Austin Psych Fest, a three-day psychedelic music festival founded and curated by hometown rockers the Black Angels, is in its experimental freshman phase—constantly altering variables, venues, and dosages to determine the perfect balance between experience and environment. In its sixth year, this was the first iteration that herded all of the bands and fans into one Texas-sized jamboree on a 58-acre ranch just north of the airport. Despite upping the ante in venue size and scope, the estimated attendance rate still remained under 4,000—roughly the number of water vendors at Coachella—creating an intimate, but spirited, community vibe.

The ranch itself was designed like a pop-up book of magical scenes and visual flares: acrobatic tree swings, a blank canvas bull sculpture to illustrate, fun house mirrors, giant lights projected onto the trees that reflected swirling shapes on the lazy river below. The interactive playground (or adult day care, depending on your perspective) wasn’t just a backdrop; it was a stage of its own. And it was the perfect metaphor to describe psychedelic music itself: a meeting of the aural and visual, an indistinguishable line between the real and surreal. 

The kickoff parties Thursday night were hosted in ... Read More »]]> http://thelabmagazine.com/2013/05/23/austin-psych-fest/feed/ 0 http://thelabmagazine.com/2013/05/20/dreaming-of-another-era/ http://thelabmagazine.com/2013/05/20/dreaming-of-another-era/#comments Mon, 20 May 2013 06:00:54 +0000 admin http://thelabmagazine.com/?p=6884 PHOTOGRAPHY BY IRA CHERNOVA STYLING BY LEXYROSE BOIARDOMAKE UP BY ERIN GREEN FOR JUDY CASEY INCMODEL: CHARLIE AT NEXT MODELS

Minka Sicklinger is an illustrator and tattoo artist based in New York City, known for her rare technical ability to create extremely detailed images on the skin. In this exclusive interview with The Lab Magazine, Minka opens up to us about her upbringing, her thoughts on the tattoo business, and her bizarre after-hours activities.

DARYA KOSILOVA—Where are you from?

MINKA SICKLINGER—I was born in Holland, and then I moved to Papua New Guinea for a while and then Australia – I grew up there. I left Australia when I was 26 years old, then I went to Costa Rica, then I lived in Mexico City, and then I ended up in New York.

DK—How did you find yourself ending up in New York? 

MS—I’ve always wanted to come to New York since I was 16 years old. It was always where I was heading towards. Eventually I finally found my way here. 

DK—Was there a reason why you were travelling so much?

MS—My parents were living in Papua New Guinea when I was conceived, and then, because I was her first child, my mother went back to Holland where she’s from to have me. We then ... Read More »]]> http://thelabmagazine.com/2013/05/16/minka-sicklinger/feed/ 0 http://thelabmagazine.com/2013/05/13/alasdair-designer-spotlight/ http://thelabmagazine.com/2013/05/13/alasdair-designer-spotlight/#comments Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:41 +0000 admin http://thelabmagazine.com/?p=6844 It’s taxing to pinpoint the culminating factors that serve up a classic piece of womenswear: enduring color palettes, the omission of pattern and posturing detail, bold shapes and angles that demand attention without distraction. Since the valiant birth of Alasdair, now in its third season, designer April Johnson’s work has embraced these traits, tousled them, and manifested them with grace. And for Autumn/Winter 2013 she has not disappointed, as each piece in the collection promises class with sublime assurance.

Emerging from over a decade-long stint as a stylist, working with publications that include Vanity Fair, New York Magazine, and Rolling Stone, Johnson’s chic take on wearable pieces has stood out from the material mire. “As a stylist I was always challenged with finding well-fitting classic staples for clients and for myself,” Johnson said, as she explained how her original garments were made purely for herself, and then for friends, before striding down a commercial avenue.

Given that she began her career as a an accessories editor at Vogue, it’s hardly surprising that Johnson is a fan of black, navy and neutrals – ... Read More »]]> http://thelabmagazine.com/2013/05/13/alasdair-designer-spotlight/feed/ 0 http://thelabmagazine.com/2013/05/09/hiroyuki-hamada/ http://thelabmagazine.com/2013/05/09/hiroyuki-hamada/#comments Thu, 09 May 2013 07:28:42 +0000 admin http://thelabmagazine.com/?p=6814 INTERVIEWED BY ANNA GRIGGS

Hiroykui Hamada is a sculptor. Born in Tokyo, Japan, he now lives and works in East Hampton, New York with his wife and two children. He is represented in New York by Lori Bookstein Fine Art. 

THE LAB MAGAZINE—When and how did you first begin to make artwork?

HIROYUKI HAMADA—I was already in college when I started. I liked making things as a kid but I guess I didn’t really know what “art” was. It’s sort of amazing that all the art classes that I had to take since I was in kindergarten failed me. Maybe visual art is not as narrowly defined as other forms of art. There might be more consensus in the difference between making some noise and writing a song, or between a description and a poem… Maybe I didn’t grow up with lots of visual art around me… So it was pretty shocking to see my college teacher take a piece of paper, make marks on it, and the whole thing started animating with a wholeness, like having a life. So that got me into making art. I switched my major from psychology to art.

TLM—You started out as a painter and now your work ... Read More »]]> http://thelabmagazine.com/2013/05/09/hiroyuki-hamada/feed/ 0 http://thelabmagazine.com/2013/05/08/top-less-gay-love-tekno-party/ http://thelabmagazine.com/2013/05/08/top-less-gay-love-tekno-party/#comments Wed, 08 May 2013 16:20:53 +0000 admin http://thelabmagazine.com/?p=6755 Top Less Gay Love Tekno Party is a musical firecracker full of sensory delights. The vibrant assemble, home-grown in BC, Canada, known for their fantastical live shows and hypnotic DJ sets, are about to release their debut record with a big glittery bang.

Shad is a hip hop artist originally from Ontario, Canada, who is currently working on his fourth studio album Flying Colours.

SHAD—How did you meet and start to connect musically?

DONNÉ TORR—Mike, Lucas [Hamilton], and I met in uni and started a shitty but awesome band that played Lionel Richie and Jimmy Buffett covers. I then followed Mike to Glasgow and started another project. Glasgow held on to us for a bit but eventually we both settled back in Vancouver and started writing and recording music for what would soon become Top Less. We found the rest of the band at a garage sale one day in the suburbs.

S—You guys are a big collective on stage. How does your song writing process work?

DT—For half of our first record Mike or I would come to the band with a mostly finished song and then work the rest out with them. ... Read More »]]> http://thelabmagazine.com/2013/05/08/top-less-gay-love-tekno-party/feed/ 0 http://thelabmagazine.com/2013/05/02/the-presets/ http://thelabmagazine.com/2013/05/02/the-presets/#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 06:00:35 +0000 admin http://thelabmagazine.com/?p=6656 The Presets are Australian electronic pairing Jules Hamilton and Kim Moyes. The duo met in the nineties while studying music in Sydney and have been collaborating as The Presets for over a decade. Their latest album Pacifica was released in 2012 and they are touring North America in May 2013.

JULES HAMILTON—I know you like burgers, in fact, I know you’re a burger fiend. What burger are you most looking forward to when you get back to the States?

KIM MOYES—I am! Although I’m trying to give them a rest. However I won’t be ignoring UBurger in Boston! I got turned on to them last time we where there, you didn’t come then but I’m going to drag you along this time.

JH—That sounds sweet. I would be so into that. There was a fresh taco place in Boston I remember too, near the gig. If we’re playing the same venue I’ll insist we grab a post-show taco too.

KM—I know you love your seasonal TV shows, are you going to get stuck into a series on this upcoming US tour? 

JH—I was thinking I was going to do The Sopranos again or at least the first series. ... Read More »]]> http://thelabmagazine.com/2013/05/02/the-presets/feed/ 0 http://thelabmagazine.com/2013/05/01/suuns/ http://thelabmagazine.com/2013/05/01/suuns/#comments Wed, 01 May 2013 07:41:16 +0000 admin http://thelabmagazine.com/?p=6632 Interviewed by Jory MacKay Photography by Jane and Jane

After two years relentlessly touring North America and three trips overseas, Montreal-based Suuns have released the follow-up to their acclaimed debut, Zeroes QC. Bassist/keyboardist Max Henry spoke with The Lab Magazine about inspiration, instrumentation, and the mystique behind Montreal. 

THE LAB MAGAZINE—You were labeled Best Band of 2011 by NME. How did such a high level of initial praise affect the writing on the new album?

MAX HENRY—I would say not too much. That’s the kind of approach that can be pretty poisonous to the creative process. Of course it’s a tremendous honor. But we’ve tried to be casual about it.

TLM—Has the amount of time you’ve spent on the road over the past few years changed your sound? Did you think more about the live show when writing songs for your new album, Images du Futur?

MH—The live show has always been the primary consideration. We won’t put anything down that we can’t play live. It’s more of an ensemble that way; the albums stay more of an index. So the live tunes are always changing.

TLM—You’ve occasionally been lumped into the expansive “return of guitar music” category but songs like 2020 seem to ... Read More »]]> http://thelabmagazine.com/2013/05/01/suuns/feed/ 0