Single release to precede Circus of Books, Opening Gala Premiere, and Platinum Alchemy Performance at OUTFEST
Los Angeles, California – Renowned visual artist/musician/filmmaker Rachel Mason (aka FutureClown) is releasing her new single “Give You Everything” on today via Spotify and other online services. The release precedes her acclaimed documentary Circus of Books premiering in Los Angeles as the Opening Night Gala film for OUTFEST July 18, and a special performance at the OUTFEST Platinum Alchemy Party July 20. Mason wrote the song for the closing credits of Circus of Books which documents her Conservative Jewish parents’ saga as the owners of landmarks of queer culture in Los Angeles, the Circus of Books gay porn bookstores in West Hollywood and Silver Lake.
The single will be followed by a full-length album, called Circus Life, which will be released when her film, executive produced by Ryan Murphy (Glee, Pose, American Horror Story), comes out on Netflix in the Fall. The “Give You Everything,” single package will include the original song and mixes by a pioneer of house/disco/electro/hip hop Man Parrish.
“When I met the producer Man Parrish, whose own music was made for gay porn, and who worked with my heroes like Klaus Nomi, David Bowie, and Madonna, and he offered to do this remix and contribute some songs for the film, it felt like divine intervention, as I suddenly had a direct link to the actual music of my film’s era. So many of the great artists of the time died of AIDS, so the fact that he’s still alive and I was able to meet him right as I was working on completing the film, was so lucky for me. And thanks to the label Dark Entries for the intro. Additionally, through them, the film was able to secure tracks by gay dance music composer Patrick Cowley whose songs are also featured in the film.”
Of the song and mixes Mason notes, “As a kid, driving up to the front of the store with my parents, they would go inside to do business, and there were all these guys standing out front in super short cut-off shorts, and everyone was just hanging out. That was an era that I now look back on with childhood nostalgia. A big part of the impetus for making the film was the knowledge of this piece of history disappearing. I saw all of the hustling and cruising from a kid’s perspective, and the store was a place of joy and hilarity. The song being upbeat, positive and danceable is important because that’s the vibe that matches the store.”
In the song’s lyrics, Mason writes from the store’s perspective, embodying a character who is both sly and mischievous, but also exuberant. She references the culture of the street, men picking up guys on the corner and signaling with colored bandanas. The song also references the notorious cruising zone “Vaseline Alley.” where sex was rampant:
“Wait on the corner till I give you a sign, can you see my red bandana is set to the right”
“Let me celebrate what you don’t understand, its where I get the strength to be who I am, and when you give me a look it takes me up, and away…”
“Cruising the alley with a broken tail light, Lose a few dollars but get a good price, I’ll be a friend for the night…”
The second set of remixes from electro-punk duo, L.A. Drones, noted Austrian electronic producer Patrick P, and Ian Coletti who composed the score for Circus of Books, is on the way as well.
About Rachel Mason:
Rachel Mason is best known in visual art and experimental music circles for performances which often contain fantastical narratives which interweave musical, theatrical and narrative elements into unexpected operatic journeys. Through her wide-ranging portfolio of mixed media work, she instigates fantasy and harsh realities through scripts, sculpture, rock operas, live performances and unique collaborations with artists, scientists, and dancers. She has recorded hundreds of songs and created a feature-length musical film which toured as a live performance, The Lives of Hamilton Fish in 2016. Mason has exhibited her visual art and performance work at museums, film and performance festivals internationally and at many of the country’s leading art spaces. Her work has received praise in VICE, Interview Magazine, The New York Times, Artforum, LA Weekly, The New Yorker, The Los Angeles Times, Art in America, and Flash Art. Her second feature film, Circus of Books premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, is the headlining gala film at Outfest 2019 and will be released on Netflix in 2019, with Ryan Murphy as one of the executive producers.
LINKS
Insta: @FutureClown
https://soundcloud.com/futureclown
http://youtube.com/rachelmasonrocks
https://www.facebook.com/RachelMasonArt/
https://twitter.com/rachelmasonart
https://www.rachelmasonart.com/