Writer Nat Liechti speaks exclusively to quirky French singer-songwriter, Camille, whose latest album, Le Fil, is an exploration of her own vocals and its limitations — of which there appear to be none: Shrieking, beat-boxing, crooning and whooping her way through the seventeen avant-pop tracks, a single note — le fil, or ‘the thread’ — is sustained throughout, carrying on for a further thirty minutes at the album’s conclusion. ‘It was my way of pulling all of the eclectic ideas together’, she explains. ‘We live in a threadless world and I needed that connection with myself, and that connection that links us to each other. I really see the album as a single piece with different acts and different interludes. I feel that that’s my message, asking what does an album mean?’ It would appear that she does not hold the same — albeit somewhat effusive — opinion as me on the nature of French artists and their ability to remain effortlessly perched on the cutting edge of creation at all times. ‘Oh, but I feel as though you are being too kind to the French. Everyone recycles everything and our country is surrounded by what’s going on in England, in Spain, and there are so many different cultures …’, she trails off, before continuing decisively, ‘I’m just trying to be experimental. I do things instinctively. I’m not trying to identify with a certain style, as I’m quite individualistic. My path is to explore my own voice … it’s wider than music’. Whilst her debut effort in 2002, Le Sac des Filles (made as part of an internship while she was a student), was critically acclaimed in France, it wasn’t until Le Fil that people outside Europe really paid attention. But as soon as the album began to filter out, the comparisons began flowing in — Bjork, Kate Bush, Fiona Apple. And whilst she could just be grumpy from the Hoover nearby, it’s clearly a subject that she’s a little weary of. ‘Journalists have to compare things, otherwise it’s too abstract. I’m not frustrated by that, but I do feel that what is being compared is more so our eccentricity. I do feel related to these women, more than musically. Their imaginary world is so developed and very vivid. We share that. But otherwise, the reaction has been very pleasant. I wasn’t expecting anything. It was a very introspective album, and I put it out there and the audience followed. The world is surprising’. [see also The Paper Scissors]
Also by ZOLTON
Maths explains the origin of superhero characters
I love the colours and simple reasoning in this clever series by Scottish illustrator Matt Cowen, which uses basic maths equations to explain how certain pop culture icons came to be. Read more
Star Wars Uncut: a fully crowdsourced version of Episode IV
The project of creative technologist, Casey Pugh, this full length version of the George Lucas masterpiece was created from multiple 15 second segments recreated from the original movie and submitted by thousands of Star Wars fans, which were then spliced together by editor Aaron Valdez to form the final product. Genius, as both a commentary on contemporary pop culture trends (there are references to LEGO, stop motion, memes and the like) and on the power of tapping your audience for quality material.
Filmmaker creates LEGO stop motion to propose to girlfriend
Now, this is one for the ages: back in 2010, Atlanta film-maker Walter Thompson created a jaw-dropping LEGO stop motion to propose to Nealey Dozier, his girlfriend of four years. The video took 22 hours of shooting and some 2,600 pictures to splice together, a small sacrifice to pay for years of happiness together. Right? Right! Oh, and she said yes. Bonus.
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I’ve been a fan of Paul Davis’ work ever since I found his book, Us and Them, at University in 2005. His work is an acquired taste, but I find him hilarious.
It’s hard to explain someone else’s work without compromising other viewers’ perception. so I’ll use three words that I think would be more than obvious to describe the work of Mexican artistGustavo Abascal: dark, pale and beautiful.
You heard it here first. Singer-songwriter Julian Perretta might just become the most exciting new artist of 2008. Read more
While the Belizean Islands are some of the most beautiful and tranquil in the world, Belize City is one of those uninspiring places that most people travel in and out of very quickly. However, if you do find yourself stranded there, as I did, the city does have one redeeming attraction. Approximately twenty kilometres west of the centre, you’ll find the Belize Zoo — which the founders call the ‘best little zoo in the world’. It relies on charitable donations and has gained huge respect for housing native Belizean wildlife, such as jaguars, howler monkeys, tapirs, ocelots and toucans, in natural, tropical surroundings. If you’re there on the first Friday in April, you can even join hundreds of visitors in celebrating the birthday of the zoo’s resident tapir, April. The zoo has an awesome rasta-vibe, and the hand-written information posts are guaranteed to make you giggle.
Activists from all walks of life — architects, artists, children, students, skaters, and more — are documented on the Tools for Actions website, aiming to show us how, whether deliberate or not, the tiniest or the biggest project driven by the quietest or loudest voice can trigger radical change in today’s urban centres. It’s an inspiring blog, particularly for those feeling disempowered. Read more
I love this track by London based rock group, Scanners, which is off their latest album, Submarine. Having toured with acts such as The Horrors, The Wedding Present, The Charlatans, Electric Six, and Juliette & The Licks, Scanners could well blow up in 2010. Figuratively speaking, not literally. No, that wouldn’t be fun.
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Paulina Bojór mixes a timeless earthiness with sculptor. She grew up in the Polish Peoples Republic and there she began by embellishing old clothes, experimenting with bright colours and the avant-garde. She’s now based in London and continues to build her label BOYOR, inspired by graphic patterns and much more. Read more
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Nerd-attack! Man, this TARDIS zipper robe is so much cooler than any Star Wars crap people are hawking this days. This is for the true gangsta nerd.
Benjamin Edminston’s psychedelic heads seem to have some fearful wisdom behind their blissed-out eyes. Read more
A little infectious lollipop rock anyone? Feel free to embarrass yourself singing along at the stoplight. If the other drivers give you that look, roll down the windows and spread the love.
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Michelle Blade’s psychedelic artwork
Michelle Blade’s washed out paintings are deceptively simple, her washy acrylics creating psychedelic textures and conjuring ghostly figures from the past. Read more
Communication prosthesis by Sascha Nordmeyer
This ‘communication prosthesis’ by designer Sascha Nordmeyer is hilarious and awesome. I want to wear one to a job interview.
Inspired by the aesthetics of architecture and graphic design, FAQ Clothing has a post-modern approach to design. Each collection is based on a conceptual theme: ranging from vintage comics to lunar phases. FAQ works with no boundaries, nor rules, which makes for a compelling line. Check out more FAQ products in the Lost At E Minor store.
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