MEEN - MAY 2017
A Fashionable Culture
EDITORS LETTER Dear Loyal Readers I recently attended a friend’s birthday shindig and got talking to another friend who was there. This young lady had recently quit her office job to follow a path she thought would make her happy. Although this young woman is perfectly happy with her decision and she is at peace with it, she is still surrounded by people questioning her choices. She has had people say to her, “Why would you quit a well-paid job to pursue something that may never happen? Should you be taking such risks at your age?” (We are still in our 20’s by the way) These are the questions that many of us who are brave enough to follow our dreams are poised with daily. We don’t have to have an answer for that question because we know our path and we know where we are heading. Whether or not it happens, we would rather take a chance to find out than settle for a mediocre life. In our society, we don’t have enough people rooting four us. We are more exhilarated by gossip, slander and rumours. All of this sometimes puts people off their dreams before they have even started. Going against the grain in our society is not acceptable, even though that’s what we need to create the change we all want and need. At Demur, you can count on us to uplift you and empower you. We stand for people following their dreams as ridiculous as that may be to others. We support anyone who wants to tap into their potential, think of us as the best friend who stands behind you, rooting for you to win in all that you wish to pursue. In this month’s issue we celebrate many talented creatives, Rebecca Mason (Rococo Wonderland) cheers us up with her artwork, Meen Clothing share their journey of doing business as an independent brand, Photographer Alice Chapman talks us through what makes a great shoot. We head over to Paris to talk to hip hop trio Kalhex and stopover in Manhattan, Kansas to talk to Faintheart formerly known as Vineyard and then head back home to Shoreditch to chat to Amir and Limor, who set up Strut & Cluck, a restaurant serving seasonal dishes inspired by Eastern Mediterranean home cooking. We are celebrating all these heroes who are following their dreams. Also, because we care that much, we show you four ways intellectual property laws can protect your art. Until next time… Noreen Chada, Editor, @noreenchada
Noreen Chada – Editor Shirley Dee- Copy Editor Alice Diamond- Staff Writer Kay Samuel- Editorial Assistant Emily Bone – Staff Writer Intern Nicole Samoto – Social Editor Stella Dzingai – Contributing Writer Harrison Madzivachando – Creative Content Manager Dzynmax concepts - Design & Art Direction Published by Demur Ltd Visit us at: www.demur.co Email: info@demur.co
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CONTENTS 04- Editor's Pick 07 - Demur Music 11 - Rebecca Mason as Rococo Wonderland 15 - Meen Clothing 26 - 4 Intellectual Property rules... 31 - Music – Kalhex 35 - Food – Strut & Cluck
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A Fashionable Culture Demur dream holiday destinations – “I wish I was there right now!”
Noreen – Kariba , Zimbabwe – “Home is where the heart is” Alice – Cancun, Mexico “I would like to hit Spring break before I’m little older” Harrison – Busan, South Korea – “The beautiful culture and you can get a ferry from there to Japan” Nicole – New Providence, Bahamas – “Dolphins, beaches, carnival scene and food!” Stella – Male, Maldives “White sandy beaches, hopefully I can get there before it sinks” COVER Model Sabrina Make Up Artist Kkglamovers
@Demur Magazine © All Rights Reserved. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily of the publisher, Demur Ltd. Reproduction in whole or part is forbidden except with express permission of the publisher. It is not the intention to print any matter that discriminates on the grounds of race, sex, sexuality or disability. We accept no liability for any misprints or mistakes and no responsibility can be taken for the contents of these pages. Demur Magazine is a free monthly publication addressing a fashionable culture. Demur Magazine is published and distributed by Demur Ltd. For any distribution enquiries please email info@demur.co
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Designer Meen Clothing Accessories Mode Nubienne Photographer Alice Chapman
DEMUR
PICKS
Distressed Cap –
FLVR Apparel - £25.00
Heritage Inheritance Choker – Maxhosa by Laduma - £39
Turquoise Paint Tube Jacket – Dr Banana - £55.00
Sequin Jacket – Sugar & Style - £58.00
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Demur Picks
Club Rays – Nordic Rays – £23.99
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£120.00
Trucker Hat -Ballroom Marfa -
£7.99
Blackout Watch –
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Out and About with Demur
Music
Live with music LAPP, Ella, Ivanmore Apples & Pears Bar,26 Osborn Street, London E1 6TD Thur 4th May 2017 8:30pm – 11:30pm Free LAPP was previously the lead man of Wild Rossa And The ‘88’ a rock band from Liverpool, before he branched to do his own thing. LAPP will be performing live and describes himself as a “White man, making DIY, R&B music infused with Folk, Soul, Rock, Jazz and whatever sound that seems appropriate at the time to tell tales of the human condition”. Singersongwriter Ella M will also be serving up some of the music she has been working on with Benny D, since moving from New York to London last year. They will be joined on the night by another singer-songwriter and guitarist Ivanmore, who will play some his soulful blues inspired tunes.
Jonas Blue Heaven, 11, The Arches, Villiers St, London WC2N 6NG Wed 10th May 2017 7pm – till late £13.25 Jonas Blue will be playing his first ever live show in his hometown of London with a full live band with other special guests joining him on stage. This night will bring Jonas’ Europe tour to a close, after Jonas has already been to Cologne, Amsterdam and Paris. Jonas who is behind hits such as “Fast Car” featuring Dakota, “By Your Side” with Raye and the charttopping hit “Perfect Strangers” is a two-time Brit Award and MTV EMA nominee and his music has been streamed over 1 billion times. Plenty of reasons to come and see Jonas live in action.
Yolanda Brown The Jazz Café 5 Parkway, Camden Town, London NW1 7PG Friday 12th May 2017 7pm – till late From £20.00 With a new album on the way and just coming off her Reggae Love Songs Tour, UKs’ very own leading saxophonist Yolanda Brown will be playing her reggae, soul and jazz melodies at the Jazz Café. The MOBO award winning artist has received invites to perform from the Queen, Vladimir Putin and was recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts by the University of East London. Yolanda is achieving all of this as an independent self-funded artist.
FASHION
Pagara Pop Up London Launch Event Old Street Station, Old Street, London, EC1Y 1BE Mon 1st May 2017 5pm -8pm FREE They describe themselves as a brand where cultural art meets high fashion and their pieces and campaign delivers on that message. Pagara London will be launching their brand-new pop up shop at Old Street, where you will be greeted with a complimentary glass of champagne served on a first come first served basis. The whole Pagara collection is made in the UK using the finest pima cotton yarn to deliver a superior quality canvas. Join other industry professionals and fashionistas at Pagara’s launch event.
London College of Fashion Hosts Success Talks University of the Arts London 20 John Prince's Street London W1G 0BJ Wed 17th May 2017 6:30pm -8pm FREE The Success Talks series returns to London College of Fashion for the fourth talk in the series. Industry experts will sit down to share their experience in the industry and discuss ideas and topics as raised by the audience. If you are looking to launch your own business in fashion, have an idea and don’t know where to start or want to know the different career routes into fashion, this is the talk for you. There will also be an opportunity to network with the panel speakers and other attendees. Speakers on the night will include Fashion Features Director at ELLE UK, Kenya Hunt, Christine Mhando, Founder and Director of CHiCHiA London Jamelia Donaldson, Founder and CEO of Treasure Tress and filmmaker Daniel Acheampong creator of TALK 2 DAN.
Clerknwell Design Week Spa Fields Northampton Road London, EC1R 0DF Tues 23rd – Thur 25th May 2017 FREE Get ready for a series of talks, discussions, debates and exhibitions exploring ideas and new products over three days during Clerkenwell Design Week. Now in its 8th year, this independent design festival attracts an international audience to Clerkenwell. Over 300 designers will be exhibiting their products and designs to an estimated audience of 34,000. Clerkenwell is home to more creative businesses and architects per square mile than anywhere else on the planet, making it truly one of the most important design hubs in the world.
ArT
Close To Nothing, Sophie Derrick Solo Exhibition DegreeArt.com 12 Vyner Street London E2 9DG Thur 4th May 2017 5:30pm -9pm FREE With her work now held in several private and public collections, Sophie Derrick brings her solo exhibition to London for one day only. The Close To Nothing” exhibition is inspired by Sophie’s previous work on the “Feint” collection featuring ethereal and muted colours that gradually ascend throughout the collection into a multi-layered vibrant, cacophony of neon hues. Just last year Sophie was shortlisted as one of the final 200 artists for the BP Portrait Award and she was selected for the Royal Academy Summer show. BBC News have revered Sophie as on the most influential women in the arts.
You Are Looking at Something That Never Occurred Zabludowicz Collection 176 Prince of Wales Road London NW5 3PT Until 9th July Thursday – Sunday 12–6pm FREE Curated by Paul Luckraft for the Zabludowicz Collection, the You Are Looking at Something That Never Occurred brings together the works of 14 international artists who work with photography from different generations spreading over 40 years from the late 70’s. Along with the works on display, there is a commissioned essay by David Campany and there is a round-table discussion moderated by artist and writer Chris Wiley featuring Lucas Blalock. The title of the exhibition comes from a conversation between Jeff Wall and Lucas Blalock discussing the experimental aspect of art and the mystery of it. The exhibition explores how the artists on display have used photography to portray fact and fiction and how photography is used as a way of engagement.
Ismyrna a film by Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige Whitechapel Gallery Zilkha Auditorium, 77-82 Whitechapel High St, London E1 7QX Thur 4th May 2017 7pm £9.50 Although Joana and Khalil have never set foot in the Smyrna/Izmir region, the film depicts the changes that have taken place in the region since the decline and fall of the Ottoman empire. The film, directed by both Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige is part of the duo’s project I Stared at Beauty So Much, questioning ideas of identity, belonging and nationalism. The film screening will be followed by a discussion with the two artists themselves and Director of the Sharjah Art Foundation, Hoor Al-Qasimi.
Rebecca Mason as Rococo Wonderland Rebecca Mason is building up a huge fanbase with collectors both here in the UK and abroad. Rebecca’s art makes light of the current dark, unhinged times we are going through, providing much needed humour and comfort. Rebecca manages and curates her own gallery, Sentient whilst still creating her own art. This makes a difference from Rebecca’s previous life where she spent over ten years working in regulatory roles in large City institutions in London, Paris and New York. Rebecca took the time to talk us through her work and how her previous role has influenced her creativity.
We read online that your work is influenced by life, feelings and hangovers. Is this true and what are your tips for dealing with a hangover? Haha! I do tend to find that when I am hungover I spend a lot more time thinking and analysing my behaviour and the world, so it can be quite productive in that sense... The "Send Help" neon I am currently finishing is in part about being hungover but also takes a more macro approach to current affairs. I have no tips though - if anything mine are getting worse as I get older.
Collaboration with Gemma Ward
Some of your work is credited under the pseudonym Rococo Wonderland, is this like an alter ego and what is the meaning behind the name?
When I first started producing the artwork and doing shows in 2013, I wanted a more memorable name than my real one. I had been using the name "Rococo Wonderland" on other platforms - I went to a lot of costume parties and felt using my real name would give colleagues too great a chance to find me dressed in crazy outfits, which I didn't feel would be very appropriate - so I ended up just using that. I transitioned back to Rebecca Mason when my art was really taking off because nicknames tend to be utilised and accepted for street artists but less so in the arena I was working in - people confused me for a collective. My work was all about me and being authentic, so I thought why still hide behind a name? As for the origins of Rococo Wonderland - nothing more exciting than liking rococo decor and the old cliche of Alice in Wonderland, really. Demur Magazine
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You studied Economics and thereafter worked for various corporate firms. When did you realise you wanted to pursue a different path? I think it was less about wanting to pursue a different path and more about just finding myself on a slight diversion now and then, realising I was creating something that seemed to resonate with people and then just working crazy hard to try to make a go of it. None of that would have been possible if I wasn't able to selffund my artwork via my corporate jobs, so I went down both paths simultaneously, which was a lot of hard work. My art work is heavily influenced by the world in which I worked in, the misrepresentation I saw in the media years ago (now called "fake news" I guess...), the finger pointing and the analytical ability that served me well during my economics studies worked well here too. The corporate life and the art life complement each other well (for many reasons, along with giving me a more rounded exposure to different issues and viewpoints) and I do still like to dip my toes into the corporate world now and again - I get many more ideas when I feel like I am part of the machine and can absorb events and the daily grind that way. The “Do You Hear Yourself When You Speak (what?)” piece is full of corporate jargon too. If there is one thing I have learned - if I try to do art full time without the corporate machine element of my life too, I get quite unhappy quite quickly. I like to straddle the wall between both now and then - I am the geekiest artist you'll ever meet, and my love of spreadsheets, plans, numbers and frameworks it’s borderline embarrassing.
You use your work to express yourself and address culture and current affairs. Do you ever have a writers block, where you sort of don’t know what your next piece should be?
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Yes, all of the time. It's awful! I put a lot of work into the text I write on the backgrounds, the order and juxtaposition are really important, as is the layout. Some can take a couple of years to get right - the flow, the tone, the examples, the degree to which they are not justified, the final sentence etc. I think some people believe I just churn them out as a stream of consciousness or find the text on the internet - it's usually a lot harder than that! At any one time, I have 10-15 sets of glass words ready, waiting for backgrounds but I have to be in the right frame of mind to do them and tend to change my mind multiple times about which way a particular piece is going. I also have to be relaxed and happy to write them - if I’m not and if I try to force them out, I never like the pieces or show them to anyone. They cost so much to do that it's an expensive mistake when I produce something I find I am not happy with. That’s why I turn down almost every commission request - I can't write this stuff to deadline, nor get into someone else's head - it has to come from my heart or it doesn't work. Moral of the story - it takes a lot of time and effort to throw streams of sentences together!
At the moment, I am definitely in a block phase - largely because I keep jumping between so many pieces as there is just so much material out there at the moment I don't know where to start. There is so much going on in the world. That said, I look over a number of my pieces from 2014/15 and see a lot of the current 2016/17 themes regarding world events are covered on them already, so I'm also cautious to not duplicate.
What does your creative process entail? Usually a word or phrase pops into my head, I write it down as a potential theme and build out ideas around that. I have notebooks full of spider diagrams full of associations with a word or concept and email myself throughout the day so I don't forget things. Around 90% of my ideas never make it, or get scaled back when I realise I can't physically make something that has the features I want or can't bring enough different layers/views/tones to a theme. I tend to write the neon word out hundreds (really) of times until I get the final version for the template with the exact shape of each letter how I want it - that then gets blown up to the life-size dimensions of the intended neon to form the template for glass bending. Then the glass is bent, electrodes attached and pumped with gas (neon or argon). I then spend another 1-2 years (sometimes) gathering more ideas for background text, whether I should use imagery that matches with the theme, whether I can attach things to the piece - whips, animal tail butt plugs. I can't classically draw or paint but have recently got into drawing words on a graphics pad in place of typed text. A lot of the elements and ideas just come to me at weird moments when I'm out and about, relaxed and having fun. Once I'm completely happy with the background I send it to print (usually on aluminium or acrylic). Once I have the printed metal, I position and mark up the glass placement, drill the piece, wire it and then hang it. I have many large tool boxes - I absolutely love putting things together. Underlying the whole process is observation - I do a lot of people watching and analysing. I like to spend a lot of time alone though just thinking. I couldn't do this if I was surrounded by people.
Where can we keep up to date with your work? Instagram is always a good place to start @rebecca_ mason_art or my website www.rebeccamasonart.com. I've also just moved out of east London and down to Folkestone on the Kent coast, where I have set up my own gallery, Sentient, in their Creative Quarter - a fab area full of artists and creative businesses. I'll debut a lot of my new work in there before moving it to London shows, so that's a good place to check it out.
Meen Clothing Model Sabrina Make Up Artist Kkglamovers Designer Meen Clothing Accessories Mode Nubienne Photographer Alice Chapman
Clothing Meen Meen,the lady behind Meen Cltohing breaks down what it takes to break barriers as an independent fashion designer.
M Talent… Talent is God given, it is something you are fashion. Challenges faced by independent born with and develop over time. designers… Ideal Muse… Staying original, profitability and Probably Aaliyah her vibe was street but sustainability can all be tricky. Trying to make money while being fair to your sweet. customers is difficult. However, passion and loving what you do will always see Meen Clothing representing her Ghanian heritage… you through. It's important to celebrate the culture whilst adding a twist by making fashion Experience vs studying fashion… less traditional, more trendy and fashion Experience for sure has been a great forward teacher. Don't get me wrong they teach a bit about being a creative in business on a fashion degree, but there's only so much Creating and marketing a collection as an independent you can learn from others, sometimes you have to go through and learn from your designer… It's really hard, especially in the age of fast own experiences. Where can we get a piece of Meen Clothing?
www.meenclothing.com , @meenclothing on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Meen Clothing Model – Miss Kevine
Make Up Artist – Kkglamovers
Designer – Meen Clothing
Accessories – Mode Nubienne Photographer – Alice Chapman
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Meen Clothing Models Sabrina & Miss Kevine Make Up Artist Kkglamovers Designer Meen Clothing Accessories Mode Nubienne Photographer Alice Chapman
Meen Clothing Models Sabrina Make Up Artist Kkglamovers Designer Meen Clothing Accessories Mode Nubienne Photographer Alice Chapman
Meen Clothing Models Miss Kevine Make Up Artist Kkglamovers Designer Meen Clothing Accessories Mode Nubienne Photographer Alice Chapman
Meen Clothing Models Sabrina Make Up Artist Kkglamovers Designer Meen Clothing Accessories Mode Nubienne Photographer Alice Chapman
Talking pictures with Alice Chapman summer, using colour and energetic poses. In an industry that is saturated by photographers, what do you do to ensure your work stands out? Indeed, it is! The main thing, with anything in life is, "your vibe attracts your tribe", keep being you, work hard, stay enthusiastic and motivated. Personally, I love trying out new ideas, poses, forever being inspired by old, new, music, light, composition - it's endless. I believe the What sort of equipment and software team is also key, I had a fantastic time shooting on this set, our energy and did you use for the shoot and editing? For this particular shoot, I used my Nikon ideas bounced off each other! D800. However, it really doesn't matter what you have, it's all about how to What are the essential items that make a use it. For post-production editing, I great shoot? usually swap between Lightroom and Planning and preparing a brief beforehand. Photoshop. Alice Chapman thrives on both the involvement and the challenge of working with large creative teams, pushing boundaries, organising everything prior the photographic session and watching it all fall into place. Introducing interesting props and the involvement of animals can also be evident throughout her works. Alice is the photographer behind the Meen Clothing editorial featured in this issue.
What were you hoping to achieve with Where can we see more of your work? My website: www.alicechapman.com. this shoot? For this shoot we wanted to express au or Instagram: @achapmann
Meen Clothing Models Sabrina & Miss Kevine Make Up Artist Kkglamovers Designer Meen Clothing Accessories Mode Nubienne Photographer Alice Chapman
Meen Clothing Models Sabrina Make Up Artist Kkglamovers Designer Meen Clothing Accessories Mode Nubienne Photographer Alice Chapman
Meen Clothing Models Miss Kevine Make Up Artist Kkglamovers Designer Meen Clothing Accessories Mode Nubienne Photographer Alice Chapman
Meen Clothing Models Miss Kevine Make Up Artist Kkglamovers Designer Meen Clothing Accessories Mode Nubienne Photographer Alice Chapman
Meen Clothing Models Sabrina Make Up Artist Kkglamovers Designer Meen Clothing Accessories Mode Nubienne Photographer Alice Chapman
Meen Clothing Models Miss Kevine & Sabrina Make Up Artist Kkglamovers Designer Meen Clothing Accessories Mode Nubienne Photographer Alice Chapman
No one wants to have their work stolen or copied,not after the time and energy they’ve put in. Are you an avid author, a destined designer or an aspiring artist? Well, stop right there! There are ways you can ensure your creative ideas do not end up in the wrong hands.
4 Intellectual Property rules to help you own your creativity by Emily Bone
public. Imagine spending months and months
Intellectual property (long but useful term) refers to the creations produced by someone for which control is assigned to the designated owner by law. For example,a trademark might be granted to a fashion designer, protecting their designs from plagiarism. I’d never heard of all this talk until my research, so here it goes…
1.
As a designer, your legal rights protect you from copyright, trademarks, and exploitation through third parties. Useful right? I mean, Vogue wouldn’t put up with copyright so, why should you? Copyright protects the expression of creativity of the author but only once the idea is designed on paper, as an idea in your head is harder to prove and cannot be protected. So quickly get that idea out of your head and on to paper as soon as possible. Take Puma for example; the multinational footwear company, recently took Forever 21 to court. Puma claimed Forever 21 illegally replicated the shoe designs that Creative Director and Brand Ambassador Rihanna had designed for Puma. As Puma own the design trademark for those shoes, amongst the singer’s designs of the Creeper, the Bow Slide, and the Fur Slide, their lawsuit stated that Forever 21 did not have permission to copyright the design. So if you are fashion, graphic, stage or costume designer you want to ensure you keep your designing rights. Your designs can be protected by an EU Unregistered Community Design, which takes effect from the date your design is made available to the 26
crafting together a masterpiece design that finally gets you noticed by the fashion gods and Chanel waltz in with an exact replica receiving all the credit and a huge profit. You, well, you are left with no recognition. Don’t let this transpire, get your rights sorted out!
2.
Plagiarism, another intellectual property rule that can relate to all art avenues. This is the practice of taking someone else’s work and passing it as your own. This term is known as Piracy when related to the counterfeit of a film, which some of us may be familiar with. As a music producer or an artist, Plagiarism can occur when an artist copies the tune of a published song.
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This happened when co-songwriters, Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams were sued $7.3 million for copying Marvin Gaye’s song “Got to Give It Up.” Gaye’s family allegedly owned elements of the sheet music to the record. The lawsuit ended with the singer’s hit “Blurred Lines” branded a copyright of Gaye’s 1977 hit. Often music plagiarism can be accidental, not realising you are mirroring the tune of a published song. To avoid doing this, a recognised tip is to play the song in a different key or tempo, allowing you to get a fresh perspective. But more importantly, to avoid this happening to you, copyright your next hit using the www.gov.uk Government website.
3.
Patent infringement (yes another lengthy phrase) is another intellectual property rule that independent artists like many reading this should be aware of. The reason for having a patent is to have a monopoly in the invention; if someone uses this patented invention this would be an infringement of the artists’ rights. This is demonstrated by the on-going lawsuit between Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronic Co, Ltd. Of course, as they are our largest technology producers for phones, and in big competition, these global companies have filed many design patents covering their basic design, features and exclusive trademarks of their brand. These companies have filed lawsuits after lawsuits against each other for patent infringement over their phone features, most of which we can guess just by looking at our phones.
4.
Quite often we come across images on the Internet, perhaps art that we would like
*Disclaimer – This guide is not to be relied upon as legal advice.
to use. For me as a journalist, I come across images on a day-to-day basis that could be of use in my work, but it’s not as easy as that. But how do we get permission to copy this creative work if the right holder (the original owner/producer) cannot be found? The term is orphan work. These are creative pieces that are subject to copyright but the copyright holder is either unknown or cannot be found. With this in mind, as an artist or photographer, remember to copyright your images. Using the metadata in photographs you can, mark your work as copyrighted with a simple click and insert of details. So don’t let your work end up as an orphan. As a journalist, it is infuriating when someone copies my writing that I spent time perfecting and honing my writer’s voice. This happened to me back when I was only 15 years old, desperate to reach my dream as a journalist. I finally got this opportunity, (with a bit of help from my mum) and got an invite to an exclusive ladies’ lunch to report on their designer fashion show. As you can imagine, excited was an understatement. I had contacted my local newspaper and they agreed to publish the piece. When I got home from this rather exquisite stately house, I wrote and perfected the piece to the best of my ability (naively agreeing for them to edit it of course). What they sent back was my basic version but completely trodden over and in place of my name was theirs, leaving me with no recognition. Needless to say, I never sent the piece back to be published. Although I was young, don’t let this happen to your work. No one should be able to take away what you have crafted with your personality. Own your creativity
Music – Faintheart We were first introduced to Vineyard two years ago a group of four dashing, young guys, based in Manhattan, Kansas. Still based in Manhattan, Kansas and some members subbed, the band have changed their name to Faintheart. Tanner, Hunter, Jeremy and Riley talk us through their name change and future plans for Faintheart
I suppose we really want to know, what’s with the name change? Has the sound changed as well? We decided that it just didn't make sense anymore to release music under the name Vineyard. We are the same people, but the band was not the same anymore. With all the member changes, and sound changes throughout the year, we thought that no one had a clear idea of what Vineyard was, or at least the idea that we wanted them to have.
What have you got planned with Faintheart? We released our Self-Titled EP in March and that is streaming all over the internet, on iTunes, Spotify, Bandcamp, etc. So we are pushing that at the moment.
We noticed the self-titled EP is doing well, what were you hoping to achieve with it? I think for us, we made music that we wanted to make, and music that we wanted to listen to. We hope that people are able to connect with it in some way, and that maybe they can relate to it. Music has done great things for us in our lives, and we just want to try and give that back to others.
As an independent band, what are some of the difficulties you are currently facing in getting your music out there?
Hah! That's an interesting question, and I think just noise. It’s difficult to get people making noise about you. Like, everything is fighting for our attention on a daily basis. I believe that your attention is the greatest commodity in the world, and who and what you give that to matters, so when someone pay attention to our band we know what that means. There are so many great bands out there, and if someone chooses to listen to us, and then connect with us, or buy our record it means more than we know how to say. We do it for the music, whatever difficulties are presented to us, we push through them.
Our readers would like to know what makes a great outfit for a musician? So, there is this ongoing joke in the band that we think Jeremy is always thinking, "but what would I wear with this song?" which sounds so dumb, but when we get up on stage to do a performance, he will always change his shirt and says it helps him get in the mindset, and to us we think that’s similar to actors in costume, or he's just weird. We would totally do black skinnies, it's a staple for any musician, but you know you need some good stretch in those, and you need good pockets (yeah, we wear girl’s jeans sometimes) and you definitely need to make sure the crotch doesn't rip either, but then if it’s summer festival season and you're going to roll them up to some man capris, you need to have the inside of the leg looking good if its rolled. Also, a good solid button up, with a good cut in the back so it’s not tight around the chest, and then fits like a blanket in the back.
How can we stay connected to Faintheart?
We are across the internet as @wearefaintheart on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, wearefaintheart.com and then we are on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, Amazon. Seriously, wherever you need to get music.
Music – Kalhex
We love discovering new talent so when we were browsing through a music playlist on a streaming site, we came across Kalhex and immediately selected add to favourites. Kalhex are a hip hop/rap trio from Paris and their music is reminiscent of nostalgic hip hop when it was still something to be admired. Still staying true to the art of hip hop producing their own music through some sampling and living the hip hop culture, the trio are a family with a story to share. How would you describe the Kalhex trio?
We formed the group in 2006 and we have Parental (DJ/Producer), Le Makizar (MC/Producer) and Lex (MC/Producer). In 2008, we created the hip-hop label, AkromĂŠgalie Records, to release our music, which is strictly based on sampling. Since then, we have put out loads of records as a group as well as some solo efforts. We are all making beats and even for our solo projects we take advice from each other to evolve together. Parental and Lex are brothers and Le Makizar is also a brother from another mother. Music helped us to gather people we feel close to, from all over the world. Kalhex is a family!
You guys create jazz infused, raw, authentic, hip-hop, with the term hip hop being loosely applied to commercial music these days, how do you ensure you stay true to the art and culture that is hip hop? We never really make our music to follow the trends. It doesn't mean that we are stuck in the past. We are of course aware of what's happening now but we always create our projects based on our own feelings and sensitivity. We would describe our music as a mix of our main influences and a will to push out the boundaries of hip-hop, especially on the instrumental side of our work, by adding to the hiphop formula what we like in other genres (Jazz, Electronic, Ambient). We're also very attached to the physical format, that's why our catalogue is available on Vinyl, CD & Tape. The majority of your music is in your native language, French, how is this received by your global audience? It's funny because it seems that our music is much more popular outside of France. So, in a way people don't need to understand what is said to feel it. Music is a common language and half of our releases are instrumentals, which of course helps us to reach a wider audience. We are close to the German label HHV as well as the Japanese label Rockwell Product Shop (run by Takumi Koizumi, former manager of Hydeout-Productions).
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Along the years, we have been able to work with artists that we truly appreciate from all over the globe. Most of them were huge influences to us and have turned into great friends, such as L.A based producer Dday One, Grap Luva & Rob-O (of Pete Rock's crew INI), Shing02, Segawa Tatsuya & Uyama Hiroto (former collaborators of Nujabes), and of course Pete Flux (MC/ USA) who's part of our extended family. The love for your craft is evident in your music. When was the moment you realised you were in love with hip hop? Before we even started making music, we all grew up with the 90's hip-hop. But our love for this music kept increasing when we started making music in the early 00's. Especially since our music is 100% sampling based, it led us to dig into the culture and history of it. By searching drums and original tracks of the songs we liked, we slowly built a personal path through it to form our own signature. When it’s all said and done, what would you like your legacy to be? It's very early to think about that! (laughs). If we can bring people together to make music and/or have the curiosity to dig for original records the way we did with our influences, that would be priceless!
Parental
Where can we keep up with the Kalhex trio? You can follow us online. We got a lot to release in the next months. Pete Flux & Parental just released a new single a few months ago called “What They Need” (including DJ Spinna remix). Their 2nd album “Infinite Growth” is also dropping very soon. Lex (de Kalhex) released his 3rd instrumental album in March, featuring Segawa Tatsuya & Uyama Hiroto. He's also releasing an EP with fellow beatmaker Dday One in June. Le Makizar, who released his solo album last year, is finishing “The Missing Link”, his 1st instrumental LP. There's a lot more to drop so stay tuned.
Lex
Akromégalie Records : http:// www.akromegalierecords.com Facebook : https://www. facebook.com/kalhexkalhex/ Soundcloud : https://soundcloud. com/kalhex Instagram : https://www. instagram.com/kalhexkalhex/ Twitter : https://twitter.com/ kalhex Photos by Hugo Besikian & Markus Oberndorfer.
Le Makizar
Food – Strut & Cluck – Not your average roasted bird Well-regarded as the go to place for seasonal dishes inspired by Eastern Mediterranean home cooked food, Strut & Cluck show us clean eating doesn’t have to be so distasteful. Starting off her in her home kitchen, Limor took it upon herself to transform the oftendry bird we indulge in during the festive season and revitalised it with various ingredients and cooking techniques, so that we can benefit from its nutritional properties. What started off as pop-up in Shoreditch is now a chic restaurant with attractive décor, run by Limor and her husband Amir on Commercial Street, Shoreditch. We spoke to Limor and Amir about their Turkey fascination and what other dishes on the menu we can enjoy.
What sort of people do you get in your restaurant? We get a lot of young creatives and the atmosphere at the restaurant suits them well. Our chefs and staff are knowledgeable in the food we serve and they take their time to describe the flavours, process and ingredients to diners and I think our customers appreciate that chilled out friendly atmosphere.
The menu has expanded but initially, what was your fascination with turkey meat? I cook a lot of turkey meat at home for my family, just because it's a healthy meat with plenty of nutritional benefits. However, because it's lean, it tends to be a bit dry so you have to be careful how you cook it. For me a turkey is not just for Christmas. I usually dissect the meat, you know cook the drumstick or thighs separately, because those pieces are not as dry as the breast. We've had people round the house for dinner and after eating the turkey meat we serve them, they are quite surprised by what you can do with turkey meat. So the idea for the restaurant was born off that. We started off as a pop up in Shoreditch with the idea of serving Eastern Mediterranean healthy wholesome food, that’s not necessarily clean eating. This is how we eat at home. We also have a lot of vegetarian dishes on the menu and we have added on to the menu a new section from fresh land and sea which includes other meats as well, using wonderful flavours and ingredients.
So for Christmas what can we expect to be served at your home? You will not get the traditional big bird that's for sure but you will get your turkey.
What keeps people coming to Strut &Cluck? The food is very tasty, wholesome and feels homely. I never compromise on flavours and I ensure the food is well seasoned when it's cooked. We have a cauliflower dish which has been a hit with many cauliflower haters. It's the same thing with the turkey, we bring wholesome, tasty flavours to the food you dislike or are unsure about. The ambience is warm and welcoming from the music to the service. We treat the restaurant like our own home, the portions are generous and we try to give value for money, we don't want our customers to leave the place feeling cheated, we wanted them to come out satisfied and planning the next visit. Demur Magazine
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How do you select the food that goes on to your menu? I think now that we are serving much more than turkey and vegetables there is a nice balance on the menu. We do adapt the menu when the season changes just to make use of the ingredients that are in season at that time, such as the Watermelon salad. Different things inspire us. We usually change a few dishes around based on Limor trying out and developing new recipes.
Do either of you have a background in the catering industry at all? I (Amir) used to run a group of bakery cafes across London. They were known for high quality cafe style food, we made everything on site and everything was fresh. Limor is a great cook although she is an artist as well. She has a good sense of flavours and the food she makes at home is what we serve at the restaurant but of course adapted for a restaurant setting. Some of Limor's recipes are family recipes that have been in the family for years and have been passed on.
What dishes would you recommend from your menu besides everything that’s on it? The cauliflower has become our flagship dish. It's simple but unusual. It's all about celebrating the ingredients and not overkilling them with seasoning. The charcoaled leeks are quite special, they are mixed with manouri, capers, hazelnuts and apricot giving them a nice combination of flavours. The Pita Balagan is also very nice, Balagan means a mess but the dish looks beautiful it's like a pizza. From the turkey section the hand pulled shawarma is definitely a twist on shawarma as people know it. This is a healthier version with pine nuts, pickles, herbs and tahini, this dish is very popular as well.
From the land and sea section the slow cooked beef cheeks are nice and tender. They are cooked with date molasses and served on a bed of polenta. One desert that seems to be popular is the Kadayif Nest which are shredded noodles baked in the oven and then
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served with a light cheesecake cream on top with a caramelised pecan. It's very delicious and very popular.
Are there any plans to expand? We are looking to open another branch in the West End. It will be similar cuisine, ambience and decor but will be different in terms of taste. That's our big project at the moment.
You can dine at Strut & Cluck at 151 Commercial St, London E1 6BJ. www.strutandcluck.com Demur Magazine
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