"Although I didn't write this song, it spoke to me in a way that made me feel as if it was my own story,” Brandon said. “I found myself playing it over and over again in my bedroom, remembering situations that I've been through.”
Check out the video for yourself below.
'Dinner'
When was Lord Fascinator born?
1000 years ago, in a golden egg, on a mountain in the Himalayas.
Fascinator is the live act, whereas Lord Fascinator is the DJ, is that right? Is there a difference between the two?
Lord Fascinator is more my character and who I am. It’s also me when I DJ. It’s me in Fascinator, because Fascinator has had at least 100 members over the course of its existence. From violinists, to flautists, to air drummers, to actual drummers, to a guy playing buckets. All kinds of different people. So that’s Fascinator, and then I’m Lord Fascinator.
Where does Fascinator come from?
From the deepest, darkest most joyous corners of my mind.
'Drinks'
Fascinator has a very distinct aesthetic. Where did that originate?
Well it’s just my taste isn't it? I was doing a sound healing with a bunch of tech burners and I closed my eyes and it came to me in a lucid dream.
Is Fascinator political?
Lord Fascinator aligns himself with a British politician called Lord Buckethead - apart from one distinct policy where he wants to abolish all Lords apart from himself. It’s kind of in a weird highlander way where I love and appreciate him but there can only be one Lord. So I’d like to align myself to a point where we got to a final battle.
Is Fascinator a sex symbol?
To anyone with good taste I’m sure.
Thanks to your new mixes, people can now get Lord Fascinator in their homes. Why did you decide to make DJ mixes that were accessible online?
Because I play so many different kinds of music it was really confusing people. In New York I play cocktail hour at hotels and then I play raves at 3 in the morning. I play all kinds of stuff - this was just a way to make it more understandable.
Take us through the themes of the four mixes.
Well, there’s “dinner”; music for your dinner parties. Or if you’re cooking, throw on the dinner mix! It will enhance the flavors, spark interesting conversations around the table. Then there’s the “drinks” mix. You’re having a couple of Aperol spritz in the backyard, you can put that on. “Dancing” is pretty self-explanatory. I would also use that to prepare for going out to dance, or actual dancing. And then “daybreak” is more of a 6am comedown; the sun’s coming up and you’re sitting on your roof at 6 in the morning, all wearing funny outfits that you’ve put on and smoking a joint or whatever. Or maybe when you’re getting up and doing yoga in the morning. I DJed a yoga session once and played a lot of that stuff; it’s more ambient.
'Dancing'
You’ve produced some truly fascinating videos. How important is the video medium to you as an artist? Why do you have such a particular affinity to it?
I think anyone I’ve ever known that is interesting creatively can turn that energy to any medium. It’s the most fun I have, making videos and music. I love making videos, I love creating little mood boards, on Instagram or whatever. Just finding images. For me, in a good video, every shot could be hung on a wall. Just like Fellini, or Jodorowsky, or even Wes Anderson. I love really good composition and an interesting image.
Fascinator is a collaborator too. Can you talk about some of the friends and artists you have worked with?
The first thing I can think of off the top of my head is at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, whilst supporting Tame Impala. I got onstage with Connan Mockasin, Stella from Warpaint, and Kirin J Callinan, and we all did a cover of Nothing Compares to You. I looked out from the stage, and I was in this amazing setting, with this fucking crazy cemetery with peacocks— in Hollywood, supporting a band I love. It was a really amazing moment. So that was a live collaboration, but a collaboration no less.
Do you think a sense of community is important to you as an artist? Is Lord Fascinator a lone wolf or do you prefer to combine forces with friends?
In a sense. I love this aspect of doing my own thing, but drawing in amazing people for recording or touring. I was recently in Australia and I did this festival tour, and I got my mate Mitchy, who is in a band called No Zu to play percussion. I knew I loved him, so it was easy. Then I got my friend Miles Brown, who I also love. He’s about 7 feet tall, and looks like a wizard or a sorcerer. And he plays an instrument that you don’t touch called a Theremin. So he came on tour and played with me and it was fucking incredible. I met a Japanese flautist on the street in Byron Bay one day and she played with me that night.
I love that aspect of Fascinator. But this project is specifically meant to be my thing where I call the shots and I bring people in.
'Daybreaker'
Lord Fascinator is stranded on a desert island. What 4 items do you bring?
A margarita slushy machine, a raft building manual, a desalination plant, and a packet of Tim Tams that never runs out.
How do you want people to feel when they watch a Fascinator show?
Like they are on a sexy adventure.
What do you hope that people will get out of a Fascinator show?
Married.
Fascinator makes great music but is also a lot of fun. How do you balance the sincerity of creating music with the playful aesthetic?
There’s no evidence to suggest that life is meant to be taken seriously, and music even moreso. At the end of the day if you take yourself too seriously you might as well get a real job.
Special thanks to ACME Studios and Anna Santangelo.
L.A. native Ariana is situated in her natural and authentic state: painting in her studio, the ideal symbolic accompaniment to the reminiscent, romantic audio experience Cotillon provides. The homespun video they have created with Kim is a wistful collaboration that traverses through many mediums: music, paint, and ultimately serves as a translation for the complex journey that is young love.
Off the record, we talked about velvet Fila tracksuits and repping brands important to our cities. On the record, you can read about the movie inspiration behind his last music video and his plans to tour his upcoming album across the globe.
Green pants by Balenciaga
I just wanted to start by asking you about your videos –“1UP” and “180secs” both have those video game visuals and seem to tie together lyrically, too. Was that an active choice to maintain the gamer aesthetic?
It wasn’t an active choice. “180secs” is funny because it’s actually a diss song to another rapper. The whole concept of that video is just kind of like a fighting game, so those texts at the top were real shit he was texting me. And then the rest was just like on my whole Reese vs. the World shit, it was like Street Fighter. “1UP” was one of the first songs that me and Key recorded for our project, and I heard the coins in there and I was like, “What up! Video games!” But they have nothing to do with each other, no correlation. The video game aesthetic is just tight.
In your latest video, there’s a trunk full of Supreme clothes – you’re always dressed wavey on your Instagram and in videos. What influences your style?
Well, I’ve been skateboarding for 18 years, so I’m not a poser. A lot of trends come from skateboarding, so I always combined that with street fashion. My cousins and people I know were drug dealers, and they were fly people. And my mom and my aunt were pretty fly, so I take all that stuff and mix it with skateboarding and voila! The reason for the Supreme clothes in the trunk is – did you ever see that movie with Master P, I Got the Hook-Up? You’ve got to watch it, it’s an old movie. They’re at this street market and they had this van and they were selling everything out of it, so that’s where that concept came from.
Can you tell me more about Been Had Boys and your collaboration with Key? How did that come about, and what’s different from performing as yourself or as part of a pair?
So, me and Key were formerly in a rap group together called Two-9. Me, him, and this other kid named Curtis Williams, that was our crew in Atlanta. So, Key and I already have the history of making music together. Key made the beat for the very first song and music video that I ever put out that everybody fucked with. We already know how to work with each other, so it’s pretty easy. Me performing by myself is great. And then Key is fucking goofy and shit so when we perform together the energy is just on twenty.
Denim shorts by Supreme; Full look by Gucci
What sets you apart from the other Atlanta rappers out there?
Just me being myself. In the case of old Atlanta rappers, they’re all themselves. But the new shit is all washing machine versions of me and Key and all the rest of my friends. We’ve been there, we’ve done it already. I just try to push the envelope all the time. Whether it be sonically or visually or whatever, that’s what sets me apart. I can be imitated, but you can’t really be me. I evolve so you can’t beat me, man.
Can you tell us about any big plans? Your EP came out recently - where and when can we watch you perform it?
Me and Key actually just had a show in Paris on the 22nd during Fashion Week at this crazy ass party that they’re doing out there. I just dropped my album on June 21st called Reese vs. the Universe, and I’m going on tour in August for that. And I’m going on tour in Australia from June 27th to July 3rd in Sydney, Perth, and Melbourne, so if people are there, pull up.
Follow Reese LAFLARE here.
