You don't need a smartphone
New releases from the Metalabel universe
Hey friends —
I’ve been an avid collector my whole life. I grew up on a farm outside a small town far from any larger city. I ached for the wider world. Seeking out and collecting music, books, and other forms of art became my way to explore what fascinated me. Collecting also, I learned, helped to preserve and grow the cultures I appreciated.
All of these things are still true of me today. Just as much I’m a writer and creative person, I’m a collector. This doesn’t mean I buy tons of stuff (I don’t), but it does mean that I care about the things I have, and that possessing and valuing cultural objects is something that’s especially meaningful to me.
How I discover what to collect often involves digging through crates and scanning bookshelves. I also rely on a handful of newsletters (primarily from indie record stores and bookstores) that are helpful for deepening and widening my search for the different, rare, and new.
This email is structured with an intent to match that ideal collector experience: you dig through crates, flip through covers, and stop on something that catches your eye. That’s what you’ll find below: a shelf of new releases from artists around the world, each individually blurbed by one of us, all organized so you can skim for what interests you.
If we do our jobs right, this email can serve as a way to get the pulse on what’s going on in a wide range of independent creative ecosystems, as well as a conduit for independent artists to get the financial and emotional affirmation they deserve.
Welcome to the shop and come on in. Have suggestions on ways to improve this? We’re all ears. If you want a leave a comment sharing whatever you’re into right now, we’d love that too. Nothing better than a recommendation from a friend.
Yancey
RELEASE OF THE WEEK
AUGUST LAMM: "YOU DON'T NEED A SMARTPHONE" (Link)
RECOMMENDED IF YOU LIKE: Reclaiming your life, '90s cultural experiences, Flip-phone nostalgia
WHAT IT IS: August Lamm is a writer, illustrator, and leading voice in the digital minimalism movement. In this new zine she recounts her experiences switching to a dumbphone and offers practical and emotional advice on how you can do the same. Get an edition of the pamphlet physically, digitally, with a Nokia dumbphone (!), or with counseling from August herself. ✨✨✨
NEW ART BOOKS
MAYA MAN: "FAKE IT TIL YOU MAKE IT" (Print Edition) (Link)
RECOMMENDED IF YOU LIKE: Artist books, Surreal inspirationalism, JavaScript
WHAT IT IS: Celebrated artist Maya Man turns her JavaScript-based generative art work into a surreal print collection of AI-generated inspirational guidance. Think bizarre Instagram inspirational posts mixed with accidentally wise gibberish.
CENTRE FOR ECOLOGICAL PHILOSOPHY, “ON THE LINE” (Link)
RECOMMENDED IF YOU LIKE: Unwavering stares into the truth, Documentary photography, Not hiding from climate change
WHAT IT IS: Photographer and artist Alan McFetridge travelled to Canada after a firestorm forced more than 80,000 people to evacuate in a single afternoon. His book and photographs confront the devastation and honor a community in crisis. Exceptional project.
Collect Centre for Ecological Philosophy
PHILIPPA SCHMITT: “SUPRADOLLS” (Link)
RECOMMENDED IF YOU LIKE: Playing with dolls, Cut-outs, Grown-up arts and crafts
WHAT IT IS: French artist Philippa Schmitt charms us with a trio of releases this week, including this self-published fanzine celebrating fashion and digital scrapbooking.
NEW NEW MEDIA
ETERNAL SEEDS: “IN PROGRESS” (Link)
RECOMMENDED IF YOU LIKE: New Orleans, The creative process, Clarity of fresh eyes
WHAT IT IS: Eternal Seeds is a community art space in New Orleans founded by the graffiti artist BMike that holds summer workshops and art classes. This digital zine showcases the artwork of young artists in New Orleans and captures a snapshot of a moment in each of their creative processes. Inspiring.
NOURA TAFECHE: THE KAWAYOKU TALES (Link)
RECOMMENDED IF YOU LIKE: Net.art, Radical entertainment, Weapons-grade waifus
WHAT IT IS: Visual artist and researcher Noura Tafeche explores how and why violence and militarization are made cute in games, social media, and society at large.
“WOR(L)DS” — A COLLABORATION BETWEEN TWENTY ARTISTS (Link)
RECOMMENDED IF YOU LIKE: Internet experiments, New Media, The opposite of doomscrolling
WHAT IT IS: A mesmerizing and experimental digital zine made by 20 artists over two nights in Amsterdam
NEW IN PUBLISHING
ADG: "TATTED" (Link)
RECOMMENDED IF YOU LIKE: Hyper-specific deep-dives, Beautiful and creative works of personal expression, Not chasing waterfalls
WHAT IT IS: This eight-page zine left us stunned with how beautiful and from a place of love it is. Across eight perfect pages, Tatted collects quotes and vignettes about the tattoos of ‘90s R&B stars and Black icons. Poetic and surprisingly moving. High recommend.
MAISA IMAMOVIĆ: “THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE WEB DEVELOPER, REALITY OF THE FEMALE FREELANCER” (Link)
RECOMMENDED IF YOU LIKE: Workplace behind-the-scenes, Meta-analysis of modern corporate life, New povs on software
WHAT IT IS: A new book that combines the raw first-person testimony of a female web developer with a playful and critical eye on the nature of modern software and the companies that make it.
THE REBIS: THE STAR (Link)
RECOMMENDED IF YOU LIKE: Tarot, Creative writing, Reproductive justice
WHAT IT IS: A tarot-themed, 114-page print anthology of creative writing and art by more than 30 writers and artists inspired by themes from the Tarot. All money goes to charity.
Moment of Zen
Want to have your release on Metalabel? Tell us about it. Get started here.
Peace and love,
Metalabel
Completely amazed by Supradolls! As a child, I was obsessed with fashion, magazines, and paper dolls. I might treat myself to it later this year...
Thank you for featuring The Rebis, we are honored to be in such incredible company! ✨