#Black church print studio

[caltropspress]

DISPATCHES FROM 2ND ST. STUDIOS: Fatboi Sharif & DRIVEBY in session

I went to DRIVEBY’s apartment in Jersey City because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of documenting musical exxxprrrimentation, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I knew witnessing Fatboi Sharif in the studio would be morbidly rewarding—I felt it in my critik’s skull-and-crossbones (memento mori, pirate flag, poison pictogram). It was New Year’s Day in the year of our Lord Have Mercy 2024, and I had to pull myself away from a tree documentary that had, sadly, begun to disappoint. I had opened a stocking-stuffed box of Goobers and was reluctant when Sharif sent the invitational text. I had settled in for the night. But it was my idea to watch the man work his black magikal esoterika hammer-don’t-hurt-them-witches recording session, so I’d be a real punk to rebuff the offer. I got into the Toyota and headed down Route 3 toward Jersey City. I was on the 1&9 in no time—the truest highway to hell, if one ever existed. Ate de Jong could never scout such a location. AC/DC roadside appliance wasteland. Potholes pave the way, but in a De Nah Soul manner. I finished eating the Goobers in the car, by the palmful, and lost one to an erratic lane merge. I motherfucked and shitted at the thought of a chocolate stain on my upholstered driver’s seat, or worse, the seat of my pants. My dad delivered Blimpie’s for thirty-plus years in Jersey City, long before it became Brooklyn-of-the-West, so I know parking spots there are at a never-dream-of-’em premium. I parked several blocks away from DRIVEBY’s studio and cloven-hoofed it while huffing brick air. Texted from outside, but Sharif was already ushering me through a wrought-iron gate (suitable for guttings and impalements) and into the basement apartment: DRIVEBY’s 2nd St. Studios. That gate was like an entrance into a secret garden—overblown and overflowin’ with a riot of root rot, weeds, and (of course) crumbling-but-still-grumbling gargoyles, most with the medieval motif of mooning jutting out from the church buttresses. DRIVEBY’s had a William Shatner’s TekWorld comic next to his speaker. Dusty keyboards lined the floor. Sega Genesis cartridges, a Sharp boombox, and the requisite vinyl collection on bowing crates completed the scene. The space stored antiquated and dead media—ghost machines humming and haunting.

⤧

Sharif told me he’d be recording some tracks for his upcoming album with Blockhead, something for Bigg Jus, and several features. When I arrived, he was in the middle of recording one of the Blockhead tracks. The mic and the iso shield were directly inside the door of the apartment, and I sat on the couch to the left of that. Sharif would be spitting at me, beyond me, as he did his thing—an intimate setting, to say the very least. Beans of Antipop Consortium sat on this same cushion months earlier, I thought. They recorded “Sex With the Leopard Print Lady” here. While I pondered the legacy of stylist berzerkers of past and present, Key & Peele played on the television in front of me. I wanted to make myself scarce, invisible as possible, Brundlefly-on-the-wall, non-participatory, so I watched the “Laron Can’t Laugh” sketch on mute and registered how Laron’s noiseless convulsions and eventual shriek expertly pantomimed Sharif’s vocals. These layers of silence allowed me to hear some of what Sharif was spewing forth and commit it to memory. He spoke of avenging the death of Candyman. The words loom like Tony Todd—tall as a ponderosa pine in a Cabrini-Green courtyard. Caroline crossed eyelids…90 degree pressure… Closing in on 400 degreez, but we’re talking below zero. The winter of our disconnected selves. Sharif tells DRIVEBY he wants his voice to sound “fucked up.” He’s snorting, super sinusy. He wants to cultivate a specific sound—it coats the inner concavities of his skull. He just needs to externalize it into a self-portrait in a convex DAW interface. “The soul establishes itself,” John Ashbery writes. Sharif is shoeless, I should add. He’s black socked as he cuts the song’s first of three adlib tracks. The first is completely muddled, barely audible—a grumbly grumble grumb. The second is a helium-huffed high pitch mania. The third, a yell—“the banshee,” as DRIVEBY calls it. Sharif slackens the headphone wires and walks across the room. He does “the banshee” from as great a distance as possible. You’ve no doubt heard the banshee adlib track before (B.A.T. for short, as in, the hematophagic vampire bat). If you’ve heard a Fatboi Sharif recording, you’ve likely heard a hotly desperate and deranged voice coming from the depths of a hellmouth—sinners swallowed and still writhing, quasi-alive, anticipating rigor mortis. DRIVEBY captures the natural reverb. Sharif asks him to put distortion and echo on the last word of the verse. 

⤧

Fatboi Sharif was reading lyrics off his phone, but by then he was Loosifa loose—engaging me, inviting me to dialogue, reveling in the job.  His feet are light and nimble, like McCarthy’s Judge. He says that he will never die. And, you bet, he dances in light and in shadow. He’s a craftsman and possesses an engineer’s ear, an ant-infested and severed one he probably plucked from a manicured lawn in Scotch Plains, NJ, Jeffrey Beaumont style. For the second verse of the song, he makes an alteration and decides to end the verse earlier than he had written it, stopping at the phrase “role model” because he likes the “swing of it.” Okay, Nuke Hellington. I see you, Benny Badman. A natural performer, the recording session reflects both technical know-how and impassioned delivery. He doesn’t quite lose himself as he does on the stage (or the audience floor where he so often ends up), but he’s unequivocally locked in, as he kids say. Locked in a room with padded walls, more apropos. On the next, he requires a seemingly endless run of retakes. I begin to wonder if my presence is a burden, a distraction. But the session keeps its devil-may-care air intact. Still, Sharif has a sonic vision he yearns to achieve. He won’t settle for less. He eventually gets the take he desires and tells DRIVEBY he’s gonna do three adlibs. These two men work in harmony to develop their songs of disharmony. They’ve been boys, and so that keeps the chemistry alchemical for the duration. Open and honest, DRIVEBY tells Sharif that three tracks of adlibs is “too many.” FUCK THAT! Sharif shouts at him. Sharif wants the adlibs to sound beneath everything—six-feet deep, or “buried alive and will come forth later in uglier ways” (unexpressed emotions, that is), as Freud or a Freud-fraud once wrote. Sharif wants echoes. He wants to sound like he’s a signal coming in and out of the radio as you drive through the night. These are the requests he makes, delicately selected from his mental doom board as DRIVEBY adjusts the mix, adds effects. “Do you do a lot of vocal mixing on the spot?” I ask. Sharif shakes his head, points to DRIVEBY slumped over his computer monitor, clicking and dragging, random access memory maybe lagging: “He’s on his Bob Power shit.” Listening to the playback, Sharif tells me he wants to be like Joker in the children’s hospital scene. What kinda clown carries a fuckin’ gun?! I’m waiting for the next Sharif release, crossing my fingers into an arthritic mass of flesh and bone in hopes of his cover of “If You’re Happy and You Know It” appearing on the tracklist. 

⤧

DRIVEBY puts Joker on the TV. It’s the bus scene; he can’t stop laughing. He hands a fellow passenger his card: Forgive my Laughter: I have a Condition. Sharif still sleeps to beats. He’s told this story numerous times to various media outlets, and so it’s beginning to take on the tone of lore. But it’s not. Even wilder, he’s not listening on headphones as he sleeps; he blasts the beats on speakers. Sharif prefers to record late, well into the wee hours of morning. DRIVEBY’s couch often becomes Sharif’s bed. “He’ll have the same beat on for five hours,” DRIVEBY explains. He’ll be in his bedroom, unable to sleep. Sharif grins and tells me, “That’s when I’m in the mindfuck.” Sharif reapproaches the mic. Another Blockhead track. “He told me he made this one especially for me,” Sharif says. The beat sounds like a Gregorian chant in a cavern. Beware of the Shroom Monster. Sharif has managed to amass an intimidating number of releases over the past several years while not indulging us to excess. He’s conservative with his run-times. Clocks ain’t shit to him. Many of his projects are EP-length, but categorizing them in any terms would seem to discredit his ingenuity. As the session unofficially ends and we settle into more casual conversation, Sharif implores DRIVEBY to play selections from their unreleased album, currently on ice like a corpse. I listen and hear of an exorcism of Antoinette, of Elvira and death resurrections, of Basquiat painting in Transylvania, crossroads, and plosive sonic samples from The Pagemaster—a film I have absolutely no recollection of but DRIVEBY speaks almost as highly of as his Fantastic Damage instrumental CD-R. OneShotOnce shows up, presumably for a session, but not before he and Sharif pillage DRIVEBY’s fridge. They feast on cold chicken while I gather myself to leave. 

Images: Astronomical table detail from the Almanach Purpetuum of Abraham Zacuto (c. 1500)

[thelensofyashunews]

GRAMMY NOMINATED RAPPER LATTO AKA “BIG MAMA” RELEASES HER THIRD STUDIO ALBUM, SUGAR HONEY ICED TEA

Today, ATL-based Grammy nominated rapper Latto aka Big Mamareleases her highly anticipated third studio album Sugar Honey Iced Tea via RCA Records.

The album is centered around Latto’s Georgia Southern roots and displays her signature raw, witty lyricism over magnetic beats. The 21-track album features A-List Southern artists including Megan Thee Stallion, Ciara, Coco Jones, Young Nudy, Flo Milli, Teezo Touchdown and more.

This album release follows Latto’s major Billboard July cover print issueand the release of the singles “Big Mama,” “Sunday Service,” “Put It On Da Floor” and latter two track’s respective remixes.

The 2023 BET “Best Female Hip-Hip Artist” award winner has brought everyone to her ATL church this summer starting with the original version of the single “Sunday Service” which garnered viral buzz when Latto teased a snippet of the song on her IG a few months prior, giving fans her signature witty bars over a catchy beat. Directed by Hidji World and Latto herself, the video features Latto in various settings including the Bronx with “twenty black suburbans we pull up like Sunday Service” – click here to watch. 

In June, Latto released the remix to her single “Sunday Service” featuring Megan Thee Stallion & Flo Milli and her next single, “Big Mama.” The latter track was dropped right before her two performances at the 2024 BET Awards – one for a medley of “S/O To Me,” “Big Mama” & “Sunday Service” and the other for Usher’s tribute. She garnered two nominations at the award show this year, “Best Female Hip-Hop Artist” and “Best Collaboration.” Latto also headlined ATL’s Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash that same month and made history as the first-ever female headliner. Big Mama showed up and showed out giving a stellar performance to her fans and surprising them with major special guests including Usher, Flo Milli, Mariah The Scientist and more. Most recently, Latto has been nominated for two 2024 MTV VMA awards –  “Best Collaboration” and “Best K-Pop” for “Seven” with Jung Kook.

In addition to music, Latto wrapped up taping Season 2 of Netflix’s Rhythm & Flow as a judge alongside DJ Khaled and Ludacris, which is coming out this year.

With over 1 billion streams worldwide across all platforms and accolades continuing to rack up from her success, Latto has the stage to become a global superstar. Since the release of her hit RIAA-certified and Music Canada certified 3x Platinum single “Big Energy” in 2021 Latto has been inescapable.

She went on to make history with the single as the first female rapper to ever have a #1 record at Pop, Rhythm and Urban Radio with the same single. Overall, she’s also the first female artist in 12 years to accomplish this feat, joining the company of Rihanna (“Rude Boy”), Alicia Keys (“No One”), Beyonce (“Irreplaceable”),  Mary J. Blige (“Be Without You”) and Mariah Carey (“We Belong Together”), the last five to previously achieve this. Since then, she has won various awards including: “Best New Artist” at the 2022 BET Awards, “Best New Artist”at the 2022 People’s Choice Awards, Variety Hitmakers “Breakthrough Artist” Honoree, 2023 Billboard’s Women in Music “Powerhouse Award,”“Song of the Summer” for “Seven” with Jung Kook at the 2023 MTV VMA Awards, and “Best Female Hip-Hop Artist” at the 2023 BET Awards.

In addition to all the awards Latto has racked up over the past few years, she was also nominated at the 2023 Grammy Awards for “Best New Artist” and “Best Melodic Rap Performance” (for “Big Energy (Live)”) and has graced multiple print covers in 2023 alone such as Cosmopolitan, Rolling Stone “Musicians on Musicians” Issue with Snoop Dogg, XXL Magazine – which included a video component for XXL’s first-ever all female cypher curated bby Latto (that trended on Youtube and went viral) – and a digital cover for Forbes ’30 Under 30’ as the call out for the Musicians section. 

In the summer of 2023 Latto had her firstinternational festival run in Europe that included Wireless Festival (London), Roskilde Festival (Denmark), Rolling Loud Germany, and more. She’s also attended various fashion weeks over the years in New York, Milan, and Paris where shewent shows for Robert Cavalli, Etro, Blumarine, Diesel, Tommy Hilfiger, Rabanne, GCDS and more. With the release of her third studio album, this next chapter of Latto’s career will spolight her new music, have creative vibrant visuals and give more big energy from The Biggest.

[duckprintspress]

Happy last Thursday of July! We’re celebrating with three new short story releases!

Title: Entanglement Series: Sunrise Over the Black Forest Author: Lyn Weaver

m/m, established relationship of convenience, mutual pining, aren’t roadtrip invitations always platonic clearly there’s no feels here

Two years into their not-relationship, Sevan disappears for a week, only to appear at Kel’s church with a simple invitation: for Kel to accompany Sevan on a two-week trip to the edge of the Black Forest to observe the forest expanding its borders.

How does a cursed forest become larger?

When the trees get up and relocate, of course…

-

Title: Little Witch’s Apothecary Series: May of the Mountain Author: J. D. Harlock

studio ghibli meets fandom vibes, modern with magic, love potion shenanigans

Desperate for money to pay off her debts, May opens a small apothecary stand in Jdiedet. It’d be far more enjoyable work if the clientele didn’t constantly break into her manga reading time…but she supposes she’ll cook up a love potion for the local librarian. If she has to. If only to ensure the library continues getting new volumes for her to read.

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Title: Awkward and Oblivious Author: R. L. Houck

f/f, modern, fluffy, bonding over a sick pet

When the trucker Alex finds a sick puppy abandoned by the side of the road, she races to get the poor dog to a veterinarian that can help. Several appointments later, the now-adopted Mako is on the mend and Alex has a favorite vet office.

Now, if only Alex could figure out how to get the oblivious Dr. Anna to respond to her awkward attempts to ask her on a date…

-

Get these charming stories, and many more, by visiting the Duck Prints Press store now!

[scotianostra]

On 17th October 1821 Alexander Gardner, renowned photographer of the American Civil War was born in Paisley.

Gardner became an apprentice jeweller at the age of 14, lasting seven years. He had a Church of Scotland upbringing and was influenced by the work of Robert Owen, Welsh socialist and father of the cooperative movement. By the time he reached adulthood he and his brother James had the idea to create a cooperative in the United States that would incorporate socialist values, they travelled to Iowa with this in mind in 1850, Alexander returned to Scotland to raise money for the project and purchased the Glasgow Sentinel, quickly turning it into the second largest newspaper in the city.

On his return to the United States in 1851, Gardner paid a visit to the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, New York, where he saw the photographs of Mathew Brady for the first time. Shortly afterward, Gardner began reviewing exhibitions of photographs in the Glasgow Sentinel, as well as experimenting with photography on his own.

In 1856, Gardner decided to over permanently to America, eventually settling in New York. He soon found employment with Mathew Brady as a photographer. At first, Gardner specialized in making large photographic prints, called Imperial photographs, but as Brady’s eyesight began to fail, Gardner took on more and more responsibilities. In 1858, Brady put him in charge of the entire gallery.

Two years later, Gardner opened a portrait studio for Brady in Washington, D.C. It was so successful that it helped to support Brady’s more extravagant New York studio.

When the American Civil War erupted in 1861, Gardner assisted Brady in his effort to make a complete photographic record of the conflict. Brady, however, refused to give Gardner public credit for his work. Gardner therefore left Brady in 1863, opened a portrait gallery in Washington, and continued to photograph the hostilities on his own. His photographs President Lincoln on the Battlefield of Antietam as seen in the photos and other portraits of Lincoln are among the best-known photographs of the war period.

Gardner’s Photographic Sketch Book of the Civil War, a two-volume collection of 100 original prints, was published in 1866. When Brady petitioned Congress to buy his photographs of the war, Gardner presented a rival petition, claiming that it was he, not Brady, who had originated the idea of providing the nation with a photographic history of the conflict. Congress eventually bought both collections.

In 1867 Gardner became the official photographer for the Union Pacific Railroad. Primarily active in Kansas, he photographed the building of the railroad and the new settlements that grew up near it. He also compiled valuable photographic documentation of the Plains Indians of North America.

Returning to Washington, he gradually lost interest in photography and devoted the rest of his life to philanthropy.

In 1871, Gardner gave up photography entirely to start an insurance company. He lived in Washington until his death in 1882. Regarding his work he said, “It is designed to speak for itself. As mementos of the fearful struggle through which the country has just passed, it is confidently hoped that it will possess an enduring interest.”

The first pic is of Alexander Gardner, next is Ta-Tan-Kah-Sa-Pah (Black Bull) of the Brule-Sioux tribe, North Dakota, President Lincoln on Battle-Field of Antietam and Abraham Lincoln and his son Thomas, then Lewis Payne, one of the men involved in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and finally the Leavenworth, Lawrence, and Galveston Railroad Bridge across the Kaw River at Lawrence, Kansas, in 1867

[xardoth]

Decibels Of Storm (1990) | Pelle Ohlin

I know I've talked about posting a Euronymous interview but I haven't had time to type out anything new and I apologize. I'm taking all the Pelle interviews I've published on different social medias and posting them here until I find the time to sit down and search for other ones. As usual, Pelle's words are in italic and the interviewers are bold!

"Hi! What'sup after the release of your EP "Deathcrush"? Is it selling well?

- Deathcrush is sold out since nearly a year! But DC's demo wich is not limited is still available and we don't intend to stop selling it at 5$. The record was produced & pressed by us! If we would have had a commercial record label on us, the songs would have been different as they are, and they would never have allowed that front cover and everyone who got one knows why... After Deathcrush we had a long time of no release and no gigs. We got our actual rehearsal place in April '89, a great equipment and fount at last a place to live and so on.. Now we can really begin the hard work for realizing all our band's future plans!

Why did you change the line-up?

- Well, in fact we never changed it.... only Manheim (ex drummer) and Maniac (ex vocalist) left the band after Deathcrush's recording! I began in spring '88 and Hellhammer joined a few weeks later! Now we are: Dead: vocals; Hellhammer: drums; Necrobutcher: bass and Euroymous guitars. 

What do you think now of your first demo: "Pure fucking armaggeddon"?

- It's the same extremely bad sound quality now as it was before! In '86, when it came out and I first heard it (I didn't sing on that one). it was the rawest and noisiest crushing black metal I'heard till then. The songs we'll use from PFA live are carnage & PFA. We'll print carnage in tha same version as before, and PFA on vinyl, maybe on CD..... What I can say for sure is that Deathcrush will come out again on vinyl, with another cover. Unfortunately, we can't use the name "posercorpse" anymore, as we started our own record label called "Deathlike silence productions" and all our future records will be on DSP. We'll press not only our own records, but also those of some other bands. The first one will be "the awakening", an LP from Merciless from Sweden.

How is life in Norway? Tell me about your country.

- In almost every country you'll find people who would prefer to live elsewhere. I wanna live in Transylvania! I'm not norvegian, maybe another of us should answer this question. I think everything here is too far expensive and the Death Metal scene isn't big enough. There aren't so many satanic covens, the blasphemes in christian churches aren't grim enough and Scandinavia has also a rotten weather. I think that France is more human and nearer other european countries (compared to Norway). I've also heard all about those many ancient castles, I'll have to check that out some days.

What are you listening to now? Death metal I suppose!!

- The bands I prefer are: Mantas and Old Death/Necrovore, Azagthoth, Matricide, Immolation, Autopsy, Damnation, Merciless (SWE), Casbah, Necrophile, Deathspeed, Nausea, Imperator, Panic, Slashing Death, Mercilles death, Tormentor, Mutilated, Agressor and the new stuff on Loudblast.

So you know Mutilated!! Yeah! I think they're awful, shit with big head. Do u think this too?

- Mutilated is OK musically, but as I don't know those guys I can't say much about them, only that someone wrote to us once telling that Mutilated doesn't answer letters. So don't ask me what might go on between them and French public.

You plan an LP. Please Dead, talk to me 'bout it.

- We hope to get a studio in March '90 for the recording of "De Mysteris Dom Sathanas" LP. Exactly when it'll be out and the time for the recording depend of any possible new gigs appearing. We hope go to Russia for about 20-30 gigs at this year's end and if nothing appears after that then we can record in March. The title "De Misteriis.." comes from a book with ghost stories; ghosts made of human flesh with forced far beyond human imagination. Unfortunately this book seems to exist in only 1 examplary, but I still try to find another. Just now I can tell you which songs we'll use: carnage, the dark of the freezing moon, buried by time & dust, funeral fog, de mysteriis dom sathanas and  song we could call "when the vultures left" and one more without title yet! That makes 7 songs, but as we have 10 on the LP, we have to make 3 more. We still have 4 songs on DeathCrush and all those we composed for the russian tour! There's of course a difference in new track and that of DC, but to me they're in the same vein as our old stuff, maybe longer, with more solo parts! We did all improve technically since then; but it will be the same Death on it!

Are your lyrics funny, or do you speak about reality?

- Let's talk about the new lyrics... They're mostly done by me, and I take it very seriously! I'e been mad of horror since my birth and I'm insane of ancient, nearly forgotten... covens of pure evil!! Lonely castles in carpatians, in transylvania... vulture legends wich are so ancient but still alive in Transylvania! Black metal!!!!

Any future plans?

-I don't like future as I'm obsessed by the past! Hard to talk about it as everything goes so slowly! What will happen after the LP? We've got many plans for then but the biggest is our tour and the way we planned it: Eastern Europe (in its whole), many places in the west (I can't for sure it willbe France, but I would rather think so), southern and  central america and maybe Canada and Asia! My own idea would be to play in the places which invite us. We only wanna play in so "sick" as possible places, communist, with closed borders and impossible to see for tourists. That's all I can say now.

Any last words?

- If one of you, Satanic true evil horror Nosferatu insaniacs of immortality finds per chance the book "De Miteriis Dom. Satanas" and survives its contact, please contact me, so I can die in peace!!"

[nowandajenn]

Blue Christmas- chapter 2

Series warnings: angst (like a lot), mentions of infidelity, language, family drama, pregnancy, sexual situations.

After taking a hot shower and getting dressed for the day, I let Dodger out once more before I leave for the studio. This time of year is always busy; families coming in wanting photos done of their kids or the whole family for the holidays. I love this time of year and how happy everyone is. Plus, the holidays provide endless possibilities when it comes to the pictures. 

When I get to the studio, I head inside and unlock the door, flip the sign, and turn the lights on and get ready to get down to business. My assistant/receptionist Allie gets there about 15 minutes after I do. 

“I hope you’re full of coffee and perkiness, because we are going to be jam packed today, my girl.” I tell her. 

“Had a cappuccino at home and I have coffee in my trusty travel mug. I’m ready to go.” she says, laughing. 

My first appointment doesn’t come in until 10am, and we don’t get a break to even sit down and eat lunch until about 2:30. Allie and I sit together at our desks, taking and eating our burritos, taking a much needed breather. It’s already December 4th, so we’re going to be pretty busy from now until Christmas. 

“So you must be super happy now that Chris is home for the holidays.” Allie says, wiping her mouth with a napkin. 

“Absolutely. But there’s no way that he would miss Christmas. He knows his mom would kill him.” I laugh. 

I send Allie home at 5pm and lock up so I can get some work done editing photos and getting them printed and organized on discs for the customers. Truthfully, I could be doing this at home, but there’s something about working here where there’s total peace and quiet that helps me concentrate and get shit done. 

Once I’m done with customer orders, I open up the folder on my computer with the holiday photos that Chris and I and the rest of the Evans clan did a few weeks ago, when Chris had a free weekend. There are a ton of photos, as usual, and they all turned out wonderful. There are ones of each one of the kids, ones of them together, pictures of the whole damn family, ones of Carly, Scott, Chris, and Shanna, ones of Chris and I (Allie took the ones that I was part of). I can’t help but smile as I scroll through all of them, tearing up at how much I love this family and how much they mean to me. 

I pick out one of the pictures of the whole family and email it to Lisa. We had taken the photos both inside and out, since the weather had been particularly good that day. This particular shot was taken outside with all of us standing on the wraparound front porch of Lisa’s house. Chris had made a joke about the porch giving out and us all falling on our asses to the ground because of all of our combined weight, Scott had laughed and replied that if anything was going to bring us down, it was going to be the size of Chris’ ego, and it had taken us way too long to get the giggles and jokes under control to get the picture. 

I sit back in my chair and gaze at one of our favorite wedding pictures that sits in a sterling silver frame on my desk. It was taken right after the ceremony, when we had been escorted to a private room in the church to take a breath and just be with each other for a few moments to bask in finally being married. It’s a black and white shot of us standing close, foreheads resting against each other’s, and both grinning like fools. There’s a bigger, framed copy of it hanging in our house, too. 

Chris surprised me with the studio for my birthday three years ago. I had gotten my degree in photography from U Mass, and was absolutely passionate about it. I took jobs shooting weddings, engagement photos, newborn photos, everything I could get my hands on. I ended up getting so much business that I had converted part of the basement into a darkroom, there were always photos everywhere, and the camera equipment that I needed as I got more work began to take up more space. Chris never complained though; he was thrilled that I was doing something that I loved and that made me happy.

 As a surprise, he and Tara had found the studio space and Chris had bought it for me. The night he had brought me here (blindfolded and slightly drunk) and unveiled the space to me, I had burst into tears and kissed him over and over again until we ended up in the back where nobody could see us, making love on the hardwood floor. The first official thing we did was christen the new place Kelly Evans Photography, a few months before I was technically even Kelly Evans. The whole studio is a big, open floor plan, with the front reception area flowing into the back photography area where there are comfy chairs, different lighting options, backgrounds, and props to use in the photos. Chris had helped me decorate, putting together the desks and painting, and helping me pick out which photos of mine were going to be displayed up front so customers could see examples of my work. 

Chris had declared that the centerpiece for the rest of the photos should be one of the photos from our engagement shoot, blown up and framed. It had been taken outside in the spring time, and the trees and flowers were in full bloom. The shot had been taken as Chris held me piggyback, with my arms thrown around him, both of us in the middle of laughing. It perfectly captured us as a couple; playful and happy and so in love it was ridiculous. It made me grin like the village idiot every time I caught a glance of it on the wall. 

By the time I finally get done working, I’m shocked to look outside and see the roads and sidewalks absolutely covered in snow, and the heavy flakes are still coming down. I had noticed that it had started snowing earlier in the day, but had been so busy I hadn’t really thought anything of it. I check my phone to see there’s a weather alert about blizzard conditions and the possibility of 5-8″ of snow. Gotta love East coast winters. 

There’s also a text from Chris telling me to drive safe coming home from work and that he loved me. I send him a text back saying that I’m leaving work right now and for him to drive safe also. 

When I walk in the front door, Dodger barks happily and spins around, tail wagging excitedly. I set the pizza that I picked up for dinner down, and scratch him behind the ears, giving him kisses.  

“Come on bubba, let’s go potty.”

I let Dodger out and pour myself a glass of wine and plate up some pizza and head to the living room. Dodger doesn’t stay out too long on account of the cold, so once he comes in and shakes off, he joins me on the couch as I turn on an episode of V Wars on Netflix. 

The house is completely done up for Christmas, lights and garland everywhere, the Christmas tree decorated within an inch of its life. There’s a fire going in the fireplace, and the room is illuminated just by the light of the tree. It’s beautiful and soothing.

I grab the bottle of red out of the fridge and pour myself another glass, watching through the kitchen window as the snow just keeps coming down, the strong wind carrying it every which way, causing big snow drifts across the yard. I hear the faint sound of the front door opening and then shutting, and Dodger losing his mind. That can only mean one thing.

“Babe?” I call out.

“Yeah, it’s me.” he says.

“God, I’m surprised you didn’t just stay at your mom’s tonight. The roads are a fucking mess.” 

I start heading back into the living room and stop in my tracks when I get a look at Chris. His eyes and nose are red, like he’s been crying. And there’s a look on his face that I haven’t seen before; like he’s devastated. My heart immediately starts pounding in my chest and my mouth goes dry. Someone died. That’s my first thought. He would only look like this if someone had died, or at the very least been in a serious accident.

“Chris? What is it? What’s wrong? Is your mom okay?” I ask, not liking how my voice comes out small and scared. 

He crosses the room to me and wraps me in a hug so tight that it’s a little hard to breathe. He buries his face in my neck and I immediately throw my arms around him, trying to comfort him. I can feel his tears transferring to my skin and I stand there, terrified, clinging to him tightly. 

“Chris, you have to talk to me. You’re scaring the hell out of me.” I murmur in his ear. He pulls back from me after a long moment and wipes his eyes, still holding onto me tightly. 

“I have to tell you something.” 

All those times over the last few days when I’ve been dying for him to tell me what’s going on and why he’s so stressed out, and now that it’s here, I’m not ready. Not in the slightest. 

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, imagining the worst possible scenarios in my head and trying to brace myself for anything. I try to steel myself, knowing that the next words out of his mouth are going to change everything. Without realizing it, I start fidgeting with the hem of Chris’ white cable knit sweater that I threw on over a pair of leggings as pajamas. 

“I love you so much. I love you. I love you.” he murmurs

“I love you too. Chris, whatever is going on, we’ll deal with it. I promise. You just have to tell me what happened.” Seeing him like this has gotten me so shaken that my voice is wavering, like I’m on the verge of bursting into tears. 

He brings his beautiful blue eyes up to meet mine and he takes in a shuddering breath.

“When I was gone, I fucked up. I……fuck……”. He drops to his knees in front of me and hugs my waist, pressing his head against my stomach. I bring my hand to the top of his head, stroking his hair, utterly fucking confused about what’s going on. 

All of the sudden, things seem to snap into place in my brain. The stress, him avoiding me, him sobbing at my feet, him saying he fucked up. But it’s not possible. It can’t be. Chris is the last person on the face of the earth that would do something like that. There’s no way. 

 I keep thinking “please no” to myself over and over in my head, and I’m shocked to realize I’m actually saying it softly out loud. 

“I slept with someone.”

I close my eyes tightly, hoping that this is just a nightmare. Nobody moves. Nobody breathes. Even Dodger is completely silent. Because if anyone makes a sound, it’s going to be real. 

[beatdisc]

Some new re-issues & crucial re-stocks through our doors in the past few weeks. Highlights include new milestone anniversary editions of Mark Lanegan's Bubblegum, Oasis' Definitely Maybe, The Church's The Blurred Crusade and Violent Soho's Hungry Ghost, plus long overdue re-pressings of classics from Shellac, Neu! and Alanis, along with a pair of new Numero Group re-issues. More info below!

American Analog Set - The Golden Band - $60 (LP) - Numero Group YELLOW vinyl re-issue of the 1999 slowcore classic from Austin group. First time back on vinyl in 25 years!

Shellac - At Action Park - $60 (LP) - Back in print! The 1994 debut LP from Bob Weston, Todd Trainer & Steve Albini (RIP). Touch & Go Records 180-gram recycled wax in custom printed cardboard uni-pak style.

Oasis - Definitely Maybe - $75 (2LP) / $130 (4LP) - 30th Anniversary re-issue of the landmark 1994 debut album. Available as a newly pressed Digsy's Dinner inspired 'Strawberries & Cream' coloured 2LP set, or an expanded 4LP box featuring Monnow Valley Versions and Sawmills Outtakes.

Mark Lanegan - Bubblegum XX - $65 (2LP) / $45 (3CD) - Beggar's Banquet 20th Anniversary re-issue of the acclaimed 2004 solo release. Available on Indie-Exclusive 2LP red vinyl, or in an expanded 3CD digipack featuring unreleased songs & demos.

Neu! - s/t - $35 (LP)- Back in print! The iconic 1972 debut LP from influential German krautrock group featuring Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother after their split from Kraftwerk. Big love to @groenlandrecords for continually re-printing these one at such an agreeable price!

The Church - The Blurred Crusade - $60 (LP) - Limited edition BLUE vinyl remaster of the excellent 1982 sophomore studio album from Steve Kilbey & Co. Featuring Almost With You and When You Were Mine.

Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill - $45 (LP) - Back in print! Alanis' gigantic 1995 studio album & first internationally distributed release. Jam-packed with hits like You Oughta Know, Hand in My Pocket, Ironic, Head over Feet, You Learn etc.

Unwound - Single History: 1991-2001 - $70 (2LP) - Numero Group 25th Anniversary Expanded & Remastered 2LP WHITE vinyl re-issue of the 1999 compilation of early singles & compilation tracks. Touring in November!!

Violent Soho - Hungry Ghost - $70 (LP) - 10th Anniversary limited edition BLACK & RED splatter vinyl re-issue of the previously out-of-print and hard to find 2013 breakout studio album featuring Covered in Chrome.

[project1939]

200 Films of 1952

Film number 200!!!!: This is Cinerama

Release date: September 30th, 1952 

Studio: Cinerama Productions 

Genre: documentary 

Director: Mike Todd, Michael Todd, Jr, Walter A. Thompson, Fred Rickey 

Producer: Robert L. Bendick, Merian C. Cooper 

Actors: Lowell Thomas 

Plot Summary: This is a documentary that introduces the moviegoing public to the Cinerama film process and the stereo sound that came along with it. We see many famous sites and performances from around the world, followed by an aerial tour of the United States from coast to coast. 

My Rating (out of five stars): ***½  

I wanted to save this film for last, because it was the beginning of the major shift to widescreen films and stereo sound in Hollywood. In 1952, movies still used mono audio and had the almost square aspect ratio of 1.375:1. Cinerama was 2.65:1. Needing to compete with television, movies literally became bigger, longer, more colorful, and more sonically complex. This film was an epic illustration of the future, using sound and spectacle that must have been mind-blowing at the time. 

The Good: 

The curved screen still looked impressive on a flat screen today, due to the “Smilebox” framing. Sitting close to my screen, it felt like it wrapped around me, using my peripheral vision to make it feel almost like real life. 

The immersive stereo sound they used was super cool. I listened with headphones, hoping to hear the difference better, and boy was it noticeable! It was much like modern films, where if a character was speaking on the left side of the screen, the sound was more on the left side. My favorite trick was the way sound moved from back to front as well. When a church choir or a parade of bagpipers was moving past you, the sound imitated the real life feeling of sound coming and going. 

The color looked very nice. It was apparently shot in Eastmancolor (think Kodak Film), and then printed in Technicolor. It didn’t look as nice as a film shot in Technicolor, but it was still vivid and lovely. 

Starting the film with a black and white section with mono sound and a regular width was a smart idea. It amped you up for the change and made the juxtaposition even stronger. 

That black and white beginning was an entertaining journey through film history via 1952 eyes. It felt like a Film 101 class, which I enjoyed. But shockingly (and NOT shockingly), it gave absolutely no mention of the vital contributions of the French in early film history! 

The score was excellent- it was epic sounding without overdoing it.  

The sequence in Venice on the canals was my favorite. I want to go back and watch it again. 

The views of the Grand Canyon were stunning as well. 

The sequence showing off tricks with sound using a church choir was another highlight. I loved hearing the sound travel all around, from being almost whisper quit behind you, to completely filling a room. 

Watching all of the people in the crowds was as exciting for me as anything else. The color made it especially fun to have that time machine feeling as you watch what “normal” people looked like 72 years ago. 

I got a kick out of imaging the experience through 1952 eyes. Having seen 199 standard films from the year, I can definitely get a taste of how overwhelming it must have felt to see and hear such futuristic things! 

The Bad: 

The novelty wore off after about an hour or so, and things sometimes got boring, especially because there was no plot or characters. The novelty would probably last longer in a real theater, though. 

It was very Eurocentric when it “traveled around the world.” The only countries we saw were Scotland, Italy, Austria, and Spain. I was hoping they’d show some East Asian countries, South American countries, African, etc... There were so many great sites all over the world they could have shot. 

My least favorite sequences were the theatrical ones featuring operas. There were only chorus scenes and chorus music- we never got to hear any arias! The scenes also went on waaay too long.  

The section with Dick Pope’s water-skiing show also ran much too long. It tried to introduce a minor character, but that just padded the time and made it go on even longer. It was fun at first, but that died down well before the section ended. 

Because of the filming process, the camera couldn’t do much more than point straight ahead. There was so much spectacle happening, though, so it wasn’t too noticeable. 

[globalworship]

“ALKEBULAN SAINTS” collages by Patrick Dougher

Patrick Dougher has quickly become of my favorite American artists. He lives in Brooklyn and has created hundreds of paintings, collages, and sculptures.

About the images below, he writes, "These are two examples of quick collages I created to show examples of simple shape and pattern techniques for the 'Creative Flow and Collage Making' workshop I led for Trinity Church in November 2023." https://www.facebook.com/patrick.dougher.5/posts/pfbid02yooVSkFf7y4Xk4LNgQVVK6VcNWptnnSp3tUNRmh8PAAxxYFz5PtWWrEwYQcucSRFl

and

+++

"Alkebulan" is a term, possibly of Arabic origin, that has been taken to mean things like "Mother of Mankind" and is believed by many to refer to the continent of Africa

The word has been in print in European languages since at least 1575, referring to Africa. https://www.reddit.com/r/asklinguistics/comments/is387b/can_anyone_supportdebunk_this_claim_about_the/?rdt=61793

+++

Here is a third collage he created during the same pair of workshops he led at Trinity Church in Brooklyn. One was titled "Creative Flow and Collage Making” and the other workshop was "Expand Your Creativy."

“ALKEBULAN MADONNA”

+++

Patrick Dougher’s art reflects his life’s mission to inspire and empower by honestly and fearlessly holding up a mirror to society’s inequities and injustices. He seeks to celebrate through his art the noble beauty and divine spirituality of people of African descent and to connect urban African-American culture to its roots in sacred African art and ceremony.

See more of his marvelous art at https://www.facebook.com/patrick.dougher.5  and his website at https://www.godbodyart.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/patrickdougher/

+++

See the first set of Modern Black Saints portrayed by Patrick Dougher in my blog post at https://globalworship.tumblr.com/post/752554050292187136/black-saints-portrayed-by-patrick-dougher

See the second set of Modern Black Saints portrayed by Patrick Dougher in my blog post at https://globalworship.tumblr.com/post/752582004979253249/modern-black-saints-portrayed-by-patrick-dougher

The artist in his Brokklyn studio:

Photo from this webpage: https://nevahblackdown.com/2017/10/01/patrick-dougher-art-artist-%E2%80%8Band-human-being-combined/

[svgoceandesigns1]

Ain't No Church Like The One I Got SVG - Christian Religious Inspirational SVG PNG, Cricut File

Ain't No Church Like The One I Got SVG, Christian Religious Inspirational SVG PNG EPS DXF PDF, Cricut File, Instant Download File, Cricut File Silhouette Art, Logo Design, Designs For Shirts. ♥ Welcome to SVG OCEAN DESIGNS Store! ♥ ► PLEASE NOTE: – Since this item is digital, no physical product will be sent to you. – Your files will be ready to download immediately after your purchase. Once payment has been completed, SVG Ocean Designs will send you an email letting you know your File is ready for Download. You may also check your Order/Purchase History on SVG Ocean Designs website and it should be available for download there as well. – Please make sure you have the right software required and knowledge to use this graphic before making your purchase. – Due to monitor differences and your printer settings, the actual colors of your printed product may vary slightly. – Due to the digital nature of this listing, there are “no refunds or exchanges”. – If you have a specific Design you would like made, just message me! I will be more than glad to create a Custom Oder for you. ► YOU RECEIVE: This listing includes a zip file with the following formats: – SVG File (check your software to confirm it is compatible with your machine): Includes wording in both white and black (SVG only). Other files are black wording. – PNG File: PNG High Resolution 300 dpi Clipart (transparent background – resize smaller and slightly larger without loss of quality). – DXF: high resolution, perfect for print and many more. – EPS: high resolution, perfect for print, Design and many more. ► USAGE: – Can be used with Cricut Design Space, Silhouette Cameo, Silhouette Studio, Adobe Illustrator, ...and any other software or machines that work with SVG/PNG files. Please make sure your machiMone and software are compatible before purchasing. – You can edit, resize and change colors in any vector or cutting software like Inkscape, Adobe illustrator, Cricut design space, etc. SVG cut files are perfect for all your DIY projects or handmade business Product. You can use them for T-shirts, scrapbooks, wall vinyls, stickers, invitations cards, web and more!!! Perfect for T-shirts, iron-ons, mugs, printables, card making, scrapbooking, etc. ►TERMS OF USE: – NO refunds on digital products. Please contact me if you experience any problems with the purchase. – Watermark and wood background won’t be shown in the downloaded files. – Please DO NOT resell, distribute, share, copy, or reproduce my designs. – Customer service and satisfaction is our top priority. If you have any questions before placing orders, please contact with us via email "support@svgoceandesigns.com". – New products and latest trends =>> Click Here . Thank you so much for visiting our store! SVG OCEAN DESIGNS Read the full article

[zooterchet]

Opposed Forces (Espionage Families of Boston)

King's Men (York Spy's Infantry):

1910s:

Lucianos:

Field Operative Name: Salvatore Luciano.

Group Foe: Calvin Coolidge.

Target: The Coolidge Fund.

Leader: Harry S. Truman.

Foes:

Alphonse Capone: Operating speakeasies for the families of politicians and police.

Johnny Torrio: Import of rum from Irish civil service Canada.

Enoch Nixon: Control of Atlantic City casinos for services retailed of beef.

1930s:

Field Operative Name: Raymond Charlebois.

Group Foe: Adolf Hitler.

Group Target: Los Angeles Water Department.

Leader: Chester Nimitz.

Foes:

Douglas MacArthur: Draft of Italians into Marine Corps under police provision of Italian Catechism Blackshirt.

John Okada: Japanese agent of Lutheran hierarchy, spying on Japanese interned to recruit for post-war Japanese Diet United States Marine Corps.

Mao Zedong: Farmer's candidate, for industrialization of Japan's lagers and logging trade, as imbued term in English, to enslave Chinese people under Black Papacy; Russian Mafia.

1960s:

Field Operative Name: Michael Charlebois.

Group Foe: Dwight Eisenhower.

Group Target: German Sheriffs.

Leader: Lee Iakoka.

Foes:

Richard Milhouse Nixon: Incarceration at clause of military penal service, in Vatican Church Mafia.

Charles Manson: Print of writ and writing, at free sum, or else castrated, amputed of toe, and placed in prison on bipolar medication, in Attica, Alcatraz, or San Quentin.

Hunter S. Thompson: Pharmaceuticals as a recreational drug, sold to children through revised DARE program.

1990s:

Field Operative Name: David Charlebois.

Group Foe: George W. Bush.

Group Target: Kraft Cheese.

Leader: The Ayatollah Khameini.

Colin Powell: The purchase and bribe of cruises and gambling stakes, to the parents of police.

Andrew Donson: Calculations of bacon-inhibited diets, through Holocaust History teachers, at infanticide through Sheriff's act of report, of children of police mothers; for print, in Firaxis Games, as roleplayed models.

Uma Thurman: The proliferation of Gerber's Babyfood, a turkey nutrient, as well as turkey pepperoni and turkey clam cakes; to infirm the mind, especially of children, to spawn "Eric Cartman", for South Park Studios; a German Federal Republic Rabbi, holding the Rabbinical, and their victims, the Jews, as the same scruple.

[p0rterlicious]

©Black Church Print Studio

Perfect example of how just a change in ink choices can completely change the outcome and tone of a riso piece.

[ffcarlos-grad604]

[Draft] Essay - Section 4: Contextual Review, Creative Positioning

Instructions

This is where you are explaining the current state of knowledge in the field. What did you uncover, what is best practice and what conceptual/academic thinking did you uncover?

Here you acknowledge the projects, practices, writings and people who are the most influential on your thinking, ideas and practice. Consider these prompts:

Describe 4 x designers / artists creative practices and specific projects you have researched;

Refer to the thematic and categorisations you articulated in week 8

Discuss the key concepts, and contexts (including themes).

For all 4 x case studies talk about the significance of their work and its impact on communities + your thinking/practice.

Can you include a seminal quote from an author who has written about their work? (and accurately reference it)

Can you include and correctly caption images?

--

One of the people I have chosen from the creative community is Stephen James Hart. He is a creative director specialising in graphic design, typography and photography, and serves as Creative Director at Gateway Church in Hamilton. In addition to branding for Gateway Aotearoa, he has also made album designs for newly released worship songs which blends my music and spiritual affinity into design.

--

I came across this campaign titled “Modern Classics” released in December 2022 in New Zealand. It was created for the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra (APO), by ad agency Stanley St. This print medium campaign contains 3 media assets. The APO is an organisation I have connected with as I participated as a violist in their Summer School for 3 years.

The classical orchestra was once the epitome of cultural entertainment, but now struggles to captivate the younger audiences. Using AI-generated visuals, this series offered a reimagined look at the roles and celebrity status these legendary figures would take up if they were alive today (Stanley St, 2022).

The copywriting has a consistent and compelling headline sentence structure that resonates the message. What stands out is the juxtaposition of musical legends in unlikely contemporary scenarios: Beethoven with an iPhone on TikTok, Mozart wearing headphones selling out on stadiums, and Bach mixing beats in a sound studio and doing a collab with Gaga (Ads of the World, 2022).

The clever interplay injects a delightful sense of humour and prompts us to consider these classical geniuses in our modern, technology-driven world. Additionally, it employs artificial intelligence, a topic that has recently risen and continues to spark debate and discussion in today’s digital landscape.

--

Jory & Co, a design studio focused on social and environmental impact created History-Making Profits, World-Ending Emissions project for their client ‘Energy Profits,’ a group of international investigative journalists and researchers. This project was selected as a finalist for the Public Good Award, Design Communication and Small Scale Websites categories at the 2022 DINZ Best Awards.

In this work, they created a distinctive brand, website, infographics, video, and social assets to be used and referenced by the national media and partner climate organisations. Clean type, powerful photography, bold data visualisation and animated figures were employed to make the message easily understood and difficult to ignore. The ‘E’ icon in the brand identity, including the logo symbolises the growth of profit, remuneration, emissions, and environmental degradation. Black and white is combined with warm tones of red, orange, and yellow symbolising the increasing Earth’s temperature and growing climate devastation. (Jory and Co, n.d.).

--

DNA helps New Zealand’s leading businesses and government agencies unlock new ideas, uncover opportunities for improvement, achieve growth and deliver transformative experiences for their customers and employees.

One of their clients was Kiwibank whom they redesigned the public website for as part of a brand-led transformation across culture, product, and technology. They reimagined a digital banking experience that “enables customers to thrive” as the new brand strategy. The new website has allowed the largest New Zealand-owned bank to reposition itself, attracting and retaining a new, progressive type of customer.

From the research, it was highlighted that the focus on products and finance within many banking sites caused a gap between customers comprehension on information. They designed an interface that mirrored a conversation from banking terminology to every-day language, aiding the understanding of content (DNA, n.d.).

[clarelymer]

I was asked to create a digital timeline using archive materials to be shown as part of the 40th anniversary exhibition for Black Church Print Studio. After digitising the archive materials at NIVAL, I used an open-source tool created by Knight Lab at Northwestern University to build the timeline. Creating narratives with archival materials is one of the most enjoyable parts of my job and TimelineJS is a fantastic and adaptable storytelling tool that worked especially well here. The timeline was displayed in the gallery space and is accessible online. The story of Black Church Print Studio is fascinating; from their origins after a split from Graphic Studio Dublin, followed by the complete destruction of their first premises by arson, to their new purpose-built home as part of Temple Bar’s cultural redevelopment in the 1990s. The timeline tells their story through meeting minutes, correspondence, photographs, exhibition ephemera and various other archival documents.

[screenstretch]

➡️➡️➡️ @blackchurchprint International Residency Call Out 📢 ➡️ https://www.blackchurchprint.ie/international-residencies/ ⬅️ Black Church Print Studio would like to invite International artists actively engaged or informed by contemporary printmaking practice to apply for a four-week residency in Black Church Print Studio, Dublin during 2024. Applicants must be practicing printmakers. Irish residents are not eligible. Dates to be confirmed between winning participant(s) and the Studio. Deadline 31 March 2023 Applications should be submitted in pdf format by email to info@blackchurchprint.ie Submission €20 For more information check our website ⬆️ 📸 2022 Recipient Belle-Pilar Fleming #BCPS #Blackchurch #FineArtPrint #Artist #Dublin #Ireland #TempleBar #Studio #Irish #Printmaking #PrintedMatter #Art #ArtistStudio #ContemporaryArt #OpenCall #Opportunity (at Black Church Print Studio) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp8aRogogHR/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[cerealtom]