Ice Cream Support Group @supporticecream

Christian Something @chrstnsmthng

Christian Something is a computer science and film school reject. Christian uses music to justify creating large worlds with various mediums that people could see themselves in or want to create.

“I want to escape into my work and my friends. They keep me going, without art [or] my work (productive and personal) I would have nothing to occupy my time. I would have nothing to do, learn, or say. The inability to do work keeps me docile and to be able to… hone in or work could make me better at what I do. Additionally, my friends because they are (including a younger version of myself) the reason why I do my work. I know things they don’t and they know things I don’t. We relate we argue, and we play. The dynamics keep my coming back to people. I would be lonely otherwise; I want my friends to go places and I want to come with them. I want to escape to my work and friends [so that we can] change our (and maybe, even more, people’s) situation.”

Dazeases @dazeases

Born in the Great Plains, born into Double Consciousness, Dazeases self-produces minimalist electronic melodies paired with unflinching lyrics and forlorn visuals that consider heartache and the human condition.

“If I could, I would live in a teaser trailer or a fragrance commercial. They unapologetically seek to engage the viewer’s emotions through an indulgent display of visceral images and sounds. To me this mimics passion.  If there is any pursuit that has brought me pleasure it is that of passion, even though its acquisition often feels like a preview to a feature film I may never see.“

Jafar Flowers @jafarflowers

Jafar Flowers is a writer, poet, and performer who refused to be confined by any boundaries or limits. Flowers is a name they made for themselves, and they use sound, visual action, rhythm, and poetic similes and metaphors to plant the seed of understanding into hearts of other humans- in order to foster a world that is lush with collective cooperation and community mindset.

“I desire to master absolute control over my own ability, potential, focus, and energy. Once I’m able to do that, everything will fall into place for myself, my team, my friends, and my family. I’m aspiring towards prospering from my mastery of self.”

Julian @h.th.n

Julian is a young mystic that uses film and performance as divination. He hopes to find answers to questions about his connections to nature, other people, and himself.

“I want to escape the responsibility I have to be emotionally connected to other people. As a kid I despised isolation but now I crave it, even though I rarely give it to myself. I highly value my friends and busy social life, but the idea of running off to the mountains where my only company would be the trees, rivers, animals and the earth seems absolutely dreamy.”

Mango Lakay @dmangoooo

Daniel Mangosing, AKA Mango Lakay, is a multidisciplinary artist trying to piece together the memories of a world that they can feel but have never seen. Employing everything from music, to film, to animation and beyond, they attempt to explore their inner self one journey at a time.

“In this day and age, we can go literally anywhere on the internet and just be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content that is out there, and for me that can be really inspiring, but at the same time really intimidating — sometimes I’ll just be surfing Instagram or Soundcloud or any portfolio site out there and just see so many talented people and start subconsciously holding myself to these ridiculous standards, as if I should really be expecting myself to be simultaneously as good at music, AND animation, AND coding, and whatever else, as people who have been devoting themselves to each of those specific things for like their entire lives, and I’ll get it in my head that I need to producing content at some inhuman pace, and of course it feels like there’s no grey area between it being THE BEST and it being complete garbage… But in the end, you just need to remind yourself that everyone feels that kind of self-critical feelings to some degree and that you’re probably being way too hard on yourself. Looking at old work, even if it’s only from a week before, and seeing how much I’ve grown is always super helpful in dispelling that kind of thinking for me.”

waBeya @wabeya_

WaBeya is the alter ego of Mishika Tshishimbi, A Congolese-American based sound artist living in Richmond, VA. She unmasks her layers and the layers [of] others by creating soundscapes to invite the listener into a world they can find themselves in.

“My chains are the belief systems that I still work to break out of every day. Much of the time I feel like my true self is masked under layers and layers of social conditioning. I use music as a way to reconnect with my core self.”