I was lucky enough to catch up with Scottish/Burmese producer and vocalist Fiona Soe Paing for an interview in support of her new EP, Tower of Babel, coming out on November 30, 2012. It will be a free download release by Black Lantern Records, so be sure to get it here: www.fionasoepaing.bandcamp.com Evolving her unique sound since 2007, Fiona Soe Paing’s music has been described by Tom Robinson of BBC 6 Music as “weirdness to soothe your soul,” seemingly an early insight into the brilliance that was to come. Tower of Babel can be described as an exploration of the world in a state of flux; a haunting translation cloaked in an apocalyptic backdrop. Fiona’s compelling voice is woven into minimal yet well placed instrumentation that wastes no time pulling you into its mutant world. Expressive in her ability to convey a type of carnival futurism that is reminiscent of a bladerunner-esque reality, Fiona stands on the precipice where genres are redefined and transcended. Her work is at once strikingly original and sure to be supremely influential. Tower of Babel was funded in part by a grant through Creative Scotland and is accompanied by a limited edition DVD of music videos by the New Zealand animation artist Zennor Alexander which have been screened on Sky TV New Zealand and film festivals including Digital Fringe Melbourne and NEON digital arts festival. The DVD is available at her bandcamp page. A series of tour dates are planned for 2013 with a follow up EP of remixes by other Black Lantern artists planned for the spring. Here is the interview: FEMMECULT:  Would you tell me a bit about your background? Where did you grow up? What did you do in your youth? FIONA: I grew up just...

I just had to share this video with you all. A priest of the Catholic Church talks about how Hell is just an invention- that it’s not real after all! I’ve been thinking this all along, especially after taking a philosophy of Western religion class in college where I learned how the Bible was edited throughout the ages to suit the church forefathers’ (patriarchy’s) agenda. It’s very damaging because in many cases they have put words in God’s mouth. Perverted translations and interpretations through the years have also changed the original meaning and wisdom of the ancient texts. Hell was invented as a political tool of fear to keep the people subdued and submissive, lest they destabilize the power of church leaders. I’m glad the cat’s finally out of the bag! Maybe American/World politics will start to improve as the veil of ignorance begins to lift. Hell exists on Earth no question, in the form of war and the evil principalities that reign supreme, not in some otherworldly fire pit. Watch the video!...

A FUSION OF modern electronica bathed in Middle Eastern influence could be the best way to describe the music of Kalya Scintilla—the alter ego of one Yaygon Lamagaia—but the imagery it inspires all but transcends known genres. Each song is a journey into reinterpretation and improvisation, ending up far from its starting point. The intricate electronic compositions are graced with psychedelic string sections that bring to mind gypsies playing under a starlit sky; Lamagaia creates a harmonious ground for world music fans and diehard electronic audiophiles to meet in peace. It’s no wonder, given the influences he cites. “Nature and her infinite beauty, sacred geometry, and the frequency of love,” Lamagaia says, adding that growing up in the wild Australian countryside has made nature a heavy influence on his musical process. Over his last several releases, Lamagaia’s compositional style reflected a development that came from discovering multilayered intricacies in himself and the world around him—developments that he’s mirrored in his art. In asking what guides the construction of his sound palette, he says, “A song will usually start with an intention, a word, a color, an idea, or concept, or combination of these things.” He then locates a backbone of highly intricate rhythms, beats, and bass that make his music so compelling to dance to. He hopes the imagery that his music conjures for listeners might include “temples, deep-forest adventures, extraterrestrial worlds, and gypsies dancing in the desert in front of Funktion-One speakers.” Kalya Scintilla’s live performances are “ever growing and evolving,” says Lamagaia, “to create a multilayered intentional journey that is never the same twice.” Gearing up for several more releases and a string of shows in the United States and South America—including one at Burning Man, of course—have kept him busy. When...

Artist and visionary, Kirsty Mitchell creates magical wonderlands captured through photography. A passion for art in her early years propelled her studies in fine art leading her to train in ‘Costume for Film and Theatre’ at the London College of Fashion. Completing a degree with honors in fashion design including internships with Alexander McQueen and Hussein Chalayan in her words has “affected [her] greatly.” Mitchell worked in fashion until 2007, but when personal illness struck, it brought about a genuine need to really express herself. She “used to say I had never truly ‘looked’ until it was through a lens…life was different, more beautiful, more sad, and extreme in every sense of the word.” The tragic death of her mother in 2008 brought about a need for escape from reality and this is when photography engulfed Mitchell “becoming an overwhelming passion that [she] could not stop.” Wanting to create images that echoed the belief in wonder generated by the stories her mother told her as a child, Mitchell combined her various backgrounds to “produce tangible pieces of my dreams.” She left her career in fashion behind in 2011 to focus purely on her photography and to great acclaim. She has been featured in countless publications and is doing her first solo exhibition at SWI gallery in London which goes from September 11-15, 2012. Visit Kirsty online to learn...