Volume 10, Number 1

art ⁄ fashion

⁄ film ⁄ music ⁄ life ⁄ skate!

NATE LACOSTE • JUSTIN BASSET • GRIMES • NIHILIST SPASM BAND • JAY HOWELL • JEREME ROGERS?

plus: portland • bruno arts bank • mat o’brien doug brown • crystal antlers • bill strobeck filthmode motorcycle club

CDN PUBLICATION AGREEMENT #40843627

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ISSN 1920-0412

art ⁄ fashion

⁄ film ⁄ music ⁄ life ⁄ skate!

NATE LACOSTE • JUSTIN BASSET • GRIMES • NIHILIST SPASM BAND • JAY HOWELL • JEREME ROGERS?

plus: portland • bruno arts bank • mat o’brien doug brown • crystal antlers • bill strobeck filthmode motorcycle club

CDN PUBLICATION AGREEMENT #40843627

|

ISSN 1920-0412

art ⁄ fashion ⁄ film ⁄ music ⁄ life ⁄ skate!

• • • NATE LACOSTE JUSTIN BASSET GRIMES NIHILIST SPASM BAND • JAY HOWELL • JEREME ROGERS?

_ MEXICO “CHITY” Sheldon Meleshinski, Dane Pryds, Fabian Merino, Geoff Stelow portland • bruno arts bank • mat o’brien • doug brown crystal antlers • filthmode motorcycle club • bill strobeck CDN PUBLICATION AGREEMENT #40843627

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ISSN 1920-0412

INTRODUCING

LINDEN

MORE INFO AT LAKAI.COM

CARLO

MORE INFO AT LAKAI.COM

L A KAI LIMITED FOOTWEAR T HE SHOES WE SKATE JOHNSON / MARIANO / CARROLL / HOWARD / WELSH / BIEBEL / LENOCE / WALKER / ALVAREZ / TERSHY FERNANDEZ / ESPINOZA / HAWK / GILLET / BRADY / JENSEN / photo by JT Rhoades / ad #153 / lakai.com + crailtap.com supradistribution.com / lakaistickers@supradistribution.com

RILEY HAWK

FRONTSIDE BLUNT

PHOTO: DAN ZASLAVSK Y

SUPRADISTRIBUTION.COM DVSSTICKERS@SUPRADISTRIBUTION.COM

DCSHOES.COM/SKATEBOARDING

FRONTSIDE TAILGRAB. AUSTRALIA. PHOTO: RHINO

PRESENTING THE GRIZ SANTA CRUZ COLORWAY C1RCA.COM FACEBOOK.COM/C1RCAFOOTWEAR

// 2012

AL PARTANEN

ALANA PATERSON

SKATE CONTRIBUTOR

PHOTOGRAPHY

Al seen here skating in David Denim and Edmond Woven.

// 001

// 002

COMUNE/Drop City contributor Alana Paterson and skate contributor Al Partanen recently took

Al Partanen has been skateboarding since before you were in your mom’s guts. Fast and loose with in-

a trip out to the post apocalyptic suburban wasteland of Palm Desert California, scouring the

credible hair, Parts’s style is always recognizable and fun to watch. He grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

landscape for abandoned swimming pools. Upon discovering this deep blue beauty, Al quickly

skating the Turf and later made his way out to San Diego to shred with the rest of the Hesh Crew. Over

hopped a fence and dropped-in for this shot. It was sketchy to say the least, and after a quick

the past decade they’ve carved out a niche in the game with their raw, unique style of skateboarding. A

session they were on to the next spot.

few years back on a 10-day trip to Portland, Oregon for the premier of Creature’s “Black Metal”, Al found the Northwest to be a refreshing change of scenery and decided to stick around. Now he proudly calls it home. When he’s not schralping the globe, filming for one of Creature’s unholy video offerings or building skateparks in remote villages, he can be found at the record store feeding his vinyl addiction, DJing at local dives, lurking the river or pretending to be an artist.

DROP CITY ARTIST // ALANA PATERSON

www.alanapaterson.com

DROP CITY

// SKATE

SOMETHING BETTER CHANGE

DROP CITY

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Al seen here skating in David Denim and COMUNE logo tee.

// 003 The introduction of new skateboard contributors to COMUNE is based on individuals whose lives

Following in the footsteps of our Drop City artist collective, we look to elevate our contributors at any

are defined by their love of skateboarding. Their passion goes beyond hype and industry but

juncture, whether it’s the hungry up-and-comer or the veteran pro. We value the work ethic, style, and

lies in purity and love for skateboarding that can only be understood by those who live it. In the

voice of these individuals and only see it fit that they have the same platform to convey their message.

context of COMUNE, all of our contributors are dedicated to their craft and creative vision each

Our aim is to continue to challenge what skateboarding can be through our contributor’s involvement

different from one another. Each one is a multifaceted human from different places doing very

within it. We feel skateboarding is an art form in itself and deserves the same respect, admiration, and

different things. In turn we are exposed to more than just skateboarders skateboarding, but indi-

understanding as any other artistic medium. Something better change.

viduals with multiple means of expression, living life on their own terms.

WWW.THECOMUNE.COM THE-CHANGE.TUMBLR.COM

1300 FACTORY PLACE // SUITE 208 LOS ANGELES CA 90013

T 213.614.0700 F 213.614.0800

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Magazines are Sexy

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hings just aren’t the same between us. You’ve acquired this ‘need’ to know everything that’s happening with everyone, all the time. I’m beginning to think you’ve forgotten what it’s like to turn off, let go and just be. I know we’ve been chatting more often with the help of Instagram/Twitter/Facebook, but it’s just not the same quality, physical connection we had that was far more memorable than this bullshit one-liner banter that continues to consume you more each day.

I know you see others when I’m not around—I’m okay with that. You’re complicated; you require certain things that might be unmentionable (the Shecklers, the Nyjahs, porn). It’s nothing to be ashamed of, I get it. I know you love me because you tell me all the time, but… it’s just… you used to take me places.

Remember the road trip with your friends to S.F.? Everyone had their turn with me that weekend at the cabin… and all those hours behind closed doors in the bathroom? You used to be so headstrong, so passionate! God, we were wild! You’d whip open the covers, spread me wide open and we’d just go at it for hours. You’d tear me to pieces when you’d pin me up to the walls in your room—it felt so good! And then there were the more sensual times when you’d pick me up after a long day working at your computer. You’d take me home and put your nose to me, smelling me; your fingers gently caressing my spine…

The last thing you would ever consider was looking at a screen again.

You’ve always inspired me to be better and I’ve always been there to inspire you back, and I don’t intend on changing that anytime soon.

But one day it could be too late and you’ll wish you could hold me and that I’d curl up beside you. This long-distance relationship thing is only going to work for so long; you can’t base a future off social media alone.

Love Always, Color Magazine

(alternate cover) Ramp Party, 11" x 14" acrylic on paper, Jay Howell c.2011

FROM THE COVER This was the first photo I shot this year and was by no means planned. Mayfield told me about this rail that Cameo [Wilson] wanted to 50-50 but I didn’t have my gear. After a trip back home to get my camera I started setting up, not even sure yet if Cameo was going to skate it. The next thing I know he pops into a 50-50 and jumps off. I quickly found my angle and two tries later he put it down like a man.

dufresnephoto.

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Click here to see video of how Cameo Wilson's 50-50 went down (and across, and down).

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CHAD KOURI guest typographer

AARON CARPENTER contributing writer

Aaron Carpenter is an artist and writer in Vancouver. His work has exhibited at the Vancouver Art Gallery, Newhouse Museum of Contemporary Art in New York and Night Gallery in Los Angeles. His artist’s book Exercises in Kinesthetic Drawing & Other Drawing will be published in 2012 by the Or Gallery. Aaron digs into a twisted collection of Damian Moppett’s artwork. 48 CARPENTERCARPENTER.CA

After nearly ten years of inhabiting Chicago, Chad Kouri has become vastly inspired by the city and its creative communities and art ecology. Chad has equal interests in conceptual art, consumer culture, typography, design, jazz and the grey areas between these fields. The current trends in ad industry buzzwords describe him as a Cultural Engineer. He believes that inspiration can be found anywhere, unwavering optimism is the only rule and that Chicago is the greatest city in the world.

Kouri is best known as a co-founder of the Chicago-based art and design incubator, The Post Family (www.thepostfamily.com), his past role as Art Director of Proximity Magazine and recognition as one of Chicago’s up-and-coming images makers in NewCity’s 2010 Breakout Artists of the Year issue.

AMY MATTES

RYAN MCGUIGAN

contributing writer

contributing writer

An original Skirtboarder bred in the Kootenays, Amy has been referred to as a “feminine tomboy with an old soul” and “a walking mood ring.” She loves to travel, drink Jameson and enjoys long walks on the beach with her Boston Terrier, Louie. Amy is also attempting to write the next great Canadian novel. She’s got scars and stories from over a decade of skating 27 and while she no longer enjoys the feeling of falling down, she still relishes the feeling of getting back up and trying again. It’s a vicious cycle that makes her “intrepid” and “wise.”

Ryan McGuigan is a friend that understands what trust is. He is probably the most loyal human I have ever encountered. He’s a solid soul taker. A visionary with no eyes. He impresses and intimidates by saying less.

Hmm, UFOs come to mind? Also, he only knows what time it is when it’s 9:11 (pm or am it don’t matter). If you want to get on his bad side, tell him that noise in the sky is a hoax. We’re still not sure how Ryan managed to wrestle an interview out of tough guy Justin Basset. 88 GREENAPPLESHOP.CA

MICHAEL SIEBEN

JAMES KIRKPATRICK

contributing writer/illustrator

contributing writer

Michael Sieben lives in a shack in the woods with a hamburger and ghost named Denver (see The Internet Shack). When not at Camp Ramp, he’s with his wife and two cats in Austin, Texas. He is a skater, writer, illustrator and co-founder of Roger Skateboards. His work continues to be shown around the world and some is even collected in his book There’s Nothing Wrong With You (hopefully).

For this issue, Michael Sieben puts his quick wit and quirky sense of humor to work hazing Roger’s newest rider, Nate Lacoste. 80 ROGERSKATEBOARDS.COM

James Kirkpatrick is an artist who works in a variety of media including: drawing, painting, avant-garde hip-hop and electronic music, sound sculptures, ‘zines, comics and mask-making. His paintings and sculptures incorporate sculptural, kinetic and auditory elements, as he combines his 2D aesthetic with circuit-bent electronic toys. Likewise, compositions written on modified Gameboys and circuit-bent sounds have become part of his music and on-stage performances.

He is also well known as the graffiti artist and rapper Thesis Sahib. James has a deep respect for London, Ontario’s Nihilist Spasm Band. 78 JAMESKIRKPATRICK.ORG

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life ⁄

—

74 FILTHY ANIMALS

Alana Paterson is bound to get grease smudges on her lens if she keeps following around the Filthmode Motorcyle Club.

69 72 100 112 130

Columns

PORTLAND City FACES ‘N SPACES Crailtap.com Helter/shelter Homegrown Skateboards Next/Best Cory Wilson TATTERED TEN Bill Strobeck

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THE DUST HAS SETTLED Find out what Jereme Rogers said to Alexis Gross just hours before he went on a naked, drug-fuelled rampage in a N.Y. hotel.

skate ⁄

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10 INTRO 12 CONTRIBUTORS 14 CONTENTS 20 CMYK 26 INSPIRATION BOUND 28 extra/random 29 PRODUCT TOSS 34 ANTHRAX 36 PAGE 36 114 FOTOFEATURE 123 TRAILER 124 SOUNDCHEQUE 126 LAST NITE 132 OVER ‘N OUT 134 CREDITS

BAD APPLE

Go on, say anything bad about Justin Basset’s skating. Ryan McGuigan and Mike McDermott dare you to.

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ARTFUL ROGER

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MONTEZUMAS REVENGE

This is the first interview from Nate Lacoste in four years so we let his new boss Michael Sieben handle it.

While in Mexico City, Gordon Nicholas took some amazing shots of Sheldon Meleshinski, Fabian Merino, Dany Pryds and Geoff Strelow, but it almost cost them their lives.

music ⁄

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TALKING DIRTY

Claire Boucher goes by GRIMES for a reason. Mish Way sits close enough to this rising Canadian artist to get the nitty gritty on being an icon.

78 SPAZ OUT The Nihilist Spasm Band invented the noise genre, the London art scene and the ‘pratt-a-various’.

Interview by James Kirkpatrick

art ⁄

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Blue. Period.

If Mat O’Brien makes art this good using just

one colour, we can’t wait to see what he does

with the rest of them.

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Chequing inn

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A Creature Among Them

Jenn Jackson opens an account at the Bruno Arts Bank.

Damian Moppett has carved out his own place in art history, one crabby pustule at a time. Aaron Carpenter explores his work at the Rennie Collection.

94 CryStalization

64 RIGHT ANGLE

Ben Pobjoy reveals the truth about Toronto-based artist Doug Brown

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How do you label a band that constantly changes its members, tours in a van fuelled by vegetable oil and traded punk music for Marvin Gaye?

Justin Maurer gives it a shot with Crystal Antlers

fashion ⁄

Harlequin Half Pipes

Jay Howell shows Isaac McKay-Randozzi some dirty cartoons then explains how that tall guy with the big nose and huge tits is him.

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NEVER FOREVER

I’m not afraid of fashion, I just don’t want to be there when it happens. by Robin Black

Dylan Rieder, boardslide.

allanphoto. colORMAGAZINE.CA

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NICK TRAPASSO

TRAPASSO PRO

LARELLE GRAY | SKEWED TEE | WORKER PANTS | THE 22 SHADES

W W W. J S LV C O R P. C O M

DISTRIBUTED BY ULTIMATE

© 2 0 1 2 J S LV C O R P.

colORMAGAZINE.CA

vol. 10 no. 1

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BOO JOHNSON frontside 360 shove-it [ o ] broach.

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COREY KLIM nollie bigspin [ o ] caissie.

SCOTT DECENZO frontside bluntslide shove-it [ o ] mikendo.

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AUSTIN FYFE nose manual nose grind nose manual [ o ] worona.

vol. 10 no. 1

Coverjunkie Magazine jaap biemans

Jaap Biemans is more than just a cover lover—he’s a junkie. In this self-published, one-off print version of his curatorial website Coverjunkie.com, Jaap goes beyond a simple collection of his favourite magazine covers from 2011 and delves into interviews with the designers behind his obsession. Biems gains rare access to the inner workings of a graphic designer’s mind and finds out what, for them, makes a memorable cover. This collection of 214 covers that debuted in 2011 ranges from scandalous to sexy to simple, and with 6 lengthy interviews, what Jaap has done here is not only found a way to share his love for print media and the creativity that drives it, but also remind people that it is completely acceptable to judge a magazine by its cover and that designers work hard to make even the casual newsstand peruser feel something. Color is honoured to be included in Jaap’s collection. Celebrate the art of graphic design. —dan post COVERJUNKIE.COM

There’s Still Nothing New Under The Sun

jason de haan

In a time when nothing is new and everything has happened there is much mining to be done in search of novelty. We dig around the stuff that we encounter and on occasion make a connection,. It’s a sort of altermodern condition, that archeological pursuit, and YOUANDMEBABY publishing company knows all about it. Based jointly in Lethbridge, AB and Amsterdam, this small yet ambitious publishing house is romantic and always in search of methods and spaces for intimate communication. They love beautiful ideas and impossible projects. Their most recent publication There’s Still Nothing New Under The Sun (2012) by Calgary artist Jason de Haan, is a 32-page book that provokes de Haan’s family linage in most unusual terms. Upon the cheerful canary yellow paper, de Haan has coordinated a candid collection of graves, each marked with his namesake. All of the pertinent details have been marked absent in what looks like a strip or so of white out. The revoked information culls thoughts of classified documents veiled in markers of secrecy; only here the details are almost rendered irrelevant.

Sans names and dates, the sculptural tombs insist on a differed occupation. They look old, new and simultaneously timeless; conspiring alternate narratives for standalone space and sculptural simulations. Visit YOUANDMEBABY online to see their other projects. I recommend the stationary set. —jenn jackson YOUANDMEBABY.ORG

43 Magazine

Big Kids Little Kids

In format, medium and sentiment, Allen Ying’s 43 (an old term for a no comply) may just be an unintentional tribute to the analog and is, in some ways, a love letter to an era that may be seeing its last great days. The larger size used for this publication and the paper stock employed here, gives these film and digital photos a warmth rarely seen in print. Ying’s photographic content has a voice of its own and doesn’t seem to borrow from past examples of layout. What little text it does have gives enough information and leaves the superfluous material outside the frame. Ying started 43 with donations and the support of only a few advertisers. With a variety of contributors, from Brian Gaberman to Eric Antoine, each of the photos included are top-notch from a photographer’s prospective and inspiring to a skater’s stoke-a-meter. Of the many highlights, Brian Delatorre’s feature stands out because what Florida and S.F. have known for some time is now plain as day to everyone else (including his new sponsors)—the kid fucking rips. While the possibility of a second issue remains uncertain, what Mr. Ying and the staff of 43 have created here is something that will surely spark others and may even help to prolong the love of the analog (from film photos to VX footage), keeping the fires lit in those who look to keep skating special.

It is up to the shops and skaters to help keep print media and publications like 43 around.

Quality above quantity. These pages are meant to be on your walls.

Big Kids Little Kids by John Freeborn seems simple; it’s a collection of photographs, interviews and essays that chart the inception and development of four independent art galleries in Philadelphia over the turn of the century. It features the work of nearly 40 artists who continue to contribute to that ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts’ thing that makes up a creative community. In this, the book is not simple as an attempt to portray something quite bamboozling in its complexity. The book is indexed pictorially by way of a network diagram and the work featured is as varied as the personalities of the humans that made it. The galleries discussed are Space1026, 1Pixel, Spector and 222Gallery. Freeborn organizes the book into founding members and local artists, as well as artists from the wider contemporary American art community who’ve all worked and/or shown work in these spaces. He is a founding member of the art collective and gallery known as Space1026, which continues its operations serving contemporary art in Philly. It’s only in retrospect we can see what it was we were really doing and why it was we were really doing it. Or at least it’s only in retrospect we can see what effects our past actions have had on our present. It’s through projects like Big Kids Little Kids that we attempt to make sense of the present by examining the puzzle of the recent past. Freeborn’s book is a bold and valuable effort to do just this. It’s relevant to all of us because it is an example of what we all do anyway: attempt to make sense of our lives even if we don’t go to the trouble of composing a thoughtfully organized book about it. Big Kids Little Kids will be available as a downloadable ebook in 2012 and is dedicated to the memory of Rebecca Westcott Houser. —john rattray

allen ying

john freeborn

—isaac mckay-randozzi 43MAGAZINE.COM

BIGKIDSLITTLEKIDS.COM

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QUIKSILVER

SKATEBOARDING

COLLECTION

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[ o ] CLIFFORD

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10th Anniversary of The Skirtboarders

wordsby amy mattes

T

his year, The Skirtboarders celebrate a decade of crewdom together. This impressive all-girl posse started out humbly in the summer of 2002 in Montreal, when they released a VHS video ironically called Boy, that was produced in a living room studio around take-out chicken, Labatt 50s, cigarette smoke and a broken arm. Since then, The Skirtboarders have helped create a global feminine skate scene that is fuelled by competition but held together by love and connection.

“Women have become more natural and much better at skateboarding.”

The evolution of hipness in women’s skateboarding over the last decade has left some of the older folks shaking their grey-haired heads in astonishment. We’ve come a long way from the severe 90s, with our baggy jeans, oversized boy’s tees, wallet chains, scuffed-up suede Duffs and mesh hats, filming tiny 50-50s on sidewalk ledges, or practicing shove-its over and over again.

Skinny jeans came along and with them an easygoing breeziness that accompanied the girls’ fitted shirts, earrings and loose braids. Women have become more natural and much better at skateboarding. Those Skirtboarders pack a lot of tricks into their purses these days.

This female clan has always celebrated sharing good times and have even combined forces with other continents. Over the last ten years, they’ve taken their brand of Canadian skating to all corners of the world,

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from Mexico to Sweden (as part of their Crossing Boarders Tour), and have staked their claim among other creative and talented women skaters worldwide, like San Diego’s Villa Villa Cola Crew. The Skirtboarders didn’t just bridge the gap between the U.S.A. and Canada for women’s skateboarding, they nollie heelflipped it.

From an ambitious spark at a premiere held in a dim bar grew the fiery group that is today’s Skirtboarders, and each girl brings something unique to the table. We look forward to another decade of new groms growing boobs and jumping off some shit and we can expect these women to stay on top of fashion trends and artistic progression. Another video or tour perhaps? Many of the original members have moved on to become TV hosts, designers and parents, but all can attest to the amazing way that the board has changed us broads. Cheers, I’ll drink to that.

vol. 10 no. 1

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[ o ] NICHOLAS

Foothold

Four different materials in shades that don’t compete with the rest of your kit. Stomp into spring with these tough C1rca Select pinnacle boots then get back to that woodworking in these canvas Pappalardos

by Converse. Kick it classic with a gum sole on the Lakai Guy XLK or modify your build on this OTW Larkin Decon shoe from Vans. colORMAGAZINE.CA

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Scaffold Build your next ensemble around the solid cotton twill Union button-up by Matix that runs stiff in competition when it comes to detail and precision.

[ o ] NICHOLAS

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[ o ] NICHOLAS

Model Mold

There’s a reason why waffles such as Comune’s Virgil have been thought of as a staple for so many years. Standing the test of time, the versatility of this long-sleeve stems from its weave and comes through in a pinch to ward off wardrobe drama. colORMAGAZINE.CA

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Inside Outsider wordsby isaac mckay-randozzi

T

here are those that seek attention and those that just don’t care. For Mat, the spotlight is just something to put your hand into once in a while then quickly withdraw from before the heat starts to burn. Talented at illustration, painting, skating and horticulture, Mr. O’Brien led a somewhat sheltered life growing up in the suburban bliss of Reagan-era Connecticut. In a religious house guided by a mother looking for the right type of God to follow, Mat grew up as he says, “an Irish Catholic then extreme Baptist born-again Christian, then we went to Protestant church.” Skating became his outlet and his aptitude compelled him to move to S.F. fresh out of high school and pursue the skate dream.

(l-r) 203-878-1938 (BDG), 2010 acrylic ink on paper Untitled: (Wabi-Sabi), 2011 acrylic ink on paper.

images courtesy of the artist.

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For awhile, things went somewhat to plan. He skated for Zoo York then ATM Click (under the helm of Mike Manzoori) and then Real on an invite by Tommy G. Over this time, Mat kept travel journals and collected his thoughts; the foundation of his ideas for art started to materialize. “For a long time skateboarding was my main focus and journals were just what I did in my down time,” says O’Brien.

“There is a long process there, not like diary writing or putting in current events, but sort of like a travel log. A lot of my art has to with just taking notes as I go through life.”

In the mid 90s Mat’s ‘soul’ character, drawn in fat black marker, was being noticed around the city and at skate spots. SLAP magazine took a shine to it and shortly after, Real commissioned a board graphic from Mat that some mistook as his pro model. Over the course of the following months, Mat stopped shooting photos and logging footage, and quit his sponsors. “There was a real shift that happened; I had skateboarding at the forefront, so everything—girlfriends, yoga, art—were all

secondary. Then all of a sudden I felt too top heavy.

If you just focus on one thing you’re going to have a time of it. So I wanted to shift over and not be so immersed in the skateboard world... in the products, the magazines. Ten years ago I made a great decision to say: I’m not going to look at a skateboard magazine. Like taking a step to the side, but I’ve skated this whole time.”

Art became paramount in Mat’s life and he started to teach himself many of the skills that you see in practice on these pages. Mat lacks any sort of formal education (beyond the legally mandated), but he is a voracious reader and has a deep interest in chess. “I left high school not really having any ambition and having a lot of short-comings; a left behind kid,” says Mat. “So moving out here [S.F.], life was really interesting. I was skating everyday, exposed to new things I had heard about.” During his exposure different influences came and went, some stuck and made an impact upon his work.

The resulting internal amalgamation of that input is something unique and amazing.

“Ten years ago I made a great decision to say: I’m not going to look at a skateboard magazine.”

[ o ] GABERMAN

Mat’s natural meticulousness is present in all of his work, from his early stuff that revolved around heavy line work and spacing to his current paintings and illustrations. It is to the point where he almost crosses the threshold from smart and imaginative to self-abusive. As with others that suffer from a similar malady, being so detail-oriented can also inscribe a thoughtfulness into each brush and pen stroke.

His process has gone beyond just one work and into an exploration of an artistic idea and practice. With the use of one specific colour (process cyan blue), he is committed to finding its limits and through it, possibly his own. For Mat, this hasn’t just been an exercise but the fulfillment of an idea that has so far taken him years to work through. In a world where options hang from trees like forbidden fruit, his restrictions and self discipline only seem to push his desire to find their limits. “I think I’ll accomplish more, produce more and be more prolific if I just have these rules that help simplify these things a little bit,” he says.

(l-r) Slant Gallery, Kanazawa Japan 2010.

Sitting in front of, ‘Alternative Sun’ Canvas, Chuck Taylor shoes, steel studs, grommets, shoe laces. 2007-2008.

Honor Earth (Dylan Carlson), 2008 acrylic ink on paper, leather glove with hippy patch, steel studs, hula hoop Bitches ‘N’ Beer (Hurly), 2011 acrylic ink on paper

How long will Mr. O’Brien take to finish this exploration?

Who knows, but over the next months and years we’ll definitely have the pleasure of seeing his work in galleries and the pages of magazines. To date, Mat’s images have appeared on Krooked decks and products for various S.F. area companies, plus album covers and band shirts. Currently, Mat is employed at his 9-5 managing a plant store, working on a project with Altamont and of course, skating.

Mat’s work will be on display for 2 weeks this March at Antisocial in Vancouver while they celebrate their 10 year anniversary.

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OLIO gets bigger, badder, better This year’s OLIO Festival is once again putting on a major showcase at SXSW with friends Mint Records & Light Organ Records. A free day-long party with the likes of Andrew W.K., Nardwuar, Shout Out Out Out, Sun Wizard, Mode Moderne and a few surprise guests, this showcase is just a ‘lil taste of what’s to come at what will no doubt be the biggest OLIO Festival to date.

Step one: Austin takeover. Step two: world domination. oliofestival.com

Sound of Science

FESTIVAL 2012 | VANCOU

VER, BC

One of skating’s most respected graphic artists teams up with a rejuvenated Stereo for a new series this spring. Mr. Pendleton’s lyrical line work for each character/pro, assigns them instruments and roles in the band continuing on a tradition of past Stereo artists. But Pendleton’s take is uniquely his own with a mix of traditional line drawing and some Illustrator magic. An interesting decision was made and a fantastic top graphic with a nose-to-tail white background is on each board in the series.

Digital Bang for Your Buck So you’ve got your hands on a brand-spanking new iPad3, eh? Why not give it a run for its money by subscribing to Color’s digital edition!

Packed with bonus features like animated sequences, second angles, uncut interviews, audio clips plus more… this is basically as much Color as you can get! P.S. you can use it on just about any mobile device, we won’t be bummed if you’re still stuck in 2011.

Zinio.com/colormagazine

STEREOSOUNDAGENCY.COM ELEPHONT.COM

Blood Brothers

Andy Roy & Ethan Fow

ler

We’ve noticed a recent resurgence of all things Andy Roy (see the Spitfire wheels entry elsewhere in this column) which promoted us to dig up this photo and tell this story: while in L.A. earlier this year, Color was hanging with Ethan Fowler over at the HUF warehouse for the Haroshi party, when someone mentioned that Andy was lurking in the corner. We posse’d up and made our way over to the spot where Andy, upon seeing Ethan, exclaimed, “Me and this guy got stabbed together!” This photo captured the happy reunion and set the tone for the rest of the night… wish we could just remember what the actual story was. Damn tequila.

Spic and Span Exclusive to colormagazine.ca, watch Wash, Rinse, Repeat the newest release from Ottawa natives Neighbourhood Watch Productions.

Filmed, directed and edited by brothers Adam, Jake & Josh Bos, the film follows Josh skating in Kingston, Syracuse, N.Y.C., Newark & Boston interweaved with 8mm & 16mm incidental clips of his OCD compulsion for cleanliness. Head online to watch the video… and again, and again, and again.

FLICKR.COM/COLORMAGAZINE

Sock it Too ‘Em

Click, Like, Follow

OG Anti-Hero and Spitfire rider, Andy Roy has seen his troubles with the law and recently almost got into it with rapper DMX. Andy was just trying to give him a hug, nothing more than a feeling of compatriotism for a fellow former inmate. Known for his knee high socks and raw skating his new graphic says it all. The first 300 pairs come with knee high socks from STANCE. Drop a sock through one of the wheels, tie a knot, and if anyone gives you shit, hit ‘em hard and split.

Still craving even MORE Color? Feel free to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for behind the scenes photos, daily updates & exclusive online content. See you on the interweb!

STANCE.COM SPITFIREWHEELS.COM

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DROP US A LINE Got something to say? Wanna send us some quality goods to roll in… er, review?

Hit us up at info@colormagazine.ca or snail mail to 105-321 Railway St., Vancouver, BC V6A 1A4 Canada

Lewis Cruise Skateboards Hands down, the best DIY skateboard company you’ve never heard of is Lewis Cruise. Throw some OG graphics, made-up business plans, hand-screened decks and a pile of whack ads into a vat of homies and you’ve got yourself a company. With “fine apparel for today’s modern playboy” and an official team that consists solely of Nick Genova and Sam Beaulieu, Lewis Cruise is killing the game by doing whatever the hell they want, which is probably the only way to make it these days. Grab handcrafted LC gear at your local east coast shop, or a few select items on their online store before these guys either hit it or quit it. lewiscruise.tumblr.com

Sean Cliver for JUICE DESIGN When you’re in the publishing industry, or skateboarding for that matter, Christmas bonuses come in peculiar ways. One thing we count on though, is San Francisco’s Juice Design studio to pull through with their annual skateboard deck collab. While past years’ gifts were adorned with the beautiful artwork of Tiffany Bozic and Evan Hecox, this year’s holiday offering plays more to the tune of the apocalyptic prophesies for 2012 with the satirical humor and complete political incorrectness that’s come to be expected from legendary illustrator Sean Cliver. www.juicedesign.com www.disposablethebook.com

Grind for Life If you’ve ever had cancer be a part of your life in some way, you know just how totally devastating it can be. Competitive skater Mike Rogers has battled sarcoma cancer twice in his life, losing his right eye and part of his nasal cavity in the process. This led him to form Grind for Life in 2003. Mike continues to compete to raise funds & awareness for GFL, providing financial assistance for those traveling long distances to attend medical appointments, as well as much needed support and positive inspiration. Beat that, cancer! grindforlife.org

Hit the ground running With a line-up of heavy pro & am team riders, including Cairo Foster, Ed Templeton, Leo Romero, James Hardy, Donovon Piscopo, Dakota Servold, & Stevie Perez, Eswic is well on their way to being one of the freshest skate lifestyle brands to hit the streets in recent memory. With input from the team on all aspects of design, former RVCA co-owner Jimmy Arrighi has set out to take street style by the balls. With their first season hitting shops soon, pretty sure groms are gonna be repping Eswic hard this summer.

Bastion Grey t-shirts We’ve been a fan of local underground t-shirt purveyor Bastion Grey since they hit the scene last year with a perfect combo of high-quality goods & chill graphics. A recent collaboration with artist Ben Tour features one of Ben’s beyond chill illustrations. These guys are some our favourites around here—keep an eye on Mister Tour for a joint project with the Hundreds this spring, and more from Bastion Grey later this year.

eswic.com

The Idea Behind the Theory

bastiongrey.com thetourshow.com

No Fun City? HELL NO

Starting as a place for updates on Josh Stewart’s Static 3 production, the Theories of Atlantis store was an afterthought to sell a few leftover shirts and older videos. Since then it has grown to include various independent videos, Theories shirts, Domestics Clothing and like-minded board companies: Magenta (Paris) and Palace (London). Like Josh, both brands propagate the pure street ethic and share similar stylistic qualities of a mid-90s vibe. Taking up half his bedroom in Brooklyn, the shop is as much a labour of love (because he gives a shit about skating), as it is a business and helping his friends bring their companies to the U.S.

Imagine this: a record label that exists solely to support the local arts scene by throwing parties that make the money to release records of local bands that play the parties that make the money to release records… Vancouver’s Student Loan Records aims to “facilitate a self-sufficient stream of vinyl-only releases, made possible by organizing community involved events, such as art shows and record release parties.” The best part is the artists own and control all the work produced through Student Loan. What? A record label that’s not in it to make money? Only in Canada.

THEORIESOFATLANTIS.COM

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vol. 10 no. 1

images courtesy of the artist.

—

Chris Dyer

M

ontreal-based artist Chris Dyer has a pretty eclectic background. Raised on a skateboard in Lima, Peru, Dyer has always felt a close connection to the board itself and from the get-go considered it to be an artistic medium. His skill in graphic design has premiered on over 75 decks for brands including Creation, Think, Urban Ambush, Westside, Bustin, Yellow, Spirit, Love, Valoiz, Homegrown, Series, Irie (Norway), Freak (Belgium), Drop Dead (Brazil) and Equilibrium (Peru). Dyer is yet again taking his creativity to a whole new level as the newly appointed Art Director for Creation skateboards. His journey as an artist has been persistently prolific and has fostered a ton of tight friendships and dedicated supporters like hometown hero, Barry Walsh. Not only does Dyer make art for skateboards but from skateboards. Those who have seen his shrine-like sculptures and broken deck paintings know what I’m talking about.

Growing up in South America inspired his aesthetic vision; bright colours and a penchant for sunshine yellow make an appearance in everything Dyer (well maybe not his gigantic 11-year-old dreads). Optimism and positivity feed Dyer’s production of imaginative designs.

His psychedelic visions manifest themselves in a variety of mediums, all possessing an intrinsic desire to imagine an elevated reality of higher consciousness. For more “eye candy and stories” from Chris Dyer, check out his epic new full-colour, hardcover coffee table book Positive Creations, The Visionary Art of Chris Dyer. Vibe on.

Positive Creations, The Visionary Art of Chris Dyer, 2011 Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.

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Skatebot #2, 2011 old skateboards, 80s joysticks and spray paint, 8 ft tall

vol. 10 no. 1

wordsby jenn jackson

I

drove into the pitch-black town of Bruno at the end of a long venture far into the eastern Saskatchewan prairie skyline. It was the middle of the night and my GPS had long lost its signal. The only light came from a few streetlights and a couple of glowing house windows. Something about arriving to a place that you have never been before requires a certain faith, a belief that everything will just come together. I hadn’t been warned about the lack of telephone service and non-existent 3G signal but the deficit wasn’t much cause for concern. Intuition told me the prairie town would be small enough to drive down every street in less than thirty minutes. In five I found what I was looking for. There it stood, the town bank, a 2400 square foot heritage building built in 1917, formerly the Dominion Bank and Conexus Insurance, now home to “The Arts Building” also known as Bruno Arts Bank. (above) A sunset as seen on the edge of town.

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At two stories high, the bank occupies the tallest vantage point in town. I honked the horn and watched the upstairs lights flicker on and off. This was the starting point to my Bruno artist residency visit. My inability to communicate my arrival via phone or facebook foreshadowed a sense upon the trip of a past time, somewhere along the trajectory of history where people could only communicate with handwritten notes, Morse code or in-person gestures. Inside, Les Ramsay and Colleen Heslin (the artists

in residence and close friends), came down the stairs to greet me; it felt like coming home from a long journey. I had of course chosen to venture the ten-hour drive on one hour of sleep.

They led me down the well-worn sidewalk, through a side entrance and up a pristine set of white stairs to the former bank manager’s quarters. A set of fantastical expectations I had conjured during the cross country drive were satiated by what followed. The hardwood floors were decorated to the specs of a prairie grandmother, including all of the essentials: antique furniture, lace curtains and crossstitched art of flowers, kittens, fruit and landscapes. The record player was in full-tilt as I received a complete tour; an orange studio, pink hallway, green living room, checkered dining room, brown kitchen, floral bedroom and, most exciting, a once pristine white studio occupied by a month’s worth of work by Vancouver artists Les and Colleen. Due to lack of

sleep and the ten-hour haze of staring into the epically open skyline I had little energy left for conversation; a perfect condition for staying up late into the night, drinking canned beer and listening to the apartment’s eclectic selection of records.

At some point Colleen showed me to my orange room. I have no recollection of my head ever hitting the pillow.

Bright golden sunlight streamed into my room the following morning and was a most appropriate awakening. Big breakfasts and a guided tour of the bank’s main floor followed. I was impressed by Les and Colleen’s knowledge of not only the building’s but the town’s extensive historical narrative. The lower level of the tour featured a presentation space, including stage, espresso bar, record and ‘zine shop (chock-full of varied materials organically gathered form the 200-something bands that have passed through and consignment ‘zines provided by supportive artist Jason McLean), the gallery space and of

course an adjoining bank vault. Although transformed from its original purposes, everything on the main floor naturally fits together. The teller’s desk (now espresso bar), attracts locals Thursday through Saturday where they can peruse display cabinets of local historically significant materials including photographs, artifacts, oddities and curiosities. One such display details the former Bruno Clayworks brick factory. Community members are encouraged to submit suggestions of historical and present-day people, places and events from the region that they would like to see commemorated. They are also the recipients of an open invitation to all Arts Bank events, performances, workshops, artist talks, readings and shows. December 2010 the venue even opened its doors for the local Grade 10 Science/Art show.

Tyler Brett, the founder of Bruno Arts Bank, is dedicated to community engagement, including it as a major cornerstone within the Bruno Arts Bank mandate and the small town’s capacity to embrace outsiders defiantly played a role in his arrival to

Bruno. I asked Tyler how it was he came to relocate from Vancouver B.C. to Bruno SK. He responded that several year’s back he had attended his cousin’s wedding in Dana SK, about a thirty minute drive from Bruno.

The newly weds had purchased an old church and farmhouse for an unfathomably small amount of money. This, along with an auspicious encounter with a church organ and summer sunrise, persuaded his curiosity.

In 2007, Tyler purchased his own prairie paradise: a small building in Bruno. Situated next to the Senior Citizens building, the new venue was appropriately named All Citizens. An art shop, music venue and café, the project (cofounded with then partner Serena McCarroll), definitely shares a lineage with The Bruno Arts Bank. All Citizens saw its Bruno shelf life expire in early 2011 when it closed its doors and gave way for The Bruno Arts Bank to take centre stage. The All Citizens building is now Tyler’s personal home and often times acts to provide shelter for musicians traveling through town. That is when the small A-frame lodging in his back yard

images courtesy of Bruno Arts Bank.

The residency living room.

The residency bedroom.

“The most lovable characteristic of the residency is its down-to-earth intimacy” lacks vacancy. Situated a couple buildings down the main drag from The Arts Bank the location couldn’t be better.

The Arts Bank building was acquired in promise that it would feature culture within the town. This is an interest close to Tyler’s heart. Many of the community members feel connected to the old bank building, whether it is from banking experience or babysitting the branch manager’s children, they all have acquired some banked memory. The transformation from financial institution to arts bank took over a year of laborious effort. It all came together with volunteer support and furniture donations from many of the townspeople and even received contributions from those as far as Saskatoon. The Bruno town council helped get the project off the ground by agreeing to a property tax incentive which made everything a whole lot more feasible and allowed for the residency fee to stay within reasonable reach.

On my last day of Bruno bliss I was privy to an open-ended excursion into the wide open spaces just outside the town’s limits.

First stop, the small community of Carmel.

Second, we visited the Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel located a few km outside of the town. A Roman Catholic landmark donated to St. Peter’s Abbacy by John Bunko July 22, 1921. Rumor has it that back in the twenties many residents had visions of the Virgin Mary. Something had to be done. What better than a shrine on one of northern Saskatchewan’s highest topographical points? We rang the bell, sat on the steps, took portraits with Mary and explored the buildings interior. Our tour continued to an abandoned church and graveyard, St. Therese Institute of Faith and (top l-r) August 2011 Artists-inResidence Colleen and Les painting in the Arts Bank bank-yard.

Mission, and a sunset swim at Lucien Lake.

The handful of destinations we visited barely made a dent on the many prairie ‘attractions’ described by Tyler and Kerri.

Their reflections on the landscape, decrepit buildings, leaning sheds, abandoned towns and bridges to nowhere are aptly romantic.

So are their favourite local past times; take-away Chinese on lawn chairs next to the pick up truck, cross country skiing, Manitou Beach, mineral springs, Bruno golf course, little thrift stores, Bruno bowling alley, senior citizens polka dance nights and local sledge hockey games. Strange and beautiful, the residency is suitable for a number of different practices.

Artists, musicians, writers and performers are all welcome to apply. Each residency is available for a one to three month time frame but I guarantee a penchant to stay forever. The most lovable characteristic of the residency is its down-to-earth intimacy. Its namesake confirms its straightforwardness. Similar to the rest of the town’s building signage, post office, jail, and beverage room, it clearly denotes its purpose, a bank that is now for art. In comparison to the strategy of many other institutional residency programs The Bruno Arts Bank small scale offers a rare contemplative opportunity to personally connect. Both Tyler and his awe-inspiring girlfriend Kerri Reid (also the café barista),­­ generously share their experiences in a way that is refreshingly open and honest. There was no shortage of secret spots, traveling tips and sincere enthusiasm for the local.

All things Bruno Arts Bank related can be found on their website.

BRUNOARTSBANK.CA

Bruno Transfer Station 2011, a Vault Gallery exhibition of art Tyler has found and saved from the Bruno dump.

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vol. 10 no. 1

wordsby ryan mcguigan

photosby jeff comber

I

n this day and age, when skateboarders have fallen victim to, “I’m sooo positive,” Mr. Bong keeps it real and will tell you to piss off if he doesn’t like the sound of your voice. You call it lame? I call it character. Justin is a very unique individual. He’s passionate in every direction—even more so when he’s wrong. He seems to habitually cross the line and yet, always gets back into the good books (well mine at least). At ten years younger than me, Justin could still kick the living shit out of me. I don’t think he would, but he could... just sayin’. If you pull a knife on him and then decide to change your tune to, “I’m sorry dude,” that ain’t gonna fly. Consider yourself toasted. For the record, Bong is never allowed to quit riding for Green Apple.

It’s a non-negotiable life sentence. Whether you like it or not, we love you Bong man! —mike mcdermott (opposite) Justin performs some black magic shit: Nocturnal gap to backside lipslide on some black marble.

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shazam.

TOP 5 GREEN APPLE SKATERS. OLD AND NEW. 1.

2.

3.

4.

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Johnny Erhart Sam Klassen Devon Welter Mike McDermott Evan Burchuck

TOP 5 SKATE VIDS 1.

2.

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AntiHero - Fucktards Alien Workshop - Photosynthesis Green Apple - Blue Green AntiHero - Two Songs Blind - Video Days

Color: How did you get the name Mr. Bong?

Justin Basset: It used to be “Banger.” When we met I would smoke a ton of weed so you came up with “Bonger.” Then Mike came up with “Mr. Bong.” Now it’s usually just “Bong.”

Where are you from and where do you live now?

I’m from Winnipeg and currently living in Toronto. I’m living with my girlfriend in High Park. It’s alright, a few decent spots around and it’s close to Paul’s [Liliani] house.

What’s Teddy Bob’s?

Teddy Bob’s is a bar/motel my grandpa owned. He named it after my dad Bob and my uncle Ted. It could be one of the gnarliest bars in the city. I lived and worked there for a while.

One night someone was shot outside my room. (opposite) One of those ‘last days we’ll be skating outside’ kind of days. Bump up to back tail on a very temporary spot.

These pretzels are making me thirsty!!! No comply tailslide revert at the Baitshop ramp.

Why were you living there? How old were you?

My parents split when I was ten so I stayed there with my dad half the time.

What’s a typical day for you?

That depends. When I was in Winnipeg it would be waking up at 6:30am, weld all day. Maybe do a steam after with Mike [McDermott] and then get super baked. Toronto is a different story right now because I just got here and don’t have a job.

So today I’m going to the YMCA with Paul, do a steam and then we’re going to skate a vert ramp. Then I might get baked.

[Laughs]

So not much of a change besides the unemployment thing? How’d you get into welding?

I got into welding when I was 12 doing a metals class. We had this project with a plasma cutter and the teacher said my project was the best he ever saw and I could sell it for a bunch of money. I think after that I knew I wanted to work with steel.

Do you watch TV? Not really but I do watch Workaholics, which is my favourite.

Who’s better at ping pong, Mike or me?

[Laughs] I’m not going to say who, but you have more style and Mike is more fierce.

How’d you end up on Green Apple?

Way before the shop opened, you guys invited me over one night and told me about the shop and asked me to be on the team. I was stoked. I couldn’t wait to have an actual legit shop sponsor.

You’re also getting AntiHero boards, how did you swindle that?

Not really sure. I guess Nate [Jones] at Supra saw my footage and started sending me stuff. Super stoked to rep AntiHero.

Thanks Nate!

What’s the most important part of skateboarding?

Style. And having fun I guess. .justinbasset

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Get in the ring! Justin throws a one truck knockout. Frontside nosegrind off the bench. (opposite) Classic form and a badass roll-in makes this back smith a noteable standout at this Toronto barrier spot.

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shazam.

How do you make sure skating is always fun?

If I’m not having fun at the moment I’ll grab some beers to make it fun.

Wrong! The correct answer is Jake Stewart. How’s your VIDEO X part coming?

[Laughs] Like shit!

Beer of choice?

Ožujsko!

What do you like about filming videos and what do you hate about filming videos?

It’s hard to go out and get shit that I’ll be stoked on, especially putting together a full part, but it’s fun goin’ out even if we don’t get anything. But when we do get something, I’m stoked.

Surprise Trivia: Who was the first Green Apple skater to turn pro?

Steggles always told me he was pro but I don’t know. Mike McDermott maybe?

When and where do you feel at your best skating?

I guess in a bowl.

TOP 5 TUMBLRS 1.

2.

3.

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rawvisual hellatrill groodstuff suzdal blueskiesandgold

TOP 5 PET PEEVES 1.

2.

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Pussies (Not vaginas, but dudes who skate like they have one) Kooks Girls who think they’re hot shit Stinkbug grabs Not throwing the ball at least a foot up before a serve in ping pong

After skateboarding, weed and welding, what is the next most important thing in your life?

My girl is up there with all those. I enjoy playing pool even though I stink.

What do you think will happen on December 21st 2012 besides VIDEO X coming out?

Me being belligerently drunk at the video premiere. [Laughs] What’s in your 2012 Survival Kit? I don’t have one.

Well if you did, what would be in it?

All the essentials: matches, lighters, weed, pint of whiskey, couple knives.

Why do you always get in fights?

I don’t anymore but I would usually just get hammered out of my mind and I wouldn’t really put up with shit.

Dream sponsor by anything on earth?

Marijuana.

Where on earth would you like to go next?

Maybe Italy.

Why Italy? Is it a great place to skateboard, live, eat?

It looks rad and Helena and I have always talked about going there.

If you could choose any superpower what would it be?

That’s a tough one. Teleport maybe.

Tell me one bad situation you wish you could have teleported out of.

This interview.

Best fatherly advice from Mr. Bob Basset?

Don’t smoke meth.

What drug are you dying to try?

I’ve heard Mescaline is good. [Laughs] What’s in your iPod lately?

Com Truise, Justice, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Neon Indian, Sabbath, Too Short, Gravediggaz, Ariel Pink, Stevie Moore, Marianne Faithful, Craft Spells, Bathory.

Do you think the moon landing was real or a Stanley Kubrick film? [Seriously folks look this one up!]

I’m going to say a Stanley Kubrick film.

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vol. 10 no. 1

—

Rennie Collection at Wing Sang

wordsby aaron carpenter

D

photosby gordon nicholas

amian Moppett is an artist’s artist, but this dubious statement doesn’t refer to his audience, it means that he is haunted by the art historical canon. In his many photographs, videos, drawings, paintings and sculptures, Moppett, with wavering humility, inserts himself among art’s white European male luminaries of the past, from Andre to Brancusi and Calder, to Hollis Frampton and Fischli & Weiss, to name just a few, in alphabetical order (for no particular reason).

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(l-r) Untitled (Stabile C #1), 2005 steel, paint, wire and stoneware, 53.125" x 40.125" x 96.125" Large Red Candle, 2010 oil on canvas and wood frame 49.75" x 43.5" Fallen Caryatid, 2008 plaster 72" x 36" x 38" Broken Fall, 2011 aluminum and steel, 25.5' x 15' x 15'

Moppett came to prominence in the 1990s with several series of large photographs of small things. His tabletop maquettes, precarious cigarette butt sculptures, cardboard modernism and tumescent balloon/lego couplings wrought a particular kind of pathos. Here, the artist is just outof-frame, playing the roles of bored partygoer, office worker with lofty dreams and sexually frustrated tinkerer.

This is likely when Moppett caught the eye of Bob Rennie, a Vancouver art collector whose practice could be described as selectively voracious. Since opening his privately funded, open to the public, exhibition space two years ago, he has hosted comprehensive exhibitions of collected works by Mona Hatoum, Richard Jackson and Martin Creed. He collects artists’ work in depth, and his commitment to Moppett’s practice demonstrates not just attentiveness but an understanding of the over-arching vision. Moppett works in serial form and due to his unique engagement with his patron, one full decade’s worth of his multitudinous clusters of watercolours, drawings and sculptural forms are now on display in full-breadth at the Rennie Collection at Wing Sang.

Amid a throng of small drawings on display is one that depicts a yawning, be-fanged and cock-eyed crustacean, riddled with bursting pustules and coral formations. The creature’s smoldering brain is skewered on a wire held by its two monstrous lobster claws, and from its spiked thorax protrudes North American aboriginal totem poles and the ancient monoliths of Stonehenge. Though it bears a striking

resemblance to his early Untitled series of digestive cartoon creatures (exhibited on the ground floor lobby), it is recognizably derived from the cover of Brazilian death metal group Sepultura’s fourth (and most excellent) album. Though Moppett may be flagrant with his historical references, he is conspicuously stingy in regards to the contemporary, and most of these exceptions are in deference to the music he undoubtedly uses to fill the room during hours of ascetic studio practice. (The bizarre album art for Rolling Stone’s Tattoo You also makes a cameo in this collection).

Titled Arise, Therefore (for Sepultura) this drawing, and the Untitled series, explicitly illustrates a self-consumptive intestinal system with pronounced eyeballs and a peripheral, semi-detached brain. The vast conglomeration of drawings to which the Sepultura picture belongs, documents Moppett’s studies. He reads about Michael Asher while listening to Pink & Brown. He looks at goats and plays music with his

further. This all takes place within the same chaotic, self-consuming system. When a daydreaming Carl Andre or a fussy looking Hollis Frampton (in his Wittgenstein t-shirt) appears, it is as though he is including himself amongst the dead, conscientiously burying himself in the catacombs and tombs of his predecessors.

Moppett’s work though isn’t always such a macabre endeavor. The Watercolour Drawing Series, a second pictorial serial effort, ruminates less on outside referents and waxes evermore insular.

Every corner of the artist’s studio in flux is examined, every surface and spill articulating the chaotic nexus of creation as he throws, carves and molds an array of sculptural forms.

Another thing to consider as you experience Moppett’s work is that each of his works may have sibling pieces and there are particular elements in the show that could be used as skeleton keys to

“The artist is just out-of-frame, playing the roles of bored party goer, office worker with lofty dreams and sexually frustrated tinkerer.” friends Graham Kaye and Megan Wilson (the trio formed a band called Sonny Boner and Teaching), and he picks his toenails while in 1815 period costume.

The tracheal creatures he depicts are metaphoric, as Moppett feeds on his influences and excretes the results—his work—which itself, influences him even

enter into his esoteric domain. Fallen Caryatid takes the form (via Rodin) of an ancient Greek architectural element; a nymph-shaped column. In Moppett’s version however, the burdened beauty has nothing to hold, her fingers clasp for something. That something, Moppett asserts, is the invisible burden of history

represented by his surrounding works on paper. Another is Early One Morning In the Studio, an achromatic replica of an iconic and similarly named (and earlier mentioned) Caro sculpture cluttered with samples of Moppett’s amateurish pottery. What Fallen Caryatid divulges about Moppett’s thematic impulses, Early One Morning In the Studio does so in terms of his formal proclivities. Though there seem to be few laws in Moppett’s studio, he does lean on gravity; his forms fall, they falter, bend and break, they carry one another and this is from where he propels that exponential solipsism. For each work he makes he will derive ten more, each with their own spores of inference and referral.

An enormous new work called Broken Fall specially commissioned for the exhibition at Wing Sang, hovers above Early One Morning and Caro’s characteristic red seems to have migrated into the hovering rods and discs that comprise Broken Fall. A few elements of the sculpture lay scattered below on the floor. Apparently equilibrium has snapped.

While viewing an exhibition of Damian Moppett’s work, one beholds where it has come from and the quizzical viewer looks for clues as to where it goes beyond. Moppett etches out his solipsistic autobiography by demonstrating his ability to look back and inward while operating at a prolific pace with prodigious skill that yields itself to allow awkward gestures and even occasionally delves into failure—that final frontier.

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vol. 10 no. 1

PHOTOGRAPHY Robin Black Stylist Beck Trumbo

TALENT Justin Strubing, Benny Fairfax, Nick T, Jodie Smith at Next Brenna Box at Photogenics Beck Trumbo at Next

VANS checkered leggings, CONVERSE shoe Jodie Smith as Grace Jones MATIX body con print dress, ADIDAS hoodie colORMAGAZINE.CA

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opposite page COMUNE mickey mouse acid shirt Beck Trumbo as Edie Sedgwick VANS babydoll dress, LEVIS Warhol Factory collaboration jacket Nick T as Lou Reed FOURSTAR t-shirt, COMUNE jacket, BOLLE vintage sunglasses ADIDAS blue suede shoe, CHRISTIAN DIOR vintage jacket

Benny Fairfax as Jean-Michel Basquiat FOURSTAR t-shirt, KR3W button down, KR3W jacket, GIORGIO ARMANI vintage glasses .artisaman’sname

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Justin Strubing as Andy Warhol VANS tank top LEVIS leather jacket RAY BAN vintage sunglasses

opposite page Brenna Box as Nico MATIX chambray button down

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artisaman’sname.

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vol. 10 no. 1

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wordsby isaac mckay-randozzi

J

ay Howell was born to be a cartoonist, pure and simple. Instead of paying attention in class, he passed the hours drawing, looking out the window, and letting his imagination drift. Comics such as Mad Magazine became his curriculum and crusty, 35-year-old virgin comic shop clerks, his tutors. In the 90s, Jay was compelled to skateboard and put his classroom diversions into ‘zines. His practice with the analog would prove to be useful down the line. Over time he gained a reputation as a talented drawer, skater and musician. Those natural skills helped him move in various circles and meet a variety of talented individuals. While both charming and approachable, Jay possesses an energy that might be classified as ADHD by an institution or educational system.

Jay is currently in production with a cartoon for the Nickelodeon Cable network and working with Vans on clothing and video projects for 2012. Over the years he has done work for Consolidated, Anti-Hero, OJ Wheels, Creature and a few others. He’s gone from coffee jock to disc jockey to curator of 111 Minna, one of downtown San Francisco’s better know art party venues. There he brought in a wide variety of artists and events that helped elevate the venue’s stature. Hard work, humor and living life to its fullest are the basic tenets of Jay’s life and if he stops, like a shark, he might just die.

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Color: Do you have a job title? If so, what is it? If not, how would you describe what you do for a living?

Jay Howell: [Laughter] Already a terrible question. No, I don’t have a job title. I’m a cartoonist. I don’t say I’m an artist—I’m a cartoonist.

How much has skating played a part in your art history?

100%. Absolutely the biggest influence in my entire life.

Definitely.

So people like Pushead, Jim Phillips…

Jim Phillips, Blender, not Pushead so much; I wasn’t into metal until I was older. I’m more excited about Pushead now then I was then.

You lived and worked in Sack-o-tomatoes [Sacramento] for a long time. Why? It’s kind of the armpit of California.

I was living in Los Angeles for a minute, literally like six months with this crazy chick and she started to get into doing porno movies and it scared the shit out of me. I had some friends that were just moving to Sacramento and I was like, “I’ll live on your floor until I can get on my feet again” and I had my sister come and pick me up in her car and drive me.

When you were in Sacramento is that how Forest City Rockers started?

No, Sacramento was more hanging out with Skinner Davis, the best artist ever and he was a super big influence on me.

He does the Blood Wizard graphics. I didn’t start the Forest City Rockers until I moved to San Francisco.

I always thought you did that just before you moved to S.F. and it came out after you moved here?

I was in Sacto, looking at Fecal Face.com and I saw you, Groshong and John [Trippe], and [Jeremy] Fish and everybody and I was like, ‘fuck dude I’m stuck up here in Sac and those dudes look like their fucking raging right now. They’re all skater dudes who are drinking and riding bikes and that’s what I do here in Sac’ and I was like, ‘fuck Sac.’ I came here [S.F.] and it literally took me two parties and I knew everybody. I saw people who were doing stuff that was what I wanted to be doing.

images courtesy of the artist.

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artfeature.

You grew up in the S.F. Bay Area, right? Pleasanton?

Yeah, but coming to Sac I knew a lot of people like Aaron Harrison “Hairball”, he was in Sac when I moved there so I became friends with him. After watching that first Zero video and hanging out and drinking with him at a bar was like heaven. I was so psyched on that dude. That

Ramp Line-Up Creep Club Forest Anarchy

was 2002 or 2003, 2001 even, and before that I had done some graphics for Consolidated, in 1999 I did two boards for them.

Was that the first time you did something in skating?

Yeah, those were the first. That’s when Jason Jesse was still there. He’s my favourite skater ever—always.

Other influences?

Todd Francis is so underrated. I love that guy’s work and I don’t think he gets the respect he deserves in the skateboard community. Especially in an era of such evolution. How many did he make a year? Probably 120 or something?

Maybe more, he was also doing Spitfire and maybe some Thunder stuff as well.

I knew Jeff Klindt [Deluxe founding father] because he was into a really shitty indie band I was in back in the day.

He was a very fucking epic dude, very smart businessman, very, very cool person and he was very supportive of me being a young shredder in a band. He put our stuff out on Future Farmers; we were on one of his compilations. I used to come to Deluxe when it was over in Hunter’s Point and I could grab like five boards and I was 22—it blew my fucking mind dude.

Over the years you’ve had an on-and-off relationship with the drink. What do you think the perils and benefits of the bottle are?

Use it to your advantage.

It’s been a great tool for me and I’ve had some amazing fucking nights.

Like, I remember one night talking with Jake Phelps at a bar here in S.F. and I barely knew him and we talked about skate rock for like four hours, ordering shots and beers. One of my favourite drinking nights ever. He knows a lot about skate rock and S.F. punk history. I remember going home and saying, “that’s how you fucking drink,” and that’s the only time you’d feel that any time that year by the way. Those nights are far and few between. So yeah, use it to your advantage, use it smartly and wisely. Drinking’s been good to me and I’m good to drinking. Out drink the youth.

“I remember going home and saying, that’s how you fucking drink.”

I saw that you started using old mangy books for your work. Was that for one specific project or was that for…?

It was a mistake, purely a mistake. I got super psyched on this series of artwork that this dude Wes Lang was doing.

He was using these maps and he was doing this kind of tattoo. A lot of artists won’t say they are influenced by other artists but I don’t give a flying fuck, ‘cause I am influenced by people and I idolize people. He was doing shit on these maps and it really stoked me and I got all these books and I’m really into naming things, my whole career I’ve always been into naming shit, like giving dogs names or people names or calling a dude something at the bar—he’s that dude now. I got all these books and they had titles on them and I thought it would be funny to do artwork for the books.

Do my own covers or illustrations for the titles.

Are they all coming from the same publishing company, it seems like they are all Harlequin books?

I have like 400 at home now. At first it was just the funny titles but I found that that’s where the funny titles are. Then I bought all of them in the L.A. area, around my area, from the thrift stores. I couldn’t find any more and I got mad so I went on eBay and now I buy them by the lot. I’ll buy 260 at a time. Travis [Millard] and Mel [Kadel] came over when I got my last shipment and sat there drinking beers going through them, making fun of the titles. Travis is fucked and Mel is weird as shit too and they’d make it better than me no matter what, but it’s my thing so fuck them. [Laughter] It’s almost like free ideas in a lot of ways. A big part of my lifestyle is looking at the internet and TV and I like to pop off on other people’s ideas. So when someone says something funny I make it funnier. The book process is very similar to that. I’ll just read the internet, someone’s Tumblr, and make fun of someone’s blog and the whole time I’m writing down on a sticky note all the ideas I’m making fun of and half of those end up drawings. The other half are the dumbest ideas there are, some are just so sad.

Did Mad Magazine have much of an influence on you?

Not Jaffee, but Sergio is my favourite artist in the entire planet, Sergio Arguelles.

Why not Jaffee?

I love Jaffee but Sergio is my shit. If there’s anyone in the world I could be, I’d be Sergio. I idolize him more than anyone on the planet. Jeffee’s rad, everyone loves Jaffee, but it’s Sergio—always.

Did you catch on that the sombrero dude in his strips was him?

Yeah. You have to understand that every single dude I draw is me. The big nose, tall weird dudes, the chicks with big tits—that’s me.

.jayhowell

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Foot Plant Ramp Pool Party

You don’t have big tits.

No, but the girls I like always do.

I’ve always been a fan of seeing those sidebar drawings, marginalia.

I’ve been doing marginalia for Woo Magazine now.

Marginalia is another concept that I adore. People writing on the sidebars. I guess Raymond Pettibon does a lot of it on the books he reads at home. I love side notes, I love clutter, doodles.

When you first started doing work for other people, who inspired you to keep going?

Todd Bratrud and David Shrigley. When I saw them, I knew I could do that too, you know. I like David Shrigley a lot; he’s got a floor on the Met or something for ten years. He’s so inspiring, so amazing. I e-mailed him a bunch and he got back to me immediately too.

How’d that feel?

He was fucking normal, you know. ‘Cause I fucking hate cunts that aren’t fucking normal. I told him I liked his stuff and asked if I could send him some shit and I sent him ‘zines and records and shit from America that I was into. This was 2003 or something and I sent him the package and he got back to me immediately and said “thanks, that’s sick.” That’s who people are and that’s what set the bar for me in life because if you’re a fucking kook or even try to be special— fuck you. You’re a special fucking asshole to me. So shit like that is super important.

Power to Love Wildcat Tamed

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jayhowell.

Remember the big Fecal Face anniversary show at the Luggage Store? I met someone there who I wanted to meet and I came up to him and I was like, “hey dude (I’m not going to name him), I really like your shit man.” I fanned out, I’m not against fanning out, you should fan out. Rule no. 1 is fan out if you’re psyched and if that person doesn’t like your fan out, fuck ‘em to death and never be fans of them

“Rule no. 1 is fan out if you’re psyched and if that person doesn’t like your fan out, fuck ‘em to death and never be fans of them again.”

again. If someone comes up to you psyched, say ‘thank you’ and be grateful because someone knows who you are. It’s important to me, when people come up to me and say they like what I’ve done, I’ll talk to that dude till the night is over, you know? I’ll draw on the napkin and we’ll chill.

So I talked with this dude and he brushed me the fuck off, like I’m a drunk idiot, he gave me a ‘beat it.’

How did you first meet Jim Dershberger?

He was at the Art Academy doing his senior year project on animation and he ran into some ‘zines I had done. My whole life revolves around ‘zines by the way, every single success I’ve ever had in my entire life is because of a ‘zine.

Starting with?

Since before I worked with Consolidated. I made hundreds of ‘zines in my life. So Jim got ahold of some and said he wanted to animate some for his senior project and asked if that was cool. I said, ‘Fuck yes. Let’s meet up.’ He made

his project and asked if I’d like to work with him. Right when I met that guy it was synchronicity, best buds. Jim and I started working together back then, and now we’re business partners.

Usually people don’t fail at doing what they love, if they do it’s because the timing wasn’t right.

You know what the odds are. When you push it too hard you know you push it too hard. There are rules that have been set and they’ve been there a long time. Not like I’m some Buddha or some shit.

True, but you’ve been in situations few have been in. Who would have thought I’d be watching your characters on TV? The Bob’s Burgers shit? [Laughter] That was a rad experience. You know why I got that job? ‘Zines. I worked at a coffee shop and got that job. I was a coffee employee at Atlas Café [in S.F.] and the guy who created the show came in everyday, we talked and I gave him all of my ‘zines and invited him to all of my art shows. That’s the extent of the fucking story, that’s it. Day one, a friend and artist Scott Barry said, “You gotta meet my buddy Loren, he does

cartoons, he’s a really cool dude.” So I was like, “Sick, ‘sup Loren, I’m Jay, I do cartoons also.” He’s the guy that did Dr. Katz and Home Movies. He and H. Jon Benjamin [comic and voice actor in Home Movies, Archer, Bob’s Burgers] are homies and that’s how he was involved. So Loren was like, “what do you do?” and I said, “this is it.” I didn’t expect to get a job but I had an art show at 111 Minna and I saw him and had some videos of my cartoons (the Forest City Rockers stuff which got me my current job at Nickelodeon and with Bob’s Burgers) and he was like, “you want to work on something together? It might not work out but let’s make a go. I’ll pay you as much as I possibly can, which may not be anything.” And now he’s in L.A. Bob’s Burgers season two shredding.

Are you doing anything for Bob’s?

No. I was going to work on season two and then Nickelodeon got wicked hard so I couldn’t do it.

So your responsibilities with Nickelodeon are paramount right now?

It’s my show. Andreas Trolf, Jim Dershberger and me are executive producers, equals, all three of us. That’s a fact.

I don’t want anyone saying anyone is better than anyone else; I want that to be very clear. We are together as a big three; writing, drawing and making a TV show together and it’s been the best experience in my life.

How many years into it are you?

We’re two years into it.

How many years is the normal length between inception and first airing?

Production is like two years and show time is two months.

So when we have to do 24 episodes, it’ll take two years.

When we have to do one episode, it’s two years for a pilot. We’re in fulltime pilot production right now and Thee Oh Sees have done the theme song. Buster Bluth from Arrested Development, Linda Cartaleeni from Freaks and Geeks, Malik from 30 Rock—those are all the people in our show. We’re fully blasting right now. The show is incredible.

You’ve done two board series for AntiHero now?

Yeah and a bunch of one-offs.

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“I thrashed his bike last night and we did shots. What’s up, lets do some graphics.”

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How did you start working with them?

This is my favourite story.

So Julien [Stranger] and Mic-E [Deluxe TM] and some other dudes saw a show at Needles and Pens [S.F. ‘zine shop] and either Julien or Mic-E was like, “we should get this guy to do AntiHero graphics.” They were fucked up drawings, dick drawings or something like that. A couple days later I went to Pop’s [a skater bar in S.F.] and I was skating in the bar, drunk as fuck at 7pm and Mic-E showed up with a brand new track bike.

He’s way across the bar and parks his new bike and I’m skating in the bar and I turn around, fall and my board goes smashing into his new bike and makes it fall over. I’m like, ‘Ok, I’m dead.” Mic-E’s like, “What the fuck dude?! You just smashed my new bike.” And I was like, “Yeah sorry, here’s some of my ‘zines as payment.” I whipped them out of my flannel. He’s like, “Oh, call Julien and let’s do some boards, we just saw your show at Needles and Pens. Lets go do a shot.”

So me and Mic-E go do Jager shots and drink Buds right there. He’s like, “Call Julien tomorrow, here’s his number.”

I called Julien the next day and said, “Hey Mic-E told me to call you. My name is Jay, I thrashed his bike last night and we did shots. What’s up, lets do some graphics.” And he said, “Ok, cool come to AntiHero later.” I was like, ‘this is the best thing ever in my life.’ I thought Mic-E was going to cream me but he turns out to be the awesomest dude ever. The fact that I got to hang out with him for a minute was amazing. It doesn’t even seem real now.

Not too long ago you did a series for Creature and wheels for OJ that included a fin for a surfboard?

What came first?

I don’t know why they did that, but yeah. The series came out first then the wheel. The OJ wheels idea came midway through doing the series for Creature. I saw that [Jeremy] Fish did some wheels and was psyched on his.

They asked and I was stoked. I used to skate OJs when I was a kid, and they were it back then. I mean Spitfires are “the wheel” but as far as nostalgia goes OJs probably the best wheel there ever could be. I always wanted to do wheels so hard and to do work for OJs I was so honoured dude. I look at them on my counter and I’m like, ‘yes, I did something!’ They added the surf fin, said they’d pay, so I did it. And we just did another board, the Trash Talk board for the band. We did the board, the music video, and they both came out this week. I don’t want to leave Creature at all.

What do you think of the boards, have you skated them?

I love ‘em, I love the company, dealing with Lee, I love the team they’re a bunch of maniacs. It’s like a prison let out, who these guys skate for, you deal with it.

A year and a month ago you moved down from S.F. to L.A. What was the main reason behind that?

Television. Nickelodeon. I’m developing a cartoon for television and if they pick it up I’ll know by the time this article comes out. If not I’ll be making graphics and chillin’. No big deal.

Did you ever hear the rumor or urban legend that Mormons own the majority of hotel room TV porn services? They are against porn but don’t mind selling it.

I don’t doubt it, I’d believe it if you told me. Business is different than life, especially in America.

Stay locked on colormagazine.ca for your chance to win a limited edition Creature deck designed by Jay Howell.

Randy!

Shredding

vol. 10

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vol. 10 no. 1

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Mystic Visions; Altered States

wordsby ben pobjoy

Y

ears ago, highly-detailed stenciled characters began to appear on piles of snow left by snowplows throughout Toronto. Created by Doug Brown, these works were different than traditional street art, which has varying degrees of shelf life, because they possessed a notable metamorphic quality and an immediate temporariness. When exposed to sunlight, the stenciled characters melted into monster-like forms and with a light dusting of snow or more plowing, they disappeared. The works themselves were fascinating enough, but more so were the questions they raised; questions that got under your skin and kept Brown’s art front of mind long after it had vanished. (opposite) Girl 2, 10" x 10" print

Girl 3, 37" x 48" print

As you enter his apartment, you’d think his head was literally untethered from his body.

Why would an artist make something so beautiful yet so fleeting? Was the artist really that comfortable letting natural elements and other occurrences beyond their control shape the work? Was the work a commentary on, or a conscious protest of, ego and authorship in art or was it just meant to be playful?

A decade later and I’m still pondering those same questions. I’ve asked Doug about it several times over the years, but I’m nowhere closer to understanding his intentions. He’s not vague, or even one of those overly rhetorical, painfully conceptual artists-as-assholes, Brown just works from the gut and creates simply because there’s something, somewhere deep inside of him that compels him to do so. Practice-wise, his art is the external physicalization of internal visions. It’s visceral through and through.

Brown’s unique brilliance is what makes him attractive yet simultaneously tough

for critics and curators to peg. An art school dropout twice over, Brown has resided in Toronto for the better part of a decade. He’s worked a slew of day jobs but these jobs never seem to last because Brown always grows tired of squandering his creativity on other people’s projects.

Instead, he’d rather be creating artwork in his Parkdale apartment that doubles as his studio.

As you enter his apartment, you’d think his head was literally untethered from his body; artwork (in various stages of completion) is splayed everywhere.

However, as you move past the visual chaos and take note of both his work and his tools, it becomes evident that Brown is a craftsmen with seemingly infinite, technical creativity. His apartment is filled with screen printed works, stencils on paper, oversized paintings on canvas, sculptures made from Ikea bed slats, laser-etched glass and digital works. It’s fucking dizzying—not that Brown works in

so many mediums, but that his creativity is as expansive as his output.

While other artists who work across many mediums often create bodies of work that suffer from a lack of cohesion, Brown’s work is unified by bright coloration, the prevalence of patterns and the recurring existence of imagery culled from globe-spanning folklore. Part Scottish, African-American and Native American, Brown is an amalgam of many cultures and it definitely shows in his artwork. He combines preexisting popular mythology with personal mythology; visible in both of his critically acclaimed solo exhibitions Colours and Black on Black.

In his most recent work, Brown digitally reconstructs photographic portraits through angular patterns of right triangles.

His use of base imagery shot by Derek Kettel (Brown’s biological brother and a celebrated fashion photographer based in New York City), is motivated by Brown’s

expressive deference to not only his tribe, but his creative mentor as well.

It is therefore Brown’s most outwardly personal work to date. While onlookers would consider the aforementioned to be a finalized body of work readied for a new exhibition, Brown is of course simultaneously at work on another body of work comprised of laser-etched glass featuring mask-heavy imagery that viewers will literally be able to “see themselves in.”

Now consider the allegorical implications of that work.

So many have erroneously labeled Doug Brown an outsider artist because his output is so plentiful and varied. However, the truth is that it’s easier and more convenient to label him as such. Because he creates at such a feverish pace, we collectively struggle to both process and understand his work. As such, we’re continually left with more questions than we are answers, which is how Brown’s work maintains a hold on us. colORMAGAZINE.CA

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vol. 10 no. 1

W

hat you see is not always what you get when it comes to Claire Boucher—the tiny, pixie-faced singer and producer behind electric one-piece, Grimes. Although she maintains a polished, fashionable exterior, Boucher is in many ways just as dirty and unmanaged as any 23-year-old living in their parents’ basement might be. Minus the increasingly iconic role in the current music scene, of course.

wordsby mish way

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photosby michelle ford

The Vancouver native ditched her west coast home when she was 18 and headed for Montreal where she entertained a brief flirtation with university before dropping out and focusing on experimental music.

In 2010, she released her debut album Geidi Primes on Arbutus and earned much-deserved praise from critics. Boucher’s stand-out feminine falsetto was a centerpiece to the atmospheric pop tunes she recorded and produced on her home computer. She picked up steam with the release of Halfaza (2010) and Darkbloom (2011) on D’eon, then like any good up-and-coming musician she packed up her things and went on tour, even opening for Likki Lye. People began paying attention to Grimes’ unique brand of dance music, but also her technically complicated stage performances that she completed with bashful prowess. Not only has her visual stage show drawn notice, but so too has her visual art. Besides creating her own show posters and the cover for her debut album, Boucher’s mutilated, thick-line drawings of gypsy women, Russian dolls and monster-like images have helped cultivate her public persona.

Grimes recently signed to British label 4AD (also home to Gang, Gang Dance, Ariel Pink and Blonde Redhead), and will spend most of 2012 touring all over the world from the comforts of North America to Asia to Europe. Her latest LP Visions will be released by the time this article comes out and, having heard it for myself, is a cohesively beautiful piece of airy dance music proving again that Grimes has something new to offer the electronic world.

Claire Boucher called Color up the other afternoon to talk about everything from Grimes to “real life.” Charmingly nervous, intelligent and still very young, Boucher jumps from idea to idea like a frog on a lily pad and her thoughts see-saw before they even truly formulate. In short, Grimes is infectious.

“I hate the idea of paying to learn.

I hate the idea of paying for music.”

Color: How do you like doing interviews?

Claire Boucher: It took me a long time to not be nervous doing interviews.

What about photo shoots?

It’s a weird thing with Grimes. On the one hand, I do these really professional shoots with older photographers and sometimes it just ends up looking... not the way I want. I try to bring my own ideas, my own clothes, but it is rejected.

On the other hand, a lot of my friends work in fashion, so the images I have produced myself have a high-fashion influence because it’s accessible to me. In reality, I’m not like that. I wear the same clothes I sleep in, don’t change for five days straight. I’m not as glamorous in reality.

Do you like that though? Being able to have this professional persona?

Sometimes it’s really fun and I like building the idea of an image, but I think I could do a cooler job (than most people who dress me). I feel like a lot of my press photos end up looking too fashion-y.

Are you not into fashion?

I am, but I don’t like things to be sterile. There are two sides to things. Like, okay, beige. Why would I wear beige, ever? It’s the worst thing I can think of. It’s boring. [Laughs] I don’t know why I am ranting about the colour beige.

Because it’s like wearing skin and it sucks. So you grew up in Vancouver, but left for Montreal when you were 18. How does it feel coming back?

I’m really appreciating the nature right now. I think I’ve turned into a hippy since I’ve been back. I’ve been going for walks in the woods and stuff.

It’s easy to hate Vancouver when you are here, but when you leave and return, you get this re-birthed sense of how nice it actually is.

It’s so expensive in Vancouver. The only way I can live here is in my parents’ basement.

What are you doing this year?

I’m going on a bunch of disjointed tours. I get to go to Europe, which I’m pretty jazzed about because I’ve never

been to France. I’m nervous though. The first time I went to England to play I was not dressed appropriately. Everyone there is so fancy and I had no idea. It’s not really a ‘no bra, jean shorts and tennis shoes’ kind of place.

I remember hanging out in England and feeling like a rube because of how hyper-fashionable everyone was.

It is really intimidating. When you are on tour, you never look good. It’s such an absurd situation to drive in a car for ten hours, eat McDonalds all day, then arrive at a venue and be expected to put on clean clothes (God knows where you will find them), and look nice and perfect on stage.

Do you think people have expectations of how Grimes should come across, visually?

People expect me to be clean. [Sighs] I really don’t like water. I hate having showers and baths. I shower once every four days.

How are you feeling about all the press?

Well, I don’t really read The Internet.

“The Internet”—You sound like my mom.

My new years resolution is to not get consumed in that stuff. So many artists get so consumed with the media about them and then have that affect their music. Like, they try to make the record they think they should. When I read a bad comment about myself I take it to heart, really intensely, so I just can’t read that stuff. I feel like I make music for my peers, for musicians. I’m in a dialogue with those people so it seems weird that anyone else cares.

What are you working on right now?

I’m trying to make my sets longer. I only have a half-hour set. I’m making backing tracks and I want to pull more of an era of music. I want to keep the model I have which is two vocal pedals: one for looping, so I can make all the overdubs and another one for regular singing. But instead of having everyone off the sampler, I want to have .wav files of altered tracks. I want to play with sampling more.

I feel like if I don’t have to be cueing every single sound it might make my life easier. I also really like making my live performance different than what is on the record. I hate it when a band sounds exactly the same live.

Who makes your videos? Do you draw up the concepts?

For this bunch of videos, I shot with three different directors of photography and we made a compromise on what we both wanted. I like working with other people and it helps me be less power hungry which is good for my brain. You know, to give up some power.

Do you consider yourself pretty controlling as far as your image and art?

I always have my ideas of how things should go and I don’t like sacrificing that. Sometimes my ideas are stupid, but an expert will tell me why I can’t and I understand.

I think most creative people have strong visions of what they want to represent or else their art wouldn’t be such a big part of themselves.

Yes, but there is also a point where you need to be humble and respect that other people know more than you.

Don’t take offense to this, but did you go to art school?

No. [Laughs] I had few jobs in Montreal. I was in school but I dropped out. I kind of hate talking about it.

I like how I asked about art school you rejected that idea so fast.

I don’t have a problem with art school... I just... I feel like when art school is used for the right reasons it is a great resource but when used for the wrong reasons, becomes awful. If I had gone to art school I would have been a west side kid spending a whole bunch of money to study painting or something. I don’t want people to think that happened. I would die if I could go to film school right now.

One day you can.

Maybe, but I feel like it’s overpriced. I hate the idea of paying to learn. I hate the idea of paying for anything.

I hate the idea of paying for music. I don’t like the idea of paying for rent. Maybe this makes me sound like a communist. [Laughs] I actually disagree with the principle of communism because it destroys creativity by taking away the aspect of competition. Without competition, shit just doesn’t happen.

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FOLLOW THEM LIVE AT COLORMAGAZINE.CA/GLOBERECORD FOR MORE INFO VISIT: GLOBESKATE.TV

vol. 10 no. 1

D —

on’t ever come to Portland. It does nothing but rain, there isn’t any good food, no good bands, everyone is stuck up, no one rides bikes, it’s not as beautiful as people think, it’s really expensive to live here, there aren’t any creative people here.

Just don’t come—we don’t want you to be let down.

By Jon Humphries

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I wish I could say all those things, in fact way too many people are moving here, but I’ve done a ton of travelling over the years and I have lived in a few different cities and I always seem to migrate back to Portland. I love it here, and sometimes I even love the 155 days of rain. I’m not sure what it is about this place. I think for me it’s that this city still has a little bit of an old world feel to it. Within the city there aren’t a bunch of chain stores and restaurants. You can still go to mom and pop stores and restaurants (locally owned) for all your needs. You can still go down the street and get your morning coffee from somewhere other than Starbucks. You don’t have to shop at Home Depot, or go to Chili’s for dinner. Also, this next best thing is, you can ride your bike almost anywhere, if you really don’t feel like driving, you don’t have to. I don’t know, sometimes I feel like it’s a little to easy to live here, but I’m not going to fight it. I love Portland. But please, no one else move here. I promise you, it’s really depressing.

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portland.

EAT.

DRINK.

SHOP.

SKATE.

CHILL.

Burnside Underneath the Burnside Bridge on the east side of the Willamette River Best skatepark.

Washington Park 2368 West Burnside Street Big.

Fire on the Mountain 1708 East Burnside Street Chicken wings.

Cha Cha Cha 3433 Southeast Hawthorne Burritos.

Stumptown Coffee 3352 SE Belmont Street Belmont only.

Shrunkenhead 531 SE Morrison Street Only real skate shop left.

Escape From New York Pizza 622 Northwest 23rd Avenue Best greasy thin slice.

Dots 2521 Southeast Clinton Street Best old restaurant.

Aalto 3356 Southeast Belmont Street Beer and people.

Blue Moon Cameras 8417 North Lombard Street Old cameras.

Savoy Tavern 2500 Southeast Clinton Street Troutboard and a beer.

Claudia’s Sports Bar 3006 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard Blazer games and captain chairs.

Gearhead Grip and Electric 3357 SE 22nd Avenue Make a movie.

La Calaca 2304 Southeast Belmont Street Real Mexican food.

Por Que No 3524 N Mississippi Avenue White people Mexican food that rules.

The Slammer Tavern 500 SE 8th Avenue Beer.

Commonwealth Skatepark 1425 SE 20th Avenue Only indoor park.

Mt. Tabor Park East 60th Ave & Salmon Street City view and drum circles.

Fred Meyer 100 NW 20th Pl Corporate shopping but good.

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vol. 10 no. 1

—

“I was kinda at the end of my rope with it a little bit.”

Crailtap.com [ o ] ANTHONY

Meza started at Girl as a filmer before there was even a filmer job. “You were just filming ‘cause you were the dude who lived next to the dudes who skated,” he says. After gaining credit in many notable videos, Meza took on the position of Editor in Chief at Skateboarder in 1999 where he continued to film for Girl and other companies. But after five years at Skateboarder and moonlighting as a filmer, he reached a hurdle at the magazine that would draw reluctance from even the most motivated of people.

“I was kind of at the end of my rope with it a little bit,” he explains, “it was hard and I didn’t want to build it back up again.” After leaving his position, Meza returned to Girl with the title of Visual Marketing Manager. He was handed the reigns to a website with a framework built by Vancouver’s own Bob Kronbauer

F

This of course sounds ultimately simple in the modest words of Aaron Meza who has been at the helm of Crailtap since 2004. When asked about the popularity of the page, Meza’s quick to chalk the praise up to chance and the team members, but in all likelihood it’s Aaron’s ease, confidence and sense of humour that gives the website the style and authenticity that always brings people back for more.

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Now, with full control of a website that consistently draws a unique and dedicated readership, Meza has had the opportunity to develop columns like the Crail Couch and Top 5’s into valuable documentations of professional skateboarders. With skateboarding still being so young, in a time where media continues to change at a furious pace, who knows, maybe people will one day look to Crailtap as a trusted source on the history of skateboarding. Yikes.

TOP 5 THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT CRAILTAP AND ITS HEADQUARTERS

Girl Skateboards Visual Marketing Manager, Aaron Meza

or over a decade Crailtap.com has been a skateboarding mainstay, bringing fresh daily content to its readers and setting the bar for countless similar websites. One would think that remaining pertinent in the saturated and critical online skateboard community is a gruelling and orchestrated battle, but all it takes is one man, a few semi-consistent contributors and access to some of the world’s most talented and interesting characters in skateboarding today.

(Crailtap.com still uses that original design to this day) which was an easy transition for Meza, as he says, “I always felt like eventually I would get back into some kind of making videos or film, I didn’t know if it was going to be skateboarding or not but it was something I wanted to do eventually.”

1.

It's Eric Koston's second favourite website

5. The four days back in '04 that Mike Carroll had to write The Randoms were probably the four most stressful days of his life

4. The column in the bottom left corner is jinxed

2. The Reader's Questions are not fake 3. Rick Howard won't do a Crailcouch

vol. 10 no. 1

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words and photosby alana paterson

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his is Filthmode Motorcycle Club—a fellowship of dirty dudes with Yamaha XT 500s, manufactured between ’75 and ‘81. Every weekend they pick a remote spot in the woods (often amidst amazing, hidden B.C. treasures like abandoned ranger cabins, hot springs and sweat houses), where they camp, build 50-foot fires, lose their minds, eat beef jerky, get dirty, crash their bikes. Their official roll call is: JBone, Ashley Mitchell, Potsandpans, Sammy, Lil Ty, Tyler Lepore, Danimal, Tory Potoroka, Beau Kerner, Curttheflirt, Andrew, Matte Black, Thomas and Atli (the team cook).

Every member of Filthmode is a skateboarder and some are even notable artists [Lepore, Kerner]. They are said to be down with everyone except the cops and are heavily affiliated with both the Manwolfs and Nightfighters.

These photographs are from their annual “High Noon Scramble” which is a 9-lap endurance race around the Richmond sand dunes outside Vancouver.

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vol. 10 no. 1

wordsby james kirkpatrick

photosby mila petkovic

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bout six years ago I was in Paris in search of the most weird and interesting and ended up at Bimbo Tower, a store renowned for their experimental electronic music and art book/’zine collection. When I entered the store, the first thing I saw was a big red teeshirt hanging from the wall that read, “LONDON ONTARIO NO MUSIC FESTIVAL NIHILIST SPASM BAND”. Being from the London art and music scene myself, of course I shared enthusiasm for NSB, and so seeing this here only solidified for me their reputation as world famous sound improvisers and possibly, the very first noise band.

These grandfathers of noise came together in 1964 and have been playing nearly every Monday night at the Forest City Gallery in London for over 40 years. When they were younger they were making major waves across Canada.

Today, their original approach to almost everything remains an influence on myself and my contemporaries in visual art, music and sound experimentation. They are the real deal. Very famous people (Thurston Moore and REM to name a few) are inspired by these guys and are still trying to emulate their type of fun. And of course NSB are famous in Japan.

I was asked by Color magazine to go and check in on the Nihilist Spasm Band for a short interview. Since I knew exactly where to find them on a Monday night, I headed to the Forest City Gallery and found them recording their latest sound piece. In attendance were NSB members Murray Favro, John Clement and Art Pratten. Artists Peter Thompson, Jason Mclean Pete Lebel and Adam Gilkes also came along to enjoy the conversation and some Canadian beer.

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Color: What’s is going through your head when you are playing?

Murray Favro: Oh that’s a good one.

Nothing.

Art Pratten: No, you actually get it to a point where you are better off not thinking.

MF: You are listening though.

AP: The problem is that you are listening to sound all the time, I don’t know what any one of them are trying to do and I can only respond to that edge that is moving along.

Sometimes I am behind it and sometimes I am in front of it. The thing is that there are no solos, what we are striving for is a single sound.

John Clement: There is no language to think about what we are doing it’s just about what you are doing at the moment, how it sounds and there isn’t really anything we think about. I mean I am sure we’re thinking, but it’s not verbal thinking.

MF: There is something we are doing that other people are not doing but we have done it for so many years that we can’t even talk about it now.

made for Hugh] But the thing with that, it was pretty much made to Hugh’s demand.

He went through several that were fragile.

He admired Les Paul. Les Paul when he first made guitars, the first ones he ever put pick ups on really were 2x4s that he mounted pick-ups on and strings across. The first one is known as the Log. Hugh liked that and he wanted something like that.

MF: What you want is basically the same as this [pointing to the bridge of the pratta-various] It’s basically just strings over a bridge and a fingerboard and somewhere to tie down the strings.

JC: And you need something to hold it under your neck.

AP: And really, I have made a dozen or so and you find out that a violin is a very practical thing, the ergonomics are better than you would suspect. The thing was with Les Paul, he realized that the sides were superfluous. He made several and tried to pedal them without them.

MF: I think Hugh had to get the special handle made [for the bass guitar], you know the leather thing.

oddly placed, and I end up holding it and playing a completely different way.

MF: Yeah, so that extra little bit does keep it from flipping over doesn’t it. Now I have made a lot of guitars, but I have sold them all.

That one, [points to the one he was playing that night] I have had since 1984 and I am just used to it. It’s comfortable to play it, that’s all.

JC: For me the funny thing is that the electric guitar is just about right—there isn’t a whole lot to improve on.

Where was that?

MF: It was at the Carmen Lamanna gallery.

But then after that I never wanted people to play them anymore.

JC: What came first Murray, for you? Did you make it so that you could play or was that artwork that you realized could play?

MF: I made the artwork, and sanded it, and we had already started playing stuff and I said “Wow I wonder what this would be like with a string on it?” So I got a string and then put it on there. I changed it, I modified it.

John, have you ever made any instruments?

JC: Yes, on the back of the first album [you can see it], I made a quickie pine and masonite kind of guitar-like instrument which was an idea that I had. The body was like a pyramid, like a loop, and inside were some strings that were supposed to resonate, but I learned quickly the more crap like that doesn’t work and you know when you are playing. I don’t bother with that because there is no point, and everything that’s going on is between you and if you are fucking

When you guys started first coming together how soon into it did you guys decide to make your own instruments?

JC: It wasn’t a question of deciding, we couldn’t afford new instruments.

MF: I can’t remember. It started out with kazoos and we didn’t like little, tiny kazoos.

Art got somebody to make his.

AP: The first one I had made, I had a guy make it at a music shop. It was made out of a stetner can and it worked fine. But it was that sort of thing that we wanted to be louder.

Today you guys have one instrument each that you have brought. Murray is that an instrument you built or a guitar that you bought?

MF: That is just a cheap guitar that I found somewhere, years ago. I have changed the pick-up and I have re-done stuff on it. It’s on its second neck, I wore out one neck, it sounded really great though. But finally I had to put a new one on—I just cut it off another guitar and put it in the right spot.

And the violin? Did you make that yourself? [Editors note: the violin is referred to as a pratt-a-various] MF: Art’s got a good ear—that thing is tuned.

AP: Yes, well, basically it’s viola strings strung across and so it’s not the right measure, the measure is right off of a Stradivarius, and they have a bottom strap.

The difference being that it’s viola strings and instead of using a tail-piece I have just pulled the strings through the body which again gives it a different sound. You can play both sides and the strings are vibrating differently because on a normal violin there is a tail-piece. Usually the string behind the bridge has little or no movement. This way the bridge is more alive. But I am not looking for a violin sound. As I said the other night, I had it sounding more like a wind instrument.

JC: So what effects are you using?

AP: I am using mostly delay fuzz and then something else sometimes, like compression. But I am finding that the fuzz gives it more body than the compression.

John, the instrument you are playing tonight, did you make that one?

JC: Art made this one, for Hugh [McIntire].

That’s the 4th Bass. There was the bucket one first, then the first stand up brown one then the plexiglass one and then this one here.

AP: [Laughing and pointing at the instrument

“There is something we are doing that other people are not doing, but we have done it for so many years we can’t even talk about it now.”

AP: I made the handle.

JC: That’s also been made for Hugh and he’s a really big guy. He was six-two, or three, and very great big hands and I don’t have very big hands so I started off trying to play it like a regular guitar and as you know I don’t play it that way [gestures how he does play it, with his hands reaching the fingers from the top down as opposed to the regular way where you reach around the neck of the instrument].

Yeah, I have noticed that. Also, with the instruments I made, I thought that I would make it sit on my body a certain way, but it would flip around with the straps being

around with this and that you know? I mean Art doesn’t… you don’t notice Art switching, changing, he’s looking for a sweet sound and goes with it and you [pointing to Murray], you don’t change much in the way.

MF: Well… I like to get used to it.

JC: Now, I was talking to you [points to me] about, you know, how you exhibit yours [sound instruments] and how people are allowed to take them off the wall, and play them. I was just thinking about that and the first time I showed my guitars, those funny shaped ones, they put them on the wall, but when they did that I had an amp. Yep, so the very first time around ‘78 or something people could play them.

Were there any drums then or just kazoos?

AP: We had one drum then that we didn’t use at first, and it was a tymph. We still have it around some place.

JC: The drums we use together are bits and pieces, we never played with a hi hat. We had cymbals that were just cast off and a garbage can lid.

MF: If you look at the old pictures there was a hi-hat.

JC: Was there a hi-hat? I never remember the hi-hat.

MF: Greg liked it cause you could go chi chi chi chi on it. Well the really… well more importantly than the instruments… well the instruments are important … but we decided it wouldn’t be planned we’d just play. But it couldn’t be Jazz we weren’t going to play Jazz.

JC: Well we couldn’t play Jazz. John Boyle and Greg would trade back and forth phrases from like, woody wood pecker nah nah nah na na and other stuff like that.

Simple phrases from songs. But some of the things we did tonight were pretty musical.

Maybe that’s my fault in a way.

I feel like you are serious but you are playing and having fun. Is that something that keeps you coming back.

MF: I think it’s a realization that the serious you are talking about is the real thing. It’s the real thing it’s not what you learn in school.

JC: It’s not like playing like your mother says “stop playing with yourself” [laughter]. You talk about playing music and you talk about playing, and there is a frivolous connotation to playing.

AP: It’s serious fun !

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vol. 10 no. 1

wordsby michael sieben

portraitsby gordon nicholas

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he first time I saw skate footage of Nate Lacoste was in 2006. My buddy Stacy Lowery and I were running (not owning) a skateboard company called Bueno and we were looking for team riders. Stacy sent me a link to watch some of Lacoste's footage and I was instantly sold. He looked so casual on his skateboard and all of his tricks just seemed to happen. It didn't even look like he was trying, which to me is the best kind of skateboarding.

You could argue that without trying, skateboarding would never progress. And maybe you're right. But as far as I'm concerned, I'd rather watch somebody do tricks on a skateboard that just come naturally to them vs. watching somebody butcher a technical combination in the name of progress. I'm way more in the Mike Daher/Nate Jones camp when it comes to skateboard stylings vs. the kid that just hardflipped two more stairs than previously believed possible.

Anyway, that was six years ago. Since then Bueno went out of business, I almost had a nervous breakdown, Stacy and I started a new company called Roger, Lacoste briefly rode for the Birdman, and probably all kinds of awesome shit happened in your own life. So where does that find us now? Well, Nate is skating more effortlessly than ever and he's now riding for Roger. He's also the next dude in line to get a pro model through the company, but don't tell him that because we want it to be a surprise. You're not going to print this stuff are you?

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Noseblunt revert, karpinskiphoto.

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natelacoste.

How come you quit Bueno to ride for Tony Hawk? Was it because Bueno was a disaster? Or for different reasons?

I wish that I never had to, but Bueno was taking a nosedive. You were the one that tipped me off. Nothing personal.

Why did you get kicked off Birdhouse?

For drawing dicks at a team signing while touring to promote The Beginning. Actually Matt Ball wrote something about fingering someone’s sister on a board and I took the heat. Apparently the kid’s mom saw it and called Blitz and it ended with Tony [Hawk] calling the kid and apologizing on behalf of the team’s antics. Blessing in disguise.

If you turn pro for Roger, what do you want your first graphic to look like? Keep in mind it needs to include at least one wiener.

Two words: black light Two words: Sean Cliver. ABD. How come you only do fronstide flips and 360 flips? I’ve seen you skate, I know you can do anything you feel like on that skateboard.

Sieben, I know this brand of humour works on the internet, but I’m not sure if it translates well into text.

Besides, you know why. Those maneuvers are marketable.

I agree, but wouldn’t a switch flip here and there be a nice dressing on your trick salad?

[Laughs] You’re like a professional ball buster.

After you got kicked off Birdhouse, did you try to ride for other companies before contacting Roger?

Nope, I heard you were getting back on the horse, or mule as it were and came crawling back like a bad case of athlete’s foot. I couldn’t see myself skating for anyone else.

5-0,

yaqubianphoto.

.interview

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(opposite) 360 flip,

nicholasphoto.

Wallie boardslide, nicholasphoto.

A Canadian bird told me that you and Jordan Hoffart used to be a skate duo. Any truth to that?

If so, are you guys still buddies?

Buddies are good to have.

Yeah, Jordan and I used to be really tight, like sleepovers twice a week tight, but I think over time we drifted apart and started hanging in different circles. He’s a fucking solid dude though. I have nothing but respect for him and his family. Those guys took me in when shit was difficult for me at home. If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be where I’m at with skateboarding.

Are you generally considered to be one of the most handsome skateboarders in Canada? Just wondering because that’s how I describe you to my parents.

How do you think I landed my sweet sponsors?

What made you decide to enroll in art school? Did you want two skill sets that don›t generate money?

I went to art school because I thought it might be good to do something productive in the winter months that would keep me motivated and creative. I owe $30,000 in student loans and still I’m miserable when it’s too cold or rainy to skate outside.

With so many videos coming out online, it’s impossible to keep up with it all.

You’d never have time to skate. Agree or disagree?

Agree, especially with all the damn webisodes keeping kids glued to the screen all day.

What’s your five-year plan?

Always skateboard and to be healthy, stay positive and continue to create large bodies of artwork. Also to travel and see as much of the world as possible.

All jokes aside, how is your schooling going? Why do you think so many skateboarders are undereducated?

Is it cool to be stupid?

School’s going well, I graduate this spring and plan on getting my B.F.A. There are undereducated people everywhere you look, and skateboarders are no exception, but the way I see it, skateboarders have an advantage on the rest of society.

Creativity and ingenuity go a long way in this world.

.natelacoste

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How long ago did you quit wearing that beanie so far back on your head? Any other fashion trends you’d like to forget?

A grown man with a tea cozy or “beanie” on the back of his head just barely hanging on—makes dudes look like uncircumsized penis heads. As far as a regrettable fashion trends, personally I’d say anything pre-9/11.

That’s what you took away from 9/11? Fashion introspection?

I’m just using that as a point of reference for the sake of humour.

Have you ever considered moving to the U.S.A. to pursue your modeling career?

I’m kinda letting my looks go. I’m not looking for sympathy.

Still wearing cardigans?

On occasions.

Have you ever considered moving to the U.S.A. to pursue your skateboarding career?

Every time I visit S.F. I consider it, but I’m in school right now.

What about when you’re done with school? People ask me all the time when I’m going to move to CA from TX so I’m just doing the same thing to you right now. Why stay in Vancouver?

If you dudes started paying me, I’d have already been down there.

But seriously, if you have ever been in B.C. in the spring and summer time you’d already know the answer to that question. It’s fucking unbelievably beautiful up here and this is home. Don’t get me wrong I love to travel, see new things and skate new spots, but there is nothing like B.C. when the weather is good.

Do you think you’ll ever put out a video part as good as your Momentum Por Favor part?

That part wasn’t even really that good. It did have a spontaneous

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natelacoste.

Half-cab 5-0 revert, nicholasphoto.

.meetshisboss

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interview.

summer feel to it though. My part in the Roger video is almost done, and I am proud of the work I’ve put into that so far. It’s going to be different.

Wallies and Nose Bonks?

Tail scrapes.

In ten words or less, how would you describe your part that you’re working on for the Roger video?

It’s been a long road with many peaks and valleys.

Can you do a switch backside nose blunt on a mini ramp?

Never tried one, you okay with that?

I’m okay with that. It was actually a trick question. There’s no reason to do that trick. What do you want your impact on skateboarding to be? Or do you even think about stuff like that?

I don’t really think about it, skateboarding is rad enough without trying to be profound.

Skateboarding: ruined your life, saved your life, or just gave you something to do for awhile?

That’s kind of a grey area. It has brought me into some absolutely awesome situations but also some less than desirable ones. I would not be the person I am today without it, that’s for sure. (opposite) Frontside kicklip, karpinskiphoto.

Ollie 50-50,

nicholasphoto.

If an actual big time skateboard contest offered to pay all your bills in exchange for you riding for them, how would you break the news to us?

How do you ride for a skateboard contest? But seriously, I haven’t skated a contest for at least two years, so I think you’re safe. .natelacoste

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How far can you ollie?

As far as you need me to ollie, boss.

Who’s your favourite skateboarder?

How come?

Jamie Maley, He’s just a fucking straight up skate rat, plus he’s one of my best friends.

Who’s your favourite skateboarder that you don’t know? Step out of the friend zone for a minute.

Gonz because he’s super fun to watch and is super creative. Bobby Puleo for almost the same reasons and Stefan Janoski ‘cause dude looks super casual on a board. But Jerry Hsu takes the cake.

What do you want the kids to know?

It’s more important to be human than to have good taste.

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Click to watch Nate’s Killer Whale moves in the third installment of “Birds Of Prey”.

Smith grind,

hlavacekphoto.

(opposite) Wallie,

nicholasphoto.

© 2012 ADIDAS AMERICA, INC. ADIDAS, THE TREFOIL LOGO AND THE 3-STRIPES MARK ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF THE ADIDAS GROUP.

ADI-EASE ROGER / / / ADIDAS.COM/SKATEBOARDING

OLLIE TO STREET

VINCE DEL VALLE

vol. 10 no. 1

wordsby justin maurer

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photoby mary bell

ong Beach, California’s Crystal Antlers have had a revolving door of spontaneously combusting band members. At one time they had the picture perfect indie-rock lineup including a cute female keyboard player and a wild and crazy black guy. They were signed by indie powerhouse Touch and Go Records in 2008, but the imprint unexpectedly folded shortly after releasing Crystal Antlers’ debut album Tentacles. Now the band is back to four, sometimes five, dudes and have self-released their sophomore album Two Way Mirror. This new record combines pop sensibility with their trademark lo-fi psych and punk amalgam that makes for some remarkably accessible numbers. Raymond Pettibon of Black Flag fame even cobbled out the cover art. Color caught up with singer/bassist/mastermind Johnny Bell in his lush back garden, just returned from Crystal Antlers’ latest world tour.

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(l-r) Kevin Stuart (drums), Johnny Bell (bass, vocals), Ikey Owens (keys), and Andrew King (guitar).

Color: You guys were just in Vancouver.

Was that your first time playing in Canada?

Johnny Bell: Yeah it was, actually. We were on tour with Fucked Up and the Strange Boys. We drove up in a vegetable oil-powered school bus. It was a big soldout show at Richard’s on Richards. Our bus broke down or ran out of fuel about ten miles away from the venue. We were all hitchhiking trying to get there, and one of the promoters had to pick us up and get us more fuel. We barely made the show and each band got fifteen minutes to play their set before curfew.

with a CCTV camera, it was a very exclusive Middle Eastern members club. It was pretty much Syrianonly. A hookah bar and opium den as we found out.

Eventually they let Kevin in. They said one American only. Then a few minutes later someone else came down for me. It was nerve-wracking at first but turned out to be a great cultural exchange. We got to go out onto the patio and hang out with the young people.

Everyone seemed to be a civil engineer getting their masters degree. They were all going home to get the hell out of the U.K. as soon as they could.

You guys have a bio diesel powered tour van too, don’t you?

Yeah we do, it’s diesel and uses waste vegetable oil.

Did you self-release your new record because of Touch and Go falling apart?

They still exist as a label, but they don’t have staff any more and they’re not putting out any new bands.

There have been a few lineup changes since the Touch and Go record, no?

We’ve always been amorphous. People usually assume the current lineup is the way it’s always been.

But it started with Kevin on drums, Ikey Owens on organ, me on bass and vocals, and Andrew on guitar.

Also, we had another guy called JP who played keys

I noticed the production style on Two Way Mirror is similar but the drum beats and the rhythm is a little different.

We try and grow a little bit with each record. There are things we do when we’re writing the songs that no one else ever hears. It’s hard to remember that people

a lot of distractions here with jobs and girlfriends. We went into it trying to get an isolated kind of feeling to everything.

It seems like you have your audience growing all over the place. People like to pigeonhole bands. Is this a punk band? Is this an indie band? It seems like you guys held on to your roots. Do you feel challenged by people’s expectations?

It’s a weird thing, ‘cause we all used to play in punk bands and we got bored of it and wanted to do something different, so we started doing whatever it is that we do now. So we played in the punk circle and no one liked us there, and we played in the garage rock circle and no one liked us there either. Somehow we ended up getting thrusted into this indie rock thing.

None of us were into indie rock really. We mostly still like listening to a lot of old punk music, and soul, stuff like that. We pretty much did what we wanted to do and don’t really fit in anywhere. It’s tough because there are a lot of our friend’s bands who we started with and we see them having a lot of success. I think why we have trouble is because journalists don’t know

“It was pretty much Syrian-only. A hookah bar and opium den as we found out.”

on the first half of the tour and guitar on the second half. Andrew had a family emergency and had to fly home.

What about Damian [Edwards]? Did he go on your most recent tour?

He actually didn’t, because he was out of work for a long time, and just got a job in a bowling alley.

Poor guy, I remember when he called himself Sexual Chocolate and would sneak people into Disneyland when he used to work there. Where did the tour take you?

We did the U.K. then Holland, Belgium and France.

Then we went on a U.S. and Canada tour. It was a long trip.

What was your favourite part of the tour?

My favourite part of the U.S. tour was playing on Halloween in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It was fun. We didn’t have a good plan, but when we got there we learned “Halloween” by the Misfits in the parking lot and we played it like five times in a row. People loved it. My favorite part of the U.K. was in Swansea, Wales. We just finished our show and were on the roof of the venue. We saw another party on a rooftop nearby. It was mostly Middle Eastern men smoking hookahs. Andrew started yelling at them asking where the weed was. He thought they were smoking weed.

A couple of minutes later I saw Andrew and Ikey on the other roof, smoking hookahs with the old guys.

So Kevin and I went over there to see what was going on. We had to go through this door on the street

only understand what you do publicly, and they don’t think you can do anything else. This was all recorded digitally except for a couple on a 4-track boombox, but in comparison to Tentacles, we spent a lot more time making sure there was space in the songs. Tentacles was so condensed and dense that people had a hard time wrapping their head around it. We tried to let the parts breathe and have a flow that was easier to listen to. On Tentacles things were intentionally stripped down with quick parts and changes so you had to hear the song twenty times to know what happens next.

It’s hard to keep in mind the listener and not be so selfish with songwriting.

Less self-indulgent?

It’s not self-indulgent in a twenty-minute guitar solo type of way. It’s more like weird, condensed songs.

I like it when a part only happens for an instant in a song, like little teasers. I like listening to a record 50 times and learning the intricacies of how a song is put together. A lot of people can’t wrap their head around that or they don’t like that.

What was on your turntable when you were writing those songs? What kind of head space were you in?

We wrote a lot of the songs in Mexico. We rented out a barn and played music all day. It was a little farming area just south of Ensenada. It was a lot of listening to ourselves. A lot of Marvin Gaye too. We were trying to learn all of these classic Marvin Gaye songs and figuring out how hard that style of music is to play.

We wanted to all be in one place at one time. There’s

where to put us. If they can’t describe something easily, then they don’t bother trying. So we need to come up with some kind of label for ourselves. Like chill wave or whatever they did. Not wave. No wave is already taken. If no wave wasn’t taken, we’d be no wave. Plus there are no waves in Long Beach.

How did it come about with Raymond Pettibon doing the cover?

I ran into him in Long Beach, and we had some mutual friends. I know Keith Morris pretty well, and we did a FYF Fest tour together. Circle Jerks were on some of those dates. So we had some friends in common, and Raymond was nice enough to let us use some of his artwork for the new record.

He doesn’t do art for just anyone.

I got a million emails from people asking me how it happened and how to get ahold of Raymond and it doesn’t work like that. It happened for us pretty organically, pretty naturally. I’ve always done the album covers myself, and the day I met him I was frustrated and thinking it would be great if Raymond Pettibon did it, and then I met him and it worked out.

Sometimes you just have to will things.

What’s next for Crystal Antlers?

We have a lot of new songs. I’ve been building a studio for about a year. The paint’s about to dry and we can actually start to do some recording, work on a new record, and have something out in the next few months. The material is basically all there.

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vol. 10 no. 1

interview and photosby alexis gross

O

n January 4, Color sent Alexis Gross to the Affinia Hotel in midtown N.Y. to meet Jereme Rogers for a Tattered 10 interview. Throughout the afternoon, the two spoke leisurely about his return to professional skateboarding, his “Definitive Major Purpose� and many of the mistakes that he has famously made over the years. With silver-tongued confidence, he assured Alexis that he was drugfree and in complete control of his life. Later that night, Jereme got really high and went on a destructive, naked rampage through the hotel halls tearing art from the walls and shouting belligerently. The night ended with the NYPD and paramedics strapping J. Casanova to a gurney and wheeling him off to the hospital.

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“I’ll take a drug test any day of the week.

I have no drugs in my system.”

So what went wrong?

Alexis recalls their meeting: “I got to his room and the door was open, so I let myself in only to find out that he was in the shower. Keep in mind we’d never met before, and he really had no idea what this interview was for, but he knew I was a woman. This made me panic a bit, but I remained calm as I heard the shower turn off followed by a few long sprays of Axe. When he came out of the shower with this innocent smile, my panic vanished.”

When Alexis played the interview back to us a few days later, it was hard to imagine that this was the same guy who major media outlets around the world had reported as psychotic. Perhaps channeling his J. Casanova persona, Jereme sounded calm and collected as he moved from one question to the other touching upon his relationship to God and his own personal power. Even Alexis was hypnotized by his words. “Throughout the interview I grew a lot of great respect and understanding for this guy,” she says.

“I’m not sure if it was how he stared directly into my eyes, confident with every answer, or if it was the weed thinking for me instead.”

Jereme does indeed seem to have a special gift for rhetoric. He drags you deeper into his cavernous philosophy by mesmerizing you with irresistible logic that is, at all times, dangerous and empathetic.

As you read this interview, you might find yourself disagreeing with Jereme at one point and identifying with your verbal captor at another. Then, just as you’re about to sign on the dotted line, he hits with you a mind-numbing bit of controversy that disrupts the snake charm.

What type of Kool-Aid Jereme Rogers is doling out remains to be known, but no matter how you interpret these words, Rogers will undoubtedly captivate your curiosity. In the end, it is up to you decided what to think.

Color: Apparently you’re not from Boston, so where are you from?

Jereme Rogers: I was born in Boston at the Boston Medical Center. I grew up the first portion of my life in Jamaica Plains, which is in Boston, then my parents separated and moved outside the city but I still spent a good portion of my time growing up in Boston. I’d be in that city everyday skating, but ultimately I’m from heaven, Boston was just one of the first places I descended to and then L.A. So it doesn’t really matter where people say, or think, I’m from.

How did you take the journey from being Coliseum Jereme to who you are today?

I did it very gracefully and by way of choice. Like skateboarding, professionally, for me was a choice.

Sitting here before you doing this interview was a choice, you know, as well as music and everything else I do. I am myself and exactly who I want to be.

And that’s how you just became this person?

There’s nothing that stood out in your life that you felt shaped who you are at this point?

Well, everything. Like, I’m better today then I was yesterday and that’s just the way that I choose to live.

So I mean, everything…dropping out of high school in 9th grade to pursue skateboarding, and moving to L.A. by myself when I was 15, and it working, and it being a choice… Like I didn’t just pick ‘I wanna professionally skateboard,’ I was like, ‘I wanna do this’ and ‘I want to be the best and to be able to fulfill that choice.’

Obviously things like that lead to my mentality. What else…traveling (three passports full), experiencing financial freedom, releasing myself from financial freedom, struggling to re-attain it, by way of choice.

Everything builds up to where I stand. It’s all about definitive choices.

What were you doing before you picked up a skateboard?

I think I snowboarded first, but things I did really seriously: I played baseball on a traveling All-Star team— very well. I also did gymnastics [laughs]. I was very serious, like regional competitions and stuff.

So who gave you a skateboard?

My step-dad did. It was mainly ‘cause the kids in my area started getting ‘em. I fell in love with it right way.

I would just look at people and see how good they were… like Rodrigo TX, Menikmati at the time, like that video, and see that they were this age and know, ‘kay, I got that much time to get good.’ I saw they were amazing at a certain age so I just thought to myself, ‘I only have this amount of time to get that good?

Sure,’ It just makes sense.

So you just visualize it and go get it?

Well, I mean, when I see what one man can do I know that it’s available for the next man. That’s what a lot of people don’t understand. It’s nice when you’re a kid to say that you can do whatever you want but parents don’t believe it. Basically, like, I’ve learned certain things that are always an effect. Like say gravity.

If I pick you up and drop you right now you’ll fall... every time. There’s other things like universal laws of success and becoming something that are just as in effect as gravity, which I use this to my benefit.

Do you think chance has anything to do with it?

Like, ‘right time, right place?

Chance and opportunity is created by those who create it. If someone doesn’t put everything they need, like they’re not 100% every foot forward, they’re not going to come across as many opportunities and chance. Personally, I see opportunity which

means there’s always chance. Let’s say something considerably bad happens to you, like a car crash, and you see it as a bad thing, by way of design at this point that I’ve chose to program myself, it’s a definitive choice that I see everything works out for my benefit so I don’t believe in bad. Even though something could be perceivably bad, it’s my option to see it how I please and make an opportunity out of it.

I have friends who just joined this community group that people confuse with a cult and everything that you just said to me sounds exactly like what they’re preaching. Do you feel like you’re creating your own cult?

Oh, I would be honoured to [laughs]. But no, my interest is, like, ‘cult’ closes it off. God, which is a label that is used for positive energy, love... is something bigger than religion and it’s one of the powers of the universe—this power that we all posses inside of us.

I have interest to access as much power as available to me and also help others to access whatever powers are available to them. A cult would limit my people that I could reach.

So you want to be able to reach out to everybody?

I want to reach every single person.

Kinda like God? Exactly like God. A cult or religion gets in the way because then it tries to take ownership over God and place it in a form when God is something that’s formless and lives in every one of us. So I’d like to have access to everyone.

My ultimate desire (it’s kinda silly, I didn’t know it till recently), but I call it my Definitive Major Purpose which is um... you know… I love skateboarding, I love music and these things that I do are to fulfill my Definitive Major Purpose, which is to be the most valuable human to humans.

How’d you come across that realization?

[Laughs] It just makes sense. Over time I’ve always had interests in the greats like Muhammad Ali, Alexander the Great. That’s what I study if I’m going to study another person or be inspired. I was inspired by Steve Jobs. I think that he was our last most valuable human to humans. He did more than people could know.

Because he made iPods, cars have auxiliary cords now. He made iTunes when the music industry was in shambles. He did things where he changed the whole industry and wasn’t even in that industry. Basically, at the end of the day someone’s always gonna be something. Someone’s gonna be the best. Someone is at all times the most valuable human to humans and we might not even know who that is right now. So someone’s gotta be it and I feel responsible. Anyone can be the chosen one, but I feel comfortable and up to the job.

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And even if someone like, say yourself, if you take on this Definitive Major Purpose, you were like “that’s a pretty good idea,” that means that everything I do is leading up to this one thing. That’s my bigger picture I’m painting. If you take that on and you become the most valuable human to humans, but it was by way of what I inspired in you, then in some weird way I’m still fulfilling that purpose.

How are you going to do all of that?

Using the powers of the universe.

Okay, so magic…

[Laughs] Mostly magic. The power that you can posses is magical, you know? It’s kind of like the way a lot of people are curious how I could endure hatred and things like that. That’s one thing that throws them off and keeps them paying attention ‘cause they keep throwing rocks at me and see that I stand in confidence so it’s kind of confusing.

Why do you think so many people are against you?

Well ultimately because I’m fulfilling my purpose and that’s just what happens when you fulfill something abstract like that. You find opposition and the opposition is meant to make me bigger than opposition.

Opposition is for my benefit. If I didn’t have it, I’d be two things. One: I’d be ignored, which being ignored is a lot worse than being paid attention to and hated. If I was putting music out and nobody paid attention at all, that would be a problem. And then two: I wouldn’t become as strong as I’ve become. The opposition has helped me a lot through understanding psychology as a whole, and energy. Things like love and hate are synonyms in the sense that they’re both forms of passion. I found it one of the greatest gifts that another human can have is to make other humans feel.

How does a good Christian like you get wrapped up in so much sin?

I am no longer a Christian but I did start my relationship with God through Christ. He was an excellent human just like the other excellent humans I spoke of earlier. He was excellent probably—or not probably— I think obviously he was the most influential, spiritual leader that we’ve ever had. I mean the Bible is pretty much in every hotel drawer [goes to open up the drawer in his hotel to find it empty]. Should be—there’s a Magnum in mine [laughs]. Usually they put the Bible there but that’s not my fault. The sin thing is important though. Most people don’t create the opportunity.

They all have it but don’t create the opportunity to see through God’s eyes and if you can become in-tune with the universe, then basically the things that we think are

doing these “sins”, you know what I mean? The thing is, like, love and hate work a certain way so no matter what we do, if I fulfill my Definitive Major Purpose of being the most valuable human to humans, no matter what, it doesn’t change how the universe works.

Gravity stays in order. God… love… positive energy stays operating the same exact way. We don’t get to alter it. And hate… negative energy… or say the devil (a label people put on it), stays working the same. So as human, it’s arrogant.

In the midst of sin, in the midst of everything, it’s our own selves that turns our back on Him and hides our face in those moments that we feel ashamed.

Sometimes people think guilt or shame is something that God supplies you so you can learn your ways, but he doesn’t. That’s something that fear, negative energy supplies you. At any moment that you’re feeling guilty or ashamed you’re not feeling love. You’re not experiencing love. If you’re experiencing something from this family, lets say the negative tree—guilt, shame, all that stuff, jealousy. So if a Christian is looking at someone experiencing jealousy ‘cause they’re living in sin, per say, in that moment they’re not experiencing love and that same person who’s “sinning” can be living in love. I’ve become in tune to the point where I don’t need to, I don’t pray, I live in prayer, I don’t say thanks, I live in thanks. I’m eternally grateful and I’m eternally living in love. Whether it be smoking weed or having a drink, I don’t turn my back

“I don’t care if they call me Potato Chips as long as that I help them to become better potato chips.” often not what we think. A lot of times, like someone who is like leading a Christian life, trying to abide by every step, looks at someone else who’s living freely and it bothers them. And they want to bring them down because for starters, how do you have more and you’re

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on what’s inside me and that’s the power that lives inside me and it operates the same.

Why Casanova?

Uh, it just came to me. I just trust what comes to me. I think all creative things and art is not so much something that you can control but you channel and let it flow through you and I always knew that the name change was going to happen. That’s not going to stay the same either though. I’ll be like Puffy, I don’t care. Switch it up yearly you know? The name’s not important, like what I do, the idea I represent is more important. I don’t care if they call me Potato Chips as long as that I help them to become better potato chips.

So what message are you trying to get out there?

As far as music, I really have no preference. When I make it, it just happens. Where I start is where I start and where I end is where I end. I’m never like “Oh I want to write a song about this.” I just make music and I make so much of it that it just happens naturally.

It’s something I love to do.

So what you’re rapping about doesn’t necessarily have a deeper meaning, it’s just you, like…

I don’t say anything that’s not a piece of me. Like maybe Eminem is not going to drive around with Kim’s head on his head but the fact that he would mention it would mean it lives somewhere in his head. That thought. So I don’t talk about golf, except right now I am, but I don’t talk to you about golf, like I don’t sing about golf. Any music is a piece of me and it’s just something I love to do and it’s just an outlet. Maybe things that I talk about in music often is a release so

“I cannot be ashamed.

I stood on a rooftop naked, very tall.”

that I don’t fiend or need them as much. Sometimes music can be therapeutic like that. Maybe you release something about women and you don’t need to go out and chase them ‘cause I’m at a different point. One of my purposes is to allow myself to be dissected freely.

I cannot be ashamed. I stood on a rooftop naked very tall.

Were you feeling this way before you took mushrooms or did everything come after the drugs?

You know everything, that experience—and I don’t call mushrooms a drug—a lot of people love to slap me as a drug user. Mushrooms I’ve only done a handful of times. Weed, I’ve smoked way more than someone could keep count of, naturally. Otherwise that, I don’t use any drugs. Like people want to pin me down as a coke head or different things. I’ll take a drug test any day of the week. I have no drugs in my system. I’ve never had any issue with drugs and it’s more just something that they look for as a write off, ya know? They think ‘he can’t be this happy and confident without cause, with all this stuff around.

It’s got to be drugs.’ Its a write off. I definitely had an experience on mushrooms that was enlightening at that moment but I didn’t get to hold that feeling. This feeling is something that I work for. It’s gradual. Like I understood more about love and hate and passion and that they’re giving me energy that is free energy for me to use. Things like that because I’ve had to because of my situation.

Do you think you’ll be in a whole different light by this time next year?

By tomorrow. [Laughs] Every day is a new day.

You read a lot of your ideals in books, yeah?

I read a lot of books but most of the time, what I read is ‘cause I like to read. Most of what I read, is stuff I already understand at this point. Basically I don’t get to know everything at once for whatever reason it’s important the way the universe works with its timing.

You, myself, and everyone else has access to unlimited knowledge and wisdom so that power, that positive energy that lives inside of you, if you can live in tune with that than you have access to... it’s unlimited. The energy that lives in me is the same that lives in you and the same that lived in Steve Jobs and Alexander the Great so it’s already experienced all. It’s always present and it is everything. We are one and it’s just more unfolds things and lets things make sense to you and it’s always working. Most people juggle back and forth between positive and negative so much that they never get a large dose of one or the other.

Do you think it’s a sign of weakness when people are negative?

When you’re done scratching your head, visit colormagazine.ca for the full audio interview.

It’s not strength, definitely the opposite, but it’s not like they’re weak by design or have to remain weak. It’s just natural. You know humans are… all atoms are made up of this one part positive energy, one part negative and that lives in us and they both want ownership.

Basically, things happen and these two energies bubble up all the time and like I said most people juggle back and forth between negative and positive emotion so much that they never get a large dose of one or the other so they never produce large results of one or the other. And I respect even someone like, (I may go to the grave for this—they may hate me for this for forever), but I can even respect someone like Hitler. What he did, his intentions were not good, and he didn’t do something that bettered the earth, but he did something that most humans can’t do. He at least made a definitive choice. He chose to ride out with negative energy, that’s not what I want to do, but he at least didn’t juggle between positive and negative

emotion all of the time that he couldn’t produce no results. He definitively chose that he liked that side and he chose negative energy and produced massive negative results. It’s hard to get people to follow you into the next room, and he got people to follow him to countries and kill people for him. That’s not easy and it’s not good but what is good is to be able to make definitive choices and to just pick an energy and give up standing on the fence and give up being ping-ponged around by both of ‘em and being able to pick one and ride that one out. It’s a choice that you can pick and choose to know: ‘This is it for me.

Everything I’m going to see is positive. Everything is an opportunity. Everything works out for my benefit.’

You don’t take days off. Those who take days off don’t produce the results that I desire to produce. I don’t do vacations or days off. I do what I love so I don’t need those.

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vol. 10 no. 1

—

Homegrown Skateboards wordsby joel martell

2.

photosby curtis rothney

3.

4.

6.

5.

7.

1.

P

icture this: it’s summer, you’re driving down a long winding road in maritime Nova Scotia. There are green spruce trees on your right and a sparkling blue river on your left. The fishermen are bringing in their nets from the day’s catch. It’s one of those picture-perfect backdrops you may have seen in some overpriced calendar at the airport.

You turn a corner and see a quaint 3-story building built on a pier with “LaHave Bakery” painted on the side. You pop in to buy a loaf and stay to have a chat with Kevin, the guy who builds wooden boats around the back.

He tells you that the building is 116 years old and used to be a ship outfitting warehouse.

You begin to turn towards the door when you hear something. The faint sound of wheels on wood, trucks on coping, that’s so familiar.

You think to yourself, “Skateboarding?

Here?”

You, my friend, have just stumbled upon Homegrown Skateboards—an East Coast skateboard brand that produces their boards in-house. You won’t find any outsourcing to China here, just pure roots manufacturing.

DIY at its best.

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The third-floor loft in this bakery boasts more than just a workshop/production area.

The ‘pièce de résistance’—the aptly named ‘Bread Bowl’—has earned its place as an East Coast skate institution. The bowl was carefully designed and constructed with 3 separate radius’, pool coping and a mighty nice view of the river below. Coupled with a stage attached to the bowl, Homegrown often acts as a venue for bands to play while the locals shred till the wee hours.

The next time you happen to be cruising through Maritime Nova Scotia fiending for a shred, follow your nose towards that doughy aroma and you just might find yourself at one of Canada’s best kept skateboarding secrets.

HGSKATE.CA

8.

1. Grinding through the pool-coping corner ain’t no joke. Dave Hung with a switch frontside feeble. 2. King chills during a heated session. 3. The only place to purchase merch for miles around, Homegrown dabbles in a little bit of retail, complete with a custom built board-rack. 4. The entire 3-story building acts as a hub for local and not-so-local artists to display their work. Friend and Montreal-based artist John Brown stopped by and brought along some of his fine paintings and woodwork. 5. The silk-screen used to apply graphics.

This is where the visual magic happens. 6. The finished products on display. Barry Walsh’s pro model alongside the Keep Calm Cruiser. Manufacturing your own boards allows you to mess around with some pretty cool board shapes. 7. Shaped and pressed boards await graphics. 8. Sheets of East Coast hard rock maple on their way to the press.

[ o ] GRISON

Theotis Beasley / Color 9.5

colORMAGAZINE.CA

vol. 10 no. 1

words and photosby gordon nicholas

N

othing left but hangovers and bullet holes. What a place. In a way it was the American dream that led to all this madness. But those who are to blame for blockading the borders with man-eating sharks have long since faded and those who have replaced them are far too terrified to do anything about it. The perfect getaway; nothing to stop us from coming home but an imaginary line dividing this great continent. Or so you would think...

Geoff Strelow, heelflip. colORMAGAZINE.CA

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Sheldon Meleshinski, kickflip backside 50-50.

104 trip.

The turbines roared to life and slammed us to the back of our seats as we raced to speed—it was goodbye Mexico City for this pack of ice-backs.

As soon as we had lifted off and started climbing slowly towards that standard thirty thousand foot cushion of warm jets, I knew something was wrong with our companion Fabian.

Never before, throughout all my time in the air, had I seen anyone reach for the barf bag so quickly following takeoff.

As we watched Fabian take the first of many trips to the back of the plane to flush it out, Sheldon and I began to worry. Was it that sandwich on our last flight? When was this demon going to rear its ugly head at us?

Our fears deepened when the flight attendant informed us that Fabian was not the only one onboard who was sick. “The guy with the big hair sitting up front,” she said, “was he with you?”

Something in our bellies akin to dread began to rise. The two at the front were indeed with us. Dave and Nate, both at opposite ends of the plane, had come under the same duress as young Fabian. Then it got worse.

Clearing the back rows of the plane, the stewardesses made room for Nate and Fabian (the worse of the three) to lie down. Fabian had lost all motor skills, so I half-carried him to the back of the plane. I’ve never seen anyone on their death bed before, but I imagine they would look something like this. .mexicocity 105

The overhead speaker crackled to life.

“Are there any Doctors on board this flight? If so please press your flight attendant button immediately.”

Neither Sheldon nor I could believe this was actually happening. We filled out the Continental Airlines Customer Reports we had been given, and listed everything witnessed on board that had been injected, inspected, detected, or neglected. When the tires finally skidded to a halt on the tarmac in Vancouver, we taxied into YVR, but upon docking, nobody was allowed to leave their seats. Paramedics were poised at the gates to inspect our fellow travelers.

It soon became apparent that the paramedics weren’t the only ones interested in us—a row of customs officers were there to greet us just as promptly. They separated us in the causeway and immediately began hounding us with questions and accusations. The heat was on us

because nobody was able to explain why we were so sick having just arrived from Mexico City. It couldn’t be a coincidence. They intended to interrogate us as if we were flying with Pablo Escobar.

Johnny still had it out for the hippies it seemed.

Nate ended up in a wheelchair and Fabian on the ground, having fainted from the guard cornering him against the wall for so long that his legs just couldn’t take it anymore. We were hurried into Secondary Inspection, asked not to talk to one another, then they ushered us to an empty table, opened our bags, and made us wait. And wait we did, well into the night as the questioning and searching continued. Whether we liked it or not, to them we were drug mules.

(opposite) Fabian Merino, ollie.

Dane Pryds, ollie-in backside 180.

.trip 107

Fabian Merino, backside tailslide kickflip.

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Photo: Gordon Nicholas

Chris Haslam Brett Stobbart Sheldon Meleshinski Zach Barton {Colin Nogue} Jess Atmore Fabian Merino

{ sitka }

vol. 10 no. 1

BANK SPOT

RAINY DAY PAST TIME

— Georgia Banks / Police Station Banks

— Internet / Skate videos

Chill Spot

WINTER ACTIVITY

— Gene Coffee Shop / Home

— Cooking / Woodshop mini ramp

GET AWAY SPOT

MOVIE

— Squamish / Main St.

— Batman / Apocalypse Now

SKATE TRIP

VACATION

PURCHASE

LOCAL RIPPER

— Arizona / Barcelona ‘09

— Cuba / China

— Film Developer / Bike

— Gabe Dinorscio / Derek Swaim

SKATEPARK

CAFFEINATED BEVERAGE

— Vancouver Plaza / Thorold South

CORY WILSON

PHOTOGRAPHER

by brent goldsmith

— Keith Henry / Dave Christian

FILM TYPE

— Anything colour 120mm / Ilford 100iso 35mm

PHOTO YOU’VE TAKEN

— Vancouver Island / Sean Macallister - Barcelona Macba

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C

ory honed his unique style and quick feet in the early days of skating the Welland banks and the SUDS park in the Niagara area, but since he left the peninsula and made the move out west several years ago, he’s only gotten better. Out of the whole SUDS crew, Cory always seemed to hit the wallrides higher and tear through the park faster. He was one of the younger ones for sure, but definitely had more potential than what Niagara had to offer. He made the decision to pack up and move out west—a pivotal movement for the skateboarder he has become. Since then, Cory has picked up numerous sponsors, had the opportunity to skate spots that most only dream of, and has landed several interviews and photo ops. Despite all the coverage though, Cory is still the same super humble and polite dude.

— Homemade Americano / Cafe Latte

CONCERT ATTENDED

— Roger Waters / Tragically Hip New Years ‘04

FILM PART

— Bradley Sheppard Street Demon / Busentiz Real Video

ALBUM ON REPEAT

— Kendrick Lamar - Section 80 / Pink Floyd - The Wall

Text

anywhere/ anytime ISSU BACK

ES

COLOR MAGAZINE BACK ISSUES IN YOUR BACK POCKET AND AT YOUR FINGERTIPS ON:

12:00PM

With every issue of Color, we attempt to create collectible snapshots; markers of a certain time and place that, when pulled down off the shelf, or uprooted from the bottom of an old box, remind us of where we were, what we were doing, and how we were living. Remember your first show? First trip? First pool you skated? Or how about that old mattress on the floor of the house you and your friends held down for all those years. It’s that immemorial feeling that consumes you when thinking back on those days, that makes these landmarks so special and a big part of the reason we publish this magazine—that palpable second chance print gives us to literally hold these moments in our hands and deny the ephemeral at every return.

vol. 10 no. 1

WILL BLAKELY nosegrind [ o ] delaney. 115

116 BEN BLUNDELL backside heelflip [ o ] thorburn.

TONY MYSHLYAEV noseblunt [ o ] henry.

DEREK SWAIM switch heelflip [ o ] mikendo.

BOBBY WORREST ollie [ o ] broach. 119

120 KYLE WALKER 360 flip [ o ] broach.

JUSTIN ALLAIN backside 5-0 [ o ] caissie.

ALEX OLSON kickflip [ o ] o’meally.

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.1

Stakes is High

While You Were On Facebook

CHITY

The SB Chronicles Vol. 1

The Denver Shop’s newest video, Stakes is High dropped just before the new year and capped off 2011 with a bang. The team takes itself seriously, with skating that is some of the more impressive of the year, but also balances it with humorous and seemingly onthe-fly intros. The video opens with a skatetour of downtown Denver that gives you a bit of a feel for the city and fluidly transitions into the first part of the video (Nathan Fantasia), which is over well before you want it to be.

William Spencer, the ‘skate ninja,’ makes another one-of-a-kind part for critique by the skate world. His skating maybe on the fringe, but if your jaw doesn’t drop multiple times then you may just be a ‘Hater.’ Tyler Price and Josh Murphy have the last two parts of the video and either one could easily become one of your new favourites. The above names may be the standout parts, but the rest of the video fills out nicely with strong efforts from Ryan Lybarger, Monico Candelaria, Justin Shardy and Joey Abarca. —ben hlavacek

When someone hands you something in a bar and says “tell me what you think of this,” generally one hopes it’s a sample of some mind-blowing chemical containing the rush of a thousand virgins’ first orgasms all at once. That would be the best-case scenario.

Worst would have to be the sort of pill that makes you shit for an hour, followed anxious pacing to stifle your heart’s palpitations as it spits and sputters in retaliation against the vile substance you’ve just willingly consumed.

Several things pop into my mind when I hear Chicago. Some are obvious such as Perfect Strangers and Cousin Larry’s eccentric cousin, Balki Bartakamous, Adventures In Babysitting and Elizabeth Shue, which of course then takes us to outside of Vegas as she’s pouring vodka on her pert, perfect breasts… Where were we? Right. Chicago.

Jesse Neuhaus: Chicago’s Matt Hensley.

Oddly enough Jesse owns a sandwich shop in Chicago. Then there’s Tae Kim (known on the internet as Dr. Tae). On top of being the only physicist I know of with switch three flips, his alma mater is a stone’s throw from the birthplace of HAL 9000, the misunderstood antagonist in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. And then there’s Chicago’s beachfront quarter pipe and inland tsunami protector. The spot that comes to mind that I’d go to first if I ever found myself in Chicago.

Right off the bat Elliott Zelnskas reaches out to Canada, extending a warm hand to our francophone contingency with a song choice in French. Chity had me right from the name and kept me watching with everything Ricky Oyola said in his Epicly Later’d episode in regards to real street skating and weird spots. But if you ask me a year from now, all I will remember is the first bonus chapter, with the bystander who shows off his apple turnover skills, but not without making sure his heater is clearly visible in front of his tee.

In the past, Nike has struggled with finding the right balance between big-time production, DIY-zaniness and real skate vid authenticity (see the puzzling Nothing But the Truth for evidence of this), but it seems like they’ve finally hit their stride with their latest, The SB Chronicles Vol 1. Directed by the talented Jason Hernandez and coproduced by skate photography stalwart Jon Humphries, the editing and production value here are top-notch, striking a pleasing compromise between gloss and grit. Part highlights include Youness Amrani’s manny attack and nut-clenching drops off cliffs; Clark Hassler’s blue-collar stoke session set to Suicidal Tendencies; Stefan Janoski back in fine form and ripping to Captain Beefhart; Chet Childress’s pirate-worthy red beard, and his job as our tour guide to Trannyvania; Daniel Shimizu’s wallie clinic; Lewis Marnell’s rasta-fuelled nollie pop; Weiger Van Wageningen and his incredible flip-outs (and I don’t mean he goes mental). But it’s hard not to point out that everyone is more than slightly overshadowed by Grant Taylor’s S.O.T.Y.-winning bombing raid, otherwise known as his part. With a good mix of street, tranny, found tranny, and nightmareinducing drop-ins, Grant Taylor’s insanity actually manages to match the double bass assault of Slayer’s “Raining Blood”, which many, including me, had long thought was downright impossible to skate to. (The last person to pull off a Slayer song was Wadefreaking-Speyer!) So for that feat alone, this video is worth every penny. —mike christie

(the denver shop)

aaron cayer & guillaume lebel

In any case, While You Were On Facebook was dropped in my hand and while the rush of a thousand inaugural orgasms is somewhat of a tall order, the 101 skater montage from our nation’s capital did have me itching to go skate and has infected my brain with pop anthems. Aptly named, WYWOF pokes fun at the remote participation in life that is so common throughout North America. Its barrage of tall can shotguns is a constant reminder to go drink beer and skate while the video features a ripping display of creative lines and sick spots.

Aaron Cayer and Guillaume Lebel prove with this video that long winters and sharing the same air with certain political figures are the only apparent downfalls to living in Ottawa.

Also catch a peek at footage of Sam Lind’s virgin drop in from the cover of Color 9.4.

—shawn lennon

tucker phillips & adam mills

—scotty macdonald

jason hernandez (nike)

colORMAGAZINE.CA

123

vol. 10 no. 1

Cate Le Bon

YOUNG MAGIC

cyrk (the control group)

Imagine Nico was still alive and well, and instead of being the muse for the Velvet Underground, the Velvet Underground was the muse for her. Are you imagining it yet?

Okay good. Well, that is sort of the feeling of Cyrk, the full length album by U.K. singer and songwriter Cate Le Bon. This collection of pop songs are inspired by traveling, stuff from her past and people in her life, that come off with elements of Os Mutantesesque fuzzed out guitar lines and melodies, Pavement, the Velvet Underground & Nico, and wrapped up tightly in a 1960s gum advertisement. There is also a very French vibe here, and it’s not just her name. I heard a rumour that her drummer recorded all his parts using baguettes for drum-sticks. Don’t know if that’s true, just something I heard down at the beauty salon. Okay, now imagine Mr. Peanut gutting a dolphin with a chainsaw.

—justin gradin

A baby coming out of a vagina is the new rabbit coming out of a hat, at least that’s how it sounds when it’s Young Magic. Whilst listening to Melt by Young Magic, all I kept picturing was a woman giving birth in her apartment bathtub. That made me think.

Why don’t people give birth on the toilet?

That way they don’t have to get wet, and they can still have their precious water-baby.

Anyway, these are very spiritual and worldly songs that sound that way as a result of their origins. Two Australians separately traveling through Europe, recording all along the way, meet up in New York (duh) with an Indonesian-born vocalist and all collaborate to make this African-rhythm, brainfeeder hip-hop, U.K. bass, and psychedelic soulinspired album. And the worldly vibe isn’t fake either—this record was recorded in over ten countries, and that is one more than nine countries. —mildrid smith

THE MEN

124 colORMAGAZINE.CA

s/t (thrill jockey)

Rhyton’s debut self-titled LP opens with waves of relaxed, electrified, almost krautrock style zone-out, that makes you wanna put on a big floppy hat and get loose on the licky sticks. Extremely dynamic, improvisational music rooted in rock, comes flowing out of your speakers and lands on to a picnic basket full of romantic beard hair and really makes you question if these songs are written compositions, or if they are indeed the result of three dudes riding on a magic carpet together. They should change their name to MAGIC carpet! Most definitely a hoob-doober. A very confident sounding improv record, and it should be, as it was brought to you by Dave Shuford (No Neck Blues Band) on mandolin, sax and baritone guitar, Jimy Seitang (Psychic Ills) on bass and tape delay, and percussion provided by Spencer Herbst (Messages, Matta Llama).

This one’s good for fans of licking a piece of paper really slowy. —justin gradin

GROSS MAGIC

open your heart (sacred bones)

The Men’s Leave Home was one of 2011’s surprise successes, at least in terms of a band that dallies between so many genres.

Their unique blend of hardcore punk, metal and shoegaze struck a chord with a lot of listeners, not to mention their reputation of being a pretty bad ass live band. Following less than a year after Leave Home, the Brooklyn-based foursome hand in their most cohesive and strongest record yet. Digging through the mid-80s SST catalogue, The Men mine the ferocity of Husker Du and early Dinosaur Jr. but make sure the hooks and pop sensibilities remain intact. The intensity has been dropped a notch in favour of a more controlled and tighter sound, making Open Your Heart their most accessible record, which should bring the band even more attention than they received in 2011.

Fans of the wild abandon of previous records shouldn’t be too alienated, as the punk roots are still in place, though they’ve just been given a slight facelift. —mark richardson

RHYTON

melt (carpark records)

FRANKIE ROSE

teen jamz (fat possum)

interstellar (slumberland)

Attention bands: wolf, black, crystal, deer, etc., are all currently out of fashion. The new word is MAGIC. If you don’t have magic in your name you might as well fuck off I guess. Maybe not. Anyway, Gross Magic’s Teen Jamz is an incredibly short (five songs) release on Fat Possum that combines elements of glam rock mixed with a layer of 80s-inspired new wave, and finished off with a bunch of different effects on guitar and vocals, for that mid-2000s modern touch. Also in the modern vain is the fact that it is played by one dude (probably in the bedroom of his parents’ house) named Sam McGarrigle. The front cover artwork is hideous though, I hate to say it. I guess I could see some people liking it in some ironic way, blah, blah, blah. Seriously though, album artwork is important is it not? I used to buy records based on how cool the cover of the record was. This album cover looks like an invitation to Gary Glitter’s house for his talk on the importance of Peter Pan.

Frankie Rose, still best known as the former drummer for Crystal Stilts, Vivian Girls and the Dum Dum Girls, delivers a worthy follow-up to her acclaimed debut. While her first record was soaked in the reverb heavy production influence of Phil Spector, Interstellar manages to push her sound into an even huger space, though it’s a crisper and more direct record this time around. Rose herself cites the influences for Interstellar as Julee Cruise, Spacemen 3 and Cocteau Twins, and those are actually pretty bang-on. Songs like “Pair Of Wings” and “Apples For The Sun” are pure floating pop majesty, featuring cavernous drums, Rose’s heavily affected and ethereal vocal delivery and hovering synth lines, the latter of which help distance her from the girl group stylings of her previous releases and other associations. Interstellar is definitely an early highlight of 2012 and should be the record that will hopefully break her out of the shadows of her previous bands.

—bobby lawn

—mark richardson

BLACK BANANAS

rad times xpress IV (drag city)

Hot off the heels of a newly re-issued Royal Trux box-set (read a review of Singles, Live, Unreleased in Color 9.6), Jennifer Herrema’s RTX have decided to sever their chains to the past and changed their name to Black Bananas. With their first release, Rad Times Xpress IV, Jennifer and crew (past RTX members Brian Mckinley, Kurt Midness, Jaimo Welch, and Nadav Eisenman) unleash some more psycho sounding mash ups of shred guitar, old school metal, groovy 70s bass dirt, electronic dance, rock ‘n roll, punk rock and Jennifer’s rebellious and inspired vocals/lyrics. Taking the elements of things people would probably dislike and combining them with the things people love, is the general idea here. Some of the songs (“Hot Stupid,” in particular) sort of sound like what it might sound like if Joan Jett was miscarrying Ke$ha in a bathroom where Iron maiden was having sexual intercourse with the ghost Colonel Sanders’ goatee. I love fried chicken. —justin gradin

ZZBRA

s/t (camobear records)

One night after watching a Kutmasta Kurt deejay set, I was asked by an extremely drunk group of friends if I would like to go back to their house and continue our shame spiral. So, of course I say yes and go to this party, and I sure am glad I did. Instead of just sitting around and listening to a CD or record, like some kind of sucker, this kid starts beat boxing and this dude starts freestyle rapping. Everyone is still drinking and basically forcing this kid to keep doing his tracheotomy/didgeridoo beat boxing, and thinking of new topics for this guy to freestyle about. Some of the rhymes didn’t make any sense and at times I’m not even sure if any language was being used, but it sounded good at the time. Turns out the guy rapping is a rapper named Evil Ebenezer, and he is in a new project called Zzbra with ex-swollen member Moka Only. If getting wasted off of moonshine wine and forcing people to perform for you at 4:30 in the morning sounds like a good time, then this record might be ideal for you. —justin gradin

MIND SPIDERS

meltdown (dirtnap records)

Something tells me I should have passed the dutchie before listening to this record, mainly because of the spindly psychedelic neverending black hole swirl on the cover of the album (it made me dizzy after staring at it too long). When I popped Mind Spiders in, the vocal enunciation and delivery reminded me of the much eulogized Jay Reatard, and the low-fi synth and organ tracks brought to mind the recordings and production style of The Spits. I was surprised to find out that Mind Spiders were a side project of Mark Ryan from Denton, Texas’ Marked Men, becasue the first couple of tracks sound rather different. Like the record cover, this album is hypnotic, addictive and a little dark.

I naturally estimated Mind Spiders hailed from a more dismal climate then Texas, based on the dark synthy-vibes emanating from the record. A few tracks in, Mark Ryan went back to his old standby as the Marked Men’s trademark closed hi-hat, Ramones beat and vocal delivery kicks in. It made the album listenable. An interesting project, but check out the Marked Men or the Reds first, as the formula of those two Denton supergroups was, and is, unbeatable.

THROBBING GRISTLE

Sonic Avenue

20 jazz funk greats ( industrial)

In the latest non-entertainment sound news, Industrial Records re-issues five records by pioneering art/music performance group Throbbing Gristle: The Second Annual Report, D.O.A: The Third and Final Report, Twenty Jazz Funk Greats, Heathen Earth, and Greatest Hits. Re-releasing each album chronologically, this record of amazingly ambitious and ahead of its time mutant music (ranging from disco to rock and touching down on everything they can) fell into my hands after years of searching for a copy. It has been digitally re-mastered (just as all five have been) by TG’s Chris Carter himself, and comes with an amazing booklet, that includes another amazing sea-side photo of the band and photos and writing from their time in the U.S.A. “Hot On The Heels of Love” starts you off with Cosey’s breathy singing, making you fall in love again wth its perverse and minimal disco sleaze.

Definitely one of the band’s most important records, and it ends off with “Six Six Sixties,” a song that makes those people who can flip their eyelids inside out wanna flip their entire bodies inside out. —justin gradin

THE GO

television youth (dirtnap records)

Bands often have a difficult time recording a second album just as hard hitting as the first—it’s the sophmore challenge.

Fortunately for Montreal’s Sonic Avenues, this challenge was effortlessly accomplished.

Taking a page out of Tranzmitors’ playbook, Sonic Avenues seem to have firm roots in classic late-70s British power pop and they are clearly avid listeners of early Dirtnap Records stalwarts Exploding Hearts and The Briefs, although Sonic Avenue’s approach is a little more understated then the aforementioned bands.

The highlight of the album is “Late Summer Goner,” a perfect power pop tune that conjures not only the finest recollections of British power pop, but also fits right in with American contemporaries like Gentleman Jesse and Thomas Function. The second highlight is the bridge and outro of “OCD Vibes,” when Sonic Avenues employ a great minor chord to power chord buzz behind a chorus of “Staying away from you... ooh...ooh.” Fans of Dirtnap Records bands or Razorcake-style harmonic punk will not be disappointed. —justin maurer

5 cassette box-set (burger records)

Detroit’s The Go is one of garage rock’s best kept secrets. They received a bit of notoriety after it was discovered that a young Jack White played guitar on their debut record for Sub Pop, Watcha Doin’, though their next album was shelved by the label and they quickly fell to cult status. After three full lengths and a handful of singles, all spread across fairly obscure record labels, the original threesome renamed the band Conspiracy Of Owls and recently released a sublime psychedelic record for Burger Records. That same label has unleashed this sprawling five cassette box set of demos, outtakes, interviews, covers, and the now legendary and sought after fan-club only Supercuts album. Many of the songs here are in unpolished form, with incomplete lyrics and all the missteps left intact, making for an intimate listen for fans. As you could probably imagine, five full length cassettes worth of demos is not for everyone, but it certainly provides great insight into the inner workings and processes of one of the most underrated bands of our time.

—mark richardson

—justin maurer

THE BAD MACHINE s/t (happy burro)

Before Long Beach, California’s The Bad Machine were called The Bad Machine, they were called CHINGAR. They used to play shows and get all chingaro up in everybody’s business. The leader of CHINGAR, Cezar Mora, then changed the band’s name to The Bad Machine after a dream he had about being attacked in Utah by white savages.

With the name change came this eight song album of pop songs sung by a man who has the voice of a thousand nuns crying into a well on Mother’s Day in Egypt. Beautiful and sometimes noisy, quiet and sometimes loud, songs (and even a cover of Neutral Milk Hotel’s “In The Aeroplane Over The Sea”) that are executed to absolute perfect crispy chicken joy with the help of fellow Long Beachers, Crystal Antlers’ Johnny and Kevin. The real treat on here is “Birth Of The Bad Machine,” the album’s last track, full of intense guitars and a super catchy melody that will plant itself firmly into your brain and nest there forever. It will make you think of it every morning when you wake up and put your shoooooes on. Hooray for Canadian Pizza! LBC dog! —justin gradin

DOLPHINS INTO THE FUTURE

THE PASSENGER

Canto Arquipelago (underwater peoples records )

Since 2007, Belgian-based musician Lieven Martens has been releasing a prodigious amount of music on cassette and vinyl, either via his own Cetacean Nation label or through a myriad of other sub-underground labels, most of it becoming quite collectable in the meantime. Canto Arquipelago marks Martens’ first foray into soundtrack work, in fact, the record is a soundtrack for a documentary that he has been working on for some time. The trailer for the documentary features underwater shots, rainforests and, yep, dolphins, and in his own words, “deals with the patterns of an archipelago and certain close encounters.” Using field recordings like ocean waves, bird chirps and rustling trees, then combining them with warbled keyboards and burbling synths, Canto Arquipelago, though seemingly rife within new age clichés, actually transcends the mushy sentiments and is a thoughtprovoking work of art. Canto Arquipelago and the accompanying film are the inevitable conclusion of a lifetime of linking music with his studies of nature. —mark richardson

COUGH COOL

\_| (self release)

Vancouver’s The Passenger (aka Jesse Creed) seemingly lives in his own bubble within the city. He rarely plays live shows, and this record, as well as his first seveninch, are both self-released. He also doesn’t really fit into any of the local electronic music scenes, though his self-imposed isolation probably doesn’t help that matter much. Much like the persona that is The Passenger, this debut full length, awkwardly titled \_|, doesn’t fit neatly into any specific genre of most modern electronic music.

Throughout this vinyl-only release, Creed tackles a heaping handful of electronic genres and wrangles them together in a seamless fashion. \_| has moments of Aphex Twin-like acid techno, 70s synth-based kraut rock, quirky IDM, and even some industrial soundscapes, though Creed has a strong enough ear that enables him to stitch the record together without it becoming a mismatched patchwork. This record may end up only as a regional blip, though it deserves so much more attention than that.

lately (bathetic records )

Cough Cool is the nom de plume of Philadelphia’s Dan Svizeny, who has released about a half dozen cassettes since 2009, and now he finally lands his first full length LP via the fledgling Bathetic Records label. Though earlier releases were bogged down in a heavy haze of reverb and smothered in lo-fi production, keeping most potential listeners at arm’s length, Lately breaks the mold considerably with the clearest recordings of his downer-pop project thus far. Not that the murkiness has been lifted completely—just enough for the hooks and melodies to shine much brighter than those earlier cassettes.

Utilizing a drum machine that sounds like it’s been kicked around the studio for the last few years alongside his heavily reverbed guitar and vocals, Svizeny slowly coaxes some of the dreamiest lo-fi pop this side of Atlas Sound. Lately is one of those records that take a few listens before the subtleness can sink in. Well worth the time and effort.

—mark richardson

—mark richardson colORMAGAZINE.CA

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vol. 10 no. 1

photosby mark gutknecht

A

—

Hour Hands, Vancouver

night that won’t be soon forgotten. Vancouver’s most stylish and epic surfaced through the coldest night of the year trekking up a long creaky staircase to the artist-run Dynamo space located on Hastings downtown eastside this January. Studio to notables such as artist Ben Jacques, Andrew Pommier and the multi-faceted Justin Gradin (among others), this one-night group photography show curated by Gordon Nicholas and Brayden Olson and made possible by RVCA and Pacific Western Brewing, flooded with art and photography fans eager to see an original Templeton, Sutherland, Gaberman and their close personal friends’ images in good light. The wake of timeless gathering ignited an impromptu performance by L.A.’s PLG\VNDR that rattled the frames and minds of every girlfriend in attendance, sending all on their merry way to the Waldorf Hotel where mayhem ensued.

Dickson Li Kuh Del Rosario & Jeff Stuckel

Brandon Blaine & Plague Vendor shock the Vancouver art crowd with their vibrant L.A. Sound.

Jen Friesen & Ben Will, Wade Fyfe, Max King &Tyler LukeQuorles Tanner

Kyle, Gio & Kane Hopkins

John Goldsmith & Brent Goldsmith

Kevin House

Katie Hill & Ariana Preece

Ryan Taron & Justin Taron

Carcar D, Tina Krawchuk & friends

Baxter

Jon Jay, Amanda Louie & Nick Louie

Alyse Goodacre & Jesse Savath

Polina Bachlakova, Jenn McDermid & Graeme Berglund

Brett Stobbart & Bad Boy Loyd

(sketchysluts.com)

Seb Templer, Bob Lassale & Wes Loates

Pryce Watkin, Brett Sanford, Greg Haasbeek & Kevin McCoubrey

Carlle Chatten, Katrina May & Natasha Lemon

Harvey Li, Kyler Vos,Stefan Wigand & Mike Pepperdine

Party People

126 colORMAGAZINE.CA

quarters lx/ black wax/ brown wax/ blue wax/ gravisskateboarding.com

vol. 10 no. 1

—

Bill Strobeck

words and photoby alexis gross

Y

ou might recognize the name William Strobeck as the filmer behind Photosynthesis, or maybe you recognize “Fat Bill” by his chipped-tooth and charm, either way, the personality that exudes from Strobeck is like no other, and it comes across in the careful thought he puts in to each of the films he makes, including choosing titles and music. William has been around New York City for a long time doing what he does best, living his life how he wants to and not giving a fuck what anyone else thinks. One day I’ll expose myself and tell you how I met this guy, but until then I’ll just expose him in this interview.

1. Color: Are you getting sick of filming skateboarding?

William Strobeck: I think that I’ve been sick of it for a long time but I just do it because I’m too lazy to try and work in other mediums. For me it’s about the subject.

When it’s the person I want to film then it’s not like a job. It’s like we’re hanging out. I like it every time when it’s the person I want to film and usually what I try to show in anything that I do, is that person. I think that’s real important, to have that collaboration with someone I like. It’s also important for me, you know? I want to look back and see these people as they were when they were younger.

of doing them. This one is about a bunch of cowgirl hats that ride around the city and their rivals are skinhead chicks. ‘Cause it’s a lesbian movie, one of the cowgirls ends up secretly falling in love with a skinhead and they end up having to keep it secret from everyone. I don’t really know how or where it ends. There’s obviously movies that have been made before with this story line, but I know all these girls here in town that would think it would be fun to make something like that. They’re not actors or anything so it would be funny to see how they can act. Even if it comes out shitty or they end up sucking at it, I’ll still like it because it’s entertaining to see shit like that. Dorks.

2. How many years have you been doing this for?

I’ve been filming skating since I was 16. One of my good friends, Goose, growing up used to make all these local skate videos. There’d be a good ten of us that would skate in the videos and we’d have these premiers that were fucking awesome. He’s really creative and I truly looked up to him the most out of anyone. My grandmother bought me a camera so I could film as well and contribute to these videos he was making. Kind of like skate videos now where there’s like five filmers involved.

4. What’s the story behind your nickname, “Fat Bill”?

There were a bunch of kids that hung out at this art museum in Syracuse where we all grew up to go skate. This kid Paul named me it cause I was a really chunky kid.

There was another kid Bill and we were the youngest hanging around. They called him Young Will and me Fat Bill. I didn’t even care because I so wanted to be down with these guys. I would even write it on my grip tape and it became this thing that I thought was really cool.

3. Do you see yourself making any films sans skateboarding in the future?

I would really like to make more films not having anything to do with skateboarding.

Everything that I’ve done has something to do with skateboarding. Even those music videos...there’s a skateboard in there.

Tell me the idea for one of ‘em…

I have a billion ideas but it’s an actual matter 130 colORMAGAZINE.CA

5. What is the worst/best thing about surviving in N.Y.C.?

First of all, it’s so expensive to live here and if you want to live here comfortably it’s the most expensive. To live alone is a luxury in Manhattan and people are lucky to do that. There’s people that work 9-5 everyday to have this little apartment I’m living in. Everyone’s on top of each other here but there’s something special about it all. The best thing about here is that you

“You start drinking at 10 and you’re blasted by 4.”

meet so many creative people. Something is very magnetic about the city. The people are always coming and going and so many different people to hang out with. I’m all over the place here. You never know what you’re getting. You just walk out your door and its endless. I think I’ll leave this place when I’m older but live close enough to come back down to the city whenever I want and hang out.

6. Best Gonz story you got…

I don’t know, all of them are too good. He’s a fucking psychic. Knows shit before you do.

All his weird mannerisms are hilarious and so normal to me.

7. What keeps you going every day?

I don’t really think about that. I like to be able to have my own space and freedom and I like not having anyone telling me what to do. Unfortunately that’s not how the real world works.

You’ve made it this far though…

I know. I’m just living. It’s not like I’m Puff Daddy or anything, throwing around a billion dollars, but I think there’s something special about just being yourself and being able to survive. It is hard though because then you get judged as someone who is trying to go against the grain, even though I’m not. I’m trying to do what I want and not give into how

everyone else is, just to get money. Being able to be passive and free is very important to me.

8. I always see you with a new baby sidekick. What’s with your affinity for young girls?

When I was growing up I moved away from my mother because she was sick and lived with my aunt and uncle. It was an hour further north of Syracuse. My aunt was friends with this lady who had a daughter that was younger than me. They were best friends and hung out every day so I was stuck hanging out with her, so I think it has something to do with it. I love all the young ones I hang out with now. They’re so fun and don’t really care about anything. They motivate me. ‘Lil hell kids. Maybe I am a girl on the inside? I don’t know.

9. First song you put on the jukebox?

Neil Young “Needle and the Damage Done”.

I just like that vibe…either that or Bowie.

I used to deejay with my friend JR (who is in a lot of my work) for money when I was broke. You start drinking at 10 and you’re blasted by 4. I would give away shit and lose shit everywhere. It was definitely fun.

10. Five nicknames for me.

One hitter wonder, Hell’s ‘Lil Angel, Midnight Toker, Anime Eyes, Gross Joint Blank.

leo romero ed templeton cairo foster james hardy donovon piscopo stevie perez dakota servold

wick winder distribution

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Richard Sarrazin

Richard Sarrazin, boardslide fakie nose blunt. mathieuphoto.

132 colORMAGAZINE.CA

photos:Mike Piscitelli

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FIFTEEN YEARS

BR I A N A NDER S O N FOURSTAR CELEBRATES 15 YEARS BLEDSOE BROPHY CARROLL GONZALES HOWARD KOSTON MALTO MARIANO O’NEILL PUIG SCHAAF TRUJILLO WAIR F O U R S TA R S T I C K E R S @ S U P R A D I S T R I B U T I O N . C O M

W W W. S U P R A D I S T R I B U T I O N . C O M