In conversation with .. 6!
Welcome to our new digital issue: IN CONVERSATION WITH – Part 6, 140 pages fashion, art and illustrations! Out 07.12.2020 – featuring in conversation with Cakes Da Killa, Lous and the Yakuza, cozcon, Wayne Snow, James Indigo and many more. Contributors are Nolan Parker, Ebry Yildlz, Kennedy Silver, Laura Marie Cleplik, Johanna Urbancik, Magic Owen ... https://www.kaltblut-magazine.com/in-conversation-with-6-new-online-issue/ We live in a scary world today. It’s different than before, no more hugs and kissing. Our happiness has gone away like never before. The fear of the unknown has arrived. 2020 what a year. Looking back on the months gone by, as a new year starts and an old one ends, we contemplate what brought us joy. Thanks to our artists and readers for being one of the reasons we’ll have a Happy New Year! See you all in 2021! Your KALTBLUT Team
Welcome to our new digital issue: IN CONVERSATION WITH – Part 6, 140 pages fashion, art and illustrations! Out 07.12.2020 – featuring in conversation with Cakes Da Killa, Lous and the Yakuza, cozcon, Wayne Snow, James Indigo and many more. Contributors are Nolan Parker, Ebry Yildlz, Kennedy Silver, Laura Marie Cleplik, Johanna Urbancik, Magic Owen ...
https://www.kaltblut-magazine.com/in-conversation-with-6-new-online-issue/
We live in a scary world today. It’s different than before, no more hugs and kissing. Our happiness has gone away like never before. The fear of the unknown has arrived. 2020 what a year. Looking back on the months gone by, as a new year starts and an old one ends, we contemplate what brought us joy. Thanks to our artists and readers for being one of the reasons we’ll have a Happy New Year! See you all in 2021!
Your KALTBLUT Team
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<strong>In</strong> <strong>conversation</strong> <strong>with</strong> Cakes Da Killa, Lous and the Yakuza , cozcon, Wayne Snow, James <strong>In</strong>digo and many more ...
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FREDPERRY.COM<br />
3
Meet The Team<br />
@marcel_schlutt @naikee_simoneau @nicphilf<br />
@nico_sutor_<br />
@slaterkarl<br />
Editor-in-Chief<br />
Fashion Editor<br />
Art Director<br />
Art Editor<br />
Music Editor<br />
Fashion Editors<br />
Marcel Schlutt<br />
mschlutt@kaltblut-magazine.com<br />
Naikee Simoneau<br />
nsimoneau@kaltblut-magazine.com<br />
Nicola Phillips<br />
nphillips@kaltblut-magazine.com<br />
Nico Sutor<br />
nsutor@kaltblut-magazine.com<br />
Karl Slater<br />
kslater@kaltblut-magazine.com<br />
We live in a scary world today. It’s<br />
different than before, no more hugs and<br />
kissing. Our happiness gone away like<br />
never before. The fear of the unknown<br />
has arrived. 2020 what a year. Looking<br />
back on the months gone by, as a new<br />
year starts and an old one ends, we<br />
contemplate what brought us joy.<br />
Thanks to our artists and readers for<br />
being one of the reasons we’ll have a<br />
Happy New Year! See you all in 2021!<br />
Your KALTBLUT Team<br />
Contributors<br />
Nolan Parker, Ebry Yildlz, Kennedy Silver, Laura Marie Cleplik, Johanna Urbancik, Magic Owen<br />
Proofreading by Amy Phillips, Nicola Phillips and Bénédicte Lelong<br />
On The Cover<br />
@K.r.l.i.n, @odiseorojo, @gabx_patacon, @caosdemar.ph,<br />
@roc_lilith & Maha photographed by Tomás Eyzaguirre<br />
4<br />
More page > p.36<br />
All Copyright at KALTBLUT www.kaltblut-magazine.com @kaltblut_magazine<br />
KALTBLUT MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY MARCEL SCHLUTT AND NAIKEE SIMONEAU<br />
All of KALTBLUT´s contributors are responsible and retain the reproduction rights of their own words and images.<br />
Reproductions of any kind are prohibited <strong>with</strong>out the permission of the magazine, editor and each contributor.
Cakes da Killa > p.6 cozcon > p.26<br />
Lous and the Yakuza > p.46 Wayne Snow > p.78<br />
MarcelDune > p.98 James <strong>In</strong>digo > p.124<br />
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Let Them Eat Cakes:<br />
Spilling T With<br />
Cakes Da Killa<br />
<strong>In</strong>terview by Nolan Parker @saltcvlt<br />
Cakes da Killa, an artist I’ve had a full crush on since I heard his massive single “I Run This Club” in 2013, has been on<br />
the scene for coming up on a decade and has worked <strong>with</strong> some of the biggest names in New York’s Queer underground:<br />
Mykki Blanco, Rye Rye, Peaches, ANOHNI, Honey Dijon... the list is literally 69 miles long. <strong>In</strong>itially coming on the scene<br />
in 2011, Cakes was one of the hottest MCs of the Queer Hip-Hop explosion of the early 2010s; mixing street smarts, Queer<br />
slang, and his Black experience to come up <strong>with</strong> lyrics so intensely witty that 3 or 4 listens are required to catch even half<br />
the references and by that point, his tracks are fully stuck in your head for the next several weeks. Without question, Cakes<br />
Da Killa was baptized in the traditions of New York’s Ballroom scene. His razor sharpe wit and flow chizzled into 120 BPM<br />
tracks is what set him apart from other Black, Queer rappers and made his bops a favorite at Ballroom Competitions and<br />
kikis the world over.<br />
Cakes released a slew of banger singles in the early 2010s that set him apart and finally, in 2016, released his debut full<br />
length, Hedonism. And album so thoroughly Black, so thoroughly Queer that New York (and the world) couldn’t handle the<br />
energy coursing through this massive introduction. Dance floors from LA to Berlin struggled to keep up, begging DJs to<br />
keep pumping his beats.<br />
Since his debut album four years ago, Cakes has been sharing bits and pieces, dropping big singles to keep us wet for<br />
his unabashedly singular style but he’s finally ready to give us another, bigger taste. He’s back <strong>with</strong> an EP he’s calling<br />
Muvaland, and it’s a fresh-baked Cakes. He’s serving up a huge house music feel that sacrifices none of his signature<br />
wit or cutting flow but adds a production and musical depth that we haven’t heard from him before. “Don Dada”, the<br />
unfuck<strong>with</strong>able first single from Muvaland is a sweaty floor filler that brings a big Brooklyn aggression that forces a boogie.<br />
A boogie that makes you forget that we’re stuck at home and chatting <strong>with</strong> that cutie on an app that you won’t be able to<br />
grind on for another year. The infectious beats and urgent sirens demand serotonin that you forgot your body is capable of.<br />
Cakes was sweet enough to carve out some time on Zoom to spill the T about Muvaland, “Don Dada”, and all the goodie<br />
goodies he’s been cookin.<br />
I feel like I have to ask: How is<br />
everything? How’s quarantine been for<br />
you?<br />
I’ve just been maintaining. I think the<br />
main thing that’s been affecting me is the<br />
fact that my travel has been limited and<br />
has affected my money flow a little bit.<br />
But I’ve just been staying optimistic and<br />
working.<br />
Nice. Where are you right now? I heard<br />
that you were in Atlanta for a second but<br />
that you’re now back in New York.<br />
Yeah, I was down in Atlanta for a minute<br />
but it was like a sabbatical. I’m back now.<br />
[laughs]<br />
[laughs] Cute. Also, happy birthday! What did you do to celebrate<br />
your new decade?<br />
Thank you! I had an intimate, socially distanced rooftop party <strong>with</strong> a<br />
couple of friends that came over. I turnt 30 so I had to do something… I<br />
mean, I haaad to.<br />
It’s a big deal and anything to get a little escape from everything<br />
that’s been going on! So <strong>with</strong> your new EP, Muvaland, you bring this<br />
big housy mood that we haven’t heard from you before. What’re the<br />
big influences on the EP and why the switch to a more house feel?<br />
Well me writing my music, a lot of the times I was not giving the full<br />
picture of artists and styles that were informing me. I was trying to<br />
make something that I thought would be more palatable to certain<br />
people where now, <strong>with</strong> Muvaland, I’m reverting back to my first<br />
mixtape where I don’t give a fuck anymore. So it’s not really tapping<br />
anything different, it’s just giving a more full picture of me as an artist.<br />
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Photos by Ebru Yildiz @ebruyildiz<br />
Clothes by Landeros New York @landerosnewyork<br />
Styling by Andre Landeros Michel @andrelanderosmichel<br />
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“... shade is only cute<br />
a place of intelligence<br />
when it’s rooted in<br />
So you’re still going to hear the same<br />
hip-hop lyricism and flow but sonically<br />
more of a Deee-Lite type sound and<br />
a different type of producers like<br />
Cashmere and The Basement Boys.<br />
Things that I listen to more on the dayto-day.<br />
To me, Muvaland is giving y’all<br />
my taste in a more full picture.<br />
Totally. But why make that switch<br />
now?<br />
I think after I filmed that reality show,<br />
[Netflix’s] Rhythm + Flow, I realized<br />
that, even though I’ve always been<br />
myself, there have been things in my<br />
career that I was putting through a filter<br />
for certain people. After the show, I<br />
realized that those certain people just<br />
aren’t going to like what I do. So why try<br />
and market it and make it something<br />
that people can consume? It’s best to<br />
just do what you want because that’s<br />
how I came in, just doing what I want.<br />
I just have to be true to myself, you<br />
know?<br />
We all really just need to be ourselves<br />
these days or mass media and<br />
consumer culture are going to swallow<br />
up true creativity. So what’s the idea<br />
behind Muvaland?<br />
The EP started as a one-off I was going<br />
to drop <strong>with</strong> Proper Villains. I decided<br />
to put out an entire body of work since<br />
what we did sounded so good. The<br />
pandemic was just starting and I wanted<br />
to put out something that documented<br />
what I was dealing <strong>with</strong> at the time in<br />
my own way. That was months ago and a<br />
lot has transpired since then. I still love<br />
the music! I believe releasing it now is<br />
even more essential considering how<br />
chaotic the times have become. We all<br />
need a little escapism.<br />
Fully agreed! You’ve mentioned Funeral Parade of Roses as being<br />
an influence on past work. What were the major influences for the<br />
“Don Dada” video? What’s the concept/message? How was it filming<br />
during the pandemic?<br />
Some of the major influences were a few different films like Mahogany<br />
starring Diana Ross, blaxploitation films like Cleopatra Jones and<br />
Catwalk, a documentary starring Christy Turlington and other 90s<br />
supermodels. The song as a track was more about me reestablishing<br />
myself and my confidence as a lyricist. Hyping myself up as I<br />
reintroduce myself to the music scene. With the visual, I wanted to<br />
expand that to include all black people, specifically dark skin black<br />
women who face a lot of negative drama based on colorism. Filming<br />
was very simple considering I have a roof. It was really, really hot! The<br />
hottest day of the summer it felt like.<br />
Well you looked great in that tennis skirt. I’ve also really been feeling<br />
your homemade “Don Dada” videos on IG. What’s the story behind<br />
those? Are you just giving your fans what they want or are you<br />
trying to say something more? Are you trying to emulate your live<br />
performances?<br />
I’m just trying to give the gays exactly what they want. It’s all about the<br />
content.<br />
Do you feel that you’ve lyrically changed <strong>with</strong> Muvaland? Did you<br />
spice it up or spice it down?<br />
I don’t think so. I think as a writer I’ve evolved because I’m not the<br />
same person I was when I was 21. Granted, I still rap about blowjobs,<br />
it’s just in a more sophisticated way. And I think <strong>with</strong> me developing as<br />
an artist I’ve experienced more things so I have more to write about.<br />
I also feel that I get better <strong>with</strong> time. It’s not anything I’m trying to do<br />
strategically, you know? This is where I’m at very genuinely.<br />
Speaking of you as a writer, you’ve got a volume of short stories<br />
coming out?<br />
Right! I’ve fucking working on this shit since I was like 16! I wanted to<br />
have 100 pages done by my 30th birthday and I completely missed that<br />
deadline. But I’m still staying optimistic about it because all the gays<br />
are putting out all their books and I think it’s great. When I was<br />
coming up there wasn’t a ton of Queer, Black reads. Especially<br />
if you wanted a more modern voice. People would always<br />
reference older generations, which I still think you need,<br />
but I think we need that modern take on the Gay and<br />
Queer expierence. So stay tuned, my shit is coming<br />
out too.<br />
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when it comes from<br />
or wit. It’s never cute<br />
insecurity.”<br />
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What would you say to the Queer kids<br />
coming up right now in the Queer hiphop<br />
scene that might have it a bit easier<br />
than you did growing up <strong>with</strong>out the<br />
(deserved) exposure of Queer hip-hop<br />
and Queer culture in general?<br />
Firstly, the new Queer kids coming up<br />
need to have a better appreciation and<br />
understanding of Queer history. I had to<br />
literally dig through books at the library<br />
and stumble on old docs to get a clearer<br />
picture of myself. You have it so easy,<br />
it’s right at your fingertips and you’re<br />
clueless and think you’re so innovative.<br />
Do your research. I don’t get that. Also,<br />
shade is only cute when it comes from a<br />
place of intelligence or wit. It’s never cute<br />
when it’s rooted in insecurity. Lastly, stop<br />
fighting at every function I’m trying to<br />
enjoy a cocktail while I still can.<br />
What’re you gonna do the second you<br />
can unquarantine?<br />
I’m definitely quitting my<br />
job and getting on a<br />
plane to Berlin. Like I<br />
can’t, it’s too much. I<br />
will be on an EasyJet<br />
flight to Berlin,<br />
period.<br />
Check out<br />
Cakes’ new EP,<br />
Muvaland, out<br />
now on Classic<br />
Music Company.<br />
<strong>In</strong>stagram<br />
@cakesdakilla<br />
cakesdakilla.com<br />
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Gender<br />
is just a<br />
Label<br />
Creative Direction + Photography Karl Slater @slaterkarl<br />
Styling Kennedy Silver<br />
Model Kyle Nathan @_kyle.nathan<br />
Clothing has always been synonymous <strong>with</strong> gender, weather<br />
it be a light weigh fabric or a heavy tweed we almost<br />
instinctively know what gender is attached to that fabric and<br />
or garment… or is that what we have been lead to believe.<br />
Fashion is a human construct and humans placed a gender<br />
to the items we wear. Once pink was a colour for boys and<br />
though 80s advertising it became connected to girls though<br />
mass market toys sales, Barbie and Disney princesses.<br />
Growing a generation thinking that pink is only for girls. As<br />
we look into the past that thinking set can be seen for gender<br />
too.. It’s time to re-define gender for the future, because in the<br />
end gender is just a label. Slater explores using women wear<br />
attempting to redefine what masculinity and femininity are<br />
<strong>with</strong>in the realms of editorial fashion.<br />
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Maxi Dress & Necklace- ASOS DESIGN<br />
Earrings- Topshop<br />
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Maxi Dress & Necklace - ASOS DESIGN<br />
Statement Earring - Sacred Hawk
Bodysuit & Necklace - ASOS DESIGN<br />
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Maxi Dress & Necklace- ASOS DESIGN<br />
Earrings- Topshop
Maxi Dress & Necklace - ASOS DESIGN<br />
Statement Earring - Sacred Hawk<br />
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Sequin Cami - Miss Selfridge<br />
Statement Earring - Sacred Hawk
Bodysuit & Necklace - ASOS DESIGN<br />
Sunglasses - Jeepers Peepers<br />
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Maxi Dress & Necklace - ASOS DESIGN<br />
Statement Earring - Sacred Hawk
Maxi Skirt - Lace & Beads<br />
Statement Earring - Sacred Hawk<br />
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Jumpsuit - ASOS DESIGN<br />
Necklace - Pieces<br />
Sunglasses - Vero Moda<br />
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Maxi Dress & Necklace - ASOS DESIGN<br />
Statement Earring - Sacred Hawk<br />
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Jumpsuit - ASOS DESIGN<br />
Necklace - Pieces
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Loud and Proud:<br />
cozcon’s artwork<br />
is eye-opening<br />
<strong>In</strong>terview by Naikee Simoneau @naikee_simoneau<br />
Cozcon’s work is pro-femme, pro-black, pro-brown, pro-fat, pro-hoe, pro-queer, pro-trans,<br />
pro-sex workers, and we’re so here for it. Every time one of their artworks pops up in my<br />
timeline, it gives me power and strength. With an overt sense of fashion, cozcon’characters<br />
are always ultra stylish. Not only is their art pretty, it also has something to say. And in these<br />
difficult times what better weapons than some pencils and a piece of paper?!<br />
Tell us about your creative background<br />
– when did you first start illustrating/<br />
what really pushed you to do so?<br />
I’ve been drawing since I was little; like<br />
probably around 5 years old. Like a lot of<br />
kids, I got the crayons and the coloring<br />
books but once I got started I never<br />
stopped.<br />
What medium/tools do you feel most<br />
comfortable <strong>with</strong> when creating your<br />
work?<br />
Pen and paper all day, everyday. When<br />
I’m working in pen, the baseline is<br />
control <strong>with</strong> the option to bring in<br />
chaos. I love that. Crisp. Bold. Sure.<br />
All the things I want to be.<br />
Your sketchbooks look incredible. On<br />
your <strong>In</strong>sta you encourage people to get<br />
a notebook and draw everyday for at<br />
least a few minutes. What comes first<br />
in your case, words or shapes?<br />
I think the warmups that work the<br />
best for me are things like doing detail<br />
work which basically entails adding<br />
things like patterns to illustrations. I’ve<br />
always liked the idea of writing out the<br />
alphabet as a warmup, too. <strong>In</strong> a way,<br />
drawing just means writing out letters<br />
in strange ways. Almost like when you<br />
say a word enough times that starts<br />
to sounds like nonsense. Drawing is<br />
creative nonsense.<br />
Your illustrations refers to politics, genders,<br />
race.. do you think that as an<br />
artist it’s a duty to be engaged?<br />
I think this year definitely made me feel a<br />
duty to spell out what previously was always<br />
up for interpretation. I think being Black in<br />
this country means that anything you do is<br />
a political act in one way or another. Being<br />
a Black artist is an *incredibly* political act.<br />
But in general, before this year, I’ve always<br />
been focused on the multidimensionality of<br />
women and femmes. It’s been at the heart of<br />
everything I do, even when I was a kid.<br />
I wish more people were like you<br />
empowering women and femmes especially<br />
in our community. How come this fight was<br />
always so close to your heart?<br />
It matters to me because femmes built my<br />
world. Femininity has always been what I’ve<br />
modeled my inspirations from. Women in film<br />
and cartoons and female musicians, women<br />
and femmes in my life-- they’ve informed my<br />
posture and language. It’s all I know. When I<br />
create work that upholds women and femmes,<br />
it’s basically upholding my heroes and role<br />
models.<br />
Fashion is also really strong in your work -<br />
where did your references come from?<br />
Fashion is *everything* to me. It’s my grand<br />
obsession. Simply put: it’s a cross section of all<br />
that has ever been synthesized to speak on all<br />
that can be. What is more inspiring than that?<br />
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“When I create work<br />
that upholds women and<br />
femmes, it’s basically<br />
upholding my heroes<br />
and role models.”<br />
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You’re based in the US, and sadly I really<br />
think that your situation as a<br />
QTIBIPOC is way harder there than here<br />
in Europe (even tho its far from being<br />
perfect). How are you right now?<br />
I’m here.<br />
Do you feel any way to hope - changes<br />
possible?<br />
I don’t know if hope is the right word. I<br />
think younger generations, including mine,<br />
are seeing just how deep the gaslighting<br />
and intricate nature of antiblackness truly<br />
goes. Our aches and pains are more<br />
validated than ever. We’re laying down<br />
because we’re allowing ourselves to be<br />
tired. We’re crying because we’re allowing<br />
ourselves to be wounded. We’re screaming<br />
because we’re allowing ourselves to feel<br />
wronged. I hope we can find new ways<br />
to heal ourselves <strong>with</strong>in the<br />
community. If I have hope,<br />
it’s a verb.<br />
Where can we buy your amazing work?<br />
First of all, thank you! You can purchase my work by heading over to etsy<br />
or messaging me directly on <strong>In</strong>stagram.<br />
What is the message you want to get across to viewers of your work?<br />
Women and femmes make the world go ‘round!<br />
Have you found any other work/artists to be really inspiring currently?<br />
1. the paintings of Brittney Leeanne Williams<br />
2. the song “Along The Coast” by Azealia Banks (it’s not new but it’s not<br />
getting old)<br />
3. the Spring/Summer 2017 Céline collection<br />
4. Pedro Almodóvar movies.<br />
What is your ultimate goal?<br />
To make work that makes me happy and makes people feel good... and a<br />
beautiful apartment <strong>with</strong> high ceilings <strong>with</strong> lots of plants and sunlight.<br />
<strong>In</strong>stagram<br />
@cozcon<br />
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The Rise of the<br />
Aphrodites<br />
The Queerdos Calendar 2021 - behind the scenes<br />
Text by Naikee Simoneau @naikee_simoneau<br />
Same but different. After last year’s success of our charity calendar project, we decided to do it again this year. And<br />
we will probably do it next year too. Raising money for an organisation that is in need is the goal of the project.<br />
After our first edition collecting funds for GALDT e.V, this year we are choosing to raise awareness and money for<br />
Trans*Sexworks. The calendar was made in the Creative Berlin Space, who let us use their photo studio for the<br />
charity project. All the benefits of the calendar will be donated to Trans*Sexworks.<br />
Trans*Sexworks is a network and community support project run by trans sex workers for trans sex workers. The<br />
focus is the support of our migrant, street-based colleagues working on the Frobenstraße in Berlin. They aren’t social<br />
workers, working <strong>with</strong>in a hierarchical structure <strong>with</strong> a clear set of rules, but more like a friends circle helping<br />
wherever help is needed and support can be given. They hand out condoms at night, bring food and drinks, help<br />
people buy groceries and hygiene products, lend money, translate documents, help people find shelter, acompany to<br />
appointments (doctors, Police, counseling...) and support our trans siblings in many other ways. Not only do they<br />
offer practical support, but they also raise their voices together to fight stigma and to help improve the working<br />
conditions of trans sex workers. This project is volunteer-run and only receives minimal funding from the city. To<br />
go into some more details about the work Trans*Sexworks is doing, we asked Caspar Tate, who is a member of the<br />
group, a few questions.<br />
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When did Trans*Sexworks<br />
start and why?<br />
The Project was started 6 Years<br />
ago by EmyFem and KAy Garnellen,<br />
because there was no<br />
Organisation or Project focused<br />
on helping trans sex workers or<br />
even giving them a safe space.<br />
Could you tell us about the<br />
Frobenstraße history ?<br />
Street-based sex work has been<br />
taking place around the Bülow-<br />
Kiez since 1885. The Frobenstraße<br />
is where trans women<br />
work and sadly there is not a<br />
lot of recorded history on that<br />
street and the trans women that<br />
used to work there, unlike the<br />
area where the cis women work.<br />
We do know though that the<br />
street used to be divided in Preand<br />
Post-OP haha But now the<br />
trans Women that have had genital<br />
surgery often go work on the<br />
street where the cis women are.<br />
<strong>In</strong> the last four years, less and<br />
less clients have been coming to<br />
this area and even before corona<br />
business was bad. Five, ten<br />
years ago women could make<br />
hundreds of Euros a night. Since<br />
the 90s its been mostly migrant<br />
women from eastern european<br />
countries working the streets.<br />
On the Frobenstraße in the last<br />
few years mostly türkish-bulgarian<br />
women have been working<br />
there.<br />
sex work and sex work organisations aren’t talking about the disproportionate<br />
number of trans colleagues. Trans sex workers are subject to transphobia/<br />
transmisogyny and whorephobia.<br />
What are the best ways to help?<br />
Keep reminding people of the issues that trans sex workers face. Donate your<br />
time and money to projects like ours.<br />
How did Covid-19 affect your work as volunteers and the work of the streetbased<br />
sex workers?<br />
<strong>In</strong> our project we can no longer use the rooms from an other organisation that<br />
we used to use for the “Trans Dinner” and now we have to do everything outside<br />
on the street.<br />
For street-based sex workers the financial impact of covid-19 is extremely devastating.<br />
Many are unhoused and in debt.<br />
Is the state / city helping in any way?<br />
For trans sex workers not so much. Our project is funded a little bit by the Anti-discrimination<br />
Office (LADS) but we have no paid staff, no office and we are<br />
not allowed to buy food or drinks <strong>with</strong> the funds. There is some support for cis<br />
women and cis men but it’s not enough.<br />
<strong>In</strong>stagram @caspar_tate<br />
transsexworks.com<br />
@transsexworks<br />
Order your copy on kaltblut-magazine.com<br />
What do you do there?<br />
We hand out food, drinks, condoms,<br />
lube and masks now<br />
during corona. Isabelle and I are<br />
like community organisers and<br />
friends. People come to us when<br />
they have an issue or a crisis. We<br />
help people access emergency<br />
housing and doctors’ visits.<br />
I often help navigate the counseling<br />
sector and help make<br />
appointments, remind people<br />
of these and even accompany<br />
them if they wish. We also do a<br />
lot of work <strong>with</strong> the press, other<br />
organisations and politicians to<br />
try and get help to come.<br />
Why is such an organisation so<br />
important?<br />
No one seems to care about<br />
trans sex workers. Trans organisations<br />
aren’t talking about<br />
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The Rise of the Aphrodites - The Queerdos<br />
Calendar 2021 is a non-profit project. All of the<br />
benefits made will be donated to Trans*Sexworks.<br />
Trans*Sexworks is a network and community<br />
support project ran by trans* sex workers for<br />
trans* sex workers.<br />
kaltblutmag.bigcartel.com<br />
Photography Tomás Eyzaguirre tomeyzaguirre.com @tomeyza<br />
Styled Esteban Pomar estebanpomar.com @esteban_pomar<br />
Production & Graphic Desing Naikee Simoneau @naikee_simoneau<br />
Photography assistant Fiona Castiñeira @viking_a<br />
Styling assisstant Nane Meyer @nanemeyerr<br />
Set Design Alin Bosnoyan @alinbosnoyan<br />
Hair & Make -up<br />
Sarah Hartgens @sarahhartgens using @fentybeauty<br />
Felix Stößer @felixstoesser @basicsberlin using @fentybeauty<br />
@bumbleandbumble<br />
With loving and helping hands @j.f.k.cut.color.curls<br />
Models @purrja, @kalil_dance, @steve_katona, @isshehungry,<br />
@sele.minga, @esteban_pomar, @yourhypebitch, @cuadrado97,<br />
@leon.ution, @lanegrot, @thebishopblack3000, @K.r.l.i.n,<br />
@odiseorojo, @gabx_patacon, @caosdemar.ph, @roc_lilith<br />
& Maha<br />
Special thanks to Creative Berlin Space,<br />
Rolf Scheider and Kai Sistemich<br />
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Lous<br />
and the<br />
Yakuza<br />
<strong>In</strong>terview by Marcel Schlutt @marcel_schlutt<br />
Photography by Laura Marie Cieplik @lauramariecieplik<br />
The songwriter, singer, and rapper Lous and the Yakuza has fled<br />
one war and lived through the aftermath of another. Now, bridging<br />
continents, she tells an autobiographical story <strong>with</strong> her outstanding<br />
debut album. The genre-fluid artist blends sultry hip-hop <strong>with</strong><br />
harsh trap beats to create tracks that are both a declaration of her<br />
resilience and an exploration of Generation Z concerns, including<br />
race, loneliness and despair.<br />
What is behind your mysterious stage name - and who are the<br />
Yakuza?<br />
Lous is an anagram for soul, I’ve inverted the L and the S to make<br />
it Lous. This is a direct reference to my strong attachment to<br />
spirituality. The Yakuza are the beautiful people that are part of<br />
my team, because I’m not alone in this project, we’re all Yakuza,<br />
all part of the team. Yakuza actually means ‘loser’ in Japanese, but<br />
in a positive way, like ‘being out of the box’. I believe the people<br />
surrounding me are all very special in their own way.<br />
What elements from your culture can we hear on your debut<br />
album? And how important is your origin for your current<br />
sound?<br />
I think it’s the percussion, some ad-libs, the way I sing actually<br />
because I’m African so whatever I do is always gonna sound African.<br />
It could be neo-African, like very new wave, new vibe. Because the<br />
fact that I’m African makes everything Africanized. <strong>In</strong> songs like<br />
“Amigo” or “Solo”, I think the percussion is very Africanized.<br />
Your debut album is entitled “Gore”. What do you want to tell<br />
your listeners <strong>with</strong> the title?<br />
I named my album “Gore” because ”Gore” is a genre of horror<br />
movies. It is one of the subgenres. It says that, that kind of way to<br />
film is so violent, brutal and bloody that it becomes absurd and<br />
funny. I think at some point my personal life was so hardcore and<br />
very difficult that it became absurd. Absurdity can have a funny<br />
aspect. When I see my life I’m like it’s better to laugh than cry<br />
about it. Because there is always hope. My whole experience has<br />
been very hard for a couple years but at the same time I had a laugh<br />
about myself. <strong>In</strong> a nice way, not to mock myself or to be negative.<br />
I had a laugh at seeing the better side of it. To be joyful instead of<br />
crying and being desperate. That’s why I chose the word “Gore”.<br />
Life can be very dark sometimes and this album is very much a<br />
testimony of my strength. That’s why I said there is always hope.<br />
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“If we wanna<br />
have a change<br />
we need to<br />
change what’s<br />
happening in<br />
actual real life<br />
so we don’t<br />
have to sing<br />
about racism<br />
anymore.”<br />
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<strong>In</strong> your songs you sing about topics like everyday racism, homophobia, misogyny<br />
and the fight for an open, tolerant society. How important is it to attach political<br />
messages in your work?<br />
Even though it is not the only goal of my album, my music is political and carries a<br />
political message. I really want to fight for a lot of different causes, and music allows me<br />
to do that. <strong>In</strong> this album, there are songs about rape, prostitution, poverty, differences<br />
… It allows me to highlight some themes that aren’t displayed otherwise to all kinds of<br />
audiences.<br />
As a natural multilinguist, is there a reason why you picked French as the exclusive<br />
language used on “Gore”?<br />
“Gore” is an autobiographical album, it’s been my life for the past few years. French<br />
being my mother tongue, it seemed to me to be the only language I could tell my story<br />
in all honesty and authenticity.<br />
What does the creative process look like when you produce new songs?<br />
I write my own songs. Everything in the album comes from my personal experience,<br />
which is how I create. As for the more technical part, the album was produced by El<br />
Guincho who helped me <strong>with</strong> putting an order in my thoughts. With discipline and<br />
regularity, we managed to go where we wanted and create the sound that corresponds<br />
to my vision.<br />
What was it like for you to suddenly be a kind of figurehead in the BLM-movement?<br />
And why is it important for you to use your platform as a voice for Black womanhood?<br />
I want to use my platform as a voice for Black womanhood because I’m one myself.<br />
I think I have a responsibility for my little sisters, for strangers, for everyone really.<br />
I think we are all responsible for something, You can be responsible for anything. I<br />
feel responsible for others and not only Black people and Black females, but mostly<br />
people. I wanna be a good example of everything. I’m a human, I make tons of mistakes<br />
and I hope people would forgive me like I would forgive them. But in the meantime,<br />
I have this responsibility to give a good representation because we are lacking in<br />
representation. We don’t have no Black female singers in Europe. We have maybe 3 or 5<br />
that we can name but the rest have no visibility. There are tons of super talented Back<br />
women but we don’t see them because they never get a chance or anything.<br />
It’s very hard to get to the place I am today. And I think that’s why I wanna talk about it.<br />
People suffer and I’m either not sensitive to it and I don’t say anything or I’m sensitive<br />
and I talk about it. Because talking about Black people it’s really about talking about<br />
myself, my sister’s experience, my brother’s experiences. <strong>In</strong> a nutshell, I am giving<br />
a voice to a problem that is not well received yet in Europe. I think the <strong>conversation</strong><br />
is very open in the US because they have been talking about it, they have been vocal<br />
about it. I think in Europe we are very much at the beginning and I think as an artist<br />
it’s important to talk about things that happen outside. And as I always say, the reason<br />
why I talk about it in my music is because it happens in real life.<br />
If we wanna have a change we need to change what’s happening in actual real life so<br />
we don’t have to sing about racism anymore. We all wish we didn’t have to talk about it<br />
because as I always say being Black is only to have more melanin. So it’s very stupid to<br />
just talk about melanin. But the problem is that the same beautiful melanin has gotten<br />
us into a lot of issues that we have no control on and created this system that I wish<br />
never existed. Because it does not allow people to be free.<br />
All I want is for people to be free and be whoever you are, whatever your skin colour is.<br />
I just want you to be free and do what you wanna do, mind your business and be happy.<br />
<strong>In</strong> addition to music, you also use fashion as a form of expression and have just been<br />
seen in campaigns for Louis Vuitton and Chloé. How important is fashion to you in<br />
your videos?<br />
<strong>In</strong> my everyday life, I dress according to my state of mind of the day. Sometimes I feel<br />
like a warrior and I’ll dress in a “hip-hop” and a “masculine” way, other days I’ll feel<br />
very confident and I’ll dress like a diva! I like to play <strong>with</strong> my look, it expresses different<br />
faces of my personality.<br />
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As for the videos, the artistic director<br />
and myself really think a lot about<br />
it for all the looks to be coherent<br />
and mean something Whether it<br />
is a reference to a painting or a<br />
metaphor for a concept.<br />
Which artists in 2020 inspire you<br />
the most?<br />
On the international scene James<br />
Blake is definitely one of the most<br />
influential artists to me. Towards the<br />
French-speaking rap scene, Damso,<br />
who is also a friend, is someone I can<br />
relate to on a professional, personal<br />
and musical level.<br />
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve<br />
learned on your journey so far?<br />
The biggest lesson is… I can never<br />
be perfect, I will make mistakes,<br />
and I will have to forgive myself to<br />
move forward. I always wanted<br />
to be perfect and beat my<br />
imperfections, which was a<br />
big problem because you<br />
can never be perfect. I<br />
will never be perfect and<br />
I had to learn that along<br />
the way and understand<br />
that I had to forgive myself<br />
to move forward. ‘Cos if I hate<br />
myself I can’t do shit. So I think<br />
forgiving myself has been one of<br />
the greatest gifts I gave myself.<br />
<strong>In</strong>stagram @lousandtheyakuza<br />
lousandtheyakuza.store<br />
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Wanna be in our gang?<br />
www.grrlgangberlin.com<br />
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AND ...<br />
Photographer Ashish Chawla<br />
@ashishchawlaphotography<br />
Photography Assistants Nishant Gautam<br />
@nishantt.01<br />
Neelakshi<br />
@neelakshi_yadav<br />
Stylist Gaurav Bhatia<br />
@gauravbhatiaaa<br />
Talent Bidhuri<br />
@divyambidhuri<br />
Raj Dobriyal<br />
@raj_dobriyal<br />
Talent Agency <strong>In</strong>ega, <strong>In</strong>dia<br />
@inega.in<br />
Hair & Makeup Ank Chikara<br />
@ankchikara.artistry<br />
Retouching Arun Keswal<br />
@arunkeswal<br />
Wardrobe Partner QUOD, New York<br />
@quodnewyork<br />
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HELP SEX WORKERS IN LATIN AMERICA<br />
The COVID-19 pandemic has meant a rise in precarization for many people, among<br />
them, the situation of sex workers (both trans* and cis) in Latin America has been<br />
particularly perjudicial. Many cannot work and are persecuted by the police; the<br />
absence of an income source has left many sex workers <strong>with</strong>out a home and <strong>with</strong>out<br />
basic resourcers for their survival or deprived of incarcerated.<br />
As a group of sex workers and allies who live in Berlin we are fully conscious of<br />
this situation adn we want to help our siblings and colleagues from Latin America.<br />
We are in contact <strong>with</strong> collectives from Chile and Argentina which assist a<br />
great number of sex workers in in each country.<br />
We need your support to help them through this emergency situation and these<br />
times of scarcity, uncertainty and difficulty, in which sex workers are one of the<br />
most affected sectors.<br />
With your donation you’ll be helping the following collectives and a lot people<br />
<strong>with</strong> them:<br />
- Catxs & Las amigas de Sandra (Argentina)<br />
- Amanda Jofré (Chile)<br />
- Haciendo Calle (Mexico)<br />
Donate here<br />
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Searching for<br />
balance in our<br />
chaotic world:<br />
<strong>In</strong> <strong>conversation</strong><br />
<strong>with</strong> Wayne<br />
Snow<br />
<strong>In</strong>terview by Johanna Urbancik @johannaurbancik<br />
Photographer Antonio Pedro @topedros<br />
Art Direction & Styling Megan Courtis @meganjcourtis<br />
Wardrobe Nina Zimmermann @am.i.pinky<br />
Nigerian born, Berlin-based artist, Wayne Snow, draws inspiration from curiosity and<br />
emotional rawness. Together <strong>with</strong> French producer, Darius, the duo has yet again released two<br />
dream-like tracks that have Darius signature sharp beats graced <strong>with</strong> Wayne’s angelic, soothing<br />
voice and thought-provoking lyrics. ‘Equilibrium’, a colourful, groovy track was the<br />
duo’s first single followed by ‘Apology’, which was Wayne’s response to<br />
this year’s Black Lives Matter protests.<br />
We (virtually) caught up <strong>with</strong> Wayne to discuss his<br />
need for challenging himself, his collaborations<br />
<strong>with</strong> Darius and his diverse influences.<br />
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How are you doing?<br />
I’m good. I’m good.<br />
What’s the weather like in Berlin? I’ve heard it’s very, very cold now.<br />
Cold, yes. I went boxing this morning. It was very grey and bleak. Sad,<br />
you know, it’s very sad weather. (laughs)<br />
Moving on to happier things, can you tell me a little bit about your<br />
latest single?<br />
So ‘Apology’, what should I say? Let’s say, it’s the other phase of<br />
‘Equilibrium’. ‘Equilibrium’ is shiny and sunny while ‘Apology’ is<br />
slightly darker. Not in the sense that it’s evil, it is just a bit more grey<br />
and the tone is more serious.<br />
The idea behind it was to have this <strong>conversation</strong> about mostly race.<br />
Because you had the Black Lives Matter movement, and I thought it<br />
would be a good way to express this concern. That’s why we added<br />
it to ‘Equilibrium’. And so the idea in ‘Apology’ was a way to amend,<br />
a way to try to find some kind of a <strong>conversation</strong>, a positive, calm<br />
<strong>conversation</strong>, and to move along. It’s to recognise that these things we<br />
all deal <strong>with</strong> and carry <strong>with</strong> us are not solved yet, and we have to talk<br />
about them, and then move forward.<br />
I’ve read that the track was written and pretty much produced in<br />
one studio session. How does the collaboration or process work,<br />
especially when it’s done in only one session?<br />
This generally happens <strong>with</strong> most tracks that I do. When you hit the<br />
right key, everything just comes out as something logical that just<br />
makes sense. When working <strong>with</strong> Darius, however, we sometimes have<br />
some difficulties trying to find the right thing to do to a track. That’s<br />
why we now just put it aside and continue at a later time.<br />
And so when this track [‘Apology’] came, it just came like something<br />
logical. I usually start <strong>with</strong> the general vibe as well as general universal<br />
emotion in a track and then I try to find the underlying theme, such<br />
as politics, or something like that. And I’ve always believed that as a<br />
singer, you’re supposed to say something meaningful about the music,<br />
which is completely abstract, you know? Darius is always trying to<br />
find the right topic for me and that’s how we work together. Once we<br />
have the topic or the general vibe, a session could be around an hour,<br />
or two, until we finish a track.<br />
That’s cool. And how would you say your creative process has<br />
changed from your first releases to now?<br />
I think my problem is that I will never find the same thing and that’s<br />
why I don’t consider myself as a producer. I don’t have my own home<br />
studio section, where I do everything. And the reason behind that is<br />
just that I constantly need to be challenged, to be challenged when<br />
I’m in the studio, and there is music going on, and I feel that I have to<br />
deliver immediately. When I go to someone’s place, the fact that I’m<br />
somewhere else means that I’m there to deliver so we have to work<br />
and get something done. I constantly move and shift from one place<br />
to another. I think you can tell by the way I sound in most of my tracks<br />
that the emotion is always different. I get this feeling and I try to just<br />
do what I feel at that moment.<br />
I would say I never did the same thing twice. Whenever I release a<br />
track, and then another one and another one, that just means that<br />
there’s something wrong inside of me that I am dealing <strong>with</strong>.<br />
You mentioned before that you always challenge yourself. Is the way<br />
you challenge yourself that you go to different places, or do you have<br />
many different ways of challenging yourself?<br />
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“I tried to express this<br />
notion of Yin and Yang at<br />
this moment where you<br />
wake up, look at the world<br />
and it’s in total chaos”<br />
Well, one of the ways of challenging myself<br />
is to go into someone’s house. House in the<br />
sense of a studio, or creative space. And of<br />
course, knowing this person very little, but<br />
for this person to then share a fragile part<br />
of themselves <strong>with</strong> me is how I challenge<br />
myself. I generally feel like each track is<br />
just trying to capture this very private,<br />
intimate moment of myself and the people<br />
I’m working <strong>with</strong>.<br />
I watched the video to ‘Equilibrium’ and<br />
it’s very powerful and colourful. Do you<br />
get involved <strong>with</strong> the direction on where<br />
the video goes?<br />
Not that much anymore. Alice Kong, who<br />
directed the video, is an acquaintance of a<br />
friend, and she understood our initial idea<br />
for the video. We were looking for someone<br />
who would be able to express this idea of<br />
different people coming together, as well<br />
as adding this surreal madness, crazy<br />
touch. That’s another way I enjoy working<br />
<strong>with</strong> people by giving them a tiny general<br />
hint and then see what they come up <strong>with</strong>.<br />
And Alice felt the music and did her own<br />
little thing <strong>with</strong> the video. The only thing<br />
I would’ve loved to add were Darius and I<br />
showing how much we’re into the music<br />
because I felt like we just gave you guys like<br />
just this tiny moment in the end that then<br />
quickly disappeared.<br />
When you have the singer, the person,<br />
the voice and you see people just vibing<br />
listening to your song, it makes you feel a<br />
little bit like Michael Jackson.<br />
And from what I understood from both<br />
the track, your other recent releases and<br />
the video, your work seems to be a big<br />
collaboration process. How does that<br />
process work? Is it the same input by<br />
everyone, or do you have a general mood<br />
board of what you want it to look like, and<br />
then everyone just pitches in?<br />
The way I work <strong>with</strong> people is so strange. That was, and is, something<br />
where I’m still trying to improve myself. I tend to set the tone <strong>with</strong>out<br />
being bossy and commanding people to do as I say, but because I know<br />
the music and the set way of expression.<br />
And the other thing I have <strong>with</strong> Darius is that we talk a lot. I always try to<br />
express the underlying poetical themes, just like in the track ‘Lost <strong>In</strong> The<br />
Moment’. I always try to explain what the theme really means to me. Same<br />
happened <strong>with</strong> ‘Equilibrium’, where I tried to express this notion of Yin<br />
and Yang at this moment where you wake up, look at the world and it’s in<br />
total chaos. All those horrible things you see in the news at the moment,<br />
such as Corona, and it puts you in this kind-of serene, super calm state.<br />
There’s so much beauty in that state and that sort of balance is what<br />
‘Equilibrium’ means to me.<br />
You’ve already briefly mentioned the pandemic. How does not being<br />
able to play affect your creativity, and has it somehow changed your<br />
approach to music?<br />
It makes me moody. I have bumping emotions, ups and downs because<br />
I feel like I’m not able to release this fixed gridded dish that is inside<br />
and needs to speak out and exist. And that’s been a bit difficult at times.<br />
I mean I went boxing today <strong>with</strong> friends just ‘cause we’re trying to get<br />
through this together. (laughs)<br />
I mean, for some artists this crisis has had a big financial impact and I<br />
think if you’ve been doing what you’re doing for ages and now you just<br />
can’t. There’s a lot to say about the current situation. It’s awkward and<br />
we’re trying to deal <strong>with</strong> it because that’s what life is.<br />
And how do you think the music industry is gonna look like in a year?<br />
Let’s say the vaccine is here and everything is slowly starting to reopen.<br />
Do you think we’re going to go straight back to what we’ve been like,<br />
2019? Or do you think there’ll be a completely new music scene/industry?<br />
The streaming and distribution part of the industry is doing pretty<br />
well. Even before the second lockdown in Berlin, I heard that loads of<br />
Vinyls have been sold. People see quality music because maybe they’re<br />
starting to understand how shitty some sounds are and they would like<br />
to invest into more quality. It has also pressed the pause button for some<br />
businesses, so when things will become normal, many organisations will<br />
stay closed, such as so many festivals and clubs.<br />
One other thing is those good musicians, genuinely talented people will<br />
be a lot more visible after this pandemic.<br />
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“I am from Nigeria,<br />
and what I carry as a<br />
Nigerian is this capacity<br />
to just explore and<br />
check out things, I’m<br />
curious about everything.<br />
And that huge curiosity<br />
is that African<br />
gift I have, not giving<br />
a shit as long as it’s<br />
groovy, you feel your<br />
head banging and<br />
there’s emotion there.”<br />
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Why?<br />
Because now we’re being forced to take a break. Before<br />
we didn’t really care about the person playing next to us,<br />
because there was so much noise. But now, as soon as<br />
things get back to normal when you see someone on stage,<br />
you want to see some people who hit the right key.<br />
And my impression in Berlin is that I’ve been connected<br />
to some very talented musicians, who have this jazzbackground.<br />
Whereas before the pandemic, it was more<br />
about producers who weren’t musicians, but music lovers.<br />
When it comes to your own influences or inspirations,<br />
what artists would you describe as your main influences<br />
that have shaped your sound?<br />
I have so many. So yesterday, I was listening to Voodoo<br />
by D’Angelo and I won’t lie, it’s amazing how you can<br />
capture something from the time back then that sounds<br />
still relevant. Then, of course, Marvin Gaye’s nice oldschool<br />
coolness. And then, even though I rarely mention<br />
it, I listen to a lot of 70s, like Paul Rodgers, Jim Morrison<br />
and sometimes even crazier stuff like King Crimson. I<br />
don’t really mention those influences, though, ‘cause I feel<br />
they’re quite obvious.<br />
I am from Nigeria, and what I carry as a Nigerian is this<br />
capacity to just explore and check out things, I’m curious<br />
about everything. And that huge curiosity is that African<br />
gift I have, not giving a shit as long as it’s groovy, you feel<br />
your head banging and there’s emotion there.<br />
@waynesnowmusic<br />
www.wayne-snow.com<br />
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Chiasm<br />
Photography Nata Mitereva @natamiterev<br />
Model Yura Puscasu @yutamir_ DT MODEL Management<br />
Styling Anjelica Vlasova @ajelishka<br />
Brands Haskel, Anjelica Vlasova & Natalia Sergacova<br />
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From jazz<br />
to hard<br />
techno -<br />
Meet the<br />
Greek<br />
producer<br />
MarcelDune<br />
<strong>In</strong>terview by Johanna Urbancik @johannaurbancik<br />
Photographer Florian Herzing @helly_shoots<br />
Designer Pernilla Weinholz @yourbestpennycillin<br />
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Her music is a colourful fusion of hypnotic<br />
nostalgia, fast-paced beats and colourful<br />
patterns that sparks a big influence of<br />
urban underground culture. MarcelDune<br />
grew up in Greece and has just recently<br />
moved from Athens to London, where she’s<br />
exploring the city’s diverse and raw street<br />
style culture. Drawing inspiration not only<br />
from her surroundings, she also avidly<br />
combines modular synthesizers <strong>with</strong> analog<br />
and digital sounds in addition to field<br />
recordings, which are heavily influenced by<br />
jazz studies and opera singing. Her latest<br />
EP ‘Preternatural’, which was released on<br />
23rd October via REPITCH, is a collection of<br />
seven fast-paced techno tracks.<br />
KALTBLUT caught up <strong>with</strong> MarcelDune<br />
to talk about ‘Preternatural’, her recent<br />
relocation to London and her creative process.<br />
How would you describe your music in<br />
three words?<br />
Euphoric, hard, melodic<br />
Walk me through how you produce your<br />
music. What’s your creative progress and<br />
how did you find your own sound?<br />
Lately I have changed my creative process<br />
a lot, I made it more convenient and easy.<br />
Meaning that I sold a lot of my gear and<br />
began focusing more on software and<br />
sampling.<br />
For me, producing a track or making music<br />
in general is a way to escape from these<br />
difficult times that we are all facing, and<br />
the pandemic is not the only problem that<br />
we have to solve as humanity. Racism,<br />
sexism and the patriarchy are also ways<br />
of oppression that we have to fight for<br />
example! So, I decided to make my workflow<br />
more convenient in order to spend more<br />
and more time lost in the sounds. I can sit<br />
for more than twelve hours just listening to<br />
samples or trying to figure out the right kick<br />
or the right sound effect. I am not sure if I<br />
have found my sound because I really want<br />
to experiment and improvise constantly,<br />
creating new ways of expression.<br />
Your latest EP Preternatural is a collection<br />
of euphoric, hard bangers. How has this<br />
EP evolved since you first began making<br />
music?<br />
When I first began producing music<br />
my sound was more into experimental<br />
electronic sound <strong>with</strong> many elements<br />
borrowed from Jazz, which I then translated<br />
into my own world of understanding. Back<br />
then I studied Jazz so I was really into this<br />
particular sound and aesthetic. Jazz gives<br />
you the opportunity to freely improvise and<br />
create your own path under a very certain<br />
form of track. As a result my sound has<br />
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“Jazz gives you the<br />
opportunity to freely<br />
improvise and create your<br />
own path under a very<br />
certain form of track.”<br />
evolved a lot throughout the years but again all<br />
of my tracks have this little <strong>conversation</strong> from<br />
hard-hitting improvised parts to solo euphoric<br />
voices and back to the original form.<br />
Who and what have been the main influences<br />
that helped you shape your sound?<br />
Like I’ve mentioned in the past, my main<br />
inspiration that has shaped my sound is life<br />
in the city, the raw street and underground<br />
culture as well as how people face oppression<br />
of any form in their day to day lives.<br />
What’s it like to release an EP into a<br />
pandemic?<br />
Releasing an EP during a global pandemic<br />
is not an easy process because it is very sad<br />
that you lose many opportunities for gigs and<br />
communicating <strong>with</strong> other people around or<br />
receiving feedback for your work. You don’t<br />
really get the chance to see the impact your<br />
music might have on a crowd which is quite<br />
the misfortune, but I try to keep a positive<br />
perspective.<br />
You’ve recently said that your music is<br />
inspired by life in the city. Could you tell me<br />
what you meant by that and how it reflects in<br />
your music?<br />
I like observing life in the city as a third<br />
person, it interests me how people act in<br />
certain circumstances and how each person<br />
is actually different from the other however<br />
similar they may seem, and the way they<br />
struggle <strong>with</strong> their problems is so powerful<br />
and unique that I try to output this experience<br />
through my music. Hard stomping kicks can<br />
represent the roughness of the city concrete,<br />
and trancey melodic leads can represent the<br />
euphoric escapism of individuals.<br />
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You’ve relocated from Athens to London. How has the city impacted your creativity?<br />
I am new in London so I have no idea yet but I believe that I will find my way, since<br />
expressing myself through art is vital for me. Also a new environment always gives you a<br />
lot of information to take in and this is what I am currently looking for.<br />
What are the biggest differences between Athens’ and London’s underground<br />
nightlife scenes?<br />
I haven’t really had the chance to explore London’s underground nightlife but I’m<br />
sure there will be similarities as well as differences. Athens’ underground nightlife<br />
is currently going through a revival <strong>with</strong> many illegal raves and parties going on. The<br />
electronic music scene in Athens is small compared to other cities such as London, but<br />
at the same time has a unique approach to it. The scene is very DIY-centric since there<br />
is no form of support from the government or any external organisations etc. So the<br />
musicians, DJ’s and artists in general are left by themselves <strong>with</strong>out any form of support.<br />
This has built a strong community and a DIY mindset. I’m sure I will find something<br />
similar in the London underground scene as well and I can’t wait to dive deep into it.<br />
@marceldune<br />
marceldune.bandcamp.com<br />
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FALOCHRON<br />
Photography Maximilian Mouson<br />
maximilianmouson.com<br />
@maximilianmouson<br />
Hair and Make up Patricia Hoos using Davines,<br />
Fenty Beauty and Charlotte Tilbury<br />
patricia-hoos.com<br />
@patricia_hoos<br />
Styling by Nico Sutor<br />
nicosutor.com<br />
@nicosutorfashion<br />
Assistent Marco Herse Foti<br />
@marcohersefoti<br />
Models are Jennifer Farwer<br />
@jennifer.farwer<br />
and Katharina D.<br />
@katha_rina_d<br />
by M4 Models<br />
m4models.de<br />
@m4models<br />
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Jennifer<br />
Coat - Charlotte Strindberg<br />
Skirt - Tim Ryan Knit<br />
Shoes - Premiata<br />
Katharina<br />
Blazer - Arkadiusz Swieton<br />
Top - Kristine Boström<br />
Chain - Nico Sutor<br />
Skirt - Tim Ryan Knit<br />
Shoes - Suicoke<br />
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Jennifer<br />
Coat - Charlotte Strindberg<br />
Skirt - Tim Ryan Knit<br />
Shoes - Premiata<br />
Katharina<br />
Blazer - Arkadiusz Swieton<br />
Top - Kristine Boström<br />
Chain - Nico Sutor<br />
Skirt - Tim Ryan Knit<br />
Shoes - Suicoke<br />
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Jennifer<br />
Coat - Charlotte Strindberg<br />
Skirt - Tim Ryan Knit<br />
Shoes - Premiata<br />
Katharina<br />
Blazer - Arkadiusz Swieton<br />
Top - Kristine Boström<br />
Chain - Nico Sutor<br />
Skirt - Tim Ryan Knit<br />
Shoes - Suicoke<br />
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Jennifer<br />
Dress - Lærke Dramshøj<br />
Turtleneck - Nico Sutor<br />
Belt - Perlensau<br />
Tights - Falke<br />
Shoes - United Nude<br />
Chain - Denis Goec<br />
Hair Clipper - Jasmin Erb<br />
Katharina<br />
Dress - Lærke Dramshøj<br />
Turtleneck - Nico Sutor<br />
Shirt - Hugo Boss<br />
Belt - Perlensau<br />
Tights - Falke<br />
Shoes - Suicoke<br />
Gloves - Charlotte Strindberg<br />
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Jennifer<br />
Dress - Lærke Dramshøj<br />
Turtleneck - Nico Sutor<br />
Belt - Perlensau<br />
Tights - Falke<br />
Shoes - United Nude<br />
Chain - Denis Goec<br />
Hair Clipper - Jasmin Erb<br />
Katharina<br />
Dress - Lærke Dramshøj<br />
Turtleneck - Nico Sutor<br />
Shirt - Hugo Boss<br />
Belt - Perlensau<br />
Tights - Falke<br />
Shoes - Suicoke<br />
Gloves - Charlotte Strindberg<br />
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Jennifer<br />
Shirt - Phillip Lim<br />
Dress and Top - Kristine Boström<br />
Shoes - United Nude<br />
Chain - Arkadiusz Swieton<br />
Katharina<br />
Shirt - Charlotte Strindberg<br />
Sleeves - Lotte Schönfeld<br />
Top - Elin Meijer<br />
Earrings and Pants - Lea Maria Kahl<br />
Shoes - United Nude<br />
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Blazer and Gloves - Nastassia Volkus<br />
Shirt - Lærke Dramshøj<br />
Pants - Charlotte Strindberg<br />
Bag - Lotte Schönfeld<br />
Chains - Denis Goec<br />
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Jennifer<br />
Trench and Overall - Lea Maria Kahl<br />
Dress and Shoes - Elin Meijer<br />
Katharina<br />
Trench - Elin Arvidsson<br />
Top and Gloves - Anastasia Bull<br />
Blouse and Pants - Lea Maria Kahl<br />
Shoes - United Nude<br />
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Jennifer:<br />
Body and Shoes - Charlotte Strindberg<br />
Blouse - Jasmin Erb<br />
Skirt - Rebecca Pohl<br />
Katharina:<br />
Overall - Charlotte Strindberg<br />
Blazer and Gloves - Rebecca Pohl<br />
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Blouse - Charlotte Strindberg<br />
Dress - Alice Grunvander<br />
Shoes - Doc Martnes<br />
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From latex to<br />
loving yourself-<br />
Meet James <strong>In</strong>digo,<br />
the queer rap artist<br />
starting a rap<br />
revolution.<br />
<strong>In</strong>terview by Lewis RobertCameron @lrcfashionstylist<br />
Pictures by Sam Jordannes @samjordannephotography<br />
Digital artwork by David Oldenburg @oldenburgdavid<br />
KALTBLUT chats exclusively to Birmingham-born rap artist, and rising future queer icon, James<br />
<strong>In</strong>digo on his inspiring debut EP Married To The Game, giving rap a refreshingly queer<br />
makeover spitting lyrical gems, serving sex, swag and cleverly infectious hiphop<br />
bops. Also, he loves latex, Kylie made him gay and he enjoys dancing<br />
in his underwear. Total husband material, (*Googles human cloning<br />
methods.)<br />
Hi James, it’s an absolute pleasure to chat to<br />
you. How’s 2020 been treating you?<br />
Thank you for interviewing me. 2020 has<br />
been a roller-coaster of emotions. Overall I<br />
would say it has been a real eye-opener and<br />
I have been really content and productive. I<br />
take each day as it comes.<br />
Congrats on your debut EP Married<br />
to the Game, how are you feeling now<br />
you’ve released it for the world to hear?<br />
I feel ecstatic! I have been working on<br />
this project for a while now. I feel like I<br />
have just given birth and I’m watching<br />
my baby grow.<br />
You certainly came to slay. I feel<br />
like I’m in the ballroom version of<br />
a rap battle complete <strong>with</strong> sequin<br />
mic drops mixed <strong>with</strong> death drops in<br />
abundance. How did you find your<br />
sound and when did you know this<br />
was the direction you wanted to go in<br />
musically?<br />
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Thanks, that’s a great description. I want to go<br />
to a ballroom now haha. I have always loved<br />
different genres of music. I can go from one<br />
extreme to another. One day I’m listening to<br />
hyper pop and the next I’m listening to classical<br />
music.<br />
I wanted to make a project that embodied all my<br />
favourite sounds. So the direction and creative<br />
process was pretty easy.<br />
Tell me about the idea behind the cover art.<br />
Your head is separated from your body. What<br />
does it all mean and how’s your head?<br />
When I sat down to create my EP I was<br />
thinking about my journey thus far and<br />
how far I’ve come as a person. When I was<br />
younger I always felt like I didn’t belong.<br />
I felt like a broken doll. I was never the<br />
popular kid and I was bullied. But the<br />
love I have for music helped me. I’m<br />
married to my art. So straight away I<br />
had this idea of being a broken doll<br />
<strong>with</strong> a veil over my head. I stuck <strong>with</strong><br />
it as the overall theme. And I haven’t<br />
had any complaints ;)<br />
I’m obsessed <strong>with</strong> Latex. Such a<br />
bop. How do you come <strong>with</strong> these<br />
lyrical moments?<br />
Thank you, I love Latex. I wanted<br />
to make a song called Latex for a<br />
while because I’m obsessed <strong>with</strong><br />
latex and the way it makes me<br />
feel. This lyric came to my mind “<br />
Latex, I like a late text” So I booked<br />
in studio time <strong>with</strong> my producer,<br />
and I started to write to the beat. I<br />
remember wanting to talk freaky<br />
but also talk about me being<br />
proud. I say “I’m the black sheep<br />
and I’m fucking proud to be”<br />
Where do you find yourself the<br />
most inspired when it comes to<br />
writing and creating?<br />
It can be really random. I have<br />
woken up in the middle of the<br />
night before <strong>with</strong> a hook in my<br />
head or I randomly get a lyric<br />
in my head and I’m rushing<br />
to type it into my notes.<br />
When I wrote Dick Print I<br />
was dancing in my room<br />
<strong>with</strong> my briefs on and it<br />
just came to me. When I<br />
sit down to write it’s<br />
always pretty early.<br />
So I would say<br />
morning/midday<br />
after a coffee.<br />
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Thank you for that awesome visual, we now know you are a briefs guy.<br />
Lol ;p. As a queer person of colour, authenticity is obviously a huge part<br />
to who you are as an artist, what helps you stay true to yourself when<br />
making music?<br />
Coming into the industry I didn’t want to act “cool” or be something<br />
I’m not. I’m happy <strong>with</strong> the person I have become. I wake up every day<br />
blessed and I count my blessings. So staying humble and true to myself is<br />
pretty easy.<br />
I love that your music is extremely honest and raw but <strong>with</strong> a playful,<br />
humorous undertone. How important is it for you to enjoy doing what<br />
you do when it comes to your music?<br />
Extremely important. I eat, breathe, and sleep music. I listen to music<br />
every day and I write almost every day. It’s Cathartic. I’m also a really fun,<br />
happy guy and I don’t take myself and life too seriously. Life is short. I<br />
want to spend every day loving it. I love putting that energy into my art.<br />
You are definitely a rarity in the UK music industry. How has it been for<br />
you being openly gay as a rapper and starting your career?<br />
It’s been amazing. The love and support I have received overwhelms me.<br />
I get a lot of messages from people saying they’ve never seen a gay rapper<br />
before or that I inspire them to live their truth. You do get the odd person<br />
saying shit but I don’t pay any notice.<br />
Haters gonna hate. It’s refreshing to see, and more importantly hear,<br />
you do you so unapologetically. What made you decide to be open <strong>with</strong><br />
your sexuality and include it so expressively in your music?<br />
When I was writing my first single Cxntour I knew I didn’t want to hold<br />
back. It’s all or nothing. Being open and showing the world who you are<br />
isn’t a bad thing. I wanted to come into the game 100 percent me and 100<br />
percent unapologetic. All guns blazing.<br />
Pow pow. Your previous singles have always touched on elements of<br />
diversity and breaking down stereotypes <strong>with</strong>in society and the queer<br />
community, whats the main message of MTTG?<br />
The main message from this project is an overall message. I am black.<br />
I’m an openly gay man, I’m in the music industry, I grew up <strong>with</strong> nothing,<br />
I own who I am and I am proud. This EP<br />
embodies sexuality, confidence, and oozes<br />
excitement. The message is showing that<br />
you can come from any background or<br />
sexuality and win. Hard work pays off. This<br />
EP is a reflection of all of that.<br />
Your songs are also pretty damn sexy.<br />
Daddy’s Coming Home made me a little<br />
bit pregnant. How has being comfortable<br />
<strong>with</strong> your sexuality allowed you to be/feel<br />
liberated sexually?<br />
That’s my job done then haha. When you<br />
don’t give a fuck about the opinions of<br />
others and you follow your heart and learn<br />
to love yourself, Everything falls into place.<br />
Writing music is the way I express myself. So<br />
openly talking about my sexuality empowers<br />
me.<br />
You are also very experimental when it<br />
comes to playing <strong>with</strong> queer references<br />
in your videos. What inspires you when it<br />
comes to your visuals and the lewks you<br />
bring to the table?<br />
Ji; It’s many different things. When I write, I<br />
99 percent envision the visual. I see fabrics,<br />
colours, and lights in my head. My mind<br />
is pretty crazy. I then forward all my crazy<br />
ideas to my team. Then we go back and forth<br />
<strong>with</strong> ideas and themes to fine tune them.<br />
<strong>In</strong> your honest opinion, do you think<br />
rap and hip hop is changing its view on<br />
sexuality at all?<br />
I would say it’s 50/50 we have definitely<br />
come a long way. We have big artists killing it<br />
like Tyler The Creator and Lil Nas. However,<br />
we still live in a homophobic world and a<br />
lot of people are stuck in their ways. We still<br />
have a lot of work to do.<br />
What advice would you give to other young<br />
rappers who may struggle to open up about<br />
their sexuality in the future?<br />
I would start by saying that remember you<br />
are not alone. It’s easy to feel isolated and<br />
feeling like you don’t belong. There’s plenty<br />
of us out there and there’s plenty of people<br />
who love and accept you for who you are.<br />
Don’t be scared to speak your truth. Your<br />
future is bright.<br />
Finally, what can we expect from James<br />
<strong>In</strong>digo in 2021?<br />
You can expect loads of visuals, you can<br />
expect great performances, and loads more<br />
dark, heavy music.<br />
Conclusion, ten, ten, tens across the board.<br />
James <strong>In</strong>digo’s debut EP, Married To The<br />
Game, is available to stream now.<br />
<strong>In</strong>stagram @jamesindigo<br />
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The<br />
Cell<br />
Photography,<br />
Art Direction & Styling<br />
Magic Owen<br />
www.magicowen.co.uk<br />
@magicowenphotography<br />
Model and Make-Up<br />
Amy at Oxygen Models<br />
Location Gloucester Prison<br />
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Neck Piece - Patrick Ian Hartley<br />
Vinyl Bodysuit - Pretty Little Suit<br />
Black Vinyl Long Gloves - Gucci<br />
Thigh High boots - Pleaser<br />
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Red Bodysuit - House Of Namaste<br />
Black Hood - Sweet’n’Twisted Studio<br />
Thigh High boots - Pleaser<br />
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Neck Piece - Patrick Ian Hartley<br />
Vinyl Bodysuit - Pretty Little Suit<br />
Black Vinyl Long Gloves - Gucci<br />
Thigh High boots - Pleaser<br />
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Sheer Vinyl Coat - Boohoo<br />
Black Hood - Sweet’n’Twisted Studio<br />
Medical Headpiece & Silicone Bra - House Of Namaste<br />
Clear lace up Neck collar - Syban<br />
Black Corset Belt - Anita Nemkyova<br />
Black Vinyl Gloves - Gucci<br />
Clear Perspex Tie Leg Heels - ASOS<br />
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Medical Headdress - Syban<br />
White PVC Dress - Boohoo<br />
Medical Corset and arm brace - Syban<br />
Clear Perspex Tie Leg Heels - ASOS<br />
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White Faux Leather Dress - Zara<br />
Crystal Boobs - House Of Namaste<br />
Clear Perspex Tie Leg Heels - ASOS<br />
Black Hood - Sweet’n’Twisted Studio<br />
Shield - Vikullsi<br />
Black Vinyl Gloves - Gucci<br />
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Blue Rings Jacket - House Of Namaste<br />
Latex Corset and underwear - Dark Virtue Designs<br />
Black Rays Gloves - T Label<br />
Black Hood - Sweet’n’Twisted Studio<br />
Clear Perspex Tie Leg Heels - ASOS<br />
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