At its core, Dissolve is a brand founded as a response to the world around us. Initially rejecting the more undesirable aspects of our society like state violence and exploitation, hence “Dissolve It All…”, our focus has shifted towards a more personal and interpersonal level. Life is filled with some good and some not so good. The world around us doesn’t care what we want, and we are simply at the mercy of forces beyond our control. All we can control is ourselves and how we respond to these outside influences, synthesizing what we experience into our creative endeavors. Here’s to a world filled with creativity, growth, and synthesis.

CONTENTS

INTERVIEW: JOHNNY RODRIGUEZ

DISSOLVE ORIGINALS

HOW TO: MAKE A BEAT

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

MUSIC SUBMISSION: JKRUNK

VEZAEL: “ALL IN” SERIES

DISSOLVE COLLECTION: WORLD AROUND US

YOUR AD HERE

OPENED UP P.2 // PRESSURE

DISSOLVE PSYCHO WORLD

Johnny is someone who has a direct part in shaping the world around him. From documenting this world through his photography, to organizing shows, to participating in and helping proliferate the local hardcore music scene, Johnny is an integral part to homegrown San Diego culture.

TELL US WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU DO CREATIVELY

My Name is Jonathan Rodriguez. I do vocals in local San Diego band Madrugado. I also book and promote under " Pikos Y Lagrimas. I used to also shoot/develop film,print photos,zines and organize art shows but I've shifted most of that energy towards music now.  

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? HOW WAS LIFE COMING UP THERE?

I grew up in North County, San Diego in a city called San Marcos. It was a quiet suburb, I would spend my teenage years skating around with the homies, doing dumb shit and hitting up any show along the 78 freeway. We used to have a lot of house shows and poppin gigs at the Metaphor Cafe (R.I.P)

HOW DID THIS UPBRINGING INFLUENCE THE DIRECTION OF YOUR CRAFT?

Growing up there really wasn't much going on. We were always overshadowed by San Diego (40 minutes south) and of course Los Angeles. The moment I got older and started making my own money. I would go to any show or event possible in either SD or LA. Seeing those thriving scenes really inspired me to do something that could potentially influence and encourage others to do the same. I love music and always wanted to attempt to leave a lasting impact and that’s when I got the idea to create Madrugado in 2019. Along with Salsa Verde Fanzine and the local’s leading the North County scene Headstone, Serenity, Grosero, Doomslayer, Buriedbutstillbreathing, Staining The Twilight Black and many others. It was the perfect era in time to jump on the opportunity.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY WITH PHOTOGRAPHY

I actually got interested with photography through music. I wanted to make a zine showcasing my favorite bands, artists, interviews, live shots and my own personal photos. It wasn't until early 2016 that I gained the confidence to finally make this happen. I asked my long time good friend Alberto Figueroa about how to get started. He's taught me a lot about photography and throwing events, handed me my first camera, a Pentax point and shoot and the reason why I'm currently doing what I'm doing. Over the years I've released 5 zines and done various art shows showcasing travels from Mexico City, Los Angeles, Tijuana, Bay Area and of course San Diego. I've also taken black and white film classes at City College. That was a really fun learning experience being able to develop, print and interact with other like-minded individuals on a daily basis. 

TELL US ABOUT THE BAND MADRUGADO AND HOW YOU ALL LINKED UP AND STARTED MAKING MUSIC

I've always wanted to do music since High School . I just never really took the initiative. I met the original drummer Jordy and our guitar player Alex through events. I kind of knew of Marcus (bass) through shows and his photography. One day we were drinking at Livewire and that's when I pitched the idea of a band to Jordy. He recruited Alex and Marcus, we had a couple practice jams and that's how it all started. We later got Noah on drums after covid and recently added Andrew on second guitar. I'm really liking where we're at now and should be writing new music soon.

WHAT IS YOU/YOUR BAND’S PROCESS FOR CREATING MUSIC?

We usually will get together at band practice and just pitch different ideas about songs to each other. We'll mix it all together and somehow make it work. Every member has their say and influence.

THE MOST CHALLENGING PART OF WORKING WITH OTHERS IN A BAND? THE MOST REWARDING?

I'd say gathering 5 people together who all live in different areas (Escondido, Oceanside, San Diego, and Los Angeles) and having to pay hourly for a practice studio is the most difficult part. Music should never feel rushed, unfortunately we don't have too much time to focus on the band all together but when we do, the songs usually come quick if we're not busy spending that studio time practicing for live shows. Most rewarding part is seeing our song ideas come to life and groups of people moshing and enjoying them. 

HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH YOUR LYRICS?

I have a very strange way of writing lyrics. Even though I'm sure nobody is taking the time to read them. I always try to write them like a short story or poem. I focus on the syllables, rhyming, opening, and closing statements. The words either come to me or they don't. All my songs have been written in either 5 minutes or up to half an hour. It must come naturally; I can't force them out. 

ARE THERE ANY OTHER MUSIC PROJECTS YOU HAVE WORKED ON?

Surprisingly Madrugado is my first and only band. I've been meaning to learn bass to start other projects with friends. I really want to start a hardcore punk band in the vein of Boston Hardcore. Rival Mob, No tolerance, SSD, Jerry's kid's etc. 

GO A LITTLE IN DEPTH ON HOW YOU STARTED BOOKING AND PUTTING TOGETHER SHOWS AND WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO DO THAT

I started booking shows out of necessity for the band and the local scene. When we first started every city except San Diego County was trying to book us. Our first booked show was in Los Angeles. We had offers for Mexicali, Tijuana, Inland Empire, and other areas. I had experience organizing art shows but never music. The first two shows I ever booked were before covid at Bow Wow Haus (RIP). A couple years pass, shows come back and my homie Jaime from H.A.R.M (LA) reached out because Family Vacation needed a show. It was either SD or the IE. I said fuck that, San Diego isn't getting skipped anymore and was going to find a way to make it happen. I reached out to my friend Gemma who had experience booking. They got a venue, we got the bands ,promoted, sold out instantly and haven't stopped since then. They were a huge help with getting the ball rolling in SD. 

WHAT IS A CRAZY/FUNNY STORY FROM A SHOW/EVENT YOU WERE A PART OF

Family Vacation/ Hong Kong Fuck You 2022 was the third show I ever booked. The venue was a tiny room , maybe 80 cap. It filled up really quick and everyone that was outside and couldn't get in were mad. They said we were trying to gatekeep or discriminate but there was physically no room left. It was packed like sardines. That was funny. 

HOW HAS THE DIY MUSIC SCENE CHANGED OR PROGRESSED IN THE PAST DECADE?

I would say it comes in waves. The issue always is venues. A new spot will randomly pop up and sometimes they'll be gone within a couple of months. I feel like SD was slow before covid but now with this huge boom in hardcore. San Diego has been the healthiest it's been in maybe a decade. We used to get skipped a lot for tours whether it was small bands or large touring acts but there's been a huge interest in bands wanting to play here now. Sometimes it gets over whelming. It all comes back to not having enough venues, local bands or promoters to support this. There are weeks where 3-4 good shows will be happening. It's really cool to see how much we've progressed as a community. All the youngsters are really involved now too whether it's starting bands, booking, promoting, making flyers etc. Shout out to them. 

WHAT ARE SOME GENRES OR SCENES OF MUSIC YOU HAVE NEVER PLAYED BUT WOULD BE OPEN TO EXPLORING?

I'm really into post-punk and that whole scene. I would love to eventually start a band like that. I've booked 3 goth style shows and looking forward to keep doing that. The first one was a cool mix of powerviolence and post-punk. It sounded like a crazy idea but it was all friends so we were confident that it would do well. If for some reason it didn't, at least we would be able to say we played a show all together as homies. Shout out Closed Tear, Wisteria, Blood Stained Concrete and Mannequin for making that happen. 

ARE THERE ANY UPCOMING SHOWS OR PERFORMANCES WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT?

March 7th / Stolen (IL) and March 27th / The Consequence (CO) both at Tower Bar. March 20th / World Peace and Maul / May 2nd at Che Cafe. March 8th is our next local show with Natural Human Instinct from the Bay at Red Brontosaurus Records. Mescaline Maniacs and Livid April 20th at 4962 El Cajon Blvd and been working with the other booking partner for Pikos Y Lagrimas, Mur about the plans for this years Pikos Festival. 

WHAT IS YOUR 5-YEAR PLAN? LIFE PLAN?

I just live day by day. I currently have the best day job I've ever had as an adult. I want to keep moving up with that and eventually make enough money to survive comfortably in this capitalistic society. I want to stay healthy and keep my family and friends close by. Madrugado has always been a band we've done for fun. There has never been any big plans but would love to see how far we can go. I want to keep booking and rocking shows as long as possible. Sometimes I just want to say fuck it and quit it all but I can't. Even though booking shows is a thankless service and always a massive headache. I love helping my friends and bringing new bands I like to San Diego. This is what keeps me whole and music has been my life since I was a child.

GOT ANY ADVICE TO THOSE INTERESTED IN PURSUING THEIR PASSIONS OR TAKE THEIR HOBBIES MORE SERIOUSLY?

My advice is just do it. If you're genuinely interested in any hobby whether its sports, music, art etc. I believe that growth and meeting a like-minded community will come naturally. It is difficult putting yourself out there, but it'll be all that much more rewarding once you see the outcome. Do your research, contribute to the community and the rest will follow. 

ANY OTHER INTERESTS YOU WANT TO SHARE?

None at the moment except I'm looking to get back into photography. Inflation, resellers and greedy companies have ruined film but I got an old cheap digital that I've been meaning to use more.

FINAL REMARKS, SHOUTOUTS, OR UPCOMING PROJECTS WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT?

I feel like I've covered everything. I just want to say thank you to everyone that has supported Madrugado and Pikos Y Lagrimas. There is way too many people to shout out and I don’t want to miss anybody but I'll try and keep it brief with promoters. 

San Diego: Music Bad, Dred presents, Close To The Edge, Zoned In Productions, Angelfuckaroo

Los Angeles: Confined in Hell and Ground zero

Sacramento: El Crusty Cristo and XHOUSE SHOWX 916

Check out these promoters and all the bands/venues they work with.

Thanks Johnny for taking the time to answer our questions. Check out some of his photography and flyer designs below.

VEZAEL

I always document my surroundings through my art. Lately, I’ve been dabbling more in digital collage. Using actual images instead of doing illustration-based collage like I normally would do has been an interesting shift in my process. I’ve enjoyed letting the images speak for themselves in the arrangements that I put them in, allowing them as individual pieces to come together and form a cohesive composition.

I enjoy creating pieces that showcase how I interpret my surroundings without adding any sort of explicit narrative. Not everything has to say something, per se. Although sometimes images create their own narratives in the viewers head, differing from individual to individual.

Want to have your art, lettering, poetry, music, photography, videography, think pieces, or anything else you produce featured in the next issue of Dissolve Mag? Contact us now!

Submit your work and a few sentences explaining your thoughts behind it to info@dissolveitall.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

Check out this music submission by Jkrunk. Some nice chill Rap to cruise to with a message anyone can appreciate.

VEZAEL

This illustration series started in 2021 and ran to late 2022. Many themes in this drawings were direct responses to the Covid-19 lockdown and the ripples in society that it caused. Some ideas I touched on in this series were hanging out with friends, graffiti, violence in the community, housing insecurity, poverty, homelessness, urban decay, and spontaneous communal activities.

The purpose of all these illustrations was for me to establish my view of what goes on within a community and how I take in the occurrences around me.

These drawings are all alcohol marker, color pen and crayon on top of watercolor paper, excluding the first drawing which was on coated matte printer paper. They are all sized at 9x12” excluding the first drawing which was done at 13x19”.

VEZAEL

This collection of shirts for Dissolve was created to highlight the idea of noticing and absorbing the world around us. They all feature collage, whether with photos I took or illustrations I drew. This was meant to explicitly show the world around myself and the sorts of sights I would find myself surrounded by.

The world is ever-changing, and as creatives it is hard sometimes to stay current and to continually stay innovating. Dissolve is here to stay, and our time is now.

Interested in having your ad shown in the next issue of Dissolve Mag? Contact us right away! Shoot us an email at info@dissolveitall.com and we’ll get back to you ASAP!

Don’t have an ad ready? We can design you one! Contact us and we will have your professionally designed ad ready to go. Please make sure to have all relevant info for your ad ready on hand before contacting us.

VEZAEL

Check out the double music video for my songs “Opened Up P.2” and “Pressure”. These are my first official releases for my music. Expect much more in the future.

VEZAEL

“DPW the label, the group, the collective. We stay pushing the envelop new creative direction.”

PS Wess and I have been working on creating music over the past few months together as part of Dissolve Psycho World. More so a collective than a set group, DPW will be exposing to the world what we’ve had brewing for a minute now. Below are some sneak peeks of some tracks and some artwork. Expect official releases accompanied by music videos coming in the next few months.