Just who the hell are we? Plus one.
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| The line-up's getting stronger |
*UPDATE*
So, we've had a slight new addition to our ever growing cult- ehm... family. And boy is he a doozie. A lot of you already know him, as he's no small fry in the local scene, being know for being one of the best photographers out there on the front lines of the warzones that is local gigs and an all-round lovable character.
Got an idea yet? You probably guessed right, but hey, I'm not going to give you the satisfaction of a name just yet. Wanna find out? Then you gotta make it through the article first. Or just scroll to the bottom, if you've already read the article before. Either way, we still love ya.
*END OF UPDATE*
These past few months have been a wild ride for us all, and no doubt for you readers. A lot has changed, and things have both stagnated and taken off in the span of a mouse’s lifetime. It’s sufficient to say that we are not the same people we were at the beginning of the year, and I use the collective we in this context, as in everyone of this nation. But hey, struggle builds character, right? It definitely takes a deep introspection to truly appreciate how we all have all overcome the various struggles and strife that these few months have brought, whether that struggle was internal, or external. Stand proud of who you are and what you’ve been through, no matter how trivial it may seem to you, because it all boils down to who you are in this present moment, this momentary slice of the proverbial universal timeline in which you’re here, reading this.
With that being said, Dystopia has not been exempt from the afore mentioned strife and tribulations. Shits been rough yo, not going to lie. We’ve seen some very experienced, talented and loved people come and go from our little family, and with that, we wish them all the best in venturing on with their aspirations!
We’ve had moments where there’s simply too much to handle, and struggle to keep our heads above the water. And on the opposite end of the spectrum we’ve seen times of attrition in which there simply isn’t enough content to post. But I suppose that’s the nature of the business hey? Tackling these situations headfirst, fists flailing like a deranged crackhead, and using the aftermath to revaluate how those situations were handled and learning from it. Much like life I suppose.
But that’s enough of the life-lessons, we’re here to bring you some very needed formal introductions to just who the hell we are! Some of you know us personally, some of you have bought us drinks (or we’ve bought you drinks), and some of you have been around from the beginning. But I suspect that a lot of you out there would like to know just whos-who in the Dystopia zoo. So here who we are!
Luke Beckwith
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| Luke at Fox Lounge Studios |
Luke is one of the founders of Dystopia and arguably is like the cool, rockstar uncle of our little collective. Luke knows basically everyone that’s worth knowing and has the capacity to see the potential in who’s gonna be good and who’s gonna be great. A musician through and through, he’s the fuzzmaster of Smokey Mercle as well as the recently christened Sally and the Bends. No doubt he’s one of the reasons this little cult has survived as long as it has. You’ll also find him throwing down words on this blog occasionally, so buy him a beer for every article you’ve realised he dropped!
Andre Meyer
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| Photography by Breniann Labuschagne |
Andre is one of the friendliest faces you’ll ever see at a gig. Recognizable immediately by his contagious personality, he was the face of Dystopia when I first started hanging around with these chaps. A long standing member and founder that’s always willing to help out where he can, Andre has cemented himself as one of our foundations for making this little collective work. Oh, he’s also the man you’ll see screaming at the mic in the band Smokey Mercle.
Brendon Jardine
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| Photography by Werner Lamprecht |
Long black hair, a smile that’s more contagious than the current virus, and a kick-ass taste in button up shirts, our Bren is a keeper for sure. He’s been a member of Dystopia since long before my time. Bren has brought his cards to the table with style and probably a kickflip along the way. An avid skater, a music connoisseur, a local music die-hard and also the drum smacker for Jungle of Mischief and many others. Bren’s also got some dope commentary for bands and reviews, so keep your eyes out for the articles he’s gonna be laying down!
Damon Miles
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| Photography by a homie. |
One of the new fresh bloods we’ve successfully indoctrinated into our fold, Damon is one of our bigshots and we’re damn proud of him. A lot of you will know him from the gigs he’s had as the vocalist and fuzzmaker of the monumental band MOUSE, and a lot of you know him as the small guy with the biggest personality. Damon is one of the most talented people we’ve ever had and know, not only being in both reputable bands and smaller bands, he’s also shown his passion for the Local Scene by being involved in more ways than we could possibly explain in 90 words! This Durbanite knows his shit, and is ready to teach us a thing or two. He’s already done one article here, but there’s many more to come. Stay tuned.
Herman Cronje
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| Photogenic as fuck. |
Herman has been an old friend of Dystopia for a while know, and without knowing, you’ve encountered his work on a few occasions before. He’s one of radest graphic designers and illustrators out here, and has been an active part in designs for us and for gigs we’ve hosted before. So why not bring him into the fold, you ask? Well we did just that! No way we’re letting this talent slip away! He’s already thrown down a few words for us, in this article. Did I also mention that he’s a fellow muso? Give him a guitar and he’ll lay down some of the tastiest tunes you'll hear on a Sunday!
Johnathan Breytenbach
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| Not many photos of myself out there. |
And then there’s me. What the hell do I say about myself? I can say one thing, I’m not a musician, not like these hella talented folks before me. I’m just a fan of the music, a fan of the local scene and I love seeing the local scene evolve and grow. As an architect and draughtsman by day, all the corporate and fit-to-form workings of that job doesn’t leave much for a creative outlet, so as such, I go to as many gigs as I can, talk to both the fans and bands, listen to their music till my ears bleed and well, I write. Not much to say hey. Just a timley member of Dystopia and a fan of the music, just like everyone else!
Nathan Smith
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| As a photographer, he does his own damn photography. |
And here he is, the mystery man mentioned earlier. You guess right? Damn well hope so. There's only a handful of peeps out there befitting that description and Nathan check all the proverbial boxes, so to speak. Photographer? Check. Music fanatic? Check. Knows his shit? Check. Always at your local dive bar? Damn straight.
Want to get to know him some more? Well here's a little summary.
Much like an NPC, you can almost certainly find him at any and all Bunk events, either snapping away or talking about Ian Curtis and loudly chiming along to Wu-tang clan songs that he spent R50 on at the jukebox. There's no in between.
He likes long walks to his AA meetings and discovering bands with the most obscure names and can probably name a band for every emotion and feeling you've experienced since childhood.
Fitting our rather broad scope of writers, he spends his time writing (some cool things to come, *hint hint*) and curating extensive playlists for all 3 of his social media followers.
oh, and lastly he's also a recovering simp and has recently kicked his habit of only dating alternative models. (Editors note: This straight up killed me ngl)
So you can see why he'd fit right in on our little crew of misfits. Now we've got cool things lined up for him, so keep your eyes peeled to the ground for articles, playlists, and more. You won't want to miss it, believe me.
And well, that’s about all of us. Our little family. Just wanna send our heartfelt thanks to everyone reading this, and an especially big thank you to everyone who’s helped us get to where we are. Past members of Dystopia, we fucking love you and hope that you’re growing and being the best you can be in your respective endeavors.
Stay groovy out there and be kind to one another. Peace!
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