Halcyon Issue 4 by Halcyon Magazine

Issue 4. Free

DIMITRI FROM PARIS

12 O’CLOCK BOYS

SOUTH BY SOUTH-WEST

DJ MASEO

contents

SNEAKERS & SOTHEBY’S: A WORD WITH ARTIST DAVE WHITE

12.

IN SEARCH OF BILL MURRAY: SOUTH BY SOUTH-WEST

23.

30.

24.

34.

THE BEAT BOUTIQUE AN ORANGE BIKE RIDE

26.

JAMES RICHARDSON GLOVERALL

CHOPPED HERRING RECORDS

38.

12 O’CLOCK BOYS

46. 18.

DIMITRI FROOM PARIS

SOUND & VISION

50.

CHAIN REACTION

Read the digital magazine and get exclusive online content at www.halcyonmag.com

74.

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY

76.

TONY SMITH

80.

COOPER & STOLLBRAND

86.

58.

MASEO

66.

INVENTORY: TRIADS

70.

Issue 4 Halcyon HQ 16 Connect Business Village Tate Suite 9 24 Derby Road Liverpool L5 9PR Telephone: +44 (0)151 207 7744 Email: contact@halcyonmag.com Website: www.halcyonmag.com Editor-in-Chief Daniel Sandison editor@halcyonmag.com

CAMPBELL-COLE

Style Editors John Lloyd john@halcyonmag.com Matthew Staples matt@halcyonmag.com

OI POLLOI

Content Editors Jonathan Turton jonathan@halcyonmag.com Ste Turton ste@halcyonmag.com

DANNY TORRANCE

Business Development Director Alan McCarthy

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98.

EL SUPERCLĂ SICO: ON THE ROAD WITH RIVER PLATE

Business Development John Hay johnhay@halcyonmag.com Art Director Roy McCarthy Advertising john@halcyonmag.com Distribution matt@halcyonmag.com Facebook facebook.com/halcyonmag Twitter @halcyonmag Cover photograph Mathew Copeland mathewspics.blogspot.com Additional Photography Paul Mortimer thingandwhere.com

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SNEAKERS & SOTHEBY’S A WORD WITH ARTIST, DAVE WHITE. WORDS: DANIEL SANDISON

rtist Dave White discusses taking his childhood love of sneakers, comic books and Americana and putting it on canvas…

When did you first decide, ‘I want to be an artist’? Was it something that came naturally, or did it seem at odds with your other interests? “Since being a very small child, I was always making drawings of things I was into. This crossed over into endless sketchbooks, which my whole childhood was based around. I suppose it was kind of obvious in hindsight, throughout school it was Art I looked forward to.” Your work often reflects aspects of popular culture that would perhaps be otherwise ignored by the art world. How do Air Jordan & things like that blend with being exhibited alongside Picasso at Sotheby’s? Or is that contrast part of the fun?

“I’ve only made images of things I have a deep connection with or things that profoundly affected me as a child. I’ve never had a game plan and could never have imagined that the works would have taken me on this journey with Nike and the likes. I enjoy the mix to be honest, and really like not being pigeonholed. Your work with iconic sneakers in particular has caught people’s imagination. From the football following fraternity to Carmelo Anthony - what is it about a training shoe that gets people so excited? “The sneakers works were a homage to celebrate and immortalise the designs and incredible beauty I find in sneakers. As a kid in Liverpool, making trips with hard earned pocket money to Wade Smith to buy a new pair was an incredible moment; spending hours deciding and weighing up your final choice. For me it was a pair every blue moon, so the moment was special and still is. “I guess globally it’s exactly the same; affinity with an athlete, an iconic moment in time such

as the Olympics, or the good times you had wearing them as a kid. Everyone has a story of why they have a favourite pair and there’s a bond in the game, much the same as bikers have when they give each other the nod out of mutual respect, sneakers are the same. Strangers start conversations and compliments exchanged. I love that. The global sneaker culture is a wonderful thing with a lot of positivity and creativity.” Working so closely with popular culture, it’d be easy to assume you must constantly be consuming new things; books, films, fashion. Is this the case, or do you simply apply your style to each piece as and when it comes to you? “I’m a large consumer of popular culture - I love film, comics, video games, music and the likes - however I’ve never jumped on a bandwagon or made anything because it was fashionable or on trend. Fads come and go and you’re left looking rather dated once the bubble has burst. I used to spend a good deal of time absorbing blogs and information globally,

DAVE WHITE: SNEAKERS & SOTHEBY'S

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I don’t even look anymore. I’ve a very intense relationship with the paintings; I keep my kind clear and avoid any distractions nowadays in the studio.” “My journey has been 25 years in the making and I’m pushing it harder now than ever. I only make a series for a very good reason and although on the surface of past subjects I’ve explored, Pop Art was easily at the forefront of the intent, the work now couldn’t be further from this. My style is very distinctive yet I’ve never stopped pushing and learning, developing and refining. My latest works are actually stripped back and the volume turned down, I guess these things become apparent as you get older. I’m not one to rest on laurels and I’m only as good as my last piece - that’s how it’s always been. Some Artists are happy with one thing forever and that’s totally great for them. That’s not for me. Once I feel I’ve said what needs to be said I move on. I ended the sneaker series in 2007 however I am revisiting Americana, as I hadn’t fully got where I wanted to be with it. Sometimes making brave decisions and unlearning brings out the best work. I’m actually finishing the painting, then completely whiting it out and starting again - it’s all about not being precious and leaving ghostly echo’s in tune with my intent for the Warrior pieces.” The art world may seem a daunting arena for many, but much of your work allows for something recognisable; iconography that people can latch onto and perhaps go on to enjoy more of. Did any of your favourite artists open that door in a similar way? “Without question Vincent Van Gogh, the man loved life and did it his way. He didn’t care for convention – he tried to blend in and fit and realised that wasn’t him or his work he found his voice and style and depicted everything around him that was special and found joy through it. It wasn’t about fashion, success, notoriety or influence. He painted because he loved painting and I have a lot of affinity with that.” 10

IN SEARCH OF BILL MURRAY:

SOUTH BY SOUTH-WEST WORDS: JONATHAN FREDERICK TURTON IMAGES: DARIA LUDWICZAK & JONATHAN FREDERICK TURTON SUNDAYBRUNCH.TO

t seems that plenty of people in the USA have, or know someone who has, a personal Bill Murray anecdote.

“Nobody will ever believe you” whispers Bill, as he halts his morning jog to headlock a bystander, or steal a chip off somebody’s plate. In recent years Chicago’s favourite son has developed a penchant for Austin, Texas. Around March, when one of the world’s biggest and best music festivals rolls into town, so does Murray - routinely swilling beer and hitting on cocktail waitresses. I travelled to SXSW in search of Halcyon Hero Number One… Without a Hollywood agent or manager, making direct contact with the eighties, nineties and noughties icon was going to be nigh on impossible, as is well known in Hollywood. You don’t get in touch with Bill, Bill gets in touch with you. The mission was to find our man, ask him three questions and photograph him with the latest edition of Halcyon Magazine - not the worst assignment I’ve ever undertaken. Whether it could be realised amidst a plethora of distractions, namely bourbon, cocaine and cowgirls, was another matter entirely. 12

William James Murray is probably the most gracious, modest and well-loved A-list celebrity in America. Multiple websites exist dedicated to real life instances of Murray’s now renowned affability, ranging from take-out orders for the entire staff of stores he frequents, to him requesting ‘the biggest Margarita with salt you can make’ in an airport bar at 10am. My host in Texas, Lizzie, has a memory of her own. Back in 2010, Bill flirted with her pal who worked on the reception of The Hotel Saint Cecilia in Austin- Dr. Peter Venkman’s base of choice when attending South-By. On first-name terms, her friend (on the off chance) asked him to attend her boyfriend’s unofficial gig on the Saturday evening of the showcase. True to form, Murray showed up late and unannounced, and got drunk with Lizzie and her pals till dawn the next morning. Apparently, the comedy maverick has stayed at The Saint Cecilia on numerous occasions, so naturally this is the first line of enquiry regarding his whereabouts this year. Disappointingly, our collaborator reports no sign yet. In the meantime however, there is plenty to entertain a young man here in the Lone Star State. Due to its full integration into the city’s

SXSW: IN SEARCH OF BILL MURRAY

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SXSW: IN SEARCH OF BILL MURRAY

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SXSW: IN SEARCH OF BILL MURRAY

infrastructure, SXSW differs from any other music festival I’ve attended. The whole city is turned upside down, every location that can possibly house music, does. Launderettes, gay-bars, back gardens- yet music isn’t the only thing on the menu. In the last ten years the festival has evolved into a celebration of all art forms, housing film premieres, technology shows (Twitter was presented here in 2006) and other miscellaneous events such as the nomadic Flatstock show, which exhibits the best concert-poster artists working today. The range of activities at any one point is overwhelming, then of course there are the unofficial events. A series of showcases that sprawl through the city, day and night, that locals claim are better than anything the festival-proper, has to offer.

he make it for the last evening? Ridiculously, I’ve lost my press pass, and will have no access to tonight’s official shows. That means no Prince, Ozomatli or The Pharcyde. Presumably it was lost whilst shirt shopping in one of the many thrift stores dotted across the city. I plod on regardless, drinking shots and craft beers in various bars, keeping my eyes peeled for Steve Zissou. In the small hours I find myself on a bus with a band playing, heading out to someone’s house on the city’s periphery, thoughts of Bill and the assignment are put to the back of my mind. My mission ends without a Bill Murray encounter. Perhaps he didn’t make it to the party this year? Perhaps he did? As ever, the journey is more important than the destination.

One of the most appealing areas is Raney Street, where derelict, King of the Hill-style bungalows were converted into a series of drinking establishments.

The sheer range of shows attracts an extraordinarily diverse crowd. The first gig I attend exhibits the variety on offer, where Iggy Pop, The Specials and Ghostface Killah perform on the same bill. One of the most appealing areas is Raney Street, where a couple of years ago derelict, King of the Hill style bungalows were converted into a series of obscure drinking establishments. I sit in what would have been a Texan’s front room, drinking a can of their treasured Lone Star Beer.

Further east, along Sixth, Fifth and Fourth Street, is what can only be described as a hipster paradise, where punk bands play in and around traditional Mexican watering holes. It is here the Shangri-La lies, where a couple of years ago Bill turned up with The Wu Tang Clan. According to folklore, he was hanging out with the HipHop behemoths after attending their show and, with assistance from the RZA, wound up behind the bar serving drinks to the unwashed masses. Every drink ordered was accompanied with a shot of Tequila, of course. Out of the scorching sun, I head in to see whether Bill has reacquainted with the dark and alluring saloon this time around. Still no trace. In the coming days, word filters through that the king of deadpan is filming in Chicago. Will

Veterans of the festival claim the event has now outgrown itself, that the small venues are unable to house the growing demand that has accompanied the big name acts. Although some of these claims may be founded, the SXSW’s greatness lies in its expanse. With a swathe of free, interesting events, encompassing a bounty of genres and tastes, as well as the official showcases, it would be downright impossible not to have a good time here. Barbecues, pool parties, softball games, you name it, it’s in the itinerary. Austin’s favourable weather and condensed central district lend perfectly to a multi-platform extravaganza. A carnival with a primal spontaneity and exhilarating nature. Then of course there’s the food- How will I live without Tex-Mex? SXSW is a must for any music fan. More than just a music festival, it’s a unique American pilgrimage, with or without the presence of Bill Murray.

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LAST OF THE INTERNATIONAL PLAYBOYS:

DIMITRI FROM PARIS WORDS: STEPHANIE HENEGHAN & DANIEL SANDISON

DIMITRI FROM PARIS

“I

don’t like the fashion world at all” explains Dimitri From Paris, to a remarkably underdressed Halcyon writer in the foyer of the Manchester Malmaison. “I’m obviously very interested in style, but I actually think that fashion is completely remote from that. Fashion dictates your style and that means you are being told what to do by them. Style is your own- you should pick and choose what you want.” Dimitri should know. He’s provided music for the catwalks of Chanel, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Hermés and Yves Saint-Laurent, but as he explains it’s not where his true passion lies. “The music for fashion thing isn’t something that I pursued really. I was looking after the technical side for someone who was well introduced with all the fashion houses. He was also an old-school DJ, but he didn’t know how to mix, and needed someone to put some bits and pieces together. “Dealing with stylists though, they have a completely different view of music, one that isn’t musical. For me, it was very hard to communicate with them. It was a good learning experience because I had to make things fit without them being beat-matched. My first album ‘Sacrebleu’ came from that, a lot of the samples, catwalk snippets and things.” It’s interesting to hear someone like Dimitri, with such an established back catalogue of collaboration and original material, speak about DJing as a learning experience. He reveals that his trademark loungey, laid-back House style, was borne from a similar learning curve, and a case of employment dictating his practices. “My first paid job was in a club filling in for a resident DJ, and I didn’t like it because I didn’t have the freedom to play what I wanted. I couldn’t bring my own records, I had to use the record library that was there, and I thought ‘this isn’t for me.’ For a long time after that I worked strictly in radio, and it was there that I really developed my niche. It was a night program between 10 and 2am, when I was in the mood to play music that you could listen to rather than dance to. It was still ‘dance music’, but stuff that was smooth and melodic. It had that element of ‘lounge’ or whatever you want to call it, but also you had to keep it exciting so that people stayed tuned. It gave me a chance 19

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DIMITRI FROM PARIS

to develop my skills as a programmer for a good decade, before I went back to DJing in clubs.” It seems strange to consider now, after two studio albums, over seventeen compilation releases (including 2000’s Night At The Playboy Mansion), that Dimitri was once just eager to learn, and wasn’t at the very top of his craft. Where did that desire to learn and develop initially come from? “I’d always loved music. At about 12 or 13 I started getting into soundtracks, mainly the James Bond albums, action movie soundtracks, that sort of thing. They had break beats in, before I even knew what break beats were. I

I saw a video of some Hip-Hop scratch DJs, which must have been in the very early ‘80s before the famous Malcolm McClaren video. It had people like Africa Bambaataa and Fab Five Freddy on the same stage, and for the first time I was seeing DJs being creative with the records. went into buying James Brown, more and more 12 inch singles, because they were more exciting, and not condensed like the ones that you’d hear on the radio. I was buying more and more music and I couldn’t see it coming to an end. I didn’t think of DJing as an option at all. In fact, I’d never even considered the possibility that I could interact with music. “I saw a video of some Hip-Hop scratch DJs, which must have been in the very early ‘80s, before the famous Malcolm McClaren video. It had people like Africa Bambaataa and Fab Five Freddy on the same stage, and for the first time I was seeing DJs being creative with their records. Suddenly this made music more exciting than it had been, because someone was interacting with it. I went home and tried it on my turntable, and thought ‘wow, it’s not 21

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magic. I can do close to what they’re doing and with training I’m sure I could get there.’” “I borrowed my parents’ turntable, made a small mixer with some parts that I bought from a shop and really started to get involved with learning how to do it. That’s how it started. The key was wanting to interact with music without being able to play an instrument.” DJing has obviously developed massively since those early tentative steps and after his apprenticeship in radio programming, Dimitri returned to clubs and rose to prominence in a field that he initially found uncomfortable. “By the point I went back to clubs, DJing was starting to become what it is today, where DJs take their records to a club, and I thought ‘OK this is more like it. This is the way I can DJ’. My background in programming, mixed with the urgency and immediacy of playing in a club, helped me build what would become my style. “The kind of music that I play suits cosy places, and a club for me is cosy. By definition it’s closed, it’s dark and that’s where I grew up playing my stuff. Putting that into a festival puts my music out of context and when you put it out of context you’ve got to change what you do. I think if you’re playing a club it’s like driving a mini, and a festival is like driving a truck, you’re just not going to do it the same way.” How about those early days of buying records, is that same passion still there? “I have no attachment to the tools. I’ve been collecting vinyl for the music, I also buy a lot of CDs and I still like the physical thing. I’m still attached to something that I can hold, but if I have the choice between vinyl or a CD, I’ll buy the CD, for the quality. It’s always been about listening to music for me.’’

THE BEAT BOUTIQUE

e chatted to Dimitri whilst he was in the country for The Beat Boutique, Manchester’s premier soul/disco night. Jonny Mangas and Liam Quinn, the brains behind the whole thing, gave us a bit of background on the night… “The Beat Boutique started as a rare soul club” explains Liam, “I’d run The Belfast Soul Club years ago, and when I came to Manchester I wanted to start a club night. That’s where it began. After about four years, it was good, and we had a great name, but I was starting to move on musically. It was getting a little bit too ‘rare’, and other DJs wanted to stick with that, but myself and Jonny, who I’d known since I moved to Manchester, wanted to play music for a party, music that you could dance to. The other DJs eventually left, and I was left on my own. That’s when I asked Jonny to get involved.’’ “It was either stop it completely, or move in a new direction” interjects Jonny Mangas, his Northern drawl clashing with Quinn’s North Coast Irish accent in a manner that momentarily turns The Malmaison bar into a scene from a Ken Loach film. “What was different between myself and Liam, and the other soul DJs, was that we were listening to other things as well. We were into different things, we were going to House nights, listening to Groove and being involved in other scenes. This all stemmed from Soul music, in its original form. We were taking references from everywhere, listening to

Archie Bell and Gladys Knight, these artists who not only made great records in the 1960s, but when the Disco scene came along, started to change and become more up-tempo, and in the 1980s moved on again. Like those artists, we developed again, began with the ‘60s stuff, but moved on to a sort of House/Soul crossover.’’ “If an artist progresses musically, then a DJ has to do the same. If you don’t progress, your art form doesn’t progress either” adds Liam. “We’re Soul boys at the end of the day, that’s where it’s coming from. It’s all influenced by that sound, but we want to create a party vibe and move on, listen to new stuff and be constantly evolving.” With a solid concept, an excellent venue in Manchester’s Soup Kitchen, and superb guest artists - ranging from Dimitri to Al Kent and Homoelectric’s Jamie Bull - The Beat Boutique has forged its own niche in Manchester’s congested club scene. “At the Soup Kitchen we get to do what we’ve always wanted. We’re close to people and if they’re dancing and enjoying themselves, then we can enjoy ourselves” tells Mangas. ‘’The thing about our music and what we’re into is that you don’t have to be into Soul, you don’t have to be into House, you don’t have to be into Groove or whatever. It’s about the night; it’s about a big party.’’ @TheBeatBoutique 23

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AN ORANGE BIKE RIDE WORDS & IMAGES: JOSHUA ROTHERY

ust before I set off to cycle from my home town of Goole, Yorkshire, to Cape Town, South Africa, I sat in my garden and had a bacon sandwich with a cup of tea. I then made my farewells to the family and climbed onto my new orange bike. I can’t remember exactly what I thought or felt at the time, but I know I didn’t fully appreciate what was beginning. I just figured I’d ride about eighty miles for that first day, and hopefully find a pub whose landlord would let me camp after a couple of pints, in the pub garden. That all worked out. It wasn’t until I’d ridden across Europe, around the Mediterranean via the Middle East, and a long way up the course of the River Nile that, (in a corner of Ethiopia, on a day that made my extended holiday finally feel something like an expedition) I thought, with particular clarity, “Why the hell am I doing this?” I’d just crossed the Omo River, leaving behind Omorate - the last real Ethiopian settlement - to make my way through the remotest of landscapes into northern Kenya, via the shores of Lake Turkana. The only people around were tribes folk and bandits. There was no road. I set off on a bearing given to me by the pointed finger of a local man dressed in a technicolour robe. The sand-dust surface was too deep to cycle on, so I was forced to slowly push my heavy bike under the baking early morning sun. The landscape was a simple construction of three elements: a sky full of blue above a ground full of brown, dotted with an occasional green shrub. I was threading my way between that sporadic vegetation, creating my own route, aiming for an invisible point on the horizon and desperately hoping that I wasn’t veering gradually, yet massively off course. I didn’t have enough water for much more than a day and so I had to reach the Kenyan police border post at Todonyang, to refuel. A half-naked old woman held out her hand, so I shook it. She had a very firm grip. Mountains floated on mirage lakes. Lone, 24

lanky men strode around with long sticks and nothing else. It was so hot that after every blink, when the air touched my eyeballs again, I felt a burning sensation. The day dragged on. Very little changed, besides getting more and more exhausted, working hard for little more than an average speed of 3mph. I continued to aim towards an invisible ‘something’ that remained just beyond the horizon. I would push a little, slump over my handlebars, sip some water, and go again. Over and over. Over and over. Time crawled, yet worryingly, evening and nightfall seemed to be approaching with haste. I wouldn’t be able to move after dark. I’d be forced to camp. As the light began to seriously fade, out in the distance, a building appeared. A final effort took me there, and I was welcomed by a policeman toting an AK47, who gave me water, a room, pointed out the shower block, and promised a cooked meal. Everything I needed. At the beginning of that particular day, I begged the question “why the hell am I doing this?”, but by the end, had perhaps the single closest thing to an answer. I did it for the adventure. There were other days too that answered the question. The Bulgarian sex temple, the story of the dog stick, the thumb blister, the dying woman. There is the one about the dhow men of Bagamoyo, and the night long sail to Zanzibar. There’s a tale of a broken saddle on the way up the highest road in Africa. Dining on bags of rice, police escorts in Egypt, a boy on a horse in the night with a silver tray of tea, the termite invasion. There are others, but in all honesty, a lot of days were just quite normal. For fifteen months my nine-to-five was riding a big orange bike. On those days, it was especially nice just to find something else that was big and orange.

AN ORANGE BIKE RIDE

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CHOPPED HERRING RECORDS

IMAGES: ATTE SONNEN, THOMAS DAVI, PIET PADO

iercely independent and unwavering in its ethos, Chopped Herring Records has cemented itself as one of the leading Independent Hip Hop Labels in operation today. A steady barrage of vinyl only, limited releases by Hip Hop Luminaries such as Masta Ace, Prince Paul and Action Bronson have made it the go-to record label for Hip Hop purists and vinyl enthusiasts across the globe. Now run out of New York and Paris, its roots can

be traced back to Manchester’s early noughties. We caught up with enigmatic owner, known as Pro Celebrity Golf, to do some Fly Fishing into the world of Herring. What’s the History behind the label, how did we get to the point we’re at now? “PCG: Around 92’/93’, I started spinnin’ at club nights in Manchester; from then on I had DJ work on the regular for about 7/8 years.

I got a job working in the Fat City Records store but it wasn’t until around 2000 that I set up Chopped Herring Records. The label started with two releases by the remnants of a Manchester Hip Hop group called The Idiots. I’d been doin’ a few cuts and live shows with them and after a disastrous (yet hilarious) trip to ‘Hollyweird’, to meet amongst others Interscope supremo Jimmy Iovine, the group split up. The now ‘legendary’ (is that too strong a word?? nahhh) UK Hip Hop joint ‘Out To

CHOPPED HERRING

Lunch’ was the first ‘official’ release. I did the usual door to door or shop to shop thing, Mr Bongo in London (BIG UP) represented and sold a bunch of copies, as did Fat City. After 2 years locked inside a semi-detached house in Old Trafford, Jay Glaze and I dropped the one off legendary (too strong?? NO CHANCE) cut n paste mix ‘Three Sinister Syllables’.” “The label took a bit of a backseat for a few years as I went out to NY, on and off, diggin’ for wax and sellin’ it. Those years got me a bunch of dope contacts plus a steady mail order customer base. In 07’/08’ I dropped 2 records by Texas based artist Memory Man. The following year Herring started hittin’ hard again on the limited vinyl scene with the first Da Dysfunkshunal Familee record.” A small UK label, releasing local artists and Mix CDs starts dropping previously unreleased Material from Hip Hop Pioneers Like Prince Paul and JVC Force. What was the catalyst for that? “I swore I’d never get into the licensing game; I saw a bunch of labels licensing dope ish from the States to make their own product look better, I thought it was a cop out. BUT, after falling out with new Hip Hop stuff in the mid 2000s,I felt that looking back was a true representation of how I was feeling. By 2009 it was something

I was happy to rep. I was also exposed to the new cats coming up who looked back to the same joints I was spinning and reppin’ from the mid to late 90s; the same records I was diggin’ for in NYC. These kids, maybe 10-20 years younger than me, were discovering the small pressing indie releases for the first time. Their passion for Hip Hop on vinyl, whether underground or more classic (like Paul and JVC) was inspiring. With Herring always being about independence as a lifestyle choice, and Hip Hop on wax, it seemed the right time to take it on to the next. So I started working with a few classic underground acts whose records I had - Da Dysfunkshunal Familee and Shadez of Brooklyn - then through MC Paul Barman I hooked up with Prince Paul who had produced Barman’s first EP. From there I got the confidence to hit up other dope artists and the rest, as Sun Ra would say, is his-story, or my-story!” You had some interesting ‘Promotional Records’ in the early days including a 7.5” Cut out record and a Latin 45”. How were these received and how did they help raise the labels profile? “The first ‘release’ was the ‘Daydream’ 7.5” many years before the current fad for cutting non-typical records. We did it by hand on a jig saw. The idea behind it was ‘sampling’

and ‘borrowing’, that was the main thing I wanted to put across with a label representing Hip Hop. The sample is everything and it’s a creative process that every artist uses, whether consciously or subconsciously. I hit up a bunch of dope artists back then who still own the record, notably Soulman (aka Phil Most Chill), Necro (one of my favourite artists of the period) and a bunch more. A few years later I scored the dead stock from Sure Shot Records which happened to be in a lock-up in Indiana of all places. I shipped a load of 45s to NYC, picked ‘em up when I was in town and brought ‘em back with me to the UK. I faked a licensing situation by having some new Herring logo stickers made and I stuck each one over the original label logo. I also made a little sticker which added my name to the writing credits a la greedy label owner from back in the day stealing artist’s royalties. Satire, parody, cheekiness- whatever you wanna call it. Cats still don’t realise it was the Original 1960s record they copped.” Chopped Herring has a unique strategy for releases; social network announcements to a dedicated core following, no conventional promotion or ‘leaks’. Did this come about by accident or was it intentional? “A NYC MC, producer and record hunter who I used to go diggin’ with on occasion

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called Nobs put me on to the Diggers With Gratitude board. I joined up around 2009 and realised a bunch of my eBay customers and old supporters of Chopped releases were hangin’ out there. I’d made a bunch of new contacts in NYC and was thinkin’ about droppin’ some new wax. I saw what dudes were doin’ on the boards and set up a ‘limited’ release with some of the Bushwick artists I’d hooked up with. For the next year I was just feelin’ it out and doin’ my usual diggin’ thing in the States. I also set up a Facebook profile, something I just wasn’t interested in before. That gradually attracted more Hip Hop vinyl buyers onto the fan-page and it grew from there. “Now I mainly roll with Facebook as the front end of the promo side of things, our own website and the DWG board where Herring is now an official sponsor. As far as the mail order steez, it was a natural thing when you believe in independence - independence from larger companies. I probably use a similar ‘business model’ to the old Punk labels of the 70s and 80s. I mostly sell direct to my amazing customers and although I do use a couple of distributors in Japan and Europe, I ship the vast majority of the pressings to customers myself. In fact I do everything myself - I answer all the emails, hook up with artists, deal with the business, the promo, the snippet mixes, the

art direction, posting, packing, the whole 9.” How did a small label, pressing a few hundred vinyl copies per release, manage to sign deals with high profile and in demand artists like

‘It was a natural thing when you believe in independence - independence from larger companies. I probably use a similar ‘business model’ to the old Punk labels of the 70s and 80s’ Action Bronson and Masta Ace? “Ya know, vinyl is now a niche product, a product I specialise in exclusively. It makes sense that dope artists would want a label that can do a good job in their area of expertise. “They know they can get some exposure but keep it underground. They know their product will be spread around the world to dope artists, DJs, radio cats and generally clued up Hip Hop heads. In the case of Action Bronson, I

think it was timing. I dropped the ‘Welcome to the Great Outdoors EP’ relatively early in his career, showed him what I could do with his work on vinyl and we built from there. It says a lot about him that he kept me on board to do the vinyl of Dr Lecter and Blue Chips. Same with Meyhem Lauren; we now work together on all the vinyl releases. I committed to him early and we have grown together, now he has albums produced by Buckwild and DJ Muggs. I think mutual respect is important if your relationship is going to stand the test of time. As far as Masta Ace & J.V.C.F.O.R.C.E goes, I still can’t believe we’re working together ha ha.” Who are the fish that got away, who would be your perfect catch and what’s in the pipeline? “Good questions. Many of my perfect catches are on the hook already; the next few months are amazing. Grails, new acts and unknown acts. A real B-Boy bouillabaisse. Who got away? Doppelgangaz. I was on to it at the right time but I guess I wasn’t ready to convince them at that point. Some acts have their manager as their front line protection, some don’t. They did, and that proved to be the problem. For the future? More of the same; straight up multiple vinyl orgasms. Just keep it going. Keep the cats happy, keep them guessing, keep giving them what they need. Keepin’ it mad fishy son.....”

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LA GAZETTA DELLO HALCYON

JAMES RICHARDSON

JAMES RICHARDSON ON ITALIAN FOOTBALL WORDS: JONATHAN FREDERICK TURTON IMAGES: KAPPA

o the discerning football fan, there’s something about the Italian game that captures the imagination. Be it a diving header from Gabriel Batistuta, the stripes on the Sampdoria kit or a referee that’s been promised a holiday - its narratives seem to stretch beyond sport, into the realms of art, theatre and all too often politics. Its idiosyncrasies have long been appealing, but in recent years the canvas has been sullied. Italy’s football landscape has been blighted by a multitude of problems, with Serie A falling progressively further behind La Liga and the Premier League, both financially and morally. How did it get to this point? What were the unique traits that made it so special in the first place? What contributed to its near capitulation? James Richardson, expert Italian football correspondent, is perfectly placed to answer our questions. “In terms of foreign football, you want something where things are done differentlyand things are most certainly done different in Italy” states Richardson. “It’s funny, when the Italians talk about 30

character and football they usually talk about the English. They regard the English as being of model character- the way their heads never drop if they go behind; the battling spirit. “Part of the attraction of Italian football was that they always had such great players, the weather was good and back in the nineties, there were all these big stadiums that looked so impressive. Another draw was that the Italians break all the rules and don’t seem to care, on or off the pitch.” The Italians called it ‘il più bel campionato del mondo’ which translates as ‘the most beautiful league in the world’. A statement that, at one point, few could argue with. During the Nineties, Serie A was unquestionably the best domestic football division on the planet. This was reflected in the European competitions of the time, where between 1989-99, nine of the eleven European Cup finals featured an Italian side. “I think the measure for most people was the dominance in Europe. In the UEFA Cup you would often have all Italian finals. Champions League; European Cups- you would always have an Italian finalist. The way that Serie A teams dominated was really quite amazing. *The melody’s changed but the song remains the same

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JAMES RICHARDSON

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JAMES RICHARDSON

“I think ‘98 was the first year they didn’t get anybody into the quarters- that really felt like a sea change, because already you’d started to see big players maybe not coming to Italy, but going to play in the Premier League or La Liga.” Through the glory years and into the decline, Richardson and his team produced Football Italia, a Saturday morning soccer show on Channel Four featuring the best Italy had to offer. Was ‘98 the year he felt the power shifted towards England and Spain? “It was certainly towards the end of the ‘90s. The Italians were always conscious of La Liga’s power, Real Madrid and Barcelona. It was the Spanish they were worried about, not the English, although they always respected the English traditions. “Zola went to Chelsea in ’97, that was a big moment. See, a lot of players like Vialli had gone to England before, but that was akin to players going to the MLS now, to line their pockets before they retire. That was how it was regarded back then. When Zola went, that was different. He left in the prime of his career, that really was a major turning point for Serie A. To lose a player like that, some people in Italy were thinking this might be the beginning of the end.” Did the exodus of players coincide with monetary problems and at what point did the corruption and financial rot set in? “For years the Italians had a system called ‘Plusvalenza’, which was a way of twisting the figures I guess, when they did their accounts each year. So imagine I buy Baggio from you for 30 million. You would stick that cash in this years account, whereas I would put the expenditure in next year’s. So then, maybe you’d buy a couple of players from me. Again, you’d declare the money you’ve spent next year, whilst I’d declare the income now, and that would balance both our books. So they always made ends meet on the assumption that next year was going to be better. “Throughout the nineties there was this exponential growth in TV deals and what have you, so they were always living beyond their means. At some point it had to come to a head.” 32

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Was there any individual or organisation responsible for this culture of excess - maybe one figure or personality, who embodied all things bad about Italian Football? “If you had to talk about a guy who secretly wielded enormous power, then Luciano Moggi would be the man. He famously brought Diego Maradona to Napoli and managed to put the contract in after the deadline had passed. Supposedly, in Naples, they managed to break into the league’s offices and get it rubber-stamped at the eleventh hour. “Moggi is now famous as the man behind ‘Calciopoli’, which was the big scandal in 2006 that saw Juventus relegated and major points penalties. He was the director general of Juventus for many years. Nobody wanted to upset him, which invariably meant people would try and do what he wanted them to do. “Not only that, his son, in conjunction with a couple of other people, ran an agency managing players. You pretty much had to be in that agency if you wanted to play for the national team. So everyone was kind of in Moggi’s web: journalists, referees, politicians. If you wanted something done you went through Moggi.” As well as problems with finance and corruption, Italy has had to face issues regarding, let’s say, over-exuberant fans. This included violence, intimidation and racism. Are these problems on a national scale or are there pockets of resistance around the country? “Italian football, similar to Italian politics, is very much localised, contrary to popular belief. Livorno for instance, is quite a communist area, whilst Lazio is inherently nationalist. There were huge games between the two. In one of them, Di Canio did the famous Fascist or Roman salute. Then Lucarelli, who was the great talisman of the Livorno side, did the raised fist, which is the Communist version. There are differences, however they all have that passion in common. “Lazio, when Sven Goran Eriksson was in charge, lost the Rome derby one year. Afterwards, the fans staged an invasion of the training ground in protest, even though they were second in the table at the time. When Lilian Thuram was at Parma, Lazio wanted to sign him, but supposedly because they had a reputation for not wanting to sign black

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players, the Lazio fans sent a delegation to meet Thuram. Such was their power that basically, when he came back from the training ground in Parma, they were in the dressing room waiting to speak to him. They’re very engaged fans.” Internationally, people tend to have disdain for the ‘Ultras’, and similarly extreme fan groups. But amid an age of foreign investment, isn’t that exactly what fans around the world are demanding from clubs these days - more power? “You can describe it as essentially, the most democratic football nation in the world. Nowhere else do fans have such a big say. The problem is, which fans have a say? Does the ordinary fan have a say? Not really. It’s specifically the fans that threaten the club with violence. These are the kind of fans that get represented. “So, you’ll get Roma fans showing up at the ground in Liguria, throwing fish at the players. Instead of calling the police, the club will send out a delegation of players to meet them. On the one hand it’s nice that they have a say, but then it’s not really fair on everyone else if only a minority are dictating policy.” Post 2006, with the relegations and point deductions, has Italian football learnt its lesson? “Is Italian football now clean? I hope it is. But every year there’s a new scandal. It’s not on an industrial scale as it has been in the past; it’s no longer an organised, nationwide thing. I feel there are a lot of rocks you could lift up and find lots of things scurrying around. Now the Italians lifted some rocks, but there are a lot of other countries where nobody has lifted any. The doping question- if anyone took that seriously in one or two Mediterranean countries, you’d see God knows what coming out. “What people are happy with doing and what people aren’t happy doing may differ between England and Italy. Italians, to English people, maybe come across as shameless. The way they behave, from barging queues to diving. I’m wildly generalising here, but in football terms, I think that will always be part of the attraction.”

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nitiated by exploring the 1940s and 1950s archive material, the Gloverall Spring/Summer 2013 collection is inspired by post war workwear, the founding period for Gloverall.

Desc: Fabric: Colour: Fit:

Made in England Short Mac British Millerain 100% Cotton Dry Wax Grey, Beige Slim

Desc: Made in England Rucksack Fabric: 100% Cotton Heavy Twill Colour: Khaki

Desc: Fabric: Colour: Fit:

Stripe Shirt 100% Cotton Yarn Dye Stripe Navy / Off White Slim

Desc: Car Coat Fabric: British Millerain 100% Cotton Wet Wax Colour: Black Fit: Vintage

Aiming to take full advantage of British Mills, the collection is fabricated from Abraham Moon, British Millerain and Brisbane Moss together with Italian garment dyed cottons. Traditionally, a coat brand this season sees an expanded collection to provide a full wardrobe, adding both shirts and trousers that demonstrate the Gloverall identity. Gloverall signature quality touches in finishing and detail add individuality to these garments with the coats that are traditionally still Made in England.

GLOVERALL

Desc: Fabric: Colour: Fit:

Poplin Garment Dye Shirt 100% Cotton Poplin White Slim

Desc: Made in England Garment Dye Blazer Fabric: Italian 100% Cotton Canvas Colour: Olive, Harvest Gold, Naval, Faded Denim, Stone Fit: Slim

Desc: Fabric: Colour: Fit:

Made in England Garment Dye Short Duffle Italian 100% Cotton Herringbone Olive, Harvest Gold, Naval, Faded Denim, Stone Slim

Desc: Made in England Duffle Bag Fabric: 100% Cotton Heavy Twill Colour: Khaki

Desc: Made in England Holdall Fabric: 100% Cotton Heavy Twill Colour: Khaki

Desc: Chino Fabric: 100% Cotton Brushed Twill Colour: Naval, Stone Fit: Slim

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Desc: Fabric: Colour: Fit:

Made in England Cotton Work Jacket Brisbane Moss 100% Cotton Drill Dark Navy, Khaki Slim

Desc: Chino Fabric: 100% Cotton Smart Twill Colour: Navy Fit: Slim

Desc: Made in England Garment Dye Parka Fabric: Italian 100% Cotton Herringbone Colour: Olive, Harvest Gold, Naval, Faded Denim, Stone Fit: Regular

Desc: Slub Shirt Fabric: 100% Cotton Slub Colour: Blue / Off White Fit: Slim

ENVISAGING A U.S. DOCUMENTARY ABOUT MOTORCYCLES AND ASSOCIATED CULTURE, YOU’D BE FORGIVEN FOR PICTURING BUTCH, BEARDED WHITE MEN ON THE HIGHWAYS OF AMERICA. 12 O’CLOCK BOYS, HOWEVER, CUTS AN ALTOGETHER MORE INTERESTING SLICE OF BIKER LIFE. WORDS: JONATHAN FREDERICK TURTON IMAGES: MATHEW COPELAND & LOTFY NATHAN

12 o'clock boys

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ike Dennis Hopper’s Easy Rider and other classics of the genre, Lotfy Nathan’s debut film captures the enduring appeal of riding, whilst observing the countries deeprooted problems, this time in the impoverished setting of urban Baltimore. “In their eyes they’re just having fun” explains Nathan. “They’re just getting away for a while but there’s another side to it obviously, because it’s dangerous and criminal. Baltimore is a tragic and beautiful city.” The story needs little in the way of aggrandising. Critically acclaimed upon release across the pond, 12 O’Clock Boys documents the activities of an illegal, inner-city dirt bike gang. You thought The Wire offered a stark portrait of America’s most dangerous and economically depressed city? This makes the HBO series look like Sesame Street. “Part of it is about being in the streets. I think there’s a need for a sense of rebellion here to a certain degree. But it’s also borne out of being able to get out there in the first place, on the open road.” As with any good documentary, the subject is opened up to the viewer vicariously through the experiences of an immersed protagonist. Ten-year old ‘Pug’ dreams of joining the group. An incredibly bright and personable kid - worthy of the lead in any motion picture - from the outset, we are completely absorbed by his story. “I was going from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, kind of being introduced to people, and someone was like, ‘you’ve got to meet this little kid. He’s really good on a dirt bike’. I met him and immediately his mom was really open and warm, and he was so natural.

12 O'CLOCK BOYS

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12 O'CLOCK BOYS

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12 O'CLOCK BOYS

“Pug, at heart, is a soft-spoken kid. He opens up in certain ways. We became friends.” Over a three-year period, we witness Pug’s descent into the dangerous and exciting lifestyle of a 12 O’Clock Boy, as he seeks mentoring in life as well as riding. Pug’s circumstances are emblematic of the problems that lie in the USA’s poorest communities. From a broken home, in a neighborhood with little in the way of opportunity, bereft of positive role models, riding becomes an obvious outlet for his frustrations. The film is as much about the youngster’s fate, as it is the gang’s exploits. “A lot of kids growing up in a situation like Pug’s, they have to make a decision about what kind of man they are going to become and it’s a very difficult community to negotiate, obviously. “But a kid like Pug has to really want to become a vet or a doctor or whatever it is they want to be, whilst the city on the other hand, has to secure more resources for kids.” The movie captures the fabled freedom experienced by motorcyclists regardless of age, ethnicity or location. The reasons for engagement here are no different to those that stirred The Hell’s Angels in the ‘60s emancipation and escapism. For members of Baltimore’s bike squads, riding is the only tangible, attainable release from the crime and poverty that saturates their everyday lives. “There is a default of drugs and crime here, no doubt, as well as violence. This is kind of a lesser thing, but it still involves adrenaline and release and rebellion.” As in David Simon’s landmark TV series, 12 O’clock Boys explores the lawlessness of Baltimore, where contempt for police has

reached epidemic levels. Similar to The Wire, the producers ensure we are privy to both sides of the argument. “I think there’s a correlation between people riding and not being involved in drugs and violent crime” suggests Nathan in defense of the gang. ‘There isn’t really a place for people to ride in the city, because they’re in the city. There are trails outside of Baltimore in the county, but they’re not always accessible.” However in the eyes of the police, dirt bikes are a hazardous nuisance. Although the crew’s activities are illegal, law enforcers are prohibited from chasing bikers through the city, on the grounds of it being too dangerous to both riders and public. This creates an awkward, intense impasse; the cops and gang members locked in a cyclic cat and mouse battle, with no obvious outcome. Pug’s mother, Coco, is sympathetic to her son’s cause. “They do not suppose to chase the dirt bikes. Y’ know, they only come out of a Sunday, and a lot of people in Baltimore have this passion of riding, it’s a gift. They’re shutting down all the recreation centres here and there’s nothing left for children to do.” 12 O’Clock Boys captures an extreme response to extreme circumstance, a primitive reaction to life in an underclass. It’s bold, funny and at times an incredibly sad film. Besides Pug, how many other talented, intelligent youngsters fall through the cracks of America on an annual basis? You’ll be hard pushed to find a more honest, explicitly raw human story this year. In selected cinemas this summer 45

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SOUND & VISION: THE STORY OF MARSHALL AMPS WORDS: ANDREW MCROBBIE IMAGES: AL STUART PHOTOGRAPHY

SOUND & VISION: THE STORY OF MARSHALL AMPS

n April 5th 2012, the ‘Father of Loud’ officially passed into the realms of musical history- a man considered responsible for the sound of contemporary Rock and Roll. His name was Jim Marshall, the founder and architect of the most iconic guitar amplifiers in the world. At this point you should be picturing an enormous Marshall stack, towering above a longhaired, leather clad glam rocker. Big sounds, massive stadium, possibly face-paint. It all screams dramatic, American excess, yet Marshall Amplification, surprisingly to some, is in fact a British heritage brand with a compelling history- a history celebrated at this year’s inaugural ‘Hanwell Hootie’ music festival. Born in Acton, West London, 1923, his youth sabotaged by Tuberculosis, a young Jim Marshall spent the spring of his life in and out

of hospital. He developed a love for drums and by the 1950s, was a prominent feature on the English music scene, teaching other drummers, including Mitch Mitchell, Micky Waller and Mick Underwood. “I used to teach about sixty-five pupils a week. Playing as well, I was earning somewhere in the region of £5,000 a year (£100,000-ish present day). This was how I saved money to go into business”, described Jim, shortly before his death. The creative entrepreneur opened his first shop (originally a drum shop) in 1960, in what is now Tony’s Barbers at number 73 Uxbridge Road, Hanwell W13- a small, blue collar town on the edges of West London. The shop developed a reputation as the only place to purchase specific drum parts outside of the USA. Rock ‘n’ Roll kids soon became the shop’s base clientele. One zealous drum student used to come into the store accompanied by the bassist and guitarist from his band. The student was Keith Moon. 47

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“Why don’t you sell amplifiers and guitars,” Pete Townsend asked. ‘If I’m playing and somebody’s in the front row and they say ‘This is junk,’ I can hear what they’re saying. I don’t want to hear them. “ From there on, Marshall understood this new wave of musicians needed something bigger and louder. “I was demanding a more powerful machine gun and Jim Marshall was going to build it for me, then we were going to go out and blow people away, all around the world”, Townsend would recall in an interview in 1993. In 1962 the first Marshall amplifier was sold. Fast forward fifty years and Jim Marshall; along with Les Paul and Leo Fender; make up the golden trio of pioneering rock instrumentalists. Whilst Marshall Amps has catapulted to the forefront of Rock music, Hanwell has somewhat regressed on the musical front, however. Much like the nation’s football team, The West London music scene had its glory days a long time ago. In England’s capital today, it is East London that holds the crown when it comes to musical output, where cheap house prices attract the more creative city dwellers. However with the passing of Jim Marshall, a small band of Hanwell locals went to work on a plan to celebrate the town’s most famous son in the form of a music festival. With agreed sponsorship from Marshall Amplifiers, they intended to inspire West London’s community and re-ignite a flame that burned brightly in the Sixties. The first ‘Hanwell Hootie’ took place on 6th April 2013, kicking off with the unveiling of a black plaque (London’s first) to honour a grossly underappreciated native. Three Marshall sponsored pubs showcased thirteen bands - a combination of local, up-and coming and established acts. “If you want to get a little bit rude and loud, you’ve got to have a Marshall…It’s the big daddy” suggested Jeff Beck many moons ago. The sentiment still rings true. The Marshall ‘Crunch’, as it’s known, is still desired by artists half a century later - as evidenced at the Hanwell gathering. The diversity of the crowd reflected the variety of 48

talent on show: from whippersnapper’s Diffuse, to ageing blues veterans. The Prince of Wales pub opened with BBC6 music veteran Michael Kilbey followed by the soulful Graphite Set, the sublime Sub Dulex, culminating with the show-stopping East London-transatlantic trio Jingo.

The organisers now look to next year, hoping that West London has awoken from its musical slumber; safe in the knowledge that one of Britain’s most influential legacies is beginning to receive the recognition it deserves.

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CHAIN REACTION

CHAIN REACTION IMAGES: MICHAEL KIRKHAM

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CHAIN REACTION

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CHAIN REACTION

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CHAIN REACTION

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MASEO RECORD PICKIN’ & EATIN’ CHICKEN WITH DE LA SOUL’S

WORDS: ADAM MCALEAVEY WITH QUOTES FROM DJ2KIND’S STREET BEATS RADIO SHOW IMAGES: MICHAEL KIRKHAM

t was in the March of 1989 that a group from New York, with a weird name, released twenty-four tracks that were nothing if not original. It was Hip-Hop, but not as people knew it. De La Soul and their debut 3 Feet High and Rising took the genre to a psychedelic place it had never been before, blowing the minds of millions in the process. The album is widely acclaimed as one of the greatest of any genre, cementing De La Soul’s place not just in their corner of the industry, but in music history full stop. “We sucked back in ‘89, we sucked!” DJ Maseo explains, laughing as we drive back from Manchester Terminal 3, in a packed car that’s hardly suited to the physical frame of this friendly giant. ‘Trust me. Everyone’s freshman year, you suck! Everyone except KRS1’’. It’s hard to argue with a man who’s been there behind the turntables, in the studio, on stage58

changed the game, and lived to tell the tale. A man who is internationally known as the beating heart of De La Soul, past and present. They say you should never meet your heroes. It’s probably true in the most part, unless that ‘hero’ in question is Maseo. An undeniably accomplished and influential individual, Vincent Mason is the most strikingly modest and down-to-earth of musicians. It’s only a matter of minutes before his hero status dissolves and he becomes one of the crew, serving us with his early encounters of fame and anecdotes of life on the road. “The first tour we ever went on was with LL Cool J. I was just a kid y’know? Playing in front of packed out arenas. It was crazy! And then you’d go back to the hotel and there’d be as many people there waiting for you as there was in the concert, like wall to wall. It’s kinda

funny, we’re actually touring with LL Cool J this year in the States. He’s got a new project, I think LL just wanna get out the house. Living in a trailer, doing the cop show on TV, y’know, it’s getting a little boring. He gets to run around and play with guns, but I reckon he wants to get back up on that stage’’. Whether he’s discussing the merits of today’s rappers, the joys and hardships of going on tour or simply the love for his family, you can guarantee that infectious laughter will follow. There’s not a shred of prima donna about the man. As we dine at a local Caribbean restaurant, Maseo’s happy to take time out and engage with those who crave a little slice of De La Soul. The adoration is something he’s grown up with, and at forty-three knows only too well how to handle. “I’ve been doing this since I was fifteen. I’ve

MASEO

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MASEO

been producing and rocking parties, so it’s been a natural part of my life, the evolution of it, watching it reach certain heights. That’s definitely exciting. I look forward to those moments because y’know, I’ve arrived. I’m not ashamed, I really do this, I’m an entertainer. It ain’t got anything to do with being a celebrity, but if that brings the celebrity and star thing that people admire around the world, then that’s on them. It’s appreciated to a degree, but at the end of the day, I’m a regular person who just enjoys what he’s been doing since six years old. Soon as I could reach turntables it was on and poppin’.’’

“Based on the era that we come from, you were deemed to be dead by your third album. They always said Hip Hop was like dog life, y’know, so we beat the odds” The valuable thing about this type of innate modesty is that it can often lead an artist away from complacency or ego, and instead push them to create and break boundaries. “Based on the era that we come from, you were deemed to be dead by your third album. They always said Hip Hop was like dog life y’know, so we beat the odds. I think we played a very good part in sustaining the culture for it to be what it is today, which I feel really blessed to be a part of. I’m still amazed to come out (to shows) and not only see the people that came up with me, but their kids, nieces and nephews. That’s really been the challenge.’’ With De La Soul releasing their first official single since 2004 last month, and their ninth album ‘You’re Welcome’ due in autumn, they’re meeting the challenge of catering to the youth of today head on. “The single’s called ‘Get Away’ and the subtitle is ‘Featuring the Spirit of Wu Tang’, so that gives you an idea of how hip hop that is! I love it, it’s the beauty of who we are.’’ Maseo clearly relishes the idea of releasing new material in an industry that has changed 61

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dramatically since the days of 3 Feet’. Back at a flat, he plays the demo of the track using his mobile phone, before any leaks hit the Internet. It’s like nothing we’ve heard from De La before, yet it still sounds so right. Another breath of fresh air from the trio at a time when hip hop, commercial hip hop at least, has become oversaturated. “With a De La album, each record exhumed a certain time in our lives which had a lot to do with going through trials and tribulations and just maturing. The record I made at 25 could never be the same as the record I was making at fifteen-to-nineteen. A lot of the record’s we made on 3 feet, you know, we made in 1985! Naturally, this record is going to be a whole lot different to that. It’s 2013 and I’m forty-three years old, things are a little different now and not just the fact my hair turned grey!” His love for music is clearly still very much alive. Over twenty-five years after producing “Me, Myself and I” - using a sample of the Funkadelic track ‘(Not Just) Knee Deep’- he plays us a rare edit of the track he recently found on a record he never even knew existed. A one-man party ensues, and before long he has the whole room joining in with this musical celebration. While the Funkadelic track represents the early beginnings of the group, his personal favourite album of theirs comes as somewhat of a surprise. “Yeah, it was the least successful one, Buhloone Mind State. That was my favourite, based on a confidence level we had at the time to create music and go in a complete different direction to what the rest of the business was going in. Still pushing the envelope to be different, even with taking the risk of not selling some records.’’ It’s clear that multi-faceted artists like Maseo and De La Soul are able to connect with fans on a deeper level than most Hip Hop artists can even begin to strive for. By expressing varying elements of their character through records, listeners have been able to relate to their work from all different angles. Whether in the mood to be silly, vent frustration, make love or just move a body, there is sure to be a De La record in the crate that tunes into your wavelength. You’d struggle not to plug into Maseo’s individual personality, no matter what your musical inclination. 62

BERGHAUS BARBOUR SPRING COURT GLOVERALL PETER STORM CHAMPION LEVI’S WOOLRICH PENDLETON WRANGLER RALPH LAUREN LACOSTE ADIDAS

PREMIUM VINTAGE CLOTHING 60 PORT STREET NORTHERN QUARTER MANCHESTER M1 2EQ @BIONICSEVEN

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YMC x Ebbets Field Flannels Liberty Cap £49

Tricker’s For Triads Toe Cap Derby Brogues £350

We’ve seen some stunning collaborations in our time but this one is definitely in contention for the most pleasantly surprising. YMC and Ebbets Field Flannels are not only an ocean apart but they’re also pretty different companies in terms of what they do. YMC are a cutting edge brand, a brand that’s all about pushing boundaries in contrast to Ebbets Field Flannels who are concerned with authentic replicas of bygone eras. It’s strange then that the two should work so well together. Using a short billed 1920’s silhouette as the basis the collaboration also uses a unique Liberty fabric and a genuine leather strap to slightly alter the fit. A highly limited collaboration and our limited stock reflects this.

Continuing our established allegiance with Tricker’s this season we’re pleased to present three new silhouettes, all respectful variations of classic British models. This particular design has been created with simplicity in mind. Black shoes are a wardrobe staple but few pairs boast individuality and attention to detail on the same level as these. They’re made with one of the brand’s most durable pebbled leathers, a leather which looks amazing and ages well at the same time. For the mid-section we’ve opted for an intelligent Scotchguard Repello™ suede which is optimized for easy maintenance and unrivalled durability. As well as these well performing materials we’ve also selected a patent leather toe cap and a textile heel pull which adds a unique dimension to an unparalleled and refined design.

INVENTORY: TRIADS

Nike Free Run 2 Woven ÂŁ80 The Free Run 2 is such a well-designed sneaker that it makes an almost seamless crossover from running to lifestyle. Combining an intricate woven upper with premium suede it is a classy take on what was originally a very performance based silhouette. They boast a barefoot like sole and a sock-esque fit, two elements that make it the epitome of on the foot comfort.

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Ally Capellino Noel Tote Bag £249

Illesteva Albert Sunglasses £185

Gitman Vintage Lady Print Shirt £135

A hard wearing tote by one of the finest and most established names in British porting. For years the ‘bag market’ was ruled by American names like Filson but the modern day has seen a re-emergence in British manufacturing albeit with a contemporary twist. Having already collaborated with technology giants Apple, Ally Capellino’s mainline has continued to go from strength to strength. This model is made with a hard wearing nylon and accented with durable bridle leather which has been vegetable tanned to create an unrivalled beauty.

Sunglasses are a wardrobe staple but it’s often hard to strike a balance between finding a pair you like and a pair that actually compliment your facial structure. Illesteva seem to nail it every time but these Albert Sunglasses are particularly great as they boast gentle curves, apparently inspired by French cinema. They’re made in France from a high quality acetate.

An all new printed shirt from the esteemed Gitman Bros. The Gitman Bros Vintage line is all about re-working classic styles and delving back into their vast archive to bring us something fit for today. This Spring & Summer ‘13 release features a bold ‘Lady Print’ referencing beautiful women and weather. Made with light cotton and boasting all the signature design aspects we’ve come to appreciate. Chalk buttons, a green stitched bottom button hole and a contemporary fit. It’s pretty much perfection in the form of a shirt and the only time we’ll ever be covered in females.

INVENTORY: TRIADS

Nanamica 65/35 Cruiser Jacket £314

Obey Elephant Peace Cushion £40

Carhartt Prime Pants £65

The Nanamica 65/35 Cruiser Jacket is physical proof that they are one of the finest purveyors of technical outerwear in the world. Tailored for the modern man but crafted for the temperamental world we live in, it is a product of extensive experimentation. It is an aesthetically pleasing piece of kit and highly appropriate for commuting as it is not too bulky to carry and light enough to be comfortably worn whilst walking or cycling. Both the hood and waist feature an adjustable drawstring and the fold down collar houses a concealable hood to account for those sudden changes in climate. This particular variation is season appropriate, crafted from slightly lighter cotton than we’ve seen on previous iterations.

Obey’s forays into soft furnishings are just as good as their forays into fashion. They’re a company that’s fortunate enough to have a huge catalogue of artwork at their disposal and any canvas they adorn comes out looking amazing. This medium sized cushion or pillow if you will, is soft and comfortable thanks to it’s cotton construction which makes it comfortable as well as stylish.

Carhartt’s bottom offerings are pretty hard to beat and the Prime Pants are well regarded as one of the brand’s ultimate fits. Made from hard wearing 8.5oz twill cotton and cut for a slim fit they are quite possibly the perfect pair of chinos, not just within Carhartt’s range but against any brand. Finished with the iconic ‘C’ logo positioned just above the rear pocket.

www.triads.co.uk 69

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y experience of the ‘Superclasico’ wasn’t akin to that of every backpacker. Being a resident of Buenos Aires for a year, the ‘let’s-follow-the-home-side’ bandwagon passed me by, as I’d been attending River Plate games all season. By the time the ‘Big One’ came around. away at Boca. I was as much a Milionario as the guy sporting red and white next to me. I knew the words to all the songs, had three different strips and even contemplated an Ariel Ortega tattoo. Argentina’s capital is home to arguably the

two biggest clubs in America, their match-up famous the world over. Both River Plate and Boca Juniors started out in the same working class docklands neighbourhood of La Boca, meaning ‘the mouth’ of the Rio de la Plata. As the rivalry grew stronger, relocation separated the clubs, both geographically and sociologically. River Plate moved to the wealthier Palermo district of the city and began buying expensive players, acquiring the nickname Los Milionarios in the process, a name that has stuck to this day. Los Bosteros (The Manure Handlers) stayed put.

In 2004, The Observer newspaper listed the derby as the number one sporting event to see before you die, ahead of the 100m final at the Olympics and witnessing your own country win the World Cup. You’d be forgiven for assuming that such press would equate to tighter safety restrictions to protect foreign nationals. If anything, the opposite is true. It had taken me months to get used to Argentinian football customs, and to earn the respect of fellow season ticket holders in the vicinity of my ‘seat’- a term used loosely, as it’s very rarely sat on during matches. For big

RIVER PLATE

games, you’re lucky if you can get within five yards of your row. On the morning of my debut derby, local friends pick me up at 9am for a game that kicks off at 3 O’clock. Just one hour and four beers later, we’re on a bus to La Boca, plastic cups filled to the brim with vodka, stomach full to capacity with nerves. “You’ll need all the courage you can get for this game,” the locals inform me. They weren’t wrong. Unlike our regular matches, where a lackadaisical policewoman with a search dog,

asleep in the shade, would pass for security, this game has a substantial police presence. Surrounding the stadium, ten blocks in every direction are cordoned off by heavily armed guards that make Gaza look like handbags.

with an incomplete story. However, I knew from past experience that South American police officers become a lot more tolerant when their pockets are flush. A quick slip of 100 Peso grants me a security escort to Gate D.

The final checkpoint before entrance is a random breathalysing procedure. Refusal to take the test, or having too high a bloodalcohol level, results in a game missed and no refund. I’m unfortunately in the latter category, apparently ‘demisiado borracho’, but it doesn’t dampen my spirits. A lesser man may have given up, sold their ticket and gone home

Entering La Bombonera induces both fear and unadulterated excitement. Nothing could have prepared me for it. Never have I seen a stadium steeper or less rigid. With every gust of wind the infrastructure seems to shake. The fans response? For ninety minutes they bounce, jump, soar and scream, as much a riot of passion as one of colour. Blue and yellow banners drop 71

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down the vertigo-inducing stands, whilst the buoyant motion of fans mimics the ebb and flow of the South Atlantic Ocean. Being in the away section means ‘special treatment’. No men in hi-viz jackets offer protection. Instead, guards in armoured vests, with Alsatians and wire-meshed fences topped with barbs, keep us under control. It seems over the top, but after spotting a few Ultras smoking a mixture of marijuana and cocaine, I realise it’s probably a necessity.

on the cards early on in the second half- and so starts the spectacle that every westerner has paid good money for, every security guard has come equipped for, and the several pitch-side mounted water cannons have been waiting for.

“Shirts that had seemingly only covered bodies suddenly unsheathe fireworks, flares, pliers and bottles full of urine”

As the game kicks off, the stadium erupts into life. It quickly becomes apparent that Argentines don’t turn up to watch the game, as much as they do for the experience. As on all continents, football is called upon for escapism. For them, it’s not just viewing a game on the pitch, it’s dancing, singing, cheering and fighting. All at once.

The attacks begin. Shirts that had seemingly only covered bodies suddenly unsheathe fireworks, flares, pliers and bottles of urineherein referred to as ‘the ammunition’.

The standard of football on show is of no great quality at this particular meeting. A moment of confusion that turns into a Martin Palermo goal, just before half time, seals River Plate’s fate and secures a smile on the face of Maradona. My fellow fans decide a sporting victory is not

Parts of fences are freed from their concrete holdings; the gaps allowing for accurate trajectories to be made, as away fans launch their assaults onto the home team below. It was my assumption that this was the cue for the guards to intervene. Apparently not. “They’ve

seen worse”, “This isn’t that bad”, are the reassuring words my neighbours provide. As a mandatory rule in Argentinean football, the travelling supporters are given a thirtyminute window to exit the ground peacefully. A great idea in theory, in practice, not so good. By the time we make it onto the streets below, the Boca fans are also out of the stadium. The presence of media vans and armoured police cars prevent a dire ending to this tale. The bus ride back to our side of town is as exhilarating as the match. The only passengers who sit, do so on the roof. The rest dance, sing, bang drums and celebrate a loss like it’s the biggest victory of the season. Yet you’re never far from danger in South America. Bricks, stones and homemade missiles suddenly pelt our vehicle as we leave the slums of the outer city. Twenty minutes later I depart the bus, exhausted and dishevelled. Did that really happen? Is there a better way to spend a day in Buenos Aires? I doubt it. The hoodie is zipped back up, allegiances hidden and it’s back to normality- until Independiente next week that is.

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HALCYON GOES BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE UK MEN’S STYLE INDUSTRY TO ASCERTAIN WHAT IT TAKES TO FORGE A CAREER, OR TO BUILD A BUSINESS, IN WHAT IS AN INCREASINGLY COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT. THROUGH FIRST HAND ACCOUNTS FROM PROFESSIONALS AT THE TOP OF THEIR GAME, WE TAP INTO THEIR PAST EXPERIENCES, EXPERTISE, INVALUABLE KNOW-HOW AND GET THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE FUTURE OF DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING IN BRITAIN.

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY

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INSIDE THE INDUSTRY: TONY SMITH

TONY SMITH PRODUCT DEVELOPER WORDS: DANIEL SANDISON IMAGES: SAMUEL BRADLEY

ony Smith has been working with clothes for over twenty years. From Savile Row to Stussy, from Lyle & Scott to Ozwald Boateng he has developed products that have transformed and rejuvenated brands. The Liverpudlian tells us about how clothes went from a casual obsession to a lifelong passion… Where did your interest in clothes come from, and how did you develop that into a career? “Growing up in Kirkby, really. Back then, everyone went to the match, and everyone was into their clothes. That was it. I thought about it, and decided that if I was going to get a job, I may as well do something that I like doing. I left school, didn’t go to university or nothing like that, just went to Liverpool College to do a City & Guilds and moved to London. “I was at London College of Fashion, was absolutely skint and saw a job advertised on Savile Row. I thought ‘I might as well go for that’. I got the job and studied on Savile Row for three years. I thought it was better to earn ten grand a year and learn on the job, than to pay loads of money to study, and come out with loads of debt”

You’ve worked with a range of brands, are there any key moments that have shaped where your work has taken you? “After working on Savile Row, which was my first sort of real job, I decided that I wanted to work in casualwear. I went to work for a brand called Burro, who used to do the No Alla Violenza T-shirts. As I said, the main thing that got me into clothes was being born in Liverpool, where people are into their clobber aren’t they? Working in casualwear was where it moved on for me.” Have your favourite brands stayed the same since you were younger, or have they changed over the years? “My favourite brands have changed massively. Ralph Lauren has always been there, but now it’s Haversack, Namanica all that sort of product. Quality, homemade product. If you look at stuff like RRL, that they try and make in America, things like that. That’s what’s important to me.” When you’re developing product for other brands, and working to a brief, does it ever become frustrating? Do you ever want to do your own thing? 77

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“I think I am, like everyone else, a bit of a frustrated designer. I did production initially and wanted to get into design, but I had no formal training in it. I’ve had my own brand in the past, but I ended up doing consultancy for Lyle and Scott, who were just a V-neck jumper brand at the time. It was a great opportunity for me, so I moved onto that. It was a brand that I’d worn as a kid, and to go and work for them, and to help them expand was something that I wasn’t going to turn down.”

“The thing I like about having a factory in England is that within a couple of hours I can go and sit with the people working on the product” You talk about homemade product being important to you, with the improvement of factories in the Far East is there a world of difference any more? “In terms of things being ‘Made In England’ or ‘Made In China’ it’s definitely the quality of the factory. The thing I like about having a factory in England is that within a couple of hours I can go and sit with the people working on the product. If it’s in China, you can’t do that, you can’t sit there and explain yourself and make sure that they get where you’re coming from. It doesn’t mean that your quality is inferior, or that you’ll get worse service, it’s just a case of being there for every step, for me. I want to make the product in the UK, so I can control it”

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY: TONY SMITH

HALCYON

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY: Cooper and Stollbrand

COOPER & STOLLBRAND WORDS: JOHN LLOYD IMAGES: AMY WALSH

he Cooper & Stollbrand factory in Manchester has created some of the most iconic garments in British history. From Paul Smith, Burberry and Aquascutum to Gulf War gas suits, Virgin Atlantic’s air hostess uniforms and the outfits for the opening ceremony of London 2012. The mill, first opened in the late 19th century, was where Private Jack White served his apprenticeship after WWI. He would later go on to become owner and embed a Yorkshireman’s influence into otherwise Lancastrian product. James Eden, Jack White’s great-grandson now runs the factory, where alongside other prestigious brands, Manchester’s finest craftsmen produce the house label Private White V.C. What are the difficulties you face of running a factory in Britain, today? “The tough economic climate throughout

Europe has made business daunting for everyone, but running a British factory over the past few decades, not just the past few years, has been virtually impossible. The acute demise of our country is no accident. Britain used to be great when we mined our own coal and built our own ships/cars etc. The only way back for us as a country, is to once again build and manufacture products that the world wants to buy from us.” What key pieces or ranges have you put together that you think symbolise this? “Our ethos is simple; if we can’t produce the garments ourselves then we will not offer them. It’s as simple as that. A key piece for us is the classic SB4. It’s the one product that has been made continually at the factory for over one hundred years. It’s also very relevant to now because it’s such a classic design- everyone needs a raincoat. For AW13 we have updated

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the classic rain mac and we’ve used those years of experience to create a garment that is not only indecently stylish, but extremely practical as well. Named the SB Unlined Mac and using Ventile - a waterproof, 100% cotton - and internally taping the seams, we’ve created a garment that’s 100% waterproof and windproof. It’s being stocked by Mr. Porter and J.Crew in New York, as well as in our store and on our website www.privatewhitevc.com”

hundreds of years - they remain committed to UK manufacturing and their customer base. Profile and reputation continues to grow as consumers around the world seek out high integrity, high quality products made by the most skilled workers.”

Do you garner more respect in the industry for homemade product, or has the tide turned and are emerging nations now gaining as much respect for their manufacturing?

“I am immensely proud of the factory and of my great-grandfather (Private White V.C). I’ve always had a close relationship with the families that used to work here, because my father used to play with their kids. I worked as a teenager at the factory instead of having a paper round, so I’ve always had a personal attachment. However, there is no doubt that we have managed to survive the tough

“I have huge respect and admiration for the likes of Church’s and John Smedley. These are factory brands, like Private White, that have remained loyal to their core values for

How important is the tradition of the mill; the generations that have worked there, the family feeling -is this reflected in the production?

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY: Cooper and Stollbrand

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INSIDE THE INDUSTRY: Cooper and Stollbrand

economic climate due to our amazing staff, who continue to exert obscene levels of loyalty, grit and determination. It is all the component parts of ‘Heritage’ that make our factory so important: history, community, quality- and we have all three in abundance!” How significant is the Chinese/Japanese market to the future of British production? “At our beginnings, Japan was extremely important. We’re stocked in Beams International Gallery in Tokyo, and they were one of our first International stockists. However, we’re discovering more that our international custom is actually in Germany one of the wealthiest countries in Europe and with excellent green credentials. That’s where our market is at the minute.”

Is British manufacturing regaining a foothold in the world, or will it remain exclusive to the luxury end of the market? “We need people to be more discerning and to be more inquisitive as to where their garments are sourced from, and support all British producers- not just those that make garments - in order to fully regain that foothold in the market. But the demand is there and is high, for beautifully made British products. For me, it is not about exclusivity to the luxury end of the market, it is about the highly sophisticated consumer, who is willing to save up and pay for something that is of the highest quality, beautifully hand crafted, and that makes them feel fantastic when worn.” www.privatewhitevc.com

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inside the industry: CAMPBELL COLE

CAMPBELL COLE WORDS: JOHN LLOYD IMAGES: REUBEN JAMES BROWN

ampbell Cole produce luxury lifestyle goods - quality essentials made from the finest materials. Having previously worked with the likes of Speedo during his time at the Pentland Group, Ian Campbell Cole recently decided it was time to go in his own direction. Joined by co-owner Felicity Baggett, he explains the process of setting up an independent brand, while showing us around their Nottingham Studio. You’ve worked with other brands in the past, was your own product something that you’ve always wanted to produce? “It definitely wasn’t about creating a commercial brand; it was more about designing product. After leaving Speedo I wanted to explore something of my own, try something different that represented a bit more about what I believed in. A project that I had undertaken at university was about promoting the use of bicycles - specifically through the design of accessories, that didn’t make the cyclist look like a weekend warrior. The conclusion of the project was a backpack made using plywood. There was a clear possibility of developing it further. When doing the project I’d met and spoken to a lot of

interesting characters like Nigel Cabourn, who was one of my evaluators - he got me thinking about technically advanced fabrics. The brand Howies, based in Wales, were really interested, but in my mind I thought I needed to go and get a job and work for a little bit. “A couple of years later I got back in touch with Howies and said ‘what are we going to do with it?’ They were really interested, really excited in taking it on as a special side project. But recession came along and everyone just shelved anything that was of any real risk, so it got put back to bed again. Then another year or two after that, after further chats with other influential people, I was told it was probably best to do it for myself if I had an opportunity. I thought - ‘right, I’m going to do this myself ’, and went freelance for Speedo in order to free up days to concentrate on this new project.” What prompted you to begin putting the brand together now? “A year after going freelance, I hit a real low point after fracturing two vertebras in my spine during a competitive Downhill cycling accident. During my recovery period, I had a lot of time to think what it was I wanted to do with the project, and decided I had to

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develop the idea into something that was more commercially viable. I think what that time definitely did, that year, was allow us to build on our own network of contacts which I think is probably our single most valuable asset, that network of people that we know. It instilled a belief and a confidence - we decided we wanted to make quality products that fitted beautifully into people’s lives.” How important is it to you that the products are British made? With technological developments in countries like China, are the advantages of producing in Britain based purely on people’s perceptions? “There are some really good manufacturers all over the world but at the same time, although they’re hard to find, there are some really good manufacturers in the UK also. What has become fundamental to establishing our business is that we can get in the car and drive to the manufacturers - the locality of it makes sense. They’re also prepared to work on projects of smaller numbers. Say we found an incredible factory in Italy for example; you’re immediately into air fares, language barriers, etc. “I think at the moment while we’re doing bags and small leather goods, the factory that we’re working with - which is at the top of its game - is only an hour away, which is brilliant. I think the day that we want to design and make a product that is not suitable to be made in the UK; we will make it somewhere else. The fact that we’re manufacturing in the UK also allows us to collaborate a lot more in the construction of the items. The people in the factories that we’re working with are experts, and we’ve learnt a lot from them. We take bits of information away with us each time we visit, and learn valuable lessons.” In terms of price point, how do you put this in place for your product? “Price point comes down to individual components - we just use the best of everything. You have that confidence in the products when you use the best components. ‘Made in the UK’ - there is a cost that comes along

inside the industry: CAMPBELL COLE

with that, obviously ‘made in the UK’ is more expensive. Another factor is that we’re producing in relatively small numbers. “There’s a real premium for making in the UK. The product we are developing at the moment, which is our first all-leather range, will come in at a higher price point, which we had quite a debate over. But it just keeps coming down to not wanting to compromise on the quality of the finished product - that’s what it always boils down to. If you’re going to put your name on something it has to be the best.” With British style and manufactured goods being popular in the Far East, do you have any plans to distribute in China/Japan etc? “We want our brand to have the ability to spread worldwide. When we get to the point where we think we can take it abroad, that’s something we want to do. There’s no reason why the product can’t transcend international markets - the majority of our website commerce at the moment is from international purchases. We know there is an appreciation of British made goods and fabrics worldwide. “The UK is really small, and there are limited suitable outlets to wholesale - you can’t build a business on that. Currently we wouldn’t be able to produce in large enough quantities to be able to wholesale internationally. In future we do want to set up a network of distributors internationally, because we know that actually going into the store and seeing something being able to handle it and get a feel for the product - can’t be beaten. We don’t just want to retail internationally online. “At the moment in the UK we’re wholesaling to Anthem in Shoreditch and just recently Ideology boutique in Sheffield. Being stocked in Anthem is great and Simon (Spiteri - store owner) has been brilliant. To find someone that is prepared to go out and support new brands, rather than just rely on the staple brands of their competitors, is a reflection of his creativity as a buyer.” What brands or designers in particular have provided a source of inspiration to you?

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inside the industry: CAMPBELL COLE

“Paul Smith. Here’s what’s amazing about him: there all these big names in fashion, it all seems so intimidating, and this whole other level of people that aren’t even real, and then you see someone like Paul Smith who’s just this normal guy from Nottingham, who didn’t even have a background in fashion. And look what he’s created. It’s the most amazing thing - he’s a big inspiration. To achieve that in your own lifetime would just blow your mind! “Then there are all the younger brands that are coming through in British menswear like Folk, who we have always admired, and Oliver Spencer. Albam and Universal Works too, who are also from Nottingham.” Do you think it is possible to succeed in starting your own brand from outside of London, contrary to common belief within the industry? “It’s really nice to hear that things are happening in Nottingham and it’s not all about London. On a personal level, we struggled a lot with the idea of moving there before we started Campbell Cole - even though as designers, we knew that’s where all the jobs where. But with hindsight, it seems we made a really good choice in staying here, as we wouldn’t be able to afford to do what we’re doing if we had moved. “For the cost of our studio we wouldn’t have even been able to afford to hire desk space down there. Being in Nottingham is enabling us to do what we’re doing. Up here we’ve got our own circle of influence- London is still accessible, whilst we can live the life we choose in Nottingham.” www.campbellcole.co.uk

HALCYON

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY: OI POLLOI

OI POLLOI WORDS: DANIEL SANDISON PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHAEL KIRKHAM

emember the dark days? When buying avant-garde Gore-Tex meant arguing over exchange rates with a man called Gustav on the internet? When trying to find a pair of Italian tennis shoes in your size could have conceivably been easier if you’d owned a carrier pigeon? It’s been eleven years since Mancunian menswear hustlers Oi Polloi first opened their doors, changing the way we bought clothes indefinitely. A decade later – with a new location, an unparalleled reputation and a regular in-house publication that would make even the most distinguished magazines green with envy - we talk to co-founder Nigel Lawson about where it all began, where it’s going next, and why Swedish hiking gear is the best… Why did you open Oi Polloi? “Myself and Steve Sanderson (Oi Polloi’s cofounder) met at a friends’ birthday party. I think we’d met somewhere previously along the line, but this time we were both wearing Wallabee Weavers and we sort of got talking. I’d done some other clothes in the past with Johnny Marr and Elk, and Steve had seen me in GQ, this that and the other, so we got talking

and he said he wanted to put some trainers in the window of his hairdressers. The love of the style of Manchester and the surrounding areas was ingrained in both our psyches, really. “I’d had a store in Affleck’s Palace in the early ‘90s when that acid casual thing was going on and realised that I was quite good at it – and enjoyed doing it. When that store closed, I went travelling the world for a bit, and then I started managing bands, but it was impossible to sell people. You’ve got so many emotional ties, and egos with people, so I decided; ‘I can’t sell people. I can sell jumpers and coats and trainers.’ “I wasn’t really doing anything at the time to be honest, just languishing watching daytime telly, so we started having meetings in The Metropolitan in West Didsbury. We talked about things that we remembered and loved, things that you couldn’t really get any more: types of sweatshirts, certain trainers, certain coats, this and that. “It was early 2000s, and the excitement had gone after Britpop, me and Steve had both been through The Hacienda, we’d both been through the football hooligan thing, we’d both gone through Miami Vice and all that other 93

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stuff - we were like twins from other ends of the city. We’d both worn tracksuits and gone to Heavy Metal pubs in 1982, listening to Hawkwind, but wearing Robe Di Kappa and Fila. There were certain weird things that we’d both been into, that weren’t the norm for the culture we’d been part of. Which is what Manchester’s all about really. It’s not one thing, it’s not the other, it’s a good mixture of stuff. “By this point we knew what we were gonna do, and there was nothing anywhere that was stopping us. It was a clear idea, and we couldn’t see any reason not to do it. I distinctly remember watching Richard and Judy in about 2001, putting the list together of all the items that we wanted to put in the store. We had Wrangler, Lee, Superga, Springcourt and Fjällräven. Fjäll was one of those brands that I’d had for many years. From the late seventies in Manchester, when a few of the lads, mainly City fans, knew about Fjällräven, it became a sort of a cultural undercurrent. I’d never heard of it then, I’d heard of Adidas and Fred Perry, but not this Swedish outdoors gear. Many, many years later I found one, and it just sort of started to build from there. I thought ‘nobody has got this stuff anymore, it’s disappeared’. So we went on a road trip to a German footwear exhibition, and on the way back we went to Fjäll’s head office in Holland. We had a chat with the guys there, and they agreed to sell it to us.

is it, this is right’. We knew we could find these brands, and when you’re wearing something and people are saying ‘What’s that? What’s this? That’s a good coat’- and you know where you can go and get it from- it just makes sense. “It was stuff I was wearing at the time. I was wearing Fjäll, I was wearing low, long slim jeans when everyone else was wearing baggybootcut. Nobody was wearing dark blue either, it was that Verve thing, and the fallout from Oasis, and I was like ‘no way man, this is not right’. I remember going to Lee and asking for dark blue jeans, and they were like ‘yeah, we can supply them for you, mate. What the hell are you on about though?’ “About five or six years later, it’s the norm. For us it was just a standard jean. There’s no frills with it, but now it’s part of the wardrobe. Everyone wears the Nudies or their Edwins, and it’s just normal. It’s not as exciting for us to push that any more, but it’s a staple, it’s like our sliced loaf, our milk or cheese.”

‘It wasn’t invented in Paris, Milan or New York - it was home-grown’’

“We ended up with this sort of mix of stuff. We had the 1960s and 1970s hiking gear, we had the vintage trainers because we loved them and it was part of our culture, and we had some fresh casual, sporting bits and pieces that we picked up from London. The core is the same as we’ve got now, it’s just evolved slightly.” So there was no grand business plan, just a desire to sell the gear that you loved? “Starting the store wasn’t really to stand out, it was just what felt right at the time. I wasn’t being stubborn or anything, it just felt like ‘this 94

At the time, there wasn’t really anything else like Oi Polloi out there, did you take influence from any other stores, or was it more of a reaction? “At the time, it was probably stuff like Prada Sport that we were opposed to. That supermodern, slick, designer scally rubbish that was about. We were harking back to natural colours, outdoor flavours, but in an old way. We looked at Chris Bonnington and all those other guys, who looked ace - with their beards and their coats and boots - and we wanted some of that. That’s high-street now, but we’re talking about ten or eleven years ago. “We still don’t want stuff that’s too normal. When everyone has got it on and there’s some fifty-year old gentleman going out with his mates to get drunk, in his bootcut jeans and one of the brands you’re stocking, that’s when it becomes too normal. It’s not what we’re trying to do. There are brands we stock that people might say are too normal, Adidas, Nike, Barbour - but they do enough good stuff and

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY: OI POLLOI

HALCYON

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY: OI POLLOI

remain true to what they’ve always been. When stuff doesn’t fit in, we don’t buy it. If it does fit, and it’s popular, then we’ll sell it. If it’s good, it’s good. That’s it really.” A lot has changed in ten years, and you’ve certainly influenced a lot of new stores, do you ever get uncomfortable that they seem to be copying your style? Or is the imitation flattering? “It kind of reinforces that we’re doing something right. Which is good, but then you see these shops that’ve opened up with say, Nudie, Fjäll, Mephisto… they’ve just picked five or six items straight out of our bag, put it all together and gone ‘yeah, we’ve got a shop, now’. “Because all of these brands have grown over the years, it’s almost as if there isn’t anything else. Now, it’s almost like there’s no other way that these guys could go, but we did. When we started, we went out there and found ten to fifteen brands that nobody had ever heard of, and people would say ‘’how’re you going to do it? Everybody has got everything’’. You can still do it now, like we did. “You need to look in the places that nobody else is looking, which is what I grew up with. Through the football thing, you always had to have something that nobody else had. It was like ‘right, we’re going fly-fishing today, playing tennis tomorrow, you’re gonna look like Sherlock Holmes the next day, after that we’ve got to change our jumbo cords, Adidas are no good, you need Puma, now it’s Nike… right, I’m into Skiing now, hunting with dogs.’ When I got a shop I thought ‘right, I’m going to do that, I’m going to fill it with stuff that nobody else has got’. People go on like ‘ah, it’s a load of old rubbish, that’, but it wasn’t at all. It wasn’t invented in Paris, Milan or New York, it was homegrown, and that idea still holds true for Oi Polloi.”

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UNLIKELY STYLE ICON

DANNY TORRANCE WORDS: DANIEL MOORES IMAGES: SCOTT DUFFEY

espite the eerie goings-on and slow descent into madness taking place at The Overlook Hotel, the Torrance family in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining manage to maintain an impeccable dress sense for the entirety of the film. Jack and Wendy aside though, it’s the youngest and smallest family member who is the outstanding style candidate. With parents like his, Torrance Jr was always going to flourish sartorially. He’s certainly inherited their penchant for corduroy, with every member of the family appearing on screen, at least once in some cord item or other: Jack’s maroon jacket, Wendy’s dungaree dress and Danny’s selection of trousers. The little chap keenly embraces the opportunity for knitwear that living in a mountain lodge provides, much more so than either of his parents. He shows off a number of jumpers over the course of the film, the most notable of which is the ‘Apollo 11’ number, not just impressive because it looks as though it was lovingly hand-knitted by his mum. According to some theorists, it is part of Kubrick’s veiled confession to partaking in the hoaxing of the 1969 moon landings. Go on - Google it. Anyway, whatever you make of that theory, the fact remains that it’s a smart piece of knitwear and when it turns up a few minutes later, mysteriously ripped down the back, and most 98

definitely ruined, one can’t help but feel sorry for the young’un. Luckily he has an exemplary Mickey Mouse one to fall back on. Danny’s selection of shirts is equally impressive. Mainly tartan and check throughout, although perhaps the nicest (and most understated), is the chambray number he wears upon the family’s arrival at The Overlook. He completes the look with a pair of jeans and a navy baseball jacket, a confident blend of classic American workwear and sportswear. Whilst whizzing over that striking Overlook carpet on his red and blue tricycle, Danny dons a red jumper with red Converse and dungarees. As well as looking incredibly cool, this calculated colour co-ordination reinforces to the viewer the bond between Danny and his mother, who herself wears a red jumper under a blue dress in her very first scene. A brilliant illustration of Kubrick’s fabled craftsmanship and attention to detail. With his Brian-Jones-meets-Alex-DeLarge haircut and astoundingly varied wardrobe, little Dan sits comfortably in the same league as Home Alone’s Kevin McCallister. Yet somehow, he remains one of the most overlooked (pun intended) young dressers in cinema history. #UnlikelyStyleIcon

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