Clint Catalyst's Blog, page 8

An Incendiary Matter

Δ

Greetings, Beloved Darklings, Queerios, Style Fiends

& Ne'er-Do-Wells…

As the sun begins its descent here in this Babylon-on-the-Pacific

commonly known as Los Angeles,

I propose a 'Theme for The Evening'

[ to do with as you will—or conversely, as you won't,

if that's the case ]

Inspired by this GIF-tastic little gem I've reblogged,

courtesy of the kind folks at Three Frames—

[ attribution hereby duly noted, please.&.thanks ]

The motif proposed is that of

ᐞ△ᐞ · f i r e  · ᐞ△ᐞ

Represented by a certain symbol

with ancient ties to the practice of alchemy,

Fire is Elemental.

"The energy of Life manifests in two forms, Fire & Air. While both are predominately active in nature, fire is the more active of the two, with Air being slightly passive because of the partial Water Element in its makeup. Potential Matter manifests its energy as Water & Earth."

"The Alchemical Sulphur, or Soul, of a thing predominates in the animating principles of energy (Fire) & intelligence (Air); Alchemical Salt, or the physical body of a thing, predominates in unconscious forces, psychic, & instinctual intelligence (Water) & solid matter (Earth); Alchemical Mercury, or general life force, predominates in intelligence (Air) & instinctual forces, & psychic energy (Water), as such it is the link, or bridge, between the higher forces of Sulphur & the lower body of matter."

[ source ]

Nevertheless, my intent behind this post is not to point you in a single direction,

But rather propose a topic to set one's rhetorical embers ablaze, so to speak…

SΔID ·  ΔNOTHER  ·  WΔY :

What role does fire play in your life?

Is it astrological?

[ Aries, 8th of April, in my case ]

Psychological?

[ Something you fear/something that incites desire, or is erotically-charged? ]

Or, better still:

Upon seeing or hearing the word,

Are there connotations that have little or nothing to do with what I've mentioned?

[ "Firestarter (3)" by Elizaveta Porodina ]

Whatever medium[s] of communication you might choose—words of your own, or that of another;

photography, [ ditto, self-created or reference points of inspiration ]; technology

[ case in point: the animated .GIF ]; paint pencil canvas paper spray paint graffiti

billboards buildings a keyboard the cello lit candles incantations magic mayhem…

However, by whichever/whatever means you might choose,

I look forward to seeing not just how you respond to 'me,' but rather

something infinitely greater: the universal dialogue of creative expression, &

the means by which it connects us, asserts our relevance

at a specific moment in time

within/among/& along the infinite umbilical cord that connects humanity,

the splendor of nature, & the universe.

Please Note: Seeking Attribution for Photographs &/or .GIFs Without Credits Listed

[ "Unsourced" posts discovered via ImageShack, Imgur, et al ]

— Thanks! —

[ "The Dispossessed" by Bansidhe ]

[ "Hell" by *Rog* ]

[ "Fimmvörðuháls 3" by Rüdiger Þór ]

[ source : Three Frames on tumblr ]

Brittany Kore: §HE'§ BACK FOR MORE // §ádicious Infernal: THEY KNOW THE §CORE

In support of the latest release by §ilver §train,

It's Witchcraft & Mexploitation

F o r    T h e    W i n

[ ...&—as usual—I am wickedinsaniacobsessively lovin' it! ]

U p . F i r s t ,

an excerpt from

"The Return of Brittany Kore"

After A Taste,

Here's

The Full-Length Version

For Your Streamin' & Screamin':

Brittanny Kore [ complete ] by §

Then,

N e x t  :  I t ' s

Bank-Thievin', Blood-Thirsty Nuns;

Russian Roulette With Fearless Punks;

An Abrupt & Vulgar Wriggling of The Pierced Tongue-In-Chic

That's As Uncomfortably Humorous As It Is

Sexy & Sadistic—

E  x  p  e  r  i  e  n  c  e

"Sádicios Infernal"

Visit the Black Bvs Records shop for the CD-R La Main Gauche,

on which both tracks appear:

http://blackbusrecords.bigcartel.com/

Also

— For A Good Time —

Follow Black Bvs Records on tumblr:

http://blackbusrecords.tumblr.com/

╬  [ Product Info ] :  ╬

Full color artwork on CD-R & 300g folded cardboard, in miniature LP style plastic sleeve

Front cover photo by Sonja Todorović

Back cover collage by Calla Donofrio

Disc art by §

Hand-numbered, Limited Edition of 100 Copies Available

╬  [ Acknowledged  Credits ] :  ╬

for

"Brittany Kore"

Non-Profit Tribute to The Craft

featuring

Editing, Titles & Music by § :

MySpace Profile

§ilver §train Facebook

as

well as

Choral Chants by ☾∧† ◯

for

"Sádicios Infernal"

Fake Trailer / Non-Profit Video Tribute to Mexploitation

featuring

Editing, Titles, Blood

& Music by §

in

addition to

the Choral Chants of ☾∧† ◯

"I Do Things Which Are Non-Verbal So That I Can Return To Language With Excitement." — Richard Wilbur

V I S U A L . S T I M U L I

[ Source ]

[ Source ]

[ "Point of Origin" : Scott Treleaven ]

[ "Blue Witch" : Danger ]

[ "Amoun" : cthopper93 for I†† ]

[ "Seancing" : cthopper93 for I†† ]

[ " Love's Long Listen-In" : cthopper93, for I†† ]

[ Still From "♀∧gℜ∀あ ß∀あ ♍∀♄l∀あ♀": Kemikore Mediaworks for Ceremonial Dagger ]

[ "Vanitas" : Fernando Vincente ]

[ "Smoke" : Fernando Vincente ]

[ "Head Wound" : Joshua Petker ]

[ "Partying in Red" : Joshua Petker ]

[ Alison Scarpulla ]

[ Alison Scarpulla ]

[ Chris Weige, a.k.a. 'Reckon' ]

[ "Firestarter (2)" : Elizaveta Porodina ]

[ "Love Is Not A Victory March" : Elizaveta Porodina ]

[ NVRMNDUS ]

[ "Wisdom, Power, Courage" : Louise Leppard ]

[ Samantha Smith ]

[ Miyake Juin 米亞奇 ]

[ Yuri Pleskin : Nagi Sakai for The Contributing Editor ]

[ Nicolás Lamas ]

[ Scott Treleaven ]

[ Source ]

[ Video "Still," Harry Smith ]

[ "Early Abstractions" (1946-57), Pt. 4 : Harry Smith ]

Bloodbath McGrath? Yeah, Maing: She's The News…

Chances are, if you're familiar with me/my work:

at one point or another you've either read my enthusiastic ramblings

about the phenomenonicon known as Liz McGrath…

or you've heard me flappin' my gums on her behalf.

Well, as it turns out?

I'm not the only effer with a keen eye, honed-ear, & impeccable sense of taste.

See, there's this gent by the name of Cecil B Feeder—& he's done gone & made a movie

about little Miss Thing herselfness.  Name's Bloodbath. You know, as in: 'Bloodbath McGrath'?



Even if you don't: just smile, nod, & spot-check this tease of a trailer on out…

While I've yet to see the docu-rama drama myself, folks who reside in Nueva York—or

very least, plan on being there this eve—are in luck.

The movie premieres TONIGHT:

Saturday, February 12, 2011

7:30 p.m. at MOMA NYC

Theater 2, T2

as part of the series

"All The Wrong Art : Juxtapoz Magazine On Film"

Among the itinerary:

Legendary X Offender, Debbie Harry, is scheduled to appear—

both to provide an introduction to the film

as well as to participate in a discussion

thereafter

[ & of course, the Bloodiest of Baths will be in attendance;

ditto, director of celebrated

celluloid reliquary ]

However: provided here, now—

a smattering of retinal treats,

a modest sampling of specimen

from this local luminary's collected body of works

that begs the question: which 'bodies' among The Body

were ever actually…bodies…at all?

[ if any ]

E X H I B I T . A

Black Deer sculpture

E X H I B I T . B

Deer House

E X H I B I T . C

Truth Decay diorama

E X H I B I T . D

In The Sweet

E X H I B I T . E

Death By Desire

E X H I B I T . F

Frankie Machine

Said another way: oftentimes these "taxidermied toys," as they're referred,

are the cause of great pause/consternation for the artist's audience:

My assumption is that, despite the hallucinatory realm which these phantasmagories inhabit—

the harrowing "Frankie Machine" [above], for example, in which McGrath's allegorical depiction of

The Man with the Golden Arm renders a dramatic stasis through a potent mix of personal interpretation

and consummate skill—ultimately, it's a soulful quality about the eyes of

these mythological beings that resonates within the human condition.

A sense of psychological lockjaw.  Addicted. Creatures of habit as much as habitat.

Translation of the Latin text?

"No One Is Free Who Is Enslaved To The Body"

H O W E V E R , E N O U G H !

of my blathering

This is, after all, work that speaks for itself—& rightly so…

For that reason—among countless others—the Managament hereby deems it imperative

that your library includes a copy of Everything That Creeps : a gorgeous compendium

of Miss McGrath's work [ through 2005 ].  The book itself is an objet d'art:

with a die-cut hardcover exterior, full-color glossy pages thick as most magazine

covers [ except with sepia stains at the edges, & cute-enough-to-kill doodles

& details scattered throughout ].  Truly, the tome invokes a sense that

one has happened upon some rare, fantastic relic from last century's

dustbowl era.

I N . W O R D S . N O T . M Y . O W N

[ excerpt of product description ]

"112 pages of full-color photos & detail shots

reveal the exquisitely complex details of [ McGrath's ] sweetly twisted creatures,

giving a glimpse of what the City of Misfit Toys might have become had it been

saved by Satan rather than Santa."

"Upon first viewing,

McGrath's colorful, mummified creatures are gothic oddities, but

their undeniable artistry immediately draws one in, revealing their touching curiosities,

transforming their grotesqueness into tortured beauty."

[ images of book's interior by Natalie Ratkovski ]

O T H E R . E S S E N T I A L S

required, for your retail bliss:

The Miss Derringer Discography

King James, Crown Royal and a Colt 45

Lullabies

Winter Hill

I N . C L O S I N G , I . E X T E N D

Massive congratulations on your success, Liz!

None better is there who deserves it…

♥

Preternatural Pragmatism: In Brief

As of late, I've been digging on

19th Century vampire 'killing kits'

[ ex ] :

[ e x ] :

[ ex ] :

& among the most rare:

an antique ivory vampire killing kit

"consisting of an ornate ivory-mounted Christian cross integrating a steel, spring-loaded,

.41 caliber single-shot percussion pistol, the center mounted with an ebony shield

surmounted with a 8-pointed crown, the tips made from tiny semi-precious red stones.

A ruby red five-pointed star adorns the center…"

"The vampire pistol is contained in an ivory case, together with steel dagger blade which attaches

to the end of the cross, an ivory cleaning rod, ivory powder bottle, and cap and ball supply."

However, in my hunting/haunting around the web, I also came across

their contemporary counterparts…though for slaughter?

None intended.

Lycanthrope Case by

Nashoba Hostina

of note: The Lycanomicon

& the

Necromancer Briefcase by

Andrea Falaschi

fantastique!

L O S ± △ N G E L E S . W E D N E S D △ Y ± J △ N U △ R Y ± 2 6

Disaro .&. Zane Landreth

of Killing Spree

D.J. the opening night of △ Ꝉ ☾ Ħ ƹ ṃ ¥ —

an event for people who don't like nightclubs;

a nightclub with couches & a salon ambience;

a salon for guests averse to seemingly 'stodgy' spoken word performances;

two dramatic readings for an audience not accustomed to

—or necessarily fond of—the medium;

a medium that's indeterminate in nature & degree.

▴ ▴ ▴ combine, transmute, begin/again: a circle ▴ ▴ ▴

[ C H E C K . I T ]

A D D I T I O N A L ± C O V E R A G E ± A V A I L A B L E

H E R E &  H E R E

as well as for those who engage in

T H E E ± F A C E B O O K E R Y

—thanks!—

alchemy flyer cred : tools of technology wielded by Courtney Riot

▴ (many thanks; many thanks!) ▴

Elemental and Essential

I T ' S  ±  Δ L L  ±  H Δ P P E N I N G

. . . Δ R E  ±  Y O U  ?

Rich Royal ▴  Zoetica Ebb ▴ Clint Catalyst

Image: Brian Landes of Ready Aim Fire Photography ▴ Make-Up: Annah of BelleFace.com

▴ Jillian Lauren ▴

▴

DISARO ▴  [source]

&

Zane Landreth ▴ of

▴ Killing Spree ▴

▴

▴

▴

▴

alchemy flyer cred : tools of technology wielded by P. Emerson Williams

▴ (many thanks; many thanks!) ▴

The Imagination of Thierry Mugler

"…spills into his creations."

— Christophe Delataillade, creative director

"When behind the lens, I forget that I am a designer; I try to express an emotion;

I want to give people something to dream about."

— Thierry Mugler

"To create something to dream about, I need exceptional women, locations and architectures. "

— Thierry Mugler

"A photograph must come from imagination and not be a reflection of what is."

— Thierry Mugler

"Appearance is fundamental to Thierry Mugler. Everything must be perfect and dreamlike. "

— Christophe Delataillade

"Everything must be extraordinary, or there is no reason to show it."

— Christophe Delataillade

All images & ensembles: credit Thierry Mugler

Most images located via Mugler on flickr

from his premiere publication: Photographé, 1988

:: Other Resources ::

One Haute Minute at Haute Macabre

the Thierry Mugler Fashion Pool on http://www.flickr.com

The Flirtation Between Fetish & High Fashion at Haute Macabre

Boundless Innovation. Outrageous Extravagance. A New Look At A Design Master: Thierry Mugler

housed here

1.1.11 at 11.11

« Δ »

that's some magic[k]al shit, maing…

any of you have black-eyed peas, collard greens, pork &/or corn bread on the menu today?

whatever your beliefs, may this year bring an 'extra helping' of prosperity

"It's Hard To Remember/What We Did Last November…"

As audio animatronics of the

anomaly

continue cackling & crackling from lap-tops to parties to venue stages at such a high-voltage, even

the most obstinate blogger who scoffed six months ago that this [quote] "tumblr hipster bullshit"

[that] "just live[s] on blogs and MySpace ha ha" might dare agree that—run-on sentences &

forum snark notwithstanding—indeed there's something/something's in the air…

∞ ❖ ∞

∞ ❖ ∞

Not only are the groups' names being spoken—†‡† is pronounced "Rrritualzzz," FYI < /½LOL, bby >—

but these makers of music & mayhem have also entered the arena of giggery.Personal appearances.

Merchandising. Just, you know, going through the motions, as if they were *AHEM!* actual artists

rather than the punch-line of an elaborate internet hoax.

Wait.A.Minute. //  O. HAI GUISE!  I C U THURR

in those  newspaper articles , snot-slick magazine pages…why, the cover of XLR8R, even!

Not bad for a micro-genre, complete-with-mocking-air-quotes. A genre, incidentally, that's escaped

the internet ethers within which it was once confined: fodder for chat rooms, flame wars,

skeezy mp3-swaps-&-swipes via Rapidshare…

∞ ❖ ∞

No, this isn't the first time I've written about witch house, & it's highly unlikely this will be my last.  Point of the matter is: I'm not alone. There's been a veritable tidal wave of media addressing the subject as of late, some of which I'll provide links to here in a hot little minute . However, first and foremost, I feel compelled  to acknowledge Tom Ewing of  The Guardian (UK), who—albeit indirectly—alluded to a correlation between the cinematic quality of the genre and what Samuel Taylor Coleridge referred to as the 'willing suspension of disbelief.'

Ewing's articles concludes:

"That is why witch house isn't for the casual listener—not because it's hard to find, or expensive, or particularly "difficult," but because it requires a certain sacrifice of reserve, maybe even of dignity: you buy into it whole or not at all. In that sense it fits its horror trappings perfectly—a ghost story requires exactly the same willingness to be affected. You might still come away thinking it's rubbish—aesthetics can be poorly realised or fundamentally flawed, after all (and ghost stories not scary). But what witch house tells me is that genres now aren't exercises in innovation or marketing, so much as ways of framing an experience. And if you won't feel open to that experience, your investigation of it won't get far."

Coleridge coined the phrase 'willing suspension of disbelief' in regard to poetry and literature.  At this juncture in time (1817), writings involving the supernatural were no longer en vogue, in part "due to the declining belief in witches and other supernatural agents among the educated classes, who embraced the rational approach to the world offered by the new science."

In other words, Coleridge strove to kindle the fantastic elements in his art and keep the carbon-tinged flames ablaze, rather than mire his subject matter within the so-called 'logical' world. Conversely, he strove to bring the reader within his opium-drenched dreamscape.

By that same token, Travis Egedy of Pictureplane is credited for inventing the catch-phrase 'witch house'—this internet meme that's become a cultural movement—which in a blog post he explains is "a comment about aesthetics, with a genuine interest in the occult and magic…"

Egedy continues: "now, it seems that there is a genuine intellectual interest in what is happening within this whole aesthetic synchronicity known as witch house, and for good reason. music is always a reflection of what is happening within the current consciousness of human beings, especially progressive musics. and witch house is no exception. something is going on. we are evolving. REMEMBERING the ancient ways as we shift into the next age. to coin the god terence mckenna, an "archaic revival" is underfoot within our contemporary technological existence. witch house could have only come about through that magical organic entity known as the internet, where all information is ready to be accessed. especially that within art, culture and music, of which witch house is a alchemical brew of multiple styles, sounds, movements, and genres. it represents our current pop cultural landscape far better than someone like katy perry.

could witch house be a manifestation of people starting to understand what had been occulted for thousands of years? are we modern day pagans? maybe i putting too much on this, but it is interesting stuff to think about."

Interesting, indeed…as is the historical parallel between Coleridge and Egedy.

But hey: I don't want to get all heady & shit in this post I started much-longer-ago-than-I'd-rather-admit.  On the contrary, have some linkage; draw your own conclusions… You know, baby: 'Get into it.'

∞ ❖ ∞

Pendu magazine's feature "The Genesis Of Naming A Genre: Witch/\House"

Etymology of the term 'Witch House' on Mishka's Bloglin

Mishka's Response to the New York Times article on the legacy of DJ Screw

Drag On: Mint Magazine Feature on Fostercare & Mater Suspiria Vision

Playground Mag

∞ ❖ ∞

Now, on the tip of nomenclature, of the naming of a genre—I'm hereby providing a list of acts that have been classified as "witch house" at some juncture in time.  Consider it a primer, if you will, for this ineffable sound best described by the emotions it culls—or in the words of [screen name] Comadoser from the Witch-House.com forum: "For those who prefer their mood chilling rather than chilled."

:: the list is akin to a page torn from a bruja's Book of Shadows ::

Said another way?  I have about as much interest in ˣgrand deliberationsˣ over who's missing—or

conversely, whom should be booted from the line-up & burned at the proverbial stake—

as I do repeating the arduous task of tracking down these effers' URLs.

Because I'm telling you, & I'm telling you now: it's an infuriating thing, tryin' to google ~teh web-dings…

O.O.O.,  h▲ziness,  Fostercare,   /< U +/\/\ å |-|,  Dream Boat,   NIKE7UP,   How I Quit Crack,  Zola Jesus,

PWIN ▲▲ TEAKS,   Madame O und Ihre Kopffilm Bande,  ▲,  SHAMS,   GuMMy†Be▲R,  TEARIST,

†ZXZ†,  Unison, Vortex Rikers,  †een Wi†ch,  NATTYMARI,   ❖,   PICTUREPLANE ,  GR†LL GR†LL,

ZON, taiga△△△, High Park, GL▲SS †33†H,  Modern Witch,  SØAP ØPERA,   fromrussiawithaids,

semihcllod ⋊⊼⋉, sssandcas†lesss, ∆AIMON,  Young Cream,  BL§§D ØU† ,  ~▲~,  //TENSE//,

twghtZoNe,  Gr†ll Gr†ll,  YOGA, oOoOO, CREEP, Shazzula, ✝ DE△D VIRGIN ✝,◼powwowW,

Modern S†alking, BLΛCK RΛ!NB0VV, \\\^◊^///

as well as

the :: aurgasm :: inducing ::

Mater Suspiria Vision:

a collective that includes ℑ⊇≥◊≤⊆ℜ, Thee Maestro Ov Remixes, XH

& co-conspirator Cosmotropia de Xam, an illusionist—& allusionist—of impeccable photolytic precision.

The visions he creates—amalgamations of obscure Italian horror films mixed & layered like diaphonous strips of fabric in technocolor-drenched hues over his own recorded footage—are ineffable distractions from reality. So adeptly synced with his choice of medium, he is, that as a viewer, oftentimes it takes a physical reaction (the sound of my teeth chattering, for instance, or the sensation that my skull is vibrating & my hair is smudging the atmosphere with spider-web "tracers") to break the trance his video artistry induces.

It's as if the emotional velocity is too lethal–or arcane—to translate into language.

It's…

total fire-power dream powder//

It's Thee Answer, maing…

∞ ❖ ∞

Up next?

SALEM ,

whose absence from this list would be absurd.

After all, over the course of the last few months, they've been the singular most potent force

dominating my laptop/torturing my eardrums & straining my car's stereo system during late-night

haunts: roaming the littered & glittered streets of L.A., the narcotic synthesizer sludge of King Night

enveloping me in a warm hallucinogenic bliss.

"It's hard to remember

What we did last November

It's hard to forget

What we haven't done yet

It's easy to let go

Of everything you know

& say goodbye…"

∞ ❖ ∞

Hovering somewhat precariously above the malevolent feedback and heavy beat of "Redlights," Heather Marlatt's vocals are light: like a drizzle. It's a beautiful track, King Night's "Redlights," though I'm particularly fond of an earlier version. There's a sepia-tinged quality to

it that—well, I just provided a download link. Give it a listen; you'll think what you think.

∞ ❖ ∞

Also,

check out:

The Lesser Keys EP from  I††

s h a d o w s c a p e s   ±   s y n t h e s i z e r s   ±   s i n i s t e r   ±   s o u l – s c o r c h i n g   ±   s u b l i m e

∞ ❖ ∞

"Clochi," the latest track by M△S▴C△RA

with visual accompaniment by witch haus wünderkind, Story of Isaac

∞ ❖ ∞

& Ç⋵ℜ⋻♏ð♑ℷa⇂ ╀,

who—rather than eschew the evolution of language, of specificity—has assembled quite an impressive arsenal of his own terminology  to classify the mystic aural-electrical engineering he creates. Whether it's 'Deathbient,' 'Ghoultech,' 'Glitch-Witch,' 'Demonic Trance,' or 'Gloombient,' the mastermind of kemikore mediaworks summates:

"sound is the magical weapon

☽▲♆ △☾

I call it electrowitchery"

∞ ❖ ∞

:: other resources ::

∞ ❖ ∞

the Witch House Forum

Soundcloud Witch House Group

Drowned in Sound Community Board

Last.fm Group

Lord_Marja's Last.fm Group

Grave Wave

∞ ❖ ∞

as well as

:: essential blogature ::

O.K., if you read—or even skimmed—my lengthy-&-chock-full-o'-linkage post "Goth's Mutant Offspring" &

exerted the effort to click the prompt to "Read/See" More?

If you didn't notice the quasi-sacrireligi-fully-sexy *COUGH!* "up-cycled" image that accompanies

Meatbreak's brilliant mix Stop Making Séance from his home base, Not For Resale?

Well, then perhaps you don't already know that NFR rules.

(It does, & he does…so get to it!)

∞ ❖ ∞

It's like I told you…

Fokkawolfe

∞ ❖ ∞

with

:: additional press coverage by ::

The Stool Pigeon

Discorder magazine

RVA Magazine

Carter Maeness of New York Press