ACCLAIM Magazine Issue 15

GUEST EDITOR INSA

THE UK’S HOTTEST ART COMMODITY

GEORGE A. ROMERO

THE LEGENDARY HORROR DIRECTOR

CHARLES HAMILTON

HIP-HOP’S NEXT BIG THING

RETNA

GRAFFITI AT THE MASTER LEVEL

WILL MURAI

BRAZIL’S PROUDEST DIGITAL EXPORT

THE HUNDREDS

STREETWEAR’S MOST CONSISTENT PLAYERS

THE ROMA PEOPLE

A CIVILIZATION LOST IN TRANSIT

Australia $7.95 GST) ISSUE 15 (INC 2008

New & Zealand $8.95 (INC GST) AUS NZ $9.95 (INC GST)

+ streetwear, TOYS, SNEAKERS, sport, FILM, cars, MUSIC, art & design, VIDEO GAMES, TATTOOS AND Much MORE

A n d rew M cM a n u s P re se n ts

Starring reggae's greatest, LIVE funk, dub, hip hop and soul! arde ns , Pe rt h Sa t 24 Ja n Su prem e Co ur t G ev il Pa rk , By ro n Ba y D d Re , ay D ia al tr us A n Ja M on 26 ne Fr i 30 Ja n Ri ve rs ta ge , Br is ba y, H un te r Va lley* er in W s an em nd Li n Ja 31 t Sa Bo w l, M el bo ur ne Su n 1 Fe b Si dn ey M ye r M us ic Sydn ey ** Tu e 3 Fe b H orde rn Pa vi lio n, 849 136 100, **ticketek.com.au 132 .au com er. ast tm ke tic ! w no On sale MAGAZINE

Register your details on ampresents.com for your chance to WIN 2 FREE tickets to Raggamuffin and a BACK STAGE PASS to MEET your favourite Raggamuffin artist * For ticketing and transport packages contact Rover Coaches 4990 1699 or www.rovercoaches.com.au For accommodation contact www.winecountry.com.au or ph 4990 0900

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For all Australian stockist enquiries call 1800 444 872 (free call)

CONTENTS

ION FASH

ION FASH

ION FASH

ION FASH

ION FASH

KICKS

KICKS

N FASHIO

PING SHOP

PING SHOP

SNOW

MUSIC

MUSIC

MUSIC

L SOCIA

AUTO

ART

ART

ART

O TATTO

FILM

26 FLY GURL 28 GIRLS ON THE STREET 30 THE HUNDREDS 32 WRONG WROKS 36 DIRTY LAUNDRY 44 INDUSTRY PRO 48 CUSTOM ARTIST 54 GLOBAL STYLE GUIDE 56 FLY BUYS 58 FLY BUYS 66 STYLE WARS 62 SLUG OF ATMOSPHERE 64 CHARLES HAMILTON 66 XXX CHANGE 68 IN DEPTH 74 PARIS MOTOR SHOW 2008 78 INSA 80 WILL MURAI 82 RETNA 84 HORIYASU 86 george a. romero SJ, STYLED AND ART DIRECTED BY INSA

WOMEN’S STREETWEAR PART 1

A HUNDRED MILES AND RUNNING

AINT NUTHIN WRONG WITH THE WROKS

WE GO PERTH SIDE FOR OUR FASHION SHOOT

MIGHTY MI

ILLSIDE INK

TEES

HATS, SUNNIES, WATCHES, ACCESSORIES THRILLS, SPILLS AND BIG ASS HILLS BLUE COLLAR BLUES

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

THE NEXT BIG THING

LIFE BEYOND SPANK ROCK

THE ROMA PEOPLE

LATEX AND STILETTOS

BRAZIL’S PROUDEST DIGITAL EXPORT THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

mixing the traditional and contemporary BLOOD, GUTS AND SOCIAL COMMENTARY

parlez

www.parlez.com.au

Editor’s Foreword

Photo by Fatboyke

Back to the Future By the time you read this, it will either be the year 2009 or pretty damn close to it. 2009? Get the fuck out of here! Time sure does fly. 2009 sounds like a time where we should be living in outer-space with flying cars. Why don’t I even have a regular car?

But as we begin to wrap up the first decade of the new millennium (I promise not to use that term ever again), I can’t help but wonder what this weird decade is going to be remembered for. As many of our readers, I’m a child of the ‘80s. I feel like we’ve come far enough to be able to look back on the ‘80s and ‘90s with some level of clarity and nostalgia, but what of the last decade?

What do we even call this decade? So much shit has gone down since 2000 that it’s hard to keep track of it all, both on a political and personal level. And let’s face it, not all of it has been good. In fact much of it’s been pretty fucked up for many and continues to affect us today.

But enough of the heavy stuff, what in the hell is this era going to be remembered for even on the pop culture tip? Personally, I think this decade will be all about the dropping of boundaries and the merging of genres and subcultures. The world really is getting smaller. There isn’t so much an ‘Us vs.

Them’ mentality and the same goes for pop-culture. We’re seeing a mixture of hip-hop with indie and nu-rave, streetwear with high-fashion, music artists becoming designers, sneaker brands working with bike companies, graf artists working with girl’s fashion and so on. It really is the decade of the “collaboration” in every sense of the word. Now it’s perfectly normal to be a guy who loves his g-rap but also wears Dior Homme footwear and is into custom motorcycles . Or be a girl into sneakers and Lil-Kim, who also loves her Fleetwood Mac vinyl and vintage Chanel collection. It’s truly an era where we’ve picked and chosen what we’ve liked and valued throughout pop-culture history and various sub-cultures and just been into it because we love it and don’t feel the need to justify it to anyone. Why it’s like a….Super-Decade!

Here at ACCLAIM, I feel we’ve progressed organically in this same way.

Okay we’re only three years old but in this time I think we can all agree the magazine has evolved like a fine wine, covering a diverse range of tastes, topics and interests but always maintaining true to our street lifestyle roots and focusing on people who live life the same way.

For instance, look at the second in our series of artist collaborations, INSA. Like last issue’s collabo with Estevan Oriol, INSA shot and styled our cover and Fly Gurl shoot but also guest edited a few sections throughout the mag (look for the stickers!). Here we have a London graf writer with an obsession for fetishism, who’s gone on to high-art, furniture design, streetwear collaborations, interior design, even high-heels design and travelling the world in the process. He’s got his hard London graff steez but also cites a Prince CD as one of his all-time favourite albums. INSA’s truly flipped the switch on what an ‘artist’ should and can be by making his own rules. At ACCLAIM, we like people who can’t quite be pigeon-holed. Maybe that’s why some people find it so hard to pigeon-hole us as a publication, as hard as they might try. And you know what, we kinda like it that way.

We wish all our readers and contributors a safe and awesome Christmas and New Year and we’ll catch you in 2009!

Peace,

Alex Weiland Sub-Editor

SYDNEY: CENTENNIAL PARK - SATURDAY 14 FEBRUARY MELBOURNE: THE NURSERY, FLEMINGTON RACECOURSE* - SUNDAY 15 FEBRUARY GOLD COAST: PARKLANDS SHOWGROUNDS - SATURDAY 21 FEBRUARY PERTH: HEIRISSON ISLAND* - SUNDAY 22 FEBRUARY

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! For tickets and all details go to gvf.com.au

gvf.com.au

* Subject to approvals

THE TEAM

// Melbourne office 9 Dundas Lane Albert Park, VIC 3206 Australia Ph: +61 3 9695 7815 Fax: +61 3 9682 4323 // editorial sub editor

// PUBLISHER / editor in chief Andrew Montell andrew@acclaimmag.com

// company directors Andrew Montell Matt Gudinski

// ART Original design template

// Advertising ADVERTISING sales manager

Art director

sales assistant

style guide

design assistant

Marketing & Promotions

Auto editor

VISUAL ARTs EDITOR

toys editor

special Guest editor

Alexandra Weiland alexandra@acclaimmag.com

FASHION SHOOT COORDINATOR

Mega mega@acclaimmag.com

Alexandra Weiland alexandra@acclaimmag.com

bejamin menzies David Able With thanks to Highs and Lows dave@acclaimmag.com Andrew Montell Vincent Tang vincent@acclaimmag.com Callum Vass

Callum Vass callum@acclaimmag.com

James Goldsmith

Jason Larke jason@acclaimmag.com

Chris Delaney chrisd@acclaimmag.com

// online Online editor

Tom connellan tom@acclaimmag.com

insa

// Text Ankia // Anthony Costa // Chris Delaney // DZ // Shane Edwards // Rhiannon Elston // Robbie Ettelson // Benn Gardiner // Anthony Gilbert // INSA // Alisha Jensen // Jerry Jerri // Ben Johnston // Khaled Khalafalla // Jason Larke // Nick Lupi // Miles McKirdy // Benjamin Menzies // Penelope Mitchell // Andrew Montell // Rory N // Manami Okazaki // Ollie // Sarah Jane Owen // Kyri Papapetrou // Joe Scully // Saeed Saeed // Alicia Sim // PJ Smith // Vincent Tang // Tate // Callum Vass // Chris Wall // Alex Weiland

// Photographers Michael Danischewski // Jo Duck // David Dare Parker // Thom Rigney // Emma Slater // Chris Wall // Robert Mayer

// COVER Photos by Emma Slater // Makeup by Alicia Samuels // Hair by Lauraine Bailey // Styling/art direction:

by INSA // Heels at www.insa-heels.com // Rubber leggings and Shirt is a Cholala colaboration by INSA and House of Bias, Chicago

// SUBMISSIONS All images must be in tiff format at 300dpi. ACCLAIM is pleased to receive information but is under no obligation to review or return unsolicited products or material.

// ONLINE Visit us at www.acclaimmag.com Add us at www.myspace.com/acclaimmagazine Facebook search for ACCLAIM Mag

// PRODUCTION ACCLAIM is printed on Neo Gloss 300GSM and 115GSM paper. We use eco friendly soybased inks because you gotta respect the Earth, nahmean?

//Distribution AUS // NZ DISTRIBUTOR // Gordon & Gotch INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTOR // Pansing IMM MALAYSIAN DISTRIBUTOR // MPH DISTRIBUTORS SINGAPORE DISTRIBUTOR // MPH DISTRIBUTORS U.S BOUTIQUE STOCKISTS // WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF AKOMPLICE CLOTHING INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTOR // PANSING IMM DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION // SMART PAPERS SINGAPORE // smartpapers.com/acclaim BRAND: DUB

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MAIN LOGO

VECTOR ARTWORK: LOGOS

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// ACCLAIM Magazine GOT SOME EXTRA LOVE FROM: ‘LIFESTYLE’ SUB-LOGO

‘LIFESTYLE’ SUB-LOGO

NOTE: THE BOX BEHIND THE LOGO REPRESENTS THE BACKGROUND COLOUR AND IS NOT PART OF THE OFFICIAL LOGO.

ACCLAIM Magazine is subject to copyright in its entirety. The contents may not be reproduced in any form, either in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher. All rights reserved in material accepted for publication, unless initially specified otherwise. All letters and other material forwarded to the magazine will be assumed intended for publication unless clearly labeled “Not For Publication”. Opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of ACCLAIM Magazine or the publisher. No responsibility is accepted for unsolicited material.

faces

Words by Jerry Jerri

MOSGTDESTROY CUT & PASTE

Mosgtdestroy is a name that doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue but in his Japanese homeland, this // young street artist is fast becoming a name dropped on

the regular. Recently attracting the interest of the big brands, this poster bomber turned professional artist introduced himself to ACCLAIM. Just don’t ask us how to pronounce his name.

12 - 13 faces

Originally enrolled into Japan’s Osaka Modio Gakuen to study hiphop (that’s right folks, a university course in hip-hop!), Mosgt soon realized that he wasn’t much of an MC and switched his focus to art and design.

Famous for his large scale, wheat pasted poster campaigns, Mosgt formed his own company Panzer Ink as a hub for his various projects that range from designing event fliers and CD covers for Japanese hip-hop artists through to his recent work for Diesel where he decorated the Diesel American Village store in Tokyo. His installation for Diesel saw Mos combining postering with stencils and traditional graffiti to completely take over the walls and

floor of the flagship store. Along with his crew New Order Posse, Mosgtdestroy also designed a bag and t-shirt for Diesel.

Mosgtdestroy describes his style as “influenced from graffiti art and of course collage like Jamie Reid undertakes is an influence.

It’s the art style CUT AND PASTE in a single phrase.” The ‘Destroy’ in his name is in reference to his creative process of “destroy and remake”.

Mosgtdestroy is set to drop his own clothing brand in the near future and is working on opportunities to exhibit internationally in 2009.

CHECK MORE FROM MOSGT

Mosgtdestroy has collaborated with the following Japanese brands COCOLO BLAND // www.cocolo-bland.com/index.html PROUD FRESH // www.myspace.com/proudfresh MAPLE COMICS // maplecomics.com/ Or for more on Mosgtdestroy visit him at www.myspace.com/mosgtdestroy

faces

Words by Alicia Sim

STEPHANIE DAVIDSON LOLLIPOP ART

Imagine a skeletal creature galloping into the woods on a horse gilded with chains. A prophet cloaked in // a white robe sits nestled in grey clouds above, cutting a

14 - 15 faces

somewhat ominous figure and wielding a mysterious black book. This isn’t a snippet from a fantasy film. It’s just one of several drawings from Toronto artist, Stephanie Davidson.

There is a definite element of fantasy in Stephanie’s art but it is certainly not the crux by which her work can be defined. Subjects include coniferous forests, gummi lollies and Freddie Prinze Jr. Indeed you only need to look at where she gets her inspiration from to realise the multi-dimensional world her art inhabits. “I’ve started archiving google image search JPGs, stuff like weather diagrams and stock photography,” Stephanie imparts.

Like the variety within her work, the media Stephanie chooses to use is equally as diverse. Dabbling in drawing, painting, vector graphics, posters, gifs and flash movies she cites “mostly a short attention span” for the reason behind her decision not to stick to one creative outlet.

Particular to her popularity in Gen-Y circles is the Canadian artist’s deconstruction and de-contextualisation of pop culture references which range from Sweet Valley High to Stephen King. It’s more than merely a nostalgia invoking exercise though. “I guess I’m drawn to stuff that gets disposed of really quickly but that sticks in your unconscious. For me drawing is like reorganising vestigial knowledge into something new and meaningful.”

Stephanie recently exhibited as part of “Chupa Chups Lane” in Melbourne to celebrate the company’s 50th Anniversary in Australia. To see more of Stephanie’s work check out www.stephd.biz

F O O T W E A R

For stockists call: (03) 9427 9422 WWW.ZOOYORK.COM

faces

Words by Alex Weiland

Hoops

Girls with Grills

When it comes to getting peeps on the dance floor, these girls are musical crack. Meet Sydney ladiez (not // ladies) Anna Lunoe, Ninalasvegas and Bad Ezzy AKA the

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Hoops DJs. Together they have an uncanny ability to make any party pop, be that one of their loose as shit club nights or a high profile after party for Sydney’s social elite, with their powers combined they are the party planeteers… that is if Captain Planet was Annalise Braakensiek.

“Anna had been DJing for a while and Nina and I had just thrown our first Hoops party when the three of us were booked together to play a Sass & Bide party. A few weeks later we got a call out of the blue asking if we would like to play The Falls Festival. It turns out Annalise Braakensiek [Australian model/actress for O.S readers] had been at the party and recommended us to a friend of hers who happened to be booking acts for Falls.” Ezzy explains. “We tried to explain that Hoops was a twosome and that Anna was a solo DJ and the reply we got was ‘we want the three DJs we saw at Sass & Bide’.

Hoops was born!”

In terms of music, the girls have similar tastes but individual styles.

Ezzy can always out do you with a remix she’s found of a track you already love, Nina can play American Boy at ANY time in a set, and Anna knows all the words to Controversy by Prince.

But if you think Hoops is all party and well, no hearty, think again.

With an ex-audio producer, radio presenter and veteren DJ between them, these girls know their shit. But is this enough to win over respect from the dudes in the scene? “We’re pretty lucky in that respect because they supported us from the very beginning. It takes a little while before you start getting genuine props from the guys, but when you do get them, you know you really deserve it.”

Support Slot:

Between them, Hoops have supported DJ Ayres, M.I.A, Spank Rock, Peaches, Yelle, Xzibit, lil’ Jon, Lupe Fiasco and Dizzee Rascal, to name a few. “We didn’t get to meet Dizzee though which was disappointing, he rolls three deep!” Ezzy.

Ti 02 6

639

555

5

Hot & Fresh

Selection by PJ Smith, Miles McKirdy and Alex Weiland

DC’s Admiral – Bring on the Night

Gravis x In4mation x Diamond Supply Co. Travel Bag

Feast your eyes on the ménage a trois that is Gravis, In4mation and Diamond Supply Co. A three-way collabo might seem a little OTT, but when the results are this dope, all hail the three-way! Aimed at the consumer who likes to travel with class, with a colourway that echoes the famous Nike Tiffany dunk, these babies won’t last long, Available at the Diamond Supply Co. store in Los Angeles and In4mation in Hawaii.

Check out the DC’s latest offering from their LIFE Winter 09 collection, the Admiral is the perfect kick to traverse knocking around with your mates in the am to getting into that club in the pm. “Smart-Casual” can be a really cheesy look in the sneaker world but when it’s done right with a touch of class, why fight it! Available in December 08, exclusively to those with DC LIFE accounts.

Krink/Arkitip laptop case

Subcrew - Skateboard Decks

Streetwear brand, Subcrew, have been dropping some incredibly handsome gear since ‘03 but most impressive and recent is the crew’s teaser photo presenting their new line of skate-decks. The Hong Kong heavy hitters are at present being tight lipped not giving a confirmed release date but rumour has it that the decks should be available worldwide by year’s end.

Arkitip have worked with Incase before fusing computer products with contemporary designers-come-artists. This time they have brought in Krink to be a part of their Curated by Arkitip project and the results are poppin’. Utilising Krink’s famous drip style and featuring the Krink logo stitched into the lining it comes in sizes to fit 13 inch to 15 inch laptops. www.goincase.com

Shop Smarter, Carter!

18 - 19 HOT & FRESH

With the Aussie dollar basically taking it from behind at the moment, alas online shopping overseas ain’t got the same charm it used to be for us down under.

The gear isn’t as cheap and the shipping, well don’t even talk to me ‘bout that ($45USD to post kicks, get da fuck outta here!) Luckily for us, there are a bunch of home-grown online boutiques popping up that have rad international brands at decent prices and best of all; postage rates that will not annihilate your soul. And for those O.S, given our dollar is so shot, well no doubt you’ll pick up a bargain also. Everyone’s a winner!

www.panoply.com.au Their current collection consists of a dope range of men’s tees by Akomplice, Bean Dip, Hecklewood, Nossa and Two in the Shirt. www.citystoppers.com A great range of gear for guys and girls you won’t find in stores by brands like The Loots, Gold Coin, Hayley Mei, Cubannie Links, Princess of the Posse, Cash Money and heaps more. www.hungbythread.com.au For fans of streetwear by the likes of Addict, Beautiful Decay, Boxfresh, Spiewak, Evisu Shoos, this joint is a must see.

So get to it, shop local and tell them ACCLAIM sent you!

MINDstyle x Ron English Abraham Obama Bust

It wouldn’t be right without jumping on the Obama bandwagon, keeping this in mind, here is the latest collectible busts by MINDstyle.

Drawing influence from the similar political styles of Abe Lincoln and Obama, these 3D sculptures come in three colours. A black, green and an already sold-out white version have been released and with a price tag of $200 USD be assured that each piece and colour has been limited to 50 pieces worldwide!

Fresh Out the Box from Cap it off with Kanye

Hella Tight come out of nowhere with this collabo with Yeezy. Featuring a perforated leather brim, satin lining and using glow in the dark inks for the bear logo. This just might be the cap to rock to show your true fan colours at Kanye’s upcoming Australian leg of the Glow In The Dark tour. www.hellatight.com

The Adidas Super Star Signoff - It may be your basic black and white colour scheme, but the legendary graffiti artwork makes this Signoff a real super star. A cartoon monogram of Superstars runs across the midpanel of this awesome shoe. To finish it off in style, a smooth gel sole has been added together with neat gold detailing.

Wear them with no laces Run-DMC style.

The Artist Series – Retna Wheels

You’ve seen the artist, well at least you will when you get through the mag, and now you can own the wheels. The Artist Series has collaborated with a number of artists for a series wheels which typify their style. Retna’s feature his signature typography and LA styling. www.therealartistseries.com

Akai USB Turntable

Bring your vinyl collection to life with Akai’s newly released ATT10U Professional USB Turntable. The turntable not only playbacks your favourite vinyl records, its USB audio output allows you to digitally store your music on your computer before it’s lost forever. PC & Mac compatible, the software also lets you remove clicks and other noises, and export the tracks into WAV or MP3 formats.

As well as the opportunity to save old records that may be deteriorating, the USB recording function is also ideal for DJs who are looking for a simple way to record their mixes direct to their lappy. www.audion-mm.com

If the CIA had regulation earphones…

They would look like these shits! For tunes on the go, nothing beats the functionality and subtle industrial styling of Denmark’s AiAiAi. The Y-model is a straight cord design, the Swirl model has a CIA like design, with a swirl cord on the right ear, and the Y-com model carries a button and mic on the cord to answer calls and change tracks on the iphone, for those of you bastards that have one. For more details contact Heiststore.com

Weapresent

Watch Yourself!

Benny Gold just dropped their F/W 08 collection which consists of some tees and five panel caps which are worth a look. What really grabbed my attention was the Alive Athletics collaboration time-piece. With nice detailing and the gold finishes this watch will keep you timeless while keeping you on time.

Throw-back fans rejoice, as Converse is bringing back the iconic Weapon series, which will be dropping in force any day now.

Everyone watched those legendary ‘80s basketball shootouts. And almost everyone wore the Converse Weapon. The full-grain leather upper incorporates the Y-bar support system in colourways that will take you back to the golden era. Funny how something that moves you forward can also take you back.

The PUMA Suede - This sleek, cool, comfortable shoe is the most well-know and popular of all PUMA styles.

This season the suede takes it down a notch to classic colourways of black and white and navy and white. The snug fit offers premium ankle support while you roll old school in these classic kicks.

The Nike Air Force 2 - The Air Force 2 is an iconic shoe with a reputation to match. This season Foot Locker has teamed up with Nike to design a white, metallic gold and black colourway – updating and reinventing this legendary icon all in the name of stylish performance. Check it out exclusively at Foot Locker now.

Adidas Concord Round – A cute little shoe for the female sneakerhead. Coming from the Adidas Sleek Series, the name says it all. The slip-on is inspired by classic men’s basketball shoes with neat features including rounded ballerina toe, patent leather to create flashy style, and alternative closure system for convenience and comfort – what all girls need!

Hot & Fresh

The Future is Now

Nike Sportswear – Hong Kong Grand Opening

RETROSUPERFUTURE AKA SUPERS, have landed on our shores and are ready to be snapped-up. Inspired by experiences in the underground music and fashion scene, SUPERS are a high-quality salute to those one-off finds at vintage markets. Since their debut, SUPERS have been spotted on Kanye West and dance duo, Daft Punk to name a few.

Decks by Chocolate

Chocolate come correct with their “Dark Chocolate” series of pro decks. I’ve always been a fan of clean graphics and good concepts so these are a clincher for me. I can also be safe in the fact that my girlfriend won’t eat them.

FREE SHIT

Nike, the giant, has opened another lavish Nike sportswear store in Hong Kong. This is following successful openings in New York and Tokyo.

The event showcased works by Keiichi Nitta and was attended by a local and international flavour of musicians, sport stars, celebrities and sneakerheads.

Christmas and the New Year are upon us and to celebrate ACCLAIM has a swag of giveaways to satisfy every one of your needs (well not that one, but maybe I’ll ask one of the interns). All you have to do is email comp@ acclaimmag.com and let us know who (or what) you would like to see ACCLAIM feature in our next issue along with your name, phone number, mailing address and the prize you want and some of this shit could be yours.

DJ Dusk’s Root Down Sound Clash is a piece of hiphop history where six of the world’s best producers (including Cut Chemist, Madlib, Thes One and more) battle it out over three making this one of the most raw and enjoyable DVDs ever for lovers of true Hip Hop. Licensed locally by Knowfoowl Music from Mochilla, this is a truly special release and we got five copies up for grabs!

Chupa Chups the truly iconic candy (Did you know their logo was designed by Salvidor Dali?) has hit the big 5-0. And to celebrate they’ve had parties and art shows around the country and enough treats for you guys to satisfy a bush-doof. We have one major pack consisting of a tin of 150 Chupa Chups, one GIANT Chupa Chup and a Saint Lenny designed, limited edition Chupa Chups t-shirt. We also have four smaller packs including: one giant Chupa Chup, a Limited edition tee and 10 regular size Chupa Chups.

20 - 21 HOT & FRESH

Days Like This festival

This Summer the gods of good music have smiled on us Down Under with a wealth of great festivals with solid hip-hop line-ups that are as diverse as they are credible. New kind on the block Days Like This, has one of the most standout line-ups to grace our shores in long time. Fat Freddys Drop, Public Enemy, Atmosphere, Platinum Pied Pipers, Yo! Majesty and Katalyst, just to name a few will be bustin’ their shit over four stages on Jan 4th at Moore Park, Sydney.

Represent Sydney, as this will truly be a day to remember! www. dayslikethis.com.au

Skullcandy Ti

For those you what some substance behind their statement, Skullcandy’s new banging gold and brown Ti numbers are just that. Titanium drivers and unique detailing make the Ti headphone a cut above. Every gourmet understands that food tastes better when its made with quality ingredients. Even something as simple as a peanut butter sandwich tastes better without hair from a public shower drain on it. Believe that!

Our friends at Black Flys have got you set for Summer with two fresh pairs of shades. For the guys they have the McFly Limited, how’s it hanging McFly? And the ladies aren’t forgotten either with the slick Flyvacious.

Check out more at www.flys.com Lastly, new online tee store Squeakytee.com.au has a free tee of their choice for one lucky reader. Choose from any of their brands including American Apparel, Das Monk, Mooks, BamBam and many more.

stockists +613 9687 1618 www.hakan.com.au shot by david rosendale www.davidrosendale.com.au

toys r ours

Selection by Callum Vass

War In Heaven Designer: Squidboy www.squidboy.com

Benny The Barb

Sucklord 600

Designer: STASH! Manufacturer: Medicom

Heroes & Heartbreakers Designer: Ryan Bubnis Manufacturer: Kidrobot

Designer: Suckadelic

www.ryanbubnis.com

www.suckadelic.com

Mugs Bunny JAW Designer: Luke Chueh Manufacturer: Strangeco. www.lukechueh.com

Pedro Pistol Plush Designer: Michelle Valigura www.michellevaligura.com

Ice Bunny

Designer: Husky Kevin www.kevinscreature.com

Miss November 1978 Designer: Paul Pope www.playboy.com

Bulletto

Designer: Tokidoki www.tokidoki.it

Cap’n Bounch

Designer: Bounty Hunter x AROFOS http://bounty-hunter.com

The Masked Karimbah Designer: Paul Pope

http://pulphope.blogspot.com/

Barack Obama Designer: Jailbreak www.jailbreaktoys.com

Jeremiah The Innocent Designer: Daniel Johnston

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www.kidrobot.com

Buckeye Rot Designer: Sket One www.sket-one.com

Sharpest Sprayer Series Designer: MADL

www.madtoydesign.com

Heroes of Burgertown Designer: Jon Burgerman www.jonburgerman.com

Chouchou

Designer: Gary Baseman Manufacturer: Intheyellow

Lost Kubricks

www.garybaseman.com

www.medicomtoystore.com

Designer: Medicom

toy news Murko Patriot Version Designer: 10.Deep

Gama-Go Deathbot vLederhosen

www.tenthdivision.com

Frank Kozik x Ludwig Van Anyone who has seen Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece A Clockwork Orange will be familiar with the Beethoven statue Alex has in his prison cell. Made of vinyl and standing at 14” there are 13 colourways, 50 of each, available in different stores. They do look a bit like Monsters In Your Pocket though…

Radioactive Pork Dumpling Designer: Shawnimals www.shawnimals.com

www.gama-go.com

Hugh Hefner Peecol Designer: Eboy Manufacturer: Kidrobot www.playboy.com

Nightmare Dunny

Scurvy Nevil

Designer: Jeremyville

Designer: Craola Manufacturer: Strangeco.

www.jeremyville.com

www.imscared.com

Mickey Mouse x Mario On a day to day basis I often wonder what Mickey and Mario would look like if they had a lovechild in Chernobyl.

Dave Bondi has created Akashi, his hybrid of the two characters, which is actually kinda cool.

Da Sharky & Spit-Fire Sharky Designer: Tim Tsui

www.teamzero.com.hk

Shaolin Mark Student Designer: Veggiesomething www.veggiesomething.com

Big Bob Slug Ancient Version Designer: Frank Kozik

Gardener DJ Panda

www.fkozik.com

Designer: Michael Lau www.michaellau-art.com

Sam

Designer: MCA

Ripple Marshmellow

Medicom x The Hundreds Incase you’ve been living under a rock with no internet, then you will have no doubt heard about The Hundreds mascot/icon Adam Bomb being brought to, err, life with a collaboration with Medicom. It comes neatly packed in a wooden crate and the toy itself is weighted in such a way that it it sits in the correct angle of the actual logo. Cop it off Digital Gravel(.com) if still available for $US97.

Designer: Sket One www.sket-one.com

Monkey King Earth Edition Daft Daft Punk 400% Kumaru-Kun

Designer: Bounty Hunter

Designer: Daft Art Manufacturer: Medicom

Designer: Nathan Jurevicius www.scarygirl.com

www.daftpunk.com

http://bounty-hunter.com

Giant Skuttle

Golem

Two Guns Up & Grunge Mickey

Invisble Mask Bud

www.touma.biz

tragnark.com

www.medicomtoystore.com

www.jamungo.com

Designer: Touma

Designer: Tragnark

Designer: Medicom

Designer: Threezero X Jamungo

Villain Custom Show This December Melbourne store Villain are hosting their own custom toy gallery at No Vacancy Gallery with too many artists featured to list, launching on the 12th December (6-9pm) and running through to the 22nd of December.

Check the website www.villainstore. com for more info or visit their store 554 Sydney Rd. Brunswick VIC.

case study

Words by Andrew Montell Photos by Michael Danischewski

5

1 // 8

RYE RYE

The bubbly seventeen year old straight outta Baltimore known as Rye Rye was in town recently for // her first Australian tour. We were lucky enough to catch

her for a tour of her suitcase before she jetted off home to complete her debut album. Like most women travelers she doesn’t exactly pack light, so rather than showing you everything, we’ve picked out a few highlights. The key words to Rye Rye’s style are ‘loud colours’ and she has paid little attention to labels when buying her clothing (hence the lack of details below). The influence of M.I.A who has executive produced Rye Rye’s album and recently toured the U.S. with her is obvious.

1// I have this jacket which is by M.I.A [Recording artist M.I.A recently debuted her fashion line].

I also have this chain from home, it’s Juicy Couture.

2// This is another item by MIA’s designer, it’s a short jumpsuit. I brought a lot of summer stuff because I thought it was gonna be hot here!

2

3// I have these Nikes, gotta have some nikes!

4// Another item from M.I.A. I haven’t worn this yet.

5// This is a crazy print t-shirt. It was a whole shirt but we did some cuttin’ on here.

I always bring my hair comb. It’s my favourite and every time I take pictures I have that comb with me.

24 - 25 case study

6// I got these shoes by Keds. They’re pretty ragged now. They were given to me by someone in Philly. They’re the most comfortable shoes that I have and I always slip them on with anything.

7// I have these shades which were given to me by some guy at a video shoot I was doing. My DJ always wears them.

8// My main earrings. They’ve got my name in there. I got them made at home. I had another pair and I kept losing them when I was on tour with M.I.A. Everything happened to the last pair, like they got stolen off stage, I got it back, then it got lost on the tour bus for days before I found it again then at the last stage they just flew out everywhere and were just gone. So I actually just got these made a week and a half ago.

Rye Rye’s debut album is tentatively scheduled to release in March 09 on Interscope.

4

3

6

7

26 - 27 fly gurl

fly gurl

Photos by Emma Slater Hair by Lauraine Bailey

Makeup by Alicia Samuels Styling and Art Direction by INSA

This Pic // Not Bad For a Girl Hoodie // Hellz Bellz Leggings Right // www.insa-heels // Cholala collaboration by INSA and House of Bias Rubber leggings and Shirt Top Right // Cholala collaboration by INSA and House of Bias Rubber leggings // Hellz Bellz T-shirt and Jacket // For the Love of Graff by INSA Spraycan Opposite page // Cholala collaboration by INSA and House of Bias Rubber shorts and Braces

Words by Alex Weiland

INS PICA’s K

SJ “I was 18 when I got my first tattoos which were on my feet.

I guess I’m attracted to the fact that they are permanent and you can create a canvas using your own skin. Each tattoo marks a point in your life at that very time which you will never forget.” You won’t forget the face (or body) of English model SJ anytime soon either. Covered in tatts and a drummer in a band, SJ also lists getting her hair and nails did as past-times. And thus is the enigma of SJ, a fizzy mixture of sugar and spice.

Hand-picked by London artist INSA, The 21 year old SJ was molded into an INSA flavoured chola-girl fantasy. “I like putting my personality across through my pictures and having the opportunity to play about with different styles. You have to act out a character through the images and it’s a lot of fun!” she explains of the process. “INSA’s inspirational for sure. He works through many different media and I think that’s what truly makes the work. There was so much to look at in the studio that I kept getting distracted, I was really impressed.”

So when SJ’s not head to toe in latex and strutting for ACCLAIM, what else does she love doing? “Well obviously I like getting tattooed as you can see! Getting my hair and nails done. I play drums in my band and go out drinking J.D with the boys. I run my own clothing company (www. builtforsin.co.uk) which takes up a lot of my spare time, but I enjoy it, so it’s all good!”

Streetwear, liquor and tattoos? SJ, you sound like our kinda girl, even if you do admit to listening to Motley Crue.

streetwear

Words by Sarah Jane Owen

Hellz Bellz

GIRLS ON THE STREET

Made Me

WOMEN’S STREETWEAR THE NEW GEN PART 1

//

Women’s streetwear went wack a few years back with a hiatus of fresh labels on the scene. The ladies market was just gagging for some girls game enough to take it on.

Thankfully some mama’s took up the challenge, dropping a bunch of new brands who are now carving it up on the catwalk. Meet Hellz Bellz, MadeMe and DimePiece, labels purely for the ladies delivering dope designs like no other.

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Canadian native cum Brooklyn bunny, Erin, is a 28 year old single mummy to her baby MadeMe, which she popped out just last year.

Frustrated and fed up with always rocking boys’ brands, Erin gave up her social life and started designing her own steez.

“I work at Supreme from 10.30am to 7pm everyday. I do MadeMe before and after that. Also, I work all weekend on my baby MadeMe. Working at Supreme has shown me exactly what to do to make my brand successful and most of what I learned about having my own brand came through my work experience at Supreme. I have been exposed to all aspects of the business from design, to production, to graphics, to retail and merchandising. My experience there has been so valuable to MadeMe.” Stealing her inspiration from design ‘zines, fashion shows, parties and peeps on the street, Erin has a really apparent flare for being fresh, forward thinking and going where the rest of the girl gangs will only gawk at.

“For Spring 2009 there is a huge sportswear influence. I am using a lot of Mesh and Spandex. Get on that bike girl! Trust me, when you

see it you are going to be pleasantly surprised! I would also like to mention the t-shirt collaboration I am doing for Holiday 2008 with Natalie from Nina Sky. She writes graffiti, I don’t think anyone knows that really, but she does and she does it well. So we are dropping a Tee for MadeMe holiday collection. Look out for it – it’s dope.”

Erin has always worn, and still does rock the likes of Supreme, Umbro by Kim Jones and Adidas which are all obvious influences in her love of sport and street led lines. Her own collections have released purple leather bomber jackets, geometric print leggings and button down flannels, which are a world away from the suits and ties Erin wore as a fifth grader.

Armed with a mantra to never “make anything I wouldn’t wear” Erin sits tight on not showing too much skin with where the brand is headed. Asked whether she sees her baby still succeeding in five years, Erin shot back with a fiery response.

“MadeMe is going to be crazy in 5 years. You won’t be able to keep up. I can’t believe you asked me that!”

Lanie is another solo sister, single handedly bringing Hellz Bellz to the scene back in mid ’05. Coming from a graphic design background, and working her way through an internship with an apparel line, Lanie was getting over designing for the ‘man’ and so launched her own label. Asked where the hot brand name came from, she explained that “I kept coming across the name. First I saw it from the old movie Hell’s Belles and I later heard it again when the song Hells Bells from AC/DC came on the radio. There’s a lyric in that song that goes, ‘If good’s on the left, then I’m sticking to the right’ and that was a perfect representation of my graphic style and

Made Me

Made Me

Dime Piece

Hellz Bellz

simply how I am as a person. I’m never one to follow with the rest of the pack.

I’m very leftfield or out the box, whatever you want to call it. I’m that girl who’s going to do what I love and say what I have to say despite what everyone else thinks or has to say. And voila, Hellz Bellz came into fruition.”

Hellz Bellz’ look is defined by a real O.G. style with lots of statement tees as collection staples. You can get ‘F**k Off’ or ‘Head Bitch In Charge’ splashed across titty-tight tees accompanied by soft-core porn pics. Take your pick.

Back in the day before Lanie wore her own threads she drew inspiration from

“I will always be on the look out for what’s going on in the streets. That’s the best way to keep me on my toes” Triple 5 Soul, Stussy and Megami Boogie whilst she was slaving away “putting in so much energy toward another person’s gain.” She was constantly being shut down for being “too creative” or “too forward” so really pushed herself to design out of work hours and build up her own brand. Now at her 16th collection and with a posse of six in the office, Hellz is iconic in leading the pussy pack, getting global attention and leveraging a true street style status.

Dime Piece

“Before DimePiece, we were talking about creating DimePiece. Laura and I were both finishing up our degrees and praying our little business venture would work! We’ve always been about women making a mark and impact in whatever genre or field they belong to, and so we wanted to do the same with DimePiece.”

It’s hardly flush then to know that the name DimePiece contains some freshass feminist ideas.

“We mean for the term to be ironic. The term ‘DimePiece’ can be about physicality, even a little degrading to women. But that depends on the one judging. A DimePiece (in our book) is a woman who is unique unto herself and doesn’t place herself to any categories. She is self-governing, has something to say, intelligent and knows how to work what she’s given. We’re a tad bit feminist so we wanted to choose a term that was coined by men and turn it around so that women begin to look at the term differently.”

The threads these girls are sewing are definitely fit for the feisty femme fatale and DimePiece have left nothing to the imagination with their totally down designs. Top sellers include L.A. map leggings as well as the ‘Obsession’ (naked chest picture) tee. Not to mention their slick double-decker logo which replaces both letter ‘i’s’ with a stylized lipstick. The girls are currently knocking out the fourth collection which Ashley describes as “more contemporary and has a whole lot of boldness.” She picks ‘metal’ as the trend to keep your lenses on and a lack of individuality as the fattest issue facing fashion.

“The original consumer. Where are you? We’ve moved into this sad mediabased society where all that is popular is essentially decided by the media, celebs, popular T.V. shows, etc. They tell us what’s cool and we go with it. I’d love to see more fashion innovators, who are solid in their opinion of fashion, don’t follow mass trends, are creative and unique unto themselves and more accepting of different styles when they’re introduced.”

“Hellz stands out amongst the rest of the female brands out there because it doesn’t fall into a particular look or trend. Rather than looking to what everyone else is doing or wearing I look toward music, books, and movies for inspiration. But I will always be on the look out for what’s going on in the streets. That’s the best way to keep me on my toes and motivated to design to the best of my ability.”

DimePiece comes with twice the trouble as a double dose from Cali girls, Ashley and Laura. Fresh out of college and armed with their degrees the twosome launched DimePiece into the market just last year, and as Ashley puts it ‘we didn’t want to be post grads working in an office 9-5.’

MORE TO COME

Peep our next issue for more ground breaking women’s streetwear labels in part two of this feature.

STREETWEAR

Words by Anthony Costa

THE HUNDREDS A HUNDRED MILES AND RUNNING

From online blip to a global brand, the success of The Hundreds has made headlines everywhere, right up to // the New York Times. But co-founder Bobby Hundreds isn’t

30 - 31 streetwear

taking it too seriously. “We make clothing. We’re not doing open-heart surgery or fighting in Iraq”. We spoke to Bobby and his sidekick Scotty for the inside word on all things Hundreds.

The Hundreds serves up breezy, Californian irreverence with an occasionally straight, socially conscious edge. The brand’s laid back, open attitude is evident in the way it uses its blog to fuse personality into the label and keep an eye-to-eye connection with its fans. For Scotty, this link is a vital part of the brand’s business model. “Kids/teens tend to have a very low attention span in the internet generation, and we have to do the best possible job to keep The Hundreds fresh and exciting for our consumers”. For Bobby, it’s about giving back. “If it weren’t for these kids, we wouldn’t be where we’re at today. The least we can do for them is answer a few questions and give ‘em a little inspiration to get through their day”.

Ironically for a brand that has prospered as much as anyone from the online “streetwear” boom, Bobby still sees The Hundreds as a black sheep, at odds with the “…coolguy, streetwear elite”. The label, which was conceived when Bobby met co-founder Ben Hundreds at law school, emerged from outside the realm where most fashion labels or subcultural icons are born. “We didn’t earn our ranks in this game by standing on the shoulders of industry friends, or [by being] hoisted up by the hands of veterans”, says Bobby. “Hell yeah, it’s a great thing, the BEST thing, to be an outsider. That’s what streetwear is about, and always has been”.

Aesthetically, The Hundreds also rubs against the grain with the bold summer colours that typically find their way into each season’s mix. At a time when street fashion is going for a more mature, monochrome look, Scotty doesn’t see The Hundreds following the pack anytime soon. “There is definitely a lack of creative energy within this culture of “streetwear,”… While many brands and collections have begun to steer towards the more traditional colours, specifically black and white, there is not a lack of colours.

The consumer likes bright colours moreso than tonal colourways”.

But like any creative brand there’s always an identifiable hook, a single breakthrough piece that gets people talking. For Bobby The Hundreds’ biggest hit is undoubtedly the Adam Bomb character.

“Our customers can’t get enough of him. I have a love/hate relationship with that guy! Hahaha.. Sometimes, he is too powerful, even over me.”

So are there any surprises on the Hundreds radar? Scotty reels off a few to look out for: Medicom Japan x The Hundreds, Disney x The Hundreds, and our artist series featuring art from Usugrow, Mr. 44, Tofer, Robbie Canal, and David Choe. Bobby’s more circumspect.

There’s nothing hiding up his sleeve. “When it comes to The Hundreds, we hold NOTHING back”.

THE HUNDREDS CONSUMER

The Hundreds as a brand has definitely matured, as well as expanded [...] Our Public Label is driven more towards the fashion forward/contemporary mens consumer who is well educated on fashion, fabrics, cuts, details, as well as the long process of creating a well-manicured timeless piece. The tastes of our consumer have matured along with The Hundreds brand. Our demographic has grown to include many kids aged 10-14 who are drawn to the bright colors and cartoonish logo, at the same time attracting the 18-35 year old crowd with subtle pieces to suite all styles.

STREETWEAR

Words by PJ Smith

Wrongwroks

Ain’t Nuthin Wrong With the Wroks

Hailing from Hong Kong and now based in Vancouver, Canada, Wrongwroks is a brand that pulls no punches // when giving the proverbial wink to its points of influence,

be that pop culture, fast food or high fashion. It’s a label born of global culture that has traversed both the planet and the fine line between innovation and imitation.

The idea of referencing something, be it the common or the obscure and putting your own ‘twist’ on it is now basically as old as shit. That however doesn’t mean that we still don’t love it, it just means that when it’s attempted it has to be able to move beyond the original reference and take on a life of its own. Wrongwroks as a brand has been able to carve itself a nice little niche in the streetwear market doing just this.

32 - 33 streetwear

The name Wrongwroks is actually the same name used by the brand’s creator, who is also an artist. Tees, hoodies and bags all came about after the demand for his limited-run screen prints increased and now all fit under the same moniker of the artistcome-label Wrongwroks. It is a progression that was a natural one for Wroks, “When you’re making artworks and the audience cannot consume it quite well, you will try to fit into their category where they can consume it and t-shirts and apparel are very big these days”.

The cultural references come at you from all angles with Wroks and are simply an excursion into the personal interests of the artist.

“Everything I make and produce by Wrongwroks is all based on my personal preferences, like McDonalds, Ralph Lauren, Supreme, Mona Lisa, Comm De Garcons, Doradimon, Sponge Bob, all my fave!”

Wrong Wroks may be from Hong Kong originally but is yet to see success in his hometown, “I’m sorry to say that, they are ‘brand’ oriented, they will go to ‘good’ restaurants that magazines promote, advertising, some celebrities suggested, etc. They don’t have their own preferences, their preference is from magazines or from the internet. If you are a superstar and you say this is my brand, it’s cool, they like it, they follow. So my stuff is not popular at all in Hong

Kong” Wroks muses. “It’s sad but that’s how it works. I never put money into promoting or pushing in magazines or ads, so it’s not as famous as other brands, because I don’t invest, but if you like it, you like it. I like how things work in this way.”

“McDonalds, Ralph Lauren, Supreme, Mona Lisa, Comm De Garcons, Doradimon, Sponge Bob, all my fave!”

Although for Wrongwroks the main output is now apparel, the process of creating print-works has become no less important and allows for Wrongwroks to still get his hands dirty. “(The) tees are all printed by machines now, where I used to print my own shirts and it was fun! ‘Cause you’d value every single shirt you made, you are proud of them, you tell your friends, “hey I printed that, every single one”, but now it’s getting popular and I can’t print any of them, so I switch that energy to prints, to some more “art” forms, where people collect, people pay more to put it up on the wall, to appreciate. You know, it’s just another way to see things or keep things.”

When asked what the next big trend in streetwear might be Wrongwroks replies “It will be something very tricky, you will see, it (will be) something nobody’s ever done, to be honest, it’s tired, I mean, I know what I’m doing… But sometimes I will feel tired like...

Why do we have to wear all these things or graphics like all different all the time?

STREETWEAR

Words by Alex Weiland

SYKE

The Art is in the Details What began as a part-time creative outlet from a monotonous working life, quickly grew to a full-time // career for Tri, designer and mastermind behind Melbourne

streetwear label Syke. Yet despite the label’s rapid growth Tri has always maintained a distinctly hands on role with the brand. We chat to Tri about how the streetwear game has evolved in Australia and what is to come for the homegrown label.

Having been in the streetwear game for so long (Syke was established in 1998), how have you seen the industry change in this time?

I think the industry has changed greatly since we started. It’s forever changing and you have to be able to move and change, to be one step ahead. In the early days, it was easy to start up a brand and gain support from retail stores as well as the public. Today stores/buyers are reluctant to take risks with up-and-comers.

There are heaps of brands out there now, from the three minute fad/trend brands, to the highly established with heaps of history and credibility, all fighting for their piece of the pie. There’s heaps of competition. For Syke, it’s a back to basics approach to garments, with more attention paid to the finer details. There is also more artistic freedom towards prints and subject matter.

34 - 35 streetwear

How did Syke get started?

Syke was an outlet for my creative release as I was stuck in a mindless job, it is fortunate that I was able to progress with the times and make a living out of it.

Do you illustrate all of your designs?

Yes, it’s the most enjoyable part of my day.

Where do you get inspiration for your designs?

Street art culture. Either walking the streets or through books and magazines.

You’ve said Japanese graphics have influenced your style, how so?

I love Japanese art in general, from anime to traditional woodblock prints and tattoos. I always use elements like waves, floral or clouds within my prints as it is used to create movement from an otherwise static print. It’s similar to the tattoos where the background is part of the overall image. It makes my prints more intricate and detailed.

Do you think living in Melbourne has influenced the label creatively?

Melbourne is one of the most creative cities in the world and I’m fortunate enough to be part of it.

How do you find being an Australian streetwear designer? Does it differ to other countries?

There are more opportunities in Australia as a designer. It’s good that Australia has its own vibe and pace, it allows you to develop an individual identity and not care what the rest of the world is doing.

“it’s a back to basics approach to garments, with more attention paid to the finer details.”

Any collaborations or special projects coming up for Syke?

Working on an LA launch mid next year to coincide with Magic tradeshow in Las Vegas. It’s a big step for us so we’ll keep you posted.

Finally, what kind of person wears Syke?

Those who appreciate art and the details that we put onto our garments.

On the Syke Stereo

In the background at the moment is Lake of Fire by Nirvana, Unplugged in New York, but really anything that itunes dishes out. The music selection is quite broad in the studio, as we don’t have a designated disc jockey.

Y T IR D Y R D 5 1 N 7 8 6 U A L

Models // Yasm in Schonian, Bo ris Models from ya Walter, Cavill Sarre sminpromotio ns.com Photographer // Arun Thongj Makeup // Sh arryn Sinclair aj (W asphair.com.au) Hair // Tammy Br az ie r (Wasph Stylist // Benjam in Menzies for air.com.au) High www.highsand s & Lows lows.net.au

Zoo York button up shirt, Zoo York sailor front shorts, Nike Women’s Blazer, (in basket) Flying Coffin ‘Stained’ Tee, Adidas ‘Scattered’ Tee // 10 Deep ‘Truth Hurts’ tee, Stussy Rain Camo short, Ksubi Padgett sunglasses, Adidas ‘Strider’ shoes // Stussy nylon Admiral Cap, Schwipe ‘oz eye’ tee, Levi’s Roadie Short, Vans Sk8 Hi LX, CD Design ‘Gladiator’ chain.

THIS PAGE // Zoo York striped tank, Zoo York denim button up shorts NEXT PAGE // 10 Deep ‘Secret’ fitted cap, Mishka ‘Secret Weapon’ tee. // Zoo York print tee, Zoo York button up skirt.

PREVIOUS PAGE // 10 Deep ‘Deeper Dots’ hat, Perks and Mini ‘Handplant’ tee, CD Design ‘Gladiator’ chain // Zoo York Zoo Crew tee THIS PAGE // Kangol Check Cap, Flying Coffin ‘Single Bolt’ tee, Nudie ‘Average Joe’ jeans, Reebok ‘Reverse Jam’ shoes. // Zoo York button up dress.

HAL ‘Lies and Hoes’ tee, Levi’s 538 Jean, Pointer Debaser shoes // Zoo York print tee, Zoo York skinny zip-side jeans, Nike Women’s Blazer shoes 10 Deep ‘Unionized’ tee, Nudie ‘Average Joe’ jeans, Pointer Seeker 3 shoes.

sneakers

Section by Ankia

Industry Pro Mighty Mi

My name is Milo Berger AKA DJ Mighty Mi. I’m currently living and DJing in Las Vegas, after a lifetime of living on the East Coast (NYC, Philly, Boston). I’ve been an addict of sneakers, hip-hop and basketball for // 20+ years now (yikes). I probably have about 300 pairs of kicks in my collection, with the central theme being

1988. To me, the glory years of sneakers, hip-hop, and b-ball centered around the late ‘80s. These are the years that shaped my sense of style, culture and outlook on life. Growing up in Philadelphia, I would walk out of my house to Chestnut Street, where there were eight record stores and ten sneaker stores to choose from. In one day’s shopping, I might cop the new Jordan III’s, and the new Kool G Rap album. Now, 20 years later, times have definitely changed. I feel very fortunate to have been a teenager in those years as I think they gave me my whole style, even to date. www.myspace.com/djmightymi

Mighty Mi’s all time kicks:

Nike Air Jordan III

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AKA the “My Philosophies” To me, the Jordan III is the greatest sneaker of all time, especially the black and cement ones.

Lately they’ve been dubbed the “My Philosophies” because of KRS ONE wearing them in the video for the aforementioned song. A true mid cut style, the Jordan III is like the Porsche 911 of kicks.

It’s sleek and stylish and looks good with jeans, slacks, shorts or sweats. Not to mention, it’s not a bad sneaker for ball either. Dropped originally in 1988, the III brings back memories of a great time in hip-hop, b-ball and kicks.

Adidas Forum

AKA the “Johnny Dawkins” The Adidas Centennial surfaced in approx 1986.

Worn by the Duke Blue Devils team in the 1986 national championship game, Johnny Dawkins and crew made these suede beauties pop off. A combination of Adidas’ finest craftsmanship, the centennial is a morphing of sorts of the Forum and the Decade. The late ‘80s were definitely the glory years for sneakers and basketball, and the centennial was as ill as any of its competitors.

Nike Air Max ‘95

I became a fan of the Clyde recently after my boy Adam started working and designing for Puma.

In previous years I had connected them to MC Shan and drug related rappers (laughs). Then I tried them on and loved them. Because they’re so flat, they look real good with jeans and slacks.

They’re also real comfortable. If you can deal with the mid-sole scuffing after one wear, you’ll put them into your daily rotation.

Nike Mac Attacks

My first non-basketball kick, the Nike Mac Attacks were made for Jon McEnroe in 1985.

Made in just one colourway (grey, green, black) the Mac Attacks were the poster-child of class.

The sole was designed like a checkerboard to match the McEnroe gear that they sold at the time. Unlike Jordan, McEnroe didn’t necessarily make the kicks look better by wearing them. His style was unorthodox and a bit sloppy, but his kicks were fresh!

Adidas Centennial

AKA the first $100 sneaker For a major part of my life, the Adidas Forum was my favorite sneaker. I own about 100 pairs of them from low-top to high-top to patent leather to suede. Growing up in Philadelphia, I first fell in love with the Forum after seeing the Temple University basketball team rocking burgundy on white ones. Whereas the Jordan III is like a Porsche, these are more like a mac truck. The Forums are made so solid, I never had to retire a pair because of too much wear.

The greatest running sneaker of all time, in my book. These joints basically changed the outlook of running kicks in 1995. Both astonishing in style and performance, the 95 made it cool to rock running kicks. Females especially looked real fly in 95’s when they dropped. I’m mostly a fan of a woman in heels, but a chick can look real sexy in a pair of 95’s.

Puma Clyde’s

Timberland 速 Euro Hiker Available in White Asparagus and Butter Pecan from Foot Locker and selected TIMBERLAND stores and stockists.

GENERAL ENQUIRIES (03) 8878 3000

NEW RELEASES

Words and Selection by Ankia

Adidas Gazelle Skate

Nike ACG J Blazer x Cassette Playa

UK clothing label Cassette Playa have hooked up with Nike to release the ACG J Blazer. An intense and vibrant sneaker, the design features a combination of snakeskin and croc prints on a bright orange upper, green heel tab and purple sole. The release date is still TBC, however I’m sure you wont miss these bad boys when they drop.

This is one of the illest colourways Adidas have dropped in the Gazelle range in a little while, featuring a maroon upper with white accents and hints of gold, constructed completely of suede, this shoe’s got that real cool throwback aesthetic.

Nike Dunk Hi Supreme Spark Pack

The Nike Dunk Hi Supreme Spark Pack consists of three colourways; black, green and red, each features a fading upper on patent leather. Featured on the tongue is a basketball mascot in the same colour. The mid sole matches the upper giving the shoe a nice fluid look.

Nike Air Max LTD 2

The latest in the classic Nike Air Max LTD 2 model, this is one of the best colourways released so far; the white, silver and black colour-scheme gives the shoe a sophisticated and clean finish with neck breaking appeal.

Nike Air Tailwind 92 LE - White / Red – Yellow

The Nike Air Tailwinds will be released in two colourways, this particular one features crimson red and white uppers with yellow and black accents. The shoe also features a combination of leather and mesh to enhance ventilation.

Married To The Mob x Nike Dunk Hi Supreme

One of my favourite brands; NYC’s Married To The Mob comes correct once again with another sneaker collaboration, this time MOB have hooked up with Nike to produce the Married To The Mob Dunk Hi Supreme. Great detailing on this sneaker with white woven cotton combined with black patent leather on the upper and classy gold touches in the form of MOB lacelocks and logos. Super limited release, get your street camping on when these drop.

Barneys x Converse

Converse have teamed up with Barneys New York to create a premium adaptation of the Chuck Taylor. The Barneys Chuck Taylor are produced in perforated leather and available in several colourways – white, red, black and gold. A nice switch up of a classic sneaker.

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Nike “The LeBrons”

Nike have unleashed “The LeBrons”, a special pack of footwear from the Zoom LeBron Six collection that takes its inspiration from the four popular LeBrons characters that were featured in all the Nike LeBron commercials. Designed to reflect the personalities of the four LeBrons characters, “Athlete LeBron”, “Business LeBron”, “Kid LeBron” and “Wise LeBron”, “The LeBrons” sneakers also feature a photo of the character on the inside of the tongue as well as a silhouette of the character along the sock liner of the sneaker. These are limited edition sneakers and unfortunately only available in select locations across America.

Nike Air Max 1 Alife Holiday 08 PHANTACi - The Grand collection

Taipei based sneaker store Phantaci are celebrating their one year anniversary with the release of their very own signature Nike Air Max 1. The Air Max 1 Phanataci is also known as The Grand due to the grand piano inspired design.

The sneaker features a mixture of white, pink, black and gold colours with a combination of patent and full leather.

As part of their Holiday 2008 footwear collection, New York’s Alife have released new additions to their established Everybody Hi and Mid lines.

Check out the Everybody Hi Lumberjack pack, this pack consists of three colourways; white, blue and green and for the Everybody Mid - Alife have kept it simple and clean with monotone uppers on clean white sole. Fresh.

SNEAKERS

Words by Miles McKirdy

CUSTOM ARTIST

DANA WOuLFE // ILLSIDE INK

An artistic grandma, a tight graffiti crew and an appreciation of sneakers is the foundation for // Converse Designer/Sneaker Customiser, Dana Woulfe.

Based in Boston, USA, Dana came to the attention of sneaker heads worldwide with his customised sneakers which rolled on tour with ‘Sneaker Pimps’. Want more of Dana Woulfe, read on!

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

Strangely enough, I always wanted to be an artist. I was brought up in an artistic family and my grandmother, a working illustrator, influenced me greatly.

How did you get into sneakers?

Through my passion for art. In highschool I loved art and started taking an interest in graffiti which expanded into sneakers and street culture. After graduating In 2001 I did some freelance work customising sneakers and got some commissions through Project Sf. This was a graffiti crew full of different strengths and styles. A friend in the crew began to educate me about sneakers and my view changed from appreciating sneakers to becoming a sneakerhead.

What is your favourite sneaker, standard and customised?

I’m biased but it’s definitely the Converse Chuck Taylor. It’s an original and the basis for so many different brand designs today.

For customising, the two favourites would be my Tagur shoe and the Super Roo for Sneaker Pimps. But again, I love the Cons’ Chuck; it’s literally the perfect blank canvas for any customiser.

What shoes are you wearing right now?

The Converse Century Project Poorman Hi’s in Protein Black.

What’s in the pipeline for Dana Wolfe?

I’ve just finished a 9x12 ft piece with a member of Project Sf for Bodega, Boston. I’m also working on an Obama action figure for Jailbreak Toys in NYC, designing for Converse, working with Project Sf and on some personal pieces.

For more info check out Dana’s websites: illsideink.com // projectsf.com

know your classics

48 - 49 SNEAKERS

Nike Dunk Way before Nike Air Jordans reigned supreme, the Nike Dunks dominated basketball. Originally released in 1985 as a basketball sneaker, the Nike Dunk ruled the college courts. With the release of the Dunk, Nike linked up with a selection of college basketball teams across America to lock down exclusive footwear deals, called the ‘College Colours’ program, Nike would produce custom colourways for each team. A very clever marketing move, as the Dunks gained national exposure via organised national tournaments such as the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Basketball Tournament where the Dunk, subsequently was the prominent sneaker worn during the 1985-86 games. The Nike Dunk was worn by such universities as Syracuse, Michigan, Maryland, UNLV and Arizona. The Dunk could be coordinated with any basketball team, the sneaker came with two different coloured sets of laces and a matching box and it was one of the major catalysts of the colourway explosion. The Dunk also served as the blueprint to the Nike Air Jordan 1 sneaker. Giving into demand Nike reissued the Dunk in 1998, the reissue spawned numerous exclusive, special collaborations and limited releases, which cemented the dunk as a true subcultural icon. The original Nike Dunk, to this day, remains one of the most highly sought after sneakers.

For stockists call: (03) 9427 9422 • www.eckounltd.com

shopping

Words and photos by Chris Wall

INSA’s London Shopping Guide Not one to tread the standard model when doing anything, INSA asked me to write this shopping guide for // him (documenting a perfect INSA shopping day as it were).

“Rather than just write a list of shops…” he explained, “let’s go out, you document the day and I’ll show you where I like to go”.

For the last year I have seen INSA dressed almost exclusively in standard issue Dickies or Ben Davies suits, obligatory rare sneakers and his own kangol headgear. With such regimented taste, I knew from the off that this wasn’t just going to be your bog standard ‘shopping trip’. I had a sneaky suspicion that the day was probably going to involve a number of trips to some quality public houses and super cool haunts where we could spend our hard earned P’s.

50 - 51 shopping

Soho First off was the famous Carnaby street. This turned out to be more of a trip down memory lane than an actual spending spree, as INSA explained that the city’s premier streetwear shop BOND sadly had to close its doors many months ago due to over inflated rent prices. Fortunately it’s not all doom and gloom for those who want to spend. If you are in the area places worthy of note are SIZE on the main strip of Carnaby street (with a healthy selection of limited trainers) and San Fran’s famous export Upper Playground is a stones throw away on Kingly Street. Close by is Hideout and Bape who both offer a range of nice but heinously overpriced gear, as well as some of the most arrogant staff in the history of the world.

For those of you with a camo fetish and lust for all things Futura or Michael Lau, Maharishi’s DPMH is a 5 minute walk on Lexington Street and as well as having three storeys of goodness, they often have great in store gigs and exhibitions by the likes of Kool Kids, Mode 2 etc.

Leaving snowpants behind us INSA lead me round the corner to one of his favorite pubs: The John Snow. Housed on the corner of Broadwick Street, The John Snow will get you two pints of decent lager and change from a fiver, which is a rarity in the whole of London, never mind Soho.

East London A couple of quick ones and a thirty minute bus ride later took us to East London’s coolest new clobber establishment GoodHood, which INSA was really keen to show me.

He introduced me to Jo and Kyle, the friendly owners who stock a handpicked selection of bright bold graphic garments from quality brands like Perks and Mini, Cassette Playa, Fuct and Woodward as well as their new exclusive range of co-lab products with R.Newbold.

After getting hooked up with some goodness and waving goodbye, we moved swiftly into a game of ‘spot the wayfarers’ (counting how many pairs of hipster Ray Bans you can see as you walk the streets of East London… we managed 52 in half an hour!) and before we knew it we were at the top of the bagel shops, market stalls and crazy bustle of Brick Lane.

About halfway down is Brick Lane’s Dray Walk, which has much to offer and trainer fanatics can gorge on the deadstock wonders in Gloria’s (cockney rhyming slang for trainers don’t you know). Three doors away is the new, huge branch of fierce independents Rough Trade who despite the mega-store front, still stock music from all and sundry, and shoppers are just as likely to find a dusty seven from a tiny punk label as they are from one of the majors.

Elephant and Castle Quickly INSA grew sick of being surrounded by hipsters so flattening out our visible sneers we upped sticks for Elephant and Castle. “But Why!??” anyone who frequents London town will cry! INSA was here to show me Elephant and Castle’s diamond in the dirt. Elephant and Castle may be “a shithole in the middle of a roundabout” (as INSA went on) “but it’s got more character than most other places – and it’s also got the best little known restaurant in the city”.

Shortly we arrived at INSA’s favorite eatery: La Bodeguita. The cavernous restaurant describes itself as ‘a little bit of Colombia in the heart of London’. After two minutes I knew the trek through this dodgier part of town was worthwhile. Utterly enormous steaks and insane 6 pint self-service beer towers quickly filled our table whilst a mental Columbian live band played in the background.

The clientele is heavily Columbian mixed with a smattering of indigenous locals who know to embrace the positivity their new neighbours have brought.

Feeling very full and pretty drunk, I thought we would be ending our evening here but we had one more stop to make. A new monthly night that INSA is a regular of called Trading Places- a night of 90s hip-hop, new jack swing and grime hosted by two of London’s blog power houses atribecallednext.com and themostinfluential.com, was a perfect mix of cool people, pretty ladies and good vibes- if you’re in London and it’s on, make sure you get there.

store profile

Words by Andrew Montell and Kyle Demers Photos by Robert Mayer

DAVE’S QUALITY MEAT NEW YORK

You’d be hard pressed to find a sneaker or streetwear blog without some mention of Dave’s Quality Meat these // days. The now iconic sneaker store designed by Dave Ortiz and his team, has surpassed the position of being only a retail space and is globally acknowledged as a brand with credibility and every sneaker brand is scrambling for the opportunity to collaborate. DQM brand manager Kyle Demers breaks it down for ACCLAIM. The Layout The first thing that sets DQM apart from the others is the aesthetics of the store. Its not your typical run of the mill sneaker store with big swooshes in the window or the word sole spelt funny in its name.

Instead it is set up like an old neighborhood butcher shop. With the idea that the neighborhood butcher was the only one you could really trust if you were looking for the freshest selection of goods.

We gave the store a five year birthday makeover. When the store was originally built it was designed to display about 20 pairs of shoes and a few t-shirts. five years later we have around 200 styles of shoes, tonnes of t’s, jackets, hats, bags, watches, glasses, etc... So it was only right to redesign the store to show these new products a little better, while still holding to the butcher theme.

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Dave…

Dave Ortiz has been a downtown NYC staple for many years. He’s gone from graffiti to throwing parties to throwing craze at Zoo York to now being co-owner [along with Chris Keeffe] of one of the best stores in NYC. The Products We carry Nike, Vans, and Adidas for shoes. As far as clothing the majority of it is our own brand, but we also carry a few other brands that we feel complement what we are doing like HUF, Mad Hectic and Reining Champ.

The Customers The customer that comes in daily are the skaters, bikers, and downtown derelicts. Basically the folks who are just like us. Because of them the word has spread to the masses, so we get people from all over the world now.

DQM’S LATEST

We are involved in the Adidas A-ZX project and our shoe will be releasing this month. We just released a British millerain waxed cotton bomber jacket, it’s a real nice waterproof, classic jacket. Everything got a little too crazy out there so DQM is trying to make some classic pieces that we can feel comfortable wearing everyday.

streetwear

Words and photos supplied by Stores Capital photo by Whatnot

GLOBAL STYLE GUIDE 54 - 55 streetwear

This Issue we continue with our spotlight of styles around the world courtesy of some of our favourite stores covering, Hawaii, New Zealand, Indonesia, United Kingdom and of course Australia. //streetwear

CAPITAL [JAKARTA]

GOODHOOD [LONDON]

Capital Twist beanie Capital Tartan L/S shirt Capital Cargo pants Short Vans x Supreme checkered sneakers

Norse Wood Camo 5 panel cap Double Goose Straight 3/4 Leather Down Jacket Vngrd Python skin Cardigan Woodwood Saturn White shirt Goodhood x R.Newbold Chinos Sperry Topsiders Brown

Jl. Panglima Polim 1 // No. 67c Jakarta 12160 // Indonesia Tel: 6221-72791748 www.capitaljakarta.com

41 Coronet Street London // N1 6HD // UK Tel: (+44) 0207 729 3600 www.goodhood.co.uk

LOADED [AUCKLAND & WELLINGTON]

57 High St, Auckland, New Zealand Ph: +64 (9) 302 3680// 76 Manners Mall, Wellington, New Zealand Ph: +64 4 381 2205

LACED [BRISBANE]

35 Adelaide St Brisbane, QLD, 4000 +61 7 3012 7888 www.laced.com.au

IN4MATION [HONOLULU]

Crooks and Castles t-shirt WESC jacket LoWER dungarees Reebok x ALIFE ers 5000

Crooks & Castles Goth Medusa tee Mishka Dead Eye Dick Flannel Mishka Smell Ya Later New Era cap WeSC X Stash co-lab Marwin Raw Selvage Denim Vans Era Black

In4mation Chiba jacket In4mation Morrisfits tee Knowledge Jean Lau pants Nike SB Unfutura sneakers

This is a classic look for our customer base, teaming New Zealand’s hottest emerging street label with some of the more prominent international brands.

NZ is known for its high-end fashion and being the more broody, darker younger sibling of Australia, this however is not the case with NZ streetwear.

The local kids love colour, bold logos and fresh designs.

You can’t get more basic than tee, jeans, and a flanno, and that’s where it’s at again for us this season. Baggy jeans and all-over print hoodies are sooo 5 minutes ago! The focus is on use of materials and the devil in the details. It’s become more about rockin’ classic pieces that match up with more than one pair of sneakers or outfit in your wardrobe, while still layin’ the swag down on fools. Stay Laced.

Here at In4mation in Hawaii, the shop’s been bringing in whatever’s new and underground.

What’s been happening is these brands are eventually turning into the new movers of the clothing / shoe industry from brands like Crooks and Hellz Bellz and Supra. Also our instore brand has turned into a full fledged brand being sold worldwide. With Hawaii comes good vibes and good customer service wherever you go.

1050 Ala Moana blvd.

Bay 5 & 6 Honolulu, Hawaii 96814 www.in4mants.com

t - shirts

Afends

56 - 57 t - shirts

Guttersnipe

Stones Throw

Photos by Jo Duck Tees available from digitalgravel.com except Afends (www.afends.com); Tbar (03 9417 6500) and Parlez (www.parlez.com.au)

mishka

Hippytree

Obey

Parlez

Afends

Okayplayer

Temple Effectiveness

BKTM

Dub

the SHOPPER

A wise man once said, ‘if time is money, spend it wisely’. Not sure exactly what that means to be honest, but I’m reading it as: when time ain’t on your side (or even when it is) why schlep around town going to a million different stores when you can find everything you need in the one spot. Capisce?

Ezekiel Teylor L/S Shirt $69.95 Ezekiel The Pack Tee $44.95

Ropeadope

TOM Festival Gear

10Deep

Wesc Zebra Mitch Tee $79.95 Ezekiel Darby Walkshort $79.95

Ezekiel Ez Rider 302 denim short $79.95 Lee Riders R2 Slim denim Short $89.95 Icon Belts from $30.95

Icon Grafitti Bag $84.95

Beautee and the Bullet

Wesc Icon Blocks Tee $69.95 Lee Riders R2 Slim denim Short $89.95

Stussy Intercity Tee $49.95

T-Bar

And enter the focus of our new section: SHOPPER. We give our assailant an hour and a brief and see what they can put together when unleashed on Basement. This time around it’s Basement’s own, Tom O’Rielly. Given he’s a veteran who’s clocked up around three years with the Basement crew, he knows his way around so this should be easy. The brief today, given our entry into Summer time (though you wouldn’t know it here in Melbourne) is festival attire. Tom makes it to a couple each year, he knows the deal here.

It’s about comfort but let’s face it, you gotta look good unless you want to be one of those scary dudes who carry water in a sack on their back with a straw attached, shit is wrong. Let’s see how he goes, annnnd he’s off!

Not all products available at all stores

Festival Tunes:

Tom’s a fan of Sam Sparro, Richard Vs Richard and The David Godfrey Trio, “I discovered them on a trip to Germany, look out for them!”

fly buys

Selection by Miles McKirdy

PORTER x JINENCO // Woven Wallet zozotown.com and Head-Porter.org.

Steven Shein // The layered Obama Necklace 08’ karmaloop.com and stevenshein.com

Obey // The Shady Times Ring. karmaloop.com and obeyclothing.com

Office tramp Jewellery // Vintage glasses single chain Necklace karmaloop.com

Akomplice // hip flask www.akomplice-clothing.com

Complete Technique Stereo // Cassette Player. completetechnique.com

Cheapo // Coloured Talking Watch urbanoutfitters.com

Casio x MACKDADDY // 10th Anniversary Data Bank zozo.jp/shop/eproze/

ALIFE x SUPER Sunglasses // Classic Wayfarer Available at all ALIFE retailers worldwide Akomplice // Purple plaid hat & scarf www.akomplice-clothing.com

PORTER x Limoland // Boston Bag. Oki-ni.com

REVOLVER (RVLVR) x SO-ME × Zippo.

Available through YES store front Harajuku, Liquor, Woman, & Tears Aoyama and zozotown.com

Stussy girls // Mrs. Roboto collection 08 stussydirect.com

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SUPER // Jaquard Eyewear Frame Available at SUPER retailers worldwide, including Stockholm’s Caliroots.

Supreme // Glass Ashtray, Boxing Glove Keychain Available at Supreme NY, LA and Japan.

Supreme x Master Lock // Combination Lock Available at Supreme NY, LA and Japan.

Porter x Essential Designs // Houndstooth Collection. www.rakuten.ne.jp/gold/ace-web/

Futura x BE@RBRICK x Casio G-Shock // DW-6900 futuralaboratories.com and zozotown.com UNDFTD // Fall 2008 Collection //New Era Fitteds Available from Boundless NY and UNDFTD.com

Supreme x New Era // Fall/Winter 2008 Collection Available online and at Supreme NY, LA and Japan.

HUF // Fall/Winter 2008 Hat Collection Available at HUF stores SF and LA OFFICIAL // Neu Gunners theofficialbrand.com and OFFICIAL retailers MEDICOM TOY FABRICK x White Line x Daniel Johnston. zozotown.com and all SHIPS stores Japan

Cazal // Model 868 www.vintage-sunglasses-shop.com

The Hundreds x New Era // Rosewood Available exclusively to The Hundreds Stores.

Head Porter // iPhone Case Collection Winter/Fall 08.

Available from, honeyee.com and Head-Porter.org.

Boston Red Sox x Gabriel Urist Autograph Signing.

Available exclusively to Bodega, Boston MA.

UNDFTD // Fall Collection 08 Backpack.

Available exclusively to UNDFTD Japan retailers and flagship stores.

Photos by Michael Danischewski

stylewars 2008

August 24th to 28th saw the return of Australia’s premium snow event, Stylewars. And oh what a week it was! Wasn’t it? We wouldn’t know as we couldn’t go (I’m a poet) but we did send our main man Michael Danischewski, photographer, avid snowboarder and all round awesome dude, to document the four day snow-za-palooza at Falls Creek in all its white, powdery glory. We wanted to see the slopes, the parties, the winners, the losers, the music, the tricks, the…okay so we didn’t have a brief, but we sent him away with petrol money and a boyish, sense of adventure and told him to shoot whatever the hell he wanted. They say a picture tells a thousand words, so you got a whole lot of reading with this one. Here it is, Style Wars 08. The thrills, the spills, the weed, the pills (just kidding).

An event where the riding was as ridiculous as the nights that followed. Big ups to the organisers and sponsors, and of course Canadian Charles Reid who was the overall winner of the event, which has truly proved itself to be the highlight of the Southern Hemisphere season.

music

Words by Vinny Tang

Slug of Atmosphere

Blue Collar Blues Who knew a 36-year-old white guy from Minneapolis would be one of the bigger players in hip-hop at the // moment. From being one of the founders of the Rhymesayers

record label, home to artists like Brother Ali and MF Doom, to selling out shows worldwide together with Ant in Atmosphere, Sean Daley has been heavy grinding out results with his own kind of Average-Joe music and shows no sign of slowing down.

“You know I’m in my 30’s now so I don’t give a fuck anymore about partying. I pretty much stick to the script and work on my music and the label,” Slug replies when asked about what he does in his spare time. “I can’t remember the last time that I sat back, chilled out and relaxed (laughs). Usually in our “chill-out” time we make music.”

This would come as no surprise to any Slug fan. Slug and Ant have been touring pretty much non-stop since 2004, at the moment with a seven-piece live band, only stopping to make music. This year alone Atmosphere have already released an album, When Life Gives You Lemons a free album-length mixtape Strictly Leakage and another infamous Sad Clown EP, Sad Clown Bad Spring.

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Although spending so much time on the road, Slug dislikes making music while on tour. “I don’t like making music on the road, because I don’t like the effect that touring has on the creative process perspective. A lot of the songs end up being about being on the road, and I don’t necessarily know if that’s something that needs to be communicated to people who don’t tour.”

On top of all that, Slug has already started the next installment of Felt with partner-in-crime Murs. “Me and Murs, part of the glue that keeps us together is that we both have the same kinda fun.

I’m not allowed to tell you who we’re dedicating it to and I’m not allowed to tell you who’s producing it, but we have already started picking beats and the ones we’ve got are pretty hard. Brother Ali and I are going to do a joint project soon too, kinda like Felt but more serious.”

In the last few releases Atmosphere have been playing with different sounds, with beautiful acoustic guitar songs to trippy electronic

beats, fans are eagerly awaiting the next new thing coming out of the duo’s head, but Slug likes to keep us on our feet. “I don’t know what to tell people what to expect . I usually say just to not have any expectations, because we’ll probably figure out how to do something else wrong. We’re so loose with everybody that we don’t know what the fuck happens.”

“I’ve never been good at that five years ahead kind of shit, I kinda go week to week” “Can’t say I ever imagine that I would be in this position say 10 years ago. But you know I’ve never been good at that five years ahead kind of shit, I kinda go week to week.” When asked about the future of Sean Daley, he casually replies, “I don’t know man, but if I’m lucky we’ll still have this job man but if not I’ll find myself something to keep me busy with. I think it would be kinda fun to open a restaurant, or start my own lawn car service (laughs). I’m not sure, I like busy.”

Atmosphere’s current album When Life Gives You Lemons is available now through Rhymesayers/Shock.

Atmosphere Down Under

Slug and Ant will be down here again at the end of 2008, performing at the Falls Festival on New Years Eve and then traveling across Australia before heading back to Europe and then Canada to play in sell-out shows. Busy, busy bees.

music

Words by Jason Larke

CHARLES HAMILTON THE NEXT BIG THING?

For the most part, the best word to describe hip-hop music in 2008 is stale. It’s safe to say that a big portion // of the genre’s traditional fan base got sick of song after

song full of the same clichés perpetrated by “artists” who seemingly go out of their way to enforce ridiculous stereotypes. Sitting atop a small, but talented wave of new generation rappers, Charles Hamilton had already earned a fan base and worldwide buzz for his convention breaking concepts and awesome talent before signing to Interscope. ACCLAIM managed to steal a rare few minutes with the guy who we’re tipping to be the next big thing in hip-hop.

64 - 65 music

You have been known to take elements from songs ranging from The Offspring to the Sonic the Hedgehog theme and turn them into really creative concepts for your music. When you have an idea for a song what is your process to take this gem and develop it?

I mean there’s always a song to describe what you’re going through at any moment. […] So basically when I find a song I can identify with, I take the right elements and give my own life to it. Like with the Offspring joint I named Rockstar Girl, the original sample was Self-Esteem. Ultimately what he was talking about in the song was him being with a girl that only fucks with him when she gets drunk.

So I thought “Hmm… how can I give my own meaning to this?”. I related to the song in the sense that we both were insecure and afraid to take action. Me and the girl I was talking about on my version understand the song a whole lot more than what the rest of the world does. There’s a line in there where I said “I dropped out and she paid her dues and in due time we saw how things grew” I mean I literally asked for her phone number at graduation which is “due time”. So only her and I understood that. But at the same time I wrote it in such a way where everybody can feel it […]

Rumor has it that Eminem flew you to Detroit recently. Is it true that he will be a part of things to come?

Yeah that was when I first got the deal. That was a fuckin dream come true actually. Em is pretty much the reason why I started rapping. A lot of my rhymes, I felt that my rhymes were actually responses to his rhymes. And even though nobody saw them like that I would be like “Yo, I wish I could spit this verse to Em”. When I flew out there and we worked together, he was dope. That was a dream come true, that is all I can say about that situation.

What is the most intimidating thing about being on a major label and the amount of attention you’re receiving at the moment?

Ummm… nothing’s intimidating so much as how me being afraid of being my natural self is going to upset people. I prefer going out, shaking hands and taking pictures with people. I don’t like the whole superstar aspect. Like if I was on tour, I’d be the one walking around giving out flyers, I mean that’s me. At the same time, if someone disrespects me to my face I’ma knock them the fuck out. And I just don’t believe in bodyguards or nothing like that. I still walk through Harlem today by myself. […] I’ve had to learn how to be diplomatic and avoid problems and shit that I never learned before. […]

“if I was on tour, I’d be the one walking around giving out flyers, I mean that’s me” You’re turning 21 very soon. To all the young songwriters out there.

What are some basic songwriting skills a young writer should develop?

Be honest. Be absolutely honest. Don’t write some shit just because you heard some other nigga say it and it sounds hot. Be absolutely honest.

MORE ON SONIC HAMILTON

Charles Hamilton had a lot more to say than we could fit in these pages. To check the full length interview go to www.acclaimmag.com

MUSIC

Words by Rhiannon Elston

XXXChange

you may have never heard the name Alex Epton, but you’d have to be living in dark hole somewhere not to have // heard his work. The producer better known as XXXChange

made his mark on the world together with Naeem Juwan, Chris Rockwell and Ronnie Darko, as the highly influential electro/rap crew known as Spank Rock.

After a hugely successful year producing a killer set of tunes all of his own, working with everyone from Santogold to Thom Yorke of Radiohead, XXXChange has decided to take a leap of faith and go it alone for a while.

Hitting our shores for the national Parklife tour in 2008, Alex got his first taste of life as a solo artist.

“I was very excited. I’ve been on tour with Spank Rock, and that’s always pretty crazy but I’m usually the one staying at home producing records. This is a chance for me to go out and do all that stuff I never usually get to do, because I’m always in the studio.”

He had a good old time on the Oz festival circuit, working hard and, if you don’t mind, playing pretty hard too. “There’s a lot of grab-ass when you’re hanging out with a bunch of drunk dudes,” he says kind of cryptically.

“There’s a lot of grab-ass when you’re hanging out with a bunch of drunk dudes” Hailing from the musical hub of Baltimore, Alex’s road to ghettostyle superstardom was a little more twisted than most – he spent his formative years grinding out classical music at the New England Conservatorium of Music. It’s not really a memory he looks lovingly back at.

“It was pretty boring. I failed out because I wasn’t doing very well.”

Arguably his most successful track to date is a rework of Santogold’s L.E.S. Artistes, where he takes his good mate Santi’s slowish, honeyed tones and injects some dancefloor spunk into it.

“She gave me all the songs like a year ago and was like, hey you want to produce one of these? And I was so lazy, I didn’t do any of them. But when I finally heard the record I was like, this is so great!

Can I have the parts?”

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Right now, despite the busy touring schedule, a full-length album is in the works along with a number of collaborations with a huge cast of big names.

“I’m workin’ on this song right now with Pase (Rock). It’s kinda crazy. He’s actually singing on the record and it’s going to be some crazy, fucking weird Chicago shit.”

Sounds like good times to us.

Look out for the new EP from XXXChange called ‘Fully Fitted’. “It’s more just cool stuff for DJs to play,” he says. “Not like a bunch of love ballads or something.”

OUT NOW THROUGH //

// WWW.INERTIA-MUSIC.COM

in depth

Words by Khaled Khalafalla Research by Saeed Saeed

Photos by David Dare Parker and Attila Kisbenedek (for Getty Images)

Thousands of crows take flight at last light, indicating the end of another working day for Roma children scavenging at a Pata Rat rubbish dump in Romania.

The Roma People A civilization lost in transit

The slaughter of Jewish people during the holocaust was highly documented. A German soldier was required // to report his daily activities to his next in command,

68 - 69 in depth

including the number of Jews he had exterminated. But what becomes of a people whom were not even given the liberty of a record; a people who weren’t recognised back then, and more importantly, still now? The “Porajmos”, a Roma word referring to the holocaust, was not just about the shedding of Jewish people. It was also about the estimated 1.5 million Roma people murdered in the same period. And the calamity continues. Roma people are still discriminated against on a global scale, but few seem to know, or care about it.

A History of Travel Unlike most ancient cultures, the written history of the Roma people is untraceable; some historians question if there ever were historical scriptures documenting the origins of the race. Recent genetic studies however, have drawn scholars to believe the Roma People are of Indian decent, with linguistic links suggesting Punjab ancestry.

There has also been speculation that in around 1000AD the Roma may have been part of a military group defending North India from Islamic rule, which resulted in them either converting to the new

faith or their mass expulsion into the Roman Empire.

Written references to the Roma people started around the 9th century as “Atsingani” or, fortune tellers, not long after their initial displacement from India. It is evident they were socially marginalised even then. Scriptures mention that Emperor Constantine in 1054 used them to rid the forest of animals that would kill his livestock with their knowledge of magic and sorcery.

By the 14th century, Roma had moved to Eastern Europe. Shortly after, they spread to Germany; and by the 16th century, Scotland, Sweden and France. Around this time, terms like “gypsy” were coined in reference to the Roma.

During Colonial times, Roma began immigrating to the United States with small groups settling in Virginia and French Louisiana. Largerscale immigration began in the 1860s, with groups migrating from Britain. The largest number immigrated in the early 1900s, with many Roma also settled in South America.

No Fixed Address The dispersion of the Roma people has meant the assimilation into the plethora of local religions and cultures, but despite these changes, the Roma people have still been able to retain strong elements of their culture.

Around the world, if a religion has been adopted by Roma people, it’s most likely Christianity, Islam or the country’s respective

A few hundred members of the Magyar Garda, or Hungarian Guard and sympathizers of the far-right ‘Jobbik Party’ march in the center of Tatarszentgyory village, 60 km south-west from Budapest 09 December 2007 during their demonstration against alleged criminal activities conducted by gypsies. [photo ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP/Getty Images]

culture. This can’t be confirmed however, due to a lack of reliable sources on any official Roma statistics. Christian Roma movements are particularly strong in Spain, with almost 100 churches in Madrid alone.

The traditional Roma culture has similarities to many orthodox religious parameters in regards to marriage, sexuality and family matters. A Roma woman under traditional laws must not engage in any sexual activity before marriage. Once married, the man is the head of the immediate family, and is placed in ranking, usually in order of age, in the extended family. The Roma man will generally have more respect than the Roma woman, but female respect can be earned with age and contribution to the family.

“the Italian government implemented a scheme to fingerprint all Roma residents” The Roma people have many restrictions surrounding things they regard as ‘impurities’. A cat for example, is seen as an impure animal, because it licks itself, mixing the pure inside with the impure outside world. Cutting nails with

a clipper is taboo, and the generally accepted way to trim nails is to file them down. Childbirth is also considered impure, and while the process must take place outside the home, it’s an unfortunate truth that many don’t have a fixed home.

The Persecution Upon arrival into Eastern Europe, their strange appearance and cultures alarmed suspicious locals, immediately accusations began.

Starting from around the 13th century in Western Europe, Roma people were accused of carrying with them the plague, witchcraft and sorcery, and were even declared spies for the Turks.

Until as early as 1856, the constitutions of Wallachia and Moldavia, (present day Romania) allowed that Roma people be enslaved just because of their ethnicity. In other areas around Europe, Roma were put into concentration camps, had their children stolen, were forced into labour and stripped of any rights as human beings. But others weren’t so lucky.

Though conditions were becoming intolerable, many Roma had no choice, as they were increasingly cornered into certain regions. In the late 19th century, Roma immigration was forbidden outside of Europe on a racial basis. In 1885, the U.S banned the entry of Roma onto their soil.

During the Nazi period, Roma weren’t even recognised in the death tally, with the Hitler regime allowing for an attempted total genocide. Roma were murdered on sight with no record.

Attempts to curtail their high birth rate were taken to the extreme, the communist Czechoslovakian government created a policy of genital mutilation of Roma women. In the same era, Bulgarian authorities banned any resemblance to Roma culture, abolishing Roma music and arts and carried out severe punishments for those who dared utter words in their native language. Roma were, after all, declared a “socially degraded stratum”.

During this period, if any Roma were lucky enough to attend school, or send their children, this luxury would occur exclusively in “special needs” schools, regardless of the student’s mental capacity.

While these cases are locked in the past, new instances of physical abuse (continued next page...)

IN DEPTH Only ten to fifteen percent of Romania’s gypsies are still able to live a nomadic life.

and discrimination have been popping up in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia in recent years.

In 2005, statistics emerged, showing that 90% of planning applications for land purchase by Roma and travelers were initially refused by local councils in Britain, compared with a national average of 20% for other applicants.

In 2005 a survey of regional Czechs found that around 90 percent of Czech residents attributed theft as a characteristic of the Roma identity.

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Italy is home to about 150,000 Roma people, who mainly live below the poverty line on the outskirts of main cities. These living conditions have often been attributed to a lack of sufficient care by the relevant governments. The resulting image of the Roma people in Italy is negative, and parallels the attitudes that most local residents of other countries hold towards them.

They are often blamed for petty crimes and burglary with little evidence.

It’s little wonder that there was outrage from the Roma community after the Italian government implemented a scheme to fingerprint all Roma residents, regardless of circumstance. This occurred in July 2008- only two months after a Roma camp was set alight by local residents in Naples.

Initiatives to Protect the Roma People In the last decade, major changes have taken place around Europe in an attempt to protect Roma from ongoing discrimination. In 1997, the Czech government initiated an anti-racism campaign and changed laws relating to citizenship and access to education and employed many Romani advisers

as assistants in schools and in the civil service.

Hungary has established an ombudsman to monitor the implementation of minority rights, while Slovakia has similarly established a framework to oversee its “strategy” for addressing Roma issues.

In central Europe, there is an estimated four million Roma people. Most are living in squalid conditions, are more vulnerable than the average citizen to disease, and are unemployed. It has only recently been formally articulated that the mistreatment, isolation and perpetuation of Roma discrimination is actually damaging Europe’s economy. Analysts claimed that the Roma people, who are renowned for their work ethic, are not contributing financially due to policies that diminish any chances of employment. These decisions are said to cost Europe’s economies billions of Euros each year.

Critics claim that recent positive advances towards the Roma people by European nations are being carried out in order to achieve political gain and not for any genuine human rights concern.

However, it may just be the spark needed to shed light upon the moral mistreatment of one of the world’s most enigmatic and misunderstood people.

Daily life in the illegally erected shacks at Pata Rat, Romania.

shift gears

Words by Vinny Tang

Citroen 2CV by Hermès

Confederate Fighter Bike

OK we’re not going to bore you with specifications and tech talk, because you’re only reading this page to get to the art section, so we’ll sum this bike up. This $110K bike can reach speeds of 190 miles and recently broke a land speed record. It’s made up of titanium, aluminum and carbon fibre, oh and they’re only making 45 of them. Now go read about people drawing on walls.

Until streetwear labels catch on that a car is a great platform to showcase their talents, Shift Gears will continue to show stunning cars built, designed or modified by giant high-end fashion labels. Look at this 2CV, simply gorgeous. Trimmed with signature Hermès leather and cotton canvas, this was rolled out on the eve of the Paris Motor Show to celebrate the car’s 60th anniversary.

Bentley X Ego Laptop

Bentley X Stockinger Vault

For a guy that has it all, where the fuck would you put it? In your Bentley vault of course. Only 400 to be made, these vaults are stupid, like 16 hours to mill the Bentley door handle out of a solid piece of brass stupid. The Arnage model is designed for storing watches, and the Continental is made for storing jewelry. I hate rich people. Yes there are people who buy these sorts of things.

Chromed SLR

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Chrome won’t get you home, but a mirror-finished Merc SLR McLaren will get you so much poon your face will go numb. Spotted in Dubai, this is definitely what we’re going to do with our first million.

Blind Land Speed Record Broken

A Dodge Halloween

Americans love Dodge cars. Americans love Halloween. Someone at the Dodge camp decided to take advantage of these loves and have released stencils to carve either a Dodge truck or Challenger into your Halloween pumpkins.

Blind Belgian Luc Costermans has broken the blind land speed record with a borrowed Gallardo, reaching a top of 192 mph. If you thought riding shotgun with your drunk mate in your mum’s Honda was shit scary, imagine what co-pilot Guillaume Roman was thinking. Also previous record holder Mike Newman is already hatching a plan to go over the 200 mark, this time in a Keating SKR.

auto

Words by Vinny Tang

Paris Motor Show 08 Perfection In Paris The Paris Auto Show is arguably one of the biggest car shows for automakers and auto-lovers alike. When // it swings by every second year at the Porte de Versailles,

every car company that’s worth the space in our wetdreams use the car show as a platform to showcase crazy concept vehicles and future production cars, and this year was no exception.

The “Mondial de l’Automobile” was the first International Motor show, started all the way back in 1898 by Albert De Dion, one of the pioneers of the French Automotive Industry. Since then the show has become a highlight in any rev-head’s calendar, and it has shaped into an art exhibition for the big players to flex their design and engineering guns rather than “just another car show”.

This year some real gems have rolled out of the factories and into the spotlight, but a few were clearly the stand-outs in drool inducing style. You know it’s a good turn-out when the Ferrari California (featured last issue) was one of the bland ones!

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Holding down the Lamborghini fort was their first venture into sedan super-car territory, the Estoque. Four doors are all the rage at the moment with the super-car makers like Ferrari and Aston Martin. I guess when a billionaire gets married and has 2.5 kids, Bentley and Mercs are so blasé these days and he can’t really be caught in a Honda Accord can he?

And speaking of Aston Martin, these cheeky Pommy buggers stole the show by only revealing PART of a car. To be fair the One-77 is going to be worth over a million pounds, so they still showed us a quarter of a million bucks worth of carbon fibre and steel.

Limited to a production of only 77 (one of 77, get it?), these cars have already been sold out, with the future owners putting down 200,000 pound deposits without even seeing the whole car, but with claims that the car is the “embodiment of Aston Martin design”, the down payment is chump change in comparison to how much someone would pay for a piece of high-end artwork.

Another European that was loving the spotlight was the gorgeous new Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster. Possibly one of the fastest drop-top production cars ever made, with a full carbon fiber body pulled by 650 horses, this Roadster will be limited to 150 when production begins in 2009.

“If I stare at these cars any longer I’ll ask my girlfriend to make car noises in the sack.... again” We could really go on about this show for a couple more thousand pages, but if I stare at these cars any longer I’ll ask my girlfriend to make car noises in the sack....again. Counting down the days ‘til the 2010 show. No doubt they’ll have some flying cars and 42 million dollar vehicles if trends continue.

More On The One-77

The Aston Martin will be a humungo big deal when it’s released, so be sure to keep an eye out for it in future issues, the thing is much too awesome for just a paragraph!

ALL EYES ON

Words by Chris Delaney

Bucket’o’Thought

Countless artists have been saved over the years from the bottle/needle/bong, by being inspired by their art. That’s all very nice and flowery, but how many people do you know that have literally been saved? Artist Sean Kelly was hit by a tram while on his bike in 2003, suffering multiple fractures. What saved him from serious spinal injury though was his art folio, which was strapped to his back. This life saving moment inspired Sean to stop fucking around and get down to some real work, the result being his new online presence at Bucket’o’Thought. The website is a gallery and shop for Sean’s wide range of art, poking fun at the excesses of capitalism and propaganda, on everything from giclee prints, to posters, to custom toys. To celebrate Sean getting his shit together, Acclaim and Bucket’o’Thought are giving away 3 skateboard decks covered in freshness. To win, simply tell us how art has saved your life. Send submissions to chrisd@acclaimmag.com and include your name, address and phone number. www.bucketothought.com

No Comply

No Comply is back again. Starting out as a small group show with local artists and now in it’s 4th year, No Comply has mushroomed into an internationally renowned collection of art and talent. Using skateboards as the canvas, No Comply has gathered 170 pieces of art from 80 artists across the globe. Writers, contemporary artists, tattooists and animators are all represented. It launched in Melbourne on the 7th of November, and is off to Sydney from the 14th of December, then Taipei during Jan/Feb. Check the website for locations and launch party details. www.nocomply.com.au

BANKSY

In a rare turn of events, the most talked about artist in the world, Banksy, has opened an official exhibition in New York. Not like the other “official” Banksy exhibitions, which the man himself has turned up to in secret and defaced, this one is totally designed and put together by Banksy. The real one. Called The Village Petstore and Charcoal Grill, it’s a fake pet shop, filled with animatronic puppets of animals, cartoon characters and food acting like animals. You can see fish fingers swimming around in a fish bowl, 2 small chicken nuggets eating from a container of sweet and sour sauce, Tweety looking a little dishevelled and a CCTV camera looking over her nest of baby CCTV cameras. It’s a pretty stinging appraisal of our consumerist nature and it’s also pretty funny. Thanks to Wooster Collective for the photos. thevillagepetstoreandcharcoalgrill.com

SERPENTARIO

If you’re in Sydney between December 4th and 13th, do yourself a massive favour and head to Tap Gallery to catch Serpentario. A universally recognised symbol of fertility, sexuality, intelligence and wisdom, the serpent is an undeniably powerful being. Misery (NZ), Askew (NZ), Peque (Mexico), Peap (Cambodia/NZ), 2Tone (NZ), Cpho (AUS) Berns (Peru/NZ) and Teazer (AUS) will be drawing inspiration from serpent myths and legends from across the globe for one amazing collaborative show. Opening night on December 4th will feature live entertainment from the legendary King Kapisi. www.tapgallery.org

CALMA

76 - 77 ALL EYES ON

The Art of Stephan Doitschinoff

PIECE OF THE MONTH

Gestalten I interviewed Stephan Doitschinoff for this magazine way back in Issue 6 and I’ll be honest. I underestimated him. I thought he was an amazing artist with a bright future, but I didn’t realise he had a book like this in him. Calma: The Art of Stephan Doitschinoff, is exactly that. A big hardcover book filled with sketches, paintings, installations and murals, as well as a comprehensive interview and some stories written by Stephan himself. Visually, this book is amazing and not just the pictures. The typography and the layout of the stories is art unto its own.

A lot of the book deals with time that Stephan spent in a small, poor brazilian town and the art he made there. A wise choice, as the street paintings he did are perfectly framed and even enhanced by the run down, crumbling houses of the locals. Stephan’s rich, religious-style iconography is well represented in this book and it’s well worth a read.

Wild Style

This is the movie that taught most of the world what hip-hop and graffiti is. Released in 1982, Wild Style was basically a snapshot of the the South Bronx hip-hop movement at its first peak. The story revolves around a young graffiti artist Zoro, played by New York legend Lee Quinones, and his battle to get up, get on with life and get freaky with Rose, played by another New York legend, Pink. Surprisingly, the movie is not loved for it’s engrossing story of survival, nor it’s production values. It’s the constant painting, breakdancing, MCing and DJing that made it so amazing. The movie exposed the vibrant hip-hop scene to the rest of the world, showcasing the best talent that New York had to offer. Most of the roles are played by legends of the scene at the time. Rocksteady crew, Fab 5 Freddy, The Cold Crush Brothers all make appearances and Dondi and Zephyr are brought in for bombing scenes, amongst others. The movie can be a bit slow if you’re looking for a good story, but you can’t go past it for a real slice of hip-hop history.

Available at wildstylethemovie.com

www.inertia-music.com

www.icecube.com

SKILL CHECK

Words by Vinny Tang Photos by Emma Slater

INSA

Latex and Stilettos

What can we say about the creator of our cover and guest editor for this issue, INSA? Well this fella from // “sunny” South East London just can’t stop kicking goals

with his unique take on fetishism. His artwork has graced everything from cars to kicks, clothing (Hellz Bellz, Kidrobot and Rogue Status just to name a few) to canvases, with an ice hotel thrown in for good measure. If you’ve ever wondered what a guy that makes a living depicting your hidden porn stash has to say about himself, thank ACCLAIM for wondering no longer.

Tell the people, who is INSA? INSA is me, just a dude currently residing in London making my way through life as an artist. Trying to travel the world and explore my own creativity.

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Why the name INSA? INSA was the tag I gave myself about 15 years ago. It was just four letters I chose to write on walls, a new word I made up just for me.

Even though I don’t do much typical graff anymore and moved on from a lifestyle where you need to protect your identity, I wanted to keep this name. The years of being a graffiti artist were such an important part of my life and a major influence on how I see the world.

Have you got a foot fetish you sicko? And what’s with the latex?

Believe it or not I don’t actually have a foot fetish. I have an obsession with fetishisms- I am really intrigued how very specific things like feet or the fabric of clothing can become such a crucial part of an individual’s sexual focus. Like how something or anything can be sexualized even though it’s so far removed from the act of sex, but more recently I am thinking a lot more about how this sexualizing of objects is used to sell us almost everything. I like to use and explore this imagery and parody this notion of consumer fetishism in my work.

Why do you do what you do?

Because I never wanted to get a proper job. One of my early focuses in life was to never get into the system of a 9 to 5. I am very lucky I guess to be able to support myself and get to travel, all off the back of my artistic ability. More specifically about my work, I do what I want to, though I am very aware of the need to try and be original and I like to explore different outlets like designing a chair or rubber outfit, they are all very different things but they all feel like a similar creative process to me.

Any collaborations that are particular highlights for you?

A couple of the more interesting collaborations have been shooting the Fuel Girls calendar with my girlfriend and photographer Emma Slater, and working on a rubber clothing range with Chicago based fetish designer House of Bias, like the outfit featured on the cover.

What would you prefer, an art gallery or that roller door down the street?

You know I feel a bit wrong saying it but the art gallery. Graffiti has changed a lot over the last five to ten years and there is so much shit that gets put up on the streets, I don’t get the same buzz when putting myself up alongside it. If you had said outside of the gallery building or inside I would of chosen outside, as I still love to paint big and want my stuff to be accessible to everyone.

“there is so much shit that gets put up on the streets I don’t get the same buzz when putting myself up alongside it” What have you got coming in the near future?

The new project I am doing is with furniture designer Ben Rousseau, which is going to include a trip to the ice hotel in Sweden to sculpt one of the rooms out of ice in arctic conditions. In January I’m hoping to go to Brazil. And also we will be coming out with the second range of the recently launched INSA HEELS.

Check out more from the wonderful Insa at www.insaland.com

SKILL CHECK

Words by Penelope Mitchell

Will Murai

Brazil’s proudest digital export At only 23 years of age, Will Murai has established a rather impressive reputation within the Brazilian // advertising industry. Winning campaigns with big league

firms such as W/Brasil and AlmapBBDO, as well as ongoing work with Marvel and DC comics, one cannot browse through a Brazilian magazine without eyeballing some of Will’s pieces.

In November Will Murai’s work was on show at Melbourne’s No Comply Exhibition. The event featured over 40 international artists.

Despite his impressive repertoire, Will admits that having his work recognised on an international platform, such as No Comply, is his proudest achievement so far.

Growing up in Arujá, a small town about 40km from São Paulo, Will explains that few people really considered art as a “profession”. “[Arujá] is a nice place to live, it’s really calm and doesn’t have all that stress and rush of a big city. However, it isn’t the best place to make art and business. People here measure their success in professional careers such as engineering and so on.”

80 - 81 SKILL CHECK

Although Will’s family were not particularly artistic, he recalls an early fascination with drawing: “I was really into cartoons, anime and manga when I was a kid. I was always drawing those characters”.

Using whatever tools he could get his hands on, “pencils, water colours, goache, a li’l bit of oils” and by copying what he saw on TV, Will honed his technique. He believes that this was a critical phase of his personal development. “I was obsessed to get better.” After enrolling in an art school, Will was introduced to digital imaging: a turning point in his career.

As a master of Photoshop and Illustrator, Will has worked constantly as an illustrator and colourist since leaving school. Whilst hugely influenced by artists such as Ray Caesar, Will acknowledges the danger in artists becoming overly dependant on such digital technology in the commercial art world: “It is a good thing for artists, as long as we don’t become overruled by our software.

Creativity and technique must be above any filter or digital tool. We have to make the machines work for our minds, not be confined to what software provides us with.”

Although, intuitively inspired by the images of his exotic tropical home, Will’s style continues to evolve. His creations maintain a consistently professional and sophisticated polish, yet with an adaptable quality accounting for his commercial popularity; his portfolio oscillates between Barbies and boxers, drawn from a plethora of popular icons.

“We have to make the machines work for our minds, not be confined to what software provides us with” A singular constant in his style, as Will admits, is his fascination with “the beauty of women”. Frequently featuring femme fatale figures or misty-eyed patrician lovers, Will’s work displays a deep sensitivity to the subtleties of urban landscapes and soft feminine pallets.

As the ever-evolving Brazilian art scene moves into the international spotlight, Will is its proud representative in Australia. Acknowledging the “many amazing artists that transform [Brazil’s] tropical feeling into fantastic colours and shapes!”, this young artist is definitely one to keep an eye out for.

Eye on Brazil

Will suggests checking out the work of Guilherme Marconi, Doug Alves, Shiko, Marcelo Daldoce and Moises Braga: some of his favorite up and coming local artists.

INS PICA’s K

SKILL CHECK

Words by Chris Delaney

Retna

The best of both worlds

If you haven’t heard of Retna yet, here’s your heads up.

Combining an LA street background with a taste for // fine art, this guy has made a name for himself, both on his

own and as a member of The Seventh Letter. His intricate line work, use of hieroglyphs and symbolism have left him highly sought after across the globe by both collectors and corporations.

Briefly, how did you get started?

I got started in 86, when a kid in school introduced me to graffiti. I sketched till 89-90, then did my first attempt at a piece. As I kept transferring schools, I learned other things about the culture. I became a full fledged piecer in 95-96.

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You’ve come out of the notoriously hardcore LA scene, which the rest of the world tends to mythologize. How hard was it really to survive?

I’m sure most of it comes from the movies but LA, like many parts of the world, has its ghettos and its hoods and so on. When I was younger, I wanted to join a gang, but luckily I met cool cats from the hood who said there was nothing there for me and I could still come and kick it but I was better off pursuing my art. Gang life does play a role for many here. Someone always knows someone from the hood, though whether they partake in the activities, that’s anybody’s guess.

You achieved a lot of notoriety in LA for stealing fashion ads and putting your own touch on them. How did this idea come about?

It came about while I was chilling at my boy Dame’s house. He wanted me to sketch in his book and I didn’t really feel like it, so he handed me a magazine and I flipped through it and started doing my thing on some of the ads. As soon as I did it, I was really into it.

After a few of those, Dame pulls out a poster of Adriana Lima and the rest is history.

Where does your symbolism come from? Is it contempt or respect?

I think it’s both, to be honest. They’re symbols of power, but just because they might symbolise that doesn’t mean that the artist whom crafted it is like the empires he represents. In the end, I just like the craftmanship of artists for all ages.

Where do the letters come from that you use in your art?

When I first started they were influenced by traditional graffiti. Old english, gang blocks, hand writing, Chaz Bojorquez. Later on, I started to like Arabic writing and oriental calligraphy.

What’s the primary message that you’re trying to convey with your art?

I can’t say I’ve fully figured it out yet. I know the ultimate outcome is a positive one. A respect for the tradition I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of, to do my part as a person whom can enjoy life and whose life is consumed by art.

“luckily I met cool cats from the hood who said there was nothing there for me…I was better off pursuing my art” You’re an integral member of MSK/AWR/The Seventh Letter, one of the most influential graffiti collectives in the world. How important is the crew to you?

I think it’s a crew I’ve been fortunate to be a part of. A lot of talented artists in it for the long run and they’re great friends whom I consider more like a family. They have seen me through the good and bad times and together I think we keep inspiring each other to keep going, to keep progressing and moving forward. ADUB MSK to the death...

From The Street to the Commercial World

I guess due to some of my street work, companies became aware of my work and offered me opportunities to try new things, mostly clothing. The first company I did stuff for was Sarcastic, now I’ve done work with The Seventh Letter, RVCA, Upper Playground, Tribal, Goorin and Beverly Hills Honeys.

INS PICA’s K

tattoo

Words by Manami Okazaki Photos by Martin Hladik

Asakusa Horiyasu Traditional spirit with contemporary sensibilities.

Tucked away in an apartment in the traditional Asakusa area of downtown Tokyo is one of the leading tattoo // artists of Japan. Horiyasu, a craftsman of highly regarded

skill specializes in Japanese only, -large scale, striking pieces that are executed with a modern touch, and has both local and international appeal.

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Is it true that you used make samurai swords before becoming a tattoo artist?

“Yes, I was a sword smith for 16 years, starting when I was 22 years old, a year after I started getting tattooed. I was in Moriake at the time. My friend who was the friend of the sword smith asked me to help him. At the time I liked swords too, I collected them.”

Was it a difficult transition from sword smith to tattooer?

“I saw some progression in my swords, and then I reached 36which could be considered a landmark age. I thought hard about whether I wanted to be a horishi, and sure I may have had some hesitations, but I’d been wanting to do it for such a long time, that I had a kind of confidence that I could do it.”

When did you get an interest in tattoos?

“I had a love of tattoos for a long time, ever since I started getting them at age 21. I liked the illustrations from a while back. I saw tattoos from when I was young, it had a lot of emotional impact, and I got a more cumulative interest in tattooing after I started getting them myself. My back, the outline and illustration, was by Yokohama’s Horiyoshi II. The gradations were by Horiyoshi III.

What are the fundamental differences between Japanese and Western tattoos?

“Wabori is something traditional, so there are lots of meanings that go with it. As the body is a whole canvas, there is a tale for each piece.

Ukiyo-e woodblock illustrations are the basis, and the background, such as the clouds, and water is of paramount importance.

When I saw (Western) tattoos, everything was basically different to Japanese, also the way the tattoos were inserted, the shading, the use of colour, the use of detail, the designs, that was interesting. I liked seeing the difference, and how it could influence me.

Why do your clients get tattooed?

“I was touched by some people, someone who lost their kid to a car crash, or fatally sick, they put their after-death name, then an imago of Kannon. They can change their lives like this. Tattoos can be somewhat lighthearted, you can get them as souvenirs, but many Japanese put them in often at a turning point, like if they lose a kid, and can’t move on, when things are tough. During times like this, they often insert ink to make them strong.”

How does this make you feel?

“I feel a lot of responsibility as a result. But because I feel responsibility I make sure each line is given my fullest attention.

When I am tattooing I can forget everything and become immersed.

I can feel fulfillment, and the client’s joy.”

Keep an eye out for the book Tattoo In Japan by Manami Okazaki for more profiles of amazing traditional and modern tattoo art in Japan.

lights, camera, action

Words by Alisha Jensen

GEORGE A. ROMERO Blood, guts and social commentary It could be said that George A Romero is the granddaddy of the zombie genre. While his Dead series has // enough stomach churning gore to satisfy hardcore horror fans, if you look below the bloody surface you’ll find a deeper social agenda. Recently Mr Romero was in town for the Melbourne International Film Festival and ACCLAIM sat down with the legendary writer and director to, pardon the pun, pick the brain of the master himself.

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While Romero had resisted making a sequel to his 1968 masterpiece, Night of the Living Dead , the director stumbled upon the building site of a shopping mall that would later provide the inspiration for 1978’s Dawn of the Dead.

“I went out for a little tour and these trucks were coming in with everything that an American needs, and I thought, ‘here’s an idea’ I realised right then I could do this every once and a while, I can take a little snap shot of what’s happening in the world and throw zombies in it.”

When there is no more room in hell, the dead go shopping. The survivors have the same idea as they seek refuge in the mall, helping themselves to whatever they can get their hands on.

to elude an ever growing presence of zombies. While they are hiding from the converging mass of walking dead, they film and upload various zombie attacks on to the net, a true reflection of our digital age where anyone can be a journalist. And what is more newsworthy than corpses coming back to life and gorging on people’s flesh.

“It sort of brings up the subject of the internet and tribalism. The Internet is creating tribes rather than uniting people.”

Romero’s characters aren’t a flattering portrayal. He shows us as greedy, easily corrupted, obsessive and selfish. A point which may be missed by some, as they watch in rapture as the zombies amble onward, ready to feast.

Forget the so-called rules of the standard horror movie; the zombies are just an entertaining element set against issues that are current in society. And while each film focuses on a specific contemporary subject, there is always the same basic idea of how people would act if faced with a situation where there is no governing authority.

“I’ve had this shtick since basically I saw that shopping mall... if I see something that’s worth commenting on, I can bring the zombies out.”

Zombies are scary but human behaviour can be terrifying.

The rest of the Dead series (Day of the Dead, Land of the Dead and Diary of the Dead) have carried on this zombie-flavoured satire addressing issues like science, class systems and most recently, the media.

“When we were doing Land I was beginning to keep a note book on emerging media, the internet, the blogosphere, and I wanted to do something about that but I knew I had to do it pretty quick, because other people are going to do it.”

What emerged from this idea was the most recent instalment, Diary of the Dead, where a group of tech savvy, attractive college kids try

Romero on The Dawn of the Dead 2005 Remake:

I think Zac (director Zack Snyder) is a great action director and I thought the first 20 minutes of the film was pretty hot but it resembled a video game more I felt than it resembled anything of mine. And zombies, my guys don’t run.

playlists DJ PERPLEX mash

Melbourne’s DJ Perplex recently took out the National DMC comp for the third year running, needless to say the man has skills. But this beat-master is not one to sit on his laurels, DJ Perplex is still bringing the heat with a recently dropped mixtape, The DJ Knows. With features from local boys Muph & Plutonic, Koolism, Resin Dogs, DJ Bonez, Raph, Phrase and Illzilla, it seems the bright lights of international Djing have not weakened Perplex’s devotion to the local scene.

dj QUICK

When it comes to drum and bass, Quick’s been there since the early days. In 1994 he received a tape titled “Pandemonium”, which he still plays constantly. It was a logical progression from there and the obsession with UK rave tapes grew stronger.

While born and bred in Perth, Quick’s DJ career started to take shape when he relocated to Melbourne, where he’s held residencies at Revolver, Lounge, Scubar, Prince of Wales, Bunker and too many other spots to name. He has played alongside many of DnB’s royalty, including DJ SS, Kenny Ken, DJ Hype and Marky

up

DON LETTS

drum n bass

DJ A-Trak // Say Whoa Roots Manuva // Again and Again (Arctic Monkeys remix) Tittsworth // Tear the Club Up 2008 Surismo // Wow (Modselektor remix) Busy P feat. Murs // To Protect and Entertain Crookers // Mad Kidz Diplo // Florida Spank Rock // B.O.O.T.A.Y (Slap n Dash remix) Kazey and Bulldog // Big Truck ACDC // Thunderstruck (Crookers remix)

Black Sun Empire // Smoke (Sinthetix Remix) Klute // I.Minder Boymerang // Still Kemal & Rob Data // Gene Sequence Sinthetix // Ultraviolet Data // Muted Rob F & Kiko // Cloud Break Corrupt Souls // Space Coke Commix // Rack It Break // Locked In

Don Letts started his influential career at a trendy store in London selling mod suits, blasting reggae and under-the-counter weed, this lead to his first and possibly most influential role as a DJ at The Roxy , the trans-atlantic equivalent to New York’s CBGB’s where seminal acts such as The Clash, The Sex Pistols and many other contemporaries cut their teeth. Between sets Letts played bass heavy tunes from his Jamaican heritage. He’s since gone on to perform in his own group Big Audio Dynamite and become a Grammy award winning film maker, much of which is footage he recorded on Super 8 during punk’s hey day.

He toured Australia earlier this year delivering a spoken word book promoting his autobiography Culture Clash: Dread Meets reggae Punk Rockers as well as playing some blazing reggae sets, which he described as “...very much in the spirit of my days as D.J at The Roxy”

Marcia Griffiths // Feel Like Dancing Toots and The Maytals // Broadway Jungle The Dynamics // Whole Lotta Love Morgan Heritage // Guards Up Dawn Penn // No, No, No (DJ Spooky remix) Mungo Hi-Fi // ING ft Brother Culture Rankin Joe // Love Jah and Live Johnny Osbourne // Buddy Bye Damian Marley // Move Dennis Brown & Prince Mohammed // Money In My Pocket

HOOPS DJS

The Hoops DJs were featured in our faces section, but we couldn’t help but see what girlish mix of indie/hip-hop party jams these Sydney-side ladiez could spin up for us. The Hoops DJs are like an elixir to the boring and down-trodden and they dare anyone not to get up and dance, with a glass of hard liquor in hand, once one of their sets gets poppin.

party jams

MIAMI HORROR 88 - 89 PLAYLISTS

indie

Yo Majesty // Hit it and Quit it Wink D // Get BusyPharrel & Rick Ross // Get Down Dizzee Rascal // Dance Wiv Me Collie Buddz // That Place Teddybears Sthlm // Cobrastyle (Radioclit Remix) MSTRKRFT // Bounce (A-Trak Remix) Treasure Fingers // Cross the Dancefloor (Chromeo remix) Tigerstyle Ft. Vybz Kartel // Balle Shava (Sinden remix) Louis La Roche // Get On Down Miami Horror is a 22 year old DJ/Producer from Melbourne who started out his music career playing house parties and regular weekly club nights such as Streetparty and Third Class. Having remixed for the likes of Pnau, The Presets, Faker, Datarock, Party and Midnight Juggernauts in the space of a year, Miami Horror has been propelled to astounding new heights, almost as high as his space-flavoured music. With inspiration from artists such as Prince, Talking Heads, Luther Vandros, Justice and Chromeo, plans are underway for a live show consisting of DJ, keys, drums, guitar & vox. Miami Horror will be appearing early next year at Good Vibrations festivals nationally and The Hot BBQ in Melbourne.

Miami Horror // Make You Mine Bag Raiders // Shooting Stars Damn Arms // Destination Knightlife // Crusader Mylo // Otto’s Journey Hercules & Love Affair // Blind The Twelves // When You Talk Metronomy // A Thing For Me (Breakbot remix) Giorgio Moroder // I Wanna Rock You Santogold // L.E.S Artistes (Ooh-Ee remix)

On The Office Stereo Madlib the Beat Konducta - WLIB: King of the Wigflip // Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul // Dancehall - The Rise of Jamaican Dancehall Culture // Jake One - White Van Music // Horrorshow - The Grey Space // Hermitude - Threads // T.I - Paper Trail // Devin the Dude - Landing Gear // PNAU // The Mighty Underdogs - Droppin’ Science Fiction // Empire of the Sun - Walking on a Dream // GMC - Three Letter Mixtape vol G // Nas // The Game - LAX // Kidz In The Hall - The In Crowd // Robin Thicke - Something Else // Young Jeezy - The Recession // Ludacris - Theatre of the mind // Q-Tip - The Renaissance // Ladyhawke // Lil Weezy // NERD and the entire Guitar Hero World Tour playlist.

producer profile

duosseudo

Executive Class 8 Simple Ways For Rappers To Hit The Internets.

by Robbie Ettelson from unkut.com What’s your position with the current trend towards software instruments, and generally having a studio in your computer, as opposed to a whole load of outboard gear?

We use software instruments a bit, but not too much really. In terms of synths I’d definitely much rather use hardware. Saying that though, there’s still some records that I hear and they sound amazing and then I find out they were made on a plane or something You have a really impressive studio, how long have you been collecting all this gear?

About 12 years. We are pretty obsessed really. I remember driving home one day in this little shit box of a car, with this E-MU sampler on the front seat thinking, “you know what, this little sampler is worth about twice as much as this car”. I guess the good thing is that all this stuff, especially the old analogue gear is pretty sought after really, so it doesn’t decrease in value, if anything it increases. This is nothing compared to what I had in mind a few years ago though.

How did all the gear collection start?

Well back in high school I had a lot of friends who were getting into the whole scene, and they used to collect all this gear. Things like the old Roland TR-808. I remember on the bus on the way home from school we’d sit there with a 505 on our lap and headphones in our ears. That was what we’d use instead of a Walkman.

The first time most listeners would have heard your stuff was probably through your remix of Gotye’s track Heart’s A Mess. Can you tell us how this came about?

We just liked the song and thought it deserved a remix. The first cut that Gotye actually heard we had just cut up from the song itself, we didn’t have the individual parts or anything. Eventually he heard it and really liked it. We got the individual parts off him then, but to be honest it still didn’t differ much from the original.

Duosseudo’s debut album We Are One, is out now through Creative Vibes

So, you’re a rapper looking to reach your fans and make some new ones along the way via the World Wide Web, huh? Beyond the mandatory official MySpace and Facebook pages, follow these eight simple rules and you’re guaranteed to be the next Souljah Boy by the end of the month.

1. ALWAYS TYPE IN CAPS. You’re saying something important. Make sure it gets noticed!

2. Get mad at your label with numerous emo outbursts. What use is an online presence if you aren’t raging against the machine? Just look what it did for Saigon (currently now sans-record contract).

3. Pen letters from jail ranting against the illuminati and “J.Z.” (who are in cahoots, natch).

If you’re name is Prodigy from Mobb Deep then write in all caps, also.

4. Make YouTube videos about fights you were just in with other rappers, claiming victory despite the overwhelming video evidence to the contrary.

5. Have an official blog which you clearly don’t write (the use of lowercase is a dead giveaway).

6. Threaten some (non-rapping) bloggers who wrote something negative about you. You’ll never meet them in person anyway so some threats of physical violence are an added bonus.

7. Make some wacky “reality show” style viral videos to send to the big rap blogs to show you have a sense of humour.

8. Diss anyone and everyone in a desperate attempt to get some attention from a world that has zero interest in the shitty music that you insist on releasing.

If you’re still a struggling MC who’s trying to get on, there are a few other things you could try, such as emailing bloggers and pleading for a mention, giving away music via free mixtape or album downloads or guest blogs at the hip-hop magazine website of your choice. Failing that, just label your song as 50 Cent’s “In Da Club” and wait for a record deal.

ACCLAIM

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DOT COM THREE MONTHS BETWEEN ISSUES IS A TORTUROUS AMOUNT OF TIME TO WAIT FOR YOUR NEXT ACCLAIM FIX. SO IN THE MEANTIME VISIT THE OFFICIAL ACCLAIM WEBSITE FOR YOUR REGULAR STREET CULTURE NEEDS.

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CD Reviews insa

BBQ in South Central; burgers sizzling, planes flying by, people playing dominoes, creating a truly LA record.

Thes One took the time to talk to us about his own fav records, past and present.

PUTS’ new album Fun DMC is out now on Gold Dust via Inertia Ugly Duckling Audacity

This far into the mag, you’ve probably cottoned on to the fact that our man INSA has had his fingers in quite a few pies when it comes to content this issue. So we could hardly ignore him when it comes to his fav all time album. INSA has an innate ability to have a fetish for women’s shoes yet still come across as a player, so it may not surprise some as to his artist of choice for this section…

Prince Sign O the Times Choosing an all time favourite album is hard. So not to upset the hip-hop head in me I have to say Bacdafucup and ATLiens or Masta Ace’s Slaughter House were all very close to being chosen. But I could not deny my undying Prince fan-ness. I guess if something grabs you young it sticks.

all time album

So then it came to which of his many albums to pick from- well anything pre-Diamonds and Pearls anyway and way before the whole Sexy MF symbol shit! It came down to numbers so by default my favourite album is Sign O the Times because as well as the title track it has three of my all-time favourite songs on it. If I was your Girlfriend being top along with The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker and Starfish And Coffee. I think I love Prince because he is such a lady lover, his songs are all fantasies of ladies he has or will meet. He kind of lets people think he’s a freak, cross dressing, self-fellating weirdo, but ultimately he is there getting the chicks!

His perversion for the ladies is so deep he tries to get inside their minds.

I generally don’t find androgyny or sexual ambiguity that cool but some how Prince pulls it off. I could even say he gets away with his peach coloured spandex suit and heels in the movie but that would be going way too far.

thes one

90 - 91 CD Reviews

people under the stairs

After a decade in the game, Los Angeles’ People Under the Stairs have proven they truly are a mainstay in the underground hip-hop genre. In their latest offering Fun DMC, Thes One and Double K capture the sound and vibe of a hot Saturday afternoon

would shiver and I would be brought to tears every time the final chord progression of the album came in.

There was so much math going on in the structure, 5 bar progressions in 5/4 and all sorts of shit. We were just finishing our first album and if I hadn’t ever heard this album, it might have been our last. I found out later from friends in Detroit that this album also had a profound effect on legendary producer Jay D. 27 Coopers on a 5 Coopers scale.

OUTRUN

These dudes have Combining the infectiousness of The been putting out Presets, the pop sensibility of Tran music for over ten Am and the new-wave soul of New years now and Order, Melbourne’s Outrun are the though we have come up and out most exciting new act to emerge of the same LA scene together, it’s from Australian’s burgeoning electro been dope to watch them head down scene in 2008. Beginning in Torquay, their own path, putting their sound coastal Victoria, Outrun evolved out first and continuing to hone their of the shared ambitions of old friends craft. The new album fits nicely into and founders Dan Preston and Josh the catalogue with the same amazing Armistead. With bass player Mark beats you always expect from DJ O’Keeffe joining the group to make a Young Einstein (the first track on trio, Outrun have gone on to become the album is one of the dopest beats regulars on the Melbourne/Sydney I’ve heard all year). The interesting thing about this album though, A purveyor of fine wine women, club scene, playing alongside the and especially as a Rap album, is and song… and don’t forget the likes of Muscles, Young & Restless, UD’s approach to song structure. weed, Devin The Dude is constantly Cassette Kids and Infusion. Expect to The album is noticeably darker and described as your rapper’s favou- hear lots more from these guys with more introspective than what we’ve rite rapper but don’t get it twisted their debut release, FutureNature seen from them in the past and the because we think his crooning, laid- now available through Snowball/ topics are approached with a dis- back rhyming style is dope and we Inertia. tinct attention to detail - changeups, can’t rap for shit. He’s five albums Panda Bear extended bridges and choruses take deep with his new release Landing Person Pitch the listener on a wild ride through Gear his first off of Rap-A-Lot Review by Josh the tales of redemption and struggle, Records. The label may of changed and even the usual party anthems but Devin still comes correct with a I’m just going to have a thematic undertone. MC unique style of storytelling reminis- current say Person Pitch album Andy Cooper deserves a fair share cent of Slick Rick. Landing Gear is

by Panda Bear, beof props for writing lyrics that touch available now on Shock, so prepare cause it has been the most played alheavy subjects without becoming to get high. bum on my ipod for a while now. The heavy-handed or stopping the head album embodies textural playfulness nodding. Though I could have done Gyptian and such beautiful use of looping and with a little less singing, fans of UD My Name Is layering. There is little focus on vocals will love the album because musiGyptian and what vocals there are make their cally it encompasses everything UD point in short simple statements. The have always been about while providEver since the album seems so positive. I heard or ing as yet unseen glimpses into the current early ‘80s man I’ve read that Noah Lennox (Panda Bear, album real people behind the gold chain. always liked the I give the album four pints on a five roots reggae and I always loved lis- Animal Collective, Together, Jane) made most of the songs downloaded pints of Cooper’s scale. tening to reggae. Yellow Man was one freeware and many of the sounds of my favourite artists back in the day and samples were simply taken from Stereolab and I guess I always loved reggae and the net. He produced the whole thing Dots and Loops I stumbled across…we was on the himself I believe, from home with a road last year and I stumbled across, When this record reggae artists like Sizzler, guy named simple setup. I think that’s what I like about it. An artist who uses sound as came out in 1997, Gentleman and a lot of other different classic I was working at artists man. Jah Cure was another his/her medium should be able to album Rhino Records in one of em and I just made a mixtape make interesting sounds with anything. Apart from the obvious Beach LA behind the front counter with DJ with Gyptian, Jah Cure & Sizzler.

Boy’s influences, I love the world Dusk (Rest In Peace). I remember music references threaded through the day the store play copy came in.

Quincy Jones Person Pitch. The self-assuredness I had not ever heard of Stereolab, The Dude shown in making such sweet vothough I knew we had their earlier cal harmonies to accompany such releases in stock. A lot of people had I was in the studio pleasant music is refreshing. Somebeen calling on the phone to find out with Scarface (from times not any album will do when classic when exactly the album came out, the Ghetto Boys), you sit down to relax. Especially if you album so when the store play copy showed he was helping up, I threw it in to check it out. I was produce that album (The Dude) right have been out all night, can’t sleep, floored. I stole the store copy that there, and he was in the studio a and just need to lie down on the floor night and stayed up all night listen- whole lot with me and he was like or the couch and listen to music. It ing to it in the headphones (I was still ‘man just take it back man’ we were can be hard sometimes to find just living with Mom and Dad back then). still looking for new songs, he was the right album that will suit that This album changed my musical like ‘what songs (did) you listen to moment/comedown. Panda Bear’s career, it was like every old record I when you was little?’ So I thought Person Pitch is one of those albums. had been looking for to sample but about The Dude album so I went just Jean Michel new, a combination of electronic and grabbed that Quincy Jones and put Jarre lounge with a light psych edge. I was on The Dude and did a remake of it... I Oxygene doing all sorts of weird drugs at the mean it had Patty Austin in it, Michael Review by Dan time, and this album blew my mind. Jackson in it when he was only like I remember one night yelling at the 16 and James Ingram that one song all time This has to be one speakers because I couldn’t believe had five or six different artists man it album of the best instruthe sounds coming out of them, this was crazy. mental albums I’ve heard. It delivalbum was that good to me. My neck ers pure cosmic sound via layers of current album

devin the dude

spaced-out arpeggiations, loaded rated with some vocalists for the first with Euro stereo synth pleasure that time, and I have to admit when I first could only have come from the mid heard that I was a little worried. Once analog ‘70s. Most of his earlier re- I found out who the vocalists were, and cordings are nothing short of epic. If heard the tracks, my fears turned to for some reason you get a chance to excitement and maybe a little jealousy. go into orbit one day, take him along I would give my left elbow to get on a for entertainment. The first time I Hermitude beat! I still can’t believe heard Oxygene from start to finish they got a reggae singer as massive as was in the back seat of my parent’s Luciano Jah Messenjah, but the beat car, driving across the top of the definitely warrants it. Cartridge Kings Victorian snowfields mid-Winter, a makes me wish I kept my Gazelles and perfect way to be introduced to his Kangol and still knew how to do the six music actually. It has something very step. Hau of Koolism and Steve Clisby retro/futuristic about it, also some both sit really nice on their respective very trippy moments with the com- features. Hau drops in and out of rapbination of crystal like sound effects ping and singing (well I’m pretty sure panned abstractly into windy zooms that’s his voice?) on a brass filled soul and blasts, that suddenly resolve into number Exhale that is probably my bizarre disco-grooves. Since then I’ve favourite track after 10 or so listens listened to it in many situations less to this album. Threads feels like one icy and it still has the same effect. of those albums that stays in the front Jene is a synth-freak, an electro of your playlist. It’s diverse, yet consismaestro, and also develops most of tent. Just go buy it! his machines. He is known to put it all together in a live situation as well, Dilated Peoples, kind of like a weird sound scientist. If The Platform you get a chance you have to check his live footage out. His ‘Lazer Harp’ When someone asks is, as one you-tuber puts it, “beyond me what my favourite all time earthly matters”.... album of all time is, I album always reply “I dunno man, anything from Dilated” but I’ve never been asked to review one. TrouThe Winnie Coopers ble is it means I need to pick a standout.

Okay, so as far as big tracks go, you’d have to go for Expansion Team. It’s got Live on Stage, Worst Comes to Worst and Proper Propaganda, but then Neighbourhood Watch had This Way, which is probably their better known track. As a whole album though, The Platform absolutely kills it. It is one of those albums that you can listen to in headphones, on a huge system or lapFive-piece hip-hop outfit, The Winnie top speakers and it still sounds huge.

Coopers have come a long way since As far as structure goes, it is spot on. they were founded back in 2002 with The title track is first and sets the tone vocalist The Educator and various for the rest of the album. The skits are collaborating friends. While these just enough that they give you a bit of a boys hail from the Gold Coast, there break from track to track and give you are no low v-necks and fake, white a bit of extra insight into the personaliD&G shades here, just a killer mix of ties of the group. Babu’s cuts on tracks humorous yet socially conscious hip- and in-between are so on-point it must hop that’s seen the guys support the have been embarrassing for every DJ likes of De La Soul, Jurassic 5, Lyr- who heard it when it dropped in 2000. ics Born and Ugly Duckling and huge The features are well spaced out which success off the back of their latest re- helps it avoid that ‘compilation album’ lease, Worth the Weight. Vocalist and feel that some hip-hop releases fall guitarist Eloquence, gives us the run- into. On the topic of features, you can tell all the guys they got to jump on down on some of his favourite jams. have obviously got mad respect for the group. Sometimes you feel like people Hermitude pull out throwaway verses for collabs, Threads not here, B Real, Aceyalone, The AlkoI’m a huge fan of holiks, Planet Asia, Dafari, White E Ford instrumental hip- and Phil Tha Agony, all pull out some current hop albums. I can serious heaters that are better than a album put them on and lot of the stuff that makes the cut on just bounce along without getting their own albums. On a production tip, excited or annoyed by what a rap- it has plenty of ‘90s feel to it, with just per is doing. Then if you turn it right enough polish to make it still relevant up, there are generally insane, hid- now. As I said earlier, I struggle someden bits in the beat that you can vibe times listening to rappers. You know, out on. Hermitude have been holding they always seem to have a couple of down Australia on the instrumental cringe-worthy lines that kinda ruin tip for a while now, and this album the whole track for me. Not Evidence is another massive feather in their and Rakaa though. They are political cap. The tracks range from straight enough without it being overbearing, head-nod bangers, to really organic street enough without sounding trysounding reggae, back to downbeat hard and they still seem to offer a bit of hip-hop joints, some proper ‘80s b- hope throughout their often ‘doom and boy electro and even a credible (ac- gloom’ tracks. tually awesome) love/lust song that features Urthboy and Elana Stone.

That’s right, the boys have collabo-

eloquence

Got something “eco” on your mind?

Tell us about it!

Step up to the challenge to create a sustainable future by entering the Eco-Minds competition and be in with the chance to represent Australia at the:

ECO-MINDS YOUTH FORUM NEW ZEALAND

25 – 30 May, 2009 Eco-Minds gives you the chance to use your passion and ideas for sustainability to play a leading role in developing ways to help protect our future, as well as enhancing your career.

We are offering three* motivated university students, aged 18 – 24 years, an opportunity to be a part of an international team solving real-world problems at the week-long, all-expenses paid forum in New Zealand in May 2009.

So get your ideas out of your mind and into Eco-Minds - register on-line now at www.eco-minds.bayer.com Applications close Friday, 28 March 2009. *One student will be selected from the University of Western Sydney

MIX UP

HOUSE PARTY HEROES GMC VS AGWA

With Agwa fast becoming the shot of choice at bars and clubs everywhere, we threw down the gauntlet to hip-hop artist and regular party animal GMC to try his hand at // the art of cocktail making. Armed with a bottle of Agwa, G scrounged around his pantry for ingredients and came up with two cocktail recipes: Old Man Meggis and Cotton Mouth.

We scrambled together a panel of “experts” to taste test GMC’s creations and compared the cocktails to Agwa’s own recommended Cocarana and Agwa shot straight with a piece of lime. All of the judges were dubious about tasting GMC’s recipes especially after watching him mix the drinks with zero attention to detail.

WIN AN AGWA PACK If you fancy yourself as a bit of a cocktail connoisseur simply email your recipe suggestion to comp@acclaimmag. com with the subject heading Agwa. All recipes must include Agwa and must be given a name. The winner will receive a pack of 3 bottles of Agwa.

Entrants must be 18 years and over.

Competition winners must show valid ID upon delivery of the prize pack.

THE EXPERTS

OLD MAN MEGGIS

COTTON MOUTH

STRAIGHT UP

Ingredients: Agwa, Cranberry Juice, Crushed ice, Vodka, Tonic, Sprite, Half a lime.

Method: G didn’t exactly measure out the ingredients carefully and the end result is probably a total fluke. Approximately one portion of Agwa and one portion Vodka are poured over the crushed ice followed by a dash of cranberry, a dash of tonic and a dash of Sprite, finished with a squeeze of lime.

Ingredients: Agwa, Crushed ice, Vodka, Lime, Tonic and Sprite.

Method: Again, G freestyled the quantities of all ingredients but somehow pulled it off successfully.

Suck down a slice of lime and follow immediately with a chilled shot of Agwa.

COCARANA A quantity of Agwa mixed with Coke over ice and a lemon slice.

Simple.

PEZ

Soul Mate recording artist who’s debut single The Festival Song is doing big things on Aus radio. His album A Mind of My Own is out now.

360

Soul Mate recording artist. Album debut What You See is What You Get is out now.

Mo

GMC’s manager and drinking buddy.

Sam

92 - 93 mix up

Bar tender, on board for his professional opinion.

Montell

ACCLAIM founder and Editor In Chief.

the Verdict

Agwa mixes very well with Vodka and sweet drinks making it the perfect basis for a refreshing cocktail during the Australian summer. Cotton Mouth was the clear favourite, however both of GMC’s cocktails rated above the more traditional serving suggestions. None of the judges could believe that GMC actually invented two winning cocktails. But be warned, these drinks go down incredibly easy and Agwa packs a hell of a punch!

hi-ballin’

Words by Nick Lupi Photos by Gauthier Chastenet de Gery

Spit Syndicate

Patron on ice and they can pop bottles all night Sydney hip-hop duo, Nick Lupi and Jimmy Boserio AKA Spit Syndicate are well and truly Australian hip-hop’s hot // up and comers. With an amazing response to their highly

original, debut release Towards the Light from fans and critics alike, a successful tour under their belt and an ARIA nomination all in the same year, we envision big things for these boys. So in toast of the inevitable good times ahead, we gave Nick and Jimmy a taste of things to come with a night out, fuelled by the ultimate liquor of highrollers, Patron. Nick takes us through the proceedings and wonders what it would take to get Patron a mainstay on their rider.

Being an aspiring rapper is a fairly tough and thankless job: long nights on the road, very little cash and lots of hard work without much reward. But the night that the good folks at ACCLAIM and Patron treated us to a few too many extravagant cocktails at the Kings Cross bar Favela, was one of those rare moments when one is reminded why one wants to be a rapper.

94 - 95 hi ballin

Widely acknowledged as the finest premium liquor in the world, Patron Tequila has taken a remarkable journey from Atotonilco, Mexico, to the very top of the liquor game, via a glowing endorsement from hip-hop. Mainstream hip-hop has an ability to skyrocket brands into the sort of orbit that marketing execs salivate over, and, while certainly not the sole cause of its success, Patron is a testament to that ability. While the homie/bartender extraordinaire Jules prepared our drinks, Jimmy and myself amused ourselves by reciting lines from the countless times that Patron has appeared in hip-hop songs, from Weezy to Jay-Z to Nas to just about everybody.

Patron hasn’t chased this endorsement (which isn’t limited to hiphop, either) like other alcohol brands have; it simply came with the territory as the status of the high-end tequila grew.

Favela is one of Sydney’s coolest bars, complete with classy couches and walls decked out with light bulbs, and it provided a fitting location for our first introduction to ultra premium tequila.

Now, Patron isn’t the sort of drink which you’re likely to find in Spit Syndicate’s rider, so you can imagine the looks on our faces when we were presented with the first drink: surprised, excited and slightly fraudulent.

We started off on the Perfect Patron Margarita, which takes Patron Silver, Patron Citronge, sour syrup mix and some fresh lemon and lime juice. We all toasted to good friends, good health and free

booze and quickly found out how the cocktail in question got its name. All of my experiences with tequila in the past have been with inexpensive varieties, which make the difference of taste in Patron all the more clearer. The lemon and lime juices blend wonderfully with the spicy agave taste of the Patron Silver, giving the drink a smooth edge, which goes down nicer than any tequila I’ve ever had before.

The margaritas were a hit with everyone, so we kept ‘em coming. It didn’t take long before our Lil Wayne recitations were getting louder and more extravagant, as we found ourselves decidedly jolly. And that was the best thing about getting drunk off Patron, it wasn’t like getting sloppy drunk after a case of beers (the sort of drink you ARE likely to find in SS’s rider), it was more of a whole-body buzz type of drunk: we were smiling, laughing, and generally feeling a lot bossier than we really are.

We finished up with some Patron XO Cafe shots, which make the odd combination of Tequila and coffee taste pretty damn good.

Jules lined up a row of shots, which felt like it didn’t end and we threw them back accordingly. We left Favela in the highest of spirits, not knowing when we would drink Patron again, but nonetheless glad that we’d had a brief encounter with the luxury tequila.

did you know?

Patron 100% Agave Tequila is the number 1 selling premium tequila in the world.

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Atmosphere

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film buff

Words by Jerry Jerri

wale

As one of the most exciting new artists around, DC’s Wale is an artist that ACCLAIM is keeping a close eye on. // Prior to his Australian tour we had a chat with Wale and he

was kind enough to share his favourite movies with us. Check out www.acclaimmag.com for the full Wale interview.

With a preference for comedies and sport themed films, Wale’s five favourite movies are probably the most un-rapper-like selection we’ve seen so far.

Before listing his top five, Wale also chewed the fat with Jerry Jerri about movies.

What are your favourite kind of movies?

Comedies: Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Big Lebowski... anything funny, I feel like the world has enough drama in it Do you watch a lot of movies?

Ever since I got a DVR and OnDemand, I’ve been catching up on a lot of movies. I’m in the beginning stages of becoming a movie buff.

If you were going to get your music on the soundtrack for a film, who would you like to be making the movie?

Spike Lee, just because his soundtracks defined his movies and vice versa. Also because his movies go over your head until you see it a couple of times.

Wale’s Top 5 Movies (in no particular order)

D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994) Favourite scene/moment in this movie: The flying V My manager’s dad directed it. My manager also was an extra in it when he was like 10 years old. His mom is in it too at the clothing boutique in Beverly Hills. It’s just a classic mid-90’s sports movie.

Pulp Fiction (1994) Favourite scene/moment in this movie: The opening scene It’s so out of place and over the top that it’s genius.

Little Giants (1994) Favourite scene/moment in this movie: “Spike don’t play wit girls” I played football for 12 yrs...I watched it before every game.

96 - 97 fillm buff

The Brothers (2001) Favourite scene/moment in this movie: Every scene with Ms Gabrielle Union Gabrielle 100 percent!

Hoop Dreams (1994) Favourite scene/moment in this movie: The end It’s very very real...dreams don’t always come true.

Aus readers can catch Wale at the Good Vibrations Festival 2009: Sydney, Centennial Park - Saturday 14 Feb Melbourne, The Nursery, Flemington Racecourse - Sunday 15 Feb Gold Coast, Parklands Showgrounds – Saturday 21 Feb Perth, Heirisson Island - Sunday 22 Feb

dRuNk GiRlS & diScO FiGhtS M i x t A p e Mixed by dJ A-Style FRee dOWNlOAd: WWW.MySpAce.cOM/xNhell

PARTY PICS ACCLAIM x estevan oriol collector kit LAUNCH // the heist // MELBOURNE

98 - 99

party pics

ACCLAIM x estevan oriol collector kit LAUNCH // espionage // SYDNEY

CHUPA CHUPS 50TH ANNIVERSARY

S CTION PRODU NICHE WATERFALL T & EN M IN ENTERTA ENTS PRES

FAT FREDDYS DROP PUBLIC ENEMY SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS MORCHEEBA ATMOSPHERE FEAT. BROTHER ALI

THE DODOS • GILLES PETERSON FEAT. MC EARL ZINGER • CARL CRAIG RADIOSLAVE • MR SCRUFF A GUY CALLED GERALD • MIKE MONDAY PPP AKA PLATINUM PIED PIPERS ELI “PAPERBOY” REED & THE TRUE LOVES YO MAJESTY • SOUTH RAKKAS CREW KATALYST • FLYING LOTUS • RECLOOSE LADI 6 • WAAJEED • MARK PRITCHARD & STEVE SPACEK • DJ VADIM & YARAH BRAVO

WATUSSI • SPIKEY TEE & RITUAL • BUDSPELLS • KILLAQUEENZ • DEEPCHILD RO SHAM BO • UBERLINGUA DJS • CANYONS • PARADISE LOST CREW SIMON CALDWELL • JAMIE LLOYD & JIMI POLAR • BEC PATON • SOULSHAKER DJS THIEF • MURAT KILIC • STEREO THIEVES • HUWSTON • MOTECH • TREVOR PARKEE GORDAN WATSON • DJ KAVI-R • JIMMI JAMES VS ZOOTIE [MAD RACKET]

SUN 4TH JAN 2009 / 4 STAGES [INDOOR & OUTDOOR] ENTERTAINMENT QUARTER, MOORE PARK / 12-10 PM Tix: moshtix.com.au, 1300 GET TIX [438 849], all Moshtix store outlets & inthemix.com.au

.com.au dayslikethis

video games Ok, I know it’s been out for a while now, but listen up folks, because being a native of Melbourne my entire life, this wii game has struck a chord that I’m sure you’re all familiar with. Here’s the story; [Blue Tongue // THQ] the all-powerful INKT Corporation has taken over, and the once colourful and happy city of Chroma has now become a heavily policed monochromatic regime, platform where the rivers now flow with ‘soul crushing’ black ink, and ‘paint bots’ are sent out to suck the colour out of any remaining colourful objects in the city.

Here’s where you come into the picture.

You control Blob, a vigilante whose mission is to destroy the (conveniently shaped) canisters that INKT send out, and use them to tag every single fucking surface in the city, restoring it to it’s former glory. That is pretty much verbatim. Folks, everyone will find some merit in this game. First and foremost, the game is damn fun, and it has a slick presentation that shows even the smaller companies can compete with Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo’s cash cow. Second, of all the places you’d imagine to make a game like this, who would’ve thought Melbourne? That’s right; this game was developed in a city that’s banned graffiti themed games in the past. The games’ soundtrack was recorded by Melbourne musicians, and bounces around soul, jazz, funk and hip-hop tunes that fit perfectly. Third, it’s a remake of an indie developers PC game, so mad props to developers supporting the promotion of an original IP, instead of running with Singstar Cowgirl Edition or something. Finally, as well as having a somewhat controversial overtone for a somewhat childish game, I can’t wipe the smile off my face when I think about how butt-hurt a bunch of MP’s will be when they realise they let a game like this through their ridiculously strict classification system.

-Joe Scully

de blob

fable 2

NBA 2K9

xbox360

XBOX 360 // ps3

wrath of the lich king

[Lionhead // Microsoft]

[2k Sports // 2K Games]

PC // [Blizzard // Activision]

fantasy

100 - 101 reviews

Video game makers these days have their priorities all mixed up. Yeah, you can focus on the game’s story that the developer’s spent years working on, and appreciate the sweet dynamic they’ve created between your onscreen avatar and his pet dog, but where shit gets fun in Fable 2 is when you start going astray and seeing all the odd little things they’ve thrown in for you to discover. I swear to you, there is actually an achievement that you can get in this game which you can only get if you take part in an in-game orgy. If you want to get that perfect gamer score, you’re also going to have to get a bunch of villagers shit-faced, dress up like a Goth, kick a chicken (a marginal distance as well, none of this PETA sass you’d expect), and showing some skin in the village centre. Fable 2 is a display of how a next-gen sandbox game should be, focusing on rewarding the curious, and creating a desire to explore and see what the game can give you.

-DZ

world of warcraft:

sports In this year’s instalment of 2K Sports NBA franchise, the gameplay has been given a teeny bit of a needed boost.

Motions are more fluid and the games’ general action seems a lot more flowing. Presentation is still 2K’s big seller, with even more effort put into their pre-game faux ‘TV presentation’ cut scenes. Following their competition NBA Live 08, 2K9 allows for an updateable rosters function, which will make for some authentic and fresh content when the official 2009 season begins.

2K9’s gameplay is fair, but has its flaws. The right stick shooting/left stick ball handling system make a welcome return, although glitchy controls that have plagued the game for years won’t seem to go away, and will frustrate you to no end. The truth is, with only trivial improvements, and gameplay glitches returning, one can’t help but ask what 2KSports spend the 12 months before each annual release doing. Hopefully 2K may see that they do have a bit of room for improvement, building on a hopeful franchise.

-Tate

Tech REVIEW

mmorpg The World of Warcraft franchise is the biggest current MMORPG on the market, and is barely being contended, even by the recently released Warhammer Online. Right now, I’m betting that Blizzards mentality is something along the lines of ‘if it aint broke, don’t fix it’. And why should they shake things up? Blizzard knows not to mess with a good thing, and other companies all aspire to provide an alternative gameplay experience.

With that said Lich King does present a few issues from the very first moment you log in. To begin with, the games’ graphic engine has become a double edged sword. It allows people with older computers to continue playing, but also shows the games’ age and shortcomings.

Also, apart from providing a few unique quests with more substance than the traditional hunter-gatherer quests we’re all used to, the game still doesn’t celebrate the path up to the end game as much as I’d like it to. Still, if you can push through this, the end game content seems pretty promising.

-Rory N.

Xbox Dashboard update.

With 14 million users and counting, Xbox Live has some massive responsibilities to fulfil if it wants to stay ahead of the curve as a leading online community.

That’s why Microsoft has decided to update Xbox’s Dashboard with a bunch of features to bring it up to par with its competition.

The New Xbox Experience (as it’s now called) has been given a completely new Graphical User Interface that does away with the ugly looking ‘Blades’ they’ve got going now, making it look a lot more like Sony’s Cross Media Bar. Next up, Personalised Avatars are making their debut, which look like Nintendo’s Mii’s, except with better graphics and a few extra features. Finally, they are adding the option to install games to your hard drive, which is a feature that I’m sure will put a lot of unsettled souls at ease.

You can’t get a better example of a corporation answering to the community than that, folks.

-Ollie

DVDs bling: a planet rock

in bruges

dv1

DISTIBUTOR NOT CONFIRMED AT TIME OF REVIEW

It’s very rare to see hip-hop stars get a real dose of reality – and I’m not talking about The Flava Flav Show kind of reality either. With Bling: A Planet Rock, filmmaker Raquel Cepeda takes hip-hop luminaries Raekwon (Wu-Tang Clan), Paul Wall and Tago on a journey to war-torn Sierra Leone, where they witness first hand the true toll of the blood diamond history which has become such a part of hip-hop today. Cepeda does a great job of weaving the personal stories of the hip-hop stars with those of the child soldiers, amputees, rape victims and those displaced by the war. Witnessing the gradual understanding of the musicians to the reality of what they spit about makes for some riveting viewing. The film also takes a step back from the war-zone to discuss the cultural significance that bling plays in today’s hip-hop from the eighties old school culture to today’s age where diamond encrusted teeth has become the norm. With heartfelt reflections by Ishmael Beah, best-selling author of A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier and interviews with Kanye West, Big Daddy Kane, Jadakiss and Mr. T, Bling does a solid job of bringing a genre known for flights of fancy to a reality check -Saeed Saeed

porno valley

102 - 103 reviews

SHOCK DVD Porno Valley is basically one of those trashy reality shows off cable, which follows the ins and outs (pun intended) of the highend porn industry in the States, in particular the studio Vivid. Okay I have to admit that I’m a huge fan of trashy TV. I love all that LA, day-in-the-life style, brain-rot, but usually my boyfriend gets pissed about having to sit through 30 minutes of skinny, orange girls, talking shit and sippin’ on Starbucks. Said boyfriend seems to tolerate it however when skinny orange girls are talking shit while going down on other girls and getting pounded relentlessly. And such is the beauty and enchantment that is Porno Valley. The show pretty much confirms any preconceptions about the porn industry, ie. the girls are mostly from total trailer trash backgrounds, the dudes are the most hideous looking beings to walk the earth (ponytails are over, fellas) and I suspect pretty much everyone is on coke. All said and done, it makes for some great viewing. Apparently it’s quite an old series but hey, I’ve never had cable so bring it on. However, probably half of the stars have OD’d or something by now, so maybe don’t emotionally invest too hard, though it is kind of hard when the girls get all upset when their lines are cut. Aww honey, no one watches those parts anyway.

-Community College

The title of this film does sound kinda gay, like some arty flick you get forced to watch on a date with that art student you’ve been trying to get down with for a while. Luckily, this movie is not at all avant garde arthouse nonsense and is totally frigging awesome. Colin Farrell kicks ass in this movie, I’d go as far as saying it’s his best role to date playing Ray, one of two Irish assassins ordered by their underworld boss Harry (Ralph Fiennes) to lay low in the charming town of Bruges in Belgium following a hit gone bad. Ray’s hitman mentor Ken loves the history and character of Bruges while the more youthful Ray is bored immediately and haunted by the tragic accident that occurred on their previous job. Ray’s attitude to his current posting changes when he meets a young woman named Chloe who sells drugs to actors working on a European art film being shot in Bruges.

One of these actors is an American dwarf named Jimmy…do I need to say more? Hitmen, drugs and dwarfs are already pretty darn good ingredients for an entertaining film right? There is the perfect mixture of drama and comedy in this film allowing for a tragic ending with a quirky silver lining. The dynamic between the actors is great and probably the strongest aspect of In Bruges.

I found this film to be hilarious and definitely one for the collection.

-Andrew Montell

henry rollins provoked: live from melbourne dv1 Henry Rollins is a chameleon. The bull necked, big chested musician is a punk rock legend, an actor, a fiercely angry critic and at the same time, a totally nice guy. A frequent visitor to Australia, Rollins is down with what’s happening here politically. Recorded in May this year at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre, Rollins wasted no time in telling his audience of his disappointment with his latest stay down under. “I can’t find that bushy-eyebrowed bitch John Howard anywhere,” he said, feigning frustration. Rollins is not exactly a comedian, there is no classic stand up material where he is talking about marriage and growing old. This is straight up real talk with a guy that just happens to be entertaining. He is like that dude you want to hang out with at the back of the bar and listen to stories and tangents that some times may not make sense, but it’s just so great to listen to. The 90-minute special sees Rollins regale the audience with great anecdotes about his passion for music and talks about interesting encounters with his idols – the story of him humiliating himself in his first encounter with Iggy Pop is a killer.

-Saeed Saeed

know your classics SWINGERS Doug Liman 1996 I felt like it was high time I reviewed a comedy in this Know Your Classics section and when I found a copy of Swingers in a Sanity bargain bin I snatched it up, hoping that it was as good as I remembered it to be.

Written by John Favreau and starring himself alongside Vince Vaughn, Swingers is a buddy flick with a lot of style. Anyone who’s ever suffered a heavy dose of post breakup blues or had a buddy who’s taken far too long to get over an ex will relate to this movie. Focussing on Favreau’s character Mike, who has just moved from NY to LA to pursue his acting career, leaving behind a six year relationship and seemingly unable to put his ex girlfriend behind him, Swingers sees Mike reluctantly trying to get back on the wagon with the help of best friend and ladies’ man Trent (Vaughn). Beginning with an impromptu trip to Vegas where Trent and Mike hit the tables (unsuccessfully) and hunt for what Trent calls some ‘beautiful babies’. After successfully picking up a couple of girls and heading back to one of their trailer homes, Mike manages to blow both of their chances when he begins pouring his heart out about his ex.

This sets the tone for the rest of the movie, where Mike and Trent along with their gang of other young bachelors hit LA’s parties and night spots. Trent is confident and a winner with the ladies, whereas Mike is the eternal pessimist who constantly shoots himself in the foot while trying to score. There is nothing revolutionary about the plot of Swingers, but it is stylishly shot and much of the film’s charm comes from the dialogue. In fact, the dialogue in Swingers is responsible for spurning highly quoted, classic phrases such as “Vegas baby!” and “You’re so fucking Money!” Watching Swingers can have the negative effect of reminding you of how much older you are now when you see Vince Vaughn and John Vavreau in their twenties and each with only one chin.

That aside, Swingers is the perfect movie to kick back to with a few drinks and you can almost guarantee that you’ll be annoying the shit out of your friends for the next week with your overuse of Swingers lines. On that note, it’s high time that the word ‘money’ gets brought back as a compliment.

-Andrew Montell

books a bathing ape aiko iida & ian luna hardi grant (Rizzoli) It might come as a surprise to you that Japan’s premier streetwear brand is now in its 15th year, leaving behind it an incredible legacy of marketing, consumer appeal and apparel.

The underlying success lies in the founder Tomoaki “Nigo” Nagao’s ability to sell Japan’s obsession with collectibles to the Western world, making the product highly desirable among celebrities and the public alike. The real downside of Bape has been its exclusivity, which has lead to the Fape (fake Bape) phenomenon, which is partly due to the brand’s obvious appeal and its scarce availability outside of its own Bape stores (which by the way, look amazing).

This book includes over 300 photos of product, designs, artist and product collaborations, as well as celebrities adorning Bape gear. All in all this makes for a pretty amazing book which you don’t really have any excuse not to own. It will be a constant source of interest and inspiration to anyone into streetwear, Japanese culture or just pop culture fiends in general.

Callum Vass

The Definitive Guide to Stuff White People Like:

The Unique Taste of Millions

CHRISTIAN LANDER (Hardie Grant Books) This book is fuckin’ hilarious. Author Christian Lander has a blog of the same title and the book is basically just an anthology of some of his posts, so if you’re short on cash just hit up the blog because it’s definitely worth a read. The book features 150 things white people like and it’s hilariously/ terrifyingly on point. The first third of the book I was laughing my ass off (Apple products, farmer’s markets, snowboarding, Asian girls) but the more and more I read I started to feel shitty as I realised just how freakin’ white I am. The focus is on shit white people like that they think is really unique and ‘fringe-culture’ and the way Lander talks about it is so cutting that even though you feel as though your whole life is now a fucking clichéd sham, you can still laugh about it, plus I imagine if you’re not white it would be even funnier. The end of the book has a “How white are you?” test, which I haven’t yet done as I kinda don’t want to know.

Alex Weiland

Fly By Night :

The New Art of the Club Flyer

CRAIG LANDY (Thames & Hudson) Remember a time not so long ago clubs actually went to the effort of designing and (gasp) printing flyers for particular nights and events. They were really low-fi, photocopied numbers that cost nothing to make but were often really rad and collectable.

Even if you never made it to the night, you still kinda felt the club had some cred. Then myspace and facebook went and fucked all that and now clubs are too lazy to upload anything more than a shitty low-res logo.

Fly By Night chronicles club flyers of ol’ London town, where it seems the flyer culture is still alive and well. It looks as though the book is made up of flyers from the author’s private collection as there isn’t much variety in terms of the kinds of scenes featured which kinda sucks as I would of really liked to see some grime and hip-hop stuff but that said there is some good shit here. If you like your music on the indie/punk tip and your design low-fi, this is the book for you.

Community College

know your classics Less Than Zero Bret Easton Ellis Less Than Zero was the first book by Ellis (most well known as the author of the infamous American Psycho) and from the get-go his cutting literary style and subject matter pops off the pages and you just can’t put this shit down. Ellis’ books are a true document of the ‘80s. Dubbed the first “MTV novel” due to the frenetic pace of the book and the way it’s divided into brief scenes much like videos on MTV, Less Than Zero follows Clay, a college freshman who returns home to his affluent life and family in LA after his first term at college on the West Coast. He spends his time going to hipster downtown clubs, after-hours parties, fucking indiscriminately various girls and guys in his overprivileged and equally disenchanted peer group and watching MTV with the sound off while doing countless bumps of coke. It might sound like the bad 90210 remake, but this shit is awesome. Ellis is such a witty dude that even though so much of the book is totally fucked up and shocking (abortions, snuff movies, guys having sex with twelve year old girls and dead bodies) there is so much snapping, funny as shit dialogue here that it really feels like you’ve just watched the best TV series of your life after reading it. Funnily enough, it was actually made into a movie in 1987 with Robert Downey Jnr in the leading role and it sucked.

Sometimes perfection just shouldn’t be fucked with.

Beg, borrow or steal, NOW. Alex Weiland

recipe

Words by Alex Weiland and King Adz Photos taken from The Urban Cookbook, photo of King Adz cooking by Darrell Berry

Sweet and Sour Fish by King Adz

Berlin Street Vendor Style Back in the day UK creative all-rounder King Adz wanted to be a chef, however fate found him cooking // up a whole different type of creativity. With a start at the

famed Central Saint Martins College studying graphics, Adz was expelled in his final year and went to work for a skate wear label. The rest is creative history and he now works in many creative roles around the world as an art director, animation and music video director and food and music writer. His latest offering The Urban Cookbook sees a marriage of his two loves: urban creativity and food. We take a look at his sweet and sour fish recipe taken from the streets of Berlin. Yes, you heard right.

Ingredients: 1kg cod, haddock or salmon plain flour salt and black pepper vegetable oil, for deep frying

104 - 105 recipe

Batter mix: 115g plain flour 55g cornflour a pinch of salt 200ml cold fizzy soda water Sweet and sour sauce: 500ml water 4 tablespoons sugar 2 carrots, finely sliced 1 medium onion, roughly chopped 3 peppers, chopped 125g pineapple chunks, drained and chopped red colouring 1 tablespoon cornflour mixed with a little water 4 teaspoons clear vinegar (distilled malt vinegar) “As in most cities of the world, Chinese dishes are a popular street food. Berlin has a mental selection of Chinese restaurants and takeaways, and this recipe, adapted from a dish I ate in one of them, will keep you away from the MSG for a while. The dish can also be made using chicken or prawns” explains King Adz.

Step One: Make that sauce Put the water and sugar in a medium pan and heat until dissolved. In another pan, lightly cook the carrots in boiling water, then drain and add to the water and sugar mixture. Add the remaining vegetables, pineapple and red colouring to the sauce. Use the cornflour mixture to thicken the sauce. At this point it should be thicker than you want it to be at the end. Remove the pan from the heat and stir well as you add the vinegar. Leave to one side, and warm through briefly while stirring.

Step Two: Batter up Whisk all the batter ingredients together until light and fluffy. The mixture should be fairly thick and leave a trail when the whisk is lifted out of the batter.

Step Three: Can you smell fish?

Cut the fish into bite-sized pieces and toss in seasoned flour. Dip the fish into the batter and fry in hot oil in a deep frying pan until golden brown and crisp, about five minutes. Drain on a paper towel.

Step Four: Getting’ saucy Serve the battered fish on top of boiled rice, covered with sweet and sour sauce.

And you thought all Berlin had to offer was weird electro music and blonde people! Dig in to this street style cook-up with friends.

There’s plenty others like this in King Adz’ book, The Urban Cookbook, which profiles 50 street-food recipes, 25 urban talents and five cities. Available through Thames and Hudson, $49.95.

Soundtrack:

Maria Callas – Voice of the Century // DJ Premier – Signature Sounds Vol. 1 // DJ Cam – Underground Vibes // Manic Street Preachers – This is My Truth Tell Me Yours // Smashing Pumpkins – Adore.

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South Trade (02) 9922 2816 www.southtradeint.com.au

Shock

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Foot Locker www.footlocker.com.au

Future Entertainment www.futureentertainment.com.au

Good Virbations www.gvf.com.au

Skull Candy (02) 6639 5555 www.skullcandy.com.au

Syke

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Xmas is just around the corner and what better way to show someone you love them than getting them a year and a half worth of the beauty and enchantment that is ACCLAIM. That’s six issues yo, a steal at $40.

And as always we’ve lined up some rad DVDs for you to pick from this issue to sweeten the deal! Better still, get yourself the subscription and give them the DVD as the gift, they’ll never know. OR…buy them the subscription and keep that DVD. With a selection this good you might wanna to keep that shit for yourself.We have the 1984 hip-hop classic Beat Street, a bit of reality action (don’t pretend you don’t love a bit) with Flavor of Love to celebrate Public Enemy’s impending trip down under, Gunnin for that #1 Spot for all you b-ball fans and To the Limit for those into extreme shit. Something for everyone! International readers can hit us at info@acclaimmag.com or our site www.acclaimmag.com and we’ll get our quote on.

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end stuff CONTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHT Manami Okazaki

Manami Okazaki is an Australian journalist based in Tokyo who has covered stories that have taken her to events ranging from the Playboy mansion parties, the Sound systems of Kingston, to Paris Catwalk shows. Her fascination with the Japanese tattoo scene led her to freelancing for most of the world’s major tattoo publications, and her recent book Tattoo in Japan received positive reviews from magazines such as Vogue and Maxim. We were lucky enough to have Manami interview Horiyasu for our tattoo pages in record time when our previously scheduled tattoo feature didn’t come through.

SPOTLIGHT ON THE NEXT ISSUE ORISUE

Benjamin Menzies

In his own words: I’m a self-confessed closet video game aficionado who somehow found his way onto a skateboard in the early 21st century, around the same time skateboarders started caring more about their attire and less about their ability on the board. Years later, i would weasel my way into my current position, working for a respectable footwear and apparel dealership in my hometown. My musical tastes vary from backpack hip-hop to gangster rap and I’m known to complain loudly if i hear otherwise. Benjamin styled his first fashion shoot for ACCLAIM this issue after cutting his teeth with the Estevan Oriol feature last issue.

ACCLAIM gets the inside scoop on the inspirations and methods behind the consistently excellent streetwear brand when we chat with Orisue president Allen Doan.

ICE CUBE

Anthony Costa

Anthony Costa is a freelance writer and designer. He runs independent Melbourne based label Com Raid and has been a regular contributor to www.slamxhype.com over many years while living in Japan and Australia. In his spare time Anthony sits on the Reserve Bank of Australia Board and represents his country in competitive Tai Bo. He is the author of several emails, and has been compared to no one particularly famous. He currently lives 146 million km from the sun. Anthony was incredibly persistent in his pursuit of The Hundreds interview featured on pg 32.

Few rappers can claim the longevity that West coast veteran Ice Cube has in the hip-hop game. With his second independently released album out now, ACCLAIM talks with the gangster rap pioneer following his third Australian tour.

106 - 107 end stuff

BMX

THE WALL

Some offices have neat and organized filing systems and clean desk tops. Here at ACCLAIM we just horde stuff and stick it on the wall if it tickles our collective fancy.

Feel free to mail us gifts (or money) and we’ll gladly include it on this beautiful and messy canvas.

INGREDIENTS

BMX has been making a steady comeback both as a street sport, an Olympic event and more and more as a fashion accessory.

Next issue ACCLAIM explores the new-school movement fuelled by old-school BMX on an international scale.

This issue was compiled with the help of the following: 1 angry phone call, 1 apartment move; 1 corrupted design file, no backup and an apple through the window (cough Dave cough); 1 breakup via sms; 1 breakup via myspace; 1 tattoo; 30 cases of beer (thanks Miller); 2 launch parties; 1 yakking incident on a plane (am I in the mile high club now?); about 30 savage hangovers; the carting of a billion magazines; a shitload of stress; 1 phone call from a heinous bitch; 1 total green out at the Snoop Dogg party; countless hours of procrastination at the hands of ‘The Flavor of Love’, ‘Porno Valley’ and ‘Sunset Tan’ (thanks Shock!); 4 trips to the solarium; way too much Agwa; 2 awesome beach holidays; way too much fried food and a couple of midnight booty calls

TFSP1288/ACC

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