Welcome to Downtime, a regular series in which we ask our favourite artists for their cultural recommendations. This month, we caught up with Visionist.

More than anything, Visionist’s soundscapes reveal a sculptural approach to composition. With each release, the south London artist, real name Louis Carnell, pushes the boundaries of his work. The fractured electronica of his PAN-released debut Safe fabricated overwhelming tensions of inner anxieties, whilst 2017’s Value explored themes of machismo and effeminacy via abrasive, ethereal avant-garde terrains. His latest release A Call to Arms continues to expand Carnell’s creative vision, incorporating his haunting singing voice and lyricism for the first time. Here, Visionist’s cultural selections elaborate on the intricate inquisitivity at the core of his artistry.

01

Analyse That! by Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2010 Collection film

Directed by David Sims

I really enjoy watching documentaries about artists of most forms, as I’m interested in the why. My interest in fashion is very similar to music or architecture as I’m drawn to shape, detail and story. In the documentary [2018’s McQueen] it was great to see that McQueen was involved in all aspects of his art, and where his references stemmed from. After watching, I went on a YouTube hunt, looking at his menswear collections. I was determined to buy some pieces created before his death. My favourite piece I own is a white eagle sketch print shirt from his Spring/Summer 2010 collection. He had an obsession with birds which influenced my lyric writing. What was most unusual about his S/S10 collection is that instead of a runway show, McQueen chose to do a film to accompany it, and what I love about this film is that there aren’t any clothes, just subtle hints to details.

02

Tetsuya Ishida – Posthumous Works

Published by Kyuryudo

When writing my album I formed this term ‘daydream society’ which inspired the overall sound. Tetsuya’s work mirrored this for me, he plays on the built-to-function way so many of us have to live our lives. His work focuses on obscuring the ordinary and people as product. Though sad, I really appreciate his imagination.

03

BiArchive

@biarchive_

Maybe this is a sign of age but over the last few years I’ve become a bit obsessed with looking at chairs. I’m hoping I’ll be able to make them in my later years. I follow a lot of these style Instagram pages dreaming about the house and chairs I’ll one day live in and sit on. So far, I own a Heron Parigi Canasta Office Chair.

04

Nemiepeba

@nemiepeba

I’m not much of a reader, something I know I need to change. For lyric writing, my influences can come from image as much as word – here I find both. I love to look at fonts and settings for the words when it comes to the graphic design I dabble in (I create my own logos). This account is also a bit of a go-to if I’m struggling with song titles.

A Call to Arms is out now via Mute

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