ampersand magazine

AMPERSAND MAGAZINE l OCTOBER 2013 l A PRODUCTION OF THE RED & BLACK

THE TECH ISSUE

dj golden will weber dj mahogany chambermusicmurk daddy flex

DJ SCENE

LAURELL HILL

3 PORCH FARMNATURAL TECHNOLOGY

EXECUTIVE EDITORSTEPHANIE TALMADGE

EDITORIAL

STAFF

PRODUCTION

MANAGING EDITORLORI KEONG

CREATIVE EDITORGINA YU

SENIOR EDITORKATE DELVIN

DESIGN EDITORHANNAH FABIAN BAILEY

ASSISTANT DESIGN EDITORJG GINSBURG

PHOTO EDITORKRISTYN NUCCI ONLINE EDITOR

GRACE DONNELLY

COPY EDITORSTEPHEN MAYS

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSSHANNON ADAMS SARAH BENNETT

LORI KEONG ABI LAMBERT

NICK SEYMOR KATIE SLOAN

AEPRIL SMITH PHOTOGRAPHERS

ABI LAMBERT EMILY SCHOONE KRISTYN NUCCI

DESGINERSABBEY BOEHMERCHRISTINE BYUN MATTIE CANNON

SARAH JON ABI LAMBERT

MADELINE SHEA MARY SOMMERVILLE

KILLIAN WYATT

CREATIVE DIRECTORDAN ROTH

CREATIVE ASSISTANTSCHRSITINE BYUN

VICTORIA NIKOLICH BENNETT TRAVERS

GENERAL MANAGERNATALIE MCCLURE

EDITORIAL ADVISERED MORALES

ASST. EDITORIAL ADVISORERIN FRANCE

PROMOTIONS DIRECTORALLIE AMATO

OFFICE MANGERASHLEY OLDHAM

DISTRIBUTION MANAGERWILL SANCHEZ

For years, I resisted the smartphone. I tried to pretend I was better than it, that I didn’t need its fancy apps and constant email access. It only took a hand-me-down iPhone 3 to convert me though.

I guess you could say I have a track record of this behavior—I pulled the same stunt with Facebook and Twitter, the latter of which I didn’t adopt until early this year. I don’t know why exactly, but I’m usually reluctant to welcome new technologies and social platforms into my life, I think in part because I know they’ll each bring some sort of change, which I’m not always comfortable with.

On the other hand, as I mentioned in my last letter, change can be good, necessary even, which is why Ampersand is introducing its debut online-exclusive issue. What better way to do that than with an issue devoted solely to technology?

Even love is not as fleeting as technology (pg. 4), but we still adore it regardless, unable to part even for a few short hours during class (pg. 6). It pervades all aspects of our lives, from the kinds of music we listen to (pg. 11), to what we wear on our bodies (pg. 16) and even what we put inside them (pg. 9).

No one, not even the techno late bloomers like me, can deny that technology has become an integral part of daily life. So, here’s to the gadgets that make our world work.

If you thought Ampersand looked pretty in print, wait until you flip through this issue. Let us know what you think @ampersand_uga and facebook.com/ampersand.uga.

Letter from the Editor

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Tech effecTs

classical Techs

farming fanTasies

DJ Downlow

Jewelery Jargon

ON THE COVER: SHAINA KATTARONPHOTO BY KRYSTIN NUCCI

AMPERSAND l Oct 2013 5

Myspace, one of the first social media websites, was started in 2003 — 10 years ago. Those with access to computers and dial-up Internet could befriend anyone without dealing with consequences, or even better, without having to leave the comfort of his or her home and live in the real world. Then comes Facebook, and everyone promptly drops Myspace.

But what happens to all those pictures and posts on Myspace? Everything on it is virtually obsolete. Before you know it, it’s faded into nothing. Digital media evolves so comprehensively and so quickly that we lose the essence of how it affects our lives.

If there were to be a replacement for Facebook in the near future, Shayna Brandie, a mass media arts junior at the University of Georgia, “wouldn’t join on the bandwagon. It’d be too much trouble to move everything over, probably.” Brandie also thinks technology is advancing at a good, comfortable rate.

Similarly, Dr. James Hamilton, a UGA telecom-munications professor, thinks that even though digital media technology has increased in pace over the past 20 or so years, society seems to have taken a relative pause. Although digital media is still constantly improving, there has yet to be a significant step-up in how it operates. Hamilton claims that the most recent step-up has been the creation of the Internet.

“Internet and wireless data has caused a plateau, because with all of this media around us all the time due to our cell phones and our laptops, it’s hard to imagine what the next big step would be,” Hamilton says. This “pause” allows time to think about how technology is affecting our lives — for better or worse.

To support his claims, Hamilton cites that creating

a handmade magazine is 100 percent feasible, although difficult. Making a website, on the other hand, requires an immense amount of knowledge and patience that many simply don’t have. This chasm between knowing how something works and understanding how to use it prevents us from understanding why technological advances happen, and more importantly, how to react to these changes.

Of course, increased accessibility to these technologies means that more people of different backgrounds and opinions are on the Internet. Likely, you’ve met these people and argued with them about something online. You probably don’t even remember what it was about, and chances are, neither of you were affected in the long term.

Hamilton believes that technology also hurts people by allowing them to face each other in a passive manner. On platforms like Facebook, Twitter or any online forum, people can argue all they want, but nothing ever really gets accomplished. “It’s all well and good that I can find out what someone else is thinking,” he says, “but what if I still don’t agree with them? The fact that I can disagree more efficiently doesn’t solve any problems.”

While society may be more connected and more accessible because of technology, is it really more functional? Does it communicate any better? There is still so much misunderstanding and frustration in the world. Plus, society never seems satisfied with the state of digital media, always moving on to the next big thing without considering the consequences. Maybe Hamilton’s “pause” will do us some good, and technology users can take time to process its effects.

A NovelObsession

BY NICK SEYMOUR


Technology is everywhere — in our pockets, our offices and our homes. Social media has become a routine; laptops, tablets and e-readers have taken over our backpacks and desks. The advancement and widespread popularity of these gadgets have caused them to become staples in the classroom as much as they are in everyday lives, which poses the question: will the growing classroom use of technology be the extinction of traditional learning, and is that a good thing?

Many professors seem to see this as a positive trend and have started to turn what was once considered the ultimate classroom distraction into a useful tool. Online mediums, clickers and electronic devices make presentations and note taking easier and have streamlined the classroom experience. With technology and media overflowing the classroom, it’s no wonder that there are professors and students who are resisting the changes. There are some, however, like Dr. Peggy Brickman, associate professor in the Department of Plant Biology at the University of Georgia, who take full advantage of the new opportunities.

“I loved when clickers first appeared,” Brickman says.

“Not only did they increase attendance, it showed an accurate percentage of how many students were actually understanding the material, versus before when only a few confident students would volunteer answers.”

Although clickers provide a new, instrumental way to design and enforce classroom policy, the utilization of technology hasn’t stopped there. “Clickers were ridiculously expensive, and we wanted to find something more accessible to students. It’s rare that a student forgets their cell phone,” Brickman says of her classroom system — one operated by an inexpensive smartphone app. In addition to physical devices that make the classroom experience more interactive, online mediums have also infiltrated the university system, allowing for collaboration and sharing of materials.

Dr. Elizabeth Davis, the coordinator for the writing certificate program, has experimented with many technologies in the classroom, ranging from Twitter to blogging platforms.

“I think that all of these technologies are things that you have to look at with a critical eye, and say, ‘What could it potentially do in my class that would be beneficial?’” Davis says. “You don’t just rush to use it just because it’s there.”

That critical eye is the key ingredient to finding effective and

PHOTO BY KRYSTIN NUCCI

BY SARAH BENNETT & SHANNON ADAMS

The DEATH of the


usable classroom technologies. Davis has found that some technologies don’t function in her classes as well as traditional media. “It’s not as easy to navigate directly to a passage with the Kindle or with other e-readers. So that’s certainly a drawback,” she says.

Others tend to agree. And for Katie Pupkiewicz, the drawbacks outnumber the benefits. “I like to take notes by hand because it helps me pay attention to the teacher,” says the second-year chemistry major from Jacksonville, Fl. “If I write it down, and I hear it, and I see myself writing it down, I retain it better than if I type it,” she says. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in chemistry, and I see people have Pinterest or Facebook open, or they’re on their phone Snapchatting.”

Anthony Shiver, a teaching assistant in the Department of Philosophy at UGA, agrees. He rarely uses technology in his classroom, and he prefers if his students refrain from using gadgets during class time as well. “One reason is that technology often distracts us from the topic under consideration,” Shiver says. “Another is that we have a tendency to use technology as an intellectual crutch.”

Brickman has noticed the distractions in her own classroom, but they don’t seem to concern her. “We have to admit that students are going to text in class. Ultimately, the drive to learn has to come from within,” she says.

Technology is not flawless. E-readers may be more complicated than hard copies, laptops and tablets can easily turn into distractions and devices do not always function as they are intended to. These downfalls may be the things that keep traditional media in the classroom for a good long time, a reassuring thought considering the technology movement taking over the millennial generation.

“It’s hard to predict the future, but at least for the foreseeable future, books, note taking, paper, all of these things will still be part of the classroom,” Davis says.

As technology invades the classroom, exchanging books for tablets, notebooks for laptops and clickers for cell phones, we can rest assured that not all of those books, notebooks and clickers are disappearing for good. In a world stuck between modernization and tradition, we can successfully assume the hardcover isn’t going anywhere.

Some may consider the iPad the apple of the tablet industry’s eye — yes, that pun was intended — simply because it’s the most well known. The conspicuousness of the Apple Inc. brand has left many with the belief that the iPad is one of a kind, when in fact, it’s just the best-known sibling to some other, more pocket-friendly alternatives. These alternatives, the Ashlee Simpsons and Solange Knowles of the tablet industry, often go woefully unrecognized for their many capabilities, but we’re giving these siblings a chance to step out of the iPad’s shadow and into their own limelight. Hopefully they have better luck than Ashlee.

BY AEPRIL SMITHipad alternatives


“I like to take notes by hand because it helps me pay attention to the teacher.

THE ASUS TRANSFORMER INFINITYThis tablet has a 1920x1200 resolution, full high-definition screen for a maximum viewing experience. It also sports an Android operating system as well as 16 GB worth of internal storage memory. The price tag attached to this little guy is around $400, still nearly $100 cheaper than the iPad. And unlike some of the other options presented in this article (ahem, Google Nexus 7), the Transformer Infinity has a rear camera to accompany the front camera, so snap away! As far as disadvantages go for this product, there don’t seem to be any. Out of all of the alternatives to the iPad, this tablet, with its exemplary reviews, seems to offer the consumer the most bang for his or her buck.

If I write it down and I hear it and I see myself writing it down, I retain it better than

if I type it.”

THE SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB 3If multitasking is the game, the Galaxy Tab may be right tool for the job. This handheld tablet offers a multi-window capability feature, which allows users to run multiple apps at once. This tablet can also work as a universal remote control for those times when the TV control has safely hidden itself between the cushions of the couch. All of this comes for the (relatively) agreeable price of $200 dollars — agreeable that is, because it is nearly $300 cheaper than the average iPad. Some disadvantages of this tab are the speakers, which many reviewers have rated as “so-so,” and a camera that lacks flash. So if users are considering bringing this new tablet along to document nighttime adventures, they may need a different product.

GOOGLE NEXUS 7The Google Nexus 7 may be small, but it packs a punch, a punch that comes from its well-endowed surround sound speakers and flows right into its user’s eardrums. This 7-inch tablet has many viewers raving about its immense speed and its crystal clear high-resolution screen, which boasts over 2.4 million megapixels. This gadget also has an impressive 9 hour battery life. One drawback with this tablet is that it doesn’t have rear camera. However, should users ever need a new Facebook profile pic or Twitter avi, the Nexus’s front-facing camera takes perfectly good selfies.All of these capabilities and so much more come for within the price range of $200-$300, depending on the amount of storage needed.


Modern society runs on technology — from the smart phones constantly glued to people’s sides, to the tablets and laptops that populate each classroom. Technological advancements dictate movement and change in each sector of the nation’s economy. Agriculture, specifically farming, is not exempt from this rule. Even in Athens, farmers are shifting their techniques and tools to fit in with today’s technologically-run world.

Solar power and vehicles that run on recycled vegetable oil are among many technologies used in the agricultural sector that are seeing a rise in popularity. The shift towards green technology in farming is in large part due to society’s growing preference for eco-friendly practices and organically-grown produce. Soaring energy prices, in conjunction with the unpredictable nature of available resources, have caused farmers to seek more efficient and predictable energy methods.

Mandy O’Shea, a University of Georgia alumna, is one of many farmers embracing the shift to eco-friendly practices and cleaner, more natural produce. On her nine-acre, Madison County farm, Mandy and her husband, Steve O’Shea, put their knowledge of horticulture and biology to the test in an eco-friendly farm haven — 3 Porch Farm, which celebrated its two-year anniversary on Sept. 17.

All vehicles used on the farm run on vegetable oil recycled from downtown Athens restaurants. One contributing restaurant, The World Famous, trades its used vegetable oil for fresh flowers from the O’Shea farm. “When using plant-based fuel, you’re not increasing the net amount of carbon that’s in the atmosphere, so basically you’re not contributing to that part of global climate change,” Steve says. “I started working on that about ten years ago, because I was really intent on trying to do my part to at least not make the earth that much worse.” The farm is also entirely solar powered, commanding 4.5 kilowatts of sustainable energy.

Steve and Mandy have gone to extra lengths to ensure that their produce is as natural as

An Eco-Farm

BY KATIE SLOAN

UtopiaPHOTOS BY EMILY SCHOONE


We’re working hard, and we’re not making much, but we’re do-ing things we believe in and feel good about sharing with the world.

possible. They have obtained a “Certified Naturally Grown” label for their preserves, vegetables, fruits, seasonings and honey, all of which can be bought at the Athens Farmer’s Market. This designation holds the same rigorous standards as the U.S. Departent of Agriculture’s “organic” certification, but comes from a program more tailored to direct-market farms that sell on a local basis. The O’Shea’s ultimate goal is to be as carbon neutral as possible.

For Mandy and Steve, the next step towards a more eco-friendly farm will begin within their house. “I’d like to get into more passive solar power, like the dehydrating of foods without having to use an electric dehydrator,” Steve says. “I’d also like to get our house to be more passive solar heated, so again catching the sun in some sort of heat box and having that transferred into the house so that we don’t have to either use central heating or burn wood.”

Ultimately, Steve and Mandy are seeking to use eco-technology to create a farm that aids the environment as much as possible. “The takeaway for 3 Porch Farm is that it proves that it is possible to create a small piece of the world that you want to live in,” Steve says. “We’re working hard, and we’re not making much, but we’re doing things we believe in and feel good about sharing with the world.” Top right: Steve O’Shea of 3 Porch Farm at the Athens Farmer’s Market outside City Hall.


thens is a music town. And “The Heart of Indie Rock” according to MTV. Pigeonholing Athens music into an indie and alternative rock platform may offend a few, but there

are others who agree that only one genre thrives here. I interviewed a few artists who are decidedly not indie rock, and few opin-ions overlapped. The electronic music “scene” of Athens — does it exist? I don’t know. Whatever. Read the interviews.

DJ Mahogany, or Mark Weathersby, has three cats. This may seem like irrelevant information, but were anyone to see him coddle and spoil them, he or she would realize that this man’s cats are a vital part of his life. The walls of his apartment are lined with shelves upon shelves of records and a plethora of posters displaying his appreciation for all things ’70s, funk and soul. Originally from Mississippi, Mark moved to Athens about 12 years ago and has enjoyed his experience here thoroughly. He is debatably the most friendly and optimistic person on Earth. You’ll find his name plastered across

many a poster in Athens as he plays almost every weekend. Seeing people dance to the music he plays brightens his life and motivates him to play almost anywhere. Abi Lambert: What genre would you categorize yourself in?

I would categorize myself as someone for everybody. I always tell people that my dance parties are for everybody: young or old, gay or straight. Dancing is for everybody. I play a wide range of music. I’ve played Glen Miller. I’ll play Robin Thicke. I’ve had country music dance parties. I play everything, from country, Motown, funk, Marvin Gaye, to Loretta Lynn. Anything that will make people dance, and they can enjoy or sing along too.

Does Athens have an electronic or DJ scene?

I think there are a lot of great Athens DJs. Theres Immunikazation, Z-Dog, Will Weber.Twin Towers. They’re fantastic. Beat Matched Parks. There used to be a group called Bitch Switch. They were lovely ladies. Maria from Powerkomany deejays.

Who do you listen to from Athens?

Manray is my favorite band. Joe Kubler. He goes by the [stage] name of Rene Leconte. Those two are my favorites. Joe is so awesome. He will post randomly on his Facebook page and perform at a location and play at a street corner. He posts it an hour or two before he plays. He’s doing it for the entire month of September. Powerkomany is a great duo. I’m really glad there is so much going on in Athens. It makes me happy to see people play and to go see them. It warms my heart to see people come to my events and dance and have a good time.

What equipment or technology do you use to record or play music?

I use two Stanton tables. I like to use records because the sound is so crisp. 45s, the sound is so good to me. I play 12-inch vinyls. I love playing CDs as well. I just love to play music for people and see other people enjoy it.

Would you ever switch to more modern equipment?

No! No, I don’t think I would. I always tell people I’m an analog boy in a digital world. I think I’ll always stick with records and CDs.

BY ABI LAMBERT

PHOTOS BY ABI LAMBERT, ABOVE DJ MAHOGANY

12 AMPERSAND l Oct 2013 ABOVE MURK DADDY


What’s the reason for that?

Gosh. I think its just good ol’ fashion fun. I like looking more with my hands. I think it’s more tangible than computers. It’s not real to me.

I get that. I also noticed that you had a lot of ’70s style posters and furniture in your apartment. Is there anything else you are influenced by from that era other than music?

I love ’70s movies. I love any format in that era. I collect reel to reels and 8 tracks. I have a couple 8 track players and reel-to-reel players.

Do you actually have any reel to reels? That seems kind of dangerous since they are flammable.

I have some. I keep them in a cool, dry place. I even have 16 mm movies and a projector. A lot of ’70s movies were filmed that way and shown that way. I keep it old school all the time.

Terence, “Murk Daddy Flex,” is a self-proclaimed vegan, straight-edge punk. He is relentlessly frugal and he refuses to use air conditioning and hot water. He and his roommates are crammed into a small house where they must walk through each others rooms. One actually lives in the screened-in porch. If he’s not watching animes like “Cowboy Bebop” or “Samurai Shamloo” in the living room, then he’s probably in his room making beats on his desktop computer, which still runs Windows XP. He borrows instruments from friends and uses outdated recording programs like Audacity because they’re free. He samples TV shows and movies and turns them into infectious electronic hip-hop beats. Who needs expensive equipment? What genre would you categorize yourself in if you had to?

Instrumental, sample-based hip-hop.

What do you usually sample from?

Honestly, just whatever catches my ear. It’s usually older jazz or badly recorded foreign music compilations. But more contemporary

stuff too. I’ve sampled Chelsea Wolfe and some video game soundtracks as well.

What equipment and technology do you use for your instrumental sample-based hip hop?

I make everything in Audacity where I arrange it all together. It just sort of happened that way because it’s free. I have a USB microphone that a friend let me borrow. I have a couple keyboards and a bass guitar and a regular guitar.

So, basically you just use what you can find. Do you have any DJ equipment?

I don’t have any real DJ equipment but I do have cardboard turntables and cardboard records.

What made you decide to make cardboard turntables?

DJ gear is kind of expensive, and I was pretty broke and opening for DJ Shadow. I didn’t use any turntables or anything like that to produce music. I thought it would be funny and also parody how little is done live by some electronic acts.

Okay, Cool. What’s the deal with the Athens electronic or DJ scene, or do you think it even exists?

I don’t know that much about it. I don’t like most electronic music so I don’t go to the shows. I like punk rock.

What types of punk rock do you like?

I like a lot of types of aggressive music and other music as well. Just whatever music does a very good job at its own genre. That being said, I listen to a good bit of pop punk, powerviolence, and ’90s emo. So, bands like Title Fight, Cerce and Mineral.

I find it unusual that you like punk rock and hip-hop beats so much. Your beats seem kind of chill for someone who likes punk.

Haha... yeah I guess they are chill. I play in a punk band, so this is kind of an outlet for the other stuff. I usually draw from “punk” bands a lot more when it comes to composition with lots of parts and stops, rather than hip-hop beats which are usually relegated to jamming on the same basic part for a whole song.

DJ Golden, or Adam Golden, is constantly flexin’. Adam is really more of an Atlanta kid relocated to Athens, here to get a degree in music business. At the club, he will be with his crew and he will be dressed to a tee. Always up to date with the latest technology, he’s working with a program that lets him edit with his hands through gloves that plug into the computer. Adam can tell anyone about the newest technology on the market, New York Fashion Week or what’s going on in Syria as a religious listener of The Economist, NPR and Al-Jazeera. Adam Golden is seriously up to date. Who should we listen to in Athens in terms of electronic music of DJs?

I just haven’t heard a lot of the recorded music [in Athens]. I think Atlanta is really exciting right now. There are a lot of rap producers, electronic producers, house or dubstep, whatever. Taste Tester and Hydrabadd are both really good. They actually have a show up in Athens actually [at the end of Sept.] at the 40 Watt. There’s gonna be a rap group there too, Two-Nine. What is Athens missing in terms of hip-hop/rap?

I want to put this nicely. What I think is missing is consistency, because, in general, the music scene seems to change every one to two years. The only rapper that has seemed to come out of Athens has been Migos. Migos is from Athens?

They don’t rep Athens. They rep Atlanta because that’s where they sell drugs. Athens is just missing more shows. So, what does Atlanta have that Athens does not?

Bigger talent base first of all. More people making music, especially rap music. There’s more strip clubs. That helps. Athens is so small there’s only so much you can do in Athens. Atlanta has major venues and night clubs. People come all over the world for Atlanta’s strip clubs, so that’s pretty hard to compete with.


What venues have you played at in Athens?

I’ve just played at 40 Watt, some bars, parties. How bout in Atlanta?

In Atlanta, I’ve played at the Masquerade, Tabernacle, the Quad which used to be the 688 Club. I played the Drunken Unicorn once. The Freight Depot. Shouts out Round 5. Yeah with Yelawolf? I was there. There were so many fights.

Yeah, basically. I should have fired the security when I heard they were not letting anyone in. That was a disaster. They had to shut it down. I thought it was pretty hilarious. So, then yeah. Earlier you were telling me you haven’t really been playing lately. What have you been doing?

Other than school I have been interning at this awesome music studio TreeSound. I’m trying to learn engineering techniques to record my friends and myself. I’m trying to focus more on production side. Other than that I’ve mostly just been booking shows.

What are your musical or other pop culture influences?

I don’t know. I try to start as local as possible. I am influenced by what my friends are doing. Atlanta’s such a diverse place you don’t have to go far to find cool shit. I like the smaller boutique labels [not in Atlanta] like Lucky Me, Mad Decent, Brain Feeder, Warp, 4 AD and Marble Records. Lucky Me, Mad decent and Brain Feeder are probably the biggest. Rinse FM is how a find a lot of new music. BBC Radio 1 too.

What type of sounds are hot right now?

Jersey Club is worth mentioning. It’s been hot but its pretty in. It’s based off different drum loop samples. It’s hard to kill the trap sound. It’s hard to kill the 808 drum. It’s been out awhile and it’s not going away for a while. So it’s all preference other than that. I think people are warming up to dancehall. Like ragga dancehall?

Yeah. Yeah. Like Vybz Kartel. Sean Paul has been around forever. More uplifting shit too. I

hear that sound a lot on the radio. Especially in Atlanta. You see ads for dancehall clubs all the time. Dancehall DJs get hired more often because there’s such a surplus of regular hip-hop rappers.

Will Weber is that Earthling guy who throws after-parties for huge electronic artists. Highly ambitious and a proud Athenian, Will does his part in keeping deejaying alive in Athens. He currently throws weekly dance parties at the Green Room, where he collaborates with a bunch of friends and makes it possible to have a good time on Monday nights. He frequents music festivals, local electronic events and makes a priority out of having a positive and good time. He lives for dancing and positive people in his crowd. Those are in his own words. If there’s one thing that can be said, it’s that he’s passionate for what he does.

Are there any sounds you typically go for?

Yeah, I really like neuro bass sounds. I really like how they sound. I also like trap and house.

What equipment and technology do you use to deejay or perform your music?

I use this program called Traktor and I produce through Ableton. Okay, cool. I’ve head of those. Does Athens have an electronic or DJ scene in your opinion?

Oh definitely. I have a bunch of friends in a group called Crush Team. Is there anybody in Crush Team or otherwise that you listen to or want to mention?

Yeah, definitely. I’ll give a shoutout to my boy Jubee. Andrew Bruh. And definitely Flashbomb and Robbie Dude.

What did you really get into before genres like trap and dubstep emerged?

I listened to a lot of British rock ’n’ roll. Like the Libertines and Arctic Monkeys. I also really liked Fleet Foxes.

Who are your biggest musical influences?

My biggest are probably Kill the Noise and Radiohead. Kill the noise because I really like his sound design and Radiohead because I try to convey similar emotions through my own music.

Where have you performed in Athens or elsewhere?

In Athens, I’ve performed in my garage tons of times, the Georgia Theater, the Classic Center, The Manor, New Earth and 40 Watt. Outside of Athens, I’ve played in Panama City, Fl. and D.C. and a bunch of smaller places outside Athens in Atlanta and even Milledgeville tonight.

Is there anything else you are influenced by non-musically, aesthetically maybe?

I like visual art. It doesn’t matter what kind. I like lights. Haha. I’m inspired by people’s light set-ups at their shows for sure. I like books, especially science fiction. They make me think of space sounds.

Chambermusic, aka Yung Yang, is from the future. Or the present. Or from the ’90s perspective of what the future was going to be like, but who cares. His tumblr, WorldWar420, is a never ending scroll of edited graphics with hentai superimposed onto moving abstract images or Windows 95-style screenshots. One of the first things I learned about Will (Chambermusic) when I walked into his house to photograph him was that his current favorite word is basic. We both agreed it is one of the most alternately insulting and endearing things you can call someone. He was wearing a shirt with just one letter, E. When I asked if that was supposed to stand for ecstasy he replied, “In all forms.” He showed me a print he made reading “Greg Street” and sporting 420 Es in the word “Greg.” An homage to the Atlanta based V-103 deejay. There seems to be a trend. Chambermusic is the ultimate Internet enthusiast, deejay, musician and NexttoLast Festival creator. What equipment or technology do you use to perform or produce? For deejaying, not your bands or whatever.

To perform I use two turntables and a mixer.


The turntables have Traktor control vinyls on them which enable me to control mp3s, FLACs or wavs with the computer in a traditional mixing style. I can use loops on the fly, delays or beat repeats. It lets me practice showing up to a club with CDJs and playing straight off the decks. When I make something more precise or when I make tracks to play later, I use Ableton live and my MIDI keyboard. Does Athens have an electronic or DJ scene? There are people who DJ electronic music. What is that supposed to mean?

If you mean in a positive sense, no. There is definitely a scene created by demand for genres like “Dubstep” or brosteppy stuff. So, are you saying that Athens lacks a diverse electronic scene?

There is no multicultural [scene] or blending of subcultures and genres. There is not a substantial dance scene, no. There are people who make interesting music at home but may never play it for anyone. The dance scene is niche and wasted.

What do you mean the scene is niche and wasted?

Well, more accurately I meant that it’s a closed circuit. Things sometimes slip through the

cracks, but there are musical norms that have been established in most places around town. The music that gets played is squeezed between the expectations of the clientele and the club owners, and the result is a pretty narrow range of content. They want what they perceive as being the sound of getting completely plastered and “not giving a fuck,” when in reality, they care so much that nothing changes.

What music is missing?

A few things. For one, in our town there seems to be an absence of respect for the history of these sounds. People are playing this wobble shit and talking about how there’s a “new thing happening,” but they don’t know what house is or has been — and they get uncomfortable when they hear it because it’s not face-fuckingly aggressive. I totally feel the urge to go ape shit too, but there are so many ways to get there. On that note, I see either a lack or separation of femininity from most sets. Music “for the ladies” is one thing, but it’s 2013. I think people can handle some female vibes in the mix — even if they’re not talking about dick. This separation I think is also heavy between ethnic cultures in our town. White guys are playing “trap” or whatever, but they don’t seem to know much about hip-hop or be playing it for anyone other than more white dudes. People should be mixing the music of other cultures at parties that inherently involve other cultures. Making new vibes and new friends who like different stuff.

Wow, okay. So is there any music you listen to from Athens? Now I know you don’t like any electronic groups in Athens.

I love the band I’m in, Shade. Shaved Christ is amazing. Cartier God?

Haha… Uhh he had some cool mixtapes. Uhm, I liked Bubbly Mommy Gun. I like Old Smokey, all the E6 guys and DJ Raiders Jacket. A few old Athens bands like BBQ Killers. There’s a lot of great musicians. I love seeing John Fernandes play with people. I love people playing wherever and whenever.

What type of sounds are hot or cool to you right now?

I love footwork — especially the Teklife crew. Classic house, dancehall, pop, jungle, cumbia, dabke, acid, ballroom, candy rave shit, it doesn’t matter, anything can be “good” in the right context. The world is hot. It’s lame to play the same shit over and over. I don’t want to hear a bunch of nu-metal “dubstep,” a bunch of gentrified “trap” beats with rapey lyrics or any hybrid thereof. People think they’re giving this relentless flow of peak experience but they’re not. Mix it up.

ABOVE CHAMBERMUSIC


CRAFTING THE PASTBY LORI KEONG

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LAUREL HILL


would love to teleport to Mount Everest for a little bit,” jewelry maker Laurel Hill says on the phone, taking a break within another hectic day of work at her California studio.

Storied natural landforms like Everest, she said, are things that have always drawn her. They form part of the inspiration behind Hill’s metalwork jewelry: high quality, durable pieces that she says she makes “to be worn forever.” Since its conception, jewelry has demonstrated the thought and craftsmanship behind its creation. However, with the advent of modern technology, wearable art has become more of an expendable commodity.

Today, Hill says, “you can run to the corner store and pick up something for $2” only to discard it later. In ancient, traditional cultures, though, she points out that jewelry was something people kept their entire lives. To bridge this cultural divide, an emphasis on greater meaning and substance in art is crucial to her work.

A University of Georgia alumna, Hill was a student of the Lamar Dodd School of Art who began in drawing and painting classes, but found her niche in metalworking.

“It was like an epiphany,” she says. “It was the first thing that I could do all day long, several hours a day, and be completely happy.”

Since then, the designer’s growth has seen a massive upshoot. Her first big inventory of jewelry was produced for the Indie South Fair, formerly the Athens Indie Craftstravaganzaa: Athens’s largest handmade holiday market that features modern crafts, folk and fine arts from over 100 local and regional artists. Hill credits Serra Ferguson, the fair’s founder, with giving her the initial push she needed to start making jewelry on a larger scale.

Ferguson says she admires Hill’s work partly due to its “warmth and well-loved vibe,” but that what really impressed her was Hill’s “obvious cohesive vision, from the pieces to her presentation to who she is as a person—everything is consistent and genuine.”

This vision has earned Hill a spotlight at local boutiques like Community, but her latest and biggest venture is her collaboration with national retail brand Free People.

“It was a wonderful, terrifying experience,” she says of Free People’s contact from out of the blue. At the time, she was planning a long trek cross-country from Athens to California in a converted school bus, but had to then consider the shift from an individual seller on Etsy to a national brand-backed vendor.

Her eventual decision to partner with Free People meant a surge in demand for her jewelry. From her studio in Chico, Calif., she now manages a small team of production and design assistants who help her plan and execute her designs. After she’s drawn up her ideas, her team will help her create her pieces using traditional metalworking techniques and tools to cut and grind materials like plated metal sheeting and sterling silver.

Hand cut and carved in iconic shapes and symbols, her work adopts aspects of ancient jewelry not only in its form, but also in primitive etching techniques which allow Hill to personalize each piece.

“Details that only the wearer might notice, like the cut outs behind a stone,” Ferguson says, “give a sense of having a shared secret and a special relationship with a piece.”

One of Hill’s bronze necklaces with spearhead details,

for example, recalls the allure of ancient royalty, while one of her brass metal cuffs, etched with crescent moons, is understated yet retains the feel of a treasured antique.

Past collections — like her recent body of Mount Everest-inspired pieces — also hint at concepts of travel and movement. However, Hill reveals that she’s “a complete homebody” and that the designs which fill her head are largely inspired by documentaries and books.

Mary Pearse, an associate professor of jewelry and art at the Lamar Dodd School of Art, said via e-mail that she fondly remembers Laurel bringing books to class on the “cultural, social and historical aspects of adornment” and the day she discovered Hill “combing through historical jewelry books” on the library floor.

Hill’s careful research shows in her ability to cleanly convey a story and emotion from the past. An essential component of her art, Pearse says, has always been “a longing to communicate to the viewer.”

The correspondence Hill establishes with those who wear her jewelry aims to restore some of the value wearable art once held. In the past, jewelry “was worn because of an event,” Hill explains. “It was fashion, but it was more than fashion. It actually meant something.”

“I

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