Open Letter: Address Vatican Shadow’s links to Fascism
Content notes: Murder, sexual violence, racism, antisemitism
This open letter has been published first in Nov 2021
Issue brief
Information recently surfaced showing that Dominick Fernow aka Vatican Shadow, Prurient, Rainforest Spiritual Enslavement and his label Hospital Productions are affiliated with white supremacists. After this information came to light, little acknowledgment was made by the publications that covered his work over the years or by the agencies and labels that have released his music. We contacted Pitchfork, Resident Advisor, and his booking agency Ostgut directly with our asks (below). Ostgut has quietly removed Vatican Shadow from their booking agency listings, but no other actions have been taken by any of the organizations.
What's the deal?
Fernow was pictured in a Pitchfork iFernow was pictured in a Pitchfork interview by Brandon Stosuy with Mikko Aspa, his frequent collaborator. Aspa makes National Socialist music and spreads neo-fascist music and literature through his record store in Finland. In the same interview, Fernow mentions other Nazis like the band Absurd, whose singer Hendrik Möbus sieg heiled at a concert, posed with Nazi flags at Auschwitz, and "publicly mocked" the 15-year-old that he and his bandmates strangled to death in 1993. Fernow's label Hospital has released music by Montreal National Socialist Black Metal band Akitsa. With Fernow's black metal projects, his lyrics have also been sexually violent. This is just a short list of his ties and actions. Dominick Fernow has been very open and proud about his ties to white supremacists. The journalists, platforms, and agencies that have supported him and those who have collaborated with him must have been aware of these ties.
In 2018, Resident Advisor published a long, positive profile about Fernow written by Andrew Ryce. Resident Advisor also published many reviews and news pieces, for his work and for his label. Many of Fernow's events have been listed on Resident Advisor's ticketing platform, thus financing his activities. His booking agency Ostgut, is of course also responsible for backing him financially and reputationally.
These entities support Fernow as an artist, but have remained silent on his actions. These entities support Fernow as an artist, but have remained silent on his actions. This is very serious. Propagating and normalizing National Socialist ideology is dangerous for non-white people, Jewish people, Roma/Sinti people, queer people, leftists, and others. Because Resident Advisor, Ostgut Booking and Pitchfork's support was public-facing, public-facing actions should be taken.
What can we do?
We can join together as promoters, artists, labels, clubs, music journalists and, of course, fans and listeners to demand that Pitchfork, Ostgut Booking and Resident Advisor take public-facing actions against fascism in electronic music.
Call to action
Sign our open letter here
Encourage any organizations or individuals in your network to sign
Post about the open letter on your own channels: hashtag to use #AntifaMusicAlliance (Twitter: @antifascistMA)
Resident Advisor, Pitchfork, and Ostgut (Berghain):
1. Place an addendum and link to articles that have critically addressed Fernow's fascist ties on Resident Advisor and Pitchfork posts that feature Fernow (this is better than deleting them)
2. Pitchfork, Ostgut, and Resident Advisor donate to organizations fighting antisemitism and extremism, publishing the amount donated and to which organization
3. Pitchfork, Ostgut, and Resident Advisor each release a public statement about their plans to prevent this from happening again with other artists in the future
4. Publish a call from Pitchfork and Resident Advisor as influential platforms, asking other publications to place disclaimers on their existing coverage of Dominick Fernow
This applies to other booking agencies, platforms, and venues that have supported Fernow in the past and those who have collaborated with him.
Mikko Aspa “Clandestine Blaze/Northern Heritage”, on the left, Dominick Fernow on the right. Watch out for these fuckers!
Thanks for signing!
We hope our collective voice will pressure these entities into taking action, in light of Fernow's unacceptable behavior and associations. Fernow and Hospital Recordings are not isolated cases and there are more artists, labels, agencies and promoters that have clear ties to fascists and this must be addressed. This is part of a broader movement by the Antifascist Music Alliance to fight fascism, white supremacy and far-right sympathies within the music industry.
Signatures
Public:
Aaron (kk_junker)
adam jones
afa fryslân
afalfl
alex sushon (Bok Bok)
Alex Tripp
anabasine
Anastasios
Andreea Breazu
Andrew Hogge
Andrew Weathers
Anouk Slewe
Anton Rego
Antonia Del Campo
Antonio Poscic
Arnav
Arthur Cayzer (Pariah)
Aveda
barbie bertisch / love injection
Bastien Huguenot
Beats Against Coal
Bee Hill
Bellona Magazine
Ben Young
Benedikt
Berlin Collective Action
Billy Gomberg
Björgvin Friðgeirsson (Bergen)
C Powers
Calliope Mettas
Cam Franklin
Cara
Cecilia
Cecilia Corsano-Leopizzi
Chandé
Christa Belle
Claire Lawton
Clara Lévy
Corbin Cammidge
Dance with Pride
Daniel
Daniel
Daniel Duque
Daniel Hauschild
Das weltweite Netzwerk für ein bedingungsloses Grundeinkommen
Data Recovery
David Lusby
David Mittleman (Observations of Deviance)
David Scholmerich
David Wallraf
Die Urbane. Eine HipHop Partei
Doubleffe
Dylan Bryne
E. A. Raczynski (EAR)
Early Fern
eastbloc antifascist sound alliance
Éclat Crew Berlin
em steinberg
Enayet
ennioa neoptolomus
Eppu Kaipainen
Erina
Esra
Eunice Moura Franco
Evan Jake Goldstein
Evan Jamal Vincent (Emissive)
Evie
Falkner Hinton
Fiona Kirk
Florian Wolff
francesca
Frauenkreise Berlin
Freek
Future Ethics
Garriss Gurman
Gavlián Rayna Russom
Geddes Gengras
Greg Clow
Haldan Blecher (Palms Out Sounds)
Hanna Keil
Harry Edwards
Henning
Henning Lahmann
Imaxx (iman)
Jack Mckeever
Jake Williams
James Holden
James St Amos
Jason Rule
jaye ward
Joda Clement
Jodi Lin
Joe
Johannes Klingebiel
John Kolodij
John Morrison
Joradsilver
Jordan Juras
Jordi Plasmeijer
Judith K.
Julie Malice/Malzof
justin
Kale Mouser
Karel
Karel de Kleijne
Karl W
Kenneth Masloski
Kiernan Laveaux
King Britt
Kıvanç sert
lalit kilaya
Lara David (Chekov)
Lara Rix-Martin
las lindas pobres
LAURA MIGLIANO
Laurel C
Lew Lepton
Lieveke Heijn
Linnea Freear
Livio G.
Lou Drago
Loz (dundass)
Luis-Manuel Garcia
Luke
Lyndsey Richardson
manaal
Marcioz
Marco Gomez
Marcy Angeles
Marie Thompson
Mark Großmann
Mark Pezzati
Maryam P
Matthew Gaffen (Hearse Pileup)
Matthew Lux
mia
Michael Riley
Michael Terren
Mike Jedlicka / Optic Echo
Mireia Cobos
Monger
Nat Raha
Natalia Domínguez Rangel
Nick Maturo
Nicky Mao
Nico Rosenberg
Nico Wessels
Nicole
Nicolina Claeson
Nicoswako
niet normaal*
Niki Drakos
No Thank You Recordings
Noe Loyola
Nutriot Recordings
Oleksiy (Sitka)
Oli Harrison
Oy Vey Acts
Patrick Jennings
Paul Raffaele / Love Injection
Pauline Lourdes
pent
Pet
Piotr Orlov (Dada Strain)
Rafael Duran
Randy
Richard Holhburn
Rico aka Momo
Robin Stewart (Giant Swan)
Roel
roeland
Ronald
Room 4 Resistance
Ruaridh Law / TVO
Ruggero Baracco
Sammy Major
Sarvesh Ramprakash (Icarus Redux)
Sean Johnston
Shelley
Silver Tank
Sinchi
Sister Atlas
Sofia Mikhaylova
Sophia
Sophie Ruston
Space2groW
Stacy Renecke
Stamp The Wax
Stefan Beck
Stephen McNally
Steve Proctor
Steven Franco
Susan Pinkster
Taya Nason
Tayyab Amin
Technomaterialism
Terri Lee
The Leaf Library
Todd Shepherd
Tom Whiston
Tom Wills
Transience
Umfang
unseelie
Val Dechev
Vasco Lé
vitonga
Voluminous Arts
wanda
WANDA GROUP
Xavier de Sousa
Links
Jean-Hugues Kabuiku Newsletter
About Vatican Shadow's Links With the Far-right
2 years ago · 5 likes · 1 comment · Techno Antonio Negri
- https://varisverkosto.com/2019/03/the-influencers-of-the-finnish-ns-music-scene-part-3-mikko-aspa-of-northern-heritage-clandestine-blaze-vapaudenristi-sarvilevyt/
- https://pitchfork.com/features/show-no-mercy/6455-show-no-mercy
- https://www.antihate.ca/selling_hate_canadian_labels_platform_profit_nazi_metal_quebec
- https://ra.co/features/3125
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