Franz Sussbauer, a photographer and artist based out of Munich, Germany, presented an eye-striking, isolating series focused on the quarantine that was caused by COVID-19. Writing about the series Sussbauer stated: “April 2020 was a lockdown in Germany in case of Covid-19 pandemic. I used this time to get some rare pictures of my hometown Munich in addition to my series ‘Munich Squares’ I took pictures of abandoned places in the city center of Munich. This time it was quite easy to get, because of peoples absence.”
Carly Rae Jepsen has got nothing to prove. While other pop stars are stuck endlessly deliberating how to upgrade their image and style, the Canadian singer’s goal has always remained crystal clear: she wants to make you dance, whether you’re alone in your room or out partying (but especially the former). Time and time again, she’s showcased her ability to take tried-and-true pop formulas and hone them to perfection, crafting unashamedly nostalgic, delightfully upbeat pop music that rarely if ever disappoints. That approach may grow stale at some point, but if there’s ever been a time where we could use a healthy dose unadulterated, pure pop escapism, it’s now – and Dedicated Side B has that in spades.
If 2015’s beloved EMOTION was a testament to the true colours of Carly Rae Jepsen’s music, last year’s Dedicated cemented her status as pop’s most reliably consistent songstress. And just like 2016’s EMOTION Side B, her latest release is much more than just a bunch of throwaway B-sides, but rather a solid collection of songs that could easily stand on their own merit. After all, having written over 200 songs (!) in the span of four years, there were bound to be more gems than the ones that found their way on ‘Side A’ of the album.
Perhaps the one that shines the brightest, though, is the opening track ‘This Love Isn’t Crazy’, which finds her joining forces with megaproducer Jack Antonoff. With lush, vibrant production and lovestruck lyrics, the track once again reaffirms that Jepsen’s belief in the ideal of love is as unshakable as her dedication to classic pop conventions. But what keeps it fresh and exciting is her unwavering conviction that this love is unlike anything else that has ever existed: “I think nobody ever felt this way,” she sings on the breezy ‘Felt This Way’. The equally infatuated, sensuous ‘Stay Away’ boasts one of the record’s most infectious hooks, while ‘Let’s Sort the Whole Thing Out’ takes a more playfully heartfelt approach, driven by a head-bobbing, surf-rock inspired instrumental and bubbly vocals.
But moments like ‘Comeback’, another stand-out collaboration with Jack Antonoff/ Bleachers, are refreshing examples of the self-empowerment themes that are becoming more prevalent in Jepsen’s music. “But I’m thinking ’bout making a comeback,” she proclaims in the chorus, “back to me.” Follow-up ‘Solo’ is just as uplifting of a singles anthem, but this time, it’s the listener she tries to comfort: “So what you’re not in love?/ Don’t go wasting your nights getting so low,” she sings, rhyming the line with a play on words that perfectly encapsulates Jepsen’s entire ethos: “You shine bright by yourself dancing solo.”
Unfortunately, a few tracks pale in comparison, lacking the richness in production or the irresistible hooks the album’s best moments have to offer. Despite displaying some much-needed vulnerability, ‘Heartbeat’ is one of those weaker cuts that can feel more like a leftover, while closer ‘Now I Don’t Hate California After All’ is an interesting take on a tropical style that nevertheless comes off a bit redundant. But listening to Dedicated Side B is like opening up a box full of candies – they might not all be your favourite flavour, but that doesn’t make the best ones taste any less sweet. And besides, the album offers more than just a sugar rush. If Charli XCX’s how i’m feeling now was a pertinent reflection of the inescapable highs and lows of quarantine, Dedicated Side B is a one-way ticket to a blissful utopia where you can run away and forget about the state of things for a while. It’s what Jepsen does best – it’s just that now, it’s more necessary than ever.
FVLCRVM, a Slovakian music producer and DJ, has released his latest track Bad Blood, just today. The song comes before his forthcoming EP Attentioncore which is due to be out on the 17th of July. Bad Blood mixes elements of electronic music and Pop to create a euphonious, thought-provoking song.
Whilst talking about the song and how it came about FVLCRVM said: “This may sound like a love song but the inspiration came from online discussions. I kept reading comments of trolls and generally unhappy people and I kept stalking their profiles (if they weren’t obviously fake) because I desperately tried to understand the way how they think and live. The gap between my bubble and these people is widening every year and sometimes it seems like we live on a different planet. I wanted to reflect the more savvy, intelligent people with this song, treating trolls as trash, thinking that google search can make everyone wiser.”
Alexis Malin, a digital art director and photographer out of Montreal, Canada, has presented an adventurous series named Alaska. In this photo series, Malin explores the beautiful sights and atmospheres that Alaska has to offer, bringing out some astonishing visuals.
Writing about the series Malin stated: “We decided to go on an adventure in Alaska. A dream come true for any landscape photographer. Our project there was to shoot our short film – Tatouage Sauvage in Alaska – where we tatooed ourselves in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness. Along the way, I captured some magnificent moments of what Alaska has to offer. From ice caves to snowy mountains (in august), the tundra in above the arctic circle, wildlife in Denali. It was unforgettable.”
More Eaze is the moniker of Austin-based producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Mari Maurice, who mixes in elements of experimental pop, 00s glitch music, and AutoTuned automatic writing. Mari, their latest release for Orange Milk records, is an introspective yet dynamic collection of tracks exploring the duality of the self, reflected in the juxtaposition of off-kilter, sometimes disjointed instrumentals and more direct, conventional-sounding moments like highlights ‘talk’ and ‘i don’t wanna’. Mari has a knack for melodic, punchy pop songwriting as much as fluid, abstract compositions, which not only showcases their versatility as an artist but also works in favour of the album’s thematic core. Ever-evolving cuts like ‘apart’ feat. DiamondSoul and ‘progress in therapy’ feat. Claire Rousay evoke a state of constant flux, like a disembodied form being endlessly molded but never fully contained. As the record progresses, tracks like the expertly titled ‘gender dysphoria trauma bonding’ and ‘how do you have a friend when you’re transitioning in your thirties’ reveal a more vulnerable side of Mari, accompanied by spacious, dreamy production. As if this defining statement of an LP wasn’t enough, the artist went on to release another record just this week titled towards a plane, taking those more meditative, ambient qualities of Mari and expanding them into a full-length record, one whose soothing atmosphere is the perfect antidote for these uncertain times.
We caught up with Mari Maurice for this edition of our Artist Spotlight series, where we showcase up-and-coming artists and give them a chance to talk a bit about their music.
What inspired you to start making music?
I started making music when I was pretty young – I was pretty equally into classic rock and punk pop as a really young kid and had supportive parents who really encouraged me to take lessons on a lot of instruments. As far back as I can remember I primarily wanted to make things. In retrospect, learning all these instruments as a kid was really a means to an end with songwriting and expression. A few records that I remember being really pivotal when I was young were Play by Moby, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco, Lifted… by Bright Eyes, God, Ween, Satan by Ween, and the Day They Shot a Hole in the Jesus Egg by the Flaming Lips. I can remember listening to those albums in particular and feeling like I could make music that sounded like that. At 12-13 years old, I would do things like slow down the extremely shitty sound recorder app on the family computer so I could record an entire 2-3 minute acoustic guitar/voice song on it and then record like 5 minutes of radio static and guitar feedback as separate audio files without listening back to the actual song since this rudimentary program didn’t allow overdubs. Then I’d try to mix all those sounds together because I was just so obsessed with figuring out how to create the collage type of elements all those albums have.
How has your approach to songwriting changed over the years?
My songwriting ideas used to be pretty fully formed off the bat. I used to write music and lyrics almost directly in tandem but gradually things have changed where typically there’s a lot of improvisation and editing that goes into the music before I even consider writing a melody or words. Production and timbre have really become an integral part of the writing process for me. A lot of tracks begin as improvisations or small little loops. Bringing in contingency and outside collaboration has also been really important to me as well. Basically, finding ways to constantly challenge myself with writing and recording so that I don’t fall into repetitive tendencies.
Could you talk about the inspiration behind Mari?
Mari was inspired by a lot of things both in and outside of music. I fully transitioned from the start of the recording process to the end of it and obviously that experience really affected a lot of the writing. I found so much comfort in pop music during this time and fell even deeper in love with everything in the PC Music/Hyperpop world. I love music that pushes boundaries but still manages to be playful and fun while doing so. Generally speaking, I am constantly striving to make music that is challenging, strange, and sad but that manages to remain beautiful, fun and whimsical while exploring complex emotional and musical terrain. As such, a lot of work that fits that criteria really influenced the making of this album-things like albums by my Orange Milk labelmates, the Lovely Music Ltd. catalog, artists like Jim O’Rourke, Organ Tapes, 100 Gecs, the whole drain gang/Year 001 scene, etc…
Do you feel that the album is more of a defining statement for you – thus the title Mari? How did that affect the writing process?
It definitely is more of a defining statement! I worked on this record on and off for around 3 years. I worked on a lot of smaller projects during that time as well but production for Mari was going on continuously throughout that period and a lot of the other releases really informed the making of this one and vice versa. Lyrically, these songs are by far my most personal and direct and musically it feels like the first time I have captured a real synthesis of everything I’m interested in. I didn’t necessarily know it was going to be a defining statement when I started work on it. I wrote and recorded a couple of songs early on without having a goal in mind and they just kind of stuck so I kept writing and editing more and more.
A big part of working on almost any record for me is having a period where I hate everything I’m doing and almost give up before coming back to the material reinvigorated. The recording process for this album definitely had multiple moments like that. I recorded 4-5 versions of some of these songs and did dozens of mixes of each version in several cases. About halfway through it became clear that this album was shaping up to be a really important work for me. In addition to being my first solo release as a girl, it also really represents more of a shift in focus in how I want to approach music in the future. It also allowed me to refocus on the fact that so much of what I do comes from pop music even when it’s super fragmented and abstracted. It really feels like a true acceptance of myself as a human being and as a composer.
Could you talk about the collaborations with DiamondSoul, Claire Rousay, and Amulets that appear on the album?
Claire Rousay is one of my best friends and we record/perform together pretty regularly. We made a full length duo record that was released earlier this year on Mondoj and both contribute to each others’ solo recordings as well. She’s one of my favorite people to work with in any context as well as a friend who has really been there for me in a lot of different ways over the years so I knew that I wanted her to be involved in the making of this album. She’d been doing this very rhythmic textural ASMR layering in both her solo recordings and during our recent live performances together that I definitely wanted to integrate into a song. She really brought another layer to “progress in therapy” in both a sonic and ontological way. She’s an expert at finding extramusical sources and creating these whole other worlds of meaning through them.
DiamondSoul and I are label mates and have admired each other’s work from afar for a while. Serendipitously, we were both working on our new records at the same time and posting a lot of clips on instagram and started losing our minds over our respective new material. At some point I proposed working on some tracks together and Alex was immediately on board. I first collaborated with him on a track for the incredible forthcoming DiamonSoul record and then sent some material of my own for him to work with. In both cases, the tracks we sent each other had a lot of space to work around and it was really amazing to get super detail oriented and essentially carve out an arc together. I’ve always felt a strong kinship with Alex’s work and the way he tries to incorporate a lot of diverse influences into his music in really subtle and interesting ways.
Amulets and I lived in Austin together at the same time for a while but weirdly met for the first time when we both played a music festival in Denver. We immediately bonded because we were both really entrenched in the tape label community at the time and it was really exciting to meet someone who was working with a lot of the same people in different ways. We did a few collaborative sets while living in Austin that were truly wild- I remember one where we both just played heavily processed toy keyboards. Amulets is a true master of creating an instant mood and has a pretty incredible repertoire of sounds. The track they contributed to on “Mari” was one of the songs I struggled the most with. I had recorded several versions of it and finally I thought “this really just needs something beautiful and swirling anchoring it.”. I wrote Randall and asked if he could send me some guitar loops/tracks in A mixolydian and I think he sent me files within like 2-3 hours that were absolutely perfect and completely grounded the track. We’re finally moving forward with some other exciting collaborative tracks and ideas after working together on this one.
What are your plans for the rest of the year?
Funnily enough as I write this I have a new tape called “towards a plane” out on Aural Canyon today! It was recorded over the last year and is a very different release from “Mari.” It’s much more muted, calm, and essentially an “ambient” record for lack of a better term. It’s a release I made during a year of intense change between transitioning, moving, and changing jobs 3 times amongst other things and these tracks are attempts at creating a sense of calm/stability in the midst of a hectic and uncertain year. There are a lot similar sonic elements to “mari” but everything is much more placid and disembodied.
In addition to that release, the rest of this year is looking like it will be filled with collaboration. I’m in the process of finishing a really wild record with Nick Zanca and have several other collaborative projects that are all in various stages of completion. I’m also hoping to finish a new tape with my project Fibril and to do some shows virtually and possibly IRL depending on how the current pandemic plays out. I’m slowly working on a new more eaze solo album too but I do not know when that will be finished. In general, I’m trying to work in a more patient/focused manner to really deliver the best work I possibly can with any project.
Lana Del Rey has unveiled a new spoken word piece titled ‘patent leather do-over’ from her upcoming poetry collection behind the iron gates – insights from an institution. Check it out below.
The poem opens by paying homage to Sylvia Plath, referencing her novel The Bell Jar. Jack Antonoff, who produced her 2019 album Norman Fucking Rockwell, composed the music.
This isn’t the first time Del Rey has made a reference to Plath in her music. On last year’s ‘hope is a dangerous thing for a woman to have – but i have it’, she sang: “I’ve been tearing around in my fucking nightgown/ 24/7 Sylvia Plath”.
Earlier this week, Del Rey announced the album’s September release date in an Instagram post that stirred controversy. She wrote: “Now that Doja Cat, Ariana, Camila, Cardi B, Kehlani and Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé have had number ones with songs about being sexy, wearing no clothes, fucking, cheating etc. – can I please go back to singing about being embodied, feeling beautiful by being in love even if the relationship is not perfect, or dancing for money – or whatever I want – without being crucified or saying that I’m glamorizing abuse??????”
In subsequent posts, she further explained her comments, stating: “I remain firm in my clarity and stance in that what I was writing about was the importance of self-advocacy for the more delicate and often dismissed, softer female personality.”
She added that her forthcoming album would further explore those themes, and ‘patent leather do-over’ is the first taste of that. “Sylvia, Marilyn, Violet, Diana,” she intones, “all of the kind women that came before me, blonde/ I dyed my hair black for you/ I turn my back on that black pond.”
In addition to behind the iron gates – insights from an institution, the singer has another spoken word album in the works, titled Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass.
After its half-billion dollar plan to go private fell apart and with COVID-19 affecting sales, Victoria’s Secret has announced it will permanently close a quarter of its stores in the United States and Canada.
The parent company, L Brands have not announced any plans for the United Kingdom stores, but with the recession overshadowing the company, things may change.
In their first-quarter report, L Brands reported net sales of $1.654 billion for the first quarter ended May 2, 2020, compared to sales of $2.629 billion for the quarter ended May 4, 2019.
COVID-19 has affected nearly all L Brands’ stores.
L Brands currently stands at $15.08 on the New York Stock Exchange.
MUBI, a beloved streaming service which showcases the best of film, have released their schedule for the month of June. Titles for the month include Woman at War (2018) by Benedikt Erlingsson, Ida Lupino’s The Hitch-Hiker (1953), and Landless (2019) by Camila Freitas, which is part of A Journey Into Indian Cinema series.
01/06/20 – Olla / Ariane Labed / Brief Encounters
02/06/20 – Animal Crackers / Victor Heerman / Marx Brothers
03/06/20 – Duck Soup / Leo Mc Carey / Marx Brothers
04/06/20 – Ms Slavic 7 / Sofia Bohdanowicz / the New Auteurs
05/06/20 – Woman at War / Benedikt Erlingsson / Mubi Spotlight
09/06/20 – Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor / Dave Fleischer
10/06/20 – Naseem / Saeed Akhtar Mirza / a Journey Into Indian Cinema
11/06/20 – Virus Tropical / Santiago Caicedoa / Viewfinder
12/06/20 – Eden / Mia Hansen-Løve
13/06/20 – Redoutable / Michel Hazanavicius
14/06/20 – Prince Avalanche / David Gordon Green
15/06/20 – The Hitch-Hiker / Ida Lupino / Ida Lupino Double Bill
16/06/20 – The Seasons in Quincy: Four Portraits of John Berger / Colin Mac Cabe, Christopher Roth, Bartek Dziadosz, Tilda Swinton / Portrait of The Artist
17/06/20 – Sicillia! / Danièle Huillet, Jean-Marie Straub / a Straub-Huillet Retrospective
18/06/20 – the Day After I’m Gone / Nimrod Eldar / Debuts
19/06/20 – Tbc
20/06/20 – 8½ / Federico Fellini / Fellini 100
Our Culture Recommends: Starring Marcello Mastroianni, Guido Anselmi, and Claudia Cardinale, the film follows Guido Anselmi, a director whose new project is collapsing around him, along with his life. Overcome by all of this, the director withdraws into his thoughts and frequently shifts into fantastical territory. As Anselmi attempts to sort out his many entanglements, Anselmi finds his production growing more autobiographical.
Fellini’s 8½ is not just one of his strongest films but also a classic that is considered to be amongst one of the most influential films in the world of cinema.
21/06/20 – Tbc
22/06/20 – the Bigamist / Ida Lupino / Ida Lupino Double Bill
23/03/20 – the Dead and The Others / João Salaviza, Renée Nader Messora / Brazil Focus
24/03/20 – Summertime / Catherine Corsini
25/03/20 – Just Don’t Think I’ll Scream / Frank Beauvais / Undiscovered
26/06/20 – Tbc
27/06/20 – Nymphomaniac: Volume I / Lars Von Trier
28/06/20 – Nymphomaniac: Volume II / Lars Von Trier
29/06/20 – Duvidha / Mani Kaul / a Journey Into Indian Cinema
Bright Eyes have announced they will be postponing their 2020 tour and have shared the rescheduled UK and European dates for 2021. Check out the dates below.
“Regretfully, we have to postpone or cancel our 2020 European tour dates,” the band wrote on Instagram. “Most tour dates have been rescheduled for the same time period in 2021 and we very much look forward to seeing you then.”
A post shared by Bright Eyes (@brighteyesofficial) on
This latest update comes after the band announced they would be canceling their North American dates, some of which have been rescheduled.
Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis and Nathaniel Walcott reunited last year to start working on their first collection of new material as Bright Eyes in nine years. Having struck a new deal with Dead Oceans, they have since shared the singles ‘Persona Non Grata’ and ‘Forced Convalescence’, which you can listen to below. Their previous studio record was 2011’s The People’s Key. Last year, Conor Oberst released a collaborative LP with Phoebe Bridgers as Community Oblivion Center.
Julia Melo is an exciting new pop artist coming out of Brazil. She recently released her debut EP, aptly titled Celestial, packed with a steady mix of deconstructed, dynamic synthpop bangers and entrancing, nocturnal R&B ballads. On the one hand, you’ve got the intoxicating opener ‘Luv’, which pulsates with wavy synths and haunting vocals, or the single ‘Heaven’, an empowering LGBT anthem that stands out for its infectiously catchy yet cinematic production and powerful message of self-acceptance. On the other, you’ve got more laid-back cuts like ‘Touch’ and ‘Moonlight’, showcasing Melo’s ability to glide between styles. With Celestial, Melo establishes herself as a force to be reckoned with.
We caught up with Julia Melo for this edition of our Artist Spotlight series, where we showcase up-and-coming artists and give them a chance to talk a bit about their music.
What inspired you to start making music?
Most of the time, it’s the feelings that come from within me or situations that I lived through, a kind of catharsis to transform my pain and experiences into art.
Who are some of your influences?
Some of my inspiration comes from David Bowie, Kate Bush, FKA Twigs and Britney Spears. I blend a mix of pop, trap and R&B beats.
What were some of the ideas that went behind your EP Celestial?
Celestial is about my process of transitioning from adolescence to adult life. From prejudice I faced against my sexuality, depression and freedom of expression. Celestial is a shout for youth and the ability to feel celestial regardless of what an oppressive society thinks.
What was the recording process like?
Creating music is always something that submerges from within me. I start feeling the sensation I want to translate through that song. I’ve made more than 200 songs to get to this outcome. Inside the studio, we always focus on doing the most new and deconstructed sound, so that it stays fresh and different. I want people to feel the power and impact and to give them strength.
Could you talk about the inspiration behind ‘Heaven’?
‘Heaven’ is about when I came out and all the religious issues tied to that. My family has always been really religious and they didn’t accept the fact that I’m a lesbian. ‘Heaven’ is a way of saying that it’s ok to who you are and love who you love. We will never be condemned for loving and it doesn’t matter if someone thinks we’re not going to heaven, because our love is pure and we know that. I want everyone who listens to it to understand that they are perfect just the way they are.
What are you working on next?
We are planning to release music videos for the songs that are already out and producing a new song that will be out soon. I believe people will be more and more surprised with what is made here in South America. Art breaks barriers between nationalities. We will continue to work on and create things that people can feel like a part of, even in these hard times, I hope this is a way for everyone to see that they are not alone.
