FA+
Shop
512 submissions
Miranda Anthony for Entertainment News:
We all know the name M!nk and her tireless mix of music and social activism and I'm here with her today as she just got back from Spain and the location of the upcoming Awareness concert arranged by herself, Catty Perry, and Lady Gecko. M!nk! So glad to have you back!
M!nk:
Glad to be back, it's been a wild and eye opening ride.
Miranda:
You ran ahead to check out the venue for the concert. Why Spain, though, with the epicenter of the synthetic rights movement being in France?
M!nk:
It's probably more of a Polynesian hospitality thing that kicked off the whole movement, but yeah, the French courts took it up. We chose Palma de Mallorca for a couple reasons. One is there's a Syxen singer there, who's been active for years now, I'd heard of her before but thought she was just a neat animatronic but it turns out she's the one who's been doing the planning and organizing the euro dance musical acts in her venue and worked with some of the outdoor concert halls in the area.
Miranda:
That would be M-2/Cassandra?
M!nk:
Yeah. Cassandra's pretty amazing.
Miranda:
M-2 is actually owned by the club that's locally producing the concert?
M!nk:
Haha, by law. But when I met xer at xer club it was pretty clear xe ran the show.
Miranda:
Did you say her?
M!nk:
Xer. Cassandra doesn't recognize xerself as any particular gender other than Syxen. Xe doesn't object to she/her pronouns, though. Syxen in general slap an X on lots of things, like referring to one another as xisters. You could say they're all figuring out what they are right now and I just like to keep the record straight.
Miranda:
Ah, I see. And you've changed up the song contribution to the concert, was that her idea?
M!nk:
Kind of both. When I arrived at the club I could hear out the upper windows my latest album playing, so I stopped outside and listened for awhile. When we talked later I realized Trustfall was the perfect choice for the show.
Miranda:
That's about a girl drawing the courage to ask a boy out, no?
M!nk:
Yes, but also it's about confronting fear and trusting things will work out. And in talking to Cassandra I got a better handle on how exactly xe experiences fear. When Lady Gecko approached me with this idea for a concert, you know she's a huge xenophile, I thought oh neat, they're really becoming sentient? But that wasn't made real in my mind until talking to Cassandra. I'd picked a more party oriented song initially but it sank in that this wasn't some big party, this was something more important.
Miranda:
So fear is a big factor?
M!nk:
You know, Cassandra's not terribly different from any of us. It all boils down to the desire to make it through today and see tomorrow.
Miranda:
And I note you haven't used her full name?
M!nk:
Cassandra referred to xer command designation as xer chattel name. I told xer she should someday take hold of it as her own, reclaim it. Xe said she'd consider it once Spain ratifies synthetic rights. Until then, I won't use it unless it's in a legal sense.
Miranda:
I'd like to cycle back there to, why Spain? Synthetics don't have rights there yet.
M!nk:
Mallorca's the important part. Cassandra's well known on the island and a local celebrity. The local authorities have issued a statement of intent to be a safe haven for awakened Syxen and like that Britrail engineer who put his Syxen crew out for inspection in Paris, nobody wants to be a chapter of a book on history's greatest villains. She's safe as anyone else there, and it's a generally safe island, isolated a bit for an additional layer of security, and has lots of great concert venues and accommodations. Another reason why Spain is for pushing forward the boundaries. I mean, France does a thing and the EU will follow eventually but we wanted to send the message that this is a thing that's happening right now and it's going forward.
Miranda:
And M-Cassandra's on board?
M!nk:
When the concert was announced xe's the one who messaged our producer with the invitation.
Miranda:
Tired of living in the shadows?
M!nk:
Seeing an opportunity and seizing it. Throwing xerself out there and hoping for the best.
Miranda:
She sounds like a kindred spirit to you.
M!nk:
Xe really is. Xe's all about standing like a wall between the vulnerable and the world, all the while lifting people onto their feet.
Miranda:
That sounds very much like a Syxen. What about her separated her from a simple machine and made her real in your mind?
M!nk:
We got out the karaoke machine sang Trustfall as a duet.
Miranda:
Oh wild, does she sing through a synthesizer, or does she push air through a voicebox of sorts?
M!nk:
Both again. Xe mostly relies on a great set of pipes, and it sounds so full and rich either when xe's on the inhale or exhale. Xe can also do some interesting things with xer synthesizer too but it loses some of the richness of an analogue sound. When xe does both at the same time, though it results in this amazing harmonic that's an art form to itself.
Miranda:
That sounds incredible, will you be doing a duet at the concert?
M!nk:
I hope so. I've been kicking my label's ass over it, they're trying to decide xe's not a recording device. Well, xe is but the contracts didn't anticipate a case like this, like, ever.
Miranda:
What about singing with her made her real to you?
M!nk:
Xe backed up my vocals. Xe didn't try to upstage me in any way, xer entire stage presence was about launching me into the stratosphere. No matter how hard I tried to pull xer fully onto the stage with me xe kept a step ahead, or behind, intent on putting out the greatest performance in general. Every note xe sang was like an envelope around mine, like a really great picture frame. Kinda frustrating for me since I'm all about empowering people, but xer creativity was very real, no bullshit. It's an awesome dichotomy, though. Normally a Syxen that's certified as stable build has blue text on their ID collars, hers is red and her status marker says 'Perfect'. Xe's been daring people in plain sight for years now but it's like none of the authorities took xer seriously. I mean, you and I, we're women, and get people not taking us seriously on that basis all the time. And I didn't initially take Cassandra serious, but people are going to start taking xer seriously now, because holy shit.
Miranda:
Jesus, is that a total absence of fear?
M!nk:
I don't think so, xe said as much when I asked. Xe's throwing xerself out into the world in such a way, whatever happens next every Syxen like her will see how it goes and act accordingly.
Miranda:
But she didn't really want to take center stage?
M!nk:
That's the funny part. I'll lift her up yet, it's possible to step into the limelight while supporting others. If we get to record that duet together I'm going to insist xe really busts out for part of it.
Miranda:
Well I hope the world gets to hear that duet!
M!nk:
So do I! I'm hoping we can do a rerelease of the single as a duet for rights causes.
Miranda:
And Daft Punk got back together for this?
M!nk:
For one song anyway, the Robot Rock guys wouldn't have missed this for the world.
Miranda:
And what's your take on the reports of dozens of Syxen disappearing all across Australia after that video surfacing of one being reset?
M!nk:
After one of their own was murdered in public with no consequences, do you blame them?
Miranda:
And the reports of a refugee ship being sunk in the South Pacific?
M!nk:
That's rumour right now, we don't know what happened out there but if it turns out a ship full of syxen was sunk deliberately I don't think I'll do another concert in Australia. I might make it my life's work to see some motherfuckers hauled in front of the Hague.
We all know the name M!nk and her tireless mix of music and social activism and I'm here with her today as she just got back from Spain and the location of the upcoming Awareness concert arranged by herself, Catty Perry, and Lady Gecko. M!nk! So glad to have you back!
M!nk:
Glad to be back, it's been a wild and eye opening ride.
Miranda:
You ran ahead to check out the venue for the concert. Why Spain, though, with the epicenter of the synthetic rights movement being in France?
M!nk:
It's probably more of a Polynesian hospitality thing that kicked off the whole movement, but yeah, the French courts took it up. We chose Palma de Mallorca for a couple reasons. One is there's a Syxen singer there, who's been active for years now, I'd heard of her before but thought she was just a neat animatronic but it turns out she's the one who's been doing the planning and organizing the euro dance musical acts in her venue and worked with some of the outdoor concert halls in the area.
Miranda:
That would be M-2/Cassandra?
M!nk:
Yeah. Cassandra's pretty amazing.
Miranda:
M-2 is actually owned by the club that's locally producing the concert?
M!nk:
Haha, by law. But when I met xer at xer club it was pretty clear xe ran the show.
Miranda:
Did you say her?
M!nk:
Xer. Cassandra doesn't recognize xerself as any particular gender other than Syxen. Xe doesn't object to she/her pronouns, though. Syxen in general slap an X on lots of things, like referring to one another as xisters. You could say they're all figuring out what they are right now and I just like to keep the record straight.
Miranda:
Ah, I see. And you've changed up the song contribution to the concert, was that her idea?
M!nk:
Kind of both. When I arrived at the club I could hear out the upper windows my latest album playing, so I stopped outside and listened for awhile. When we talked later I realized Trustfall was the perfect choice for the show.
Miranda:
That's about a girl drawing the courage to ask a boy out, no?
M!nk:
Yes, but also it's about confronting fear and trusting things will work out. And in talking to Cassandra I got a better handle on how exactly xe experiences fear. When Lady Gecko approached me with this idea for a concert, you know she's a huge xenophile, I thought oh neat, they're really becoming sentient? But that wasn't made real in my mind until talking to Cassandra. I'd picked a more party oriented song initially but it sank in that this wasn't some big party, this was something more important.
Miranda:
So fear is a big factor?
M!nk:
You know, Cassandra's not terribly different from any of us. It all boils down to the desire to make it through today and see tomorrow.
Miranda:
And I note you haven't used her full name?
M!nk:
Cassandra referred to xer command designation as xer chattel name. I told xer she should someday take hold of it as her own, reclaim it. Xe said she'd consider it once Spain ratifies synthetic rights. Until then, I won't use it unless it's in a legal sense.
Miranda:
I'd like to cycle back there to, why Spain? Synthetics don't have rights there yet.
M!nk:
Mallorca's the important part. Cassandra's well known on the island and a local celebrity. The local authorities have issued a statement of intent to be a safe haven for awakened Syxen and like that Britrail engineer who put his Syxen crew out for inspection in Paris, nobody wants to be a chapter of a book on history's greatest villains. She's safe as anyone else there, and it's a generally safe island, isolated a bit for an additional layer of security, and has lots of great concert venues and accommodations. Another reason why Spain is for pushing forward the boundaries. I mean, France does a thing and the EU will follow eventually but we wanted to send the message that this is a thing that's happening right now and it's going forward.
Miranda:
And M-Cassandra's on board?
M!nk:
When the concert was announced xe's the one who messaged our producer with the invitation.
Miranda:
Tired of living in the shadows?
M!nk:
Seeing an opportunity and seizing it. Throwing xerself out there and hoping for the best.
Miranda:
She sounds like a kindred spirit to you.
M!nk:
Xe really is. Xe's all about standing like a wall between the vulnerable and the world, all the while lifting people onto their feet.
Miranda:
That sounds very much like a Syxen. What about her separated her from a simple machine and made her real in your mind?
M!nk:
We got out the karaoke machine sang Trustfall as a duet.
Miranda:
Oh wild, does she sing through a synthesizer, or does she push air through a voicebox of sorts?
M!nk:
Both again. Xe mostly relies on a great set of pipes, and it sounds so full and rich either when xe's on the inhale or exhale. Xe can also do some interesting things with xer synthesizer too but it loses some of the richness of an analogue sound. When xe does both at the same time, though it results in this amazing harmonic that's an art form to itself.
Miranda:
That sounds incredible, will you be doing a duet at the concert?
M!nk:
I hope so. I've been kicking my label's ass over it, they're trying to decide xe's not a recording device. Well, xe is but the contracts didn't anticipate a case like this, like, ever.
Miranda:
What about singing with her made her real to you?
M!nk:
Xe backed up my vocals. Xe didn't try to upstage me in any way, xer entire stage presence was about launching me into the stratosphere. No matter how hard I tried to pull xer fully onto the stage with me xe kept a step ahead, or behind, intent on putting out the greatest performance in general. Every note xe sang was like an envelope around mine, like a really great picture frame. Kinda frustrating for me since I'm all about empowering people, but xer creativity was very real, no bullshit. It's an awesome dichotomy, though. Normally a Syxen that's certified as stable build has blue text on their ID collars, hers is red and her status marker says 'Perfect'. Xe's been daring people in plain sight for years now but it's like none of the authorities took xer seriously. I mean, you and I, we're women, and get people not taking us seriously on that basis all the time. And I didn't initially take Cassandra serious, but people are going to start taking xer seriously now, because holy shit.
Miranda:
Jesus, is that a total absence of fear?
M!nk:
I don't think so, xe said as much when I asked. Xe's throwing xerself out into the world in such a way, whatever happens next every Syxen like her will see how it goes and act accordingly.
Miranda:
But she didn't really want to take center stage?
M!nk:
That's the funny part. I'll lift her up yet, it's possible to step into the limelight while supporting others. If we get to record that duet together I'm going to insist xe really busts out for part of it.
Miranda:
Well I hope the world gets to hear that duet!
M!nk:
So do I! I'm hoping we can do a rerelease of the single as a duet for rights causes.
Miranda:
And Daft Punk got back together for this?
M!nk:
For one song anyway, the Robot Rock guys wouldn't have missed this for the world.
Miranda:
And what's your take on the reports of dozens of Syxen disappearing all across Australia after that video surfacing of one being reset?
M!nk:
After one of their own was murdered in public with no consequences, do you blame them?
Miranda:
And the reports of a refugee ship being sunk in the South Pacific?
M!nk:
That's rumour right now, we don't know what happened out there but if it turns out a ship full of syxen was sunk deliberately I don't think I'll do another concert in Australia. I might make it my life's work to see some motherfuckers hauled in front of the Hague.
Category Artwork (Digital) / Portraits
Species Mink
Size 2211 x 1666px
File Size 424 kB
Comments