Big Up Eleven

SILKIE//ROSKA// CHRIS DELORENZO// OLD APPARATUS// PAT PERRY//T.E.E.D// SAAD MOOSAJEE +++ USD 6.99

SCAN TO DOWNLOAD ALL ORIGINAL CHERNOBYL MIXTAPE BY OLD APPARATUS

CREW ELEVEN Words, words, words. Jasmin loves words.

She also loves music, astrophysics, wine, sticking her hands in dried beans, and going on superhero adventures with Miro of Surefire Agency.

Isa Silva was born in 1987 and is finally done with her Fine Arts degree in Lisbon, Portugal. She takes her inspiration in cinematography, enlightening essential fragments to find the essence and the yearnings of a soul that is closed in shadows and enlightened simultaneously.

Anna Claudia Neon Eva Wachter has a lot of names. She is Neon Angel for her friends, Alien Piggy for her family, Bright Light for the editor-inchief, and Eagle Eye for Big Up Magazine. Everyday hustler, supermodel in past life, and professional photo editor, Anna now resides in Mexico and still manages to get her 7 hours of sleep daily.

Tyler Burke is a San Francisco based web developer. When not staring at a computer he enjoys cold beer and loud music.

Preferably combined.

Bryan Bacock, NYC based contributor and artist, sends a Big Up to friends and family. SHINE ON!

Donnie Valdez has recently relocated from Southern California to the Land of Enchantment.

When he's not branding or castrating cattle, he's building beats or pretending to skateboard.

Iain McColl from Oxford wants to know what you do when reading Big Up magazine. His combination is a nice comfy seat, cake, and tea!

Surprises and thunderstorms satisfy me. Yuan Zhou.

Beau was co-founder and editor-in-chief for RE:UP magazine and served a tour of duty as Eddie Turbo in Dub Traffik Control (Dancehall Murdah Unit). He now heads Gematria, the San Diego tropical bass soundsystem and record label, and is a resident selector at Dub Dynamite, an 8+ years Monday night weekly showcasing roots, rub-a-dub and future reggae sounds.

Turbo also enjoys his brand new wifey, lasers, playing soccer, long walks on the beach and sushi. Don't steal his stuff.

The advertising, features, and reviews appearing within this publication reflect the opinions of the respective contributors, and not necessarily those of the publisher or its affiliates. All rights to art, writing, photos, design, and/or likeness and copyrights are property of respective owners, and no assumption of ownership is made by this publication or the publishers.

Advertising Opportunities: alicia@thebigupmagazine.com

Music Reviews: musicbox@thebigupmagazine.com

Art Submissions: art@thebigupmagazine.com

General Inquiries: bigup@thebigupmagazine.com

Writing Contributions: katya@thebigupmagazine.com

Mailing Address: PO Box 664, New York, NY 10159

The publisher will be glad to correct any mistakes or omissions in our next issue. The content may not be reproduced in part or in whole without written permission from Big Up Magazine and the respective contributors. Š2011. Big Up Magazine.

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Send us cool shit, whatever it is. PO Box 664, New York, NY 10159, USA

BIG UP ELEVEN

TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS 50 PAT PERRY

YUKARI TERAKADO

26

56

OLD APPARATUS

ISA SILVA

36

78

ROSKA CHRIS DELORENZO 20

42

SILKIE

SAAD MOOSAJEE cover art by Saad Moosajee

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STORE FRONT

Sony Ericsson MS430 The Sony Ericsson MS430 is a little portable speaker that is also used as a phone stand. Made of aluminum, with a near-perfect design, no wires and no charger. Just place three AAA batteries, connect your phone to 3.5 mm connector and it´s ready to roll. And of course it is compatible with iPhone or iPod, what have you. $$$: 40, yes fourty dollars, from sonyericsson.com

Zombie Snow White and Homer Mac decals Does this one really need explanation? Two of the coolest Mac decals are also available for iPad. Made from pressure-sensitive adhesive vinyl and eco-solvent inks. It is considered a permanent decal, but it can be removed. However, once it is removed, it cannot be reused. $$$: 8 bucks on eBay.

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Capita Ultrafear FK snowboard It's about time ot get ready for the snow season. We think this cool limited editon board from Capita, depicting dismembered pieces of every graphic throughout the Capita board line, is quite fearless. $$$: 450 at your local skate/ snowboard shop.

Pantone Christmas ornaments Yes, yes, it might be still a long way till Christmas, but we already hear "Santa Baby" playing at Walgreens, so we're getting into the mood. These are going on our Christmas tree next year (sadly, they only come out in 2012). No question about it. They come in 10 pretty Pantone colors. $$$: hopefully not too much to break the bank.

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Bare Essentials by Dennis de Groot Bare Essentials is a collection of 50 illustrations of world famous pop culture icons reduced to their barest shapes and colors. The book explores the line between recognition and detail through 50 illustrations of cartoon, movie, video game and comic book characters in their ‘barest essentials’. Definitely a collectors item. $$$: 25 euros from bol.com

I THINK MY CLONE WOULD BE PRETTY COOL. I WOULD TAKE HIM OUT FOR DINNER. NO GAY SHIT, BUT WE'D HAVE A GOOD TIME. WE LIKE THE SAME THINGS. SILKIE

interview by Donnie Valdez

photo by Sheena Jardine-Olade

SILKIE'S NEW FULL-LENGTH ALBUM, THE SECOND INSTALLMENT OF THE CITY LIMITS SERIES, IS GREAT. IN FACT IT'S SUCH A GOOD ALBUM, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU JUST LISTEN TO IT, FEEL IT, AND NOT BOTHER READING ABOUT IT. HE THOUGHTFULLY PLACED EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT IN THE TRACKS THEMSELVES, ANYWAY. AFTER LISTENING TO THE ALBUM, I WANTED TO LEARN A BIT ABOUT THE MAN BEHIND THE BUTTONS. I CALLED HIM UP AND GOT THE CHANCE TO PRY INTO SOME DEEP MEDI AND ANTISOCIAL SECRETS, AND WANTED TO SHARE SOME OF THEM HERE.

What were you doing when you were ten years old?

Any future collaborations or projects?

In the UK, at ten years old you're in your final year of primary school. At primary school what was I doing?

Climbing trees. Climbing trees in the park with my friends. Picking berries out of the tree that we shouldn't really be eating, but eating them. That kind of stuff.

Yeah. Collaborations are hard, especially with producers who are busy touring and stuff like that, it's hard to get someone locked down in your town. The Truth one, that happened when I was out in New Zealand, so we were just right next to each other. Von D happened when he came touring in the UK. He got snowed in, basically, he couldn't go to his gig because it got cancelled due to the snow in the UK. (That's why we ended up calling it "Snowed In.") He had nowhere to go, so he came to my house, and that's how it happened.

So a lot of them weren't planned.

Except for the one with Skream. He had an idea, some chords, and he wanted me to do something over it.

But since working on those tunes I definitely felt like I want to make more tunes with other people. I've got this collaboration that I've done with Swindle... something should be happening soon. I'm definitely excited to work with new, different people. It's something I will be doing more of in the future.

20?

By 20 years old I was definitely making music. 2006 is when we first released a dubstep tune, me and Quest, on the Antisocial label. We pressed it up ourselves and I was going down to the pressing place, picking up all the records, and taking them to all the record stores myself.

We didn't have a distributor, we were just doing it ourselves, so I was just going around to all the record stores trying to sell it.

How did that go? Did you like it?

Not really, cause we didn't have any money. It was a load of records. You know those trolleys that old women have? I took one from my grandma, and I was just rolling around with records on the tube. It's not really the best place to do it. It was a grind, but it was well worth it to get the first one out there.

Speaking of decades, you've been making music for ten years now.

You've come this far, what's in the next decade?

Definitely still going to be making music. It's crazy to think about the next ten years. In a way it seems like not a very long time since I started - in some respects. In other respects it's like, "wow, I've been doing it for ten years." I reckon I will still know a lot of the people I know now. I think a lot of the bonds I have made are ones that will last for quite a long time.

So I'll probably just be mingling with these people and trying to progress what we're doing now.

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MY TUNES ARE NEVER ABOUT SOMETHING IN PARTICULAR. I DON'T SIT IN MY ROOM THINKING, "I WANNA MAKE A TUNE ABOUT THIS." IT'S ALWAYS TRIAL AND ERROR. Who do you work with that inspires you the most?

Quest is the main one. We're best friends apart from the music. When we speak, usually it's not about music. Or if it is about music, it's about the music scene, and moaning and all that. It's not about anything technical. He's probably the one person who shows me the most amount of new music. If I was left up to my own devices, I wouldn't even listen to anything. I just stay in my house, I don't really go and search on YouTube for tunes. A lot of the time, I'm touring and someone mentions the name of someone, and I supposedly should know, I'm like,

"huh? Who?" I don't really check new music, whereas Quest will go and search things out. So he's definitely my source for music. I've probably become reliant on him.

Would you like to hang out with your clone?

I do.

You have a clone?

Basically. I hang out with myself. I think my clone would be pretty cool. I would take him out for dinner. No gay shit, but we'd have a good time. We like the same things.

What are some of your songs about?

My tunes are never about something in particular. I don't sit in my room thinking, "I wanna make a tune about this." It's always trial and error. I never know what I'm going to do until I do the first thing, and the first thing leads me onto the next thing. I'll just be on a tempo, and just start putting stuff in.

The names are usually by force.

Sometimes the name that I've given them on the computer is the same name that it comes out with. Usually, when I'm saving something, I've got to save it, because I don't want to lose it‌ So at that point, the tune isn't much of a tune for me to have a vibe with. It's maybe a drum pattern or some chords that I want to save and keep. Back in the day, it was easier for me to name them. I don't know why... I hadn't used that many names, but obviously now I've come to the end of ideas for what you could possibly name something.

You're not trying to get your emotions out?

No way. A lot of people I know are quite emotionally attached to their music. I'm not emotionally attached, really. The only way I'm emotionally attached is like, I want to be in control of it. But that's not emotion, that's just me being a control freak.

photo by Ashes57

Have you ever thought about playing outside the club scene? Like a formal session at a cocktail lounge? Fireside music with Silkie?

Well, a weird one happened when Quest and I played in Russia, it was like in a university. It wasn't a rave, it was just professors, that were just sitting there. I didn't know what was going on.

There was a little tiny bit for ravers at the front, but the main focus of it was in a massive auditorium. It was weird.

I wouldn't mind deejaying to people who weren't necessarily focused on the music, where it was more background, but I do like to be the center of attention. I would want people to look at me. I don't know how to handle it if they're all eating food and not caring.

"Why am I here?!"

How has your musical process changed from tunes like "Dub Breaks" till now?

The way I make tunes hasn't changed.

And when I say that I mean the way I approach making music hasn't changed. You get influenced by what's around you. The more music

you hear, the more options. You know what I mean? At the time when I made "Dub Breaks" my horizons in dubstep weren't wide, I didn't see what was possible. There was other stuff I could have done in that tune at the time. It's not really one of those tunes that has any distinct chords or melodies, but at the time, I was kind of tunneled into the vision that, "this is a dubstep tune." The more and more I've gone into the scene and carved my own sound, I've become more free. I've been able to just draw influences from whatever I hear, and I can weave it into what I'm doing.

What do you do for fun?

Not much, at all, really. I just rely on my next booking to have fun. My fun is based on how many bookings I have.

What I like to do at home is just watch documentaries, I'm quite boring. I wouldn't say that I have fun on the computer, I'm just here because I have to reply to emails and stuff. That's not really a fun part of my day. Yeah, fun is documentaries and playing out.

Making beats isn't really that fun. The only fun bit is the end result, and I do it for the end result. I do it to get it

finished, and to be able to listen back to a piece of music that's new, that no one's heard before. That's the fun bit of it. Making it is not what I enjoy, but it's the bit I've learned to love, because I like the result.

MAKING BEATS ISN'T REALLY THAT FUN. THE ONLY FUN BIT IS THE END RESULT, AND I DO IT FOR THE END RESULT. I DO IT TO GET IT FINISHED, AND TO BE ABLE TO LISTEN BACK TO A PIECE OF MUSIC THAT'S NEW, AND NO ONE'S HEARD BEFORE. Do you have any near-death experience stories?

I think I saved someone when I was like, 12.

You saved someone?

No, not in the religious sense. I think someone was about to fall off something, and I saved them. I might have exaggerated that in my young mind. When I was at Outlook Festival last year, I was really mashed up. I was asleep kind of, and I turned over, and I was next to the ledge, where you go into 11

photo by Ashes57

the water, and someone just grabbed me, because I was going into the water.

I don't think I was going to die, but it felt pretty scary. That's probably about it...

IT'S THE END OF DEEP MEDI! IT'S THE END OF DEEP MEDI! GOTH-TRAD'S GOING TO HAVE TO FLY THE FLAG! Actually, I've got a story for you. This was a Deep Medi night in Austria. The airport in Graz was closed on that Saturday. We had to fly into Slovenia, which is the next place over. It was me, Mala, Hijak, Kromestar, Quest, and Sgt. Pokes, and this was in 2007. At that point, Goth-Trad was the only person who wasn't on the flight. Basically, it was all of Deep Medi, except for GothTrad. So we're on the flight, and we're about to land, the plane turns to its side and it starts to come down, and it's turning, so we're all like, "what's going on?" It's getting really low, and you can see things, and we're all getting worried. Then it goes back up in there air. We're like, "what the hell's going on?!" Then the guy gets on the mic and says, "We've missed the landing strip."

So we're all like, "What?! What do you

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mean we're missed the landing strip?!"

We're all scared. Kromestar is next to me, and he hates flying, so he's just going berserk. I'm one of those people, I found out then, that even when I'm faced with death, I'll still be making jokes out of it. So I'm like, "It's the end of Deep Medi! It's the end of Deep Medi! Goth-Trad's going to have to fly the flag!" Sgt Pokes is like, "That's dedication!" We ended up landing at what was literally like a bus stop.

Then we understood why we missed the landing strip. There were people waiting for the plane basically standing right where we landed. There wasn't even a conveyor belt to get your bags, it was just people manually putting it out on the side.

can't take you on anymore." It was an embarrassment to go home and explain to your mum that you haven't got a job.

Then me and Quest worked in a market research place. Which was quite fun, actually. We would just go on the phones and put on voices, and try and get people to do interviews with us. That was kind of it, really. I was lucky, because my mum saw I was trying to do something, so it wasn't like, "you've got to get a job or you've got to get out," type thing. I was quite lucky because I had started out early, I had enough time to make my tunes, and not have to worry about where my next paycheck was going to come from. But yeah... that's about the only two jobs I've had. One was for three months, and one was for a week.

What kind of jobs did you have growing up?

What does your mom think about you now?

I worked for the Royal Mail for one week.

I got sacked. I was trying to make beats at the same time, and beats, you know, you have got to do those late, really. And they wanted me to wake up at 5 am... It wasn't working out for me. I was coming in pretty late, and my boss was like, "I

She's pretty proud. But it depends. She doesn't want to be like, "everything's great," all the time. She wants to push me as well. She'll only get really happy about the big things, like if I say I'm going to America, she's like, "Ahhhhhh!!!," but then I'm going to play

in Nottingham, she'll be like, "Have a good time." So it's all relative to how important she thinks it is. She's been pretty supportive and she always tells me, "You need to be getting more money." She's always pushing me.

What's the most stupid thing you have ever bought?

A Dreamcast.

MUSIC YOU CAN'T DANCE TO THAT'S LABELLED DANCE MUSIC. THAT'S REALLY ANNOYING. Sega Dreamcast?

Yeah. I got so hyped about it. I begged my mum for it for ages. And then I got it, and two years later, it died.

That's an excellent answer. What's your worst experience with the cops?

I don't really have that much experience with them. I'm trying to think‌ Oh! Oh my god! We're sitting in my street, me and my friend, in his car, and the police just ran at us. We didn't know they were the police. They were plain clothed. So some guys just ran up on us, and had guns out on us, "YO! YO! YO!" And we're like, "What the fuck!?" "Police! Police! There have been reports of people going around with guns." You can't just run up on people's cars saying you've got reports! You haven't got a report about ME! So they can just go onto any car, and say, "Put your hands up!" And that was just on my street, just outside of my house. We're just sitting, listening to music, and then guns get pulled out. So that was pretty shit.

That's not cool at all.

No, it isn't.

Besides plain-clothed cops waiving guns at you, are there any trends you can't stand?

Music you can't dance to that's labeled dance music. That's really annoying.

And people who don't dance at raves and go on blogs and forums later and be like, "That was amazing." Why would you be at a rave if you don't want to dance? Just crank up your headphones man, and get a sub, and you're good.

What's your favorite story about hanging out with the Deep Medi crew?

One pretty cool night, it wasn't the whole of Deep Medi, but it was me, Quest, Mala, and Martyn was there as well. It was the first time we ever met Gaslamp. We had never heard of Gaslamp Killer, I think this was 2009. We were at Lowlands Festival in Holland. So we meet Gaslamp in the car. I'm sure you've met him before, he's got this big, massive hair and stuff. He's talking to us really calm, and we're having a jolly old chat. We don't know anything about each other, really. Later on he gets on stage and turns into this absolute animal! We're like, "What the hell is this guy doing?!" He starts throwing a towel around, like, "AHHHHH! AHHHHHHHHH!" Me, Quest and Mala were loving it. We were just all onstage getting drunk in front of about five thousand people or something. It was pretty unreal how we had just met this guy in the car that was pretty chilled, and he turned into an absolute animal in front of us. We were all talking about it afterwards...

WHY WOULD YOU BE AT A RAVE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DANCE? JUST CRANK UP YOUR HEADPHONES MAN, AND GET A SUB, AND YOU'RE GOOD. You know sometimes you see people for the first time, and it's not necessarily that they are the best DJ in the world, but it's just that shock factor that you never expected. Like if someone tells you, "Ah, this guy is sick," then when you get there, you want a bit more than sick. Well, if you've never heard of someone, it's like an enigma that comes out of nowhere, you're just getting bombarded with a load of stuff you never thought was going to happen.

It was a magical moment for us. We don't want to see him again because we don't want to spoil this experience.

Who gets the most ladies on Deep Medi?

Mala probably gets the most female attention.

The ladies?

No, not the ladies, I'm talking about the crew. Quest, he will hype up things that don't actually happen. He will just make up stories about me.

Just spread propaganda and tarnish my name. A lot of the time people will come back with stories from Quest, and I'm like, "what?" He's like my antagonist.

I should be interviewing him about you.

Yeah, you should. No, I wouldn't even let that one go out. I would have to complain to the management of Big Up. I'll have to do a contract: no interviews with Quest, he can't mention my name.

He'll have some stories.

Do you think being on a vinyl label makes a difference?

I think only certain people will have enough trust in their music to sell it on vinyl. You have to believe in your tune, because it's not going to happen instantly. You have to go through a process, you don't just make a tune and set up a label and it's out. It's going to cost some money. Vinyl doesn't sell that much, and you're not going to make a load of money on vinyl. I think it's turned into something almost like a collector's item. A niche. So the thing about vinyl is that quality control. Me, personally, I don't take anyone seriously if they are not releasing any vinyl. In the music I come from. Obviously there are others that don't do vinyl anymore, but I feel like you have to go through a process to get to the stage when you're releasing vinyl. So I always respect people a lot more when they trust their music enough to actually put it into a physical format.

Was there ever a record you still can't get that you really want?

Loads. A lot of UK garage stuff. There are quite a lot of Todd Edwards tunes I want but can't find. There are loads of producers whose whole back catalogs I'd like to have. Wookie, Todd Edwards, Matt Jam Lamont, Tuff Jam, that kind of stuff.

Who's in second place?

Well, they would probably say me.

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NOBODY STARTS OFF PRODUCING GREAT THINGS, YOU HAVE TO MESS UP A LOT OF TIMES AND MAKE A LOT OF CRAP BEFORE YOU LEARN HOW TO MAKE ANYTHING SAAD GOOD. MOOSAJEE interview by Katya Guseva

LONDON-BORN, DENVER-BRED SAAD MOOSAJEE IS NOT EVEN LEGALLY ALLOWED TO SMOKE OR DRINK ALCOHOL, BUT HE'S ALREADY PUTTING HIS TALENTS TO A MUCH BETTER USE. HE IS WORKING AS AN ILLUSTRATOR WITH CLIENTS LIKE NOKIA, NIKE, OXFAM, AND NOW SAAD HAS CREATED A VERY ATTRACTIVE COVER FOR BIG UP AS WELL. DESPITE THE FACT THAT HE IS A 17-YEAR-OLD COMPLETELY SELFTAUGHT ARTIST, SAAD CAN SHOW OFF A VAST BODY OF DESIGN AND ILLUSTRATION WORK, SIMPLISTIC AT THE FIRST LOOK BUT VERY DARK, MYSTERIOUS, AND INTRICATELY DETAILED IF YOU TAKE A MOMENT TO NOTICE. BUT LET'S ASK SAAD HIMSELF...

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Your pieces seem dark at first glance, until you look closer and notice details that are bright and colorful. Is this intentional?

It definitely is.

And lately I am experimenting with the reverse of what you mentioned, creating pieces that are very bright with dark details.

When I first started making artwork, a lot of the time I would have trouble blending different images together, so to solve

this I would often darken my entire pieces to make the blending less difficult. By the time I had properly learned how to blend things together, I had grown very accustomed to dark environments and kept creating dark work, sometimes even without realizing it. A lot of people pointed out that some of my works were just too dark, which is when I started experimenting with high levels of contrast so I could inject a lot of detail

into my pieces while keeping them dark.

About a year and a half ago I was kicked out of my management agency, Anja Wiroth, because clients were not showing interest in my works due to the darkness. It was then that I started playing with the reverse of what I typically did, creating incredibly bright and contrasted pieces with many dark details. My cover for Big Up is a good example of this style.

extremely minimal, and ended up not using the illustration I produced because it had too many details.

How did you create your first piece?

I don't even know which piece I could classify as my first because I created so many different things that were just garbage which I have now deleted. I think it's important to recognize that nobody starts off producing great things, you have to mess up a lot of times and make a lot of crap before you learn how to make anything good.

LIVING IN AMERICA PROBABLY CONTRIBUTED HEAVILY TO MY DISCOVERY OF THE DIGITAL ART WORLD, BECAUSE DURING MIDDLE SCHOOL I HAD A LOT OF FREE TIME AND WOULD PLAY ON THE INTERNET, WHICH IS WHAT LED ME TO DOWNLOADING PHOTOSHOP. When did you realize that art can be your profession?

Love the xx piece. How did that project come about?

I stumbled on The xx's music sometime early in 2010, I think around January. I was instantly entranced and inspired and while browsing around their website noticed a link to contact their representatives, Young Turks Records. I sent them an email letting them know how much I enjoyed their music and attached a link to my website in my signature. They replied shortly after, asking if I might be interested in working on a tour poster for them, so that was how the project initiated.

They wanted the poster to be

I tend to get bored of things very quickly, so I always had a difficult time finding hobbies as a child. I naturally assumed I would just get bored making art after a while, but I would say it was sometime around last year when I realized how many different mediums there are to work in, both digitally and traditionally. If I am ever a little fed up with digital illustration, I just try experimenting with one of these other mediums, like motion, and am instantly invigorated. When I came to this realization I decided I would pursue art in college.

Was it challenging to work on projects for big clients when you were just 15?

It definitely was. I didn't have any major international projects when I was that age, but it was pretty difficult creating stuff on a deadline and following briefs at that age, because I didn't

really have any experience freelancing professionally and had a fairly limited skill set.

How did your move from England affect your art?

My family came to America when I was about two. My father was offered a job here. I was young so it didn't have an impact on my art. I am still only an English citizen, which is why I often mention that I am from England but live in America. I will say that living in America probably contributed heavily to my discovery of the digital art world, because during middle school I had a lot of free time and would play on the Internet, which is what led me to downloading Photoshop. The schooling in the UK is incredibly intense in the early years, and had I lived there I doubt I would've had the free time to experiment with Photoshop as much as I did here.

Best guilty pleasure TV show?

Skins (original UK version).

Do you play any music when you work?

All the time, I actually cannot work unless I have my Beats By Dre headphones on and music blasting nonstop.

Most played song on your iTunes?

"Jesus Walks" by Kanye West.

Have you considered working in any other media?

I am constantly experimenting with traditional art, particularly graphite and pen, 3D modeling, and After Effects. I only have limited amount of time to experiment lately, which is why I haven't produced a full project using any of the aforementioned mediums for my website.

a lot of work online that is decent, but not unique to the artist, because it clearly has inspiration from some other artist. And in all honesty I am fine with those works, I just don't think much of those artists. Especially considering I, myself, was often guilty of doing this when I started out.

I AM VERY AGAINST BLATANTLY TRYING TO COPY ANOTHER PERSONS' ARTWORK BECAUSE I FEEL IT IS COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE. Lately I am seeing more and more people who just blatantly copy other established artists' styles, and this is something that is really disappointing to see. I personally believe that I only found a style unique to me as a person about a year and a half ago, and because of this I haven't really seen anybody try to imitate my work.

So do you think it's okay to imitate when you're just starting out?

As I said, I am very against blatantly trying to copy another person's artwork because I feel it is counter-productive, and to avoid this I actually never used any tutorials when I was learning to create art.

Something that made teaching myself even more difficult. One person who really inspired my work was Justin Maller, and I think some of the initial works I put out were so inspired by Justin that it really hindered my progress as an artist. All of these pieces are now gone from my website, and even though the work Justin does is still inspiring me today I am much more confident that the latest work I am producing reflects me and not somebody else, which in my opinion is the one of the most critical things about being a successful artist.

Best sunset in your life?

Goa, India, 2006.

Do you ever notice other artists trying to imitate your work?

Best news this week?

I think this question is pretty grey area. I often see

Working on some T-shirts for one of my favorite bands, STS9.

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collaboration with Christopher Haines

I THINK ALL I CAN DO AS A MUSICIAN IS STAYING AFLOAT, KEEP CONSISTENT, AND KEEP MAKING MUSIC THAT PEOPLE WILL ENJOY. ROSKA interview by Katya Guseva

photo by Shaun Bloodworth

THEY CALL HIM ROSKA. PROMOTERS FLY HIM ALL OVER THE CONTINENTS, RINSE FM TRANSMITS HIS SOUNDS WORLDWIDE EVERY WEEK, AND HIS FANS ARE GROWING BY LARGE NUMBERS. BUT BEFORE LABELS AND PROMOTERS EVEN KNEW ABOUT THE HOT SHOT, ROSKA WAS BUSY SETTING UP HIS OWN RECORD LABEL TO RELEASE HIS MUSIC, BECAUSE NOBODY ELSE WOULD. WITH SUCH PERSISTENCE, CONFIDENCE, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY GROUND-BREAKING SOUND, ROSKA HAS BECOME THE FACE OF UK FUNKY IN THE SPAN OF ONLY THREE YEARS SINCE HIS FIRST RELEASE. AND TRUST US, HE WON'T STOP HERE. ROSKA CHATTED WITH US AFTER HIS TUESDAY RADIO SHOW. 22

Hi Roska. How was the show?

Well, I basically recorded the first half an hour, and then let T. Williams take over.

Oh, so you weren't actually there?

No, not this time, because I wasn't sure when I was leaving. I'm going to Korea

tomorrow, then to Japan straight after, and then straight to America. I've got six or seven dates in America with Toddla T. It's gonna be fun.

Wow, Korea! Have you ever been there?

No, I only got the booking about two weeks ago. I was meant to go to Japan in April, but because of

the problems they were having with the earthquake, we decided to cancel it and reschedule for later on in the year. Seems like everything is going fine now, so it's a good time to go.

I've literally just packed. And I keep opening my suitcase to make sure I've got everything, because I'll be away for a month now.

Sounds like lots of traveling lately.

Have you traveled this much before you started doing music?

No, I was pretty much always in England. I had a few holidays here and there, but it has really taken off now and every month I visit two or three different countries.

Are you keeping track?

I've actually got a globe with stickers on every country I visited. I think it's about 20 on there now.

I know you used to go by MC Mentor, and tried to spread positive message in your lyrics. Why did you stop?

You know, when I was starting to emcee, there was a lot of negativity in lyrics. That was the main vibe in grime at that moment. It's changed now, but back then it was different. And it didn't seem like there was a market for me.

So it didn't really make sense. And at the same time my cousin stopped deejaying for me. It kinda gave me that point to stop emceeing and carry on just making music. I've been making music since 1999 and emceeing at the same time, and I stopped emceeing in 2005, putting more time into producing. photo by Zoom

I LOVE WORKING WITH VOCALISTS. IT BRINGS DIFFERENT ELEMENTS TO THE MUSIC. AND IT BRINGS THE LADIES TO THE MUSIC TOO. Do you ever think of going back to emceeing?

And it brings the ladies to the music too. It does! Dubstep is really maleorientated, and house is more femaleorientated. But it's even better when it's female vocals on a dubstep track. A lot of stuff I've done with Jamie George joins the two worlds together.

I DON'T REALLY WANT TO GO BACK TO 9-5. DOING SOMETHING THAT I ACTUALLY ENJOY IS THE BEST. AND MAKING A LIVING ON IT IS A DEFINITE BONUS. I THINK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME. What software are you using for production?

I was using Fruity Loops when I first started, up until about three months ago. And then I moved over to Logic, just for the simple fact that when I go to different studios to do sessions, it just makes it a little bit easier when recording stuff. So I just know how to use both now. And I've moved over from using a PC to using a Mac. Oh nice! How are you liking your Mac? I've been using Mac for Serato, for deejaying, for over a year, and now I've bought an iMac for music. It's something new... I had a few weeks off before I went to Croatia and Poland and a few other countries, and I spent all my time just practicing and practicing, to make sure I get everything. And I think I'm there now.

Do you think your music production or quality will change with this transition to a new software set up?

It might. I think it will bring more energy to it. There seem to be more background things that I can do with Logic, so that will definitely help me a lot. But we'll see anyway. My next album is going to be fully made in Logic, so we'll see the difference.

Do you enjoy collaborations?

No. I had to think about it, but there are so many good MCs at the moment: P-Money, Wiley... so many! It just doesn't make sense for me anymore.

Just let those guys do their job and I'll focus on my music.

But you seem to be working with vocalists a lot.

I love working with vocalists. It brings different elements to the music.

I like collaborating, but it depends on who you're working with. I've done something with Untold. I really like his work and that was a good collaboration for me. I've done stuff with Toddla T in the end of last year, that was good and interesting. I've done some stuff with Swindle too, hopefully it will surface some time in the year. We've done something with Swindle and Jamie George together, and I really like that track, I hope it will be released.

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A LOT OF PRODUCERS AND MUSICIANS CAN BE A BIT SELFISH JUST MAKING MUSIC FOR THEMSELVES, BUT I BELIEVE IN SHARING THAT ENJOYMENT WITH OTHER PEOPLE, MAKING MUSIC THAT OTHER PEOPLE CAN FEEL AS WELL AS YOU FEEL IT. THAT HELPS YOU STAY AFLOAT AND GIVES YOU LONGEVITY.

Would you be able to pinpoint a time period when your music career has taken off?

I think spring last year. Just before my album came out in April 2010, there was a build-up, magazines were covering it, a lot of people and shops were requesting my back catalog, I started getting a lot of bookings... I got a lot of interest from America, Europe was interested and I was getting lots of bookings in and around London. And it was a build-up from then on. My album came out and with all the bookings it was time to quit my full time job and just carry on making music and gigging. I'm hoping it will continue, and won't just be one of those things that last for a while and then stop.

Do you think about that a lot?

I don't really want to go back to 9-5. Doing something that I actually enjoy is the best. And making a living on it is a definite bonus. I think about it all the time. I think all I can do as a musician is stay afloat, keep consistent, and keep making music that people will enjoy. A lot of producers and musicians can be a bit selfish just making music for themselves, but I believe in sharing that enjoyment with other people, making music that other people can feel as well as you feel. That helps you stay afloat and gives you longevity.

and Facebook and all the social networks were not available, there was only one way to get your music heard. Whereas now there are so many new directions to spread your music in. It's kinda like a virus: as much as people hate your music, they can't get away from it. It's true! We hear people talking about artists they follow on Twitter and some of them they might not even like, but it means their music is doing well, if you hear people talk about it.

There's a lot of dubstep artists like Rusko, Skream, and Benga who get enough of support from the underground and go over to the mainstream. Do you see yourself getting to that point?

I would love to do that. I'm not sure if it's too early or if it's time for me yet. Because Benga and Skream have been in it for so many years now. They're actually overdue to get that sort of respect from the mainstream. What they produced over so many years is unbelievable. Their fans are still growing by the numbers.

THE SCENE HAS GOTTEN QUITE BIG AND NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. THE ONLY WAY IT CAN DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT IS IF IT EXPANDS. THE ONLY WAY IT CAN EXPAND IS IF IT LEAKS INTO THE MAINSTREAM.

What was that job that you quit?

I used to work in a mobile phone shop, I was assistant manager. I've always done sales in retail. It was weird, but it was good to get away from that and do something that I really enjoy.

Were your parents supportive of your music? How did they react when you decided to quit your day job?

I treated it as a hobby, so it wasn't something like, "mum, I'm gonna pursue this." It just came in gradually and I ended up doing it full time. In a way it meant more this way, rather than if I just jumped into doing music, and decided to change my career. I'm glad that it slowly came to that. It all naturally built up and I turned from a retail shop keeper into a DJ and producer.

I feel like your confidence and persistence played a huge role in your career, when you set up a label to release your own music, when nobody else was interested in your sound.

It was quite good that it happened that way. It gave me a push to go out and do it myself. I think that's been my drive for a few years now. Every now and then on Twitter I get a random person going, "You're shit, Roska." I like it, it's funny, I retweet it. It's good that Twitter is there, and people can say whatever they want to say. But back in the day when Twitter

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I've been releasing music since 2008, and I feel like I still have got room to improve on my music skills and gain more underground fans. I'm not going to force it. I've got a good backing with Rinse, and if they feel the time is ready for me to do certain things, then I will do them. Until then I will continue doing what I do in the underground, keep pushing my music and gain more followers in the underground.

Do you think there's a risk of losing some of your underground support when turning to the mainstream?

Like with the case of Benga, Skream and Magnetic Man. I think I'm quite lucky in that sense. I think I'm sort of in the middle, where I don't have that die-hard fan base that Skream and Benga have.

You know, the same thing happened with drum and bass.

It was an underground scene, and then you've got some characters going over to the mainstream. I think it's cool, because it means the scene has gotten quite big and needs to do something different. The only way it can do something different is if it expands. The only way it can expand is if it leaks into the mainstream.

What Magnetic Man has done is open the doors for more dubstep producers to come onboard and gain more respect on the mainstream level. And just to get out there a bit

photo by Zoom

more. I think it's really good, to be honest. It helps everybody. The scene has been built on loyalty and respect.

It's good music, quality music. Now they're actually getting paid for their hard work. I think it's really good that Magnetic Man pushed it to the mainstream.

WHAT MAGNETIC MAN HAVE DONE IS OPEN THE DOORS FOR MORE DUBSTEP PRODUCERS TO COME ONBOARD AND GAIN MORE RESPECT ON THE MAINSTREAM LEVEL. Obviously it has to be slightly watered down, because not everybody is going to understand what dubstep is. But if it's watered down and put into a musical element it's easier for some people to understand and digest, which happens with every single bit of music. Look at the charts now, it's covered with those dreary synths and 4x4 drum kicks. Every other track

on the charts is covered like that.

It's easy for the youngsters to digest and it's easy for this music to be understood, and that's why it sells.

Makes total sense. So I couldn't leave your awesome logo and T-shirt designs unnoticed. Who is doing all this design for you?

If we're going there... How did the name come about?

Me and my brother were messing about thinking of random names, and Roska kinda stuck. I've had it since 2003... Yeah, around that time.

Do you get confused with Rusko?

That's all Stuart from Give Up Art. He does all the stuff for Rinse, Tempa, Bloc Weekend and few other companies as well. When my first album came out, that's when the design started. I had my Roska Roska logo since then.

Yeah, I get confused with Rusko all the time. But I didn't actually know I would end up making music for living, so before I knew it was too late to change my name. I just left it as is.

We're cool. I've spoken with him a couple of times. He's cool.

By the way, where does the famous "Roska Roska Roska" come from?

Whom would you like to Big Up?

The tag is actually me emceeing in 2005. I got it from my old tape and recorded it back in.

Big up Big Up Magazine, big up Rinse, Geeneus, Jamie George, T Williams and MA1.

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I WISH I HAD SOME COOL SATANIC CULT-LIKE RITUALS I DID BEFORE WORKING ON A PIECE, BUT USUALLY I JUST TURN ON SOME MUSIC AND GET CRANKING. PAT PERRY interview by Bryan Bacock

photo by Sheena Jardine-Olade

THE ART OF PAT PERRY IS THE KIND OF WORK THAT PUTS YOUR IMAGINATIVE MIND INTO OVERDRIVE, WITH ELABORATE CHARACTERS SPUN FROM THEIR OWN DEVICES TO ALCHEMIC LANDSCAPES OF ORGANIC OBJECTS BURSTING WITH VIVID GRADIENTS... A COMPLETE NUISANCE THAT SOMEHOW MAKES TOTAL SENSE. PAT GIVES BIG UP THE TIME OF DAY TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS AND SHOW US A BIT OF WHAT'S NEW IN THE WIDE WILD WORLD OF PAT PERRY.

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We love your artwork! It looks so intense! Do you have a detailed vision of your pieces before you begin?

Thanks! Most of the time my process consists of brainstorming an idea and making several sketches before I start in on the final piece.

Were you sketching at a young age? Were you the kid hunched

into his notebook drawing all class period? Or is this a new affliction?

Yes, I have been drawing ever since I can remember. I have piles of full sketchbooks that I have saved from all my school years that are a testament to the fact that I was doing quite a bit of drawing during class. There are several drawings I have of my teachers from grade school

as well. Some are more flattering than others.

Are you self-taught or did you have formal training? What was the biggest challenge in your learning?

Both! I have taught myself quite a few different skills by practicing obsessively.

I am also in the midst of art school right now, learning the formal elements of making great oil paintings.

THERE ARE SEVERAL DRAWINGS I HAVE OF MY TEACHERS FROM GRADE SCHOOL. SOME ARE MORE FLATTERING THAN OTHERS. The biggest challenge of learning and making art is to stay focused and allot enough time to do it. It's ridiculously easy to get carried away with other life activities and forget to make time to create art.

Whose art do you find to be inspiring?

Did you try to simulate any artists when you were just starting off?

There's so many great artists to see these days, it would be hard to name all of my favorites, especially with the Internet at our disposal. I have been pretty inspired by the work that is coming from people I know personally. It is great to see your friends and colleagues strive and make great work.

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When I look back at my work from when I was just starting off, I can cite several artists that I was pretty blatantly inspired by. As each of us grow as art makers, I feel like these influences start to become less obvious as we dive deeper into our own concepts and ideas.

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THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE OF LEARNING AND MAKING ART IS TO STAY FOCUSED AND ALLOT ENOUGH TIME TO DO IT. IT'S RIDICULOUSLY EASY TO GET CARRIED AWAY WITH OTHER LIFE ACTIVITIES AND FORGET TO MAKE TIME TO CREATE ART.

What gets you excited to draw? Do you have any sort of ritual in the studio before you begin working on a piece?

I get excited to draw most when I think up a really neat idea and want to put it down on paper. Sometimes ideas come when I'm out and about,

bring with me as I sit down to work so that I have something to start with. I try to be actively thinking of ideas as I go about my day to day. ...WE ENDED UP RIDING A ZIPLINE FROM A TREEHOUSE, BREAKING INTO SOME ABANDONED BUILDINGS, PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK IN EMPTY OVERGROWN LOTS, AND CRUISING ALL AROUND DETROIT IN THE BACK OF A FRIEND'S PICKUP TRUCK. What are you listening to right now?

"Trouble in Mind" by Roscoe Holcomb, I'm on an old Appalachian kick right now.

Do you have a favorite city? if yes, what was the best night you spent there?

so I have to write it down and wait for my opportunity. I wish I had some cool satanic cult-like rituals I did before working on a piece, but usually I just turn on some music and get cranking.

Tell us how you break yourself free of artist's block.

The best way I stop myself from falling into block-like periods is by planning ahead. I usually have some written ideas, photos, and scribbles I

I really enjoy a bunch of different cities, and it is hard to choose one favorite. Just two nights ago, I had a pretty good night in Detroit. A friend has been turning an old warehouse into one giant art installation.

We ended up riding a zipline from a treehouse he built, breaking into some abandoned buildings, playing hide and seek in empty overgrown lots, and cruising all around Detroit in the back of a friend's pickup truck. Detroit is a pretty amazing place that is totally unlike any other city in the country. I'm a fan of New York and of Seattle as well.

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I HAVE ALWAYS FIGURED THAT IF I MAKE GOOD ART AND WORK HARD AT IT, IT WILL CATCH THE RIGHT PEOPLE'S EYES. What has been your biggest break into the public eye?

I can't pin a big break down onto one thing.

For me, my art career has more been built up by many different projects that have caught eyes over the past few years. I have always figured that if I make good art and work hard at it, it will catch the right people's eyes.

Is there anyone you would like to Big Up? My close friend Ray Brown who runs a web design company called Bitmanic. We are just putting the finishing touches on my new website and it is looking amazing.

On top of being a great designer and a good friend, Ray and I share a kindred spark for adventure. Big ups Ray!

PAT PERRY ONLINE: www.patperry.net patperry23

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WITH TECHNOLOGY ANY SOUND IMAGINABLE CAN BE CREATED, UNBOUND

BY THE USUAL LAWS OF REALITY. OLD APPARATUS interview by Katya Guseva

BIG UP AND OLD APPARATUS WENT TO UKRAINE THIS SUMMER AND MADE CHERNOBYL MIXTAPE. SCAN QR CODE ON THE COVER OR GO TO OUR WEBSITE TO DOWNLOAD THIS EXCLUSIVE MIX WITH ALL ORIGINAL OLD APPARATUS MATERIAL. BIG UP SUBSCRIBERS WILL GET THE ORIGINAL CASSETTE TAPE IN MAIL photo by Sheena Jardine-Olade FEATURING THE EXCLUSIVE SIDE B.

OLD APPARATUS - THE MYSTERIOUS PRODUCER ACT, KNOWN TO MANY OF YOU FROM THEIR OUTSTANDING RELEASE ON DEEP MEDI IN EARLY 2011. IT WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE STUNNING VIDEO, APPARENTLY PRODUCED BY OLD APPARATUS THEMSELVES, AND DESIGNED WITH SOME OF THE WILDEST ARTWORK WE'VE SEEN ON RECORD SLEEVES IN A WHILE. BUT WHAT WILL DEFINITELY REFRESH YOUR MEMORY IS THEIR SOUND. HEAVY TEXTURES, BIZARRE VOCALS, LOTS OF WHITE NOISE - ALL SOMEHOW FORMING INTO AN OTHERWORLDY, CINEMATIC SOUND SPACE THAT CAN NEVER BE FULLY EXPLORED...

WE DID, HOWEVER, TRY TO LIFT THE VEIL OF MYSTERY AND ASK OLD APPARATUS A FEW QUESTIONS...

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There's a certain mystery around Old Apparatus.

Please tell us as much as you can about the members of the project, without ruining the secret.

Mysterious isn't something we've consciously set out to be, so I think it's interesting that people are viewing us in that way at the moment.

We're used to keeping ourselves to ourselves, so it suits us just fine really!

The core of Old Appa is three bedroom-dwellers and one artist who grew up together in the same area, share the same friends, and now (nearly) all live together.

We started sharing music and images just to motivate each other initially. It gets really boring making tunes that are destined to sit on your hard drive and nothing

could push ourselves as far as possible.

It's all been a very natural process, and having brothers in our midst adds to the feel of that. It's also a feeling that extends to our relationship with Mala and Kris [of Deep Medi].

There is a fundamental understanding and respect that we share, and that's the basis for everything we do together.

Your project is surrounded by absolutely brilliant artwork. Who's behind it?

We do it ourselves. The video was made with help from a good friend of ours and ended up being three months in the making, because we had to learn how to do it from scratch.

We're always looking to pull our friends into the fold; helps keep things interesting and brings different perspectives to the table. We're blessed to have so many talented people around us.

BEING THE MULTI SENSORY CREATURES THAT WE ARE, NOTHING IS EVER JUST ABOUT THE MUSIC. WHETHER IT BE A WHITE LABEL OR SCREEN PRINTED 12", BOTH ADD A SUBCONSCIOUS FLAVOUR TO THE FREQUENCIES THAT FOLLOW. else. I think we were all looking for something to lose ourselves in creatively. And the exchanging of ideas between us gradually evolved into a collective exploration of an alternate reality that manifested itself, within which we found we

This is the first time we see Deep Medi tap into the more complex visual aesthetic, working with videos, prints etc... What role does this visual part play in your particular project? And how do you see it affect the label itself? Is it still only about the music?

To us Deep Medi have always had their own distinct visual aesthetic (big up Tunnidge!), which captures the understated nature of the label.

For us there really isn't a distinction between the music and the visuals, they co-exist by nature of the four of us working together. Being the multi sensory creatures that we are, nothing is ever just about the music.

Whether it be a white label or screen printed 12", both add a subconscious flavor to the frequencies that follow.

In the context of Deep Medi releases you're doing something entirely different sonically but still staying with the same sort of vibe. Where is it coming from?

We listen to a very diverse range of music between the four of us and this exposure helps us feel liberated enough not to feel too tied to conventions when writing. With technology any sound imaginable can be created, unbound by the usual laws of reality.

I'm curious about your creative process; must be a tough job with four people involved, considering you produce electronic music.

The creative process is very fluid, we all have a shared aesthetic in mind, which continues to evolve on a mostly unspoken level.

WE LISTEN TO A VERY DIVERSE RANGE OF MUSIC BETWEEN THE FOUR OF US AND THIS EXPOSURE HELPS US FEEL LIBERATED ENOUGH NOT TO FEEL TOO TIED TO CONVENTIONS WHEN WRITING. Purely the act of sharing things between us, be it music we're listening to, imagery, films, or anything else that excites us, helps us to maintain this collective wave length that we are working on.

With the strictly limited edition vinyl, prints, and minimal exposure to press, it seems like you're going against the usual "loud" approach in the music industry. It is obviously intentional, but could you elaborate more on this?

It's not intentional in the sense of being planned, it's more a reflection of the way we conduct ourselves as people. We're not about getting into everybody's faces and wouldn't do that with something as personal as our music.

OLD APPARATUS ONLINE: oldapparatus facebook.com/oldapparatus www.oldapparatus.org

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I WANT TO BE THE BOB DYLAN OF DESIGN - YOU MAY LIKE SOME OF MY WORK FROM ONE PERIOD MORE THAN ANOTHER, YOU MAY THINK ONE STYLE REMINDS YOU OF SOMETHING ELSE, BUT I TRY TO TELL A STORY IN MY WORK, AND IF IT'S A STORY THAT HAS BEEN TOLD BEFORE I AM GOING TO GIVE IT A FEW MORE VERBS AND INTRODUCE SOME NEW CHARACTERS. CHRIS DELORENZO interview by Tyler Burke

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AT A TIME WHEN OUR SENSES ARE BEING BLASTED WITH GLOSSY HYPER-REALISM CHRISTOPHER DELORENZO IS A SLAB OF MELTING BUTTER. SEAMLESSLY COMBINING POP ART, CLASSIC CINEMA, FOLK, AND HUMOR INTO AN ICONIC STYLE THAT IS BOTH DIRECT AND PLAYFUL. IN A SINGLE BREATH HIS WORK MANAGES TO SAY SOMETHING WITHOUT HAVING TO SHOUT. CURRENTLY THE HEAD DESIGNER FOR JOHNNY CUPCAKES AND WITH A PORTFOLIO THAT INCLUDES SMIRNOFF, SAMSUNG, AND WENDY'S, CHRIS HAS ALREADY HAD SUCCESS IN HIS YOUNG CAREER. THERE IS CERTAINLY MORE TO COME.

Let's start at the beginning. Tell us a little about your background and how you got your start as an artist... Did you always want to do graphic design?

I grew up in a little New England town called Andover. I come from a family of artists, my grandmother on my mom's side was like our town artist, she was always painting murals for the town, everybody knew who she was, she taught art classes and even drove me to my own art classes every week.

My Grandfather on my dad's side was a carpenter and a painter. So I grew up surrounded by these influencers and all of their creations and I saw how wonderful it was to see the joy it brought to others to live with something that you have created.

How would you describe your style?

I went to school for communication design and one of the main lessons they taught you there was problem solving style was irrelevant. Style pertains to a certain set of eyes, but communication was the main thing you wanted to get across sometimes a certain style was called for in order to communicate. I just try to convey ideas as clearly as I can. There is a dueling personality to my work; there's the design side, and then there is the illustration side. My poster works usually centralize around a single idea that almost acts as a logo; cleverness and simplicity are key in those projects. Lately my doodling/ illustration side has been making its way into a lot of my projects and that stems from me not wanting to use the computer all the time. Everybody has a mouse that connects to a Mac, but I am the only one with my brain that connects to my hand, so I try to use it as much as I can. I want to be the Bob Dylan of design - you may like some of my work from one period more

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than another, you may think one style reminds you of something else, but I try to tell a story in my work and if it's a story that has been told before I am going to give it a few more verbs and introduce some new characters.

If your art could speak what would it sound like?

I guess it would sound like Bob Dylan slipping on a banana peel.

A lot of your work has a clear, simple aesthetic. Is this something you strive for?

Definitely. Going back to my communication education I found that an idea effectively communicates when it speaks a language that people can understand. So clear, simple symbols are very important to use as a central point in a design. The thing that elevates it into something more is when you blend that well known symbol, shape, or figure with something unrelated or something that nobody else saw within those symbols. When you find that harmony it can be very effective and memorable.

Do you find it challenging to say more with less?

I do, yes. But I like the challenge.

Great typography seems to be a key element in many of your designs which is often difficult for other graphic designers. Do you consider yourself a typography nerd?

I am definitely a huge type nerd. I love browsing font sites and drawing letters.

I am one of those design nerds that usually doesn't consider purchasing or investing my time into something that doesn't take typography or design into consideration. I took one type class at

school, but it was finding a way to stand out from other designers that I began making type for all of my projects. And making my own type gave me a greater understanding of letters and respect for those who do it well.

Is there a favorite typeface you would like to give a shout out to?

I got to give a shout out to Garner Bold by Letter Head Fonts. It is a great substitute for Gotham and it has a nice antique vibe to it. Also, Knockout by H&FJ has always got my back when I'm in the design sign. I'm also developing a type called Bakery Staff which is a nostalgic '40s-looking font. (Gotta get the self-promotion in there!)

Can you describe your process and where you turn for inspiration?

I often start with sketching and do small thumbnails. But before that the ideas generate either while I am running or doing some other activity. Lately I've set up a tightrope in my front yard which I turn to for mental breaks. I like to do a few sketches, each one getting more and more refined as I go. Then I marker them and scan them, then vectorize them. Once they are on the computer I either scan some textures or just leave it as it is.

MY POSTER WORKS USUALLY CENTRALIZES AROUND A SINGLE IDEA THAT ALMOST ACTS AS A LOGO; CLEVERNESS AND SIMPLICITY ARE KEY IN THOSE PROJECTS. The hardest part is doing the type. If I was ambitious enough I could create fonts out of all the type elements I create for each project. I find it very rewarding when I do my own type for projects. I will print out what I have on the computer then take tracing paper and draw the type over it, then scan it back in, then vectorize the type. It's a back-and-forth process, and I usually waste a lot of paper.

How often do you collaborate with other artists?

I used to collaborate with my friend Mark Brickman a lot. We used to go to parties and raid the persons printer paper stack and do collaborative doodles and leave them scattered all over the house. I have done a few school projects with fellow designers - my old roommate and I branded and

designed the packaging for our own line of condoms. But professionally I have only collaborated once for an upcoming Johnny Cupcakes release.

Timber Smits, Clark Orr, and I worked on four T-shirt designs together where we each got to utilize our strengths.

They are released this October.

Is it challenging to have other cooks in the kitchen?

It is challenging but it is also fun.

Having that extra set of eyes and design mind on a project can be very illuminating for me. Sometimes you get tunnel vision and having a friend there to show you the rest of the landscape is invaluable. The Johnny Cupcakes project has been interesting. Since we all live and work remotely, the anticipation of seeing what the other person came up with was the best part, and then the reward of the project being done as a result of good teamwork is invaluable.

You've done a lot of work with bands.

How much of your art is influenced by music?

Well, all of the band projects are influenced by the bands music. My goal is to best convey what they are trying to say, or what they want people to feel through the first glimpse of a record, so I listen to their records over and over until an idea sparks inside me.

THE MASTER PLAN IS TO JUST KEEP BREATHING AND TAKING IN NEW LIGHT. I AM GOING TO KEEP PUSHING MYSELF AND GETTING MY ART OUT THERE. I WANT PEOPLE TO SMILE AND MY ART TO SMILE BACK. A lot of my illustration comes from music. I write a lot of songs, used to play in a few bands, so lyrics and phrases are always popping up in my work. Recently I've found that my art has a strong connection to hip hop culture because of the use of puns and social commentary in rap, for example Kanye West.

What are you listening to theses day?

I've been really enjoying Youth Lagoon, Emil & Friends, The War on Drugs, Of Montreal, The Books, Tallest Man on Earth.

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Is there such thing as a dream project for you?

Anything where the projects budget is infinite. Ha! But seriously, I would love to someday design an entire room, everything from the bed to the bookcases to the walls. I think it could be really quirky and functional, I like to imagine what Willy Wonka's bedroom looks like (not in a weird perverted way).

DON'T FIGHT WHO YOU ARE, FIGHT FOR WHO YOU ARE! DO SOMETHING HOW YOU DO IT. DON'T BOTHER WITH "HAS THIS BEEN DONE BEFORE?" JUST DO IT. I would love to do a public mural, or some sort of campaign. Something that can make people smile, forgot what they were thinking about and interact with art. My absolute favorite piece is the 8th street station installation by Tom Otterness. If I can do anything of that caliber of work in my life I will be a happy human.

So who is this Johnny Cupcakes I've been hearing about?

Johnny Cupcakes is a brand that I work for. I moved from New York to Massachusetts last summer to head the design team at JC. It is an independently owned and operated clothing company based around fun, pop culture, vintage advertising, movies, etc. Oh yeah, and cupcakes!

Johnny Cupcakes started as a joke when John was an employee at a local record store and has since grown to be a brand that is recognized all over the world. We specialize in graphic tees but have been evolving into more cut and sew items, hats, bags, and even toys. We are all young and hardworking dudes and dudettes who believe in what John has built.

Joining JC has been the best thing for me as a designer; I had been wanting the time and opportunities to develop my personal design aesthetic and philosophy of design and Johnny Cupcakes has been like a playground for me. There are no clients that I report to, no back and forth or up all night revisions to make client deadlines. We just come up with ideas and general outline of what we want to see released and I run ideas and sketches past our team and we give

the thumbs up and start designing. I'm very lucky to work for such a relaxed and fun brand - I still think I am on vacation because work isn't even work to me anymore.

What advice would you give to the future artists of the world?

Don't fight who you are, fight FOR who you are! Do something how YOU do it. Don't bother with "has this been done before?" Just do it.

Make connections. Friend everybody.

Nobody is in it by themselves, so talk to people, collaborate, stay in touch. If you can't get people to like your art on its own, then make a connection with them. It's like new bands - nobody likes them because they haven't heard them before. But, once your friend starts to listen to it, you want to listen to it, therefore you aren't listening to just the band anymore, you are part of something more personal, more connected. That is like art. You have to keep doing it until a community and a world starts to emerge, then use that community to further the art and its purpose and place in the world. Did that make sense? Basically, just don't cut your ear off.

Is there a master plan?

The master plan is to just keep breathing and taking in new light. I am going to keep pushing myself and getting my art out there. I want people to smile and my art to smile back.

Anyone you would like to Big Up? I want to Big Up my family and my work family. All the people that have shaped me. And a Big Up to the Internet! And the Hubble Telescope.

Where can we go to find more of your work?

You can find my work either on my personal page www.chrisdelorenzo. com. Or follow my adventures and sneak peeks of new work on my Tumblr and Twitter.

You can even find out the things I like to buy following me on Svpply. And don't forget to constantly check the Johnny Cupcakes site for new shirt designs.

I WANT TO BIG UP MY GRANDMOTHER, WHO HAS GONE MAD BUT STILL DEMANDS KISSES.

TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS interview by Iain McColl

photo by Stephanie Sian Smith

TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS (T-E-E-D), ALSO KNOW AS ORLANDO HIGGINBOTTOM, IS AN EXCITING NEW YOUNG PRODUCER AND UNIQUE EXPERIMENTAL LIVE ACT FROM OXFORD. HIS “PREHISTORIC BASS LINES” HAVE BEEN TAKING THE WORLD BY STORM. SO HAVE HIS AMAZING PERFORMANCES IN WHICH HE DRESSES FROM HEAD TO TOE IN FANCY DINOSAUR COSTUMES, WHILE BEING ACCOMPANIED BY GLITTER CANNONS AND TWO FEMALE DANCING PERFORMERS, ALSO DRESSED IN A PREHISTORIC GEAR. AFTER T-E-E-D'S BIGGEST HITS "GARDEN" AND "HOUSEHOLD GOOD" AIRED ON BBC RADIO 1, HE’S HAD TREMENDOUS SUCCESS IN THE ONLINE CHARTS AND SUPPORT FROM DJS FROM ALL AREAS OF DANCE MUSIC. T-E-E-D'S BEEN WORKING ON LOTS OF INTERESTING PROJECTS ALONGSIDE THE PROMINENT LOS ANGELES VIDEO PRODUCTION COMPANY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, AND COLLABORATING WITH BLUR’S LEAD SINGER DAMON ALBARN AND OXFAM ON A MUSICAL PROJECT IN CONGO. COULD THERE FINALLY BE AN ALBUM IN THE CARDS FOR THIS DINOSAUR-DRIVEN TALENT? JUST BEFORE HE TOOK OFF FOR HIS EUROPEAN AND NORTH AMERICAN TOUR WE CAUGHT UP WITH T-E-E-D IN HIS OXFORD-BASED STUDIO, AND ASKED HIM WHAT HE’S BEEN UP TO AND WHAT’S NEXT IN 2012.

Hi Orlando. How are you? How’s your summer been?

Have there been any new additions or changes to your live project?

Good! I just returned to the studio from my holiday. It was a crazy summer, going to lots of festivals all around Europe as well as working on my first album.

I will be performing lots of new tracks. I guess because I play so often I don't really notice the changes. But yeah, it's developing...

For people who haven't seen it, it's me with some gear in a sort of dinosaur suit.

Last time we spoke, you were off on your Jurassic tour to the US and Canada. How was the response to the live show?

That tour was incredible! I loved every show and was so happy and surprised by the reaction. People just seemed to be very open to what I was doing and I really appreciated that. I can't wait to go back in a couple weeks.

You recently re-released your track "Garden" with the most amazing new video. Can you tell me more about this?

I GUESS BECAUSE I PLAY SO OFTEN I DON'T REALLY NOTICE THE CHANGES. BUT YEAH, IT'S DEVELOPING... FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T SEEN IT, IT'S ME WITH SOME GEAR IN A SORT OF DINOSAUR SUIT.

Well, we felt that it was time to give the record another chance, and part of that was doing another video. So we did an extra odd one. [Laughs] It's a funny industry... But basically I just hope that more people get a chance to hear it.

In the last year your live sets have taken you all over the world. If you had to pick one show that had the most vibrant crowd, what would it be?

You're quite a technician when it comes to music. How did you first get into it?

I loved the Rickshaw Stop party in San Francisco. The crowd was hyped from the beginning of the night to the very last note.

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ONE OF MY VERY FIRST MEMORIES WAS LEARNING HOW TO USE MY DAD'S RECORD PLAYER AND PUTTING ON RECORDS TO LISTEN TO WHILE I PLAYED WITH MY LEGOS.

I've been into music for as long as I can remember. One of my very first memories was learning how to use my dad's record player and putting on records to listen to while I played with my Legos. I first got into the idea of making electronic music

when my big brother showed me Cubase. He had a studio at home and so I guess I grew up feeling like it was something I could get into.

A few months back we saw you work alongside the rising Los Angeles production company The General Assembly to produce a video for your track "Trouble." How was it working with them? It’s an amazing video by the way!

Video can be very difficult... The whole idea of a music video is one I find confusing. But I love that "Trouble" video and loved working on it! Coming to Los Angeles for it and the whole experience was so much fun.

VIDEO CAN BE VERY DIFFICULT...

THE WHOLE IDEA OF A MUSIC VIDEO IS ONE I FIND CONFUSING. BUT I LOVE THAT "TROUBLE" VIDEO AND LOVED WORKING ON IT! It genuinely was a very odd day.

We were in a strange suburb of LA, maybe called the Valley? It all felt like a deserted Hollywood set. The cast was amazing and everyone completely got into their roles.

There is a great version of the video with Mike (the host of the party) singing the whole song. It's on YouTube somewhere. He definitely does it better than me. The General Assembly are heroes!!!

photo by Stephanie Sian Smith

photo by Stephanie Sian Smith

I LOVE GROWING VEGETABLES. THIS YEAR WAS PRETTY SUCCESSFUL FOR MY POTATOES AND SALADS. I'M NEVER GOING TO TRY AND GROW BEETROOT AGAIN, IT ALWAYS TASTES DODGY.

As you said on a BBC radio show with Annie Mac, you were thinking of calling your forthcoming album The Original Hardcore Tribal Mix. Any changes to this? How is the album coming along?

Er... Well, I'm not sure what I'm going to call the album at the moment. But it's very nearly finished. I'm really excited about it! It feels like a record I'm going to be proud of. It's going to be released in January 2012.

You have played many festivals this summer: Glastonbury, Beachbreak, Bestival, Melt in Germany, Dour in Belgium... Any interesting anecdotes about your travels? Special things that have happened?

What can we expect from T-E-E-D in 2012?

Album and touring. Everywhere I hope.

Apart from your own music, what albums and artists are you listening to at the moment?

Little Dragon, Boddika, Lone, Gang Gang Dance, Legowelt... All sorts of stuff.

If you had to pick three artists alive or dead to collaborate with on any sort of musical project, who would they be?

Steve Reich, Tom Tom Club, and MC Conrad.

I remember mainly being unprepared for the mud and rain. You think so much about your set and the gear and you forget your raincoat! Melt was a really special gig though. The energy from the crowd was so amazing to take in, and they sang along to everything! Even tracks they hadn't heard before?!

Can you tell me more about your recent travels with Damon Albarn to the Democratic Republic of Congo on behalf of Oxfam to create an album with the Congolese people?

Favorite bit of studio gear?

Hard question... I think at the moment it's my Korg Delta, an old analog polyphonic String Synth that gives the warmest pads. If I had more space I would buy a lot more synths but they begin to eat up the room very quickly. Also every studio should have a white board.

I'M NOT SURE WHAT I'M GOING TO CALL THE ALBUM AT THE MOMENT. BUT IT'S VERY NEARLY FINISHED. I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT! IT FEELS LIKE A RECORD I'M GOING TO BE PROUD OF.

The trip to the DRC was a life changing experience.

We had a week to write and complete an album, and somehow we did it!

Outside of music what are your favorite things to do?

THE ENERGY FROM THE CROWD WAS SO AMAZING TO TAKE IN, AND THEY SANG ALONG TO EVERYTHING! EVEN TRACKS THEY HADN'T HEARD BEFORE?!

I love growing vegetables. This year was pretty successful for my potatoes and salads. I'm never going to try and grow beetroot again, it always tastes dodgy.

The other producers invited on the trip included Actress, Jneiro Jarel, Dan the Automator, Kwes, and Richard Russell. We also had the people working on the album artwork come along.

Whom would you like to Big Up? I'd like to Big Up my grandmother, who has gone mad but still demands kisses.

The idea was to collaborate with local musicians and use almost exclusively sounds that we recorded on the trip.

The compilation features tracks by T-E-E-D, Dan The Automator, Jneiro Jarel, Richard Russell, Actress, Marc Antoine, Alwest, Remi Kabaka, Rodaidh McDonald, and Kwes. Profits from the album’s sales will support Oxfam’s work in Congo on improving access to clean water and sanitation as well as promoting human rights and an end to conflict.

THE CONGOLESE MADE INSTRUMENTS OUT OF ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING. THEIR INVENTIVENESS AND WILLINGNESS TO PLAY AND SING WAS TRULY INSPIRING. The Congolese made instruments out of anything and everything. Their inventiveness and willingness to play and sing was truly inspiring. We were in Kinshasa, the capital city, which seemed to be overflowing with music.

Luckily we had some guys who knew their way around to take us to gigs and rehearsals (my portable recorder is still full of field recordings I took). There is so much to say about the trip, but really I recommend buying the album we made, all the proceeds of which go to the Oxfam projects in the country. It is out on Warp.

TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS ONLINE teedinosaurs facebook.com/totallyenormousextinctdinosaurs totallyenormousextinctdinosaurs.tumblr.com

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I LIKE RED. I FEEL ENERGY FROM RED. AND WHEN I'M WEARING RED I KIND OF FEEL BETTER. YUKARI TERAKADO interview by Yuan Zhou

TOKYO-BASED ILLUSTRATOR YUKARI TERAKADO IS AN EXPERT AT DRAWING HAIR! HER TALENT DOESN'T STOP THERE OF COURSE; YUKARI'S SYMBOLIC YET FASHIONABLE ILLUSTRATIONS VIVIDLY DEMONSTRATE THE MODERN TREND IN JAPANESE CULTURE - CUTE AND SEXY CHARACTERS WITH REBELLIOUS PERSONALITIES, DELICATE OUTLINE, AND SEDUCTIVE HESITATION IN THE EYES...

Often I watch movies or go out with my friends, but sometimes I just draw.

What is the best moment of your day?

Designing my favorite artist's CD cover.

When I'm eating. And recently, when I'm watching Glee.

In most of your artworks, do you interpret yourself as one of the characters?

What books are around you right now?

It's very rare that I associate myself with my characters. I think, somehow, the girls I draw may be the ideal versions of all the charming traits I do not have.

I'm reading a book about Chara, a singer from Japan. She's very pretty and is one of the artist that I like the most.

What music are you into?

Red Hot Chili Peppers, Chara, Flight Facilities, MGMT, Feist.

Can you draw a rough portrait of you being surprised about something?

What's the best part of being an artist?

I love seeing my work completed, but I also enjoy meeting a lot of people through my art.

Your current dream?

Can you tell us a significant story behind one of your works?

Usually I use imaginary stories for drawings, but the one called "Hope" I made after the earthquake disaster, so there's a strong feeling in it... When the disaster happened, I got lots of messages from my fans who saw it on the news, and I could strongly feel that everyone around the world was supporting and cared about Japan.

List six things that you have with you all the time.

Make-up kit, Moleskine, iPod Touch, wet tissue, candies, and pens I always use, called Hi-tec.

How about happy?

I THINK, SOMEHOW, THE GIRLS I DRAW MAY BE THE IDEAL VERSIONS OF ALL THE CHARMING TRAITS I DO NOT HAVE. Do you have a favorite color?

I like red. I feel energy from red, and when I'm wearing red I kind of feel better. So when I draw I often use red as main color.

Why did you choose to be an artist over something else like... an athlete?

Drawing was my thing since I was little, but if I could choose any other profession I would want to be shoe designer.

What would you be if you were an animal?

Cat.

When you go shopping, what do you usually buy?

When I go to general stores I buy vintage fabrics or toys.

If you won a lottery what would you do with your lucky money?

I would like to go to see famous arts all around the world. Classical to contemporary, everything.

Have you ever met a superstar face to face?

I haven't yet. In my dreams it happens a lot though. Like last night Daft Punk came to visit me at home.

What do you do when you're feeling down?

Any advice for people visiting Japan for the first time?

I recommend you to avoid rush time subways around 7 or 8 in the morning. Because it's like this...

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SAN DIEGO UNDERGROUND, I REPRESENT.

LIKE ANY U.S. METROPOLIS BESIDES NEW YORK OR LOS ANGELES, WHINING ABOUT THE LACK OF A REAL "SCENE" IS A SAN DIEGO PASTIME OF THE BITTER (OR LAZY) UNDERGROUND ZEALOT. HOWEVER, A NEW SCHOOL OF FISH IN THIS SMALLER POND HAVE BEGUN TO CREATE THEIR OWN LOW END THEORIES. words by Beau Lamontagne

Album art: Collaboration between Accent Creative & Half Asleep.

Album Mastering: Aaron Zimmerman

YES, THIS IS A BRIEF AFFIDAVIT ON THE CURRENT LOW END SOUNDS COMING FROM SAN DIEGO. NO, THERE ARE NOT ANY RON BURGUNDY JOKES REFERENCING A WHALE'S VAGINA. (ACTUALLY, THERE ARE A COUPLE.) Like any U.S. metropolis besides New York or Los Angeles, whining about the lack of a real "scene" is a San Diego pastime of the bitter (or lazy) underground zealot. However a new school of fish in this smaller pond have begun to create their own low end theories.

Events put together by various crews such as SDDubstep, Ocean Beats, ELEV8, Critical Beatdown, Dead Technology, Liquid Geometry and Brokenbeat have brought

out-of-city talent (such as Liquid Stranger, Downlink, Daedelus, Eliot Lipp, and Joe Nice) to appreciative patrons starving for something beyond the reggae and indie-rock scenes San Diego is traditionally known for. While providing a rare space for these touring artists to perform, local producers have been bumping their impressive sounds as well, easily competing with the main acts.

As a former bitter (and lazy) zealot of San Diego's underground, this author can attest to the eyebrow-raising development of these artists and the bass philanthropists who support them.

Dataset clothing line founder Miguel Vega is one of them. Compiling the first volume of the Future Sounds of San Diego, Vega united a fresh crop of

producers to contribute tracks with the noble intent to continue putting the 'SouCal' city on the international map of bass-oriented electronic music. Dubstep schmubstep - these tracks are not warble throwaways with presets, but rather hand-crafted songs from producers dead bent on celebrating their musical influences while also reinventing them. Soaking up the organic G-Funk of the Illuminauts (be sure to check their live show when in a city near you) the galloping pushpull nostalgia of Elk Beats and the staggered swagger of eLan, one would be hard-pressed to deny that this is an exciting time for bass culture in the 'ol San Breezey.

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Hippie Sabotage – Smoke-A-Lot,

eLan – Monkeytown Records

PuppyKicker – Rogue Dubs soundcloud.com/puppykicker

Mastah Syphe

itsmeelan.com

Hometown: Los Angeles Moved to San Diego: in 2004 to go to college. I didn’t get into Berkeley or UCLA and San Diego sounded cooler than Irvine.

SD event affiliations: Critical Beatdown Style: Electronic Hip-Hop Favorite place to eat: Lucha Libre (The Surfin’ California Burrito) Artist that made you want to produce: The Alchemist. He taught me the power of sample selection and a carefully crafted loop, that hard and simple doesn’t have to come at the expense of musical and emotive. My current music doesn’t rely on sampling nearly as heavily, but these qualities still carry over into my synth-based work.

Local artist inspired by: Illuminauts - their live act makes me want to rethink the whole way I perform.

SD cliché that is actually true: On the positive side, the weather is pretty much always perfect.

On the negative side, the music scene is about ten years behind California’s other big cities.

Hometown: San Diego SD event affiliations: Brokenbeat Style: I take a more melody driven approach. Recently I've been trying to simplify the songs more, but it's very easy for me to get lost in chords and changes and little slight tonal things. So I'm trying to become more in tune to the rhythmic core of the songs, and let the melodies follow.

Favorite place to eat: My favorite 'thing' to eat in San Diego is carne asada burritos. Once you leave, you can't get them.

Artist that made you want to produce: Amon Tobin.

Local artist inspired by: Without a doubt, Esh *motha-fuckin* One *trillionaire. The guy is a machine, and everything he makes is incredible.

SD cliché that is actually true: It was discovered in 1904 by the Germans who named it San Diago, which means "a whale's vagina."

Misconception about San Diego: That it's always 89 degrees, and not a cloud in the sky. It's no Minnesota or anything. But we do get some crap weather down here.

Hometown: Los Angeles Moved to San Diego: in 2007 to study computer music at UCSD. SD event affiliations: Subversive Style: Post-genre bass music.

Favorite place to eat: A-Cafe off of Convoy St. Artist that made you want to produce: Most of Madlib's tracks off the Dudley Perkins album, and his Beat Konducta Vol 1–2: Movie Scenes.

Local artist inspired by: Misk SD cliché that is actually true: The downtown club scene is whack for aspiring musicians.

Misconception about San Diego: It used to be harder to find good bass music shows, but there are quite a few bass music nights that are popping up.

TRACK 05 - WHAT'S UP NOW

TRACK 02 - SOMETHING SWANKY

EshOne – Elk Beats, RogueDubs, Eight:FX, Dubfront / elkbeats.com

GriefShare – Community Work Effort facebook.com/griefsharemusica

dngone.com

DNGone (Dead and Gone)

Illuminauts – Kill Quanti, Single Screen Records / killquanti.com

Hometown: Born in San Diego, grew up in New Mexico, moved back in 2004.

SD event affiliations: Dead//Technology (A 100% vinyl and dubplate night) and The Lodge (an Elk Beats music showcase where Misk and I feature friends who inspire us musically.)

Style: Slightly lo-fi, with a lot of movement in the percussion, and gutter basslines. I tend to "overdo" the sub bass as far as levels are concerned, but it has always been my preference to push the low end as far as it can go.

Favorite place to eat: Lido's Restaurant in Spring Valley, my family has been going there for over fifty years.

Local artist inspired by: HM.T DM.T is creating some of the most twisted and fresh sounds that I've ever heard. He's going to blow up.

SD cliché that is actually true: The weather is always perfect.

Misconception about San Diego: People say it's too crowded. Realistically, I don't feel that the traffic is too bad, and I don't feel like I'm in a food trough situation when I'm out to eat like I do in larger cities.

Hometown: Palm Springs, CA Moved to San Diego: to escape the constant torment of the devilish desert sun and to go to art school.

SD event affiliations: One Night Only and Liquid Geometry Style: Live Electronic Indie Hop Favorite place to eat: Mama's Bakery, Crazee Burger, Luigi's, and El Zarape.

Artist that made you want to produce: Wu-Tang Clan, mainly RZA, and DJ Shadow Local artist inspired by: Stage Kids SD cliché that is actually true: It's always sunny, everyone says 'dude' and flip-flops are worn all year long.

Misconception about San Diego: That it only has bad reggae, bad punk and bad dance music to offer. There's actually many scenes offering a multitude of awesome and interesting music. Also, we're not your hands in your pocket, pretentious type of concert attendees that many accuse all Southern Californians of being. We go hard.

Hometown: Chicago, IL Moved to San Diego: in 1992 with my parents when I was nine, so I didn’t really have much of a say in the matter. I remember it taking me a few years to adjust to the difference in climate. It’s almost as if San Diego never experiences winter, maybe something more like a really long Fall.

SD event affiliations: Liquid Geometry Style: Electronic first and foremost. A more refined definition would be dubsteppy-glitch-shit-with-ahint-of-whatever-I’m-feeling-at-the-moment. The simplest description - I make loud.

Favorite place to eat: Let’s say a myriad of Mexican food restaurants in Normal Heights, Siam Nara in Mira Mesa, Sushi Hana in PQ, Surati Farsan in Miramar, and my parents’ house.

Artist that made you want to produce: Björk was the first person who ever inspired me to make music, and Plastikman, who made me believe it was possible for someone who had no prior musical training to create music.

SD cliché that is actually true: It's a military town.

This statement is very true, minus the town part. That said, my heart goes out to those that serve. Stay safe!

Misconception about San Diego: That it's all sunshine and butterflies, we have a chronic homelessness problem that seems to only get worse by the day.

Hometown: Chula Vista, CA Style: Loosely-structured, organic beats in real-time.

Favorite place to eat: Filippi's, Lolita's, Farmer's Market, Toby's 19th Hole, and Pokez.

Artist that made you want to produce: Brian Eno and Lee "Scratch" Perry influenced me to explore new sounds and textures. As far as beat music goes, Timbaland's overall production quality caught my ear growing up. I'd also be a liar if I said Madlib and Dilla didn't inspire me to humanize electronic rhythms, embrace errors, and ignore quantization.

Local artist inspired by: Galaxalag SD cliché that is actually true: It's so relaxed here that we're sometimes accused of being a fickle city. We live in paradise with all kinds of people from all over the world and there are plenty of laid-back music fans who will go to whatever show is hyped that week. I do think that's actually been a driving force for certain artists. San Diego has produced plenty forward-thinking individuals from Frank Zappa and Tom Waits to Gonjasufi and The Gaslamp Killer. Unfortunately, most of them didn't blow up until they moved to LA. We also have the best Mexican food in the country.

TRACK 16 - TORQUX PSYCHOPATH (RMX)

TRACK 18 - ANIMO!

Strange Music, Ice H20 / hippiesabotage.com

Hometown: Sacramento, CA Moved to San Diego: in 2008 to study ICAM Music at UCSD. SD event affiliations: SNR, Rebellious Reflection Style: Futuristic electronic boom bap complimented by lush live instrumentation.

Our sound is rooted in hip-hop but we try to stay versatile and hit all ranges of sound. We are strongly influenced by late '60s, early '70s psychedelic/progressive rock which I believe influences our left to right creative process versus looping and layering.

Album that made you want to produce: Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) Local artist inspired by: Mike Gao SD cliché that is actually true: Bro's are the worst.

Misconception about San Diego: That we have no music scene when in reality we have a strong and quickly growing underground beat scene which is starting to build up quite like LA's beat scene did.

TRACK 01 - THE HEIST

TRACK 06 - GRAVITRON TRACK 12 - METALS AND SOLIDS

64

TRACK 17 - TOMORROWLAND OF BROKEN WORDS

soundcloud.com/mastah-syphe

TRACK 04 - 40oz BOUNCE

88:88 – Audiocrack, Blood Orange Music

HM.T DM.T – Liquid Geometry soundcloud.com/hmt_dmt

Nino Señeris – eLan famLay Beat Tapes soundcloud.com/nino-seneris

Sleeve – Liquid Geometry

Hometown: Fairfax Station, Virginia Moved to San Diego: in 2004. No reason not to, change is great.

Style: High highs, low lows – if Roni Size, Jimi Hendrix, Burial, Gangstarr, Zero 7, Miles Davis and the Neptunes had a musically philosophical conversation with beatniks in Paris in 2030.

Citrus dopiate sex on the rocks à la mode with whip shaken not stirred, for here.

Favorite place to eat: Big Kitchen Cafe. Feels like home.

Local Artist inspired by: Gilbert Castellanos.

SD cliché that is actually true: Uggz rocking, oversized shades wearing, big titty having, gold digging, drug using, fake caramel skin melting, one too many California burrito eating, shallow talking chicks are usually in the vicinity ruining the vibe.

Misconception about San Diego: This project actually nullifies my own misconception. It is a small city with great potential and, in retrospect, will be a core influence in bridging the underground with the overground.

Hometown: Salt Lake City, UT SD event affiliations: Liquid Geometry Style: Psychedelic bass? Extraterrestrial clubhop? Weird? Humor groove?

Favorite place to eat: Toronado, Hamiltons, Pokez, Sipz, People's Co-op, Littickers. I love good food that caters to my vegan lifestyle as well as places with good craft beer.

Artist that made you want to produce: Flying Lotus. I'd heard him a few times and decided he'd be a nice person to see and chill out with during We the People festival a few years back.

Turns out it wasn't chill time at all. Thank god for that! Dude whipped my mind into a frenzy and showed me exactly what I wanted to be doing with music.

Local artist inspired by: Sleeve - known the dude since high school and he's always been on the forefront of everything he's been into. Every track he's made has blown my mind.

SD cliché that is actually true: We're all a bunch of burrito eaters.

Misconception about San Diego: The Gaslamp is where it's happening.

Hometown: Ingelheim, Germany SD event affiliations: Critical Beatdown, Liquid Geometry Style: A baby in a blender or as emotional as cutting your wrist.

Favorite place to eat: Saffron Song that made you want to produce: Company Flow - "Little Johnny from the Hospital."

SD cliché that is actually true: Flip flops & beer pong.

Misconception about San Diego: There is a lot more going on than you think.

Hometown: San Diego SD event affiliations: Liquid Geometry Style: Psychedelic Portal Fun. Favorite place to eat: Any taco shop around the house.

Artist that made you want to produce: Pink Floyd Local artist inspired by: Frank Zappa SD cliché that is actually true: That San Diego is a bubble.

Misconception about San Diego: The bubble can't pop.

checkoutthewebsite.com

TRACK 13 - DUB-HOP

Misk – Verminstreet, Rogue Dubs, Rogue Plates, Savory Audio, Dubkraft, Code of Arms / elkbeats.com

TRACK 03 - YOU KNOW

soundcloud.com/sleevealpha

TRACK 07 - TELEPATHICRISIS

Miguex – Accent Creative, Dataset, Modul8

Mike Gao – All City Records, Plug Research,

soundcloud.com/miguex

Galapagos4, Project: Mooncircle / mikegao.com

Hometown: Buenos Aires, Argentina SD event affiliations: Brokenbeat Style: Still searching for my own sound Favorite place to eat: Tajima for ramen, Raku's yakitori.

What made you want to produce: Jungle/Dnb in the mid '90s Local artist inspired by: EshOne was the reason I started making music again, Eddie Turbo, Walker, and everyone I met through Brokenbeat.

SD cliché that is actually true: A lot of people have year long flip flop tan-lines.

Hometown: Beijing, China Moved to San Diego: in 2009 for my PhD at UCSD with Miller Puckette.

SD event affiliations: Critical Beatdown Style: Beats, boogie and juke.

Favorite place to eat: Tajima What made you want to produce: Some shit in DOS. Local artist inspired by: eLan SD cliché that is actually true: Weather is dope.

Misconception about San Diego: That there ain't shit poplin'

TRACK 14 - BREAKFAST HASH Austin Speed – Rogue Dubs, Phunkfiction, Sublife Recordings / soundcloud.com/austinspeed

TRACK 11 - LET'S GET BLOWN (RMX) TRACK 10 - NICE AND EASY

Hometown: Walnut Creek, CA Moved to San Diego: in 2000 - right after high school. It's a long story.

SD event affiliations: The Lodge, Liquid Geometry.

Style: I like my bass heavy, my beats weird, and my synths even weirder. Melody is a must.

Favorite place to eat: Lucha Libre Artist that made you want to produce: Trent Reznor, Photek and The Prodigy Local artist inspired by: Most of my peers inspire me. They all bring something so different to the table, and whenever I hear something new, I'm inspired to push myself harder.

SD cliché that is actually true: Let's just say that I've met a lot of blonde girls since I've moved here.

Misconception about San Diego: That there's no real unique EDM scene here. We definitely have a lot going on, and there's plenty of people pushing unique sounds in our part of Cali.

TRACK 06 - GRAVITRON TRACK 08 - SNOT SONATA

Hometown: San Diego SD event affiliations: Dub Dorado and Dub Smugglers Style: One thing I strive for no matter what I'm playing or producing is to find a nice balance between the head and the dancefloor; music that keeps the listener intellectually engaged as well as moving their feet.

Favorite place to eat: Santouka in the Mitsuwa marketplace. They only serve ramen and it's in a grocery store which sounds odd but I get cravings for it all the time.

Artist that made you want to produce: Autechre, Speedy J, Future Sound of London and more recently Distance, DJG, Skream and Tunnidge.

Local artist inspired by: Even though he's moving I would definitely say EshOne. The man can whip up killer tracks in an amazingly short amount of time which have a very unique and distinct sound, he sticks to his principles and he still cuts and plays dubplates.

SD cliché that is actually true: The weather is almost always amazing.

Misconception about San Diego: Everyone here surfs.

TRACK 15 - ARCADIA

DJ Pound – SATURATE!RECORDS, Kill

Dusty Nix & LEIF (kolt) – Bat Wing

Quanti / djpound.bandcamp.com

Throat Bling Records / dustynix.com, leifkolt.com

Hometown: La Puente, CA Moved to San Diego: when I was a kid.

SD event affiliations: Critical Beatdown Style: Heavy instrumental bass, hip-hop beats.

Favorite place to eat: Bonswar's Italian-French vegan cuisine deli Song that made you want to produce: Credence Clearwater Revival "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" Local artist inspired by: Regis Philbin SD cliché that is actually true: Never heard any.

Misconception about San Diego: The words 'San Diego' mean whale's vagina.

Hometown: San Diego SD event affiliations: Brokenbeat Style: Storytelling over smoked out electro pop, boom bap and bass.

Favorite place to eat: My living room.

Local artist inspired by: It seems impossible to choose just one. A lot of the producers that stand out and inspire us in this city are on this compilation.

SD cliché that is true: Flip flops and board shorts.

Misconception about San Diego: Every burrito is a good burrito.

TRACK 09 - PAVED PATHS

TRACK 19 - THE BINARY CODE 65

BIG UP TO THE RAVERS OUT THERE. IT'S UNITY MUSIC WE'RE DEALING WITH. I DON'T CARE WHERE YOU'RE FROM, I DON'T CARE WHAT LANGUAGE YOU SPEAK. WE'RE TALKING BASSLINE. SGT.POKES, OUTLOOK 2011

installation: Emma Dexter photo: Ashes57

HOUSE OF DUB Installation | Group show Featured artists: Stik, Mr Penfold, Ashes57, Emma Dexter, Forged Signatures, and Chris Mackenzie-Gray.

Sound and Video: Benny Ill Curated by: Delphine Ettinger and Ziggy Grudzinskas

I played a set in a giant ghetto blaster at Outlook 2011! This year's festival was quite possibly the best thing I've ever done and I will be attending religiously from now on!

Tom - York, UK

Blind spare cats, water bottles of warm white wine, herds of missing sheep, the worst soda with hardly any sugar, meat, bread, bread, bread, cheese, 600 mosquito bites, sparkle photoshoots, bloody feet, dusty lungs, balloons just because you could buy them, longest ATM line ever, free beers on a boat, broexisting to the fullest, fake English accents, stand2pee, unicorn fans and bubble gum, transportation strikes, light show vs. lightning, iPhones on tour, ridiculously sick music, ridiculously sick music, amazing company and outrageous times. Well proper, bruv!

Veronica - Denver, USA

Photos by the lovely ravers: Tom Miller, Monica Rikic, Izac Mackenzie, Nisha Cluton, Fiona Paterson, Hugo May, Julien Loob, Veronia Lamaak, Dominic Hunt, Nicole Cacciavilano, Polina Vinogradova, Dan Brown, Ste Davies.

Holding a bottle of wine, while your other hand imitates the moody percussion.

Bass pressure from the beach rig with your body perfectly flowing with the warmth of the frequencies. The Adriatic sea in a harmonious dance with the music and the sun dipping below the horizon. Everyone's beautiful and we're here for a passion and deep love for our sound. Outlook is our playground.

There's no other experience like it.

Dominic - Manchester, UK

Second year in a row at Outlook, seeing it grow massive! Coming all the way from Barcelona to Croatia through three countries for four days of the best bass music in the world, surrounded by the crazy English crew and going wild with them! Pula - incredible set for an incredible party! Thanks Outlook for always making the best of my holidays!

Monica, Barcelona, Spain Cool story bro... on our way back from the Swamp81 boat party one of my mates decided to go back to the tent for a bit. Later on that night I went to the camp to get him, because we had a 3:00 am transfer to get home. I found him asleep along side a tent that was on fire! This is because he couldn't get into his tent so he thought the best thing was to burn a hole in it to get in! Luckily no one set on fire.

Izac - Nottingham, UK

Cool story bro... like the time you went out accidentally dressed as a bag of popcorn? It's all good - it's a look. Nearly as good as a bag of bread.

Astrud - London, UK

A fortress of bass and perfect vibes mixed with a little tiger! The making of the best festival to date!

Hugo - Dulwich, London

Cool story bro... I'm saying. Outlook 2011 - Team Mala Vala - It's all because of the acid... Late night rende-vouz = bass brigades for no bass.

Two foot long straws. Deadmau5 at the beach bar. Bedroom chats about spawn. Vivek vs.

Goth-Trad = broken heel. 2 liters of beer and still allowed to drive the damn boat. Wicked tan lines - oh wait, that's dirt! Deep Medi Boat party.

Surprise guests. Am I really sweatin' this much?!

Sunday funday in the rain - ponchos and porto' potties. Trains, planes and automobiles... and The DUST is STILL in my lungs...

Nicole - Denver, USA Cool story bro... went to Venice and started a bus journey meeting people who I have no idea what their names were and somehow ending up at a main stage jumping around to David Rodigan. This was just the start of the madness as the next few days involved sunshine, beaches, unbelievable tunes and bass, bars, balloons, random banter from random people, pole dancing on flag poles, first aid tents, body paints, graffiti, monsoons, and boat parties. Too much too young? I don’t think so! Outlook festival = OUTRAGEOUS FUN! Fiona - Ardrossan, UK

Cool story bro... I'm at Outlook being attacked by a bunch of wasted British kids two hours before my set. My knee crashed as a result. had to jump on one leg and my friends were carrying me to The Dungeon.

Valta - Kiev, Ukraine

The best bass music fetival in a paradise seting. From the moment I left I cant wait for next year. Boat and beach parties, raving in a castle with my best friends and favorite DJs! Being a producer myself it gave me lots of inspiration to make music. Roll on Outlook 2012.

Ste - Manchester, UK

NEW FROM FULL MELT Echo Wanderer "Moving Through Dub"

wAgAwAga "Earthshake"

10 tracks of heady, percussion tinged nu-dub.

The newest release from Ireland's wAgAwAgA finds the producer at the top of his game. Live acoustic instruments mesh together with the skeletal remains of dubstep, all wrapped up with lush production and studio trickery. The logical extension of what dubstep can become.

Available at all online retailers.

SINCE ANCIENT TIMES ARTISTS HAVE LONGED TO CREATE A MUSIC FOR THE EYE COMPARABLE TO THE EFFECTS OF SOUND FOR THE EAR. WILLIAM MORITZ - VISUAL MUSIC.

VISUAL MUSIC, SOMETIMES CALLED "COLOR MUSIC," REFERS TO THE USE OF MUSICAL STRUCTURES IN VISUAL IMAGERY. IT ALSO REFERS TO METHODS OR DEVICES WHICH CAN TRANSLATE SOUNDS OR MUSIC INTO A RELATED VISUAL PRESENTATION.

VISUAL MUSIC REVIEWS

Background Sound - Close [Join The Dots]

C ok i - D on't G e t It Tw is te [De e p M d e di Mus ik]

DVA - Madness ft. Vikter Duplaix, Polyphonic Dreams [Hyperdub] Brodinski - FabricLive 60 [Fabric]

Mungo's Hi Fi - Forward Ever [Scotch Bonnet ] ic]

to n or [Tec - Auth Author

n Se

va Sil t] a D o as R be n Ru ggae e [R

si S

ka

nk

Tycho - Dive [Ghostly ]

Lazer Sword - Sounds Sane / Klock [Monkeytown]

Damu - Unity [Keysound]

fLako - Carving Away The Clay [Project:Mooncircle]

Full Crate - Golden Glasses [Wonderful Ear Records]

Zed Bias - Biasonic Hotsauce - Birth Of The Nanocloud [Tru Thoughts]

King Midas Sound - Without You [Hyperdub]

Sepalcure - Sepalcure [Hotflush]

tulle petticoat – Ana Sabino

GOTH COUTURE. BATS ARE FLYING, BLACK IS STYLING. FULL ON LEATHER, FEATHER, AND SEXY LACE WITH A TOUCH OF DARK ACCESSORIES. OH, AND THE GOLDEN SPANDEX! IF ONLY WE LOOKED AS GOOD IN IT AS OUR "BLOODY MARY." ISA SILVA

photography: Isa Silva editing and retouching: Anna Eva styling: Sara Soares [C'est fanastique! styling] make-up: Melissa Araujo hair: Paulo Varela models: Elizavetta and Andreia [DXL Models]

shirt – Ana Sabino brooch – Valentim Quaresma

Elizavetta: tulle petticoat – Ana Sabino Andreia: bodice and skirt – Dark Doll Store ring armor – Dark Doll Store tulle peticoat in hat – Dark Doll Store

shirt – Ana Sabino brooch – Valentim Quaresma

top – Ana Sabino brooch – Valentim Quaresma

Elizavetta: shirt – Ana Sabino brooch – Valentim Quaresma Andreia: necklace – Valentim Quaresma

WHY SHOULD

MUSICIANS

HAVE ALL THE FUN?

SHURE SOUND ISOLATING EARPHONES TM

Get the most out of your music while on the go with the new Sound IsolatingTM Earphones from Shure. Each model is designed to deliver every note of every song with crystal clear accuracy, so you hear it the same way your favorite artists hear themselves on stage.

Learn more at www.shure.com/americas.

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