It goes without saying that Jon Pleasd Wimmin is one of our favourite DJs, after rocking the floors at both last year's HyperPride and our Fierce Ruling Divas Ball. But many people might not know that apart form being a great DJ Jon is also a very talented artist. We tracked him down to ask some questions about his work:
When did you start making these pictures?
I started them for fun about 18 months ago and had such a great response from posting them on Facebook that it kind of evolved very naturally, people seem to love them.
I've made collages since I was about 15 and have always had them around my home. I collect images/memorabilia from my life and then create them when I have enough material, I like to think of them as living scrapbooks/photo albums. It's much better than having a closed box or book hidden away. Life is an adventure and it's good to remind yourself of these adventures.
How do you select people for your portraits?
I choose people who I admire and who are (to me at least) iconic.
Who have been the major influences on your style?
Well, when I left school in 1985 I studied Fashion design in London for 3 years and that helped shape my love of 'styling' and obviously there's a debt to Warhol but I would say that 'Pop Cutlure' in general. There is definitely a theme of transformation to them, which has always played a huge part in my life. Whether it be through doing drag or remixing a piece of music. I have always been obsessed (in a healthy way) with Image....it's a shame that very few people these days seem to have much of one.
Are they for sale?
Yes, you can order them from the website www.poparttart.com and I do commissions too. Greetings cards are going to be up on the site within the next few weeks also.
Who is your favourite artist?
I like lots of different artists...Cindy Sherman, Val Denham, Richard Wathen, Jeff Koons, Gilbert & George, Guggi and Warhol of course, to name a few.
Which is your favourite portrait you have done so far?
I think it's a tie between Liberace & Twiggy at the moment.
Tell us a bit about Dare - what can the causal punter expect to hear there?
Well, I try to make sure that the music involves interesting new electronic dance tracks and that it sits alongside tracks from the past that have inspired them. So many of today's clubs and 'dj's' just play a long list of upfront faceless tracks that I like to try and show the lineage of where the music that I personally love has come from, where it's at and where it's going next. The main key is to keep it interesting whilst keeping it accessible and fun. Not too up it's own arse.Also, the Speakeasy where we hold the night is a great, intimate space with an area for relaxing and socialising and a dancefloor for dancing. We wanted to make sure it was a sociable night where like-minded people could meet.
Have you been DJing anywhere else recently?
Yes, we do Dare! quarterly in London at East Bloc (Next date July 16th). I've got gigs at Yello in Belfast, Windsor, Portsmouth and more in London coming up soon.
How is clubbing in Edinburgh at the moment?
I wouldn't really know to be honest. I decided to run Dare! as there was a distinct lack of 'mixed' nights in the city and wanted somehwere for my friends and I to be able to go, hear the type of music we love and have fun. I wouldn't say we were competing against anyone as there really is nobody else doing the same sort of thing.
What are your top 5 Hi-NRG records of all time?
1. Hypnotic Tango - My Mine 2. Koto -Visitors 3. The Flirts - Passion 4. Sisley Ferre - Give Me Your Love 5. Joanne Daniels - After the Rainbow.
You may remember a few months ago I came second in a remix competition for the French artist Pierre Pascual. Well, I have been a fan of Pierre's work for a while, and with the release of his new EP "Spanish Summer Sex Party" I decided to send him some questions for Menergy:
Who is Pierre Pascual?
A long time ago I stopped asking myself that, it helps me to be free. Sometimes I’m producing music for myself or other artists, videos, participating in exhibitions, doing shows, writing, etc. Most of my work is related to music, first for my first musical project Chose Chaton and now, under my real name.
What made you want to make music?
Music has been a very important part of my life since i was teenager, a way of escaping from a world I did not understand very well and, as I was very shy, music & writing were my only ways to express myself and share intimate things. After that, I studied cinéma & dramatic art, but i always wrote songs and finally it became my full time job after years. That is still a way i love to share things, and that is also for me a great way to mix different media I work on like video, sound design, production, acting…
Who are your main musical influences?
A lot of things! Crystal Castles is the band i really love to listen all the time, I admire their musical approach, the mix/production, the energy. I also love The Knife, Robyn, PlanningToRock, Roisin Murphy… Pop with an experimental approach. Experimental artists like Meredith Monk… Some of Kate Bush's albums are also some of my all time faves, and I also love eurodance/italo disco/hi energy/retrohouse and new beat from the 80’s and 90’s.
You just directed your first video - how was it?
Really great. It was decided one week before the shoot. I met a girl, Olga who had that empty three level parking lot, and I said to her, let’s do a video here. I had that spanish cover "Mi Novio es un Zombi" coming out and it was the perfect place… I wanted something very fresh and instinctive, just a reunion of people from the underground… That is the first time I have worked as a director, even if I am always very involved in each video with the artistic direction. I really want to thank Julie Reumont who helps me filming all that, Nicolas Olivier for the lights and everyone in it. I like what we have done, it is very close to what I am actually.
Lady Gaga or Beyonce?
Sorry, i don’t wear perfume.
No, to be honest, i like some of Lady Gaga stuff, even if i think she could sometimes try some radical, different things. I feel close to people who can do things with a certain sense of humour
Paris is the city of love - do you think this is true?
Two days ago, the parliament rejected a law proposed by the opposition to allow gay people to marry in France. That is very sad cause France has become a very conservative country, very late in all social changements… The French government is homophobic, a lot of people are saying it, more and more…so the city of love only for some people, sadly. I want to be more involved in fighting for equality and visibility in France, i try each day to do what i can.
How is the gay scene in Paris?
Quiet. But thanx to internet, there are new gay/queer bands emerging and i hope soon we all have more visibility and places/clubs/parties to show our work. That is sadly kind of difficult in Paris if you compare it with some other cities like Berlin, Madrid, London…
Who are your main style/fashion influences?
The street, garbage, rebels & old English ladies. And all my stylist friends who are very talented.
Are you coming to the UK any time soon?
I’d love to come soon! I had a show in London in 2008 at the Arches for the Act Art Festival. Great memories, i really love UK and British people, they are so créative and free …
In the run-up to the closure of the Art School, The List magazine interviewed Lady Munter and other key figures associated with the venue to get their opinion on the closure.
ZSA ZSA NOIR is our live musical guest at tomorrow night's MENERGY. She also happens to be one of the hottest gender benders from the San Francisco of the south, Manchester. We sent her a few questions to get her lips around:
Who is Zsa Zsa Noir?
Zsa Zsa Noir is the seven foot tall, sorded incarnation of all my subversive kinks in musical, gender queer form.
When did you start performing? And why did you start?
I started performing when I realised I wanted to be a mermaid at the age of six. I've never looked back except now I can hold the attention of a whole crowd of freaks and scream obscene lyrics over polished electronic disco filth. I'm compelled.
You produce all your own tracks, so who/what are your main musical influences?
I loved Uffie and double rate Peaches. My voice was created from a love vibration emitted by David Bowie, Tina Turner and Marilyn Monroe. I have tonnes of influences but Miss Noir is an original.
And you style yourself too, talented girl, who are your fashion/design icons?
Shit loads.
What is the gay scene like in Manchester? How does it compare to other cities?
People sometimes see me as a 'gay' act. 'Queer' is correct and 'Queer Happenings' by and large exist outside of Manchester's gay scene for me. I'm part of the Queer Scene. Sorry that didn't answer your question.. You should ask someone who shops on the high street.
Bonus question! Asked by Midnight Growler: What does an octopus' arse taste like?
Octopus arse.. It fucking stinks beyond the capabilities of my vocabulary but tastes a delicate balance of salt and fish. Rather nice even when raw.
Here's a taste of what will be on offer tomorrow night - ZsaZsa's current single "Hey Lean Diggy Doggy" (available to buy from iTunes)
CHRISTINE VALE is one fucking fierce bitch and we are DELIGHTED to bring you an exclusive interview with one of the States' hottest genderfuck acts. She hails from Austin, Texas and has a NSFW style like no other. If you need more of an introduction, here's our previous post about Christeene. I shot over her her over some questions:
What's Christeene's story/history?
I CUM FROM NOWHERE.
What are your main musical influences? Any particular MCs?
I LIKE DA MUSIC DAT MAKE ME HIT IT HARD. DER AINT UH SPECIFIC PERSON IN MY BRAIN, JUZ DA MUSIC DAT HIT. I LIKE DA DUB STEP A HOLE BUNCH NOW AND DAT SOUND DAT VIBRATES YA HOLE BODY A LOT RIYEET NOW. What is the track "Bustin Brown" about?
DIZ IS WHUT MY FRIEND SAY ABOUT IT FERR SOME PRESS ....
" In “Bustin’ Brown”, the fourth installment of the CHRISTEENE Video Collection, CHRISTEENE confronts the ever-present bastardization of anal sex from mainstream bourgeois heterosexuals by returning “da buh-hole” to its rightful owners. "
You're getting a lot of gigs - how's it going?
WE RET TO HURT IT. WE RET TOO HURT IT REAL BAD. WE KEEP WAKIN UP IN DIFFRENT PLACES AND WE COME ALIVE AND KILL IT.
Who are the hot boys at the back?
T GRAVEL IZ DA HAIRY ONE, AND C BABY IS DA SMOOTH ONE. THEY MAKE MY LIFE GOOOOOD.
There's been some negative reactions to Christeene - what do you think of that? I'm especially interested in the issues of gender, class and race that are brought up a lot. How does Christeene herself feel about that and how it relates to her own background?
JUZ EAT IT WHOLE AN FINISH UR PLATE. IF YOU NOT HUNGRY KEEP WALKIN. I DONT LIKE MEAN PEOPLE.
Does Christeene have any kind of "message"?
HUH? If Christeene was to make me a fried breakfast, what would I get?
SOMETHIN DAT WOULD STAY IN YERR MOUTH ALL DAY LONG.
Aww yeah!
Menergy is paying Christeene the ultimate compliment this Saturday when LADY MUNTER will lip sync to Christeene's very own "Fix My Dick"! There will be live performances from VANITY VON GLOW and AVON STARR, bringing you some Nicky Minaj, MIA and Anthony & the Jonsons. But will Munter be ablt to top THIS?!
Way back in the dark ages of 2007, I was signed to the Belgian label Radius, specialists in Italo re-issues and modern takes on the electronic disco style. Also on the label was Italo legend Casco, aka Salvatore Cusato, probably best known for the smash hit "Cybernetic Love" from 1983. Casco was in the process of re-releasing a clutch of stone cold classics through Radius at the time, and I interviewed him for our Discopia website. After Salvatore's sad passing last month I decided to rummage around in my old drives and dig the interview out in tribute to the man. As was the Discopia style, I didn't editorialise much, leaving the artist to say their piece as directly as possible. So here it is in its entirety:
Who is Casco?
I would say he is the ‘Doctor Jeckyl’, and Salvatore Cusato is ‘Mr Hyde’. Casco ‘Doctor Jeckyl’ was born on the night of a full moon during the spring of 1983, between Rome and Genoa in Italy. He hopes he will still be here when it will be possible for all human beings to fly to space, every day… Just to feel the emotions of sending love messages to the earth by a vocoder. In the meanwhile he stays on this planet describing his electro music emotions, hoping that somebody understands it is possible to fall in love with an E.T with the help of cybernetic facilities.
What does “Casco” mean?
‘Casco’ in Italian means ‘helmet’. I was looking for an easy name to remember connected to the image of a cosmonaut - ‘cosmo helmet’ was not the best name, so… I prefered to choose the Italian translation since all Italians have problems with the spelling of the letter ‘h’ at the start of a word (we don’t say ‘hotel’ but ‘otel’).
Have you recorded under any other names, or with any other acts?
I have produced and released, since 1983, many kind of musical styles, with Salvatore Cusato often staying in the background. Obviously the names were also different for each artist, on the Italo scene, often one name was used only for one project. From 1983 till now my works have been released on several historic Italo labels ( CGD, Memory Records, DiscoMagic, Discotto, Best Records, New Music, Expanded Music, Do it Yourself, Dieffe Publishings etc) and licensed worldwide. Just to mention some of them, on Alphamusic and Avex Japan, Dureco Benelux, Blanco y Negro and Vale Music Spain, Stockholm Records, ZYX, Epic Records, CBS (not connection with the internet radio he he, I mean CBS Sony), and so on… I also founded my own label SCO which released 10 titles at beginning of 90s’. Between the tracks I produced in 23 years of my production activity I like to remember just one name for each decade: Flo Astaire ‘Monkey Monkey' for 80s, Robin Cook ‘Comanchero’ (a gold record in Scandinavia) for 90’s, and EU4YA ‘Sarà perchè ti amo’ for 2000’s. Casco… is another story. I also used my true name Cusato as an artist during the early 90s for 3 downbeat releases, Soul to Soul style, the most succesful one was ‘Captain of Her Heart 90’ (ZYX/Discomagic).
When did you realize you wanted to become a professional musician?
Sorry my friend to disappoint you! I’m not not at all a musician and I don’t know how to read a music sheet… I compose with the help of my feelings, if this is being a musician then ok I am, but I don’t like to offend the category, better to say that I'm not! I used to work with professional musicians, tasked and directed by me in order to realize my ideas and compositions. Without their help I could not do anything.
Who were your big musical influences?
Already in 72 I felt an attraction to the Teutonic sound of NEU! ‘Hallo Gallo’ is classic hypnotic electro, very stimulating. In the club I was working in, in my hometown Genoa, the crowd was crazy about this track. When the dancefloor was empty, Neu! was the real floorfiller.
But I was still an amateur dj… Neu was not for everybody, and when I changed club, even in the same town, I would fired Neu! was not for everybody really. Pity, it was my favourite track… But then I started to be a professional dj and had the luck to meet the charismatic Lord of the Music, the Maestro Giorgio Moroder in his native Ortisei in Val Gardena (Italy). Giorgio had the habit of going every night when he was on holiday to the club where I was resident, and he was bringing me, literally, his first international hits. He explained to me the art of how to make a hit for all the people and not just for the happy few. He also explained to me the importance of technology in the music, and how to keep people happy at the same time. Giorgio was underground and at same time popular… a reference for me with his versatility. I was already spinning in '71 the track ‘Action Man’ by Spinach (the first succesfull group of Moroder's), then I enjoyed ‘Looky Looky’ and ‘Moody Trudy’.
But when I was listening to Radio Luxembourg every night and hearing the song ‘Son of My Father’, I did not imagine that behind this No.1 UK hit, full of Minimoog effects, it was an Italian, and that I would receive from the hands of its creator my favourite song. I was really influenced by the first impact of his synths. Already I was loving King Crimson and Brian Eno, Van Der Graf Generator, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Brian Auger & Trinity or the Italian Premiata Forneria Marconi, but people were not dancing to their synths, even when it was the best music to hear. In this Giorgio style not much music was produced (though I have to mention ‘Spirit in the Sky‘ by Norman Greenbaum). Giorgio had… the commercial touch (he was a band ballroom player). He is unique and cloned all the time…
Conclusions: After I met him I decided to be a producer of dance music one day… In the meantime when I was not working in my free time and could listen, also non-dance. I started to love all the Teutonic sound: Can, Kraftwerk, Popol Vuh, Vangelis, J. M. Jarre. But for work I was using all my favourite tracks, full of sequencers and synths. Once, I became the tour manager of French pioneer vocoder space band ‘The Rockets’, and had an Italian tour with them. They also influenced me very much, but my days as a producer had still to come, starting with finding my own style.
How did you get into DJing?
I was playing records on the old ‘grammofono’ of my father, like opera, staying for hours and hours to play and replay Verdi’s operas or Caruso tenors with Neapolitan classical bel canto songs, or Strauss. Already at home they were dancing when I was playing waltzes!One day a few years later I noticed that a turntable can replace one orcherstra and make people dance. I decided that this was my life. To make people dance forever.
How did you start making Italo Disco?
I'm Italian, it was obvious to start producing music in Italy. In my town Genoa it was lots of recording studios filled with talented musicians, all my friends were musicians and we talked about music and girls all day long, instead of talking about soccer. I was always meeting them in studio and observing how they were recording rock and jam session. None of them were recording real music for just djs. During one of my dj contracts in Rome I met some as-passionate-as-me fans of electronic Moroder sounds and we exchanged our ideas. They started to do business and were asking my advice about what to produce or not and whatever… I did the final touches to some recordings where my name didn’t appear, and then I decided to appear also. And with their financial help I went back to Genoa‘s best recording studio. I came out with my real first finished production, created with help of great musicians. I was finally a ‘producer’, an Italo producer: ‘Cybernetic love’ was born! Hip hip hurray!
Why do you think Italians took so strongly to making electronic disco?
Thanks for compliment... But it was down to Bernard Mikulski, the owner of ZYX Records Germany, to discover this particular sound with sad beautiful melodies on electronic beds, real songs with a structure; verses, bridges, choruses, and some experimental touches that were never out of place. Mikulsky called this kind of dance music ‘Italo’ and he was travelling every week to Italy to listen to what's new and buying licenses. Often he was coming back with big hits in his pocket. Thanks to Bernie Mikulski from Germany Italo disco conquered the world, and it's thanks to him that Italians took so strongly to making electronic disco.
And why do you think that music is so popular again?
It's a normal historical phenomenon known as ‘corsi e ricorsi’ (I don’t know the translation sorry).
What modern music do you enjoy?
Modern or not, I enjoy music where the chords of my soul are touched.
Some old Casco material is getting re-released. Can you fill us in on that?
I was in touch already with some Clone DJs by email some years ago due to the fact they were tracking me on the net. They were appreciating ‘Cybernetic Love’ and asked me if I had an original copy, in fact they were asking me to do a remix already at that time (2002). Honestly I was thinking everybody had forgot about the Casco project and also about other collaborations I had with the people behind the House of Music label. But I first realized there was a revamped interest when some journalistsfrom Spain that were working on the history of electronic music called me. I was asking myself if they had dialled a wrong number... but they were really asking for me! So when I saw the book (a bestseller) and saw my name in it with a paragraph dedicated to me I had to believe it and say ‘Mamma mia, I’m in the electronic history books!" After that the label Blanco Y Negro Spain asked me for the license for a cult compilation, and then NEWS Belgium contacted me for a work-in-progress project by DJ Spacid (‘Theme from Radius’, An Italo/Space compilation). Today Spacid is my best electro friend, he really relaunched this project: thank you Yves!
What is your favourite production you have worked on?
Without a doubt ‘Cybernetic Love’ by Casco.
What did you work on in the 90’s, after Italo?
I continued to be what I was always: an Italo dj specializing in 80's/90's Italo and Eurodance. My second activity is producer, third activity is Artist Manager and booking agent (of guess whom? Italo 80s’ artists and international 80’s-90’s dance artists!) and I have my own music agency while I also run my publishing company Francesco Publishing.
Have you been making any new music recently?
Well, I never stopped producing Eurodance, licensed worldwide since 1983… currently I’m working on the new release of an Italian project ‘Eu4ya’, co-produced with the label Dieffe Publishing featuring as special guest the Italo-Canadian Eurodance star Elissa. The song is called ‘Tanti Auguri’ (‘Best wishes’) …but this is another story (The Mr Hyde side of Mr Cusato )… check it out on www.myspace.com/salvatorecusato. Regarding Casco I just finished the track list for the album, called ‘The Cybernetic Album’. It contains all the old gems and some new material encompassing a very cosmic trip on the ’Apollo VIII’, plus pure Moroder-style on ‘Jokin to My Mind’, ’Cybernetic Part Two’ and ‘Part III’, thanks to the co-operation of German dj Geespot from Dresden. Another new Italo/electro oriented song is called ‘Electro’, composed by the beautiful Casco fan Lia Organa, who I met on myspace. The album will be only released by digital distribution!
And how is your DJing going now?
I’ve stopped djing at the moment as I needed full immersion for the album. I am scheduled to be on stage again from next October with the musician Eddy Milani, for an explosive electro live set where the music will be not only by Casco but the best vocoder music of the whole Italo electro era!
What are your top 5 Italo records?
1. From here to Eternity – Giorgio Moroder
2. Take a chance - Mr Flagio
3. Spacer woman – Charlie
4. Problemes D’amour – Alexander Robotnick
5. Cybernetic Love - Casco
And your top 5 all time records?
1. From here to Eternity – Giorgio Moroder
2. Star Wars Theme – Meco Monardo
3. Hallo Gallo – Neu!
4. The model - Kraftwerk
5. Chariots of fire - Vangelis
6. Oxygen part IV - J. M. Jarre
Britney’s breasts or Kylie’s bum?
Both, may I?
What does the future hold for Casco/Salvatore Cusato?
For Casco to keep on playing with the electro toys, for Salvatore Cusato to keep on playing with the other toys. Smile, life is beautiful!
