Author - Rachel Kramer

2 articles
In an extensive tale of musical catharsis, Indonesian singer-songwriter GANGGA @ganggaksm aka Gangga Kusuma, has collaborated with film director Ivan Saputra Alam @ivansaputraalam of Athea Visuals @atheavisuals  on a four-part music video series designed to illustrate the ups and downs of a toxic relationship. Beginning with the album’s title track, “This Will Never End,” the series centers itself around recurring color accents of reds and greens, plus natural settings of water and fire. All symbols are tied elegantly into cycles of relationship turmoil — beautiful to simply behold, but embedded with meaning throughout. WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO SERIES: bit.ly/redefineindo /// This project comes from GANGGA’s debut album, It’s Never Easy out now on KSM Records. Below, both the musician and the music video director offer their insights on the cinematic world they’ve created together. #GANGGA #IvansaputraAlam #AltheaVisuals #IndoPop #IndonesianPop #AsianMusician #AsianMusicians #IndonesianMusic #IndonesianMusician #IndonesianPop #IndiePop #IndieRock #Indie #Pop #REDEFINEmagazine #REDEFINEmag #SingerSongwriter #MusicJournalism #MusicInterview #MusicInterviews #MusicFeature #MusicFeatures #MusicMagazine #MusicVideo #MusicVideos
Sad China @sadgalsunny – ilyimy Album Review: A Reflection on Heartbreak & Healing, written by Miles Ginoza @weeaboo.diaspora -- LISTEN & READ: https://bit.ly/redefinesadchina⠀ ⠀ Synths glittering with starlight. Frenetic breakbeats and chaotic percussion. Within this digital space, Sad China’s brightly autotuned voice emerges on ilyimy, the Vancouver-based singer-songwriter’s debut full-length album...⠀ ⠀ ilyimy, an acronym for “i love you, i miss you,” is a reflection on loneliness and social media; on heartbreak and healing. Sad China wears their heart on their sleeve, facing these heavy feelings head on. To run away from emotions or to bottle them up is not an option — a sentiment that Sad China expresses on title track “ilyimy.” ⠀ ⠀ #SadChina #CanadianMusician #CanadianMusicians #ChineseCanadian #ChineseCanadians #CanadianChinese #IndiePop #IndieMusic #Indie #Pop #REDEFINEmagazine #REDEFINEmag #ExperimentalMusic #MusicJournalism #AlbumReview #AlbumReviews #MusicFeature #MusicFeatures #MusicMagazine #ElectronicMusic
In an extensive tale of musical catharsis, Indonesian singer-songwriter GANGGA @ganggaksm aka Gangga Kusuma, has collaborated with film director Ivan Saputra Alam @ivansaputraalam of Athea Visuals @atheavisuals  on a four-part music video series designed to illustrate the ups and downs of a toxic relationship. Beginning with the album’s title track, “This Will Never End,” the series centers itself around recurring color accents of reds and greens, plus natural settings of water and fire. All symbols are tied elegantly into cycles of relationship turmoil — beautiful to simply behold, but embedded with meaning throughout. WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO SERIES: bit.ly/redefineindo /// This project comes from GANGGA’s debut album, It’s Never Easy out now on KSM Records. Below, both the musician and the music video director offer their insights on the cinematic world they’ve created together. #GANGGA #IvansaputraAlam #AltheaVisuals #IndoPop #IndonesianPop #AsianMusician #AsianMusicians #IndonesianMusic #IndonesianMusician #IndonesianPop #IndiePop #IndieRock #Indie #Pop #REDEFINEmagazine #REDEFINEmag #SingerSongwriter #MusicJournalism #MusicInterview #MusicInterviews #MusicFeature #MusicFeatures #MusicMagazine #MusicVideo #MusicVideos
Dos Santos Band Interview: City of Mirrors Dynamically Reflects U.S. Latin American Musical Identity - https://bit.ly/redefinesantos On City of Mirrors, the fourth full-length record from Chicago’s Dos Santos, the five-piece band once again showcases their musical expertise by presenting a rich, multicultural melting pot of sounds. Coming from wide-ranging diasporic backgrounds, the members of Dos Santos are active participants and students of Latin American musical traditions, and it is in these traditions that they anchor themselves creatively, then expand upon them with ease, grace, and singular originality... “There’s an aspect of [“City of Mirrors”] that is very melancholic or sounds a bit like a lament,” explains Chavez, who was then challenged to find a suitable lyrical counterpart. Thus, “City of Mirrors” came to be named after Macondo, a fictional city found in Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez’s landmark novel, 100 Years of Solitude. As Chavez describes, Macondo is a central character throughout the book — “this sort of magical city which is at once this place of both beauty and dread; mourning and hope,” referred often by Márquez as the City of Mirages or City of Mirrors. /// Dos Santos‘ @dossantoschi latest album is out now on Chicago-based label, International Anthem @intlanthem; produced by Elliot Bergman @elliotbergman Photograph by Victor Duarte. READ THE WHOLE INTERVIEW: http://bit.ly/redefinesantos #IndiePop #Multicultural #Latine #Latinx #MultiInstrumental #IndieMusician #ElectronicMusic #Indie #Pop #REDEFINEmagazine #REDEFINEmag #MusicJournalism #MusicInterview #MusicInterviews #MusicFeature #MusicFeatures #MusicMagazine #DosSantos #DosSantosBand #LatineMusic #LatinxMusic #ChicagoBand #ChicagoBands @congabanger @brownbabyjesus @reflectivenathan @jaimediablero @___caminante___ @pitchperfect.pr
North by Current Documentary: Interview w/ Filmmaker Angelo Madsen Minax @madsenminax by @alison.j.smith is up: bit.ly/redefinecurrent Early on in North By Current, a documentary by experimental multimedia artist Angelo Madsen Minax, a family of four slides into a retro diner booth four days after a funeral. As the mother tries to make conversation and the adult children stare off into the middle distance, “Last Kiss” by J Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers crackles on the radio, singing, “Where oh where can my baby be/ The Lord took her away from me.” With dark circles under her eyes, their daughter Jessie voices what they’re all thinking: “How much longer is this going to last?” This reenacted sequence depicts one of many brutally ironic moments following the death of Minax’s niece, Kalla. After three-year-old Kalla stopped breathing, Minax’s sister Jessie and brother-in-law David were charged but not convicted of child abuse by authorities in Petroskey, Michigan. North By Current, which catalogues the cracks in the official investigation, also traces the fractures in Minax’s family, eschewing certainty for contradictory memories and fourth-wall breaks. In particular, Minax’s return to his hometown dredges up his Mormon parents’ lingering discomfort with his experience transitioning to male. *** Film was first seen at @siffnews in Seattle during their documentary film festival. *** #NWFF #NWFilms #NWFilmmakers #NWFilmmaker #NWFilm #PacificNWFilms #TransFilm #TransFilms #LGBTQFilm #LGBTQFilms #QueerCinema #QueerFilm #QueerFilm
Dos Santos Band Interview: City of Mirrors Dynamically Reflects U.S. Latin American Musical Identity - https://bit.ly/redefinesantos On City of Mirrors, the fourth full-length record from Chicago’s Dos Santos, the five-piece band once again showcases their musical expertise by presenting a rich, multicultural melting pot of sounds. Coming from wide-ranging diasporic backgrounds, the members of Dos Santos are active participants and students of Latin American musical traditions, and it is in these traditions that they anchor themselves creatively, then expand upon them with ease, grace, and singular originality. “Whether that be rhythm and thinking about the richness of the rhythmic anchors of a lot of Latin American music, or the tradition of Latin American song — [which can include] the poetics of traditional Mexican music or the melodrama of Latin American romantic song — all of that has always informed what we do,” explains lead singer and multi-instrumentalist Alex Chavez. Dos Santos‘ @dossantoschi latest album is out now on Chicago-based label, International Anthem @intlanthem; produced by Elliot Bergman @elliotbergman Photograph by José Calvo. READ THE WHOLE INTERVIEW: http://bit.ly/redefinesantos #IndiePop #Multicultural #Latine #Latinx #MultiInstrumental #IndieMusician #ElectronicMusic #Indie #Pop #REDEFINEmagazine #REDEFINEmag #MusicJournalism #MusicInterview #MusicInterviews #MusicFeature #MusicFeatures #MusicMagazine #DosSantos #DosSantosBand #LatineMusic #LatinxMusic #ChicagoBand #ChicagoBands @congabanger @brownbabyjesus @reflectivenathan @jaimediablero @___caminante___ @pitchperfect.pr
North by Current Documentary: Interview w/ Filmmaker Angelo Madsen Minax @madsenminax by @alison.j.smith is up: bit.ly/redefinecurrent Early on in North By Current, a documentary by experimental multimedia artist Angelo Madsen Minax, a family of four slides into a retro diner booth four days after a funeral. As the mother tries to make conversation and the adult children stare off into the middle distance, “Last Kiss” by J Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers crackles on the radio, singing, “Where oh where can my baby be/ The Lord took her away from me.” With dark circles under her eyes, their daughter Jessie voices what they’re all thinking: “How much longer is this going to last?” This reenacted sequence depicts one of many brutally ironic moments following the death of Minax’s niece, Kalla. After three-year-old Kalla stopped breathing, Minax’s sister Jessie and brother-in-law David were charged but not convicted of child abuse by authorities in Petroskey, Michigan. North By Current, which catalogues the cracks in the official investigation, also traces the fractures in Minax’s family, eschewing certainty for contradictory memories and fourth-wall breaks. In particular, Minax’s return to his hometown dredges up his Mormon parents’ lingering discomfort with his experience transitioning to male. *** Film was first seen at @siffnews in Seattle during their documentary film festival. *** #NWFF #NWFilms #NWFilmmakers #NWFilmmaker #NWFilm #PacificNWFilms #TransFilm #TransFilms #LGBTQFilm #LGBTQFilms #QueerCinema #QueerFilm #QueerFilm
AIMEE VICTORIA: When COVID-19 disrupts a one-year relationship anniversary between a deaf couple, the two have to get creative about how they communicate… and celebrate. Along the way, love radiates through the expressive beauty of sign language. Chrystee Pharris; 2021; USA; 11 min.; in English and American Sign Language with English subtitles @chrysteepharris (“10 Ways to Survive in an Epidemic” + “Black & Queer in America” Short Film Programs) Read all of our top short film recommendations from the 26th Annual SEATTLE QUEER FILM FESTIVAL: http://bit.ly/redefine2021sqff⠀ ⠀⠀ ///⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Hosted by Three Dollar Bill Cinema @threedollarbillcinema and running from October 14-24, 2021, the Seattle Queer Film Festival goes hybrid in its 26th year. All screenings are held in-person at various venues across Seattle and virtually via Elevent, celebrating a curated selection of world class queer cinema. Catch the programs quick!⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #SeattleFilm #SeattleFilms #SeattleFilmmaker #NWFF #NWFilmForum #NWFilms #NWFilmmakers #NWFilmmaker #SeattleFilmmakers #NWFilm #PacificNWFilms #FilmEducation #FilmWorkshop #PacificNWFilmmaker #PacificNWFilmmakers
Not quite a typical “musical,” DISCONNECTED: THE MUSICAL uses clever editing to turn a series of video chats and fake dating apps into a deaf man’s records of his pandemic dating wiles. Unlike anything else you’re likely to see. Dickie Hearts; 2021; USA; 20 min.; in English and American Sign Language with English subtitles @dickiehearts (“10 Ways to Survive in an Epidemic” Short Film Program) Read all of our top short film recommendations from the 26th Annual SEATTLE QUEER FILM FESTIVAL: http://bit.ly/redefine2021sqff⠀ ⠀⠀ ///⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Hosted by Three Dollar Bill Cinema @threedollarbillcinema and running from October 14-24, 2021, the Seattle Queer Film Festival goes hybrid in its 26th year. All screenings are held in-person at various venues across Seattle and virtually via Elevent, celebrating a curated selection of world class queer cinema. Catch the programs quick!⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #SeattleFilm #SeattleFilms #SeattleFilmmaker #NWFF #NWFilmForum #NWFilms #NWFilmmakers #NWFilmmaker #SeattleFilmmakers #NWFilm #PacificNWFilms #FilmEducation #FilmWorkshop #PacificNWFilmmaker #PacificNWFilmmakers
Ramona Gonzalez, better known to many by the moniker NITE JEWEL @nitejewel, hasn’t always allowed the public into her private life. The influential Los Angeles-based electronic pop musician may have been releasing records on her own since 2008, but it is only in her latest, 2021’s No Sun, that a devastating heartbreak and divorce finally forced her to lower her emotional walls. Gonzalez, who is currently studying at UCLA for her PhD in Musicology, was also influenced by her research in the historical traditions of women’s lament songs from around the world. No Sun, as a result, drew parallels between her own pain and the collective grief experienced by women everywhere, across centuries.⠀ ⠀ READ THE INTERVIEW:⠀ http://bit.ly/redefinenosun⠀ by @hellomynameisvee⠀ ⠀ Nite Jewel plays December 4 in Seattle at @substation.seattle ~ stay tuned!⠀ ⠀ #IndiePop #IndieElectronic #IndieMusician #ElectronicMusic #Indie #Pop #REDEFINEmagazine #REDEFINEmag #MusicJournalism #MusicInterview #MusicInterviews #MusicFeature #MusicFeatures #MusicMagazine #LiveShowReview #LiveShowReviews #GloriettaRecords #NiteJewel #RamonaGonzalez
When a transgender man and his foreign nonbinary partner must navigate the tensions of living queer in rural Japan, BETWEEN US uses the gender separations of a mountaintop hotspring to illustrate an impasse in their relationship. Cailleah Scott-Grimes; 2020; Canada; 17 min.; in Japanese with English subtitles (“Transcending Boundaries” Short Film Program) @betweenus_film @_cailleah_ @mariellakaifilms Read all of our top short film recommendations from the 26th Annual SEATTLE QUEER FILM FESTIVAL: http://bit.ly/redefine2021sqff⠀ ⠀⠀ ///⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Hosted by Three Dollar Bill Cinema @threedollarbillcinema and running from October 14-24, 2021, the Seattle Queer Film Festival goes hybrid in its 26th year. All screenings are held in-person at various venues across Seattle and virtually via Elevent, celebrating a curated selection of world class queer cinema. Catch the programs quick!⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #SeattleFilm #SeattleFilms #SeattleFilmmaker #NWFF #NWFilmForum #NWFilms #NWFilmmakers #NWFilmmaker #SeattleFilmmakers #NWFilm #PacificNWFilms #FilmEducation #FilmWorkshop #PacificNWFilmmaker #PacificNWFilmmakers #AsianAmericanFilm #AsianAmericanFilms #AAFilm #AAFilms #AAMovies #AsianAmericanMovies
Ramona Gonzalez, better known to many by the moniker NITE JEWEL @nitejewel, hasn’t always allowed the public into her private life. The influential Los Angeles-based electronic pop musician may have been releasing records on her own since 2008, but it is only in her latest, 2021’s No Sun, that a devastating heartbreak and divorce finally forced her to lower her emotional walls. Gonzalez, who is currently studying at UCLA for her PhD in Musicology, was also influenced by her research in the historical traditions of women’s lament songs from around the world. No Sun, as a result, drew parallels between her own pain and the collective grief experienced by women everywhere, across centuries.⠀ ⠀ READ THE INTERVIEW:⠀ http://bit.ly/redefinenosun⠀ by @hellomynameisvee⠀ ⠀ Nite Jewel plays December 4 in Seattle at @substation.seattle ~ stay tuned!⠀ ⠀ #IndiePop #IndieElectronic #IndieMusician #ElectronicMusic #Indie #Pop #REDEFINEmagazine #REDEFINEmag #MusicJournalism #MusicInterview #MusicInterviews #MusicFeature #MusicFeatures #MusicMagazine #LiveShowReview #LiveShowReviews #GloriettaRecords #NiteJewel #RamonaGonzalez