Subbacultcha Belgium Summer 2018 by Subbacultcha

Dog Days July & August 2018

s u b b a c u l t c h a e v e n t s in July & August All events are free for members. Join at subbacultcha.be

film

music

6.7 Eric Clapton: A Life In 12 Bars

5.7 Felix Kubin + DJ Cénile Dion

Table Dance, Antwerp

Cinematek, Brussels

8.7 Soho Rezanejad + Vaginas, what else? In De Ruimte, Ghent

7.7

Il Deserto Rosso

Cinematek, Brussels

14.7 FLOAT Night ft. TWR72 + Jeroen Search + Arkline + 9M-MRJ HAAR, Antwerp

2.8 Short Cuts Cinematek, Brussels 3.8 Bunch of Kunst Cinema Zuid, Antwerp 14.8 Visite Festival: Heleen Declercq

21.7 Rock Zerkegem ft. Fumaça Preta + Dr CHAN + Phoenician Drive + Vaginas, what else? + more Zerkegem

Het Bos, Antwerp

expo — 15.7 Laurent Van Lancker: Disorientation(s) Argos, Brussels

27.7 Supervue Festival Liège

2-4.8 Micro Festival ft. Flavien Berger + Dollkraut + No Age + — 15.7 Bie Michels & Marie more ESPACE 251 NORD, Liège Voignier — Dialoguing Gazes 10.8 Antwerp Queer Arts Festival ft. Argos, Brussels Le1f + Light Asylum — 12.8 Josef Koudelka Invasion Felix Pakhuis, Antwerp Prague 68 Botanique, Brussels 11.8 Different Class ft. Carla dal — 2.9 Suspended Spaces Forno + Blue Hawaii + Liss + BPS22, Charleroi Oklou + Yves Tumor

Bar Bricolage, Ghent

1.9

Deep in House — Atomium Mini Festival After Party

C12, Brussels

— 2.9 Gabriel Belgeonne BPS22, Charleroi 1-31.7 RESIST! The 1960s protests, photography and visual legacy Bozar, Brussels

5.9 Faith Healer Reflektor, Liège

1-31.7 Eija-Liisa Ahtila M Museum, Leuven 1-31.7 Jim Campers M Museum, Leuven

ARCADE FIRE · THE WAR ON DRUGS OSCAR AND THE WOLF · TRAVIS SCOTT KENDRICK LAMAR · IMAGINE DRAGONS AMENRA · AWESOME TAPES FROM AFRICA BONOBO · BROCKHAMPTON CIGARETTES AFTER SEX · DĀM-FUNK DJ SET DIRTY PROJECTORS · THE EGYPTIAN LOVER GOGO PENGUIN · GOOSE · GRIZZLY BEAR JAMES HOLDEN & THE ANIMAL SPIRITS JOHN MAUS · JUNGLE · JUSTICE KELLY LEE OWENS · KIASMOS LIVE KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD PHOEBE BRIDGERS · PROTOMARTYR REJJIE SNOW · RHYE · ROISIN MURPHY ROLLING BLACKOUTS COASTAL FEVER SHELLAC · SLEAFORD MODS SONS OF KEMET · SOPHIE SUDAN ARCHIVES · SUPERORGANISM TODD TERJE DJ SET · TRIXIE WHITLEY UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA · YELLOW DAYS AND MANY MORE

Dog Days intro

In this part of the world, summer is akin to an uncertain, capricious lover: mostly cool and unreadable, but when it flares up, it gets us good. The days of blazing sunlight we are allocated each year are sparse, unpredictable, yet they allow us to linger and loiter, forcing us to find a spot to lie our bodies and cool our heads. These temporal flares, these dog days of lust and heat affirm themselves through their ability to make our panting turn into howling, our memories of their passage powerful and erratic. A summer of errant mutts, all looking to share a place under the shade. 5

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Drukkerij GEWADRUPO bvba Hoge Mauw 130 B-2370 Arendonk info@gewa.be +32 (0)14.67.86.69 6 6

content

Dog Days

subbacultcha events 9—19 Blue Hawaii 20—25 Carla dal Forno 26—31 Vaginas, what else? 32—35 artist 36—41 style 42—45 book 46—47 recent finds 49—55 film 57—59 we visit you 60—61

album, Six Archetypes, where she embraced her own darkness. In between synth and mysterious lyrics, the artist gets inspiration from the best of the ’80s and recents acts such as Zola Jesus and Cold Cave. For an exclusive night for Subba members and their plus night, Soho will bring some necessary goth vibe into the bright summer. Support by Vaginas, what else?

music

Felix Kubin + DJ Cénile Dion 5 July – Table Dance, Antwerp 20.00 – €7 – free for members

FLOAT Night

Electro-acoustic German producer Felix Kubin got into music when he was just a kid. He started studying piano, organ and glockenspiel when he was eight, and fell for electronic music when he discovered the synthesizer KORG MS20 in 1980. Today considered THE figure of deviant electronic music, Felix likes to juggle different styles and projects, ranging from futuristic pop and minimal wave to theatre and radiophonic plays. Behind his cold facial expression and classic suits stands an artist with a great sense of humour and a sensible creativity… Never judge a book by its cover.

ft. TWR72 + Jeroen Search + Arkline + 9M-MRJ 14 July – HAAR, Antwerp 23.00 – €10 – free for members Float Records is a techno-oriented label based in Amsterdam and founded by techno duo TWR72. The label combines music with detailed visual design and has a recognisable sound. Besides TWR72, Float supports talented producers and renowned artists in search of new, characteristic sounds, such as Sleeparchive, Tensal, Oisel, Cirkle, Fisssh, Evod and many more. A sweaty label night will be guaranteed with music ranging from analogue sequences to minimal to Spanish techno.

Soho Rezanejad + Vaginas, what else? 8 July – In De Ruimte, Ghent 20.00 – exclusive for members and their +1 Friend of Lust Of Youth, Danish singer Soho Rezanejad released her debut

We’re looking for distributors in Brussels! mail herlinde@subbacultcha.be

Rock Zerkegem ft. Fumaça Preta + Dr CHAN + Phoenician Drive + Vaginas, what else? + more 21 July – Zerkegem 15.00 – €20 – free for members Wooo-aaa-ooow: it’s time for Belgium’s unofficial national psych/garage day in the beautiful village of Zerkegem. They once again serve us a superb international line-up, though our personal favourites come from our own country. 1: Public Pysche — formerly known as Rape Blossoms — serve kraut/psych/ post-punk in a unique way; their latest album No New Violence is already an underground classic. 2: Bayacomputer makes danceable art punk/synth post-punk, mostly sung in English, but their French tracks are pure bliss. 3: Phoenician Drive owns a small universe of unpredictable oriental Krautrock. Also: pintjes = €1.

Supervue Festival 27 July – Terril Pinon, Liège – 16.00 €16 – free for members before 19.00 What’s happening in Liège? The only thing we know is that for two weekends, you shouldn’t go anywhere else. First stop: Terril Pinon for Supervue

Festival. Apart from the exceptional view, you can enjoy DJ Lycox from the ever-intriguing Príncipe Discos label (think: kuduro, batida, tarraxinha) from Lisbon, eclectic dance-floor hero Jam City — could be playing dub, UK garage, hip hop, house, downtempo, etc. — and Brussels-based all-star Bear Bones, Lay Low. Also don’t forget to check out the beautiful installations — we hope the giant fidget spinners will be back this year. More names TBA.

Micro Festival ft. Flavien Berger + Dollkraut + No Age + more 2-4 Aug – ESPACE 251 NORD, Liège TBA – €25.99 free for members with reservation via memberships@subbacultcha.be before 27 July After you stayed a whole week in Liège enjoying life by la Meuse with the afterglow of Supervue Festival, let’s go to Micro Festival. The line-up is quite impressive: for three days you’ll get to see — among others — The Notwist (German indie dinosaurs), Flavien Berger (French synth-wave pop wizard), No Age (American noise rock/DIY vegans), DOLLKRAUT (Dutch analogue synth nostalgist) and Snapped Ankles (British DIY/kraut/post-punk savages). Also on the menu: boulette à la sauce Liègoise, yummmm.

Antwerp Queer Arts Festival

Yve s Tum o r

Headlining this year’s edition is experimentalist Yves Tumor. The Tennessee-raised but Turin-based electronic artist has emerged as a magician who perfectly mixes R&B beats with dirty bits of noise. Even considering the rapidly evolving world we live in, his latest effort Serpent Music released back in 2016 has not aged in a single bit. Interlacing rich and modern electronic lo-fi pieces through field recording, organic instruments and various samples, Yves Tumor sets the scene for a dreamlike psychedelic journey.

ft. Le1f + Light Asylum 10 Aug – Felix Pakhuis, Antwerp 20.00 – €20 – free for members The Antwerp Queer Arts festival takes places every year in Antwerp, where local and international artists are invited to question our preconceptions about gender and sexuality. As a good way to start the Antwerp Pride weekend, the festival hosts a party where Light Asylum will bring her unique voice wrapped in post-punk, synth-pop sounds. She’s coming alongside queer rapper Le1f, who will introduce his direction after his critically acclaimed studio album Riot Boi. Queer Belgian performer Jean Biche will be there to blow your minds with his illusions.

B l u e H awa ii

Also performing at your favourite festival is melancholic Canadian duo, Blue Hawaii, who has recently taken it more ’90s club-style with DJ Agor and VJ (voice ) Raph. Throughout the years the duo has expressed their rollercoaster of emotions; with a debut album in 2010 marking their falling in love, followed three years later by a sophomore retracing their falling out of love, then concluding last year with the third chapter beautifully telling about their reconciliation as friends. If you feel like grooving on catchy colourful electronic pop beats, it’s then time to cancel all your other plans.

Different Class ft. Carla dal Forno + Blue Hawaii + Liss + Oklou + Yves Tumor

C a r l a d a l Fo r n o

11 Aug – Bar Bricolage, Ghent 16.00 – exclusive for members Different Class is back for another round with that sweet music of the underground. So if you’re feeling adventurous this is your summer event.

Yo! Peperoni, drop your spagets, the London-based Melburnian experimental electronic pop master Carla dal Forno is coming to Ghent. Carla produces eerie vocals, intriguing textures and zoned-out dubby

basslines, making her the right artist to add on your ‘when it’s dark outside and the thunderstorm has just passed’ playlist. Often nourished with earth sounds (wood, bone, breath, skin, dirt), Carla’s music calls for a poststorm deep meditative adventure. Fans of Jenny Hval, Hype Williams or Grouper: it’s a good one to munch on.

L is s

DC wouldn’t be complete if Scandinavians were missed, so our boys from electronic pop band Liss have agreed to make a little detour and join the line-up. The boys have managed to come with their very own style, far from the renowned underground punk scene of their hometown of Aarhus in Denmark. With their ‘80s production and crooning vocals the boys have been flipping the web and have been acclaimed as one of Denmark’s most promising pop rock band.

Oklou

Based in London, French underground electronic artist Oklou, aka Marylou Mayniel, has also agreed to drop by Ghent this summer. Marylou has a classical music education playing the piano and cello, but like most millennial musicians she also selftaught herself producing electronic music on her laptop while exploring the web world of digital artists. Since then, Marylou became Oklou, produced several mixtapes, collaborations, live shows and has become a key member of the new European electronic underground scene.

Deep in House — Atomium Mini Festival After Party 1 Sep – C12, Brussels TBA – TBA – free for members The Deepin’ boys are keeping it real once ahead by taking the Atomium Mini Festival back home at C12 for a night house and techno.

Faith Healer 5 Sep – Reflektor, Liège TBA – €7 – free for members This Canadian indie-rock band was initially a self-titled solo project led by Jessica Jalbert. With the ambition of not being categorised as a singer-songwriter project, the project was renamed as Faith Healer and Jalbert was joined by drummer/multi-instrumentalist Renny Wilson. Their first LP as a duo, Try ;-), is true to its name: a focused, stridently revised version of Jalbert’s relaxed, uninhibited songwriter tunes.

film

Eric Clapton: A Life In 12 Bars 12

6 July – Cinema Zuid, Antwerp 20.00 – €5 – free for members

It’s hard to think of Eric Clapton as anything other than the epitome of dad-rock, or at least the instigator of what dad-rock has come to sound like. But behind this prodigal figure of blues music is a man who, for better or worse, makes for an interesting study in the highest of excesses and the deepest of recesses. A Life In 12 Bars shows how fame and fortune go hand-in-hand with tragedy and misery, all of which stem as much from the randomness of life as much as from one person’s own doing.

Il Deserto Rosso 7 July - Cinematek, Brussels 21.00 - €4 - free for members Guiliana (Monica Vitti) is mentally adrift in the industrial desert she lives in with her dull husband Ugo, a manager in a factory. Guiliana roams through the decaying apparatus of modernity, heavy industry, roaring machines, noxious gases. She soon finds comfort in the company of M Zeller, one of her husband’s colleagues who wanders through the neighbourhood in search of a team of skilled artisans to work on a project in South America. For his first polychromatic film, Michelangelo Antonioni’s approach to the image is almost painterly: yellows, greens and reds stand out against the smoke and the dust.

Short Cuts 2 Aug – Cinematek, Brussels 19.00 – €4 – free for members

Altman loosely adapts nine stories by Raymond Carver and relocates them to a middle-class Los Angeles neighbourhood in the midst of a medfly epidemic. Omnipresent helicopters crisscross the summer sky spraying the town with Malathion while 22 characters interweave in nine different plot sets. Jennifer Jason Leigh changes her baby’s diapers while having phone sex for money, Julianne Moore blasély paints hideous pictures of ecstatic people, Andie MacDowell gets eerie phone calls from a resentful baker and Robert Downey Jr elbows a blanket in what unfolds to be complex yet stunningly mastered tale of incommunicability.

Bunch of Kunst 3 Aug – Cinema Zuid, Antwerp 20.00 – €5 – free for members Franz’s documentary follows Sleaford Mods — Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearne — during their breakthrough year of 2015, from Nottingham pubs to international accolades and Iggy Pop on a sofa adjusting his reading glasses to recite parts of their lyrics. The gangly Fearne composes furious relentless beats while Williamson, an ex-benefits advisor and chicken factory worker, shouts out raw, pounding, socially-minded words that echo people’s experiences not only in their motherland but around the world. Beyond the classic-though-efficient average-bloke-turned-rockstar narrative, Bunch of Kunst offers

30 AUG – 9 SEP 2018 ANTWERP

theaterfestival.be Poquelin II © Kurt Van der Elst / The Nation © Sanne Peper / De onzichtbare man © Kurt Van der Elst

an intimate insight into the strain and anxiety that accompanies the duo’s rapid rise.

Visite Festival: Heleen Declercq 14 Aug – Het Bos, Antwerp 20.30 – €5 – free for members Visite is a collage of political, experimental and documentary cinema. Twice a year, the collective De Imagerie invites makers to show their work alongside an inspirational film of their choice. By doing so, they set out to introduce local and nearby makers who address worldly themes in their artistic work. For this evening the guys will introduce the work of Heleen Declercq, the young filmmaker we featured in our New Masters post.

work, which addresses the illumination of social, religious and artistic aspects of different cultures and the tension between ethics and aesthetics. The solo exhibition Disorientation(s) departs from the multiscreen installation Limbo, which evokes the feeling of disorientation and the eternal stream of migrants in an abandoned refugee camp. Van Lancker’s other recent works will be displayed as well, creating an electrifying and fascinating image of his oeuvre that deserves to become widely known.

Bie Michels & Marie Voignier — Dialoguing Gazes until 15 July – Argos, Brussels 11.00-18.00 – €6 – free for members

expo

Laurent Van Lancker: Disorientation(s) until 15 July – Argos, Brussels 11.00-18.00 – €6 – free for members Laurent Van Lancker is a multilingual Brussels-based artist. He studied both filmmaking and anthropology, a combination that echoes through his

Bie Michels and Maria Voignier focus on observing and registering the ‘other’ while at the same time questioning their own position regarding their subject. The dominant Western perspective and the unequivocal story are subverted in their videos, photographs and sculptures. They travelled to Madagascar, Cameroon and North Korea to investigate subjects such as the postcolonial context, the search for an unknown, mythical animal, and the way in which a dictatorial regime presents itself to tourists.

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ALT ER NA TI V E ON LI N E R ECOR DSTORE — B ILB ORE CORD S.B E M GR . L A DEUZ EPLEI N 2 — LEUVEN

Boiling Ground

Singularity

Josef Koudelka Invasion Prague 68

the abandoned site of Rachid Karamé International fair; or Fordlandia, the Amazonian site constructed by Henry Ford, now completely abandoned. During the exposition, we’ll get to see a reassessment of the current modernity and how those spaces are the mirror of modern violence.

until 12 Aug – Botanique, Brussels Wed-Sun – 12.00-20.00 – €5.5 free for members

Gabriel Belgeonne

Yep, it’s an expo at Botanique. For the 50th anniversary of the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia of 1968, Botanique brings to you this celebration of one of the living legends of contemporary photography: Josef Koudelka. His black prints, his rigorous framing and his sharp eye have made him one of the indisputable fathers of humanist photography. His work on the invasion of Prague in 1968 is the most journalistic of his career.

until 2 Sept – BPS22, Charleroi 10.00-18.00 – €6 – free for members Gabriel Belgeonne is known for his multidisciplinary talent. Painter, engraver (etching, wood, lithography), glass artist, his steady artwork is discreet yet robust. BSP22 paints a sort of retrospective of 50 years of his work, almost 70 pieces of art, where abstract lyricism meets measured chaos. The Belgian artist will be celebrated for his undeniable talent and his capacity to bring the beautiful out of the elusive.

Suspended Spaces until 2 Sep – BPS22, Charleroi 10.00-18.00 – €6 – free for members Suspended Spaces is a collective of artists and researchers who are interested in political, geographical and intellectual shifts. This exhibition explores spaces that have been stripped of their original purpose: Famagouste in Cyprus, a tourist spot now abandoned after the scission of the island, Tripoli in Libya and

RESIST! The 1960s protests, photography and visual legacy

1-31 July – Bozar, Brussels 10.00-18.00 – €10 – free for members

DEMOCRAZY

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This exhibition displays some of the most iconic images of the 1960s movements that shook the world and influenced contemporary history. It brings together works of crucial figures from the photographic and photojournalistic world, as well as rare archive images, showing the dedication of the photographers to document history and raise awareness of crucial humanist issues. The project sets the tone of the Summer of Photography 2018, focusing on the theme of revolt, and marking the 50th anniversary of the student protests that erupted in Paris in May 1968.

multiple screen constructions to break the tradition of cinematic perspective.

Jim Campers 1-31 July – M Museum, Leuven 11.00-18.00 – €12 – free for members

Eija-Liisa Ahtila 1-31 July – M Museum, Leuven 11.00-18.00 – €12 – free for members Eija-Liisa Ahtila is a Finnish contemporary visual artist and filmmaker. In early works, she experimented with narrative storytelling in her films and cinematic installations, dealing with issues at the centre of personal relationships such as teenage sexuality, family relationships, mental disintegration and death. Later on, she focused more on the investigation of processes of perception and attribution of meaning. Her work is conceptually organised around the construction of image, language, narrative and space, and she uses large- scale installations with multiple channel projections on

Jim Campers’ photographic works evoke significant historical-cultural episodes of the self-imposed exile, displaying the profound contemporary relevance of the radical social critiques of the 1960s and ’70s. Forward Escape into the Past is Campers’ first solo exhibition, in which the artist brings together his two most recent series of photographs, situated at the intersection of nostalgia and visionary utopia. The recurring themes include withdrawal from society, a life in harmony with nature and the countercultures of the 1960s and ’70s. The title of the exhibition is suggestive of an alternative future for humanity, far removed from technological progress.

music

Blue Hawaii

After four long years of silence, former couple Raphaelle and Agor reunited last year as Blue Hawaii and began writing and recording their latest effort, Tenderness. It’s a pop masterpiece blending late ’90s hits and deep disco cuts. The colourful duo have returned in full force, heating up the clubs’ dancefloors on their way and looking as joyful as ever. With such a glow of positivity surrounding them, we wanted a piece of the action, and to frame it in time. So after a morning swim in the turquoise waters of Cancun, the duo was back in their hotel room ready for a FaceTime call while cutting watermelon and plugging in the gear for a long-due rehearsal session. While Mexican food was of course a major topic, we also squeezed in some chats about summer plans; the past, present and future of Blue Hawaii; and Agor’s reinvented career as DJ. Interview by Julien Van de Casteele 20

Photos by Vinna Laudico shot in Montreal

Raphaelle: Hey Julien, Alex just texted you a pic of where we are, it’s pretty idyllic.

R: [Laughs] ’The tropical vibes’. Oh yeah, this is a fantastic… Alex, they’re amazing.

What are you guys up to in Cancun?

Alex: That’s cute.

R: We hadn’t taken time off in a while, so on our way to Mexico City we stopped off in the most convenient place. Not the most authentic place but it’s really nice. I thought I’d like it less, but I’ve found it very okay to be next to people enjoying the beach. I’m just checking the picture… the color of the water is crazy! Speaking of colours, have you guys seen the pictures from the shoot yet? R: No not yet!

R: They worked out really well. The colours are really warm. Alex’s sweater really matches the chairs, the plants etc… The colour palette is great. So apart from this pitstop in Cancun, anything else planned for summer? R: Alex is heading to Budapest to visit his family. Then he’s going to Berlin. I’m spending the majority in Montreal, which I’m really excited about because usually I’m touring in this period. I’m going to stay put and work on the new Braids record. In August we’re going on tour in Europe. But touring isn’t the same as vacationing, we don’t get to see much of the places we go to. So usually if a place stands out, I’ll try to go back to get to know more than the hotel and the bus. You’ve recently been on a DJ tour. How’s that different from your normal tour?

Okay, I’ll forward them to you. They’re very colourful and fit the tropical vibe we were looking for!

R: Well, we were playing proper clubs at a proper dance time, instead of trying to get people to throw down at 9PM.

A: It’s kinda a cool format, because it’s playing other people’s tunes — a little bit of techno, house and that kind of vibe, and then Raph is like a DJ-MC; she’ll play a couple of tracks and people get excited and she’ll grab the microphone and make up a vocal on the spot and start repeating it and get a reaction from the crowd. It’s really cool ’cause it’s like a blend between a live set and a DJ set. We have room for live improvisation while keeping the security of a DJ set. Will you be doing more of this in the future? R: We do love playing parties. We’ve been talking about maybe doing one-off tracks with Blue Hawaii, because I feel like I love an amazing track a lot more than a whole album. It’s starting to feel like the album format is… slightly archaic in a way. We’ve been talking a lot about doing our own things. Like, Alex is going to be doing a project which is potentially going to be called ‘Kerby’, it’s his very cute middle name. I am going to work on my own as well as on some acoustic stuff. I’m sure I’ll be toplining on his tracks and he’ll be producing my tracks. Yeah, it seems like life is taking us on different paths again. But ones that are parallel to each other but that

aren’t under the current construct of Blue Hawaii. We’re not sure! How has Blue Hawaii changed over the years? R: I think today we strive more for being in a joyful place. Alex is becoming a really awesome DJ and you can really hear that in the latest record. I’ve been doing more diva-confident vocals. Physically, you can see the two albums as two phases, Untogether being hunched over and curled up, and Tenderness standing straight and more open. A: As a band we’ve been around for quite a long time, releasing things spaced out because of the nature of this being a side project. The way that I frame this is, we release this EP in 2010 about our travels in Central America which was kinda our falling-inlove album, then there was our full-length in 2013 and it was kinda about our falling out of love, and then there’s our latest record which is more about becoming friends again and accepting it. It’s like a trilogy. It’s this big cycle of relations; the way that one person can mean a lot to you one day but will mean something different to another. It’s never just one thing, it’s always changing over time and it’s important to recognise it.

Different Class 11 August â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bar Bricolage, Ghent exclusive for members

music

Carla dal Forno The Garden, released on the phenomenal Blackest Ever Black label by singer-songwriter and multiinstrumentalist Carla dal Forno, was one of last year’s highlights in the electronic music realm. The Londonbased Melburnian produces eerie vocals, intriguing textures and zoned-out dubby baselines making her the right artist to add on your ‘when it’s dark outside and the thunderstorm has just passed’ playlist. Fans of Jenny Hval, Hype Williams or Grouper: it’s a good one to munch on. In preparation for another edition of Different Class, we logged into our Skype account and hit up Carla for a little chat about TV series, locationinspiring creativity and summer holiday destinations.

Interview by Dries Robbe

Photos by Laura McCluskey shot in London

first record I set up some equipment on my kitchen table. I had a nine-to-five job back then, and I just recorded during the weekends, on my kitchen table. I didn’t have any sound cards or monitors or anything, I recorded the whole album using my Macbook’s microphone. Which is a pretty decent microphone, actually. Have you been trying to re-create a certain atmosphere in all those places you composed your different albums? The common factor is that I need a peculiar feeling, not so much a space; a certain sense of isolation, and being cut off from the outside world. I don’t want to hear my neighbours, or worry that I make too much sound, or be in a studio where other musicians can hear me, I need to be completely alone, no one else in the house. That’s when I can make work.

Hi Carla. What have you been up to lately? I’ve been getting ready to go in tour in the US, I just got back from Italy. Your name sounds Italian, actually. What’s the link? My grandfather was Italian, but I grew up in Australia and live in London at the moment.

The space as such doesn’t really matter, then? No, I don’t think so.

Where do you make your records? Can you describe the place(s)? Well, now I live in London, so I’m making music here. I’ve always made music at home, so that’s the common thread. The first album was made in Melbourne, the EP was made in Berlin, and my new stuff is being made in London. For the

I can hear some dub influences in your music. Are you actively inspired by dub music? I don’t know if I consciously use elements from dub, but I play bass guitar, and I have a great delay pedal, and those two elements probably are enough to make the sound.

‘I need a peculiar feeling, not so much a space; a certain sense of isolation, and being cut off from the outside world’

Probably nothing worth telling, I think. You can filter the guilty pleasures! I feel like they’re all guilty pleasures, but I watched both seasons of The Crown (about Queen Elisabeth), the acting was amazing, but still, it’s some kind of soap opera.

In Belgium, we often have the preconceived image of the dub music corner at reggae festivals where 20 totally stoned guys stand all day. Can you hit us up with some music to get past these stereotypes? My best dub tip is a show on Cashmere Radio, a new radio station that’s broadcasting from Berlin. There’s a show on there called duty free, which is really worth checking out.

I kind of gave up on that genre. So what have you been watching lately? Westworld. The themes — artificial intelligence, humankind, consciousness — and plot are great. I saw the first season, saving up the second one right now.

What kind of music have you been listening to lately? Everything I’ve been listening to lately I usually put into my NTS show, so you know where to find them. I listened to Cindy Lee a lot lately. I also saw the Call Me By Your Name movie recently, and listened to the song ‘Love My Way’ song quite a lot (played during the dancing scene at the party).

Any summer plans? When I get back from the US tour mid-June I’m planning to work on my new album. Favourite summer vacation destination? Berlin is awesome in the summer time, Florence too. Any more rural tips? Yes, last year I went for a weekend to a seaside town called Broad Stairs, and it was so lovely there.

Did you like the movie? Hmm, the relationship felt a bit hollow, but I really liked the scenery and the atmosphere. Have you seen any other movies/ series recently?

What can you do there? Have ice cream, go for walks, see the sea.

Different Class 11 August â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bar Bricolage, Ghent exclusive for members

Vaginas, what else? A mix of je-m’en-foutisme and plenty of humour is what Vaginas, what else? are all about. Born out of a dream to play in a band and conquer the world together, the three, um, vaginas sing about strippers, designer cunts and sex. With only seven songs at the moment VWE are a little tough to define, but who likes to be put in a box anyways? They’re just exploring their potential while having a good time and bringing female empowerment to a whole new level. Get ready to feel reborn after listening to these colourful chicks!

Text by Laura-Andréa Callewaert

Photos by Leontien Allemeersch 32 shot in Ghent

Vaginas, what else? 8 July â&#x20AC;&#x201C; In De Ruimte, Ghent 21 July â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Rock Zerkegem, Zerkegem free for members

artist

BEBE

If you haven’t had the opportunity to meet these BEBEs, now’s your chance. Ruud (also known as Kim Berly) and Mert are lovers and partners who work together in perfect symbiosis. They’ve created Bebe Books, their own independent publishing house, and are now artists-in-resident and curators of all kinds of queer BEBE events at DOK, Ghent, this summer.

Interview by Laura-Andréa Callewaert

Photos by Tiny Geeroms shot in Ghent

Where does the name BEBE come from? Mert: We always call each other ‘baby’. We’re somehow obsessed with this word. We actually don’t call each other by our names. Just ‘baby’. If you call each other by your name in a relationship there’s something wrong [Laughs].

Ruud: No, but sometimes we say each other’s names, like when breakfast is ready or if we’re angry. Why did you start Bebe Books? R: It’s an independent publishing house we started a year ago. Mert was already making fanzines. I found it very interesting and wanted to learn more about it. M: It all came from the idea to spread our interests to people in a more visual way. R: There are no limits, actually. Nothing needs to be censored. You’re your own publisher, graphic designer and editor. You guys have a residency at DOK in Ghent this summer. What’s happening? M: DOK is a very utopian and progressive space with a tight community. It’s a very gay-friendly and open space but there was one thing missing: a queer representation. BEBE is in a way positive discrimination, we want to give a chance to people who really need to be represented. All our events are open to everyone. There are also people performing who aren’t queer, but the main idea is to give a voice to queer artists.

BEBE is artist in resident at DOK during the Summer. Check dok.be for their calendar.

Models & shirt designers: Lars Boelaerts and Miel Audenaert Photos: Laura-AndrĂŠa Callewaert Shirts for sale at subbacultcha.be

recent finds Bledarte Zone Festival

facebook.com/bledartecollective/

Bledarte is a Brussels-based feminist collective consisting of WOC only. Nine badass girls are looking to pave a way for themselves through art and culture; with all of them sharing foreign backgrounds, they aim to mix up the Brussels cultural scene in any way they can. Though they’ve only been around for a few months, they’re already a hot topic in town. At the moment, they’re preparing their event Bledarte Zone Festival, which will take place on 6 and 7 July at La Vallée and Vk. There will be conferences, performances, exhibitions, workshops, concerts and a party all focusing on people of colour in art. The necessity of what Bledarte is trying to achieve is real, so keep on doing what you do best, girls!

facebook.com/C5space

You might have raved your heart out at C12, but have you already heard of C5? It’s a new exhibition space located in the Gallery Horta in Brussels next to C12 where visual art meets rave culture. This space offers an experience that overflows from the ordinary. C5 takes inspiration from ‘The Holy Theatre’, the second chapter of Peter Brook’s radical theory ‘The Empty Space’. The space is shaped for duo exhibitions with an exhibition from Leo Fourdrinier and Jana Papenbroock running until 14 July.

recent finds Venster

facebook.com/vensterstoreantwerp/

VENSTER is a new designer furniture pop-up shop located in Antwerp. During the month of July founder Axelle Vertommen assembles the most amazing Belgian designer pieces in her shop. Because it’s a difficult economic climate for Belgian furniture designers, Axelle chose to make a change. She invites independent designers and every week there’s another artist put in the spotlight of her etalage. Pieces for sale by Dialect, LABT, Dries Otten, Vormen and Axelle’s own furniture and open until 5 August.

Kunstenfestival PLAN B

kunstenfestivalplanb.be

PLAN B is the perfect way to end your long, hot summer. The festival will take place in a small West-Flemish village named Bekegem on 1 and 2 September. It’s an open space for young emerging artists to create and show work in a not so common setting. The main goal of PLAN B is to interact and to engage, building a community in the village bound by art. There will be work by Zwarte Zusters, Jade Kerremans, William Ludwig Lutgens, buren, Oona Libens, Elias Cafmeyer, Willem De Haan, and way more. Some of the work will also be reinvented at Gouvernement in Ghent from 20 to 23 September.

carhartt-wip.com

by Hannes Rooms

recent finds 555-5555

forum.555-5555.org

When the Belgian summer treats us rather badly once again, you can explore a brand new internet forum focused on electronic music. The basic design might throw you back to the Myspace days, but don’t be mistaken; this one’s still relevant. Founders Patten, who played Wastelands 2014, felt the need to create a space to discuss new music, the scene, fresh insights and critique. The forum is designed as a permanent archive, different from the transience of social media chatter. Dive into threads discussing the downfall of Radar Radio, Kanye sampling Kareem Lofty and corporate collabs with the underground club scene or discover new music labeled as alien dancehall and Japanese techno.

Nightvision.space

nightvision.space

Nightvision.space is an Antwerp-based clothing line surfing on the current wave of lo-fi hip-hop and urban streetwear. It’s trashy, messy, edgy and we like it. Tapping perfectly into the zeitgeist of today’s trap kids, their clothes feature distorted, oversaturated design and a unique colour palette. But there’s more: through Nightvision.events they are on a quest to showcase literally every soundcloud rapper from our tiny country. And there are a lot. Think global, support local!

10.02 – 02.09.2018 Forever YOUNG

by Isaline Raes

recent finds Stef Van Looveren: ‘O’ BARBÉ URBAIN gallery, Ghent Until 8 July 2018 Free entrance barbe-urbain.com

‘When we speak of social constructs, aren’t we all drag?’ So says Antwerp-based artist Stef Van Looveren. Using video, photography and collage as his main tools, Van Looveren playfully attempts to reflect and dismantle the performativity of human behaviour, primarily within the notion of gender. Currently Van Looveren’s latest work, ‘O’, is on view at BARBÉ URBAIN. ‘O’ is the third and final chapter of a triptych wherein Van Looveren dives into the vast sea of gender diversity and fluidity. Every piece of the triptych has its own colour. The first one, ‘HIR’, is the green chapter and can be described as a frisky gender-bending loop of passing figures who are exploring their fluid sexual identities in the context of a visual culture dominated by self-expression. In the second, blue chapter he brings these personalities together in an almost blue, paradisiacal sea. As opposed to the other two parts, the last and red one, ‘O’, zooms in on the body an sich. By adding different body parts in silicone, Van Looveren creates 14 new personalities and investigates the influence of these changes.

Robert Nava Sorry We’re Closed, Brussels Until 14 July 2018 Free entrance sorrywereclosed.com

Sorry We’re Closed kindly invites you to enter the ghoulish but funny universe of Bushwick-based artist Robert Nava where alligators kill people for no reason. With his raw, playful paintings that deal with the absurdities of everyday life as well as tragical situations, Robert Nava pushes the boundaries of seriousness and nonsense. His blunt style is reminiscent of children’s art, but unlike a child Nava adopts a varied arsenal of mediums in his pieces to implement different textures. Expect large tableaux of violent car accidents, South Park-meetsPrincess Mononoke figurines, quirky mythological creatures, the back of a truck and so on, who will all leave you behind with a morbid smile on your face and lots and lots of question marks.

film

by Sabzian

In August, Sabzian is taking a summer break. We’ll be back in the fall. Meanwhile, if you’re still gathering summer reading material, please browse our ever-growing collection of writings on cinema. Some of the latest additions feature Virginia Woolf’s take on cinema from 1926. […] sometimes at the cinema in the midst of its immense dexterity and enormous technical proficiency, the curtain parts and we behold, far off, some unknown and unexpected beauty. But it is for a moment only. For a strange thing has happened — while all the other arts were born naked, this, the youngest, has been born fully-clothed. It can say everything before it has anything to say. It is as if [a] savage tribe […] found scattering the seashore, fiddles, flutes, saxophones, trumpets, […] and had begun with incredible energy, but without knowing a note of music, to hammer and thump upon them all at the same time. (Woolf)

JIM CAMPERS

Forward Escape into the Past 18.05.18 >< 09.09.18

film

by Sabzian

Anton Jäger wrote a sharp analysis of the moral and intellectual demise of the 21st century bourgeoisie in the latest Michael Haneke film, Happy End, in which he sees a formal and ideological parallel with the great 20th century novelists’ approach to similar developments within the bourgeoisie of the time. We’ve also translated Slavoj Zizek’s critique of the box-office hit Black Panther in Dutch. Nina de Vroome wrote about Le veilleur by Claire Denis, and if you’re curious about Jean-Luc Godard’s latest film, read our English translation of a recent interview with the Swiss director. When it comes to cinema or to images, we are today mostly in a time in which words, or that which people call ‘langage’, refer to images and don’t allow the images to become ‘parole’. It’s always the words that cover everything… (Godard) In October, Sabzian is organising a screening of Godard’s monumental Histoire(s) du cinéma in collaboration with Beursschouwburg.

we visit you

Tell us, what do you do in life? I study business engineering, and oenology on the side. I also work parttime in Senteurs d’Ailleurs (a cosmetics shop). What do you like best about your place? The huge empty building in front of my windows. I hated it at first, but now I’m kind of fascinated by this ugly brutalism, especially at sunset when it’s a mesmerising color.

Name: Clotilde Chastanet Age: 21 Zodiac sign: Sagittarius Instagram: @cloducaillou Subbacultcha member since: March 2018

What’s going on with you this summer? Work, work, work and then going back to my Natal mountains in France to breathe some fresh air. Until then, some parties, Subba shows and a few days planned in Paris and Copenhagen. Have you experienced any regrets recently? There would be too many to list — ha-ha.

Which future Subbacultcha show are What kind of music are you listening you looking forward to? to at the moment? Yves Tumor during Different Class. Donna Summer — ‘I Feel Love’, to wake up on these hot lazy mornings, The Streets — Original Pirate Material (I rediscovered it; ‘Let’s Push Things Forward’ has been on repeat since then), Blu Samu, IAMDDB, Irma Thomas — ‘In Between Tears’, the one-hour version of Soft Hair — ’Lying Has to Stop’, to hypnotise me while studying late… What’s the first record you bought? Harvest by Neil Young. What’s your favourite pastime? Spending time with my friends and a glass of wine in my hand. What makes you dance? A loud sound system and a sweaty crowd. Recently I’ve loved going to Gay Haze parties in Brussels.

Photo by Sasha Vernaeve shot in Brussels

front cover: Blue Hawaii by Vinna Laudico editors in chief: Herlinde Raeman & Kasper-Jan Raeman magazine editors: Julien Van de Casteele & Gabriela González copy editor: Megan Roberts design: Chloé D’hauwe online editors: Elice Spillebeen, Sofie Steenhaut & Thomas Vanoosthuyse community management: Lisa Wallyn (lisa@subbacultcha.be) advertising & partnerships: Kasper-Jan Raeman (kasper-jan@subbacultcha.be) distribution: Herlinde Raeman (herlinde@subbacultcha.be) intern: Laura-Andréa Callewaert printer: Drukkerij GEWADRUPO, Arendonk, Belgium

thank you: Isaac Barbé, Mattias Baertsoen, Koi Persyn, Niloufar Nematollahi, Hannes Rooms, Vicky Derweduwen, Lindsey De Laet, Mert Sen, Jeroen Albertijn, Stans Vrijsen, Mats Wosky, Junior Bokele, Paulina De Vleesschouwer, Margaux Fabris, Kellan Smith, Lynn Cailliau, Anna Hortense Vanden Brande, Naoki Karathanassis, Nelson Henry, Lara Decrae, Jelle Dens, Isabelle Vanderstockt, Melanie Musisi, Gert Van Dijck, Lisa Alemán Arévalo, Sofia Van Laer, Amani Wijte, Maria Antchougova, Amaury Wilkin & friends, Ian Wiglema, Emilia Vangrinsven, Frederik Vliege, Pascal Vandenberghe & Frederic Busscher partners: Het Bos, GEWADRUPO, Democrazy, Arenberg, Ancienne Belgique, Pukkelpop, Modemuseum, The Searchers, Theaterfestival, Bilbo, Toneelhuis, M museum, Carhartt, Booty Rave, HAAR, Table Dance, C12, Antwerp Queer Arts Festival, Rock Zerkegem, In De Ruimte, Supervue Festival, Micro Festival, Cinematek, Cinema Zuid, Visite Festival, Argos, Botanique, Bozar, BPS22, Bar Bricolage office: Subbacultcha Belgium, Dendermondsesteenweg 80A, 9000 Ghent, Belgium contact: magazine@subbacultcha.be

contributing writers: Gabriela González, Julien Van de Casteele, Laura-Andréa Callewaert, Dries Robbe, Matias Calderon, Anaïs Violet Van Eldere, Souria Cheurfi & Eléonore Kenis contributing photographers: Leontien Allemeersch, Laura McCluskey, Tiny Geeroms, Sasha Vernaeve, Laura-Andréa Callewaert & Vinna Laudico contributing artists: BEBE & Gabriela González

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