Rope Podcast

To music or not to music? Music can be a hot debate in rope bondage - when to use it, what to use - whether to use it at all! Mya and fox love music and often include in in their scenes. In this conversation, they talk about: * Where and when music can be used * When you might not want to use music * At what points during a scene you might change your soundtrack up * How different tops and bottoms might use music * The benefits or effects of music that we can draw on for scenes * Some of the challenges or downsides of using music * Music and ableism * Should you include music in your negotiations? * Pros and cons of lyrically themed playlists * Popular examples that *could* work * Fox and Mya’s seal of approval for the official soundtrack of rope bondage ;)

Renee is a Canadian photographer and digital artist, whose kink journey started in the late 90's. Shibari photography for her became a visual expression of shapes in defiance of gravity, a delicate display of sadomasochism. Working with talented riggers, bottoms and self tying artists, she aims to create strong, clean kink images that respect the community and the artists. Mya and fox are big fans of her striking and distinct imagery, and in this episode, you can hear them discuss a wide range of fascinating topics, including: ◦ Her start as a rope bottom and the motorbike accident that changed her relationship with pain ◦ How she became a photographer of rope and used her experiences to inform her photographs ◦ The kinds of images she loves to create ◦ How she decides what to shoot ◦ The ways she collaborates and the teams she has for photoshoots ◦ Safety measures she uses to mitigate the risk of her shots ◦ What she looks for in rope photos she falls in love with ◦ How she got into composites and digital painting ◦ She talks us through the before, during and after of her ‘Icarus shoot’ ◦ And more!

In this episode, Fox and Mya discuss how you might use rope bondage with water, something they like a lot! Listen to them chat through the joys and challenges including: * All the safety, all the time: This is edge play within edge play! * Many of the risks and how you might mitigate them to some degree * The importance and support of how one (or more) spotters can support * Different types of water from baths to waterfalls and their unique challenges * Some of the gear you can involve * Three of their favourite scenes that have involved water

Tifareth is one of the Rope Podcast hosts’ favourite performers. In this episode, which continues the interview from part one (see Ep.122), we explore this topic with her, and discuss: ◦ How she developed her graceful rope handling style ◦ The drills she does and her attention to detail ◦ How she crafts her (amazing) rope performances ◦ How she works with her rope model during performances ◦ How she memorises her performances ◦ The critical role music plays in her performance and why ◦ Her new rope-photography space (Birdhouse, Toronto, Canada) and how it came to be Tifereth's introduction to rope bondage came in 2011 in the form of a surprisingly enjoyable futomomo tsuri. Since then she's drawn on her dual background in high-performance athletics and figurative arts to push herself physically and aesthetically on both ends of the rope. Known for her dynamic style of sadism, performative rope and creative approach to harness construction, she loves conveying her passion through engaging hands-on methods of instruction. A veteran educator and performer with credits including Prague Shibari Festival, Bondage Expo Dallas, Eurix, Helsinki Shibari, Shibaricon, as well as weekend workshops and performances all over the globe, she is most often found wherever the weird stuff is.

Tifereth's introduction to rope bondage came in 2011 in the form of a surprisingly enjoyable futomomo tsuri. Since then she's drawn on her dual background in high-performance athletics and figurative arts to push herself physically and aesthetically on both ends of the rope. Known for her dynamic style of sadism, performative rope and creative approach to harness construction, she loves conveying her passion through engaging hands-on methods of instruction. A veteran educator and performer with credits including Prague Shibari Festival, Bondage Expo Dallas, Eurix, Helsinki Shibari, Shibaricon, as well as weekend workshops and performances all over the globe, she is most often found wherever the weird stuff is. In this intimate episode, she discusses: ◦ Being banned from entering the USA, and how that changed her rope career ◦ Opening a venue and event space ◦ Her bottoming history and the injuries she was left with ◦ The challenges of being an early female rigger and how she had dealt with that ◦ How the scene has changed for female riggers over time ◦ The unique perspective she brings as a rope educator

The Damsel in Distress trope and fetish is something that can often be seen in rope bondage, particularly Western rope. The trope itself in mainstream media ignited many a kinky person’s desires. Fox and Mya discuss the trope, along with: * The gendered aspect of the term, what this might mean and alternatives * The history of the trope * Examples in the media and how these are already being subverted more recently * What kind of ties might be involved * The feel of this kind of scene * Role plays you might want to try * The importance of team in this kind of rope

Marceline VQ is an internationally recognized shibari artist whose work challenges viewers with aesthetic and technically complex rope work. She engages rope from all perspectives—as a model in her own rope, with other models in her rope, and as a model in others’ rope—allowing for a deeper understanding of the medium as a creative and connective tool. She adores the sensory experience of being in rope, as well as the idea of becoming “human sculpture.” Her work engages in conversation with themes from quantitative disciplines including geometry and physics and with themes from qualitative disciplines including analytic philosophy and universal empathy. She has studied with shibari communities across the globe, and is classically trained in visual fine arts. Marceline is based in New York City, USA, and with her co-creator/model Anya Demure, works to create rope imagery that is surprising and inventive. In this articulate and authentic episode, discover: ◦ Her journey through rope bottoming, self-tying and topping and what these different experiences have brought to her experience ◦ What she loves about rope and where it fits into her sexuality ◦ The difference between art and play ◦ How she collaborates with others ◦ Being pigeonholed for play because of her internet presence ◦ Negotiating for human sculpture play ◦ Installation art, and where her inspiration for these pieces comes from ◦ How her academic background contributes to her rope style and teaching ◦ Her biggest challenges in rope

In this episode, Fox and Mya discuss rope and ties that center on the butt. This topic is a particular favourite of Fox’s and he’s very enthusiastic. No, like really. Really really… Listen to the episode to hear a lively discussion about: * The kind of ties you might use for this rope, such as butt baskets and spreader ties * Special considerations in terms of negotiations and consent around this type of rope * Top and bottom thoughts on this kind of tie * The types of play and scenes where this type of tie might be fun * When you might not want to use these ties * Some examples of the host’s favourite scenes to use them in (spoiler alert: Fox’s favourite = every scene) Fox is also ON FIRE with his jokes in this one y’all - like he’s been saving all his jokes on this topic for this episode…. Click the links below to listen now :)

An early question for most rope enthusiasts is which rope should they use - with hemp, jute, nylon, cotton and even coconut rope available, how do you know which one you should tie with? Before you can decide, you need to think about some key questions to make sure your rope choice works for you. In this episode, Fox and Mya discuss some of the factors you might consider when deciding which rope type to choose. And of course bottoms can buy their own rope kit too, and the hosts discuss why and when. The episode explores: * Limitations on the rope you might buy * How the way the rope looks affects your choice * The importance of touching the rope if you can before you buy, and why * The upkeep and care of different types of rope * Safety implications of different fibers * Transport and storage implications Click the links below to listen now :)

There’s a surprising amount of communication required in rope, and that can be done in a huge number of ways. In this episode, Fox and Mya discuss when and how communication happens before, during and after a rope scene, and make suggestions about how to do this effectively. They also discuss: * Methods of communication and when they might be more or less helpful * Pros and cons of using different methods of expressing yourself * Possible goals of communication at different times * Who and why you might need to communicate with * Drawing on scuba diving and the military to create your own communication methods * Communication about communication!