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Soko wears leather and snake skin fringe jacket by Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane, rhinestone necklace stylist’s own, all other jewelry Soko’s own. SOKO PHOTOGRAPHER Eric Guillemain FASHION Mecca Cox WORDS Brent L. Smith - SOKO - “Que les villes s’allument dans le soir. Ma journee est faite; je quitte l’Europe. L’air marin brulera mes poumons; les climats perdus me tenneront…” Arthur Rimbaud, A Season in Hell Soko may not be quite the biting expatriate as monsieur Soko’s introspection is more confessional lyricism, as distinct from Rimbaud, but it takes some mad faith to pull off her brand of inflated narcissism. Songs like “Who Wears the Pants” playfully evoke crossover—not just between West Coast pop music and foreign the open-ended possibilities of our social world, no doubt through her arthouse films, but between the artist haven that is her homeland of own experiences of self-inquiry. She doesn’t produce songs for mere France and the belly of hell whose name is America. human consumption, but she moves her audience with a demanding pathos. It’s not bad to dance to either. “Monster Love” and “Lovetrap” Hollywood, of course, is its own planet, and Soko has man- (feat. Ariel Pink) are already untapped summer anthems. It’s a more aged to navigate it well. Living in L.A. for a decade, she’s proud earthbound ride than her dreamy debut (I Thought I Was an Alien), it her home. Where else could she commit such artistic fluidity? evident with the opening track, “I Come in Peace.” Soko has landed, Oscillating between music and acting, she escapes one to get lost and the timing for some long-due limelight couldn’t be better. in the other, while pulling off spooky ubiquity with ease. So what if she’s still riding the wave of an invigorating sophomore LP, or that two of her film projects premiered this year at Cannes, one in which she portrays American dance icon Loie Fuller in Stephanie DiGiusto’s directorial debut La Danseuse. She’s still got time in between to make a splash at Paris Fashion Week, perform on Late Night with Seth Meyers as Rooney’s special guest, lay low at Coach- ella, and even publish a zine through Autre comprised of the most explicit Instagram DM’s she’s ever received. Soko was now appearing to us in the darkly ornate lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel. Her style is of a shapeshifting nature, like watching collage art in motion: some Joan Jett, some Blondie, some Boy George, and for some millennial flair, a convincing pass as Sky Ferreira’s soul sister. Despite any allusions, it’s a panache all its own. Though shy, she gives a warm greeting through an atypical French-Californian accent, smiling behind large liquid hazel eyes and dark chestnut hair that contradicts the platinum blonde on her recent album cover. We made our way to photographer Eric Guillemain’s room in one of the suites above the Tropicana pool. Once inside the narrow ‘50s-style bungalow, Soko was in her element, giddy to play dress-up with a slew of futuristic shades and designer clothes she pulled from the rack and gathered in heaps on the white, mid-cen- tury sofa. Amid the whirlwind of preparation, I sat on the long bal- cony overlooking the pool and smoked from an obscenely-priced pack of cigarettes I bought at the bar as the sky darkened and the sun gave way to a vibrant moon. The glow of the hotel’s towering neon sign painted the palm trees red. The pool shimmered in blue, surrounded by dark faceless figures mingling with thick lanyards around their necks. DIIV’s droning new album started playing from the iPod- connected stereo, which sat in an archaic glass case next to the couch etched with the words ‘HI FI’. Though complementary to Soko’s own post-punk sensibilities, in my opinion, doesn’t compare to her new album, My Dreams Dictate My Reality. Its guitar riffs are more animate, cutting with dark reverb. ‘Shoegaze’ isn’t typi- cally a derogatory tag, but in Soko’s case, it might be. Her visions go well beyond dancefloor blues. She brings a refreshing sincerity to the subtle sarcasm of the new wave sound, a more romantic This page: Soko wears leather jacket by Saint Laurent, corsetted dress by Murmur, sentiment after decades of our cultural immersion in postmodern grommeted belt by Topshop, earring by Gabriela Artigas, shoes by Adidas, lace ennui. choker and rhinestone necklace stylist’s own. Opposite page: Soko wears leopard jacket by Hollywood Savage Society, silver metalic croptop and grommetted belt by Topshop, pleated skirt by H&M, jewelry Soko’s own. 157 Soko wears lace slip dress by Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane, fishnets by Falke, shoes by Dr Martens, rhinestone necklace stylists own, leather chokerm earrings and rings Soko’s own. - SOKO - Opposite page: Soko wears polka dot chiffon top by Adodi, red velvet blazer and jeans by Hollywood Savage Society, jewelry Soko’s own. As she nimbly traipsed around the retro bungalow haunt to the music, Brent: What was your first concert? she morphed from one outfit into the next, usually without bothering to SOKO: THE OFFSPRING! I was very into emo bands back then! This page: Soko wears leopard jacket by Hollywood Savage Society, silver metalic go into the bathroom or cover up. “Pardon me,” she’d simply say, “I’m so The teenager in me is so proud, the adult is a little over it! [laughs] croptop and grommetted belt by Topshop, pleated skirt by H&M, jewelry Soko’s own. French,” somehow unapologetically. I noticed it only took a single word, a look, or gesture from Soko for everyone in the room—the small crew who Brent: Any bands from the States that you’re digging on had been tensed up in work mode—to loosen up, laugh, and fall into their right now? Any local L.A. bands? natural rhythms. It seemed a good omen, furthering the sentiment that SOKO: Man, so many. I love Cherry Glazerr out of LA, Bleached, Soko embodies a cultural hybridity that the States could definitely use a The Garden, Tomorrows Tulips, The Smoking Trees, Warpaint, of heavy dose of; a howling embrace of opposites— veiled vs. exposed, male course! I’m also really into the new Diiv, actually obsessed with it. And vs. female, human vs. alien, Paris vs. Planet Hollywood—while somehow obsessed with the new Deerhunter record. Those are the 2 albums I managing to transcend both. listen to the most these days. Brent L. Smith: L.A. has been your home for quite some time Brent: How about European bands? I was lucky enough to now, what do you love about it? What do you not love about it? catch Savages at the Roxy, and Lust For Youth a few months SOKO: I love the sun, the palmtrees, hikes, ocean, desert, all the yummy ago at the Teragram Ballroom. Both blew my mind. vegan places, and most of all, my awesome friends who keep me enter- SOKO: I really like Savages, yeah. These girls have such a raw, tained with amazing charades nights and cuddle puddles. powerful energy.. it’s very inspiring. I don’t know Lust For Youth, I’ll check. I just saw Melody’s Echo Chamber the other day at The Roxy, Brent: How long have you been a vegan? Did you choose to they were so good.. and I love that room. Also, I’m friends with this become one for animal rights reasons, health reasons, or both? French band called La Femme, and I think they’re hands down the SOKO: I never liked meat as a kid. Then my father died when I was 5, best French band from the past 10 years! and I became aware of death / corpse / flesh / meat and decided I didn’t want to ever eat a littleW vanimal’s mum or dad because it’s too cruel. Brent: What was it like portraying Loie Fuller in the movie Also, you would have to be very unaware and ignorant of what’s going on The Dancer? Did you already have a background in dance? with the world to continue ignoring the damage that the meat industry is SOKO: I’ve definitely dabbled in dance stuff as a kid.. and I love causing on Earth. dancing on stage, but mostly like a crazy punk unaware idiot! This took me to a whole other place; rigorous training every single day, Brent: What was the first record you ever bought? working out to get my resistance in shape plus dancing with a coach. SOKO: Hmmmm.. maybe some Beatles greatest hits? [laughs] Then getting accustomed with her gigantic white dress of silk, getting to learn how to move in space with it, make shapes, and do it over and over.. then adding the challenge of a 3m high platform that was very narrow, and learn to do it on THAT.. god... it was a crazy trip.. by the end of it though, I really felt like her, my body was so achy, I could barely walk, it was so physical and amazing.. she’s a total goddess, but suffered a lot, so I could really relate to that part.. it was equal magical as it was hard, but so so beautiful. I can’t wait to see the film. Brent: Do you feel the film did justice to Fuller’s life? Were there elements or events not covered in the film that you wished were? SOKO: Hmm.

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