Crazy how you see some people around for years, have some drunken and sober exchanges, but it never comes up that they do really cool shit. And when you finally see it, they’re leaving town.
When I heard that Camilla Ha was going to have a show at Reversible Eye in Humboldt Park, I thought it would be just visual art, maybe some fashion, I knew she was a rad stylist. I didn’t realize she was going to be onstage in a cloak of shadows and flashing colors masterminding a candle-lit mixer and Kaoss Pad and intermittently emitting vocals between mikes that made me think of Mazzy Star serenading a grueling catfight between Nina Hagen and Diamanda Galas. When I shared that with Camilla at the opening of “The Cosmic Mind of Black Leather” this past Saturday, she exclaimed, “Hell yeah, I like all them bitches, those are all my bitches, shit!”
We hung out and talked about New York, roommates, and the state of the print-media world. Speaking of print media, the Chicago Reader featured an in-depth piece about Camilla, her work as an electronic musician (she performs as Magic Is Kuntmaster—there’s supposed to be an umlaut over the “u” can’t figure it out right now), the show at Reversible Eye (Camilla’s paintings and installations are up through October 22), and her upcoming move; it’s written by Liz Armstrong, who also flew the Chicago coop to NYC and has written for publications like New York magazine, ReadyMade and Vice.
Hopefully before I move there I’ll figure out the best videocam to use for super-dark shows that’s not totally bulky, expensive or obvious, and has a decent zoom and mike, and won’t break the bank, whoo-boy. That’s my preface to this next video clip. The sound drowns the vocals, but if you listen carefully about halfway through you can get an idea, and it’s short because I was frustrated and cursing my new camera.
BUT WAIT! To watch much better radder cooler videos of Camilla Ha as Magic Is Kuntmaster (there’s some sick footage) go HERE.
Hi Leah, wow thanks! Wanted to mention that electronic musician/ Enemy head honcho Jason Soliday accompanied me on synths that night.
And speaking of La Ga Ga, here's the last thing I styled for Timeout:
http://chicago.timeout.com/articles/lollapalooza/87802/lollapalooza-2010-lady-gaga-impersonator