progressive rock, drum and bass, instrumental, and new age sounds. Over the course of Tangerine Dream’s 25 different lineups, Froese has been the one consistent factor, though his death in early 2015 put the band on hold until the remaining members made the decision to continue on, working toward accomplishing his vision and honoring his legacy. The Whitest Boy Alive Because the group was fronted by Kings of Convenience member Erlend Øye, a lot of people simply assumed the Whitest Boy Alive was a Norwegian project. However, the quartet not only joined forces in Berlin in 2003, but also consisted of German members. An electronic dance band, the Whitest Boy Alive was known for its rhythmic minimalist pop sound with smooth vocals, tight song structures, funk-inspired backbeats, and indie rock guitars. After two albums, which came out in 2006 and 2009, the group called in quits in 2014. http://www.natalye.com/young-germany/tag/Music monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/young-germany/tag/Young+Germany monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/young-germany/tag/Writing monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/young-germany/tag/German+Music monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/retentiongrid daily 0.75 2016-10-09 http://www.natalye.com/retentiongrid/retentiongridoptimoz monthly 0.5 2014-09-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854872550-GX2N256WFBKVSABQXMOZ/tumblr_nizmqfsVgR1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg RetentionGrid https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854872723-QE3O1WY6PXNSZXEOERFK/tumblr_nizmqfsVgR1r5ijzoo2_1280.jpg RetentionGrid http://www.natalye.com/retentiongrid/retentiongridamazinglace monthly 0.5 2014-09-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854872858-CNVRUY33SDC6X0VC2K0P/tumblr_nizlwfewql1r5ijzoo1_r2_1280.jpg RetentionGrid RETENTIONGRID Amazing Lace Copywriting for Amazing Lace customer campaigns. http://www.natalye.com/retentiongrid/retentiongridtheaccessorybarn monthly 0.5 2014-09-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854871476-8GNUO7SE8OPW7GD9FHO8/tumblr_nj1zhuIMU11r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg RetentionGrid RETENTIONGRID The Accessory Barn Copywriting for The Accessory Barn customer campaigns. http://www.natalye.com/retentiongrid/retentiongrideyecandys monthly 0.5 2014-09-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854872199-IMOMK6OK1HWSMLYT8ZYN/tumblr_nizn78AejT1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg RetentionGrid https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854871998-2VPLDF8QU7UI1GYE3KNU/tumblr_nizn78AejT1r5ijzoo2_1280.jpg RetentionGrid http://www.natalye.com/retentiongrid/tag/Amazing+Lace monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/retentiongrid/tag/RetentionGrid monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/retentiongrid/tag/X monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/retentiongrid/tag/Copywriting monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/retentiongrid/tag/The+Accessory+Barn monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/retentiongrid/tag/OptimOZ monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/retentiongrid/tag/EyeCandy%27s monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/the-state-hornet daily 0.75 2016-10-09 http://www.natalye.com/razorcake daily 0.75 2016-10-09 http://www.natalye.com/sistermag daily 0.75 2016-10-09 http://www.natalye.com/lastweeksmemoir daily 0.75 2016-10-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1476188808952-L27AYJFT1X4M9AH8T8D3/LWM.png Last Week's Memoir http://www.natalye.com/lastweeksmemoir/alcohol monthly 0.5 2016-10-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854900773-6CZVQDU9OQE425K90047/tumblr_n0hmr1R4kv1r5ijzoo1_500.jpg Last Week's Memoir - Alcohol LAST WEEK’S MEMOIR Alcohol The boy from Königs Wusterhausen thinks we’re on the fast track to a monogamous relationship.  We aren’t.  It started off innocently enough, as these things tend to do. The formula is tried and true: you meet on an Internet dating site, you send innocuous messages to one another, and if you both post the right pictures or say the right things, eventually you arrange an IRL get-together.  I must have done things right, because after the initial pomp and circumstance of testing the waters with flirtation, he asked me out on dates, which I subsequently turned down. It’s not that I didn’t want to go out with him, per se, but they always ended up being techno themed.  Living in Berlin as a 20-something, techno is something you have to accept as a way of life, but that didn’t mean I was going to spend three days on the Insel der Jugend with Burning Man look-alikes or wearily drag myself across town to catch his 6 a.m. DJ set at Kaffee Burger. So unless the nature of his invites changed, I resigned myself to nothing happening.  So, that was one aspect of it. And the other was, truth be told, that I wasn’t in it for anything substantial from the get-go. I wanted sex, and it was clear he did too, but I quickly worked out that he also really wanted a girlfriend. Yet I sensed there was no future for us. He was born and raised in a tiny East German town on the outskirts of Berlin and had no intentions of leaving it, whereas it struck me as a quaint day-trip kind of destination where my creativity would be all but stifled.  In spite of this knowledge, I still somehow found myself making the 35-minute ride at 5 in the morning out to KW in early September. At that hour, the S46 was filled with a few partygoers on their way home from their drunken hijinks but there was a certain quiet in the S-Bahn as it traveled southeast out of the city.  The trip came about in a moment of semi-inebriated weakness and borderline loneliness on the way home from a concert, when I had texted him to see what he was doing, half-expecting that he would be partying at one of the many electronic music clubs lining the riverbanks. But he was at home and, after enough back and forth, he asked me to come out to his place; surprisingly, in spite of the journey, I didn’t mind, but let’s blame that on the alcohol. I let him know when I got on the train so that he would know when to be at the station, and then I sat back and let my mind lull in motion with the gently swaying train cars.  This was disturbed when, just before the Zeuthen stop, less than 10 minutes away from my destination, my phone rang out. It was a text message: he was telling me not to come. Too tired.  There was a little bit of back and forth but he wouldn’t budge. I reminded him I was almost there, that I had come all this way, but he didn’t care. “I’m going to sleep,” he wrote, like a final word. I fired a snarky text back as fast as my fingers would type, and then, suspending my disbelief, sat on the train until I reached the penultimate stop, Wildau. Begrudgingly and somewhat bleary eyed, I got off and walked across the platform to the next train heading back in the direction I’d come, boarding alongside the first wave of commuters on their way to work in the city.  I seethed the entire ride back home and sent him one final passive-aggressive text before deleting his number. I was through with him, I thought.  Eventually the anger subsided, and over the course of the next couple weeks, I quickly forgot about this boy with an East German white trash name. That is, until he tried to add me on Facebook. Not overthinking things, I accepted, and just like that, we were back to messaging. I was still wary, but the fact was that he was cute enough, and I was bored enough—in most cases, a recipe for disaster.  So again, in a late-night alcohol-coated haze we made plans to meet, this time with him taking the train to my flat in Neukölln. I was normally the type not to invite boys to my place, as my personal space was sacred to me. But at the same time, part of me believed he would flake again, and I didn’t want to deal with being stood up on his turf, so I conceded. Suffice to say, I shouldn’t be allowed to make any kind of decision while drunk.  The rays of sunlight were already beginning to pierce the darkness when he arrived at the Hermannstrasse station. As he disembarked from the train, wearing a hoodie and a backpack, he was a bit unsure, glancing around, not knowing where I would be or what I would be wearing. But I saw him the moment he stepped off the train and stood cemented in that spot, patiently waiting until our eyes finally met.  We hugged, and I motioned to him to walk with me, back to my flat, located two blocks away in the Körnerkiez.  We climbed the two flights of stairs to the second floor. Then I quietly unlocked the door and we took off our shoes before tiptoeing to the end of the long hallway, careful not to wake my roommate.  Closing the bedroom door behind me, I turned to see him seated on the edge of my bed, which was really just a futon mattress, covered in a thin red flannel sheet and placed on the floor against the wall where the two corners met in a right angle.  Shyly he spoke in his broken English, talking to my cats and stealing occasional glances at me. Meanwhile, I had that weary feeling you get when you haven’t slept properly and the vodka is beginning to wear off, so I figured we should get to it before I changed my mind.  But it ended up being disappointing, boring even. Instead of focusing on the moment, I began to question why I had even initiated or agreed to do something. And afterward, when we were tangled in a mass of sweaty clothes and sheets, he wanted to cuddle. So, on the outside, I went through the motions of agreeing the sex was good and allowing him to spoon me from behind, but inside I was rolling my eyes. I just wanted to sleep.  Eventually, his breathing fell into a rhythm, and I allowed myself to sneak in some light sleep of my own.  We woke up around 10 a.m., and rather than offer coffee or make breakfast, I insisted that I had things to get to that day. He got dressed, and I walked him back to the train station. Once there, he kissed me and asked when he would see me again.  “Soon,” I said with a smile, knowing it was a lie.  He walked down the stairs to the platform, stopping once to turn and give me a wave, and then I headed back home, where I took a shower, changed the sheets, and went back to sleep. http://www.natalye.com/lastweeksmemoir/chicagostyle monthly 0.5 2016-10-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854955624-C2K7PZ9KNQY17VA044QR/.png Last Week's Memoir - Chicago Style LAST WEEK’S MEMOIR Chicago Style He was drunk, but his eyes shone through the dimly lit room, steady and bright. Nothing got past this boy with the steel face and vibrant will. Graced with the grit of someone beyond his years, he was undoubtedly rare. As human beings come and as human beings go, he was imperfect – uncertain and scarred, disenchanted and tough, full of convictions, conflictions and complications. Yet here was someone whose words inspired her, whose writing made her want to be better. What he said, it intrigued her. A passionate drifter, he was someone she desperately wanted to know. She began a silent list of fitting adjectives. At her wit’s end, fed up with half-hearted friendships and dead-end relationships, she was ready for something different. No more being comfortable with the commonplace. She wanted a new life full of unpredictability, where each day she did something that scared or challenged her. Step one would be putting herself out there, of making a new friend. She had heard scattered stories about him, but figured she would decide for herself. So far, so good. A toast was proposed in celebration of his 29 years of life, albeit a day or two early. They held their glasses high. A clink and then through the air, until a look of purposeful hesitation shot across his face. “No, no,” he said, slamming his Pabst down. “You have to hit the table first.” Again, up, then down, before drinking it in one fluid movement. It went down smooth and deep, just like the boy. http://www.natalye.com/lastweeksmemoir/eisgeld monthly 0.5 2016-10-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1476189365441-85N9S4LL876GFH0EV9QL/image-asset.png Last Week's Memoir - Eisgeld LAST WEEK’S MEMOIR Eisgeld The sound of Euros in the hand is quite unlike any sort of noise American coins can muster. There’s an unexplained kind of complication distinguishing between the two, although in theory, it shouldn’t be so difficult. Math is math and numbers are numbers, but somehow, the absence of bills below the amount of five creates roadblocks in my mind. I have lived in Europe long enough to have assimilated, yet I still never quite managed to get a handle on the coins, always stumbling over the size and amount and feel of them all. To me, a quarter feels like home, while a 1 Euro coin just feels heavy. But the bounty of coins is sometimes more handy than not, at least when it comes to things like ice cream. There’s a certain amount of novelty surrounding the idea of coins with higher denominations. I could reach in my pocket and pay for ice cream, or a bottle of water, or half a liter of beer, while using only one or two coins. And this matters because it feels as though – in my mind – there is an abundance of ice cream in Europe, while it isn’t everywhere in the States. But then again, maybe it’s just a difference of presentation. There, I’d be hard-pressed to find a city without a Baskin Robbins, and it seems as though frozen yogurt shops have popped up literally everywhere, most often in the form of tart. But the difference is: ice cream in America is something you seek out and go to. Ice cream in Europe is something you just come across. Creameries are a pastime but ice cream stands are a ritual. The disparity is subtle, but it exists, and it’s difficult to explain to anyone who hasn’t experienced both. We were standing in the square of the town marketplace in Bonn, surrounded by glorious looking buildings covered in a shell of ornate carvings and painted pastel shades, like candy-coated Easter egg homes lining the square. The streets themselves weren’t like normal streets either, but the old-fashioned cobblestone kind considered antiquated by those of us born and raised in the New World. I could picture horse-drawn carriages of days gone by making their way through the plaza, the clip-clop of hoofs on stones echoing around the mock fortress the buildings created on all sides. Instead, this square was filled with heaps of people, making their way to and from starting and ending points, jutting in and out of side streets, perusing shop windows in search of necessities or gifts. In that group, also, were the four of us. We sauntered lazily across the open space, stopping only when we came to an ice cream stand. I wondered what kind of ice cream he would order; he wasn’t the type to have favorites, although he certainly did have an opinion as to which things were his least favorites. When it came to ice cream, mint and chocolate don’t belong together, is what he told me. I remember him shaking his head a few days earlier when, as we walked along the narrow touristy streets lining the area near Kölner Dom, I ordered a scoop of After Eight, the British name for mint chocolate chip. We were looking for postcards when he turned to me and said, “Now we get ice cream.” It wasn’t a statement, nor was it a question, but more of a suggestion, for we had just passed an Eisimbiss. And when I told him what I wanted, he gave me one of those looks I can interpret but can’t really place into words. Recalling the conversation about flavor compatibility, I knew what he was thinking, and I shook my head as well, a response of his response to me. He ordered in German for the both of us, and then counted out a handful of Euro coins in his hand and placed them on the counter as our cones were handed across. “How much do I owe?” I asked, and he shook his head yet again, this time to signify that it was his treat. In Bonn, I opted for something more adventurous: blueberry. With the clink of the Euros in his hand, a transaction was made. He counted out his coins and placed them on the counter in a perfectly aligned stack, largest to smallest. We all grabbed our cones and headed out of the square, down toward the Rhine. http://www.natalye.com/lastweeksmemoir/tag/Chicago+Style monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/lastweeksmemoir/tag/Creative+Writing monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/lastweeksmemoir/tag/Memoir monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/lastweeksmemoir/tag/Alcohol monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/lastweeksmemoir/tag/Eisgeld monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/lastweeksmemoir/tag/Last+Week%27s+Memoir monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/urban-challeger daily 0.75 2016-10-09 http://www.natalye.com/ueberlin daily 0.75 2016-10-11 http://www.natalye.com/ueberlin/musicmontagfreddyknop monthly 0.5 2016-10-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854924479-TKTNKO22QH0A7M42DR6S/tumblr_mnv4r31crx1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg überlin - Music Montag: Freddy Knop ÜBERLIN MUSIC MONTAG Freddy Knop You may know Freddy Knop better by his on-stage name, pOnk (heads up: that’s Knop backward). The Berlin-born and based music producer has been dabbling in various genres of music for years, and, in addition to work as a solo artist, he also plays bass and sings in post-rock band mOck – all that in addition to finishing up a PhD in musicology. Recently Knop made the switch to going by his name alone, but his music is still primarily the same: glitchy experimental beats made from field recordings and found sounds. Knop’s most recent EP, “Polyphonies,” came out last month on Circle Into Square Records. The name alone is telling enough, as the EP’s seven tracks play around with textures, beats, and melody, as well as the introduction of more vocals on the part of Knop himself. Check out the video for “Raum,” a song that offers a fitting respite from this week’s less-than-ideal weather situation. http://www.natalye.com/ueberlin/musicmontagrampue monthly 0.5 2016-10-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854939791-3QLD4LJRZ5CUYJOFNYVF/image-asset.jpeg überlin - Music Montag: Rampue ÜBERLIN MUSIC MONTAG Rampue While you have no doubt been lamenting the disappearance of summer, let’s stop trying to catch those fleeting glimpses of sunshine and get real: colder weather is here, and it’s here to stay (well, at least for another six months). That said, there is no better way to embrace the rainy season than with a song boasting cool, stripped-down beats over the gloomy background of a cloudy sky. Berlin’s Rampue has been making music for more than a decade, but in recent years it has undergone a transformation. Shedding his 8-bit skin and adopting a more sophisticated deep house sound, he recently released Turn Around, a four-track EP that clocks in at just under 30 minutes, showcasing his new-found direction. The artist, whose music is available on Berlin labels Audiolith and Dantze, will keep busy through the end of the year with both DJ and live sets around Germany. Coming up: a live performance at Ritter Butzke on the 27th. http://www.natalye.com/ueberlin/tag/%C3%9Cberlin monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/ueberlin/tag/Rampue monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/ueberlin/tag/Freddy+Knop monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/ueberlin/tag/pOnk monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/ueberlin/tag/Music+Montag monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/wonka-vision-magazine daily 0.75 2016-10-11 http://www.natalye.com/wonka-vision-magazine/the-winter-sounds-pinebox-ep monthly 0.5 2008-12-15 http://www.natalye.com/wonka-vision-magazine/master-slash-slave-scandal monthly 0.5 2008-12-10 http://www.natalye.com/wonka-vision-magazine/catfight-in-stereo monthly 0.5 2008-12-10 http://www.natalye.com/wonka-vision-magazine/thenewtrustgetvulnerable monthly 0.5 2008-11-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854953975-CHF02HQE74IIN6RI2HT5/tumblr_mmw9lwzxIp1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Wonka Vision Magazine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854954490-QHQIGHJAG31K8S3JU656/tumblr_mmw9lwzxIp1r5ijzoo2_r1_1280.jpg Wonka Vision Magazine http://www.natalye.com/wonka-vision-magazine/caves-get-on-with-it monthly 0.5 2008-11-17 http://www.natalye.com/wonka-vision-magazine/interviewthephenomenauts monthly 0.5 2008-05-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854943085-5YZQNFU88RUX5S3WC2H3/tumblr_mmxpu1WBGm1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Wonka Vision Magazine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854943693-0HWJYPBO1RLUAGUU8GPK/tumblr_mmxpu1WBGm1r5ijzoo2_1280.jpg Wonka Vision Magazine http://www.natalye.com/wonka-vision-magazine/tag/The+Phenomenauts monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/wonka-vision-magazine/tag/Get+Vulnerable monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/wonka-vision-magazine/tag/Master+Slash+Slave monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/wonka-vision-magazine/tag/Review monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/wonka-vision-magazine/tag/The+Winter+Sounds monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/wonka-vision-magazine/tag/WonkaVisionMagazine monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/wonka-vision-magazine/tag/Scandal monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/wonka-vision-magazine/tag/Interview monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/wonka-vision-magazine/tag/Get+On+With+It monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/wonka-vision-magazine/tag/The+New+Trust monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/wonka-vision-magazine/tag/In+Stereo monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/wonka-vision-magazine/tag/Caves monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/wonka-vision-magazine/tag/Pinebox+EP monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/wonka-vision-magazine/tag/Album+Review monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/wonka-vision-magazine/tag/Wonka+Vision+Magazine monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/wonka-vision-magazine/tag/CATFIGHT%21 monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/flaunt-magazine daily 0.75 2016-10-11 http://www.natalye.com/flaunt-magazine/acidpauli monthly 0.5 2013-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1475854943511-AEG33STTPLM9MOMWVIZL/tumblr_mmwy8wYR0p1r5ijzoo1_1280.jpg Flaunt Magazine FLAUNT MAGAZINE Acid Pauli - It’s Hard to Say No to This Sound It’s a rainy Thursday afternoon in late October and Martin Gretschmann is seated in a café in Kreuzberg, historically the center of alternative subculture in the ever-burgeoning creative hub of Berlin. It’s here in Berlin where the German electronic scene is centered, and where Gretschmann has made name for himself with monthly residencies at local haunts like Salon Zur Wilden Renate and KaterHolzig, the latter of which­–located less than two miles away from the café where he now sits–houses his studio. Electronic subgenres aside, Gretschmann, the quiet, demure man behind minimal techno solo act Acid Pauli, would likely file his music under “electronic world music,” a sporadically concocted term of his that is just as explicit as it is evasive. “Normally I don’t have an idea and I don’t really feel like I need to have an idea, because it’s not my job to think about [that],” he said between sips of his cappuccino. The German-born Gretschmann has been defying musical stereotypes and crossing over definitive sound borders for years, beginning with his tenure during the teenager years in indie and punk rock bands, back in his hometown of Weilheim in Oberbayern. Fast-forward to 1996, when he started a solo project-turned-live-band, Console, fusing indie and electronic music. A year later, he took up the role of programmer in the Notwist, a band from his hometown. Then, in 2003, he and members of the Notwist partnered with Oakland, Calif. hip-hop artists to form Anticon project 13 & God. So it might come as a surprise that in the midst of all this, Gretschmann has time for a solo project. But in fact, Gretschmann has been writing and performing music under the Acid Pauli moniker since 2000. “[My laptop] got stolen and so I had to buy a new one, and it was like, the first laptop that I owned where you can actually make, like music,” he explained. Overwhelmed and inspired by the spontaneous and creative capabilities of his new machine, Gretschmann began the Acid Pauli project. “I just has the impression that I needed to do something more, on my own,” he said. But with all the projects he juggles–not to mention his co-ownership of Munich club Rote Sonne–it took some time, and it wasn’t until June of this year when the first Acid Pauli album, Mst, was released. The album came out on Clown & Sunset, a label run by American-Chilean electronic artist Nicolas Jaar, a man whose music Gretschmann’s has often been likened to. Interestingly enough, Gretschmann’s wife is Chilean, which may explain why there is such a Latin influence in his work. “I’m always interested in everything that touches in me a way,” Gretschmann said of his music tastes. “But I [do have] a flavor for South American music.” More recently, on Nov. 13, Gretschmann released Get Lost V, a compilation album on Damian Lazarus’ label, Crosstown Rebels. “I made this like half a year ago and I was very happy with the results,” Gretschmann said, referencing the initial incarnation of the mix. However, Lazarus felt it wasn’t particularly representative of Gretschmann’s many musical tastes and facets, and urged him to lengthen the piece, which he readily did, rearranging the songs along the way and ending up a double-disc compilation spanning 41 tracks. And Gretschmann, who often finds it difficult saying no to new projects or musical propositions, said the mix extension is one decision he certainly doesn’t regret. “I do so many things,” he said. “And I try to do them, like, in way that I’m happy.” http://www.natalye.com/flaunt-magazine/tag/KaterHolzig monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/flaunt-magazine/tag/Berlin monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/flaunt-magazine/tag/The+Notwist monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/flaunt-magazine/tag/Salon+Zur+Wilden+Renate monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/flaunt-magazine/tag/Acid+Pauli monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/flaunt-magazine/tag/Clown+%26+Sunset monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/flaunt-magazine/tag/Nicolas+Jaar monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/flaunt-magazine/tag/Interview monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/flaunt-magazine/tag/Kreuzberg monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/flaunt-magazine/tag/Console monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/flaunt-magazine/tag/Crosstown+Rebels monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/flaunt-magazine/tag/13+%26+God monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/flaunt-magazine/tag/Flaunt+Magazine monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/flaunt-magazine/tag/Germany monthly 0.5 http://www.natalye.com/booksbooks daily 0.75 2021-01-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1610885758779-S3IVHFHG2C22BDRB2XK9/image-asset.png Books - Thinking in SwiftUI A Transition Guide Written by Chris Eidhof and Florian Kugler and copy edited by me. Buy it here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1610885758779-S3IVHFHG2C22BDRB2XK9/image-asset.png Books - Thinking in SwiftUI A Transition Guide Written by Chris Eidhof and Florian Kugler and copy edited by me. Buy it here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1553158282073-IWQVO98QTCKG0UY1YDD8/eggcream1.jpg Books - Egg Cream #1 Liz Suburbia returns with a new annual, collecting the newest and best that she can dish out. We’re talking dog dreams, modern day saints, and the first installment of the ongoing feature Sacred Heart part 2, “Livin’ in the Future.” Written by Liz Suburbia and copy edited by me. Buy it here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1553158153679-S5Y4E0W4UVP1X9GPJGKS/daygloayhole.jpg Books - Daygloayhole Quarterly Two Ben has been turned into a cockroach and in love with a woman formed from his sticky leaky guts. Heartwarming, right? Written by Ben Passmore and copy edited by me. Buy it here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1553157893752-E3S5L4AMJN5S0RAJTLAW/benpassmore.jpg Books - Your Black Friend and Other Strangers Comics about race, gentrification, the prison system, online dating, gross punks, bad street art, kung fu movie references, beating up God, and lots of other grown-up stuff with refreshing doses of humor and lived relatability. Written by Ben Passmore and copy edited by me. Buy it here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1553157769894-SY545WFF63O2HHL5FXM5/apparchitecture.jpg Books - App Architecture iOS Application Design Patterns in Swift Written by Chris Eidhof, Matt Gallagher, and Florian Kugler and copy edited by me. Buy it here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1515184767820-A8BPWAFCJJ4IFCB9QKXS/catboy.jpg Books - Catboy A collection of Benji Nate’s #1 webcomic Catboy from VICE.COM plus heaps of additional unreleased comics, Catboy fashion, and bonus artwork. Written by Benji Nate and copy edited by me. Buy it here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1515184802492-N4ZSMZOBUACUVWMWTD1R/thismustbetheplace.jpg Books - This Must Be The Place A comic about friendship, overcoming depression, finding your place in the world, and also sometimes black metal. Written by Michael Sweater and copy edited by me. Buy it here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1515185338642-H97EL9EXZ4EQS9Z10GEH/optimizingcollections.jpg Books - Optimizing Collections Write custom collections in Swift with a strong focus on performance. Written by Károly Lőrentey and copy edited by me. Buy it here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1515185422928-FTSDOXQZ7WK50UOMWNZ3/confessionsofanunintentionalcto.png Books - Confessions of an Unintentional CTO A book of generalised, language-agnostic advice pertinent to hacker-y web developers working on live web applications which have real-life users and all too real problems. Written by Jack Kinsella and copy edited by me. Buy it here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1515183762518-PF4JJU6DB5SUMSVPLZZI/catboy.jpg Books https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1515185630442-URLYO98K4H4RWPU2G1KL/designingconversationalinterfaces.jpeg Books - Designing Conversational Interfaces A book for designers, developers, and founders containing practical guidelines about how to create messaging applications that people will love to use. Written by Alper Çuğun and copy edited by me. Buy it here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1515185685443-7V5VT9HDIJZMWCNXQLEI/domaindrivendesigninphp.png Books - Domain-Driven Design in PHP Real examples written in PHP showcasing DDD Architectural Styles, Tactical Design, and Bounded Context Integration. Written by Carlos Buenosvinos, Christian Soronellas, and Keyvan Akbary and copy edited by me. Buy it here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1515185568462-4V8YFTB1MBIHHYNZUYPK/advancedswift.png Books - Advanced Swift A deep dive into Swift’s features, from low-level programming to high-level abstractions. Written by Chris Eidhof, Ole Begemann, and Airspeed Velocity and copy edited by me. Buy it here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1515184760535-7243631KDCGQPC05XZO8/coredata.png Books - Core Data Core Data best practices by example, from persistency to multithreading and syncing. Written by Florian Kugler and Daniel Eggert and copy edited by me. Buy it here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1515185474743-FKA3VJL13DZBT1FP2J9R/3dgraphicswithscenekit.png Books - 3D Graphics with Scene Kit An interactive book about Apple’s high-level 3D rendering framework for Mac OS X and iOS. Written by David Rönnqvist and copy edited by me. Buy it here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1515185754439-FXE5VA5FRFA5FVMBRBYR/functionalswift.png Books - Functional Swift Learn core concepts of functional programming with Swift and leverage them in real world code. Written by Chris Eidhof, Florian Kugler, and Wouter Swiersta and copy edited by me. Buy it here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1515185802477-Z2JNJNZUDGY2TZ573EKD/theindieconferenceorganizerhandbook.jpeg Books - The Indie Conference Organizer Handbook A practical guide to running your very own indie conference. Written by Max Krüger and Peter Bihr and copy edited by me. Buy it here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1515187168861-ZDC6RO9HVHQENFQCHU4X/theaftermathofforever.jpg Books - The Aftermath of Forever A debut coming-of-age dating memoir that combines music with amorous adventures. Written by me. Buy it here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57f7b0e737c581d5a1ba5879/1515189131964-HR0QM83TX7WL7TB4MASG/alivewithvigor.jpg Books - Alive With Vigor! Stories of survival and recovery from a wide spectrum of contributors teach you ways to taking care of your body and mind when the government and corporate healthcare systems are doing their best to make you sick, broke, and crazy. I contributed a chapter to this book. 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