#issuefour

PERLA SANCHEZ

NYC-based illustrator, graphic designer and dedicated plant-mami, Perla Sanchez has launched PerlyBlooms as an on-going series of botanical illustrations centering on themes of nature, femininity, and self-love. 

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COVER RELEASE OF ISSUE °IV

picture by Dana Stirling

My favorite deep corners of YouTube music contain content like this. Audio manipulations that become augmented experiences of the original tracks. I’m definitely the fan who appreciates hearing all the songs from Talking Heads’ Remain in Light played at the same time or entire songs reversed, and when it comes to Radiohead (one of my favorite bands), whoever decided to upload versions of their songs at -800% deserves a special place in my heart.

Pyramid Song which at normal speed comes in at 4:49 is slowed into a 38:35 ambient hurricane, as elemental and ethereal as a mythology of Nu, Poseidon, Varuna or some other sea deity. Anyone familiar with the death and transformation theme of the song will feel it literally stretch across the track, allowing you almost to feel the molecules of the song.

Kinda reminds me of what Hans Zimmer did with that Edith Piaf song for Inception. Indeed, it feels like I’m listening to Radiohead from within a dream where time has slowed.

Among the many themes championed by ethnobotanist, mystic, and author/lecturer, Terrence McKenna, Novelty must start to increasingly become the most significant. In short, novelty to McKenna was an idea that the universe or concrescent segments of universe will, overtime, become more complex, and therefore be expressed by stranger, unique, and less habitual forms. 

On earth this would include everything from grandmas with blue hair, to increased natural disasters, techno-bio interfacing and perpetual civil unrest across a population that’s always at its highest number and growing. 

In response to limited rights, abuse and culturally accepted practices such as genital mutilation from their traditional patriarchal villages, Samburu women of Kenya have founded and governed their own villages, some not allowing men at all. 

Broadly sends a correspondent to speak with Rebecca Lolosoli who founded Umoja in 1990. Three other women-led villages have since then settled in the neighboring region, spurning surrounding reactions from Samburu men who still hold on to traditional men-women roles.

Able to support themselves, raise children and have relationships on their own terms, many of the women have found a new sense of self and worth without marriage, going as far as seeing such a union as unnecessary. They make beautiful beads which they sell to visitors and have opened schools to educate children from their own villages and those nearby.

Broadly. The Land of No Men: Inside Kenya's Women-Only Village (2015)

Day Drunk: A Hip-Hop playlist by photographer, Marvin Jones

My mood in regards to Hip-Hop has been, as of late, leaning heavy on sample-laden beats with dirty drums and straight forward flows. True, this might be me missing late 90s Hip-Hop (without wanting to listen to classic albums) and I’m not gonna fight it. Marv always curates a dope list. Usually featuring recent releases too, this time from the likes of Black Thought, Westside Gunn, Amine, and many more; so it saves me having to assemble the vibe myself. Sit back and enjoy.

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST LINK // DAY DRUNK

J’ai Perdu Mon Corps (I Lost My Body) is a 2019 animated French film written by Guillaume Laurant (adapted from his novel), and directed by Jeremy Chapin. It tells the surreal story of a severed hand’s adventure across town to reunite with its body. The journey is intercut with the gripping backstory and memories of the main character, Naoufel. The story masterfully unfolds and enchants as much as it grieves.

The film is available for streaming on Netflix: I LOST MY BODY

On this 2019 podcast episode of Let’s Know Things, host and author, Colin Wright examines the causes of natural wildfires and why they’re beginning to occur more often.

Often described in myths as a gift from the gods, fire’s relationship with man has indeed led to our breakthrough as a species. Allowing us to live, eat and create in ways we hadn’t known prior to learning to contain and control that spark. But just as creative an ally, fire can also be destructive and in many cases, even the gods of myths are cursed due to their reckless offering of such a powerful element.

As always, Colin gives us a depth of research and considerations in regard to modern society and our current influence on wildfires that increasingly seem to be a result of our use of nature and its resources. Have a listen and check out more episodes and work by Colin at his website.