NYC-based Iranian songwriter, producer, and vocalist Kris Esfandiari, also known as King Woman, is set to release a striking full-length album, Celestial Blues, on July 30, 2021, via Relapse Records.
Kris Esfandiari (NGHTCRWLR, Dalmatian, Miserable, Sugar High, i8i) founded King Woman in 2009 — a solo project which later gained the talents of guitarist Peter Arensdorf and drummer Joseph Raygoza.
Now wiser and holding less animosity than King Woman’s previous sentiments on 2014 EP Doubt and the highly-esteemed 2017 full length Created in The Image of Suffering, the fantasy world that once plagued Kris' psyche is dancing in a new light on Celestial Blues. Feeling compelled to reshape the biblical archetypes that once bound her, Esfandiari has created a theatrical tale of rebellion, tragedy, and triumph — a metaphor for her own personal experiences over the years — Celestial Blues was born.
Show Notes:
- 00:05:17 - Monotheism/experiences with Christianity
- 00:17:16 - The fluidity of expressing emotions through music
- 00:21:08 - Opening up to her creative spirit
- 00:25:44 - The current state of the music industry
- 00:27:22 - Surrounding oneself with the right people
- 00:29:12 - Her newest album with her band, King Woman, entitled, Celestial Blues
- 00:36:14 - Art being a gateway
- 00:38:17 - Deconstruction
- 00:44:00 - Kristina’s multiple side projects
- 00:50:00 - Wrap up
Poet, artist, and Daughters vocalist Alexis Marshall has announced his solo debut LP HOUSE OF LULL. HOUSE OF WHEN for July 23rd via Sargent House and along with it the first song and video for “Hounds In The Abyss”.
Directed by Jeremy W., Marshall notes of the video’s concept “The long stare into the room of self—the universe’s middle distance—the many hidden doors we locate, the many rooms we find. Populated not only by whom else we are, but by places, we have been. The places we are. We don’t always pull away from the hot stove.”’
Produced by Seth Manchester the album is crafted around moments of spontaneity and sonic detritus. For the album, Marshall brought together an impressive group of collaborators to execute his vision, a vision that for the first time was under his full creative direction. Jon Syverson (Daughters), Kristin Hayter (Lingua Ignota), Evan Patterson (Jaye Jayle, Young Widows) joined Marshall in Pawtucket, Rhode Island at Machines with Magnets studio with no material. The strategy was to embrace new sounds, employ the element of chance, and capture the creative process in a song format. The genesis of a song could be anything—a fragmented piano line, a drum pattern—but the impetus was often a non-musical sound. Marshall sourced a lot of his textural contributions from a hardware store all contributing to a proto-industrial rattle-and-rumble reminiscent of early Einstürzende Neubaten.
The resulting material stands to be the boldest and exciting work of his career.
Show Notes:
- 00:06:21 - Artwork acting as a mirror to the viewer
- 00:08:12 - Positive and negative feedback from his band, Daughters
- 00:10:54 - Alexis’s personal growth
- 00:14:48 - Success, addiction, and trauma
- 00:21:30 - Romanticism and selfishness
- 00:25:17 - Discussing the progression of society
- 00:32:45 - His new solo album, “House of Lull. House of When”
- 00:40:14 - Arts affect on Alexis
- 00:48:37 - The recording process for “House of Lull. House of When”
- 00:53:46 - Lessons from Daughters comeback album and subsequent
- 01:02:34 - Wrap up
Alexis Marshall's "House of Lull, House of When" on Bandcamp
Emilio Villalba is a Mexican-American painter living in San Francisco. Born in Chula Vista and raised in Southern California, he grew up interested in drawing and art. He created a career in Los Angeles as a visual effects artist where he animated television commercials and films. After 2 years in the industry, he left for San Francisco to study fine art. He’s now focused on exploring painting figuratively, pulling inspiration from both old masters and contemporary artists—from Velázquez to Alice Neel and Basquiat.
Emilio’s latest exhibition, “People and Things” will be on view at Hashimoto Contemporary in New York from Saturday, July 17th to Saturday, August 7th, 2021.
Show Notes:
- 00:03:12 - Emilio’s latest body of work
- 00:06:50 - Exploring new visual avenues
- 00:13:33 - Self-awareness of one’s work
- 00:20:30 - Saying vs. doing
- 00:32:42 - The psychology of reward systems
- 00:36:03 - Identity / fitting in
- 00:42:40 - The conceptual basis of Emilio’s newest body of work
- 00:53:37 - Owning who you are
- 01:03:33 - The painter's alphabet
- 01:25:42 - Wrap up
Stuart Biddlecombe is a director of photography for The Handmaid’s Tale. Biddlecombe graduated from the National Film and Television School in 2003. He has also worked on Doctor Who, Call To Midwife, and Cold Feet.
Show Notes:
- 00:02:53 - Adapting to an environment on set
- 00:07:26 - Stuart’s creative process
- 00:12:28 - Collaboration within the filming process
- 00:17:06 - The continuity of filming television shows
- 00:19:24 - Artistry vs. Craftsmanship
- 00:21:22 - Inspiration through different types of art
- 00:23:47 - Observing the world through the lens of cinematography
- 00:25:23 - How he sees his role as a DP
- 00:28:18 - Spontaneity while filming
- 00:33:40 - Stuart’s journey as a cinematographer
- 00:50:00 - Stuart’s best piece of work / working in TV
- 01:02:51 - Wrap up