Auxiliary Magazine will be at Kinetik Festival again this year! And this time we’ll have a vendor table! This will be the third Kinetik, an electro/industrial/noise/hardcore festival in Montreal, Canada. It will be May 12th through May 16th with many performing including… Leaether Strip, 16 Volt, Chemlab, Gothsicles, Combichrist, Decoded Feedback, FGFC 820, Hocico, Nachtmahr, Memmaker, Rotersand, Melotron, Faderhead, Covenant, and more! Kinetik is one of the most notable festivals in North America, not to be missed. And be sure to stop by our table and say hi!
Lady Gaga has become an undisputed master of the long form video, much like the epic and legendary “Thriller” by Michael Jackson, Gaga’s videos has become self contained mini movies whose plot is almost as integral to the overall effect of the production as is the music. Her latest video, “Telephone“; featuring Beyonce, continues to prove this point, as well as elevate it above the level of her previous outings. “Telephone” is a mish-mash of pop culture imagery crafted to the highest order of quality. Elements of prison exploitation films like Caged Heat, Quentin Tarantino, Japanese inspired graphics, and the usual quirky and informed styling that has become an integral part of Gaga’s videos. The fashionable Gaga takes it to a new level with the looks in this film, elements of punk, hip-hip, fetish, and found fashion abound. There are just so many nods and tributes thrown in here that it would seem likely to come of as a pastiche of the worst kind, however its handled with a style and sense of care that does make it come together as a whole and complete work, about the only moment in the video that may come off a little forced is Gaga’s Michael Jackson-esque dance moves as she is freed from prison at the end of the first act.
Neck corsets are a serious weakness of mine, in fact most neck wear in general is something I encourage every woman (and man) to have a variety in their wardrobe. Accessories make my world go round and the drool factor is through the roof for Decadent Design’s Black Satin & Organza Neck Corset. The price for this lush piece is extremely reasonable as the neck corset is boned with ¼ inch steel boning, which means, it’s a real neck corset. Though not for the faint of heart, it takes some getting used to wearing such an apparatus, yet brings an impressive compliment to your outfit. The key to wearing such an over-the-top piece is to tone down your clothing and amp up the rest of your accessories with, textured leggings, wrist cuffs and possibly some small earrings. I suggest wearing your hair up to show off the gorgeous neck ruffle and not to cover up the nice corseted lace back.
Andy & Debb describe their design concepts as, romantic minimalism, and the Fall/Winter 2010 collection for New York’s Fashion Week embodied that label. The designer duo gives us elegant day-to-evening wear with highlights including; a copper tailored suit, a white collar Victorian-esque babydoll dress, a sequined shift dress with strong silhouetted shoulders, and a sleek tuxedo styled jacket. Attention was brought to the necklines; blouses with ruffled detailing, fitted turtlenecks, and boat neck dresses, leaving a very demure and modest feel to the collection as a whole.
Well, with all the talk around the Auxiliary Magazine office about Kinetik this year, I have begun to lust after lush novelties that my closet does not need. With that being said, I do fully recommend you treating yourself now and again (and again, and again) to accessories that are extravagant, well made and jaw droppingly sexy! Try on Skingraft’s Leather Garter Belt with attached bag, this way you can strut your stuff without wondering where your girlie necessities are, in other words, no purse needed! If you’re daring enough to wear these beauties over a pair of hot pants, or take the more demure under-the-skirt route, true love with Skingraft designs will take a hold of you! Hot damn, I love this garter belt!
In 1982 Essex boys Bon Harris and Douglas McCarthy formed Nitzer Ebb with a focus on vocals, bass, and beats. Through simple teenage rage and the influence of punk rock they formed their own sound in the developing EBM scene. After several acclaimed singles, the band signed with Mute Records in 1986. With Mute they released the major body of their work and became friends with label mates, Depeche Mode, with whom they’ve toured and occasionally collaborated. 1995 saw the release of the bands fifth studio album, Big Hit, followed by them splitting up to walk different paths. After time involved in their own projects, they came together for a reunion tour in 2006 which lead to new Nitzer Ebb material. The result is a new album, Industrial Complex, which the band is now on the road promoting with shows both as headliners and as the supporting act for Depeche Mode’s “Tour of the Universe”.
interview by Aaron Andrews
You both went off to do your own things with various projects after 1995’s Big Hit. Why the decision to get back to making music as Nitzer Ebb?
Douglas McCarthy : It came about after we re-united for what was initially just a few festival shows in Europe. That actually turned into a world tour of not just Europe, but North and South America, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand! During that time we had a few breaks in LA and we thought it would be interesting to see where we were at creatively with the band. As it turned out we were in great shape and we went on to write over thirty songs!
Bon Harris : There was a demand for it. Doug had been doing shows with FM, and the were a lot of fans asking for a return. So we came back.
What do you think you’ve each brought back to the band that’s new and/or exciting?
DM : I think we actually brought back a lot of what was there in the very start of the band, mixed with our own personal and creative development as individuals.
BH : Years of individual experience. We all went off and learned new things. We grew and developed as individuals. It makes for a much richer experience working in NE now.
In January 2010, Dennis Hopper was diagnosed with inoperable prostate cancer, which was in an advanced state and had spread to his bones. At roughly the same time, I was lucky enough to view the documentary Not Quite Hollywood, a retrospective concerning Ozlpoitation fiilms, an intriguing and insightful doc concerning the Australian film industry and its bid for international recognition during the 70s and 80s. This film brought to my attention a rather curious Dennis Hopper vehicle called Mad Dog Morgan. Said film was produced by Australian investors, with a B-movie director (Philippe Mora, who preceded to craft such cinematic abortions as Howling II: Stirba – Werewolf Bitch and Howling III), I wasn’t expecting much. To my surprise, Mad Dog Morgan delivered on all fronts. It functions as a comedy, a tragedy, an exploitation film, a period drama, a western, and finally (and most importantly) a work of art. It is truly a credit to Hopper’s skills as an actor that he rises above the source material he is given and creates a character both brutally violent and beautifully flawed and imperfect. Sadly, Mr. Hopper’s time grows short, and we begin to brace ourselves for the loss of a man who helped to define a generation.
Mad Dog Morgan is based on the true story of John Fuller (aka Dan Morgan), an Australian bushranger (the outback equivalent of the outlaw gunslingers that roamed the western United States at the close of the 19th century), a fairly irredeemable individual who shot game and man with equal disregard, yet lived by a code whose particulars were known only to himself. He eventually met his end at the hands of police while trying to escape from the house of a family he had recently held hostage in 1864. The film paints a much more sympathetic picture of Morgan than his real world exploits do, yet one must remember while viewing the film that this is less a historical retelling than it is a dramatic character study, seeking to delve into the mind of a character that would rather reject civilization than continue to exist in the maelstrom of its hypocrisy.
