image source ovate.ca

This is a brand I have been watching for some time, and they have unleashed a dark and textured vision of gloom and beauty. Ovate is a brand based in Montreal, Canada. They work with silk, wool, leather, and metals. Their designs are often adorned with Gaelic-style, dreamlike symbols. It gives you the feeling of being both historic and modern, and impeccably stylish. Ovate’s designer, Audrey Cantwell, creates pieces that are for both guys and girls, and can work on every shape and form. The Black Hooded Circular Scarf is one of those unisex pieces that can be donned on its own, or layered over your outfit. Mix and play with this stunning scarf, but remember the simplicity and uniqueness of this piece carry it well. This dark and bewitching piece is sure to add some warmth and style to any look.

The Black Hooded Circular Scarf is available online for $70 at www.ovate.ca.

- Tasha Farrington

Montreal, QC – May 17-20 – first hand account by Pete Crane of Shiv-r

Shiv-r

Holy shit Kinetik!!!

Since the first Kinetik was announced five years ago, it has had a pants-wettening line-up and every year we have been tempted to travel to Montreal, Canada to party it up and see the awesomeness. From the first Kinetik featuring one of my personal faves Headscan, and other awesome bands that you don’t get to see on the European festival circuit (and certainly the bands who have a snowball’s chance in hell of being brought to Australia), to 2011′s monster line-up including Frontline Assembly, mind.in.a.box, and Suicide Commando, it’s always a line-up to die for and this year was no different, so it was amazing to finally get to come to Kinetik, let alone being invited to actually perform.

Wendy and I made the flight from Sydney on the preceding Monday. The 19 hour Air Canada flight to Montreal via Vancouver was as brutal as you might expect but we eventually made it in and checked into the Hyatt in Montreal. We arrived in the late afternoon so we walked around the inner city for a couple of hours (we love just walking around foreign cities when we’re there for the first time, it’s my favorite part about travelling and seeing new shit, just walking).

On Tuesday our band mate Lee arrived. Despite writing half the music for Shiv-r, he has never actually been able to play live with us because he lives in Bangkok these days and they don’t have planes there or something. We also met up with another Australian friend of ours, Beck, and got our first taste of poutine (a famous Montreal specialty consisting of fries, gravy, and cheese, but god is it good!) and some shopping. Tuesday night we went drinking at the bar next to Metropolis, FouFon Electrique (or, “The Electric Butt-Butt”). $2.50 beers had me slaughtered in no time and then the rowdiness started. Apparently I was running around telling people (including my friends), “I don’t know if you heard, but I’m playing at the Metropolis on Friday night.”  Well, bitches gotta recognise…

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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!

more info at www.festival-kinetik.net