Search
SUBSCRIBE
Home Blog Page 368

Mike Lindsay and Anna B Savage Share New Single ‘pretender to surrender’

Konstantinos Pappis
-
0
Mike Lindsay and Anna B Savage Share New Single ‘pretender to surrender’

Mike Lindsay has released his latest collaboration with Anna B Savage, ‘pretender to surrender’, taken from his upcoming debut solo album supershapes volume 1. It follows previous entries ‘lie down’, ‘kachumber’, and ‘table’. Listen to it below.

“This track is a battle between two Meters: 3/4 and 4/4, each one surrendering to the other, then fighting again to be bolder,” Lindsay explained in a statement. “In the studio Anna and I wanted a stream of consciousness list of everyday objects and rituals that keep going and going until you’re engulfed by domestic and majestic supershapes. Cucumbers feature a lot in this song.”

supershapes volume 1 is due June 14 via Moshi Moshi Records.

Robber Robber Announce Debut Album ‘Wild Guess’, Share New Single

Konstantinos Pappis
-
0
Robber Robber Announce Debut Album ‘Wild Guess’, Share New Single

Robber Robber — the Burlington-based band composed of Nina Cates on vocals and rhythm guitar, Zack James on drums, Will Krulak on lead guitar, and Carney Hemler on bass – have announced their debut album. Wild Guess is set to arrive on July 26. Check out a video for the new single ‘Backup Plan’ below.

“I wrote ‘Backup Plan’ while I was helping a friend through a sticky relationship moment and was reflecting a lot on when it’s worth putting in the effort and when it’s best to call it,” Cates explained in a statement. “The song explores the feeling of unease that arises when you know there’s something unaddressed, yet you’re unsure if it’s worth stirring things up. I find this relevant in close friendships as well as relationships.”

James and Cates have been playing music together since they were kids and formed Robber Robber after immersing themselves in the local DIY scene. Giving the project time to live and breathe, they released the Caldera EP in 2021. “With this approach, we were able to really conceptualize and fine-tune what we wanted Robber Robber to be,” the band said. “This project is very conceptual, and therefore can be difficult to pinpoint, and that’s part of what we find refreshing about it.”

Wild Guess Cover Artwork:

Wild Guess Tracklist:

1. Intro (Letter from the Other Side of the Operation)
2. Seven Houses
3. Mouth
4. Backup Plan
5. How We Ball
6. Until
7. Dial Tone
8. Sea or War
9. Machine Wall

Crumb on How Astrud Gilberto, Afghan War Rugs, Pitch Shifting, and More Inspired Their New Album ‘AMAMA’

Konstantinos Pappis
-
0
Crumb on How Astrud Gilberto, Afghan War Rugs, Pitch Shifting, and More Inspired Their New Album ‘AMAMA’

Crumb’s third album, AMAMA, is no less hypnotic and disorienting than the New York band’s previous material, but it longs to keep its feet on the ground. Singer and multi-instrumentalist Lila Ramani, keyboardist and saxophonist Bri Aronow, bassist Jesse Brotter, and drummer Jonathan Gilad remain wandering experimentalists, and the new record – produced in Los Angeles alongside Johnscott Sanford and Foxygen’s Jonathan Rado – hones that quality by restlessly locking into a groove and playfully straying away from it. But, abstract as it still is, Ramani’s songwriting is also tenderly introspective and emotional, threading together signifiers of her upbringing – samples of a police radio scan about a flock of geese crossing a bridge in Gowanus, Brooklyn, Ramani’s grandmother singing in Malayala – with memories from the band’s early touring days – getting bed bug bites in a motel in Nebraska, a turtle flattened by the group’s van. But through these trips, down beyond what we might reasonably call memory lane, Crumb wake to a more solid and present understanding of home: “In our house we lay down side by side/ And it’s the way we always meant to lie,” Ramani sings on ‘XXX’, worlds away from the stress of an earlier song actually called ‘Side by Side’. Remembering – ancestry, alienation, upheaval, whatever led them to this moment – only solidifies how good it is, how big for all its intimacy.

We caught up with Crumb’s Lila Ramani to talk about some of the inspirations behind AMAMA, including Haroumi Hosono, Afghan war rugs, and Astrud Gilberto song, and more.

Cochin Moon by Haroumi Hosono

It wasn’t a conscious, like, “I’m trying to reference this album,” but when I listened to it, it struck a chord with me. Haroumi Hosono, from Yellow Magic Orchestra, went down to Kochi in Kerala, which is actually where my dad’s family is from. He kind of created a score for a fake Bollywood film. It’s very atmospheric, and he described the soundscape as “chattering bug noises.” It’s really visual, and I feel the soundscape of that inspired the soundscape of AMAMA. When we were talking about it, we mentioned there are a lot of nautical noises on the album. [laughs] Maybe not a direct influence, but when I listened back to it, I was like, “Oh yeah, the soundscape is kind of similar.” And it’s funny that it also references that part of India.

Afghan War Rugs

From what I can tell, this is the inspiration behind the album cover, which includes visual references to several songs on the album. What’s the story behind it?

Abe [El Makawy], my partner who is also our creative director, introduced me to those rugs. We’re big fans of that style – we actually have one. These beautiful hand-knotted rugs, I think a lot of time are made by refugees. They use this pictorial, cartoony style to depict the conflicts in that area; it’s this bizarre cultural mashup telling a story on a rug. I had the idea maybe that could be the album art, and Abe ran with it, basically telling the story of the album through symbols and drawings. He drew this thing and then worked with [Kalle Wadzinski] to generate the carpet. But yeah, the upper half of it corresponds to a song, and the goose mouth references one of the songs, different lyrical things all scattered together.

Was it a conscious decision to tell the story of the album through symbols instead of going for a more minimal style?

You’d have to ask Abe, I think he came up with the symbols while making the carpet. He’s always looking through and finding these visual elements from the lyrics or song names, building this world of visuals while he’s doing it. So I feel like he had those in the back of his mind already, and he wasn’t sure if he was actually going to put them on the carpet. But then we felt like we wanted it to be more busy or something, so he just threw it all in.

I thought it was interesting that the press release refers to the album’s sound as a “patchwork.” Does this visual style or metaphor resonate with you in the way you approach creating music?

Yeah, definitely. All these stories and sounds woven together definitely feels like that. It’s cohesive, but I feel like all of our albums feel a bit like patching things together, narrative-wise and sonically.

The textural aspect of it also feels fitting.

The texture of the rug came out crazy; you could really zoom into it so far that you see the little fibers on the rug itself. It’s wild how they did that, and it definitely speaks to the textures in the album.

Gowanus and Carrol Gardens

These are both neighborhoods in Brooklyn, right?

Yeah, they’re right next to each other. I grew up in Gowanus, but they’re very close.

I know the first song features a sample of a police radio scan about a flock of geese crossing a bridge in Gowanus, which is also referenced in the album cover. But I was wondering if you could start by telling me about what it was like for you growing up there. What feelings or memories do you associate with those places?

Gowanus is a really interesting place. It’s cut through by a canal, one of the most polluted waterways in the country. Maybe it’s better now, but when I was growing up, there’s a lore around it where they find, like, dolphins stuck in there and even dead bodies. It’s in this industrial kind of wasteland. My mom had an art studio right on the edge of Gowanus, so I grew up very close to the canal. It was a bizarre place to grow up. It’s kind of like no man’s land, but then you walk a block away and it’s beautiful brownstone Brooklyn. But the canal is a very unnatural place for humans and animals to reside. It has inspired a lot of Crumb’s stuff; our earliest music video was a Gowanus canal-themed thing.

Now, actually, they’ve knocked down a lot of the neighborhood, all the old buildings, and are completely redoing it and building, like, 50 skyscrapers. It’s definitely been on my mind, the demolition of the neighborhood I grew up in and the new thing coming in its place. I walk through and don’t even recognize it sometimes. Carroll Gardens, where I live now, it’s just brownstone Brooklyn, an old Italian neighborhood. It’s great.

When you say it’s on your mind, was it also when you were making the album? How did they fit into your vision?

My partner, Abe, grew up in Carrol Gardens; he’s like fifth-generation Carroll Gardens. We’re very steeped in this landscape. [laughs] He made the music video for ‘Amama’ using old footage of the neighborhood from his family’s archive, showing even our apartment in the seventies and the streets in the sixties. The visual landscape of the album in my mind is very intertwined with Carroll Gardens and Gowanus.

How about lyrically or emotionally?

Yeah, the song ‘Amama’ for sure references me and Abe growing up in these two different neighborhoods side by side and then coming together. And the first song, like you said, also references Gowanus, the birds crossing the bridge. I’m sure there’s other places where it come about, but I’m endlessly inspired by where I grew up.

The opening track, ‘From Outside a Window Sill’, also includes the line, “Home is what I want and what I need,” and I feel like the record goes on to reflect on the experience of moving around a lot. Do you feel like your idea of home evolved throughout the making of Amama?

When we all listened back, it was kind of obvious that was a thread throughout the album, but I wouldn’t say it wasn’t an intentional theme. I was floating around for a lot years, and we were touring a lot. In the past year and a half, I got my own place for the first time with Abe and settled down, in a way. I think going from the nomadic stuff to planting your feet down somewhere can be heard in the album, too. Coming back to the place I grew up and having my own place has been amazing. I feel very settled here in my little nook of Brooklyn.

‘The Gentle Rain’ by Astrud Gilberto

It’s been a favorite of mine for years. The whole album [The Shadow of Your Smile] is amazing, but that song has always stuck with me. It was the kind of thing where I was like, “I want to make a song like this song.” [laughs] Or it was like an experiment. The chords [of ‘From Outside A Window Sill’] are very derivative of that song, and it feels like the Crumb version of it, like a spiritual predecessor. I was researching the song, and there is a movie called The Gentle Rain about an American going to Brazil, like a love story, so it was funny learning that. But the song is haunting.

Was it a challenge to take that approach and build a Crumb song with such a clear reference point?

It was refreshing because I usually don’t start that way at all. Maybe on this album, there were a couple of times where I was thinking about specific songs. I kind of made the demo with a very basic drum and bass groove. When I brought it to the band, the groove became way more distinct, and maybe that made it feel less like ‘The Gentle Rain’. It has its own vibe, but that was definitely the starting place; like, that was the name of the file, just ‘The Gentle Rain’. [laughs]

How has she inspired you as a vocalist? Is there something about the quality of her vocals that you’re drawn to?

Yeah, she’s amazing. I think she died – it might have been when we were recording the song. I remember I was like, “Whoa, that’s crazy.” Her voice is very haunting and sad. The way the vocals are produced on the album is definitely really special; I was listening to it and trying to figure out what exactly was going on, it’s just very clean and loud over the music.

Pitch shifting

What inspired you to employ this technique more on this album?

It’s interesting because it was not only something we used when recording the album itself – we did a bunch of tape varispeed things where I would sing it lower than it actually was, and then it would kind of mess with the formant on the tape machine. But it was also something I used in making some of the demos on Ableton. I was just going crazy with transposing the whole song and messing it up to try to get it to feel right. We ended up using a lot of these weird, glitchy sounds from my original demos that are threaded throughout the album a little bit. It both inspired some stuff on the back end, and then also when we went to record it just used that technique a bunch.

When you were just toying with it, what did that unlock for you creatively?

I feel like I’m always learning things in Ableton; the learning curve is crazy. Itt definitely affects the songwriting a lot, just how familiar I am with Ableton. Now, I wouldn’t necessarily do that, but at the time, I was just crudely transposing things up and down. For ‘Amama’, for example, that actually created this weird vocal sound that we then tried to emulate in the studio using a similar technique. But it originally was just me crudely using these Ableton things that I probably shouldn’t have been doing [laughs], which is just a funny way that it feeds back into itself.

The 2022 documentary Fire of Love

Reading a bit about the movie, I thought it maybe fed into parts of ‘Dust Bunny’.

I didn’t even think about that, that’s funny. Maybe. It’s hard for me to think about movies or things that feed into the inspiration. I feel like that was such a striking love story that probably just stuck with me – them working together and then ultimately dying together in this crazy way. And it was just visually on another level, the footage they got from the volcanoes was amazing.

Did you watch it around the time you were making the album? What resonated with you about it?

It came out in 2022, so I could see it aligning with that. But it wasn’t in the same way as ‘The Gentle Rain’, where it was like, “I’m going to write a song about this.” But the love story was just really beautiful, and there are some love songs on the album. Even though it’s very tragic, they accomplished so much in the short time they were alive. I also didn’t know that much about volcanoes – it’s just crazy how many people volcanoes affect around the world. I just live so far removed from volcanic activity. Maybe I saw parallels in how I work with Abe – obviously not as dramatic as working on volcanoes, but it’s a journey, working with your partner on your craft.

Why did you want to close the album with what seems to be a love song?

Sonically, it feels like a bit of an outlier and a palate cleanser. It’s really simple and short, which makes it different. Narratively, the lyrics are about being home in your place, so it feels like a bit of a conclusion to that journey.

Motherhood

I was learning about how you have the same genes as your mother and your mother’s mother, all the way back, and that was blowing my mind. Motherhood and family is obviously somewhat of theme in the album; the title being AMAMA, which is actually the word for grandmother on both sides of my family, which are different parts of the world. I feel like I’m always kind of referencing family – it’s not the first time I’ve been thinking about a family member when writing. But the song ‘Amama’ definitely was special in that way, that she got to feed back into the actual song and also inspire it. We didn’t expect that to become the album name, it was kind of last minute. It felt like the right word and has a palindrome structure.

It’s just crazy to think about how all the little decisions of your family members, ancestrally even, have all coincided to create you and to bring you to this moment. There’s so many things that had to fall into place. And then referencing those members of your family, too, feels like honouring them – not just me, the other band members too. The video for the song sealed the motherhood meaning to me, because we used footage of the other band members’ moms. It’s just pretty wild that we get to do this – it’s all our ancestors, I guess.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

Crumb’s AMAMA is out now via Crumb Records.

Author Spotlight: Frankie Barnet, ‘Mood Swings’

Sam Franzini
-
0
Author Spotlight: Frankie Barnet, ‘Mood Swings’

If all the world’s animals were vanished by an egocentric billionaire with mommy issues, the sensical thing to do is to get paid for dressing in a dog costume and barking for sad pet owners who miss their companions. That is, at least, the line of thinking for Jenlena, a twenty-something Instagram poet at the center of Frankie Barnet’s hilarious and absurd debut novel, Mood Swings. At one of her pet gigs, she actually runs into the billionaire, Roderick Maeve, who’s next big idea involves going back in time to introduce solar panels to the 1700s in order to alleviate climate change. 

Mood Swings is an exuberant novel full of ideas and whip-smart, clever sentences that draw you into Barnet’s world. A group called Moon Bethlehems drop their first names and advertise on Twitter. A canceled man dates Daphne, Jenlena’s roommate and friend, and together they draw all the animals the world misses from memory. Jenlena shares her poetry with Roderick, but isn’t sure if their relationship is for appearance or if he’s actually invested in her. A pair of siblings sue their parents for being born. Confident and insanely readable, Barnet’s debut is one you won’t want to end.

Our Culture talked with Frankie Barnet about absurdism, morality arguments, and cults. 

Congratulations on your debut novel! How does it feel that it’s finally out?

Good, a little apprehensive, but cautiously optimistic.

I just saw it got an amazing blurb from George Saunders!

Yeah, I was grateful for that. I studied with George at Syracuse, so I had an in. I was so lucky, iit was beyond my dream at the time.

Mood Swings is such an interesting, warped look at contemporary culture. What draws you to satire?

It’s never felt like a choice, the way I wrote… coming back to George, I started my MFA at Syracuse in 2016. He had been my favorite writer for probably a decade before that. I always loved reading ever since I was a kid, but I never liked the things we read in school. I’m Canadian, so I grew up reading stuff I might like now, but found it so boring then, and kind of stale. Reading George, and even Kurt Vonnegut — it wasn’t even satires, but those books had so much life in them. I think in the last few years I’ve come to a place in my writing where you don’t know what’s gonna happen with it, if anyone’s gonna read or care at all about it. At the very least, I want to enjoy myself. I want to honor myself in both the good and bad extremes.

It’s very tedious, I’ve found, to be bound by reality. I was away for a week, and I don’t usually keep a journal, but I tried to keep one on the trip. I found it so boring! How do you decide what to leave in or leave out? In your writing, if you free yourself from reality, you let all the responsibilities of note-taking go.

The book opens with the idea that the world’s animals are revolting against humans. It’s such a striking idea — when did it begin to form in your mind?

I guess it was during COVID, when people thought it was caused by bats. There were always these stories, here in Montreal, some kind of whale came really close to the river near the city. Stories about animals doing crazy things. I guess that’s where it came from.

I really empathize with Jenlena’s way of thinking about the world — she desperately wants to participate in society and let the allure of her twenties take her wherever. When she gets into a relationship with this billionaire, something her friends might scold her for, she just shrugs her shoulders. Is there an argument for putting your own self first before others’ thoughts or ideology that might hinder it?

I think that tension is something I’m really interested in. I think there are ways I wish we pushed ourselves further, beyond ‘I like this sort of thing.’ It’s tricky because for the vast majority of people, it really doesn’t matter what we do. We can post on Instagram, ‘Stop eating meat’ and it doesn’t matter. It’s hard to denounce any normal person for enjoying what they enjoy. On the other hand, I do sometimes wish we could look beyond the individual a little more. I know that’s a vague thing to say, but I think the problem is we don’t quite know how. Then we run into these silly arguments of, ‘Oh, you liked a Woody Allen movie.’ We have nowhere else to put this fear and anger that we have.

I’m also so obsessed with her bad all-lowercase Instagram poetry, which she mistakenly believes will get her into a grad school in the United States. My favorite title is “once i stuck a beer-soaked tampon up my pussy.” Why did you want to write about a character who is also a writer?

I mean, I think she can get into a grad school! No one thinks so, but I went to a grad school in the States, so… I mean, [writing about a writer] came naturally. Personally, I love a confessional book, I love autofiction. I know friends of mine have a chip on their shoulder about it, like, ‘You’re not creative if you’re writing autofiction’ or a semi-autobiographical novel, sort of a cliché that that’s what everyone’s first novel is. But I have nothing against that. I guess it was a little sprinkling of me in the character, the kind of stuff I would write if I was less self-conscious or, I want to stay, stupider.

I love how the book gives time to all the characters, even canceled boyfriends and multi-billionaires. Why did you want to include multiple POVs?

It was very exciting to me when I discovered Jordan and he made his way into the novel, because you don’t really hear from these people. I guess some people would say that’s good, but he’s just a dishwasher that plays in a band. He’s not some millionaire celebrity. I thought it’d be interesting to hear what that experience is like, being canceled. It was fun to play devil’s advocate a bit, and I liked writing multi-POV because I was able to talk about things I’m interested in and that I do have ideas about, but I am a fiction writer, not an essayist, I don’t want to go out there and say ‘This is what I think.’ Not to say that’s what essayists do, but they’re a lot more careful about weaving their opinions into things. I can’t be that careful. What I can do is throw out four or five conflicting ideas about a subject, each of which are kind of true or I see the point in, and that’s how I can talk about something I’m interested in without being too didactic or simplistic about it.

When I read Mood Swings, I got the sense that fiction acts primarily as a kind of playground for you, which makes it so interesting to read your take on things. After the animals revolt, they’re all killed by this billionaire, who later wants to build a time machine to thwart the Industrial Revolution by introducing solar panels to construction workers. Is this a correct read, where you kind of let the ideas of a story take you where you go next?

Yeah, absolutely. For me it’s a balance between being totally playful and letting it run wild, and the editing and revision process is reining it in and implementing a structure that will ground the reader. I hope that’s successful. Ideally, I can put my head down and start writing in my notebook and not even think. And then after, it’s a process of, ‘What did I mean? How can I make this sound reasonable?’

The cult of Moon Bethlehems is such an interesting idea — it’s this group of people who, disappointed by global turmoil and climate change, drop their first names and seem to spread their message primarily through Twitter threads. Did you pull from anything in the real world to create this group?

Well, I’m fascinated by cults. There’s a detail in the book where [Daphne and Jenlena] meet in a cult class in university, and I took that class, and it was a defining moment of my life, studying from this woman who is very much like the professor they talk about in the novel. I’m not saying this book does it — I have an idea for another book I really want to write about a better cult — I’ve never seen a representation of a cult that does it justice, because of how fascinating I found this class and this woman’s research.

I think, for Mood Swings, I wrote the novel for a long time, and it wasn’t working. It was very flat and didn’t have these absurdist elements, no animal extinction, no Moon Bethlehems, no time machine, very boring. I was at a point with it where I had to abandon it or do something drastically different. I had this deluge of ideas about, ‘Okay, time machine, there’s gotta be a cult, no animals.’ I guess going back to having fun with it, throwing in ideas I was passionate about.

There’s this one section from Moon Cicero I’m thinking about where she’s promoting a feature in a magazine Sheila Heti lets her drone on about ‘pessimism as a radical act of self-care,’ but she comes to renounce it a bit later after seeing it next to an advertisement for Air Canada. I really liked how this act of self-promotion and vanity is right next to these leftist, somewhat holier-than-thou ideas.

Yeah, getting back to that tension you asked about before: how do we balance our higher principles with individual comforts and ambitions? I think it’s very easy to be, like, ‘How dare you do this materialistic thing’ when you’ve never had the opportunity to do that. But at the same time, what’s the point of having principles if you’re not… you know, there’s gonna be tough moments where you’re pressed on them. There’s definitely a couple online people who Moon Cicero is based on. I love it. And of course I have respect for all my characters, I have respect for her.

There is this note of absurdity that I’m really drawn to and love employing in my own writing as well. What is your comedy writing process like — did you set out to write a funny book or that’s just where the state of the world took you?

I think it’s in the tone of most of what I write about, probably a little more outrageous. I’m thinking of a later important revision I did where I was reading a lot of Lorrie Moore. I’ve always loved her, but I was coming back to her after several years. She’s a very funny writer but she’s also a very sad writer, and I think both of those things come from her specificity. I was in a drought of finding things I enjoyed, reading-wise, and I was surprised these stories had so much life. That was something I wanted to capture, being specific about wanting to do that and pick certain sentences that fell flat and injecting them with specificity. For Lorrie Moore, it comes out as either really sad, really funny, or both. 

Finally, are you working on anything else at the moment? You mentioned a cult book previously.

I am working on something else, but I did have a baby, who is almost nine months, which is crazy. I haven’t written anything — I try, and I’m hoping maybe when he’s a year old he’ll go to daycare here. Subsidized. I don’t want people to think I’m rich or something.

But I’ve been trying to write a novel, the central idea of which I’ve had for over ten years. I’m just struggling and I really want to finish it because I’m so tired of it. And then I want to write this cult book. So we’ll see.

Mood Swings is out now.

Daniel Turner to Unveil Solo Debut at Hauser & Wirth

Modestas Mankus
-
0
Daniel Turner to Unveil Solo Debut at Hauser & Wirth

In his debut solo exhibition at Hauser & Wirth, New York-based artist Daniel Turner will present works that were salvaged, transformed and recontextualised from the Mandalay Generating Station, a decommissioned power plant situated 60 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

As a natural gas-powered thermoelectric generator, the facility was operated by Southern California Edison from the mid-20th century until its closure in 2017. With Turner’s transformation of remnants of an electrical plant into a series of paintings, drawings, sculptures and films, he echoes a calibrated process of site-responsive reflection and material distillation.

Throughout Turner’s practice, he is convinced that physical objects carry an inherent emotional, psychological, and historical meaning. With the help of copper elements extracted from the Oxnard site, he has created large-scale paintings and works on paper based on his investigation of alloy properties. Upon removal, these components were milled into refined copper wools through an intricate milling process. Thereafter, these wools were methodically burnished into the surfaces of canvases, resulting in achromatic veils within his picture planes.

The exhibition will run from May 30 to August 25, 2024, at Hauser & Wirth Downtown Los Angeles South Gallery.

What Is the Difference Between Kava and Kratom?

Our Culture Mag & Partners
-
0
What Is the Difference Between Kava and Kratom?

The Kratom vs kava comparison has gained a lot of attention in the search for natural medicines that promote relaxation and overall well-being. Due to their unique properties and uses, both plants which are native to different parts of the world—have been utilized for ages. 

There is a significant distinction between kratom and kava, mostly because of their respective chemical compositions, manufacturing processes, and modes of action within the body. Although kava is well-known for promoting relaxation and enhancing social relations, kratom, depending on the dosage, can have both energizing and calming effects.

This article will examine the effects of kava and kratom in more detail and explore the differences between each plant, emphasizing not just their advantages but also how they differ in the field.

What Is Kratom?

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) scientifically is a plant native to Southeast Asia, and its habitat comprises Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, among others. Native people use the plant of its leaves for everyday medicinal purposes.

Kratom capsules is comprised of several active components, with mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine being the two major components linked to biological activity. Kratom users have reported having a very wide range of disorders, including stimulation of low doses to high doses of sedation. This two-faced character has put kratom between the folds of popularity and controversy as a natural pain treatment.

One can consume it in either formal ways (such as powder, capsules, and tea). The use of kratom for live pain relief, adding more energy, or the speed of mood, has been there throughout history. On the other hand, the legality and safety of this product still remain a source of controversy among many medical workers and policymakers.

What is Kava?  

Kava originated from the South Pacific Islands long ago and was used as part of ceremonies and social activities, owing to its calming effect properties. Kava belongs to the Piper methysticum plant (also called kava kava). 

The kava kava plant has roots that are needed to create the kavalactones. In contrast to kratom, kava is principally well-known for its soothing essence, causing a propensity to calm without having an adverse influence on cognitive function. It is mostly a first choice in mental health issues like anxiety, stress, and insomnia. 

Kava has always been enjoyed as a beverage and is usually made by extracting the active ingredients from the root that are later mixed with water by either grinding or pounding it. Today, there are many different ways to enjoy kava, as it is available in powdered form, and also as ingestible capsules and ready-to-drink beverages. 

The usage of it extends far beyond just being employed in traditional ceremonies indeed, its popularity is generated worldwide by people who are interested in using natural alternatives for distraction and mental clarity. On the other hand, kratom, like kava, is facing a recent debate regarding its safety and possible regulatory status, dependent on the region’s outcome of the ongoing study of the plant’s effects.

What Are The Differences Between Kratom & Kava?

Kava and kratom, commonly considered natural remedies, both possess psychoactive properties but also have separate characteristics that make them dissimilar. Kava (Piper methysticum), the initial one, came from the Pacific Islands, with the most favorable regions spotlighted being the Polynesian areas, while the kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), the other specific type of bush, comes from Southeast Asian countries. This geographical differential undoubtedly leads to the differences in the patterns of their use and their consequences.

Chemically, the active ingredients in kava, known as kavalactones, are different from the alkaloids, primarily mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, found in kratom. These compounds interact with the body in unique ways. Kava is renowned for its anxiolytic (anxiety-reducing) effects, promoting relaxation without impairing cognitive function, making it a popular choice for social gatherings in Pacific cultures. On the other hand, kratom’s effects are dose-dependent; lower doses tend to produce stimulant effects, such as increased energy and alertness, while higher doses may lead to sedative effects, providing pain relief and euphoria.

On the other hand, safety profiles and legal statuses of these not only vary occasionally. The Kava bar has grown in many countries, particularly due to literature that lacks side effects and the traditional use of Kava. Nevertheless, concerns over the possibility of liver damage in such products cause difficulties in their approval in certain countries. The kratom legal issues are even more stringent due to the similarity of its effects to opioids and also the possibility of becoming dependent or abusive.

When considering kava and kratom benefits, it’s crucial to acknowledge these substances’ cultural significance and therapeutic potential while also being mindful of the legal and health implications of their use. Each offers a unique set of effects and risks, underscoring the importance of informed and responsible consumption.

What Are The Best Ways To Consume Kratom?

Toss and Wash

The “Toss and Wash” method is straightforward and one of the most direct ways to consume kratom. It involves placing a measured amount of kratom powder in the mouth and washing it down with water or another liquid. This method allows for quick absorption, making the effects felt sooner. However, the bitter taste of kratom can be off-putting for some, making it important to have a chaser on hand to mitigate the flavor.

Kratom Tea

Preparing kratom tea is an old technique that people widely use to experience whatever feeling that is desired. The water boiling process is a great way to mask kratom’s bitter taste, for instance, by steeping the herb powder. People can include honey, lemon, and other burnished flavors to improve the flavor. Through kratom tea, the effects possess a tranquilizing experience, with the effects gradually emerging and making it a leading method for those who desire a much gentler kratom experience.

Kratom Capsules

For those looking for convenience and discretion, kratom capsules are ideal. They contain pre-measured doses of kratom powder, eliminating the need for measuring and significantly reducing the taste issue. Capsules are perfect for on-the-go consumption and for those who want to avoid the herb’s bitterness altogether. However, the effects might take longer to manifest compared to the toss-and-wash method due to the time needed for the capsules to dissolve.

Kratom Smoothies

Adding kratom into smoothies is an innovative way to enjoy the herb while erasing its taste at the same time. Mixing kratom powder with fruits, vegetables, and other additives has the added advantages of it being both tasty and nutritious, and makes the ingestion of kratom pleasant This procedure can be well accepted by those who need to integrate kratom into their overall lives.

Kratom Tinctures

Kratom tinctures are a concentrated liquid extract and become a convenient and potent form of kratom. With a few drops under the tongue, a user can even receive a quick onset along with the convenience of a controlled dose.  Tinctures are ideal for those seeking a more potent and fast-acting method of consumption, though they may require more preparation and investment upfront.

How to Use Kava?

Kava Tea

Kava tea remains a favorite traditional way for most people to drink this herb even though it has so many other ways of consuming it. The process is simple, simply by mixing the kava root with hot water that extracts the kavalactones and brings them into the finished product. This method is responsible for the moderation of alcohol impact and can be availed along with several flavor options including honey and lemon, to make it nice and tasty.

Kava Powder

The capsules are accurate dosing, perfect for people who are after convenience and efficiency. They come in capsule or soft gel form, encapsulating kava extract or powder in particles that are digestible and give easy ingestion. Capsules are good for those who are looking for kava supplements for their mood-improving effects and whose taste or time is so limited that they cannot prepare themselves to drink.

Kava Capsules

For those looking for convenience and dosage precision, kava capsules are an excellent option. They contain kava extract or powder in a digestible form, making it easy to consume without the earthy taste of kava. Capsules are ideal for those who want to use kava for its potential anxiety-reducing effects without preparing a drink.

Kava Extracts

Kava extracts are concentrated forms of kava, available in liquid or powder form. They can be added to drinks or taken directly, offering a more potent effect than other methods. Extracts are suitable for experienced users who are looking for significant effects from a smaller amount of product.

Kava Gummies

While it may sound unusual because kava gummies are a chewable form of the extract, they provide an interesting and exciting way to consume kava. They come with a pre-measured dose and taste good, and you can take them right away, making them highly convenient. Kava gummies may be a suitable form of kava for beginners who yet to experience its effects.

Benefits of Using Kratom

Pain Relief

Kratom is referred to as one of the major substitutes people seek when in need of effective painkillers. The alkaloids found in the leaves of kratom interact with the body’s opioid receptors, which in turn, reduce the perception of pain. In this way, kratom is a natural replace that is used for controlling chronic pain without the side effects that come with a regular pain medicines.

Depression

A positive impact of Kratom on the symptoms of depression has been observed. It’s stimulating features result in a sense of happiness and cheerfulness. Kratom is not a treatment for depression, but it might help in decreasing some symptoms, and in such a case, it can be an alternative natural way to support mental health.

Better Sleep

Kratom can be used by people with insomnia or other sleep disorders to bring relief. Particular strains of kratom have sedating properties that allow the body and the brain to relax and achieve better sleep. This is very useful for people who have anxiety or sleep-related problems.

Mood Enhancement

The mood-lifting action of kratom is quite popular. In many cases, users get a rise of positivity and brightness in life. This mood lift is considered to be due to the effect of kratom on serotonin and dopamine, two neurotransmitters, which are responsible for the mood balance.

Energy and Focus

In lower doses, kratom is a stimulant, and the person feels very energetic and focused. It is very beneficial for people who require a concentration kick for work or study. In contrast to the jittery feeling produced by caffeine, kratom’s energy lift is typically described as more organic and even.

How Long Does It Take for Kratom to Kick In?

The time interval for kratom effects to kick in may be a wide gap and can be affected by different aspects, including intake method, strain, and metabolism. In most kratom users’ cases, its effects will start to be felt in the range of 20 to 30 minutes as soon as they ingest the drug on an empty stomach. if you consume before a meal, the onset might be delayed, taking up to an hour or even longer for the effect to kick in.

The route of administration is a significant step in deciding how soon the effects of kratom can be felt. For instance, kratom tea or the thrown and washed method induces faster absorption in the body, thus, much quicker onset of feelings as compared with kratom capsules’ slowness to dissolve in the stomach.

Additionally, the specific strain of kratom and the dose can influence the timing. Strains known for their stimulating effects might be felt sooner, while those with sedative properties may take longer to manifest. Higher doses may also take longer to digest but can lead to more potent effects once they do kick in.

How Does Kratom Make You Feel?

The effects of this herb on people’s feelings are disparate and mostly depend on which strain or dosage is taken. A non-sedative by low doses, kratom usually provides wakefulness, vigor, and enhanced communication at this low dose rate. 

People can sometimes get the purpose of the rituals of getting up in the morning as excitement through the improvement of the general disposition and overcoming weaknesses such as laziness and loss of interest. This stimulant effect is comparable to a caffeine buzz without the jitteriness that sometimes occurs after drinking coffee.

On the other hand, higher doses of kratom tend to produce sedative effects. In this state, users may experience profound relaxation, decreased anxiety, and a sense of euphoria. The sedative properties of kratom at these doses can help with managing pain, reducing stress levels, and aiding those with sleep difficulties to find restful slumber.

It’s important to note that the experience of using kratom is highly individual. Factors such as one’s body weight, tolerance level, and the specific strain of kratom can all influence the intensity and type of effects felt. Some users report feeling a sense of well-being and balance regardless of the dose, highlighting kratom’s ability to adapt to the user’s needs and provide a personalized experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Kratom and Kava Make You Addicted?

Kratom has potential for dependence, especially with frequent, high-dose use. Kava, less so, but dependency can develop with heavy, prolonged consumption. Both require moderation to minimize addiction risk.

Is Kratom Legal?

As laws surrounding Kratom differ from country to country and within the same country, in the case of the United States where it is permitted at the federal level but banned or classified in some states;Always check local laws.

Can You Overdose on Kratom?

An overdose of kratom in excess is rare, yet taking extremely high doses of kratom may result in bit severe side effects like nausea, vomiting, and spinning around. Fatal overdoses can happen, though they are rare. This would primarily occur in the case of a mixture with other drugs.

Are there health risks when using Kava?

Abuse of Kava poses associated health risks, especially to the liver. Consumption of the herb should be regulated sensibly. Consider the proper use of kava and meet the risk that it may impact your liver’s function.

What does kratom taste like?

Kratom has a common bitter and earthy flavor that strikingly varies from some peoples’ viewpoints. Its flavour is greatly affected by the strain and the preparation, and the purpose sometimes is to mix it with sweeteners or flavors to improve the flavor.

Conclusion

This article discussed the distinctions, utilization, and advantages of kratom and kava, emphasizing their special characteristics and outcomes on the state of health. South East Asian natural Kratom has both sedative and stimulant effects depending on the dose, thus versatile in painkilling, mood enhancement, and boosting energy. Kava is a native of the South Pacific and is known to relax and enhance social bonding without affecting cognition. 

Although the therapeutic ability of these two plants is high, both plants need to be considered in terms of their safety, legality, and ways of consumption. For those interested in natural remedies for relaxation or well-being, further exploration and responsible use of kratom and kava are encouraged. 

Visit reputable brand websites for more information and ensure informed choices in their use.

Nathan Bowles Trio Announce New Album ‘Are Possible’, Share New Single

Konstantinos Pappis
-
0
Nathan Bowles Trio Announce New Album ‘Are Possible’, Share New Single

Nathan Bowles has teamed up with double-bassist Casey Toll (Jake Xerxes Fussell, Mt. Moriah) and drummer Rex McMurry (CAVE) for a new album as Nathan Bowles Trio. Are Possible is set for release on July 26 via Drag City, and the eight-minute single ‘The Ternions’ is out today. Check it out below and scroll down for the album cover and tracklist.

Toll and McMurry previously appeared on Bowles’ 2018 album, Plainly Mistaken. The trio mixed Are Possible at Electrical Audio in Chicago with Cooper Crain.

Are Possible Cover Artwork: 

Are Possible Tracklist: 

1. Dappled
2. The Ternions
3. Our Air
4. Top Button
5. Gimme My Shit
6. Aims

WHY? Announce New Album ‘The Well I Fell Into’, Release New Song

Konstantinos Pappis
-
0
WHY? Announce New Album ‘The Well I Fell Into’, Release New Song

WHY? – the band led by Cincinnati songwriter Yoni Wolf – have announced their eighth LP, The Well I Fell Into, which is set to arrive on August 2. Today’s announcement comes with the release of the new single ‘The Letters, Etc.’. Check it out and find the album cover and tracklist below.

Yoni Wolf and his bandmates – his brother Josiah Wolf, Doug McDiarmid, and Andrew Broder – recorded the new album with Brian Joseph at Eau Claire, Wisconsin’s Hive Studio. It features contributions from Gia Margaret, Finom’s Macie Stewart, Lala Lala’s Lillie West, Serengeti, and Ada Lea.

“This song was partially written for a year or two but the words to finish it just wouldn’t come until some further life experiences led it into its current incarnation,” Wolf said of ‘The Letters, Etc.’ in a statement. “Though potentially filled with paranoid conjecture, it is also a song of acceptance, with only best wishes upon embarking on a difficult long-term estrangement. T’ruah. Love and let live.”

Opening up about the album, Wolf commented: “Making a WHY? album is an opportunity for me to button up a period of my life. I’m bad at realising how I feel or how something is affecting me in the moment. Things just sit inside me, but writing is a way to really take stock.”

“This is not a bitter kiss off,” he added. “While the songwriting was cathartic, I can see my life beyond some story or mythology I’ve cornered myself into artistically. I’m not getting stuck in sentiment like I might have in my 20s.”

The Well I Fell Into Cover Artwork:

The Well I Fell Into Tracklist:

1. Lauderdale Detour
2. Marigold
3. Brand New
4. G-dzillah G’dolah
5. When We Do The Dance
6. Jump
7. Later at The Loon
8. Nis(s)an Dreams, Pt. 1
9. The Letters, Etc.
10. What’s Me?
11. Sin Imperial
12. Atreyu
13. Versa Go!
14. Sending Out a Pamphlet

This Week’s Best New Songs: Los Campesinos!, Billie Eilish, Belong, and More

Konstantinos Pappis
-
0
This Week’s Best New Songs: Los Campesinos!, Billie Eilish, Belong, and More

Throughout the week, we update our Best New Songs playlist with the new releases that caught our attention the most, be it a single leading up to the release of an album or a newly unveiled deep cut. And each Monday, we round up the best new songs released over the past week (the eligibility period begins on Monday and ends Sunday night) in this best new music segment.

This week’s list includes Los Campesinos!’s first new song in seven years, the electrifying, anthemic ‘Feast of Tongues’; ‘Love on the Outside’; the catchy, exhilarating lead single off Wishy’s debut album; Cassandra Jenkins’ warm, mesmerizing new song ‘Delphinium Blue’; Strand of Oaks’ hypnotically synthy and upbeat ‘Future Temple’; Ouri’s intimately entrancing ‘Baby Has a Frown’; Billie Eilish’s ‘L’Amour De Ma Vie’, a highlight from Hit Me Hard and Soft that flits between both ends of the album title; Fine’s ethereal ‘Coasting’, lifted from the Copenhagen musician’s debut LP; Loma’s ominous new single ‘Pink Sky’; and Belong’s eerily propulsive ‘Souvenir’, one of two singles from the duo’s first album in 13 years.

Best New Songs: May 20, 2024

Song of the Week: Los Campesinos!, ‘Feast of Tongues’

Wishy, ‘Love on the Outside’

Cassandra Jenkins, ‘Delphinium Blue’

Strand of Oaks, ‘Future Temple’

Ouri, ‘Baby Has a Frown’

Billie Eilish, ‘L’Amour De Ma Vie’

Fine, ‘Coasting’

Loma, ‘Pink Sky’

Belong, ‘Souvenir’

Vince Staples Announces New Album ‘Dark Times’, Shares Video for New Single

Konstantinos Pappis
-
0
Vince Staples Announces New Album ‘Dark Times’, Shares Video for New Single

Vince Staples has announced a new album called Dark Times. The follow-up to 2022’s Ramona Park Broke My Heart is out this Friday, May 24. Along with the announcement, the rapper has shared a video for the new single ‘Shame on the Devil’. Check it out below.

“Eleven years ago, a young, uncertain version of myself was given an opportunity with Def Jam Recordings,” Staples wrote on Instagram. “I released my first project under their banner, Shyne Coldchain Vol 2, a year later. I was unsure of what to expect from the world of music, but deeply aware of what I needed: a change in my surroundings and a clear understanding of self. Ten years and seven projects later, I’ve found that clarity. Now, I share with you my final Def Jam release, Dark Times. 5.24.24.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Vince Staples (@vincestaples)

1...367368369...1,644Page 368 of 1,644

Quick Access

Our Culture

Helpful

© 2025 Our Culture Mag Limited. All rights reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 2/1/2025) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated 2/1/2025). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Our Culture Mag Limited.