Post by papilioulysses on Jun 8, 2010 13:39:51 GMT
missy magazine #2·2010, popkultur für frauen
your performances and costumes don't stick to any gender roles. do you want to break the roles intentionally with it or are you just you?
the male archetype is desolate, aggressive and unromantic - wants to be warrior and militant, testosterone replaces eroticism, sensuality and optimism. when i was younger i was afraid of fighting and was a pacifist. but there's much that's worth fighting for - certainly without aggression and institutions like the army. so there is a lot of battle and agression in my music nowadays, the will to challenge the world. we'll all reach this point in our lives.
you were the boy from the wood, now you're rather a chameleon-like total work of art. how did that change take place?
it happened long ago, but nature is still present in my work. on my first album many of my inspirations are based on folklore and nature metaphors; "wind in the wires" on my time in cornwall, the solitude in the countryside. i'm 26 now, my voice has changed, i travelled the world, i'm a businessman. all those things a boy would never do! a boy is androgynous, i'm more masculine now. i have both female and male traits. i'm more confident as in former times, and you can hear that in my music.
are you a feminist?
absolutely! i've been since i was 11 or 12. it has gone hand in hand with the fight for respect, that i experienced as transgender person in school. i despised the boys and the patriarchal society there. my struggle is also connected with the one of my sister, who wanted to be accepted as musician and had to experience plenty of contempt due to the moronic, male, homophobe society in her everyday life. i was always on the girls' side, because they have also demanded for the equality of my sexuality and my life. i can almost just work with women, i'm known as feminist in the music business. i feel closer to women than men, i'm wearing make-up, and i couldn't care less about soccer.
is this your emancipation from the music industry and the show biz?
definitely! it's been long overdue. pop music is slowly being taken over by women. but you also have to work on that behind the scenes lest only any men keep things firmly under their control, otherwise we're going back to the 50s. there's still a lot of work to do for equal rights and emancipation. power out of the traditional male hierarchies!
which women do you admire?
i have various female influences in my life. musically they are kathleen hanna, pj harvey, björk, kim deal of the pixies, the breeders - strong and fascinating women. but i was also surrounded by many gay performance artists, drag queens of the transgender community. i also admire my mother - and my sister, who does brilliant digital art.
are there female filmmakers or women writers that you value most or were most pertinent to you?
my favourite director of all time is sally potter - a total genius. i've seen her latest film "rage", which is very revolutionary. she is in search of new paths to combat piracy. she does all herself: screenplay, soundtrack, drama, she's a 360 degree artist. in her yet a bit elder film "orlando" the protagonist besomes a woman halfway through the story. i like that. it's a transgender film with a feministic message actually: orlando can find a lucky position in-between the sexes. the women's liberation has also played its part in it. a film that changed my life! virginia woolf, the author of the original novel, is also one of my favourite writers... ever. she was a lesbian, but had a husband and wore men's clothes. a real statement in the 1920s! virginia woolf was something like the female version of quentin crisp, who played elizabeth I in "orlando". the same applies to marlene dietrich, who already wore suits back then and thus put gender stereotypes into question.
do you think you'd be a different person if you were a woman?
i am very happy with myself now. at the age of 12 or 13 i've always said that i'll get a sex change done as fast as possible. i had long pink hair, wore platform shoes and make-up. there are so many different kinds to be a girl ... as a woman i wouldn't probably be a lot different as i am now – i'm changing my image quarterly anyway.
which woman, dead or alive, you'd like to get to now?
queen elizabeth I! i was always fascinated by her. she was a terrorist, but also familiar with auguries, magic and poetry. one of history's most powerful women. i'd rule the world with her from her palace.
you've said that your sister had a rough ride as an artist many times. have you ever been subjected to prejustice as musician?
yes, sure. but i wasn't afflicted with it, because i always knew how i'd like to be and to look. i just suffered from those who were ashamed of me.
what does the term "queer" mean to you?
this term is important, because it's frankly/flexible (?), it's way beyond the established attribution and stands for various theoretical tendencies. the image of gays is governed by many conservative, straight stereotypes. "queer" for that is pansexual. i like the fact that it's not just the determination of sexual orientation but also liberation. in my mind that's why queerness is comparable to punk.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
do i get an award for worst translation now? :] i hope i caught the meaning.
your performances and costumes don't stick to any gender roles. do you want to break the roles intentionally with it or are you just you?
the male archetype is desolate, aggressive and unromantic - wants to be warrior and militant, testosterone replaces eroticism, sensuality and optimism. when i was younger i was afraid of fighting and was a pacifist. but there's much that's worth fighting for - certainly without aggression and institutions like the army. so there is a lot of battle and agression in my music nowadays, the will to challenge the world. we'll all reach this point in our lives.
you were the boy from the wood, now you're rather a chameleon-like total work of art. how did that change take place?
it happened long ago, but nature is still present in my work. on my first album many of my inspirations are based on folklore and nature metaphors; "wind in the wires" on my time in cornwall, the solitude in the countryside. i'm 26 now, my voice has changed, i travelled the world, i'm a businessman. all those things a boy would never do! a boy is androgynous, i'm more masculine now. i have both female and male traits. i'm more confident as in former times, and you can hear that in my music.
are you a feminist?
absolutely! i've been since i was 11 or 12. it has gone hand in hand with the fight for respect, that i experienced as transgender person in school. i despised the boys and the patriarchal society there. my struggle is also connected with the one of my sister, who wanted to be accepted as musician and had to experience plenty of contempt due to the moronic, male, homophobe society in her everyday life. i was always on the girls' side, because they have also demanded for the equality of my sexuality and my life. i can almost just work with women, i'm known as feminist in the music business. i feel closer to women than men, i'm wearing make-up, and i couldn't care less about soccer.
is this your emancipation from the music industry and the show biz?
definitely! it's been long overdue. pop music is slowly being taken over by women. but you also have to work on that behind the scenes lest only any men keep things firmly under their control, otherwise we're going back to the 50s. there's still a lot of work to do for equal rights and emancipation. power out of the traditional male hierarchies!
which women do you admire?
i have various female influences in my life. musically they are kathleen hanna, pj harvey, björk, kim deal of the pixies, the breeders - strong and fascinating women. but i was also surrounded by many gay performance artists, drag queens of the transgender community. i also admire my mother - and my sister, who does brilliant digital art.
are there female filmmakers or women writers that you value most or were most pertinent to you?
my favourite director of all time is sally potter - a total genius. i've seen her latest film "rage", which is very revolutionary. she is in search of new paths to combat piracy. she does all herself: screenplay, soundtrack, drama, she's a 360 degree artist. in her yet a bit elder film "orlando" the protagonist besomes a woman halfway through the story. i like that. it's a transgender film with a feministic message actually: orlando can find a lucky position in-between the sexes. the women's liberation has also played its part in it. a film that changed my life! virginia woolf, the author of the original novel, is also one of my favourite writers... ever. she was a lesbian, but had a husband and wore men's clothes. a real statement in the 1920s! virginia woolf was something like the female version of quentin crisp, who played elizabeth I in "orlando". the same applies to marlene dietrich, who already wore suits back then and thus put gender stereotypes into question.
do you think you'd be a different person if you were a woman?
i am very happy with myself now. at the age of 12 or 13 i've always said that i'll get a sex change done as fast as possible. i had long pink hair, wore platform shoes and make-up. there are so many different kinds to be a girl ... as a woman i wouldn't probably be a lot different as i am now – i'm changing my image quarterly anyway.
which woman, dead or alive, you'd like to get to now?
queen elizabeth I! i was always fascinated by her. she was a terrorist, but also familiar with auguries, magic and poetry. one of history's most powerful women. i'd rule the world with her from her palace.
you've said that your sister had a rough ride as an artist many times. have you ever been subjected to prejustice as musician?
yes, sure. but i wasn't afflicted with it, because i always knew how i'd like to be and to look. i just suffered from those who were ashamed of me.
what does the term "queer" mean to you?
this term is important, because it's frankly/flexible (?), it's way beyond the established attribution and stands for various theoretical tendencies. the image of gays is governed by many conservative, straight stereotypes. "queer" for that is pansexual. i like the fact that it's not just the determination of sexual orientation but also liberation. in my mind that's why queerness is comparable to punk.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
do i get an award for worst translation now? :] i hope i caught the meaning.
he's a clever bloke.
