This coming Friday is the 2nd year anniversary celebration of Touching Infinite. With one of the invited guests of the night being FIST. Fun Is Still Trangressive engages the visibility of communities of otherness through techno in NYC just as Touching Infinite other than releasing energy and creating a space to leave ones worries and problems behind for the night being. To enter a state of euphoria. Touching Infinite places emphises on "destroying fascism via euphoria" as Lil Duende the creator of Touching Infinite states that Touching Infinite is meant "to be a refuge for LGBTQ and people of color; to make sure the marginalized are uplifted and seen in a very unique and sometimes pandemonium-oriented space. Soundtracked by forward-thinking club music. The Hardest tracks, all genres."
We have 2 other worldly entities collabing and on the pursuit to push their agenda on "radical fun" and combating "the status quo" and to enter a "new culture" as we have witnessed previously with the endevours of Touching Infinite.
Here is for another year and to a good friend I've been able to work with and share a drink with!
This is FIST! @funisstilltransgressive
Speaking to Daniel from FIST he shares that he's been recently enjoying "Six Feet Under, and The Fragile by NIN non stop repeat." I've currently been having some mixes by Neve Lacey on repeat (on SoundCloud) and I'm replaying Baulders Gate 3. Daniel continues by giving out a shout out "Gami aka Ultrathem 305 in the house."
We begin the interview by asking; what is the concept behind Fun Is Still Transgressive? How did the idea of creating this platform come to be?
FIST originated from a desire for increased diversity within the New York techno scene back in 2016. During this time, there was a noticeable gap in the representation of queer/gay/trans perspectives in events and DJ lineups, especially for techno parties. This sentiment was further intensified by the aftermath of the Pulse club tragedy in Orlando, prompting a determination to provoke a form of resistance and confrontation for inclusive spaces in New York. Since our inception, the landscape has really changed in the club scenes, with a lot of groups and DIY events happening all the time now. We like to think we helped that direction." Besides Touching Infinite we also have individuals such as The Squeeze Box who has been operating for over a decade. They're the "original" group within the "post modern underground scene in the RGV." We have Reyna Del Sur or also known as Gardenia who involves themeselves as a performer and a promoter besides being an iconic MC. Gardenia has created spaces, inclusive spaces such as Touching Infinite and The Squeeze Box. I mention Gardenia because she was recently hosting 2x out of the week burlosque shows and DJ sets/events. Why? "Trans Liberation" due to discrimation she and a friend went through at a club (the club apologized) due to the incident it lead them to open up their own safe space. It's spaces like these that we certainly need more of. Having a space and representation is important.
How would you describe your individual styles/sounds as an artist?
"Andreas (DJ Clone) has consistently infused his sensibilities and tastes with a punk/metal approach, drawing from his experience in punk bands when he lived in Dallas. Myself (Word of Command) am perpetually seeking connections across diverse genres, emphasizing both percussive and melodic directions. We combine these elements of our tastes the best during our back-to-back sets, which becomes a kind of amalgamation of punk trance in a way. Aggressive yet harmonious. We both love Lady Gaga too."
How does Fun Is Still Transgressive engage in promoting visibility? Could you give a couple of examples "From the start of FIST, we've consistently championed a platform for QIPOC/LGBTQ artists, a commitment evident in our curated lineups. In our early days, it was crucial for us to address the noticeable lack of such representation in the scene." To address and bring out representation in the scene allows awareness a "strive for new spaces that embrace the movement of a new culture" as FIST states. There hasn't been a moment a Touching Infinite line up hasn't introduced me to something new, a new sound, a new place where I questioned if I was at the right address due to how just how underground its become. I've been able to meet new individuals from the community due to the curated line up. The sound, space, message, energy, representation and commitment speaks for itself. I'm sure with the work FIST puts in, it also allows others to experience something new just as being introduced to those within the community and share the same mind space.
Dating back to 2016 (going through Instagram and the FIST website) to now how have you seen FIST impact your community? What has the initial feedback been to space your creating, the message and the movement of "radical fun?" as Daniel says "as I mentioned in the first answer, the landscape has definitely evolved since 2016 with the amount of queer techno + diy parties, which we gladly take a kind of inspiration for some of these collectives and events with the way they have been able to coallace. The amount of clubs have also increased, and I think a lot of those club owners and promoters are more willing to take chances and consider a variety of lineups to book. We ran into some booking issues at first when finding a venue since people thought the name FIST equated to a particular kind of sexual act that they didn't want happening in their club hehe." While we may not have a lot of clubs involving "queer techno" or rather we do not have a lot queer/lgbt clubs in general so we tend to rely on a more D.I.Y enviroment. To allow DJs to come out and creat a realm of their own would be fantastic, but they are far from in between, but hey this is what people want leading them to put it together!
Bringing FIST to locations such as Dallas, Austin, Mcallen, Miami ect. Has this allowed FIST to reach various audiences and bring into action the unifying of communities and introducing this "new culture" to those who may not be aware?
"I believe that certain clubs and venues yearn for a touch of diversity and vibrancy in their spaces, and FIST undoubtedly fulfills that need. This is particularly evident when we brought the event to places like Graz, Vienna and Barcelona. We could see a desire for an inclusive space that allows for aggressive sound, some excitement into the mix. We love bringing locals together from the scene with us and hearing what is happening in these local communities, it's definitely a memorable time when bringing like-minded artists together who share our sensibilities and desire to go crazy on the decks." Touching Infinite has allowed DJs who want to use a 20,000 watt sound system, bring out their hardest tracks, bringing out DJs from out the valley for a one night of euphoria. If you're attending a Touching Infinite event then you know what's up. It's cool to know that FIST is also a collective pushing for diverstiy, inclusivity and representation. It makes me wonder what other states have this? Have individuals putting out a scene, a "new culture" within their area.
How did the conversation come about to be a part of the Touching Infinite 2nd year anniversary line up? With Touching Infinite allowing us to enter a new realm and as he states the purpose behind Touching Infinite being "to destroy fascism via euphoria, to be a refuge for LGBTQ and people of color; to make sure the marginalized are uplifted and seen in a very unique and sometimes pandemonium-oriented space. Soundtracked by forward-thinking club music. The Hardest tracks, all genres."How do you feel aligning working with a valley entity also creating new culture and a space to "annihilate hate" and attributes to "radical fun" as Daniel states "We were put in touch with Touching Infinite by Ultrathem, who is also a FIST alumni. We share a common endeavor in creating these kinds of spaces for like minded individuals sharing a thread of techno in our community. We're really excited about the collaboration, it makes a lot of sense to join forces, especially in places like the south so we can rage together in these more conservatively leaning cities." Yeah when I was doing research on FIST and reading their mission statement I found it interesting that these are 2 forces coming together for ONE NIGHT! What an exciting collaboration!
For our first time experiencing FIST in the RGV what can we expect from your set? What do you wish to evoke from those participating through your set? "Be prepared for hard and groovy, with some moments of cathartic chaos and jubilation. Mainly we want people to have fun, and dance of course."
What would you say is the importance of a space that welcomes "other wordly-ness" and this "new culture"? as Daniel says "In essence, a space that welcomes 'otherworldliness' and embraces a 'new culture' plays a crucial role in shaping a more vibrant, diverse, and forward-thinking community. Such spaces contribute to the evolution of cultural landscapes by allowing for the exploration and celebration of diverse perspectives and identities. We created FIST as refuge for individuals who may feel marginalized or excluded in more conventional settings, promoting a sense of belonging and acceptance which ultimately is our goal."
Do you have a message for those attending the Touching Infinite 2nd year anniversary event? "Amidst the chaos and uncertainty of our times, it's essential that we support one another and prioritize one another's well-being. While our focus is on having fun, we must also be mindful of those in less accepting environments and cultures. Dancing together and sharing our love for music is a privilege, so let's cherish these moments and not take them for granted as we celebrate our existence collectively. Let the power of music unite us, offering an escape from the mundane and moments of euphoria. Remember to hydrate and care for one another. PLUR at its core, honestly ;)" LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOO! AMONOSSSS!
Any final comments you'd like to add?
Happy birthday Touching Infinite let's get BBQ!!!
Hozzászólások