Alisha Turull
this is part of a photo series i’ve been working on since 2011. it is a collection of photographs of badass women involved in metal, hardcore and the borderline metal/punk/avant-garde worlds. these are the people who make up the music scene. these are my friends.
Meet Alisha Turull, gamer and world-music lover.
What was your first metal experience?
Alisha Turull: Oh man... my first metal experience was Metallica on the Summer Sanitarium tour back in 2000. My sister was a huge metalhead and showgoer as a whole so when the opportunity presented itself for her to take me to all ages shows I would go with her. I think the first one she took me to was Butthole Surfers and Stone Temple Pilots at Suntan Lake in upstate New York in 1993. I was fortunate I got to see the band live during the Core cycle with my own eyes and ears.
What are your three favorite genres right now? And some bands/musicians from those genres?
AT: I'll forever hold a soft spot for Brazilian thrash in my heart. My roots in metal really start there. With the Internet at my fingertips (on dial-up!!) I got the opportunity to meet other like-minded fans and enthusiasts of the genre. It was there that I got to learn about bands like Sepultura, Holocausto, and Dorsal Atlantica, exchange music and stories.I also have a deep rooted love for music from other countries. I have no shame in admitting I am a K-Pop / J-Pop fangirl and have been since my teenage years. My earliest introductions to that was Dir en Grey back when they were Visual Kei and not donning that Adidas wear getup, and H.O.T. from Seoul, South Korea. Probably more than ever I still predominantly listen to K-Pop in present day. If you check out my music playlists on Spotify or my phone you'll probably see a majority of it being K-Pop and ranging from SHINee, GOT7, Infinite, and various others. I think my last favorite genre, and this is thanks to the influence of my mother, is Latin pop. Celia Cruz is the true matriarch of my household and those that dare to defy her name in any fashion would be struck by the chancla! No seriously -- if you bash Celia in our household, expect a swift rubber sole from an Isotoner slipper to the face. I'm not even joking.
How would you describe your job and what you do at work (besides arguing about Toto)?
AT: Well I'm currently in the transition of moving into a different direction career wise. From my time though at In De Goot Entertainment? It was seriously magical and it contributed a lot to the person I am today and my strong work ethic. I operated as the Executive Assistant to the C.E.O. of the company so aside from handling the administrative tasks of scheduling meetings, coordinating travel and events, I was given the rare opportunity to see, hear and feel artist management firsthand and facilitate wherever possible. If any issue should arise with regards to our artist clients, management was the front lines in protecting our artists and solving any and all problems in their best interests. I often compare artist management to parenthood; you want to see them out of harm's way not for our own personal gain, but for their success. Blood, sweat, and tears are all accounted into that equation. It's hard not to invest personal emotions into it, but everyday seeing the bands prosper musically really left a lasting impression in me to continue to do my best and give my all in everything I handled with passion.
You love world music and you love gaming. Are you an escapist?
AT: I think to a degree I'm an escapist. The world we're living in today is such a hard pill to swallow that I feel for the sake of our sanity? We have to escape from time to time and seek a place of solace. Whether it be a quiet location, or lost in a video game? It helps to just clear the mind temporarily and gain a little clarity to combat any trials or tribulations presented to us in day-to-day life when we're back on track.With world music specifically? I feel as if that's more of a passport to new discoveries. I enjoy listening to music and watching media from the Far East so much because it gives me an insight on their culture, customs, and general lifestyle. It keeps me open-minded about other cultures' way of life I think in the long run and keeps me grounded and objective in my views and perspectives of the world.As for video games? I'm just a big ol' kid at heart. It's a leisurely hobby that I've loved since my youth, and is a facet of my life that has opened doors to great opportunities in life, and meeting amazing individuals all over the world.
What are some games you feel like never get enough attention/cred?
AT: Oh crap. WHERE DO I BEGIN?! Hahaha.Well personally? I have to give tons of respect to one of the first games I've ever played and beaten, Gyruss, from the Konami arcade and NES console. It's a great shoot em' up game, and it's background music is iconic even today. Taking a classical masterpiece (Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565) and arranging the music to an electronic sound with an uptempo (essentially they made it a bad ass midi track) elevated the game to a whole new level for me personally. Lots of folks share those same sentiments today as well. Another notable one that I feel really solidified the rhythm music genre but gets put on the backburner is Bust-A-Groove. I still can sing word for word Kitty N's theme "Aozora no Knife". Finally? I don't care what anyone says all you fighting game enthusiasts need to give proper respect to the best game in the entire Street Fighter franchise, Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. One? That game has my main, Makoto, with her deadly finisher, Seichusen Godanzuki. Two? That was our first introduction to red parry, which changed the state of the competitive scene in my opinion. And three? Q. Nuff' said.