SS 16 by SUPERSUPER

PARS ‘R’ US: TEMPZ NEXT HYPE

SUPERSUPER

#16 2009 £3.99

#16

www.supersuper.tv

Funk/Gothic/Tropical

SUPER SUPER ! HOW TO GET 47M YOUTUBE HITS!

DARKWAVE’S NEXT WAVE & the return of THE HORRORS

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D. i.Y PSYCHEDELIA Why the ECONOMY failed! DUBSTEP RISING incl Joker on ‘Wonky’:

SKY SKY FERREIRA FERREIRA LA’s LA’s NEW NEW‘iT ‘iT GRRL’ GRRL’

ESSER!

“PFFFFFT – that’s what I think of it!”

! wow meet

e! t t lo

– Namalee on the art of breaking rules!

RATS AS HATS

– Charlie Le Mindu @ LFW

new race THE FUTURE IS BROWN

clubarazzi explosion!

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fight the power! XX

COBRASNAKE (LA) // THE FASHION RAMONE (TOKYO) BILLA (UK) // WEAREAWESOME (SOUTH AFRICA) NEEMO (MCR) // WEKNOWWHATYOUDIDLASTNITE (LDN) 1/4/09 20:20:28

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SUIS400 «Wind Blocker» - www.swatch.com For stockist information: 0845 296 2448

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SUPERSUPER

SUPERSUPER #16 COVER: Art Direction SuperSteve. Main Image: Fashion Direction by Namalee, Photography by Billa, Model Charlotte @ Bookings wearing Swimsuit by Tommy Hilfiger, Pink Sunglasses by Barbie for Linda Farrow, Yellow Sunglasses by Linda Farrow, Pink gloves by Ad Hoc. Hair by Charlie Le Mindu using Fudge, Make-up by Megumi Matsumo. Fashion Assistant Hannah Balogun. Retouching by George McLeod

#16

contents

SUPER STYLE ‘Get My Look’ with the one & only ANITA COCKNBULLKID 60 Streetstyle special! OLD PEOPLE 32 KOMAKINO – Superbrand! 48 Good ol’ AMERICANA is back at Levi’s, Wrangler & more! 46 DISNEY’S DESIGNER Mickey Mouse ears by Giles, Luella et al 50 Metal V Sport: CASSETTEPLAYA! 52

SUPER SLEBS

LA’s nu IT GRRL singer/model/ actress/16 yr old: SKY FERREIRA 36 JOKER: Dubstep’s rising force 38 How to get 47m Youtube hits – the LADY GAGA way! 32 ESSER becomes essential! 34

SUPER MUSIC

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Look out for fun & feathers it’s: DiY PSYCHEDELIA! 12 NU RACE: the future is brown in a mixed race takeover! 70 The rise & rise of the DARKWAVE set (plus The Horrors are back!) 24 CLUBARAZZI – Global takeover 74 LFW special: RATS AS HATS! 18 Nu buildings: MUSHROOM CITY 16 The boys are BACK IN BLACK 22 TUNNEL LOVE – Holy bizniz 14

SUPER NEWS

The new smash from TEMPA T – who said grime was dead?! 31 JCDC shows us his logo art 31 Make way for the next generation: GRADUATE FASHION WEEK 62 Britflicks get busy! It’s SHIFTY! 31 Should we put a DONK on it? 16

Hello

Now sounds like SALEM 138 JASMINE SULLIVAN on why she likes busting windows 144 PLASTICIAN’s guide to the hottest/latest/best Dubstep soundz 146 Cult Hero: the legend of P FUNK 82 So good they named them twice! – it’s SIRENS SIRENS 146 Plus!!! KWES / RAINBOW ARABIA / CASPA / COLDWAVE

SUPER TRENDS

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thesupersuper.com

Statement: “Rock the mike – pysch!!!” Trend info: Human interest in the unexplained always takes on greater importance in times when the world in general becomes dissatisfied with an existence we’ve only recently come to realise is not sustainable. The numbers and figures of economic strife only seem to clarify the harsh reality of what being human is about in an age of capitalist greed, gain and one-upmanship. When, we, the post post post post everything generation stand teetering at the end of the great tapestry of life, waiting at the edge of ever increasing non spherical world which seems to get smaller by the day, the only way to progress is to delve deeper into one’s own self. It’s not ignorant to get introverted anymore – to be honest it seems like the only way. Bands, artists, architects… even hairdressers are taking it upon themselves

to inflict their personal, dissatisfied sense of being upon others. From the Noisettes’ post apocolytic/shape ridden video to their latest single via Will Alsop and MAKE Architecture’s futurist visions – people are finally beginning to think out of the box. How to work the look: It’s easy to work this look and to be honest it’s all about being yourself. People are longing for a different way to live, we’ve seen the triumphs and disasters of our own capitalist beliefs unfold before us – and now the only way is for us to look for a different way of being… and let’s face it… there’s no harm in trying! Not everything’s as black and white as it seems and to look inside our own minds it only becomes more apparent that this isn’t the case. Each of us has a different story, a different life, taste and ultimately a different take upon what life actually is. Bands such as MGMT play upon this joyful naivety that thinking outside of the box allows. Lyrics such as ‘I

standfirst that briefly explains the trend explains the trend explains the trend explains the trend* 12

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miss the boredom and the freedom and the time spent alone’ from their seminal ‘Time to Pretend’, seem to sum up the feeling of us being ‘one’. One with ourselves, one with nature, and one as human beings. Only through togetherness will we find freedom… and it looks like that’s the only way to proceed. Being yourself and allowing others to do the same is the only way to work this look. Plus, of course, throwing in a few feathers, bright colours, random tribal influences, stray hairs, flares, Op Art prints, tapestry, basket-weaving... oh, we’re not Vogue, sorry!

Words by Dan Szor

D. i. Y PSYCHEDELIA Lifespan: Hopefully forever, and although it mightn’t be, there’s no harm in thinking long term. That was the failure of the last century. We/ us/them never thought about the long term. This world isn’t ours – we’re just looking after it for those who come after us.

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This page: Fashion Direction by Namalee, Photography by Billa, Model Charlotte @ Bookings wearing Swimsuit by Tommy Hilfiger, Pink Sunglasses by Barbie for Linda Farrow, Yellow Sunglasses by Linda Farrow, Pink gloves by Ad Hoc. Hair by Charlie Le Mindu using Fudge, Make-up by Megumi Matsumo. Fashion Assistant Hannah Balogun. Retouching by George McLeod

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SUPER TRENDS

“i see trees and windows, shiny happy flowers...”

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SUPERTRENDS

“ear we go!”

tunnel vision Trend info: We’re loving the tribal beats, learning the tribal skanks, and now we’re sporting the tribal piercings more than ever before. Ear Stretching, lobe gauging, ear tunnels, and earplugs. Call it what you like but those big holes that were first claimed by emos and goths have reached the ears of some unlikely suspects. The trend is yet another revival but we’re not talking a revival of yesteryear, instead more like a revival of yesterlifetime. Ancient Egyptians, Incas and Aztecs were a few of the many civilizations that loved to, well… stretch their tingz. Today, African and South American tribes may wear them to symbolize elite status or rite of passage. Emos may use them to express their inner pain by showing outer pain. But along with these original ambassadors of the trend, we now have the ears of some super-chic super-cool models, and even those belonging to hiphoppers and brap-brappers, adopting a much hole-ier way of life!

thesupersuper.com

How to work the look: Bigger is certainly not better – keep them small or at least medium sized. You don’t want your ears by your knees before the age of 70! Also, you don’t have wear tunnels all the time. Instead, go for button type plugs with funky designs on them. Although more common with boys, it’s also becoming an increasingly popular modification for girls too. As far as boys go though, I’d say look at Travis FromGymClassHeroes (his official second name FYI) and take notes. Lifespan: Forever and Ever. I mean it’s one thing getting a tattoo lasered off but another thing re-growing or tautening you skin! The fact is though, they are currently filtering through to many different scenes, it can mean one thing only: these ear tunnels might be around for a whole lot longer than just a phase.

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holes are in as the tribal trend gets physical!

Photography by Jimmy Mould Model Josh @ Select Words by Loukia Constantinou

Trend Statement: “Holey Crap!”

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PRESSE UK • THE SUPER SUPER MAGAZINE 230 x 300 mm PP Parution le 02/02 Remise le 12/01 (Repasse 06/04) • VISUEL RED

SUPERTRENDS

HIGH ON GREENERY 3

STATEMENT: “I wanna live high, sooo high...” TREND INFO: It was in the name of efficiency and maximising the use of space that the high rise building was born way back in the modernist era of the early 20th Century. And whilst we may indeed now have some spectacularly impressive tall buildings – the Gherkin in London, the Burj in Dubai – it’s fair to say that most high rise efforts are rather more, ahem, ‘functional’ in their aethetics. Still, the challenge remains, and as we enter this new era of green

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consciousness, architects are beginning to explore ways in which to combine the undoubted practical benefits of tall buildings with rather more, ahem, lofty moral aspirations. Like these shown here – designed for the heart of Sentul, Kuala Lumpur, these are high rise urban buildings modelled around the idea of the ecology of the rainforest. A series of selfsustaining mushroom skyscrapers that use all the natural stuff freely available – rainwater, solar, etc – the idea is that they mimic the five layers found within a tropical rainforest – the overstory, the canopy, the understory, the shrub layer, and the forest floor. We say ‘idea’, cos there are a few hurdles to get over before this vision finally becomes a reality, but as well as being suitably ‘on trend’ (DiY Psychedelic buildings anyone?!) at least they’re an attempt to move past the lowest common denominator/ maximum profit efforts we’ve seen so much of in recent years (paperthin walls, corrugated structures – anyone fancy living in a Lidl?) and for that should be widely applauded.

4 to donk or not to donk?!

Statement: “Put a bangin’ Donk on it!” Trend Info: This genre of music (with Blackout Crew, pictured, at the forefront) is a close relation to ‘Scouse House’ and has more beats per minute than you’ve had Facebook messages! It has recently received a lot of press coverage from trendy southern metropolitan media types who have used words to describe it as such as “amusing” and “terrifying” with “sub-

standard grime-like MC-ing”. Rather than contribute to a deluge of middle-class media voyeurism it is time to point out the success of Donk – a specifically Northern Monkey version of Happy Hardcore which bounces along like Mr Motivator on a space hopper. Also, it’s very popular with girls and means that raves don’t end up as one big intellectual sausage-fest- like what can happen in other places around the country. It is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face with lyrics like “Speakin’ of sick that’s me on the mic/ and if you dont like it, get on ya bike/ Pack ya bags and get out my sight.” YOU ’EARD!

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SUPERTRENDS

HAIR

RAISING Trend Info: Is this the cult of hair extentions gone AwoL?! Quite possibly but hair is so plentiful these days that it shouldn’t be limited to the likes of Lady Gaga’s shimmytastic blonde bonce anymore, Human hair is being made in to fabulous clothes and accessories by the likes of Martin Margiela S/S 08 and Charlie Le Mindu A/W 09, who has also taken an alternative viewpoint on fur by using mice instead of the usual luxury mink!

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Words by Namalee

thesupersuper.com

Statement “Hair today, worn tomorrow”

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5 “is hair the new fur?!”

Main images: Charlie Le Mindu London Fashion Week Show Photography by Billa Left: Maison Martin Margiela (both A/W 2009)

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Statement: “Hard Times = Hard Boots” Trend Info: It’s time to toughen up people! Wimpy flip flops have finally had their day and given way to the king of all bootism – be it the workboot, the paraboot, the Doc Marten or just a general romper stomper cyber platform style from down the market. There is barely a youth cultural movement alive (or dead) – goth, punk, grunge, heavy metal, industrial, skinhead etc that hasn’t embraced the dear combat as it forceful footwear semiotic of choice. There’s no better footwear to show that you mean business whilst also providing utilitarian comfort, protection from the wind, snow and rain and effortless two-fingers-up rebel style must have. How to work the look: Girls this a great opportunity to wear the skimpiest outfit in your wardrobe. Get out those bra tops, hot pants and body con dresses, because by teaming it with massive combat boots you can give off a vibe that tells the boys that you may look like a playboy bunny but if they try to mess with you, you will kick them in the balls. Boots are brilliant for going out in too because you can wear them with your most glamourous outfit and still remain in that comfort zone. Boys, oh so much choice for you here! You can either go down a scruffy gothy black emo kind of vibe – and leave your laces trailing on the floor or go super smart and pin tuck your trousers into an ultra sharp Public Enemy military stylee! Lifespan: Forever! These bad boys never go away. They just get put at the back of your wardrobe until the next time they come around again. A true classic!

Photography by NIKO THE IKON Model Sky Ferreira Words by Namalee

BOOTYLICIOUS

SUPERTRENDS

Gola Cl

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Statement: “I’ll be black” Trend info: Of course, in much of North European black has never really gone out of vogue (warmer countries tend to have a different take on colour – the classic little yellow & mauve dress, anyone?! – but once again it’s becoming predominant, partly as a default setting after the riot of colour of recent dayz (yes blame us!). How to work the look: As long as you don’t go down the minstrel way you’ll be fine. Strong shapes, block colours and a small snarl upon your face! There’s the darkwave/post-indie/goth angle (think spidery/pointy/anglular); the militant-anti-G20-pro-Baader Meinhof angle (a slightly more rounded silhouette, bomber jackets & big boots) and the ‘I’m so sophisticated my delicate constitution can’t handle colours or patterns or blatant branding’, or ‘modern classic’ look (straight silhouette, tailoring).

Photography by Jimmy Mould Clothes by Komakino Words by Henrik Larsson

SUPERTRENDS

Lifespan: Hot now, warm forever. James Dean, the Velvet Underground and The Horrors can’t ALL be wrong, can they?!

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The SUPERTRENDS

“

RiSiNG &

what the horrors did next . . . Don’t know if you’ve clocked but there’s a dark cloud hovering over the world of music right now. Despite what early forecasts may have claimed, Robbie Williams ISN’T making a follow up to Rudebox (at least not as far as we’re aware) nor is it the result of the much anticipated Rolf Harris grime album either. No, as it happens this ominous force of nature heralds the long awaited return of Dior-dipped darkwave dandies The Horrors! That’s right, after a 2 year musical interlude filled with parties down at Bungalow 8 and alleged pre and post-marrige Geldof trysts, Faris and Co are back inna the game via new album ‘Primary Colours’…

thesupersuper.com

Undeniably the musical scenery has shifted significantly since they have been away. While The Horrors rose to the mainstream in ’05, times may have opened the proverbial black hole through which newer bands like S.C.U.M, HTRK and Experiment on a Bird in an Air Pump have since sprung, to many in the scene The Horrors, or at least the notion of them (and the inevitable connotations of polka dots, pointed shoes and B-movie organs) have become, well… passé. Luckily for the band the new album looks likely to comprehensively address any dissent within the scene which they helped birth, while simulataneously transcending them into realms beyond it. For those that dun kno the dun kno, The Horrors were spawned, along with peers like Ipso Facto, Wretched Republica and These New Puritans, from Southend’s much eulogised JUNK club. This club and record fair was founded by, amongst others, Horrors ivory tinkler/bassist Spider Webb and ran from 2002–2006 in the basement of the city’s Royal Hotel. North London based 3-piece Neils Children (whose guitarist John was one of the clubs resident DJs) were the first band to emerge from the scene, their sparse and angular post-punk sound and Clockwork Orange droog imagery typifying the first (dark)wave of the movement. The moody and minimalist aesthetic

and taut austerity of the scene baring stark contrast to The Libertines and the ascendant ‘Londons Burning’ scene of the time. The proto-darkwave baton was passed from NC to The Horrors, initially via singer/ guitarist John Lingers production for Faris’s pre-Horrors outfit, The Rotters, and later via shared NC/ Horrors gigs at supportive nights like White Heat and Tatty Bogles. A mix of ‘right place right time’ good fortune and careful orchestration meant The Horrors sounds and polkadots ‘n’ pointy shoes imagery captured the imagination of Myspace users at a time when ‘online sensation’ actually meant something, while compelling many within the existing scene to ditch their Gang of Four records in favour of wailing vox organs, dusty 60s psyche and obscure garage rock vinyls. This was followed by the first batch of bands currently considered to be the ‘Darkwave’, many of whom bonded over The Horrors Myspace page and forum (Horum). Inspired by The Horrors’ spiritually (if not sonically) this nu generation embraced the sounds of the New York No Wave movement of the late 70s with bands like S.C.U.M and Electricity in our Homes drawing from bands like DNA and Suicide. While the current trend of bands like Relics and Romance seems to see things shifting towards the sounds of early shoegaze and the Jesus and Mary Chain, The Horror’s new record looks likely to set a whole new musical agenda once again. Ditching the cartoon organ sounds of old, along with the more dated aspects of their aesthetic, the album undeniably shares the same rhythm/texture fundamentals of bands like S.C.U.M. However ‘Primary Colours’ is a far more forward thinking collection of music than anything to have emerged from the scene so far, transcending the reliance on pastiche that dogged their first album (and has continued to dog the wider scene since) in favour of something far more adventurous. It’s an album that’s gonna shock and excite in equal measure, so take SuperSuper’s advice and brace youselves y’all – this darkwave phenomenon we put you up on in issue 13 is about to become a tsunami!

Words by Billy iDle

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SUPER SUPER

ISSUE #16 CONTRIBUTORS

FOUNDERS SuperSteve & Namalee CREATIVE & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR SuperSteve steve@thesupersuper.com EDITOR IN CHIEF Namalee namalee@thesupersuper.com ART DIRECTOR Dan Szor dan@thesupersuper.com EDITOR Emma Davies emma@thesupersuper.com

David Richardson

You will never ever meet a lovelier, more talented or indeed hungrier chap (he loves pies as much as he loves photography!) than Sir David Dangershark. In past issues he has photographed S.C.U.M and The Golden Silvers for us, and has recently just completed a series of pix with Grace Jones. As free spirited as the wind in the willows David can be found wandering the streets of LDN waiting to capture the perfect portrait of a squirrel in the mist, and that’s why we love him!

FEATURES EDITOR Will Wright will@thesupersuper.com FASHION DIRECTOR Hope Von Joel hope@thesupersuper.com ASSISTANT TO FASHION DIRECTOR Kate Kearney kate@thesupersuper.com BEAUTY EDITOR Laurie Hadleigh laurie@thesupersuper.com FASHION NEWS EDITOR Dominik E Riddler dom@thesupersuper.com DESIGNER Chris Pollard design@thesupersuper.com CONTRIBUTING FASHION EDITORS fashion@thesupersuper.com Basso and Brooke, Thomas Sels

Rebecca Pearson

Diehard greyhound enthusiast Rebecca knows a thing or two about doughnuts. The chirpy Mordenbased Lee Meads lover spends her days strutting her stuff on modelling assignments for the likes of Katherine Hamnett, New Look and Babycakes – for whom she is the new poster girl! Rebecca is one of SUPERSUPER’s dearest contributors having graced the infamous cover of issue 5 in CassettePlaya and an enormous green wig. Pearson is the closet thing to Mary Poppins we’ve ever known. We salute you grrrl! Xxx

CONTRIBUTING MUSIC EDITORS music@thesupersuper.com Billy iDle, Buster Bennet, Joseph ‘JP’ Patterson EDITORIAL editorial@thesupersuper.com Liz Stott, Loukia Constantinou, Naida Alley, Vasilisa Forbes ARTS EDITOR Nicky Carvell nicky@thesupersuper.com CLUBS EDITOR JP jp@thesupersuper.com FOOD & DRINK EDITOR Jessica Harvey jess@thesupersuper.com

Henry Conway

Like a futuristic fop from Funland, Henry Conway is a colourful gentleman with a heart of gold. Everyday is like a magical fairytale when we are with him and no wonder people flock to the weekly parties he hosts at Mahiki nightclub. He recently co-edited and published a book on ‘Knit Couture’ and currently resides as muse to knitwear designer Weardowney, as well as writing for The New York Times. He is currently working on writing a series of TV shows – so look out for him. We’re thinking that he is quite possibly a Melvyn Bragg for the 21st century.

SCREEN EDITOR Shirani shirani@thesupersuper.com GAMES EDITOR Jayga Rayn games@thesupersuper.com ACCOUNT DIRECTOR Michelle Bryant michelle@thesupersuper.com +44 (0) 203 004 9770 PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Luc Le Corre luc@thesupersuper.com +44 (0) 203 004 9770 PUBLISHERS Luc Le Corre, Steve Slocombe, Namalee Bolle

SUPERSUPER 2nd Floor 182 Commercial Road London E1 2YJ United Kingdom Editorial: +44 (0) 203 002 07923 Commercial: +44 (0) 203 004 9770 General Enquiries: info@thesupersuper.com www.thesupersuper.com www.supersuper.tv facebook: supersuper myspace.com/thesupersuper youtube.com/supersupermagazine

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SUPERSUPER Magazine is published 6 times per year by SuperSuper Ltd, Registered Company No 6035756. ISSN 1750-0648. Printing By PCP www.pcpltd.net Distribution by COMAG www.comag.co.uk © SUPERSUPER 2009. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission from the publishers. The view expressed in SUPERSUPER are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily shared by SuperSuper Ltd and its staff and therefore these parties cannot be held responsible for them. All unsolicited material submitted for publication must be accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope if it is to be returned. SuperSuper Ltd do not accept any liability for material lost or any unsolicited material

Gabriel Bisset Smith

Gabriel is a thoroughly modern bard. He has written plays for the Hampstead Theatre, is on attachment at the Royal Court, has written and starred in a BBC Radio Four play and is a regular story contributor on to C4’s Skins. Pheeewww! And if that’s not enough he is also currently doing a reading of his latest play, ‘A Racist Farce’, at the Old Vic theatre. This issue he enlightens us with his article ‘Nu Race’– a piece about the multi-racial future that we will all inhabit.

SUPERSUPER CONTRIBUTORS Billa, Rebecca Pearson, Tim & Barry, Slinky Sunbeam, Paul Babycakes, Charlie Le Mindu, Jamie E-17, Megumi Matsuno, Amarpaul Kalirai, Chantelle Fiddy, Akio, Natalie ‘Esqueezy’ Esquire, The Murkage Cartel, Fiona Cartledge, Fraser Clarke, Jobot, Rat Scabies, Alexis Panayioutou, Neil Bennett, Daniel Stacey, Rebecca & Mike, Mark Moore, Alice Costelloe, KYM, Little Richard, Kayti Peschke, Kuni, Prof Julian Roberts, Tobias Jones, Motohiko Hasui, K-Tron, Dejan, The 3rd Earl of Kent, Ai, Robin Bharaj, Jayga, One Time, Karen Potter aka Handsome Dan, Kiki Hitomi, Neon Skullz, Katy Fancyfox, Sofi Donuts, Dan Glass, Pochomkin, Jack De Havas, Hayley Betts, Nasplasha, Davey Tyler, Simon Smallbone, Melanie Szabo, Dean Varjo, Jasoll Ell, Jose Quijano, Laura Dominique, Julia Kennedy, Kenneth So, Claire Rothstein, Sophia Melot, Karen Savage, The Cobra Snake, Kyle Ross, Kara, Fiona Cartledge, Neemo, Andrew Berry, Thomas De Kluyver, Dave Purgas, Alicia Samuels

3/4/09 12:04:37

LESS RETRO MORE FUTURO PLEASE!

Dan from Glasgow

Dear SUPERSUPER, Is it just me or does it seem like this whole decade has been based upon looking back? First we got The Strokes and The White Stripes scirca 2001 and it just seems to have carried on. Now don’t get me started on Miss Winehouse rehashing that whole Motown legacy, or Madonna jumping on the disco bandwagon spreadeagle in what can only be described as some form of ‘pink’ cheese-cutting contraption. What’s going on SUPERSUPER, have we reached a stalemate in our cultural advance, where the only way forward seems to be to look back? I’m only 17, not 71, wagwann??? Granny Sue from Bognor

Holler Dan. As much as I’d like to see your gran arched over like a wrinkly rainbow over a ‘wipe clean’ mat, I’m kind of glad you didn’t send in the picture. Not that I don’t want to see them, I just really want to use my own imagination and savour the image for myself. I’m glad you thought of us though, we sometimes get a bit of stick for what we do, but what other magazine can trigger such thought processes – well apart from maybe ‘Top Santé’ and ‘Welcome to Cheshire’. Actually on second thoughts, could you send those images to us?

Well fine gretings to you Sue – and tell us about it, perrrrrrrrrrlease! The last few years seem just to have been an amalgimation of the last 50years of popular culture, forced through a blender and remolded for an audience so fickle and tech savvy that they don’t even know who these people were mimicking. We’ve had everything from Monroe to Morrisey via Bobby Brown to Babylon Zoo. Blur once commented a over a decade ago that ‘modern life is rubbish’, but my oh my, it ain’t that bad is it? Maybe it’s just our complete and utter dissatisfaction with the way things are nowadays that has left us harking back to the so called ‘better’ days – kinda like that feeling we get when we watch Last of the Summer Wine, but to be honest we here at SUPERSUPER believe in the famous chorus of Wizard’s glam rock Christmas Number 1 – ‘look to the future now, we’re only having fun’ – and don’t let anyone tell you different. GRANNY TAKES A TRIP Yo SUPERSUPER. Just a quick question. Have you ever played twister with an elderly person? I know it might sound quite odd and you don’t have to answer, but when I saw my gran adopt the crab possision on that shiny plastic mat adorned with a multitude of multicoloured ovals I couldn’t half think that it reminded me of something… then it hit me, it looked exactly like a cover that you would produce. I would send you the images, but im afraid some people might find them offensive.

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I MISS FOXY – OH FOXY! Bonjour SUPERSUPER! OMG…what on earth is going on with the fox from the foxy bingo adverts (mainly aired around primetime on ITV here in the UK). Last time I saw the advert, Foxy had took on the role of a loveable northern rogue – all smiles and colloquial charm. Yes he may have had a drink problem and a penchant for unflattering mauve suits, but my oh my he was handsome and even my boyfriend Kevin said he’d buy him a pint down at the local beefeater. This week however, between the Bill and Midsummer Murders, what does one behold…a fullon CGI version of our beloved friend. I know it’s tough times money-wise, but surely to lay foxy off and replace him with a substandard version, probably made by the same people who brought us ‘A Sharks Tale’ (lest we forget) was a massive mistake. Give foxy a chance I say, and at the end of the day you gave Ant and Dec one??? Gita from Norwich Hey Gita, you alright? You’re not related Sanjay by any chance are you? Anyway…I hear your cry oh lord. We here at SUPERSUPER are actually very good friends with Foxy. Don’t worry about him though, he’s fine – he may be a little cut up about it all and his rather exuburent mauve suit a whiter shade of pale, but that’s understandable – he’s just lost his job. Here at SUPERSUPER though, we feel that being made unemployed isn’t the end of the world – maybe it’s the world’s way of telling you that it’s time for a change. Yeah yeah,

no-one really likes change but ultimatle change means progress as it forces us into a whole new headspace/way of thinking. Don’t worry about foxy by the way, he’ll be alright…rumour has it that he’s the new face of Primark! THE SAUSAGE ECONOMY: PART 3 Dear Supersuper After observing the last few issues of SUPERSUPER, I noticed an increase in your reporting on the fluctuating price of sausage rolls. This is an issue very close to my heart as I run a gammon factory just north of Sheffield called ‘Gambodia’. Since the war, you could always trust on pork to be quite stable in price, but now...I don’t know what’s going on. If we can’t believe in the price of bacon anymore, what can we believe in. I’m so worried about my Gambodian business empire – I don’t want to lay of any staff, but it’s looking quite inevitable. Do you have any advice SUPERSUPER? Percy Samosa CEO Gambodia Enterprises Hey Percy. Don’t worry man, we hear your pain. SUPERSUPER invested heavily in the meat and poultry industry back in the early 1990s. Back then the value of meat was skyrocketing – you could even buy a house with a few rashers of bacon and a pork loin, then along came BSE. The value plummeted and we were left penniless, heartbroken and malnourished. My advice to you Percy is to just ride the storm. Keep doing your best and let’s see what happens. If it all goes tits up then it all goes tits up and remember if you’re at the bottom then as Yazz and the Plastic Population once sang – the only way is up! TO PROTEST OR NOT TO PROTEST? Yo SUPERSUPER!!! Hows it hanging? I just thought I’d write in to say how insightful the Fraser Clarke interview was in last issue (issue 15). What he had to say really changed the way I thought about things and how underneath it all, there are people doing things to challange a system that seems to have forced the world into a corner both economically and socially, and how little changes can have a massive effect somewhere along the line. Just out of intrest what are your

thoughts on protest as obviously that was your first trend in the last issue! Do you condone it? Graham from Manchester Hey Graham. Thanks very much and we’re pleased you liked the Fraser Clarke article. It was really inspiring meeting him and listening to his views, and we were honoured to get time with someone we would call a modern prophet just before he sadly passed away. Protesting is a wierd one if you think about it. At the moment in the world’s current climate it seems that protesting is very ‘du jour’. Every man and his dog seems to have an opinion and there does seem to be a revolutionary spirit in the air. The problem with protesting is that it’s easy to get caught up in wanting to smash something up just because your unhappy or because everyone else is – but is this just a quick burst of change – one could even sum it up as idle disruption. Our view on change is a slow burning one. If something quickly explodes then it can just as easily fade, if something slowly infiltrates the cause and changes things over a longer period of time, then there’s more chance of the change actually sticking around. A short term fix is not a fix at all, it’s a distraction. Staying true to your beliefs and teaching/informing others is a long term solution. I know which one we’re taking. THE GILET – DISCUSS! Dear SUPERSUPER. What is your stance on the clothing item – the ‘gilet’? Hannah from Southport Hannah, Hannah, Hannah. Has noone ever informed you that to mention the word ‘gilet’ in the presence of Stefan (our humble yet eccentric logo) is punishable by death. An item of clothing that does not have a clue what it is, has no presence in our vocabularly, let alone our lives! Is it a coat? Is it a vest? Is it a waistcoat perhaps? What the blazes is a gilet? Usually made out of some form of puffa-esque material, so if you stand too close to a bonfire on Guy Fawkes night you’ll go up like the Hindenburg. It’s the only clothing item that can make a size zero model resemble the Michelin Man. And it’s got no arms. Who on earth buys a coat without arms, unless unfortunately you have no arms. We rest our case! Let us never speak of it again.

thesupersuper.com

get in touch via myspace.com/ thesupersuper or email us at: letters@thesupersuper.com

. . . r e p u s r dear supe

3/4/09 12:22:36

��

NEXT HYPE

LET’S GET DIGIREAL!

Telling the truth means something different now than it did awhile back, Last issue we asked inna Tabloid mainly thanks to t’internet. If you stylee if grime was ‘dead’, or at least put that you’re 100 years old with an waning with the rise of other UK income of £250,000 and over on yr scenes and some (not all) of the myspaz it’s grime not really a ‘lie’ in almost profile, wierd pop crossover the old sense that mum tracks coming outyour at the mo.used Well,to go onTempa aboutTwhen you were growing (aka Tempz) would have up, isnone it? We’ve always been excited of that. He’s realer than realabout & the creative offered the those in thepossibilities know feel like it’s hisbytime blurring of could fact n well fiction, andone it seems & that he be the to other peopleoff areagain. getting way, too. kick grime Histhat single Next Take theis Nokia Supernova campaign Hype out now – and some of the for their new they’ve gone video for7610 it washandset shot by–Tim&Barry at allSUPERSUPER David LynchHQ, on us & Westwood got these gals with &playing guys all hisover bossFacebook who fires and him stuff, from and canPars speak with them and wig), text his you job at ‘R’ Us. JME (in the Skepta & and creweverything came down toactually lend with them and their support. Jokes all lives round– & get involved with their butcheck the out Westwood.tv Par TV for do question is, are theyand ‘real’? They behind the scenes footage . . . say... kind of look the part, we must

SUPERNEWZg Up! Goin

GETTING INVOLVED

Whether you’re up for protesting in the City of London or dreaming up your own way of changing the world through knitting, there’s never been a better time than the present!

Jade works in PR

JCDC, aka Jean Charles de Castelbajac, legendary French fashion designer and SUPERSUPER fave is having his first ever art show. Open til May 2nd, at London’s Paradise Row gallery, it’s showing work dealing with the nature of signs – a favoured theme in his design work. Go! See: www.paradiserow.com for info Luca is a filmmaker

& Anna is a model

Anti-Bratz Attack! Are you mortified by your little sisters burning ambition to be a lapdancer when she grows up ? Us too! Too much Paris Hiltons BF and Pussy Cat Dollism are creating a nation of air head tweens . Fear not, cos BF’s Scarlett & Crimson are here to save their souls. With their DarqSpace blog and own rock band, S&C are no dumbo Bratz dolls. Like Ghostworld for the new generation. Bring it on! www.scarlettandcrimson.com

Belvedere IX Check out the new super luxury vodka from Belvedere produced in colab with super hip Parisian graf artist André – he of the smiling faces on stick men. The bottle looks sick, but you’ll have to head along to one of a handful of select nighteries to sample. Check: www.belvederevodka.com for more...

“Tempz – You’re Fired!”

VALUE

As in seeing what things – people, places, objects, time – is/are really worth to you. Good quality ‘value’ products don’t go amiss, either

STALKING

Google’s Street View, following people on Twitter, government profiling & surveillance. We can see the good (hi mum!) as well as the potentially bad

LIL KIM

A star role in Dancing with the Stars – and just because life can’t be too serious all the time

CAMOUFLAGE

HOT NEW BRITFLICK ALERT! ‘SHIFTY’ is the directorial debut from Eran Creevy, stars MC Riz (Riz Ahmed) and is the most talked about film of its ilk we’ve heard about in a while. An original, gritty & ultimately uplifting urban tale, it was made for a mere £100K & has already been nominated for 5 BIFTAS. A very strong look for UK film. www.shiftyfilm.com

It’s return was inevitable anyway (it’s now a ‘perennial fashion staple’) and is beginning its creep back into high fashion and street fashion

EMAILING SOBER

Googlemail making you answer a question before sending emails after 10pm – just wait til Nokia try that sort of thing!

THE APPRENTICE

Nothing much has happened yet at the time of going to print, but it will – you mark our words, it will...

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senior style The good folk of Birmingham, UK Photographed by Alis Pelleschi

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c y s p

1 You…. a) Listen to Julian Cope, swear by Stonehenge and have a penchant for mushrooms of the magic variety b) Own every album the Dixie Chicks ever made c) Go to church on a Sunday because you’re supposed to 2 When out looking for new clothes you go to… a) A skip behind Sainsbury’s b) The Army & Navy store c) I don’t belive in fashion 3 Your mum is a… a) Moon baby b) Boon baby [Boon was a show that was deemed to be racist in the 70s] c) Not very nice person 4 I always cut my hair in the style of a) I don’t cut it, but If I do I get top hairdresser Charlie Le Mindu to do it b) Short back ’n side guvnor c) ‘Have you ever seen Dr Quinn Medicine woman?’ 5 E’s are… a) Good but not as good as they were b) Just the middle letters of ‘beer’ c) The root of all evil 6 Somewhere over the rainbow, there is…. a) A magical land better than we could ever ever imagine in our wildest dreams b) A pot of gold c) Rainbows schmmainbows, pfffftt I don’t belive in them. Whatever next… lightning [starts laughing smuggly to oneself] 7 I read…. a) The lion the witch and the wardroabe b) The Sun c) That newsletter that you get when you leave church… it tells you who’s died that week! 8 I drink… a) Kool Aid acid juice b) I like coffee, I like tea, I like sitting on a black man’s knee c) The blood of Christ 9 At school my favourite subject was… a) Chemistry b) PE c) …it’s a hard life being a traveller, you never feel settled so I never really had a favourite subject… I just knew I wanted to be a boxer… but then I had that accident while tarmacking someones drive… they don’t call me ‘fudge fists’ for nothing. 10 If I ever have a child I’m thinking of calling it… a) Xanadu Sunchyme Sega Saturn b) Kev c) My mum’s called Mary and my Dad’s called John. I’m called John too. I have three sisters

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YOU?

Quiz by Dan Szor GaGa Words by Loukia Constantinou

w o H

l e d he

called Mary. My grandfather’s called John too, btw.

11 My spirit feels most drawn to… a) I’m my own being. We are one. We are unified. b) A close tie between Gazza and Robbie Fowler c) Desmond Tutu 12 If I ruled the world I would… a) Give everyone a paintbrush and a pot of yellow paint. I’d encourage everyone to paint each other’s face while we all sang Michael Jackson’s ‘We are the World’… I would then weep as all my dreams would be complete. b) Why are you asking me? – I leave that for those men in suits to do… what they called, G4 or summat?! [G4 were runners up in X Factor 2006] c) How dare you even think I’d consider answering this most blasphemous of questions [Starts making the sign of the cross] 13 If I looked up from reading this question I’d be…. a) In a room full of green muscle men playing harps while surrounded by clouds whilst an army of parapalegic wasps travels towards the citadel. Prepare for battle my muscular minions. b) Down the pub with the missus – I don’t really love her though, that’s why I’m reading this! c) Purgatory 14 My ideal holiday is…. a) Sailing on a lagoon in a brown, hard, self-fashioned log of love – dreadlocks are the future of world travel, you mark my words! b) Magaluf c) Holiday! You think I’ve got time for that? I’m a servant of God, not of leiusure 15 I listen to… a) Rare tapes of Goa Trance smuggled in from Thailand b) Hard Fi c) The sermon If you chose mostly answers a) then you are extremely pyschedelic.Your trippin’ on sunshine man, like totally out there dude If you chose mostly b) then you are normal… but what’s wrong with that? – it’s your choice. At least you don’t have to worry or trip every time SpongeBob’s on If you chose mostly c)… well it’s your choice and to be honest, we’re alittle surprised your reading this magazine. But we’re cool wid dat and welcome along! Let’s all live and let live…ok?

HOW TO: get 47million youtube plays your guide to musical fame the lady gaga way 1) BE OBSESSED WITH FAME Lady GaGa is. Her flippin’ album is called The Fame!! Let fame take you under its wing, play with your mind and make you do some wonderfully scandalous things!

2) FORGET ABOUT ROMANCE AND MARRY YOUR ART “Music is my first love,” says Gaga, “I don’t really date at all, my art is too important.” Forget boys. Forget girls. Just art. Her passion for fashion and music habit is what keeps GaGa quite…sane actually.

3) WRITE POP SONGS FOR OTHER REALLY FAMOUS SLEBS, THEN RELEASE A RECORD THAT OUTSELLS THEIRS BY A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MILES After writing songs for stars like Gwen Stefani and her royal highness Madonna, GaGa clearly STILL managed to keep her best music for herself.

4) A BIT OF DRESS-UP NEVER HURT ANYBODY!! MAKE SURE YOUR WARDROBE IS A COMPILATION OF SEXUALLY PROVOCATIVE LEOTARDS, RIDICULOUSLY AMAZING SCULPTURED COSTUMES AND AIR!! If you want you can also dress up as mundane things like common cutlery, kitchen utensils or crockery such as the famous teacup outfit favored by GaGa herself. 5) SPEAKING OF GARMZ…GET YER KIT OFF! Wear as little as possible and make sure that which you do wear is something you can easily slip out of. Carry a mobile wardrobe and set yourself the following target – How many times can I change my clothes in one night? Try and beat your personal best. GaGa’s current record is 45, 000 outfits in one night. Swear down.

6) GO ON TOUR WITH A WORLD FAMOUS PLATINUM SELLING GIRL BAND AND THEN WATCH AS AUDIENCES LEAVE AFTER YOUR PERFORMANCE The Pussycat Dolls latest tour was a sell out – unfortunately for them it was Lady GaGa that many audiences went to see.

7) TRY YOUR HAND AT AMATEUR STRIPPING Stripping is one of Lady GaGa’s favorite hobbies. Enhancing the provocative selling point, like GaGa it will allow you to do your shows with almost illegal girls parading in outrageous and downright porntastic outfits and demeanor. 8) MAKE THE PAPS YOUR PALS Lady GaGa and the paparazzi seem to have planned all their encounters and all of them work wonders for her public image. E.g. walking the streets of London in the freezing cold, at the smallest hours and in the smallest clothes seemed to get everybody’s attention.

9) “KEEP HAMMERING THE IMAGE” Do what you do, believe in it and even if people might think you’re a bit insane that’s what they’ll end up loving you for. There’s no point starting something you can’t pursue. Be confident in you insanity. The name “GaGa” says it all. 10) JUST DANCE Finally, release a song which might make people forget about their troubles and have fun, or might even annoy the crap out of them, either way they will have one option – JUST DANCE! The best pop party anthem of 2009 thus far, and who knows if anyone will take its title this year. If you can do all this too then you’ll be looking at 47 million Youtube plays as well. Who knows, maybe even 48 million.

(*We don’t have the answers – that’s what Google’s for!)

SUPERQUi Z

re a ic

3/4/09 14:36:35

blah! – cos I was different I used to get called a crackhead at school! At just 16 yrs of age Sky Ferreira is building quite a global rep for herself – and not always exactly in the way she’d like, either! With the world at her feet, however, she’s got no need for waste gossipmogerers. Far better to focus on her burgeoning slashslash career – she’s a singer (with a great voice) working with Britney’s production team and about to colab with Frankmusic; an actress with her first lead role about to be released, and a sometime model. SUPERSUPER’s Rebecca Pearson caught up with her to find out what a day in her life consists of…

SS: Hello is that Sky? SF: Hey… yeah! Uhhh... SS: So... have you been in the studio all day? SF: Well no, I’m just shopping right now… I’m coming over to London in couple days though, to work on some stuff with Frankmusik. SS: Ah yes, isn’t he flying you over? – and what’ll you be working on? SF: Yeah, well we did this cover but it didn’t work out, so we’re gonna make some new stuff – he’s written us a song, and I’m gonna go to his single launch… SS: And aren’t you doing something with Britney Spears ? SF: No! Everyone seems to think this... It’s like a little rumour that became a huge rumour that just kept going. It’s cos we have the same producers, Bloodshy & Avant, who worked on her stuff like Piece of Me, and this rumour’s gone from there… SS: How did you get to work with them? SF: I sent them a demo when I was 14… I’ve always been into music, I’m gospeltrained… SS: You were on a myspace “we love,” banner and it had you described as a singer/model, you’ve also been described as a promoter and an actress… that’s a lot for anyone, let alone at 16! SF: Well I was promoting myself to meet musicians cos you have to when you’ve got no money… I’m not really a model, like I just do a lot of photos and stuff, but I am into acting! I’m in this new film, Metal Gods… it’s a bit like Kids, but less harsh – I’m gonna be the lead!

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SS: Do you go to acting classes or anything like that? SF: I went to a couple but not really… my dad used to be an actor – not a successful one or anything like that, but he can give me tips... [to friend] Wtf $300 for a jumpsuit?! Uuuhhh can you hold on for a sec? Sorry I’ll be right back [lengthy discussion with friend about pricey jumpsuits] Sorry, I’m in this store, The Way We Wore, and I just got told how much it all costs! I don’t shop very often, cos I don’t have any money, but my management company gave me $1000 to buy clothes and look a bit more sharp. But I’m soooo cheap!!! I love vintage, but it’s really expensive here, and there are all these crazy jumpsuits. It never gets very cold here in LA, but I’m meant to be shopping for England! But I want to get the little playsuits!

SS: I’m sure you could work it. And what does your dad do? SF: He manages a bar. He’s in Texas at the moment. Yeah so my parents aren’t famous… I so can’t imagine me being reliant on them for fame or anything.

SS: Buy them and then get some woolly tights. SF: Yeah that’s what I thought!

SS: Why? What would they say?! SF: Oh, I suppose cos I was different… like, they’d call me crackhead… I don’t know, blah! – I don’t really like to talk about it! I’m trying to, like, say less stuff in interviews cos it backfires and I need to keep more to myself!

SS: Do you still go to school? SF: Well I was going to just normal regular school til a couple of weeks ago, but now I’m doing homeschooling. But I don’t get to enjoy that at all! My mom still makes me get up at like 6!

SS: What is living in LA like? Imagine that in the UK we’ve always had programmes like 90210 giving us ideas of constant glamour and sunshine… SF: I don’t even know where they think up that lifestyle!! It’s fun I guess… well it can be boring… I don’t have a lot in common with kids my age. I’m not saying I’m superior or smarter, but I just tend to get on better and have more in common with older people. SS: What were you like at school then? SF: Oh god, I didn’t have many friends… I didn’t fit in much, I was teased a lot…

SS: What does your mum do? SF: Oh she does hair extensions. All her customers think she does mine cos my hair’s really thick and wavy, but it’s natural... it’s a pain in the ass, I’d love thin hair!

SS: Alright then. Personally, I wish there had been a cool looking girl with braces to inspire me when I had them for 3 long years in my adolescence! SF: Oh my traintracks are off now! I’ve gotta wear a retainer though, which is still really awkward… like I’ll be talking and there it is in a funny shape… or I’ve gotta take it out when I eat.

SS: Oh don’t say that! You’re lucky, it’s nice to have thick hair, I do too. Although if I cut it short it looks triangular! SF: Yeah! I want bangs but it wouldn’t work. I’d look ridiculous.

SS: Yeah don’t eat with it in. I broke mine that way. So is there a gang of you now? When I think of LA lifestyle I think “hanging at the mall, drinking soda in a sunny carpark, roller skating…”

www.mys pace.com /skyferre iramusic

“

SF: Ermmm… well there’s a group of friends my age, we just do stupid pointless weird stuff! Like… Haha… I don’t even know… I’m bored with going out, I prefer to sit at home like a grandma! And watch TV… like, really bad, crappy stuff – I really like Summer Heights High. And Big Love – I looove Chloe Sevigny. Hmm, I just like to be at home really. Even my mom will say “aren’t you gonna do anything? Haven’t you got anyone to call?”

SS: You sound very world weary for a 16 year old!! SF: Well I’m very self-conscious… I’ll hang out with people, and then they’ll put stuff on the internet about me, totally made up, really uncalled for stuff. It’s vicious sometimes, and what can you do about it? SS: Maybe it’s better than if it was in a magazine though? At least this way you can reply and have your say… SF: If I respond, it’s giving them what they want. WTF?!?! Oh… sorry… it’s just I really like this top but it turns out it’s $395! SS: Get Frankmusik to take you to the cheap places over here! You do seem to have gotten into a lot of clubs before becoming a grandma. I’m quite impressed with the calibre of party guests… tell me about meeting L’il John! SF: Oh! Haha. It was a company party… I think it was a release by Fergie, there was L’il John, Mariah Carey’s husband… L’il John was DJing, he was really cool, but you know I was just really dorky, I had my chaperone there with me… SS: Hm, quite not so rock n roll. SF: No! Like I said, I’m a grandma!

3/4/09 03:03:30

Sky Ferreira

SS: So do you think that in the current climate it feels like people might be ready for some songs with a little more directness lyrically? JW: I just think that there are things that need to be told, and that’s important. I think it’s pretentious and I would hate to write a song and think ‘Ohh I want everyone to ‘get’ this’. Like if you listen to Coldplay’s lyrics – it’s a bit like when you read your horoscope and you think ‘oh yeah that is happening to me at the moment!’ It’s says something like “you will have romance problems” and you think “yeah! I could totally relate to that.” If you listen to Randy Newman, one of my favourite songwriters, his songs are straightforward. He wrote that song ‘You can leave your hat on’ which is about a guy who takes a prostitute back to his house and he just wants to dance, he doesn’t want to have sex with her... If there is something worth writing about then I think you should just write about it. Don’t cover it up and wonder if everyone’s going to get it. If you listen to ‘God only knows’ by the Beach Boys, which is like the perfect pop song in many respects, it’s so good because the words are so simple – it’s just about missing someone – straight to the point. SS: Do you think music has lost touch with this essence of directness in favour of stylistic indulgence? JW: Maybe. I think I make the kind of music that either people really like or they don’t, because of that directness. When I played at the Cannes film festival I got invited to sit with Tim Robins, Edward Norton and Goldie Hawn afterwards(!) and Tim said “Can I give you some advice from director to director?” I was like “Er I’m not a director “ Then he said “Look you need to sing more metaphors maaaan. I mean if I had an affair people don’t wanna hear that shit.” I disagree. It’s better to be marmite that margarine! SS: So tell us about your background – it’s rather multicultural isn’t it? JW: My mum’s Mauritian and my dad is from London. I was born in London and moved to South East Asia when I was 5. And then I moved back here when I was

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9 or 10. That’s why I started listening to music because I didn’t speak the language. I was in a Muslim country and I just remember hearing the prayer calls every day. My dad played in a folk band and stuff but I wasn’t really that into it then – I thought it was awful! My mum is really into glam rock like T Rex. My dad has quite a broad taste – Elton John and Elvis Costello, Elvis Presley, etc. And my sister was into Kylie Minogue and New Kids on the Block. I actually wrote a letter to Jim’ll Fix It when I was about 6 asking if I could meet the New Kids. SS: So I take it your dream didn’t come true? JW: No! I think at that point that maybe the show had finished. But I didn’t know cos I lived in Brunei and we were 5 years behind! I remember I drew a picture of him as well, but I never heard anything back. Jordan was my favourite one – he had a really high voice. SS: NKOTB had a big comeback recently didn’t they? JW: Yes I saw the footage on You Tube. It was kind of weird seeing these late 30s guys doing synchronised dance moves. And all their fans now are mums – it’s weird, a bit depressing. SS: Take That have made that transition really well. They embraced the fact that they are now a manband and no longer a boyband!! What do you think of them? JW: They’ve done it amazingly! It’s so funny how Barlow’s had the last laugh. Unless Robbie Williams has this big comeback. Cos when it started the whole band was assembled around Gary Barlow’s talent – he was 15 and he sent this demo off to a manager who called up and went “these songs are great, who wrote them?” And he was like... “me!”... so they made a band just for him! SS: You seem to be knowledgeable about mainstream pop – how do you define your taste in music? JW: I just think if it’s a good song, it’s a good song. Because behind every popstar with good songs there is a great team of songwriters and the only thing that changes is how it is delivered and marketed. Katy Perry recently had a great song that was marketed via her cleavage. I’m a big fan of old musicals – show tunes. Fred Astaire and Cole Porter, old jazz guys. It’s fun and the music is incredibly catchy but it isn’t moronic. And there is a really warm quality to the way all those songs were recorded. I think there’s a difference between comedy songwriting which can be quite awful, and bridging the gap between what’s funny and what’s tragic. SS: Sometimes credible musicians sign with majors and end up forgetting

everything that made them brilliant in the first place. You’re currently unsigned – what’s your stance on that side of things? JW: I don’t have a record deal but I quite like that. All the stuff that I’ve released has been on an indie label. I’ve played enough and toured enough to secure a nice fan base – it’s not huge but it’s loyal, and when I release my album my fans would probably buy it even if I had no press because they follow what I do. It’s nice to do it the DIY way. If I’d done a demo and sent it off to a label and been signed then I guess I would have had my rent paid for a couple of years but then again it could have all been taken away from me just as quickly. I have a lot more control working my way up slowly. Not just in regards to songwriting but also in terms of the people who are involved with your career – finding the right manager etc. This way you can assemble a team of people that you trust. A career is 30-40 years as far as I’m concerned! SS: You are an impeccably dressed gentlemen who looks like he knows about good clothes? Are you a fashion man? JW: I didn’t really know what fashion was til I was like 15. At 12 I went to the school disco in a shell suit. I thought I was fucking cool but because I’d grown up in south east Asia I was really unaware of trends – like I’d be watching Ghostbusters and I didn’t know it was 20 years old! It was the same with clothes – I was confused. You only live once and I think you might as well look exactly how you want to look. If my music had clothes, these would be them. Whenever you watch an old Fred Astaire film there’s just something so fly about the way he looks and it’s so effortless – just an undone bowtie, some well cut trousers and some shiny shoes. I’m just kind of copying him really. SS: Obama is dapper and and effective communicator – what’s your take on the new President? JW: Politics is still entertainment because politicians become celebrities. George Bush is famous. Tony Blair is famous and everything you do whether you are a musician or a politician or an actor or you are in the Big Brother house – everything you do as a public person is like a PR exercise. And I can’t figure out whether Obama has just discovered the best PR angle ever. When his daughter was photographing him just on her own, I was thinking ‘has she been told to do that?’ I don’t want to feel like I’ve been completely fooled by it, but equally it could well be that that it’s just this immense fear of hope. And that’s maybe what’s cool – there’s that fear. What I find really amazing is that I’ve never known England to care so much about American politics. It’s good to see so many people so politically enthused.

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Photography by Lisa Boyle

SUPERSUPER: Hello Josh! We love your song ‘Circus’, and ‘Pretty Girls’ is up there too. We also love the fact you don’t beat around the bush lyrically. Are the days of the meandering metaphor over? JOSH WELLER: Well I think I’m about storytelling and I hate when you listen to some really great songs and you don’t know what they are talking about. I guess you could say that’s what makes them great, but sometimes there are so many horrible metaphors in music that it’s kind of shit. Why not just explain it to people?

1/4/09 19:37:55

Joker

www.myspace.com/ thejokerproductions

thesupersuper.com

Forthcoming Kapsize releases 003: Joker Do it / Psychedelic Runway 004: Joker and Ginz Purple City / Re-Up

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Photography by Zachary Saitoti

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www.flickr.com/photos/zachary_saitoti shuttercollective@gmail.com

1/4/09 11:23:18

“

PFFFFTT!

At just 20 years old, Joker has already achieved some of the ultimate accolades of the electronic music world: he has the firm backing of big playas like Kode9 and Plastician, a constant stream of overseas bookings, his own Kapsize Recordings label, a Hyperdub release and a back catalogue of quality releases guaranteed to overshadow anything else in the dance. He also has a really cute lil’ bro’ and a Mum who has, until recently, been going to his gigs; for which he has earned my ultimate respect. Labelled ‘wonky’ by some eager journos; there is nothing ‘wonky’ about the way these beats are thought out. They make complete sense – and there is no time like the purple! SUPERSUPER: Joker!! The first music I bought was a Jason Donovan tape when I was four. What about you? JOKER: That’s kind of hard to remember. I know that when I was growing up I was listening to a lot of jungle, a lot of R&B, soul and funk. My Mum played a lot of soul. That’s how you get to like it; it’s what you’re born around innit. SS: What program did you start producing on? J: Well I started off with Fruity Loops but I don’t use that anymore. I use mostly Reason and Logic with hardware; I use a lot of hardware in my tunes. SS: Like 80’s synths and stuff? J: No, more like Nu School stuff. SS: I’ve heard that Bristol has got quite a close-knit community of producers; do you get together and bounce creativity off each other? J: Not really. What impression do you have; that it’s like a big family and we all meet up and stuff? SS: Well yes! J: Nah, it’s not really like that. I mean we’re not all best friends but there are a few people I hook up with, like Gemmy, Pinch, Ginz and Guido. SS: Do you think the fact that you don’t live in London has helped your career? J: Yeah, definitely. It’s more open here; you’re open to do what you want to do. When I named my tune Holly Brook Park it was after a place where I live, but that was

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a pretty random decision. But all the hype around my tunes started when Plasticman was playing them, and I released a tune on his label, and Pinch’s label. SS: You’re new stuff has a purple theme doesn’t it? Tell me a bit about that! J: Well when I make a tune, I see it as a colour. And lately I’ve been making purple tunes. SS: How would I make a pink tune then please? J: Hmmm… I don’t know... but every tune has a colour. SS: So what colour would…say... Skream’s ‘Midnight Request Line’ be? J: I would kind of get a blue from that tune. Sometimes I get mixed up with the colour of the artwork, do you know what I mean? That can alter your opinion. But yeah, those arpeggio bits are definitely blue. SS: I noticed on your Myspace page that you’re rockin’ a purple sweater… I like the way you’ve co-ordinated to match your beats. Do you just wear purple? J: No, actually, that’s the only purple top I own. But my bedroom is purple. What colour is your bedroom? SS: Oh actually yeah it’s lilac, purple too! My Mum thought I should have it painted a cooling colour to calm me down. Ermm moving on… Have you ever thought of making computer game music? J: Yeah I have, but I should have made it years ago. It’s completely different now. SS: What game would you like to make tunes for? J: If I was going to do it I’d do it for Streets of Rage, or Shinobi. SS: I’d like to make a tune for GTA. J: Yeah but that’s just got real tunes, like radio stations playing; it’s not the same as how they used to be. SS: True. So anyway, the dubstep crowd totally vibe off your style… but am I right in saying that you don’t class your tunes as dubstep? J: Well if I was going to be specific I’d say they’re somewhere in between dubstep and grime. I make most of my tunes at dubstep tempo. But I have a lot of other projects

– that’s what I think of the term ‘Wonky’!

on the go which are either a lot faster or slower. SS: Is that for your own interest or will we get to hear them? J: I might release some of them, we’ll see what happens. SS: Speaking of genres, what do you think of the term Wonky? J: Can you write this down please: PFFFFFT. That’s what I think of the term Wonky. SS: I listen to your tunes mostly at home & I like how some of them are really dramatic, like ‘Stuck in the System’, and really melodic in the mid range like ‘Do it,’ plus they really stand out in the club too. Have you learnt any musical instruments? J: Nah, I just fuck around on the keyboard. But I’m going to start piano lessons because I want to understand how stuff works. I also want to learn guitar but that seems long. SS: I suppose it depends on what song you’re learning, some of them only have two or three chords. J: Yeah that’s true. SS: Is that picture of the lil’ boy sitting in front of your keyboard on your Myspace page your brother? J: Yep, that’s him. We’ve just been at the park actually, I took my bike. SS: He’s so cute… does he help you make tunes? J: He jumps up’n’down singing my tunes. SS: How do you know when you’ve finished a tune? J: Well how do you know when you’ve finished a tune? SS: I don’t know. When I started making Victorian Grime I just ended them with gunshots, I don’t know what I do now... I don’t finish them or fade it out! J: You’ve just got to make a decision. I guess you can always change it; you can go back and completely re-do sections. But it’s just about knowing when not to. It’s good that you’re making tunes though. SS: How did you set up your own label (Kapsize Recordings) and why did you

decide to do it? (The first release sold out in 2 days!!) J: It’s better for me if I have something of my own that I can build on. It adds more weight, and it’s better for my name.

SS: Do you prefer working on your own or collaborating with other artists? J: It depends. Working with someone else is obviously harder because most of the time they’re coming at it from a completely different angle. SS: What happens if you don’t like what they’ve done to the tune? J: That’s a hard question. If I’m not feeling it, I’ll probably just leave them to finish it. SS: How did the Rustie collab come about? J: Myspace. It was weird because Rustie sent me a message on Myspace, and then I went in to Rooted Records in Bristol and got given a Rustie tune to listen to, and I was like... I swear this guy sent me a message. So I emailed him back. We wrote Play Doe by sending the Reason file back and forth on AIM. SS: You’ve been quite busy playing out haven’t you? J: Yeah. DMZ was sick. But I’ve just got back from Copenhagen and that beats everything so far. It was amazing. SS: I heard your Mum goes to your gigs…that’s pretty dope J: Not anymore. She doesn’t listen. She goes crazy, and it’s embarrassing. SS: Does your Mum ever tell you to turn your tunes off? J: Yeah of course. SS: What else do you like to do apart from producing and riding your bike? J: Watching films, playing with my brother. Cooking. I do a lot of cooking but I can’t tell you my speciality because you’ve got to come round and try it. Do you know how to make breadcrumbs? SS: Like when you grate dry bread? J: Does it have to be dry? SS: I think so. You can put it in the toaster, or actually no, put it in the oven to dry it out. J: Oh yeah that’s a good idea.

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JOKER IS FAST BECOMING ONE OF THE MOST DISTINCTIVE AND CREATIVE PRODUCERS OF OUR GENERATION. ADOPTED BY THE EVER-EXPANDING DUBSTEP SCENE, THIS BRISTOL BOY WONDER NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE WITH HIS FORWARD THINKING PURPLE GROOVES! SUPERSUPER’S EMMA DAVIES CAUGHT UP WITH HIM TO TALK NU SCHOOL SYNTHS, THE COLOUR PURPLE AND ERM…BREADCRUMBS…

“

Portrait by David Richardson

Kaya Scodelario

1/4/09 18:58:19

www.gemmaslack.com

Gemma Slack

Photography by Nick George Hair by Charlie Le Mindu using Fudge Make-up by Melanie Szabo using MAC Pro Model (standing) Anna Thompstone @ Select Retouching by Tom Jackson

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1/4/09 12:52:48

“ BLACK

SS: So how did you translate your skills as a fine artist into fashion? GS: My art work was based around the female form. I realised some of my sculptures were wearable, and made the change to fashion. I couldn’t sew though – the clothes in my portfolio were stapled together! SS: Gosh! Was it tricky, suddenly having to learn a whole raft of new skills? GS: There were lessons at college, but the others were further ahead – I felt like I was in Faking It! I do think you need to teach yourself many of these skills though – you have to find your own way. I still make all my samples myself. SS: A great place to study – there must have been lots of opportunity to experiment… GS: At the LCF I used to sneak up to the 6 ½ floor, and it was a revelation. Sounds a bit Harry Potter and it really was – it’s where they did prosthetics and full body casts, and one of my first pieces was when I cast my body in plastic, cut it up, and worked it into an outfit. I enjoyed pattern cutting, but most of all I enjoyed working out problems. I still do – solving them is great. SS: As well as being quite sculptural, your womenswear merges the tough and the feminine. How does that identify itself? GS: I am sill obsessed with the female form. I always try and do something different, but I do find myself returning to that root. I don’t consciously play with volume, but my work does have logic and the shape. SS: I can see that – the textures and shapes of your clothes are constantly

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SS: Super experimental then! Throwing in new elements to your clothes, where do you get inspiration from? GS: I love hardware stores! I went in the other day to get shelves, and came out with all these other things! I like the idea of things that are not supposed to be there, being there. Essentially, things you find in a hardware store can be wearable, as those things that have been designed, and designed really well, should be for people to wear. It’s all about things being ‘designed’. SS: I agree. So you believe product design and fashion are not mutually exclusive? GS: Design and fine art can combine in fashion. Take Hussein Chalayan, people can still wear his designs, but they are on the next level. They are functional, but move design and clothing forward. SS: And pushing the boundaries is something you like to do – like using human hair in your clothes! How does that work?! GS: I included human hair, weaved, on my last collection. People were shocked, but actually it’s just from old hair extensions! A few people sitting in fur jackets on the front row at the show thought it was weird – I thought that was funny. SS: And what is your working practice like – do you do work in short bursts? GS: Working on a collection can be very intense. I work in intense bursts of time, and cannot leave the studio – sleeping and eating are a luxury! I am not last minute, but often feel you need more time – like when at school writing English essays! So much to get out, not enough time… SS: Your Spring/Summer 09 collection is quite a surprise – all black! Do we hate colour then?!

GS: Black it a constant. I do like colour, I do! Red, for example. It’s just that black makes you work harder. You have to exploit it so much more, you have to give so much more attention to detail. I don’t avoid colour intentionally – and I’m too old to be an emo! I just like to made stuff I want to wear. SS: You worked for Gareth Pugh for two years, how did that happen? GS: I actually met him in a club. I had watched him on Fashion House, admired him, and just went up to him and asked if I could come work for him. We have a similar style going on, and I’ve learnt a lot from him. I look at other people’s clothes the way a graphic designer looks at art direction – I want to learn. SS: I hear Rosin Murphy is a fan? GS: Roisin popped down to the showroom and asked to borrow something. She loved this jacket, and when she called the next day, she was a bit sheepish, so I thought she was going to say something had happened to it. She actually just wanted to keep it a few more days! SS: Who can we see wearing your clothes? I know it’s vulgar, but spill the slebs! GS: Lady Gaga has worn some of my big skirts, and Lady Sovereign wore some of my puffas. The clothes change entirely on different people – everyone wears them in different ways. SS: So can we expect a music hookup, and with who? GS: Oh – a collaboration with someone would be great, but right from the beginning, the concept, the whole package. I would love to work with Florence and the Machine. SS: Hoorah for music stars! What music do you listen to in the studio? GS: I work to radio, depending on the time. In the middle of the night there is no good station, so we put on cheesy 80s tunes to keep us awake – Bananarama and Madonna! I do listen to a wide range of music – I go though phases, but I’m

generally drawn to punk female vocals. I love Blondie, and Bat for Lashes is great.

SS: So, what’s this I hear about you doing a little bit of television? GS: I worked as a fashion researcher on Frock Me , the T4 clothes show. They ended up putting me in front of the camera doing customising! It was fun and lovely, but I don’t like the camera much. All the quick fixes we showed were astonishing. I was a bit sad that all massive amount of research we did was never used. SS: I love what you’re wearing today (black oversized 80s men’s jacket and bright red laptop case). So, tell me where do you buy your own clothes – what’s your style? GS: Mainly charity shop buys. If I see something I really like, I think I can make it myself, though I never usually get round to it! I wear a lot of friends’ clothes, but my only main investment is shoes. I love wearing menswear – it’s normally much better quality, much better made. My standard look is a black dress and jacket.

SS: What are your favourite places in the world? GS: I love Paris, you can walk everywhere and I go to lots of exhibitions. The boat parties are great, but food in Paris is a problem – I’m a vegetarian, and there is nothing to eat! New York is great. Both cities are obvious choices, but they are obvious for a reason. SS: And home – what are your London hotspots? GS: Dalston, and walking and cycling in Hackney. Cycling is great – I wore a tea dress to cycle in the other day accessorised with a scarf and red lipstick. I love that about London – you can do fantasy, be whoever you want for the day. SS: How do we get hold of your wonderful clothes?! GS: I make clothes myself, and sell from my website and to private clients. SS: Thank you Gemma – Super Super loves your work!

thesupersuper.com

SS: Have you always been a burgeoning fashionista? GS: When I was little, I used to dress up in big hats, sunnies and gloves and be someone – dressing up is wonderful.

inventive, but have very clear vision. How do you progress that? GS: I think it’s born out of curiosity. I always want to learn. At the moment I’ve been learning all about leather moulding – something gets me, I trace it back and then fit it in to what I do.

is a constant, it makes you work harder, you have to exploit it so much more, give so much more attention to detail!

“

SS: Hi Gemma! Welcome to SuperSuper… GS: Hi Henry – thank you!

“

Gemma Slack (seated, left) is a name you’ll want to be touting in 2009. One of fashion’s rising stars, with two seasons under her belt, she’s zooming towards the fashion firmament. The designer left the bright lights of her native Sheffield for London’s neon glow, and has become an underground hit. Starting out at Chelsea College of Art, she moved from studying sculpture and fine art, translating her talents to fashion at the London College of Fashion. Graduating with a first class honours degree, her dark, sculptural, innovative approach to womenswear has put her on the radar of such fashion luminaries as Diane Pernet. SuperSuper invited Henry Conway – author, party promoter and media starlet – to catch up with her over a cappuccino near the Shoreditch studio she shares with our fave hairdresser, Charlie Le Mindu.

1/4/09 12:53:20

SUPERSUPER: So Esser, that is your second name? ESSER: It’s my second name yeah. First name’s Ben.

SS: And you’re from Chelmsford? What’s going on up there? E: It’s a bit boring. I think those kind of places are always interesting in a way, but you have to create your own fun, put on really good nights and stuff.

SS: So what kind of music did you like growing up then? E: Well, I was brought up on Jazz and I think as I kind of found out more about music I wanted to listen to and make, I got into UK garage. I guess I liked the rhythmic aspects like the drums, and they were quite soulful in a way which connected to the jazz stuff I was listening to. Anything that wasn’t like guitar bands really. I used to play in this grungy punk band called Starbelly with two girls, we were terrible. SS: How long have you been doing music? E: Well I’ve been doing my own stuff and writing for about two and a half years. I played the drums and I also did my own kind of electro music. I messed around playing guitar, I messed around playing bass and nothing came together. It wasn’t until I started singing and actually consciously writing songs and melodies it kind of became about seeing how to put all these things together. SS: So we hear you’ve been in a few bands? E: Yeah I played drums in a few, like Ladyfuzz… I was in a covers band, which played Butlins. SS: Butlins?! How did that come about?

really

E: It was with friends from my school and we would get together and do covers. Then we realised we could make a bit of money out of it, so we got this really dodgy agent and he sent us round to Butlins! SS: What, that ‘Freddie and The Dreamers’ guy? E: Yeah he was the drummer from Freddie and The Dreamers. I guess the pop music in those days started off like cabaret and if you were a touring band you would probably go around to those holiday camps as part of the tour. SS: Yeah, like Showaddywaddy or something like that! E: Yeah. So yeah it was quite a weird scene, it has kind of washed out. SS: So how did it go down when you played Butlins? E: It was a really good lesson in just how to get people going; things like getting the tempos right and what kind of rhythms people dance to. Even though it was quite bizarre and at the time a bit awful, it was a good thing to have done. SS: How has being from Chelmsford influenced you? Your music strikes me as being quite engaging and being quite catchy and not overly alternative. E: People in London get really caught up in it and it becomes the centre of the world. But England is made up of all these different towns. Living somewhere like Chelmsford you do get this second hand idea of what is going on, and that’s what the majority get. We get to see a lot of the country on tour, or taking little trips up to Stratford and places to go to gigs. Then get the last train back home to the weird sheltered existence. SS: That’s cool. So how would you describe your music? E: Um, I suppose there is the pop element; I wanted that to really be the defining part of the songs. I would consciously make things simple and write about subjects that people can relate to. SS: If you can make things simple and relevant then it gets stuck into people’s heads… you’re not going on some like massive pro-rock trip. E: Yeah, it kind of seems irrelevant as well. Really good pop music is the most relevant. SS: That’s just it; it’s just there. E: You don’t have to think to hard about it; you just know it instantly connects with people and means something. SS: So you wanted to make something

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“

“ MIX I’m a bit of a

more radio friendly? E: Yeah, I’m always interested to hear what is being played on the radio, and taking that and kind of altering it slightly. Timbaland is doing the most outrageous stuff at the moment; he’s one of my influences. SS: So do you make music in your room? E: That’s how it started. On this album I quite wanted to mark the period of time when I started doing stuff, so most of the songs on the album are done from stuff I did at home or my mum’s house and did in little studios with really basic equipment. As I’m releasing more, the process is getting a lot bigger. SS: Yeah, more people involved. E: Which is nice, I’m enjoying it at the moment and if it becomes too much I can get away and go back to the computer and record there. I was using Cubase and then I upgraded to Logic. I actually recently went back to using my old PC, it was lying in the corner of my room somewhere and I switched it on and went on Cubase again, and it’s the slowest thing but it’s brilliant. SS: Well it’s the magic that started it and it’s like bringing that magic back into it! E: I think the tools you use to create music so define the sound. Even using programs it seems silly because something like Logic or Pro Tools; they do have a different feel to them and a different sound. I keep hearing people’s songs recently and thinking that’s got that Logic feel. I think that is why it has been interesting going back to Cubase and using those old sounds as it’s got a very different process.

SS: Yeah because I have been using Fruity Loops just messing about and now from that I can tell when people use it. E: Yeah Fruity Loops is really good, I want to get a copy. A few of my friends have been using it and I’m really amazed by the sounds. SS: It just sounds really like bassy but that’s what I like about it. I noticed you have a fan club; what’s that all about?! E: I guess that kind of stuff is quite nice, the idea of like ‘Smash Hits’ – it’s got that feel of real basic pop element to it. The thing of people feeling like they are part of something is important; that’s the way people connect to something, not just hearing the songs on the radio but really getting to know the person. SS: Do you think that could hinder you as well though? E: I’m not the type of person to really get too involved in that. I don’t tend to give too much away in my music, I’m not describing

Despite – or perhaps because of – having done a stint playing live at Butlins early in his career, Esser now seems like an Essex Teddy with pop leanings destined for major musical success. Dan Szor rocked up to find out whagwaan

situations that have happened to myself so I don’t feel that exposed with what I do, it’s definitely something to hide behind. SS: So would you say you are really precious about what you do? E: A bit, I am getting less precious as I get more confident with my stuff, you know what I mean? SS: How did you find your style? E: I quite enjoy mixing it up, I guess there is something about the music that is borrowed from a certain period of time. I think that is probably obvious in the way I dress; I’m a bit of a mix really. SS: Yeah your hair is a bit like ‘teddy boyish’? Is that a period of music you like? It kind of ties in with the Butlins thing as well a little bit. E: Yeah it’s funny because if I go out in Chelmsford any small town really, someone will always say ‘oh yeah you’re a teddy boy’ or something. People have a respect for it! SS: Yeah, it is quite English and the beginning of pop culture. E: Yeah and cults and teenagers and everything that came after that. The ‘teddy boy’ thing has popped up constantly, and in the 70’s the way like Vivienne Westwood and people were doing stuff. SS: Yeah… it’s all gone a bit weird now; like you can look grunge but smart. E: Yeah I like the idea that people had to dress a certain way to fit in, I mean I’m sure if I was living at the time I would have found it quite restricting, I definitely wouldn’t have been a hippy. SS: Why?! E: I don’t know I watched Woodstock and it seemed like a great idea but everyone knew it wasn’t going to work. There was this whole feeling all the way through when people are talking and saying ‘nah it is all over, it has become too commercial, everyone here now like tomorrow it is going to be finished’, and literally, it was after that you know what I mean? SS: They always start with such optimism and then they just get commercialised. It is inevitable that something cannot exist fully to what they truly could have been. Once it becomes mainstream then everyone thinks ‘oh that’s mainstream’ and ‘oh now I want to do something else’ because that’s the way of rebelling, so people are constantly rebelling against the mainstream. E: Yeah – that’s the way it works...

3/4/09 03:46:54

Esser

Opposite page: Video still from Janelleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Many Moons short video www.jmonae.com

Photography by David Richardson

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3/4/09 03:48:44

SUPERSTYLiNg U’p! Goin FEATHERS

Gives your outfit that oh so now psychedelic touch – just make sure the bird doesn’t need them first!

HIGH-WAISTED TROUSERS – FOR MEN

Maybe a tad daunting at first glance, but once you go there ooh it feels good!

“hey ladies – I hear we’re ‘in’ this season”

ANDERSON & WESTWOOD

Oh this partnership sounds perfect for soo many things– a legal firm, perhaps, or maybe makers of fine bone china? In case you haven’t seen the ads, it’s actually Pam ’n Viv in her new ad campaign

PAM HOGG MANIA

She’s back! Collage catsuits in shiny metallics. Sounds scary, looks gorgeous – and if it doesn’t work out her names perfect to join the above partnership!

PIERS ATKINSON

Milliner-on-the-make; on the catwalks for Manish Arora & Noki Girls, lovely chap he is too : ) TERROR-KING PUMA

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This March sees the release of some fierce kicks, inspired by Japanese ‘Terror-trilogies’ from the 50s, 60s and 70s. With five styles on offer – The First Round Lizoid King, First Round Mecha King, Clyde Moth King, Mid Ape King and Stepper Terror King – the names are as epic as the movies from which they’re based. Simply put, tho, each has its own character, individual style and finish. Expect a whole host of add-ons and finishes: teeth, fur, mock-croc, mock-lizard and the finest leather in all the land! Details are sick – on the inside of the tongue are printed the Skills and Attributes of each monster! These shoes are sure to scare the pants off many, so wear with caution. Available at www.puma.com

RETURN OF THE FLARE

Again – only this time we feel it might be in with a chance of sticking around for more than a nanosecond

CAKE JEWELLERY

Fondant fancy necklaces to ice lolly earrings – Dolly Dagger has the finest selection of sweet jewellery

D.I.Y EYEWEAR

White RayBans with pens for self-decoration – try drawing a stoat! 45 3/4/09 04:50:18

roots

thesupersuper.com

ROLLIN WITH WRANGLER We’ve noticed that for some reason there’s an emerging ‘Americana’ trend creeping into view of late. Whether it’s a desire to escape from these dark days into sundrenched visions of carefree-ness, or simply a bunch of key US brands revisiting their heritage at the same time, is yet to be determined. What we do know, however, is that we’re feelin’ it! Take this new collection from Wrangler, for example. Jeans are naturally flared, like super flared, and made from the lightest of denims that form a great basis for a cracking range. Back up top and things get real fitted, halterneck waistcoats are perfectly tailored, soft jersey tees with Americano prints and denim jackets take a turn of the cropped variety! We almost died when we saw the cute ‘kerchiefs with feather print and Apache detailing, perfect support for the over all Red-Indian-Apache-Americano style Wrangler has achieved! We aint sain’ trot out wearing a cowboy hat, silver cowboy boots whilst riding your gallant steed to Tesco, but rock with a pair of roughed up Converse for a true authentic look!

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Photography by David Richardson All clothes by Wrangler Model Terese @ Zone Models Words by Dominik E Riddler

goin’ back 2 our

www.wrangler.com

SUPER STYLE

31/3/09 12:15:55

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30/3/09 21:23:04

thesupersuper.com

All clothes by Komakino (S/S 2008–present) Interview by Dominik E Riddler Layout by Chris Pollard

SUPER BRAND

KOMAKINO

SS: So Komakino, how did it all start? K: We met in Florence back in 2004. I was there to study Literature and Arts and Jin came to Italy from Korea to work for a Designer. At the time we met I was also working for a young Italian designer, that is when we first start thinking about the project of having a brand together. A year later I graduated from University and we both felt we wanted to try to live somewhere else in Europe, Florence is a beautiful but very small city so London was the natural choice. SS: What does the name ‘Komakino’ stand for? K: Komakino is the title of a 1980 Joy Division song. ‘Koma’ stands for ‘coma’ and ‘kino’ means cinema in German – in other words the cinema of shadows. SS: Your clothes are mostly in black and white – is there a reason to you working in this palette? K: Absolutely, we consciously decided to work with a truly minimalist palette. When the palette is reduced to two colours comparing and contrasting play an important role, and one use of colour can be just as powerful as many. SS: Is there a chance of you ever doing a colourful collection? K: Haha, well yes, it depends what you mean by colourful! SS: The mood/scene/sound of Darkwave is growing in London and beyond, and your clothes reflect this mood directly. Are you aware of this shift, this lean toward the dark? K: Yes and no... It is undeniable to see the current tendency of gothic darkness. Still we are not aiming to pursue trends, darkness has always been underlying throughout the centuries in arts, music and fashion. Historically certain moods have always tended to resurface over and over again, and this is simply what is happening now. SS: Your clothes and overall aesthetic are very militant – your SS08 ‘Monsters’ show and most recent AW09 show were almost like a tribe not to be messed with. Would you agree? K: Yes I guess you’re right. I think this has to do with the fact that we see fashion as a form of self-expression, a powerful media and an art form at the same time. Being a form of expression fashion is also somehow connected with politics and society. We often refer to subcultures when we design our collections, subcultures come in many different forms but they are always distinct in portraying a common belongingness. Therefore our collections may be viewed as such. SS: Are you influenced by music and art? If so, who at this moment in time would you say influences you? K: We are strongly influenced by many other form of expression: cinema music drama and even literature to name a few. Especially music has a strong influence on our work: we usually listen obsessively to the same artist or album when we design. Lately we are into martial arts and industrial music. SS: Who would you love to dress/style? K: To be honest we don’t really have anyone in mind. SS: In hard financial times, it’s often harder for young designers such as yourselves to get the proper support you need. Has the current economic climate affected you directly in any way? K: I think that in times like these everyone is feeling the cutback, at different levels. The market is of course more precautionary and everyone plays it safe. This means for the fashion industry that people generally go for the safe bet rather then be risky investing in young independent designers. SS: You recently got taken on by a PR, showed for the second time in London and have been received very well by the UK press. Do you feel like this may be Komakino’s time? [We certainly do!] K: Thanks! It is a great opportunity and we are very happy to be embraced by Blow PR, we feel it is a good beginning for us and we certainly hope for the best. SS: And finally, what does the future hold for Komakino? K: For now we are thinking to introduce a small line of jewellery – hopefully starting from next season – and footwear!

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HOT OFF THE CATWALKS OF LONDON & TOKYO FASHION WEEKS, KOMAKINO IS A SUPERCOOL, SUPERNOW LABEL ON THE UP’N’UP. FOUNDED A FEW YEARS BACK BY FEDERICO & JIN, A HUSBAND/WIFE, ITALIAN/ KOREAN DUO, THEIR VISION FITS PERFECTLY WITH THESE DARKWAVE DAYS. SUPERSUPER CAUGHT UP WITH THE CHARMING PAIR TO FIND OUT MORE...

30/3/09 22:51:11

www.komakinodesign.com

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30/3/09 22:52:47

katie hillier

disney does designer

thesupersuper.com

LUELLA

Created to celebrate Mickey’s Magical Party at Disneyland Paris, a collecion of superspecial fash-Mickey ears will be auctioned at www. buyoncegivetwice.co.uk/events/ mymickeyears from 4th – 28th May 2009, with all proceeds will go to Great Ormond Street Children’s Charity.

Photography by Billa Model Belle @ D1 Words by Dominik E Riddler

SUPER STYLE

mickey gets a makeover from some of UK fashion’s biggest names, ALL IN AID OF charity

GILES

KATIE HILLIER gets busy with tiny Mickey mirrors – the life & soul of the party! LUELLA gives us layered gems, Swarovski crystals, black plastic and wooden petals – the belle of the ball. GILES has gone for his trademark classic beauty-meetsedgy thang with spikes – well, every party needs its security...

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31/3/09 12:19:57

Mens & Womens Apparel : Spring/Summer Range in store now : www.supremebeing.com

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31/3/09 12:22:16

STAND UP!

Words by Dominik E Riddler

SUPER STYLE

MEET THE AIR TROUPE – THE FIRST ‘DEDICATED TO DANCE’ SHOE FROM NIKE

CASSETTEPLAYA’S NEW ‘METAL Vs SPORT’ COLLECTION OUT NOW!

Taking inspiration from druid rituals and boozin’ ’ard men, this collection would easily delight long-haired Metallica fans ’n football supporters down the local as well as CassettePlaya’s ever-growing band of global fash-groupies. Bomber jackets in incredible flame silk prints are matched with rugby polos with ‘RITE TRUE IMMORTAL’ embroidered in a pagan style font running down the torso. 80s ‘short shorts’ in digital collage are twinned with screenprint tees with gravestone-sad-face motifs and the illest take on a denim jacket to date in CP’s signature summer print. The range is vast, materials and textures are well considered, silks and cotton sit side-by-side in perfect unison and digital prints feature more than before. Aside from being fun, this collection manages the admirable if rarely attempted feat of fusing Metal and Sportswear into a whole new genre. “Stand ur ground and fight!” Available at Goodhood and Kokon to Zai in LDN or online at www.cassetteplaya.com

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westwood v melissa Brazilian plastic footwear brand Melissa are renowned for their candy-coloured, affordable shoes and their top notch designer colabs (Herchovich, J Maskrey & more). Topping the lot, this time they’ve hooked up with Dame Viv herself. Featuring the heart emblem from Viv’s 1987 ‘Love’ jacket, with adjustable sling and peep toes, they’re a steal at £85! Available at Selfridges and all Vivienne Westwood stores

And what a monumental shoe it is! Nike have always considered dance to be an official sport, and with its vigorous training and strict regimes, it is in many ways similar to many other Olympic sports. So taking what they’ve learnt from dancers and working with industry pro Ann-Marie Paz, Nike came up with this high top, similar to a Blazermid, but with reinforced light weight toe-box, flexi ankle strap with cut-away panel for movement and comfort purposes and lighter mid-sole for those 360 turns and twosteps. It’s a shoe that allows Nike to have even more of a presence in the dance industry, having previously sponsored countless events and supported up-and-coming dance talent throughout the UK. This pair were created at the I.D Studio in Nike Town, that allows you to create your own individual pair, with an array of colours, fabrics and finishes on offer! Whether you’re pulling a sick back-flip or just ’pon road, the Air Troupe is Nike’s bespoke shoe for the movers and the groovers :) For more on Nike I.D go to: www.nikeid.com Available at: store.nike.com, £63.50

31/3/09 12:40:25

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31/3/09 12:41:41

LIBERTY PIN BROACH Liberty have decorated some exotic looking insects so we can feel like a modern day explorer! Available at www.libertyoflondon. co.uk, £60

VOLCOM COLLAGE As part of the current art series, Emily Flash has created this collage tee in her signature style! Available at www.volcom. com, £28

FAMOUS STARS AND STRAPS Buy this in a big size, in XXL if needs be, FSAS are the creators of baggy and homage must be paid. Amen. Available at www.famoussas. com, £55 VANS BOAT SHOE As summer is fast approaching you can start to depend on these bad boys whilst on the yacht, holidaying in the Bahamas! Available at www.vans.com, £55

TOPCAP This finepiece of millinery is by Aitor Throup and Stone Island as part of the ‘Articulated Anatomy’ project. Made to fit the head and move with it, not restrict it. Available at www.stoneisland. com, £65

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CONVERSE BY THE WHO Iconic band ‘The Who’ have created this rather patriotic shoe in conjunction with Converse, wear with pride and glory! Available at www. converse.com, £49.99

SUPRANO HIGH! Shine on people, and be beacons of superstyle, the trainers that say‘I am who I am, but my shoes are sick!’ Available at www.suprafootwear. com, £75

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MCM SHOULDER BAG Crème Brule coloured shoulder bag with logo print, comes in with a zip or flap fastening! Available at 5 Sloane Street, London, SW1, £335

PROJEKTS NYC NEW ERA Hot New Era colab, this white camo print by ProjektsNYC: a staple for your summer wardrobe! Available at projektsnyc.com, £20

RUN- IT UR -WAY LOOK John Galliano in the summertime – kilts/ fishnets/big wigs/blazers/ net vests/make-up! Take from this what you will!

CUTIT-OUT LEGGINGS As if the light appearing from the dark! Two-tone leggings with foil print are your gateway to a new age of leg-wear! Available at www.cut-it-out.net, $90 (about £61) 55DSL TIE-DYE TEE This tie-dye tee fits rather well with our psychedelic feel at the moment! Available at www.55dsl.com, £50

HL JEANS Co. Inspired by pretty much every shoe, HL Jeans have tweaked and reworked modern classics with a unique shoe as the end result, giving you staple wardrobe pieces with a Henri Lloyd touch. Available at PISTOL www.hl-jeans.com, PANTIES £50 KATHERINE SWIMSUIT Tropikal all-in-one from Pistol Panties! We aint sayin’ it’s warm enough yet, but just prepare yourself! Available at Selfridges and www. pistolpanties.com, £159

SEAL KAY DENIMS Bold blue organic denim with white piping detail, perfect fodder for your pins! Available at www. asos.com, £124

31/3/09 12:59:21

MINDLESS MAMMALS LIPS JUMPER KMT, this jumper says ‘laters to the ‘haters’, it’s a warning to those with negatives on the brain. Available at www.myspace. com/mindlessmammals, £35

DAVID CLULOW> D&G King of glasses and shades, David Clulow, is ever increasing his collection of all things frame based. Our favourites of current are these two-tone D&G’s! Available at www. davidclulow.com, £179

MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA KEYRING Talk about hostile accessories! Margiela deceives us with this nail keyring, safety isn’t an issue! Available at www. oki-ni.com, £99

PEPE JEANS BELT Pepe created some key accessories for us this summer, but don’t get it twisted, this belt is must. Available at www.pepejeans. com, £30

BUBBLEGUM BLUE Bench windcheater this season with dual zips, expect unexpected showers, ’tis after-all Britain! Available at www.bench.co.uk, £50 SABRINA DEHOFF BRACELET All of these fantastic cord and gold plated bracelets are one-off, each will differ slightly, thus more individual! Available at FILA www.goodhood. JACKET co.uk, £99 DON’T MAKE ME GET OLD-SKOOL! Fila just did, in the shape of this classic court jacket! Available at shop.fila. com, £60

RUNWAY By hook or by crook you simply must grab some Basso & Brooke!

BESTVEST In our world, this vest was sloshed around in petrol and then cast out to space where it absorbed a large amount of stardust, creating its otherworldly print! Available at www.nixonnow. com, £29

Compiled and written by Dominik E Riddler Layout by Chris Pollard

CHECK IT OUT Check shirt with Apes in crowns is the order of the day at Bape! Grab this piece NOW! Coz you better believe, this is a winner! Available from Nowhere at DSM, 17-18 Dover Street, London , £188

VITAMIN WATER Stop that cold! Use Defense! Feel fresh as a daisy! Available at all good newsagents, £1.50

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DAVIDDAVID SCARVES It’s swirls and curls for boys n girls at Daviddavid this season! Crayola crazy prints on soft silk are sure to brighten your summer :) Available at DSM, 17-18 Dover Street, London, £110-£180

NIKITA BOARD SHORTS Prepare yourself for summer, laydees pair with bikini top for ‘surfer dude’ steeze! Boys – you know what to do! Available at www.nikitaclothing. com, £37.99

DESIGUAL Threaded graffiti, random decoration, miss matching trimming! Desigual provide us with another piece of unconventional tailoring, and we love it! For stockists call 0207 494 3773, £129

TOPSHOP PEGUSUS BOOTS The shoes at Topshop at the mo’ are real spesh! These boots look as if they have appeared from a Greek myth, hence their namePegesus! Available at www.topshop.com, £100

FIRETRAP PINK WATCH Its all about 80’s this summer, so grab this pink link watch, and party like its 1989. Available at www. firetrap.com, £110

SNAKESKIN BARRATS PLATFORM Forget school shoes baby, Barratts are taking back the title for affordable and chic footwear. These snakeskin stappy platforms are a bargain! Available at www.barratts.com, £40

thesupersuper.com

SUPER STORE

31/3/09 13:01:37

BERLIN BERLIN BREAD & BUTTER

BERLIN AIRPORT BERLIN-TEMPELHOF

01.– 03. JULY 2009

BREAD & BUTTER IS COMING HOME! WWW.BREADANDBUTTER.COM

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31/3/09 12:45:28 27.03.2009 15:06:06 Uhr

:06:06 Uhr

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There’s been much talk of – and talking around – the D word lately, but what was the ‘Great Depression’ really like? Well it began in 1930s America and quickly spread around the world to devastating effect: international trade plunged by half to two-thirds, as did personal income, tax revenue, prices and profits. Sound familiar?! Timely then, in a way, that Levi’s launch their ‘Wrath & Dust’ collection, inspired by the farmers of said era who were especially hard hit as their big D coincided with a severe drought turning their land into a Dust Bowl and forcing many of them to up sticks and take a long and arduous journey to the coast in search of greener pastures. Whilst fashion was not, understandably, the first thing on their minds, their look and attitude to clothing certainly gave them a distinct aesthetic; one borne out necessity. Denim – especially Levi’s – had always been favoured by farmers for its hard wearing properties and ability to last a generation. Now you too can revel in this look – hopefully without all the hardship that inspired it in the first place! Available at www.levi.com

thesupersuper.com

All clothes by Levi’s Vintage Photography by Jimmy Mould Styling by Thomas Sels Model Alexander @ Select Words by Dominik E Riddler

dusty denimz

SUPER STYLE

1/4/09 01:12:08

SUPER STYLE

SUMMER AHOY! Step out into the (soon to come!) sunshine in a leisurely manner with these latest dapped offerings from Goliath. With an 80 year sporting heritage behind them, this Dutch brand are moving onwards and upwards with more directional designs – including this one inspired by 70s ping pong (no less!) – whilst retaining an eye for the classic, as attested by this boat shoe.

Available at www.schuh.com, Lace-ups £45, Deck £65

GOLIATH

JOSEPH CONCEPT STORE

thesupersuper.com

WeSC

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www.wesc.com

Stocking everything from Alexander Wang to Philip Lim and its own label, the latest concept store from chic label Joseph is destined for great things! The store itself was designed by Tom Dixon of Design Research Studio (see Shoreditch House for example) and is just as interesting as the garments that will hang on its perfectly aligned rails. Outlandish fitting rooms tower toward the ceiling like hooded monks, abstract furniture is strewn throughout the store and provides apt focal points and giant concave mirrored lights are dotted about the ceiling! It’s a feast for ones eyes indeed, this seasons bright colours sit in high-contrast with the harsh concrete walls and seminal furnishings, introducing enjoyment to the entire shopping experience! Visit Joseph, 23 Old Bond Street, London W1, www.joseph.co.uk

With all their talk of ‘We-activism’ and ‘We-feeling,’ We Are The Superlative Conspiracy may sound like a political party to rival Obama in the superhero stakes, but they are infact a clothing label – albeit one with strong values and an airtight philosophy of humbleness and good design. SUPERSUPER just knew we would love this self appreciative Swedish clothing label! Founded in early 2000 WESC started with a background in skate culture – all it’s founders are avid skate and snowboarders - but are adamant that they are a street fashion brand rather than a streetwear brand for “life after skate.” “Being creative has nothing to do with recession – we believe in being creative full stop. It’s what we stand for. Our company is about a common respect with a punk mentality – we have old-fashioned values says enigmatic WESC founder Greger Hagelin defiantly. From its humble beginnings WESC has risen to great heights and hey presto 10 years later they have stores in 21 countries around the world – most recently opening in London’s Carnaby street. With their bold and contemporary mens and womenswear WESC separates itself from the rest by introducing the most amazing selection of headphones in yummy Quality Street shades to perfectly match your outfit – not only that, but they are actually brilliant quality too – with collaborative efforts from the likes of none other than Ed Banger and The Bloody Beetroots – so these babies look good and sound good too! And if that wasn’t enough to get you on the first space rocket to Carnaby Street to check out thie store they have also teamed up with New York graffiti artist Stash to produce a special range of clothing – tee shirts/ hoodies and other bits and bobs. “We’ve wanted to work together for ages because we’ve been friends for a long time and really admire each others work” says Stash “ I’m really excited about this collaboration.” So are we!!

3/4/09 05:20:08

GET MY LOOK

! “I actually have SuperSuper’s very own Rebecca Pearson to thank for this find! We were shopping at the stalls in Camden Market, London and she found it. It was love at first sight for me, it’s such a ridiculous coat. I feel like an ‘independent’ woman from the 80s in this. I’ll probably wear it to Tescos when I’m doing my weekly shop.”

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“I love this outfit, it’s a definite favourite of mine. The bustier is from Beyond Retro on Great Marlborough Street, London. If like me, you’re quite well endowed in that department you’ll know that these vintage type of corsets never fit that well.You almost always run the risk of ‘spillage’. But nothing that some tape and added support won’t fix. The leather jacket is from Beyond Retro. The skirt is a from Miss Selfridge. It’s so fitted that walking in it is a task and a half. However, it does give you that patented sexy 50s wiggle though so, every cloud....”

“Probably one of my favourite stage outfits, I wore this the last time I played Koko. I completely lucked out on the blazer, it was about 15 quid. It’s one of my favourite pieces of clothing and instantly puts the fun into any outfit. Jaime Winstone asked where I got it from, I had to break it to her that it was vintage. She was devastated. Obviously. The leather skirt is from a boutique in Spitafields and the bustier is from Beyond Retro.”

31/3/09 15:17:29

“The blazer is a really recent find. I’ve been meaning to get a red blazer for a while. I got it from the vintage section in Topshop in the basement. Their prices are usually inexplicably extortionate but I found this for £20 or so. I’m convinced it was the wrong tag but unsurprisingly I didn’t argue with them. The top is actually a dress, I’m wearing it with a black lycra skirt and the Moschino belt is from the same boutique in Spitafields market in London that I bought the leather skirt. I bought the RayBans last year when I was in Paris.”

ll cocknbu e h /t m o e.c myspac

kid

“Ohmy. I love denim. And what else is better than embroidered denim? Almost nothing. I have to admit, I think I love this outfit because my Mum used to wear stuff like this all the time. People try most of their lives to avoid looking like their mothers but it seems I’m a firm fashion follower of hers. I got the jumpsuit from a little thrift store off Brick Lane in London. And the lace bodysuit underneath is from the underwear section at Topshop.”

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COCKNBULLKiD

ANiTA

thesupersuper.com

Photography by Billa

g n i r ar

SUPERSTORE!

Meet 23 yr old Anita Blay aka songstrel Cocknbullkid. This striking, bright young superheroine is making serious waves in the music world right now, not only for her gorgeous sweet soul harmonies and brilliant songs (I’m Not Sorry/ On My Own/ Sinners all out now!) but also for her astoundingly stylish dress sense. Anita is the kind of woman who walks into a room and turns every head! Look n learn people!

2/4/09 19:24:49

June 7th–11th Earl’s Court London For tickets to shows (University & Gala): www.gfw.org.uk

graduate fashion week SS16_FASHNEWS_LYT2.indd 20

Keen to spy the next Gareth Pugh/McQueen/Galliano waayyy ahead of the rest of the pack? Well it’s that time of year again, when the nation’s finest young fashion design talent converges on London for a four day fashfilled bonanza of catwalk shows, Gala shows, displays and – wait for it – rumour has it that this year SUPERSUPER may well be gettin’ involved and bringing our creative talents to bear on proceedings (not to mention a bit of fash-fun just for good measure!). We’re still in delicate negotiations over which private jet we’ll be given to fly in on & which specific brand of caviar will be our onboard snack, but keep your eyes out online for more info.

3/4/09 05:48:05

Why do you think it’s called a party? Because deep down every human knows that the best thing about us hairless monkeys is our will to team up and do things together. Gathering a crowd might not always make things easier but it’s a water proof guarantee for more fun and a better show. A simple and stimulating truth, celebrated here by Weactivists Jason Lee, Stash and Giovanni Ribisi. – Go team, Go!

WeSC Concept Store London: 38 Carnaby St. Ph. 0207 – 287 95 48

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31/3/09 23:38:04

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31/3/09 23:39:07

“ WHERE WERE YOU IN 92?

“

Simon is one quarter of influential Manchester based music blog New Ears. Recently one of many to be made unemployed through global economic turmoil, Simon’s got a lot to get off his chest. Here he gives us an insight into why we’re in the situation we are!

thesupersuper.com

So everyone’s talking about the stormy economy, but how and why did it happen and what does this the economic downturn mean for you? Seems like, in the prophetic words of Mick Hucknall, money could be too tight to mention... Gordon Brown used to boast that we’d never return to the economic cycle of boom and bust, i.e. the financial sun would never stop shinning. Well he got it wrong. In a big way. Turns out, our economic security was as stable as a house of cards, which, with a few swivels of the High Priest of economic crises’ cassock, has now come crashing down. It is, however, a little unfair to place the blame of the current economic crisis all on our one-eyed Prime Minister and former Chancellor’s shoulders as it’s almost certain that, contrary to what David Cameron and his public school chums will tell you, a Conservative government would have taken us down exactly the same economic road to ruin. The real bastards are the greedy unscrupulous investors who played casino capitalism with our money (hence this sign found on Wall St). To explain the current economic crisis simply, a whole heap of mortgages were provided in the U.S. to people who could clearly not pay them back. These were bundled into packages and sold on a huge scale as assets to investors around the world, including some of the UK’s biggest banks. The odds were against these mortgages ever being paid back, a risky investment you’d think, but the lenders relied on the fact that they could always take the keys to the house and sell it to at least break-even. But when 66

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the price of housing fell rapidly, the investors made massive losses and the money they had borrowed to finance the deals could not be paid and as everyone was lending to everyone else this had a destabilising domino effect throughout all major banking institutions around the world. This explains why the government has had to step in and throw billions at the banking system to prevent them all going bankrupt. People and businesses up until this point had thought the economic boom would never end. In fact it was one of Brown and Blair’s biggest boasts, so huge debts were taken out by anyone and everyone to pay for things. The economic boom made people ignore tomorrow. When the scale of unpayable debts in the U.S. housing markets was realised, the economy was saddled with debt and the bubble burst; tomorrow came. People stopped spending, prices of assets (e.g. houses) fell and business profits dwindled. This has led to redundancies, higher unemployment and even less spending. The economy is shrinking; we’re in recession, the first since 1992. Snap!, Jimmy Nail and Charles & Eddie pulled us through back then, but who’s gonna do it for us now? The donk movement? ... Oh Christ , we’re screwed! So why were our banks able to invest in these greedy and overly risky dealings in dodgy U.S. mortgages? Since the eighties the reins on big

Simon Smallbone

business and the economic markets had been loosened to the point that they were simply left to run free and do as they please. The Labour government was happy to indulge and extend this leniency when they came to power in 1997. The markets delivered remarkable economic growth in return, but motivated by greed and sustained by excessive risk, the foundations of the economy were built on very dodgy ground. Even Brown has admitted that what’s been proven by this crisis is the need to regulate finance far more closely in the future. Close. Door. Horse. Bolted. So what does this mean to you? It’s expected that the UK will begin to experience deflation (prices for goods will fall) this year, which sounds ok but in reality people often put off spending in the likelihood that prices will fall further which affects retailers and manufacturers and leads to pay cuts and increasing unemployment. In the short term, times are uncertain so you should be more frugal and think hard about all major purchases, especially if you’re paying on credit. Source the charity shops, bargain bins, reduced to clear aisles, support local bands rather than stadium acts, pack a lunchbox, visit your cobbler not your shoe seller, holiday in Brighton not Bangkok...etc. But remember in the long term things will pick up again. Austerity in the short term may well be the making of you.

1/4/09 22:49:44

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31/3/09 23:42:03

“ How are you indie when you’re signed to Sony?!

“

Natalie is resident dubstep DJ at Northern Clubbing mecca ‘Monday Murkage’. Here she discusses her frustration at the lack of originality that is seemingly omnipresent in today’s celebrity obsessed culture.

thesupersuper.com

Popular culture is doing the doggy paddle at the moment, in a stagnant pond called ‘unoriginal’. Only just managing to keep the head above water, it’s getting ready to get sucked into the murky waters of Li-Lo & Sam, Screamo Dubstep and celebrity perfumes/clothing lines/ice cream makers. It seems like we’re constantly looking back over our shoulders and paying homage to the glory days instead of kicking ourselves up the arse and experimenting a bit. I guess treading the beaten track is pretty safe and all...but have you ever tried making something new in the kitchen that doesn’t quite go to plan? But still tastes pretty amazing? Guess industry heads and major clothing companies aren’t really thinking that way right now because over-tight Topshop jeans and Primark ballet pumps won’t seem to go away and there seems to be a million Lady GaGas, quirky hippy chicks that can’t sing a note and watered down ‘indie’ bands. But how the hell are you indie when you’re signed to Sony and sing about totally inane crap? So far 2009 (and pretty much the 00’s) have felt like a riding inside a tumble dryer on ketamine. 68

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Is celebrity culture and our obsession with it destroying the very notion of what it was about in the first place... talent? UK Dubstep dj natalie ‘esqeezy’ ESQUIRE EXPLaINS...

Natalie Esquire

Turbulent times peppered with several hundred Z-List Celebrity ‘Make ‘Em Have Sex/Get Sectioned/Shit Themselves Live On TV’ programme, Amy Winehouse’s innermost feelings and the online dating phenomena that allows men with thinning hair and pot bellies to describe themselves as thirty year old avid squash players. Everything getting remastered, remixed and revived these days. Several thousand remixes of La Roux’s Going In For The Kill and we’re touching nearly a million remixes of Kid Cudi’s Day n Nite. Fair enough I guess. Give ‘em a bit of variety but oh, remixes of remixes kinda sink my boat... and there’s quite a few of them about. They are generally about as appealing as doing a sick in your shoes and walking home in them. And are A-Ha really back together because they think people are actually vibing off their music? Or are they just jumping at a wad of crisp £50 notes hooked too high to reach? Case closed. Music’s being stabbed at with a blunt kitchen knife at the moment. HMV sells something stupid like 10% music and 90% games and DVDs. Anyone can DJ, even Lindsay Lohan. Will Tony just put a banging donk on her?

This crap is over spilling into all creative industries. See Peaches Geldof, she’s a ‘writer’. Paris Hilton, Hilary Duff and Scarlet Johansson were all extremely fleeting popstars, Bono’s always in my face and Chris Martin looks like he eats too many beans and pulses. That’s my beef with totally unoriginal celebrities done. Dunno if it’s the death of originality, or just total unrest with ‘the way things are’. Nothing much feels very fresh or inspiring in the UK at the moment. Today’s ‘celebrities’ are appalling role models and people are more likely to get famous for having nice legs than you know, being an amazing writer or performer. But it seems the case in a lot of things around now. We’re seeing more of people’s faces than their talents everywhere, a good example being ‘celebrity club promoters’. Pretty sad when it becomes more about that than the music, atmosphere and enjoying yourself (which is why you pay £10 door tax... isn’t it?). But yeah, we need someone and something that’s a bit more pioneering and makes us go-getters put our Pot Noodles down and get on it. I’d really like that. Agreed?

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the future is

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! One in 10 children in the UK are living in mixed-race families and by 2020 the mixed-race population is expected to become Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest ethnic minority group with the highest growth rate. The future is indeed brown â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but does this signify a move towards a unified world or are we destroying our heritage, individuality and sense of belonging?

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“Mummy, if you don’t buy me that toy I’ll tell that policeman you kidnapped me” I was six years old when I first realised the difference between my white skin and my mother’s brown and it didn’t take me very long to work out how to use it to my advantage. At school I would watch as my white friends were subjected to another beating while I was left unharmed because “His mum’s black, leave him.” In my career I’ve enjoyed the power of being able to be “white” when going up for a part in a BBC period drama and being “black” when I’m writing my gritty play about the streets of London. I’m proud to say I’m mixed race but all through my life I haven’t been able to shake a feeling of displacement. That I’m free falling through life like a lone comet. Lost. It’s a feeling that I know haunts all the mixed-race people around me and one that could, with the growth of a mixed-race population, become ingrained in our society. Let me just clear up a few things before we get started. I am aware that the term “mixed-race” is now being ditched in favour of “mixed heritage” but I’ve referred to myself as “mixed-race” my entire life and have no problem with it, plus I’m dyslexic and heritage is a pain in the arse to spell, so fuck it. Next I’d like to lay down the scientific (or Wikipedia) definition of what mixed-race is:

thesupersuper.com

When 75% of your ancestors are traced back to the same geographic region associated with a major racial group then you are from that race. So if you have less than 75% you are then associated with more than one racial group and are therefore mixed-race.

Now statistics like this mean nothing in the real world and some people find them pretty offensive. Everyone has there own way of deciding where they’re from. Some people say they’re from the country they are born in or their parents were born in. Others the country they’ve lived in the longest. And a lot of people I know, mostly mixed-race people, claim to be from nowhere at all. That the world is their country. So how do we define whether someone is mixed race or not? Every news channel across the world named Barack Obama the first black president, but his mother’s a white woman from Kansas and his father is a black man from Kenya. There was never going to be a black man in the White House. Not in my lifetime anyway – but a mixed race man was always in with a shot. Ignoring his powerful personality for a moment there is no denying that the fact Obama is mixed race helped him win over lots of voters from different backgrounds. If he was white there would have been no question of his triumph and if he was black he wouldn’t have won. But being mixed race he could be black to some people and white to others so in the end he appealed to almost everybody. But Barack refers to himself as black so how do we define him? By his genes or his personal label? I believe that if he thinks he’s black then he is black, but I don’t think a lot of mixed race people would be able to make that choice. And to choose one side of you is to sacrifice another. As Bob Marley said: “I don’t have a prejudice against myself. My father was a white and my mother was black. Them call me half-caste or whatever. Me don’t dip on nobody’s side. Me don’t dip on the black man’s side nor the white man’s side. Me dip on God’s side, the one who create me and cause me to come from black and white” 72

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Anyway we could argue about how to label each other all day. You know what mixed-race is so let’s move on. The Nu Race. Now I know this sounds a bit like Hitler’s wet dream but it’s actually the exact opposite. Who are the Nu Race and what’s their game?

There’s a theory that mixed race adolescents, having no real peer group, feel the need to engage in risky behaviour to be accepted. Personally, I don’t believe it’s to be accepted, but because they don’t feel confined to the rules of those around them. They’re not subject to the mob mentality of belonging to any racial group so they feel free. Chainless. Able to make their own rules. This may account for the rise in multiracial superstars; Lewis Hamilton, Jessica Alba, Alicia Keys, Rosario Dawson and my personal favourite Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. There’s a sketch in the television series the Fast Show where Simon Day’s characters describes why Tiger Woods is such a good golfer. “He’s part Afro American, part white man, part Dutch and part Vietnamese,” he says. “And them four different races have combined to produce the perfect Golfer. The Afro American, that’s his natural grace for his swing. The Vietnamese for when he’s in the ruff. The Dutch in him makes him laid back for his temperament and the white man means he can get on the course in the first place.” This is a fairly racist yet positive look about how races can come together to create the “Ultimate” human being – but is there any truth in it?

Well the rules of nature appear to dictate that when two people reproduce, regardless of race, their child will get the strongest genes from both. Like if one of your parents had brown eyes and the other blue, brown is the dominant gene so you’d end up with brown coloured eyes. This isn’t mixing, it’s picking. If there are two dominant gene codes like straight and curly hair you will end up with both. This would account for how frustrating my hair is. But does this mean that mixed race children are ‘better’ because they’re getting to pick from the best of two different races? Well seeming as we have over ninety percent of our DNA in common with chimpanzees, maybe not. Some people claim there is only one “race” – Homo sapiens. That all humans are the same. That skin colour and features are the only real difference. Either way I think that if you come from two different backgrounds you feel an understanding for more of the world. You can also get this from growing up around different cultures. I have a friend who’s Chinese but grew up in Zimbabwe so she has a deep understanding of two cultures. And this is what I think the Nu Race is all about. Feeling connected and free at the same time. Understanding different cultures whilst trying to create one of your own. If skin colour really is the only difference between humans then surely if everyone was the same colour we’d have a lot less problems. When you look at it like this, mixed-race really does appear to be the future. But for every multiracial high flyer there’s an unfulfilled self doubter. The freedom that some feel can be loneliness to others. And the confusion of a mixed past can leave someone feeling unconfident and insecure. Like they’ve been built on shaky foundations. And without a race to call your own you lack a certain sense of community, a sense of pride in where you’re from. Pride. This is why I believe we’re not close to having

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an ethnic Prime Minister in this country. In America there is a very strong black community and a black middle class thanks to segregation, affirmative action, positive discrimination and plain old determination. Of course it’s also to do with their racist history but out of that disgraceful, bloody mess has come a strong, proud black community which nurtures its members, helping them become powerful pillars of the country. In the United Kingdom things are a lot more dislocated. Our racial history, though full of unforgivable acts, is less vicious. A lot of our immigrants were invited to work and live here to boost our economy and in doing so were forced to shed their native land and become British. Now I’m not saying that people aren’t proud of where they’re from or that they’ve changed their beliefs and traditions, but there just doesn’t seem to be same kind of mass racial pride – or is it outrage? – in this country. And now with the growth of the mixed-race population, with Britain having the highest rate of interracial relationships in the world, are we not pulling ourselves even further apart? I think of my penniless granddad sailing here from Jamaica to make his fortune. Hitting the streets of London and trying to make them his own. Getting attacked by racists. Meeting my grandma and having my mother. Then my mother is made unwelcome in Jamaica and bullied in Britain. She had to fight to find a place for herself in London. Force her way into art school where she met my dad and had me. A white boy. And now there’s me. Passing easily around these streets because they’re my home now. Welcomed by white and black communities alike but not really from either. I have never been to Jamaica so when I look back at my mother and grandfather I see a strange land which I can only recognise from films like ‘The Harder They Come’. But I also see the struggle they’ve been through. A struggle that has made this country my home and me a part of it. My children will probably have no concept of that struggle and that is what my granddad fought for. He wasn’t trying to pull us further apart, he was trying to push us closer together. Sometimes I meet someone else who is mixed-race and I feel a connection. Because we both feel unconnected. If most of the world’s population becomes mixed race then maybe this connection will be felt on a global scale. So maybe we aren’t destroying our sense of heritage and belonging – we’re just reinforcing it. But if everyone becomes ‘brown’, what happens to our individuality? Our identities? One of the strangest phenomenons I’ve observed in the Nu Race is their sense of fashion. There doesn’t seen to be any rules, any conformity. Maybe it’s because there are no mixed race models in adverts or staring in prime time telly. Ok maybe there are a few but they’re usually made to look like one race or the other; Jessica Alba in Fantastic Four is given blue eye contacts and practically white’d up.

So without any real idols, the Nu Race are forced to create their own style. Or maybe it’s just a case of expressing their identity. “We’re different so we’re gonna wear what the fuck we want!” Maybe it refers back to what I was saying earlier about having no peer group, so you take more risks. Whatever it is it’s a hopeful sign that if we do all start having brown babies then they might feel free and connected enough to express themselves however they like and push themselves to their maxim potential. Now if you’re a non mixed-race person reading this article I know what some of you might be thinking; “I feel connected with the world and other races”; “I have my own style and don’t want to conform”; “I don’t feel like I fit in to any peer group and am confused about what my history or place in society is”. And you’re right. I know I’ve banged on about it but the Nu Race isn’t really about being mixed-race – it’s about identity. And who isn’t having an identity crisis? The world is changing around us and we’re trying to cling on to something we recognise. Something we can call home. You might have grown up in the most secluded area ever but you can still understand people regardless of race. You can still understand human nature and what makes people tick. Your parents might have been the most backwards, racist motherfuckers in the world but that doesn’t mean you are. In fact going by the rules of most children, you’re probably the complete opposite. There are no genetic requirements for joining the Nu Race – it’s just a state of mind. You just have to see that the world is a multicultural place but that every one is just human. Homo sapiens. That you can channel your identity crisis into something positive. Instead of filling the holes why not use them to get you somewhere. The races of the world need to be brought together and whether it’s in the bedrooms or the boardrooms a Nu Race will be born. Otherwise we’re all fucked…

by Gabriel Bisset-Smith

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clubara make way for the

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Photography by The Cobra Snake

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A SUPERSUPER SURVEY by Billy iDle

you’re bound to have seen them on a night out – chances are you’ve had your picture taken by one of them, too. they come in all shapes & sizes, and produce work of vastly varying quality for a whole multitude of reasons. one thing that’s in no doubt, however, is that there’s been an explosion of them of late, these club photographers – who shall ever more be known as... ‘the clubarazzi’

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thesupersuper.com

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Photography by The Fashion Ramone

Whether it’s you and your mates taking endless pictures of each other on mobile phones, or the club’s snapper-inresidence seeking to capture an in-the-moment shot of the local scene queen for their aspirant blog/site, we’re all being swept up by the rise on the wave of this Cluberazzi phenomenon. Access to phones equipped with increasingly sophisticated cameras (and a drop in digital camera prices in general) coupled with a growing interest in ‘professional’ and high definition club photography sites mean that, when logging in online on Monday morning, we’re pretty much guaranteed be faced with at least 10 ‘detags’ and, if we’re lucky, even the odd profile picture sourced from our weekend’s misadventures. I was once told me that the reason we have mirrors in lifts is because the one thing we never tire of looking at is ourselves. That certainly holds true as far as club pics go, because since the first half of the noughties a plethora of sites, blogs and even magazines documenting us at our most glammed up, decadent and sometimes wasted, have sprung up at rate of knots in an attempt to satisfy our increasingly insatiable appetites for narcissism. And it ain’t all good either. Last year I found myself minus both home and relationship after being unwittingly captured in a series of pictures published online proving that no, I had not spent last Friday night ‘watching a video at a friend’s house’ but instead out clubbing in rather too close proximity to a young lady who, contrary to appearances, was definitely not my girlfriend. Relationship status was duly set to ‘single’ before I even had the chance to think of embarking on some emergency detagging. Long. Still, the off-chance of capturing people doing things they shouldn’t is hardly likely to slow down the rise of the cluberazzi – if anything it’s all part of the appeal. UK club photo site Tilllate.com currently bares the fingermarks of some 7,300,000 page views (and counting), with approximately 70,000 pictures uploaded to the site per month, while photo sharing site Flickr hosts a further 300,000 snaps tagged under ‘nightclub photography’ alone. It’s a madness: “I started shooting back in 2003 and would then get around 1000 individual visitors to the site per day” say’s LA’s Cobra Snake, arguably the most revered club photographer in the game atm. “Nowadays my site is more popular than it has ever been, getting upwards of 20,000 individual users on the site in a day!” Back in the day the essential ingredient for any successful club night was the presence of a suitably ‘superstar’ DJ. Then came the rise of The Promoters and the necessity to have a resident party thrower par excellence at the helm to ensure punters came through the door. These days though, having a regular lensman/ lady with the capacity to capture the in-the-moment essence of the beautiful and brilliant amongst their chosen club’s clientele (with or without the aid of photoshop!) is becoming as important a part of the night’s success as having a bar, dancefloor and working sound system. As Andrew Berry of Cape Town’s premier photo site we-areawsome.com puts it: “A good club photo always makes you wish you had been there, and if you were there it makes you wish you were cool enough to be in the photo. A good club photo illustrates an entire evening in one captured frame of millions of un-captured ones.” For the clubs themselves a having a good set of photos taken by a photographer they can trust is a vital form of direct advertising, particularly within the online promotions game. The ‘group’ and ‘tagging’ facilities offered by Facebook et al allow for immediate interaction between the promoters/photographers and their punters (and also between the punters themselves) and are essential in establishing a visual identity for clubs which is as aspirational as it is inclusive. “Facebook was set up for sharing in the first place, so it lends itself naturally to the sharing around between friends of our club photos,” say the promoters of Manchester electro disco ‘Clique’. “People are naturally very keen to come on our group/our DJs’

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own Facebook and grab pics, share them, tag them, save them etc. It increases the levels of interaction which is ultimately what keeps Clique’s energy.” Simon Hewitt, photographer for Bristol’s Donuts night concurs: “By putting my photos up so anyone can tag them, I soon get loads of people tagged in the crowds and see them popping up again and again throughout the night and even at the other nights I go to.” Nightclub photography has of course been around since handheld cameras and nightclubs were first conceived. In the early days up til the 60s/early 70s it was mainly about photographers from daily papers capturing already well known slebs out and about, to be framed in a manner not too dissimilar to the ‘society’ pages of magazines like ‘OK!’. In those times only big names such as Frank Sinatra, George Best or The Kray Twins were deemed worthy of the flash-in-the-face treatment. In the seventies though things began to shift from patron to punter as the punk and disco scenes in New York began to flourish and the flamboyantly attired club/scene kids at Studio 54, CBGB’s and Max’s became stars in their own right, snapped not by journalists, but by their peers such as Roberta Bailey, Maripol and Bob Gruen (all of whose work is definitely worth checking out, btw). The precedent for this modern ‘club photography’ in England was set in the late seventies and early eighties at the end of the punk scene and the birth of the New Romantic movement in London. In these times snappers such Gabor Scott and David Scott would stalk clubs like Blitz, Billy’s and Taboo taking photos of theatrically attired club kids of the moment. Without the access to online publishing facilities, the concept of photo sharing back then was a lot more literal: most pictures were taken twice on Polaroid cameras, the best one being kept by the photographer (with the chance it might be published in one of the few magazines, like The Face, who were keen on documenting the scene) and the other handed to the subject themselves! Today club photography is waaayy more diverse, regional, inclusive and on a much bigger scale, for the most part focusing less on club kids and more on capturing the whole clubbing experience itself. This is particularly the case on larger photo hosting sites like tilllate.com whose scale (23 million+ photos across all its networks) means relying on club kid pictures alone would be a mathematical impossibility. However, with photography having become such an integral part of our nights out, shifts in clubbing behavioural trends are inevitable as we all become increasingly aware of the presence of looming lenses in our vicinity. “It’s great to take spontaneous photos to capture fun moments on nights out but, to me, it’s a bit of

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thesupersuper.com

(...continued) of a shame to see groups of friends take almost identical photos of themselves about 10 times to get the best shot to upload to their Myspace or Facebook – it’s image over reality and kills the moment” says club photographer Jane Stockdale. Also, with most clubbers now equipped with their own photography equipment (via mobile cameraphones) fluctuations in quality are vast, and blur the line between ‘club photography’ as an art form, a concept and a leisure activity. “A lot of clubs allow people to bring cameras into clubs which means people make their own albums of the night and post them on Facebook,” says Andrew Berry of we-are-awsome.com. “This kind undermines the ‘art’ of club photography.” In contrast, Paul Hartnett, who photographed much of the Sex Pistols/ Punk and New Romantic scenes (and was ultimately responsible for the closure of Leigh Bowery’s legendary Taboo club, due to his candid account of drug use at the club, in an article in the Mail on Sunday) doesn’t see this wide spectrum in quality as a negative: ‘I love the fact that so many people are using cameras, on all kinds of levels, but so many of the images don’t make it to the standards of professionalism of a photo booth. That said, I love crap quality, love the random moment, and see the edge of experimentation as liberating/liberated.” As possessing a pen doesn’t necessarily make anyone a writer, owning a camera doesn’t necessarily make you a photographer either. Like gaining entry to some of the more elitist clubs on the scene, discovering your picture has made the cut onto your favourite club/photographer’s site has a certain undeniable buzz about it. The sense of nervous anticipation and excitement at having made it ‘in’ is, nowadays, part of the clubbing experience. The only thing is, with more and more snaps being taken while we’re out, where does the photoshoot end and the night itself begin? It seems more and more that, with albums of 40+ photos taken on a typical night out, the ‘traditional’ elements of clubbing – drinking, dancing (and the optional additional ones, insert as appropriate) – are in danger of being eclipsed by this rather more contemporary pursuit. So what’s the logical conclusion to all of this? One aspect is, of course, nightclubs installing their own photo booths. As outlandish as that concept might seem, the process is already underway on the West coast of America in San Francisco’s Shine night club. Here the owners have fitted a photobooth automated to upload pictures straight onto the venues’ Flickr page as soon as they have been processed, before being projected onto the walls of the club. According to the venue the booth itself is ‘almost as popular as the dancefloor’ – and a sign, surely, of things to come...

www.thecobrasnake.com

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THE COBRA SNAKE (LOS ANGELES)

Mark Hunter aka thecobrasnake. com is one of the most influential photographers in the game right now. As well as taking pics at Dim Mak, No Culture and LAX in his native LA he travels the world shooting, in his own words ‘fashion weeks, art shows, underground parties, music festivals, days at the beach, homeless adventures etc etc…’ He was one of the first club photographers to host their own website back in 2003 with a page called Polaroid scene, before starting the interactive, blogstyle Cobrasnake in 2005. With a page that currently attracts web traffic of some 20,000 + unique users a day, he hasn’t looked back since! ‘On the cobra snake you never know what you might see. One gallery could feature an exclusive fashion week party in Paris and the next could feature some cute girls riding bikes to the beach. Hopefully it’s fun to look at the photos for fashion inspiration, cool new bands, acts etc...’

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NEEMO

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(MANCHESTER) www.acomfortableplace.co.uk

Neemo has been doing his thing on the Manchester club scene for time and can be spotted at most of the cities indie/electro/dubstep events, often on the same night! He’s been running his site www. acomfortableplace.co.uk since the mid nineties which hosts his photo’s from regular haunts such as Clique, Up The Racket, Monday Murkage and Your Momma’s Cooking, as well as shoots with the in vogue scene kids and muses of the moment – I usually have about 5 a year’ he told me. His work has previously featured in The Face (RIP) and this year he has begun taking his work from the online world to real one via various exhibitions in and around Manchester. Of his predominantly hi-contrast/ black and white style shots he say’s ‘I’m really trying to capture emotion from the individuals a photograph - I want my work to appear like an escape from reality, dream-like. I consider myself to be making art, and i’m having lots of fun during the process - I’m just as mashed as everyone else!’

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weareawesome (SOUTH AFRICA)

(SOUTHEND)

Carly Scott

Coming from Capetown, South Africa, Andrew Berry and Sean Sassen run www.we-are-awsome.com which they founded ‘with the aim of documenting the hipsters/trendsetters of our town in hope of expanding their number! A good club photo... always makes you wish you had of been there and if you were there it makes you wish you were cool enough to be in the photo. A good club photo illustrates an entire evening in one captured frame of millions of un-captured ones’ says Andrew.

(LONDON)

(BIRMINGHAM)

Andrew Witts photographs for nightlife paper ‘The Night Times’ as well as running his own site“Better Never Than Late (www.bntl.co.uk). ‘We wanted document what we were doing with our lives and especially our night life. I religiously went out every Friday and Saturday and took a liking to snapping people in clubs. I got good feedback from promoters and over time I improved and invested in a better camera and went out every weekend covering events and getting work published.’

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BILLA

(MIDDLESBOROUGH)

BETTERLATETHANNEVER

Danielle & Trudie make their P’s snapping folk at ‘all of Middlesboroughs decent alternative clubs’ and tag-team the clientele of the cities Kaboom club every Saturday to capture the weekends madness. Danielle: ‘Then on Sunday we get the tea set out and our Macs on our laps and piece together the previous evening in pictures to see what we got up to. We might uncover a scandal or that the boy Trudie was snogging turned into a pumpkin at midnight... Sometimes what goes on the memory card stays on the memory card!’ www.kaboomster.co.uk or flickr.com/people/daniellevelterelle.

Danielle Velterelle & Trudie

‘I want to take photographs that people could look back on and see the youth culture that was happening, like in Southend, the club night Junk – really great things came out of it such as bands like The Horrors and These New Puritans and great bands like Neils Children, The Violets and Scum were associated with Junk. It is interesting when you find sub cultures that are existing quite strongly, such as the 60’s scene. Id like to capture iconic pictures that tell the viewer what great things that happening.’

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Jane Stockdale

Jane Stockdale got into the photography game aged 17 taking picture of Sonic Youth and her work from her years since can be viewed at www.janestockdale. co.uk. Unlike many of today’s digital photographers doesn’t necessarily subscribe to the idea of taking as many pictures as possible and then filtering the duds out in photoshop. ‘I still think analogue photography is an important discipline to learn, when you only have 24 or 36 shots and you have to wait a bit, be patient and make each shot count’. As well as her club and music photography she also works with in the realms of documentary with current projects including documenting the work of the UN trying to stop the smuggling of weapons into Lebanon. Jane has noticed the behavioural changes brought on as a result of cheaper and more accessible photography equiptment: ‘People used to wave lighters in the air but now we wave mobile phones and cameras. It’s good to take a photo to capture a moment but its a bit surreal seeing crowds of people experience reality through a 3” LCD screen held in front of their face!’.

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3/4/09 07:30:43

longclothing.com TSR AD V3 197(w)x124mm(h).ai

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4/2/09

13:08:19

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thesupersuper.com

CULT HERO

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Words by Loukia Constantinou

Funk upon a time, back in the late 60s, George Clinton and his bands Parliament and Funkadelic embarked upon a voyage into outer space, whereupon they discovered the DNA of all urban music that was to follow. Their journey continues. Let’s ride. The Motherfunkin Mothership has landed...

- FUNK “Free your mind and your ass will follow”

“The Funk’s got its own viagra. It keeps you wide awake”

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In today’s musical climate the word “Funky” prompts images of all these Youtubes we have been bombarded with lately. You know, the ones of postpubescent teenagers doing pointless dance routines, whilst their mate records on his or her mobile phone, for skank-bandwagon purposes. When we hear the word “Parliament” we probably think of boring old farts sat in a stuffy room, trying to fix the world whilst simultaneously destroying it, init?! Alas! The two cannot link in any way, right…? Wrong. If we were to get into Janelle Monae’s time machine and travel back to the seventies (a time where most of us were probably non-existent) in terms of music, these two words together actually meant something. Something out of this world. But LITERALLY ‘out-of-this-world’. A musical interplanetary, cosmic, extraterrestrial progression of Funkmanship - the purest form of funky music, which is a far cry from that which has claimed the letters F, U, N and K, today.

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“Behold, I am Funkadelic. I am not of your world. But fear me not; I will do you no harm. Loan me your funky mind and I shall play with it. For nothing is good unless you play with it” Aesthetically and melodically one of the most influential genres of modern music P-Funk or ParliamentFunkadelic, left behind a legacy and a cult following which is still thriving now. Using the Utopian universal message “One Nation Under a Groove” it’s founder George Clinton and his entourage, used fictional characters, costume, spectacle and allegorical anecdotes, with which they pioneered one of the most politically packed yet stirringly exciting musical movements of the seventies. Garish garmz, weird hair, extreeeme make up, killer platforms and blatantly bizarre accessories – sounds like a Friday night in Hoxton right? Well yeah…but these were also originally the adornments and way of life for those trailblazers of this old-skool funky psychedelic rock genre. It was a seriously unserious, shambolically ship-shaped, weird and contradictory, seemingly pointless yet overly relevant style of music. It addressed issues from sex and love to freedom and justice. Sociopolitical situations were discussed using drug-related humor and epic concept albums, which on the surface may have seemed like the result of a childishly overactive imagination but hidden behind the craaaaazzzyyy crayoned album covers and amongst the tacky track names (“Maggot Brain”, “Aqua Boogie” and “The Electric Spanking of War Babies” to name but a few), there was always a profoundly pertinent point to be made. They sang songs that baffled the brain and told stories, which mystified the mind, but yet somewhere amid all of this, it managed to make some kind of…sense? “Funk upon a time, in the days of the Funkapuss, the concept of specially designed Afro-nauts

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capable of funkatizing galaxies, was first laid on Man Child, but was later repossessed and placed among the secrets of the pyramids, until a more positive attitude towards this most sacred phenomenon, Clone Funk, could be acquired. There in these terrestrial projects it would wait along with its co-inhabitants, the Kings and Pharaohs, like sleeping beauties, for the kiss that would release them to multiply in the image of the Chosen One, Dr. Funkenstein. And funk is its own reward. May I frighten you?” (“Prelude” The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein 1976). Frightened yet? I am. So what is it all about then? The first thing to establish is that Parliament and Funkadelic were two separate bands with two separate sounds but both were run by the main man himself, George Clinton. Yes boyz and girlz, Mr. George Clinton aka Dr. Funkenstein. Famous for his eccentric attire and zany, multicolored dreadlocks who’s musical dabbling began way back in the fifties. His humble beginnings were of the barbershop-esque, “doo-wop” and “be-bop” kind, before he moved out of our regular galaxy and into the juggernaut of cosmological debate, distorted psychedelic guitar riffs and booooooooming basslines. The Parliament-Funkadelic spaceship took of in the seventies. He is a musician, producer, vocalist, artist, barber and most importantly the driver of the Mothership – a harmonious spacecraft that is still orbiting the planet as we speak. Fasten your seatbelts because it was (and more than likely STILL is), a bumpy ride. Even now at 68 years old, Clinton is still churning chooons and touring the heavens, “The Funk’s got it’s own Viagra” he says, “It keeps you wide awake” and it seems he will be awake for a while longer. The most influential members of P-Funk are still considered as musical heroes today. Apart from Clinton who was the driving force behind the development of the groups, members such as Bootsy Collins, who played bass, drums and wrote songs, Eddie Hazel who was famed for his intense and unconventional guitar skills and Bernie Worrell whose use of synthesizers brought P-Funk to a new level, were all the big dawgs. Each of

these contributed in creating such a distinguished racket. “Funk is fun. And its also a state of mind,” said Clinton, “But it’s the ramifications of that state of mind. Once you’ve done the best you can, funk it!” With this life motto, all of these notorious mother-funkers sustained and preserved a sound that was destined for great things. The two bands themselves were very closely linked with members performing as part of both at the same time, however each ones musical content and style had its own distinctions. Whilst Funkadelic’s music was heavily guitar orientated with solos/instrumental riffs and band members doing the singing, Parliament on the other hand used prominent horns, bass and keyboard with gospel influenced vocals and strangely arranged harmonies. During the 70’s the groups had four number one singles between them and they were so closely linked that by this time their style and musical composition had merged into something more amazing and in turn spawned sub groups such as Bootsy’s Rubber Band, The Brides of Funkenstein and The Horny Horns. Towards the end of the seventies Parliament and Funkadelic began to fade away with many of the members launching solo careers and dealing with personal issues. However the succeeding urban music styles of the eighties and nineties seemed to need P-Funk’s former success in order to achieve their own. It formed the basis for the future of legends like Prince, but most of all for the big players of rap music. You could say that much of the triumph of the late eighties and early nineties hip-hop, was down to the fact that it absolutely sampled the shiznit out of P-Funk. The sampling of the genre created a subculture of modern Funkstars. Even today with their pimped out whips, thick gold chains and chinchilla fur coats their music echoes and reverberates that of way back then. Rappers such as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Outkast and Ice – cube are a few of the many artists whose hits looped and re-looped some of the most well known songs that Parliament and Funkadelic brought the world of urban music. Public Enemy sampled a number of tracks, which highlighted the polemic aspect of their

albums. For example, their 1992 track “Get off my back” sampled the 1976 Parliament hit “Give up the Funk”. Artists such as Andre 3000 not only sampled the music but also the ethos of the movement as a whole. “Funk is the DNA of hip-hop and rap” says Clinton. “Rock and roll, R&B, blues, gospel, you see them as different, but funk is the thread that goes through all of them.” Even now, 30 years on Parliament and Funkadelic is still growing. Clinton and the crew are always recruiting new funkers, “If they’re crazy enough to want go for a ride, then jump on the Mothership, we’ll take off together,” he says. The tours and gigs are unceasing and even though the loyal funk fans remain there is always room for new things. “We do it different all the time,” says Clinton. “People want to hear the same songs they know, and at the same time they want something different. You have to be conscious of that. They say they’re nostalgic for that old music. I don’t want to be nostalgic…I want to see what’s next.” Life as a Funkatron is one big playtime. “Behold, I am Funkadelic. I am not of your world. But fear me not; I will do you no harm. Loan me your funky mind and I shall play with it. For nothing is good unless you play with it” says Clinton in the 1969 record “What is Soul?” And this is yet another philosophy to live by, which may prove why the associates of the scene seemed to simply have SUCH a good time. Looking at photos and watching old footage from its peak is probably still not enough to do it any justice. It might even be one of those “you had to be there”, kinds of things. But when you listen try to grasp the boundless unearthly mythology they sing of. Open your mind and allow your imagination to experience the weird words and peculiar patterns of music, then watch. Watch as your hips begin to shake, sway and gyrate… “Free your mind…and your ass will follow,” said George. And boyyy…. it follows. Pied Piper thaaaannnng, get me!

2/4/09 00:20:18

“

Funk is the DNA of hip-hop and rap George Clinton

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Swimsuit by Tommy Hilfiger Trousers by Louise Gray Bag by Raf Simons for Eastpak Shoes by Sergio Rossi for Puma

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Nina (left) wears coat from Beyond Retro; earring by Freedom at Topshop; hat Stylist’s own Lucy (centre) wears leather piece by Unconditional; hat from Beyond Retro; shirt Model’s own; scarf Stylist’s own Kathryn (right) wears headband by All Saints; headpiece by Piers Atkinson

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Left to right: Max wears coat by Ashish; trousers by Bstore; boots by John Varvatos; necklaces by Vivienne Westwood, Trisha Edwards; hat Stylist’s own Jermaine wears jeans from Beyond Retro; boots by BStore; shirt by Kinder Aggugini; earring by Freedom at Topshop; jacket Model’s own Ronx wears boots by DKNY; fur coat Model’s own Kathryn wears jeans by Nobody; bodysuit by Agent Provocateur; white lace under by Armand Basi; boots by Felder and Felder for Dr Martens; feathered coat by Reem Lucy wears boots by Dr Martens; shirt by Topshop Unique; body by Wolford; coat and jeans Model’s own; accessories Stylist’s own Nina wears trousers by Craig Lawrence; swimsuit from Beyond Retro; hat by Gemma Slack; necklace by Trisha Edwards; earrings Stylist’s own Dan wears hat by Felder and Felder; boots by Dr Martens; all other clothes Model’s own

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Left to right: Kathryn wears PVC cape and glove (worn on head) by House of Harlot; dress by Armand Basi; knickers by Stella McCartney; PVC leggings by House of Harlot; shoes by Topshop Unique Ronx wears bra and knickers by Nicki; jumper by Gemma Slack Kathryn as before Ronx wears bra by What Katie Did; knickers Model’s own; trousers by Spijkers en Spijkers; boots by Dr Martens; jewellery Stylist’s own

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Jermaine wears trousers from Beyond Retro; shirt over one arm by Topshop Unique; earring by Freedom at Topshop; necklace Stylist’s own

Opposite page: Nina wears dress by Jean Pierre Braganza; necklace by Trisha Edwards

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Kathryn wears jacket by Imbar Spector; anklet tied round head Stylist’s own

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Kathryn wears dress by PPQ; bra by Agent Provocateur; lace top by Topshop Jermaine wears shirt by Kinder Aggugini; jeans by Beyond Retro; socks by Tabio; shoes by BStore; earring by Freedom at Topshop; necklace Stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own

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Nina wears earring by Freedom at Topshop; all-in-one denim suit by Topshop Unique;T-shirt from Beyond Retro; necklace Stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own

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Nina (right) wears dress by Ashish; jacket from Beyond Retro; bracelets by Liam Motyer; earring by Freedom at Topshop; horn and hat Stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own Kathryn wears dress by Jean Pierre Braganza; headpiece by Piers Atkinson; headband by All Saints

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1/4/09 02:33:18

Lucy wears body by Wolford; shirt by Topshop Unique; earrings by H. Samuel; jacket and badges Model’s own

Photography: Alisa Connan Styling: Hope Von Joel @ Soho Management Hair: Tracie Cant @ Premier Hair & Make-up Make-up: Kenneth Soh using Mac pro Photographic Assistants: Emma Tunbridge, Mark Hatfield Styling Assistants: Liam Motyer, Kate Kearney Make-up Assistants: Alisonn Fetouaki, Jessica Yorke Retouching: Gareth Pritchard Models: Nina, Kathryn @ Select Verve; Ronx, Jermaine, Lucy @ The Eye; Max V @ Storm Special thanks to Shoreditch Studios

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Photography Akio Styling Masha Mombelli

tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

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Peach dress by Kaviar Gauche Gold leather corset by KTZ Necklaces by Eva London Knickers worn as necklace by Agent Provocateur Leather cuffs by Paul Seville from Coco de Mer Leggings by Topshop Silk flower peace worn on arm by Maria Grachvogel Mannequin from Kokon To Zai Necklace on mannequin by Victim Red sequinned shoes by Natacha Marro Art piece on wall by Ismail Ebril

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Gold Dress by Bernand Chandran Hat by Little Shilpa Gloves by Victim Glasses from Rellik Toy headpiece by Piers Atkinson Prop stick made by stylist Mannequin from Kokon To Zai Art piece in background by Ismail Ebril

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Felicity (standing): Black dress by Armand Basi Plastic hat by Justin Smith Esquire Necklaces by Fred Butler Bracelets by Eva London Knickers by Lascivious Shoes with suspenders by KTZ ‘DIY Chanel’ sunglasses by Masha Mombelli Mannequin from Kokon To Zai Bag by Louise Gray Tiah (seated): Jacket by Eley Kishimoto Yellow bra by Agent Provocateur Nipple tassels by Gemma Slack Lego hat by JC de Castelbajac Leggings by DavidDavid Shoes by Natacha Marro Black skirt by Scott Ramsay Kyle

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Tiah (standing): Dress by Ioannis Dimitrousis Plastic coat by Emma Cook Chrystal warrior bitch ‘Xanadu’ by Victoria Grant Plastic necklace by Nathan Jenden Shoes by TopShop

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Felicity (lying): Top by Nathan Jenden Black hair piece by JC de Castelbajac Leggings by KTZ Shoes by Gil Carvalho Bag by Louise Gray Hat by Justin Smith Esquire Cigar pipe by Masha Mombelli Art piece on wall by Ismail Ebril

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Helmet by Eley Kishimoto White shirt by Kenzo by Antonio Marras Corset by Agent Provocateur Leggings by KTZ Shoes by Gil Carvalho

Photography Akio (www.aquio.co.uk) Styling Masha Mombelli Hair Tetsuya Yamakata Make-up Yin Lee @ Premier using MAC Models Tiah, Felicity Gilbert @ storm Photography assistants Ben Jonson, Yas Kotake, Miyuki Yamanaka, Elena Heatherwick Styling assistants Kumiko Yashiro, Lera Vigodnaya Hair assistant Kiki Make-up assistant Toshie All props from www.pandorastreet.co.uk Special thanks to Gary, Gerg @ Stoke Newington International Airport Toru @ www.iinomediapro.com Noelle @ stom model, Andy @ Kinetic

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Photography Dave Purgas Fashion Direction Thomas Sels

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Hat by Stephen Jones Poloshirt by Ann Sofie Back for Fred Perry Pencil Skirt by Fred Perry

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Hotpants and shirt by Antoni & Alison Tshirt by Markus Lupfer Shoes by Bernhard Willhelm for Camper

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Belt by Kenzo Top by Manolita Watlin Skirt by Desigual

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1/4/09 04:03:48

Skirt by Eley Kishimoto, Necklace and Bracelets by Celine, Top by Thomas Sels

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1/4/09 04:04:29

Hair by Kuni Kohzaki using Therapi Make-up by Michelle Webb Models: Farah @ Select, Bex @ Premier Fashion Assistants: Hannah Logic, Hanna Balogun Photographic Assistant: Joanna Patterson

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Hat by Stephen Jones, Dress by Aslan Turk

1/4/09 04:05:57

It’s the hair styling makeover with...

CHARLIE LE MINDU to create the...

“HEY BIZZATCH CRIMP DRACULA FACE” look!

FUCKIN AMAZIN YA DONE YA SO HOT BABY . WANNA GO HOME WITH ME. BECAREFUL OF CHARLIE LE MINDUS MAKE OVER GIRLS BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW THEY YOU HOT AFTER BUT WHEN THEY WOKE UP IT S LIKE THE FIRST PICTURES.. AND WE LOVE IT EVIL DEAD. XXX C YA

3 PUMP THE .... VOLUME YES CRIMP IT UNTIL THEY DIES. ABOUT ON EACH SIDE FROM THE SEPERATION SOME CRIMP . START DOWN OF YOU NECK AND GO BACK TO YA FACE. MAKE LITTLE SEPERATION ABOUT 2 OR 3 CM. THE MORE LITTLE THE SEPERATION WILL BE THE BIGGER WILL BE YA HAIR DO THE BALLS . SO NOW MAKE 2 BALLS EACH SIDE OF THE HEAD WITH BACKCUMING ALL YA HAIR EACH SIDE IN REALLY LITTLE SEPERATION. THEN KEEP IN THE MIDDLE HAIR ( ABOUT 1 SEPERATION EACH SIDE OF THE CENTER PARTING ) FOR WORK WITH IT LATER. Hair styling Charlie Le Mindu using Fudge Make-up Thomas De Kluyver using Mac Pro Photography by Billa

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BRUSH IT BRUSH IT BRUSH IT! IN EVERY ANGLE AND EVERYWAY BRUSH IT BRUSH IT BRUSH IT. THE MOST U CAN FOR ABOUT 3 MIN EACH SIDE THEN YOU WILL GET THIS CANDYFLOSS TEXTURE. MOUSSE A LA VANILLE O OUI C EST BON MANGE DU CHEVEU.

WITH THE STRONGEST HAIRSPRAY AND MOST POWERFUL HOLD IN THE WORLD USE CEMENT FROM FUDGE IT S GONNA HOLD IT FOREVA FOR WEEKS AND WEEKS .. SO SPRAY YA BALL AND SHAPE IT WITH YOUR HAIRDRYER .THEN PUT HAIRSPRAY ON YOUR BALLS AND WITH THE PIECE OF HAIR U DIDN T USE COVER THE BALL TO MAKE IT SLEEK. DO IT ON BOTH SIDE SPRAY THE WHOLE LOOK AND

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READY? PUT A CUMB ON THE MIDDLE OF YA FOURHEAD AND REALLY QUICK DO A LONG LINE ( MIDDLE PART ) TILL THE BACK OF U R NECK. MAKE IT THE MORE STRAIGHT POSSIBLE AS THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THAT STYLE.

3/4/09 16:01:40

Pistol Panties www.pistolpanties.com PPQ www.ppqclothing.com Preen www.preen.eu Projekts NYC www.projektsnyc.com Puma www.puma.com R REEM www.reemalasadi.com Rellik www.relliklondon.co.uk RockSmith www.rocksmithtokyo.com

55dsl www.55dsl.com

Eva London www.evalondon.com

A Accessorize www.accessorize.co.uk Ad Hoc www.adhoclondon.co.uk Agent Provocateur www.agentprovocatuer.com All Saints www.allsaintsshop.co.uk Andrew Logan www.andrewlogan.com Antoni & Alison www.antoniandalison.com Armand Basi www.armandbasi.com Ashish www.ashish.co.uk Aslan Turk www.aslanturk.eu

F Famous Stars and Straps www.famoussas.com Felder Felder www.felderfelder.com Fila www.shop.fila.com Firetrap www.firetrap.com Fred Butler www.fredbutlerstyle.com Fred Perry www.fredperry.com Freedom @ Topshop www.topshop.com French Connection www.frenchconnection.com

B Bstore www.bstorelondon.com Babycakes www.bbycks.com Barratts www.barratts.com Basso & Brooke www.bassoandbrooke.net Bape www.bape.com Bench www.bench.co.uk Bernard Chandran www.bernardchandran.com Beyond Retro www.beyondretro.com Black Pearl www.blackpearlboutique.co.uk Bordelle www.bordelle.co.uk Butler & Wilson www.butlerandwilson.co.uk

G Gemma Slack www.gemmaslack.com Gil Carvalho www.gilcarvalho.com Girl Gang www.girlgang.co.uk Gola www.gola.co.uk Goliath www.shuch.co.uk

C Calvin Klein www.calvinklein.com Camper www.camper.com Carrhart www.carrhart.com Cassette Playa www.cassetteplaya.com Celine www.celine.com Charles Anastase www.charlesanastase1979.com Charlotte Delphine www.dcp-corp.com Converse www.converse.com Coco De Mer www.coco-de-mer.com Co-operative Designs www.cooperative-designs.com Craig Lawrence alex@blow.co.uk Cross Colours www.crosscolours.com Cut-it-out www.cut-it-out.net D David Clulow www.davidclulow.com DavidDavid www.daviddavid.co.uk Desigual www.desigual.com DKNY www.dkny.com Disney Couture www.disneystore-shopping.disney.co.uk Dr Marten www.drmartens.com E Eastpak www.eastpak.com Eley Kishimoto www.eleykishimoto.com Emma Cook www.emmacook.co.uk

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H H L Jeans Co. www.hl-jeans.com H Samuel www.hsamuel.co.uk Hederus www.juliahederus.com House of Harlot www.houseofharlet.com I Inbar Spector www.inbarspector.com Ioannis Dimitrousis www.ioannisdimitrousis.com Irregular Choice www.irregularchoice.co.uk J JC de Castelbajac www.jc-de-castelbajac.com Jean Pierre Braganza www.jeanpierrebraganza.com JoJo & Malou www.jojoandmalou.com John Varvatos www.johnvarvatos.com Joseph www.joseph.co.uk Junk Food www.junkfoodclothing.com Justin Smith Esquire www.jsmithesquire.com K Kaviar Gauche www.kaviargauche.com Kenzo www.kenzo.com Kinder Aggugini www.aggugini.com Komakino www.komakinodesign.com KTZ www.myspace.com/ktz_live L Lacoste Red www.lacoste.com Lascivious www.lascivious.co.uk Levi www.levi.com Liam Motyer ltmotyer@hotmail.com Liberty www.libertyoflondon.co.uk Linda Farrow www.lindafarrowvintage.com Little Shilpa www.littleshilpa.com

Long Clothing www.trinotron.com Louise Gray studio.louisegray@gmail.com Louis Vuitton www.louisvuitton.com M Maison Martin Margiela www.oki-ni.com Manish Arora www.manisharora.ws Manolita Watlin www.manolitawatlin.com Maria Grachvogel www.mariagrachvogel.com Markus Lupfer www.markuslupfer.com Masha Mombelli www.mashamombelli.co.uk MCM www.mcmworldwide.com Melissa www.melissaplasticdreams.com Mindless Mammals www.myspace.com/mindlessmammals N Natacha Marro www.natachamarro.com Nathan Jenden www.nathanjenden.com Nike www.nikeid.com Nikita www.nikitaclothing.com Nixon www.nixonnow.com Nobody www.nobodyjeans.com O Onitsuka www.onitsukatiger.co.uk P Pepe Jeans www.pepejeans.com Piers Atkinson www.piersatkinson.com

S Sabrina Dehoff www.goodhood.co.uk Salvatore Ferragamo www.salvatoreferragamo.it Scott Ramsay Kyle www.scottramsaykyle.com Seal Kay Denims www.asos.com Spijkers en Spijkers www.spijkersenspijkers.nl Stampâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d LA www.stampdla.com Stella McCartney www.stellamccartney.com Stephen Jones www.stephenjonesmillinery.com Stone Island www.stoneisland.com Supra www.suprafootwear.com Swatch www.swatch.co.uk T T Magic www.tmagicworld.myshopify.com Tabio www.tabio.com The Store Room www.thestorerooms.com Thomas Sels www.myspace.com/hausse_skyy Tommy Hilfiger www.tommyhilfiger.co.uk Topshop Unique www.topshop.com U Unconditional www.unconditional.uk.com Uniqlo www.uniqlo.co.uk V Vans www.vans.com Victim Victoria Grant www.victoriagrant.co.uk Vivienne Westwood www.viviennewestwood. com W Weardowney www.weardowney.com weSC www.wesc.co.uk What Katy Did www.whatkatydid.com Wolford www.wolford.com Wrangler www.wrangler.com Z Zoo York www.zooyork.com

SUPER STOCKISTS ke

S by ge obra a Im e C Th

3/4/09 09:03:51

! GAMES

Complied & written by Jayga Rayn

The original F.E.A.R was released to widespread critical acclaim. Although much of the game was spent in and endless expanse of grey corridors, the craftsmanship in the suspense meant it was an entertaining and replayable FPS. The gameplay is fluid. Most would-be cut scenes are in-game events. This speed which you can move through the game at exaggerates the tension and horror. Unlike the other games this month it the combat is excellent; whether fighting the replica soldiers or the cloaked assassins. Much is borrowed from Japanese horror cinema. The main character, Alma, is much like Samara from the ring; but hell-bent on absorbing you. The developers have shied away from a conventional soundtrack. Using atmospheric noises such

as screams, heartbeats and footsteps coupled with music again flaunting the Jap influence. Although it may not sound like a great feature, it is very important, the player not being able to identify certain sounds with danger/enemies/etc. The enemies are much easier than their predecessors which may come as a relief for some. The slo-mo feature which was such a staple in the first isn’t necessary on the lower difficulty levels although you can expect to depend on it as you reach the upper echelons. There are two ‘power armour’ levels which add diversity along with the new cover-creation feature; they are, however, not enough to escape the flawed level design and lack of innovation. F.E.A.R2 is an undoubtedly excellent game. It doesn’t have anything revolutionary enough to put it into the highest league of fps games.

RESIDENT EVIL 5 Resident Evil’s previous incarnations have been hugely successful across the world spawning many sequels and spin-offs. It is in this knowledge that I expected something more revolutionary...

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Grand Theft Auto IV set a precedent in that its sales were speculated to dampen those of Iron Man at the box office. Indicating a need for movie studios to check game release dates for premium effect. This month we see the release of new Silent Hill and Resident Evil titles, both of which have film incarnations, and F.E.A.R 2; which with its integrated environment changes that means game play borders upon cinema. We are looking at these new for their gameplay, graphics, atmosphere, gore and horror.

SILENT HILL: HOMECOMING

It is easy to forget that this games. Regardless of which of the is in fact the sixth Silent Hill alternate endings you get there is not the sense of confusion that the release and that’s ignoring the

spin-offs, films, graphic novels, etc. Most people think of Resident Evil as Silent Hill’s big-brother but they are, in fact, both wellloved internationally. This is the first Silent Hill game developers Double Helix have produced and, on the whole, it is true to the traditions of the series. There is still overwhelming darkness, many locked doors that open when you traverse the gap between the game’s two worlds, the monsters are still grotesque, and you still have your trusty flash-light and radio. The storyline is much more comprehensible than in previous

The story is engrossing, laden with poignant political comment within the angle taken on African politics and embedded into the plot. It feels much like any other R.E, there is perhaps less find key/gem/rune and insert in door/statue/wall and more kill big zombies with no faces and chainsaws which is, ultimately, more fun. There's shooting zombie bikers from the back of a truck, recurring bosses at the ends of chapters, frequent ATB moments and a decent buy/upgrade system, although ammo is a little scarce. The co-op mode is much better than single player; you don't have to tell your partner everything they have to do before they do it. However, it borrows heavily from Army of Two, which in most people's

prior offerings left. The gameplay is not much different from its ancestor’s. The combat is probably the game’s biggest downfall; the dodge ability is almost useless against multiple enemies, running is not usually an option as it is in RE and the ‘hold attack for a power attack’ is a tad primitive. Fans of the series are almost certain to like this new installation; however, it’s unlikely they will win any non-believer’s minds with its steady, but unspectacular gaming experience.

eyes, is not a good thing. The combat feels cumbersome; not being able to walk whilst shooting makes the most entertaining part, zombie killing, feel static and awkward. The inventory is relatively simple, with the d-pad corresponding to items placed in the relative squares, but the combining of herbs is clumsy when midcombat. Through the first few chapters I was wholeheartedly underwhelmed but by the time I had got to the end, defeating the bosses and the zombies with AK-47s, I had a resounding feeling that I'd played an excellent game. It is as good as and better than the prior releases of Resident Evil and my pick for this month.

}

OVERALL RESULTS F.E.A.R 2 : Gore: 9 Horror: 9 Suspense: 8 Gameplay: 9 7.5/10 Resident Evil: Gore: 8 Horror: 9 Suspense: 7 Gameplay: 8 8/10 Silent Hill: Gore: 8 Horror:10 Suspense:9 Gameplay: 7 7/10

BARGAIN CORNER

Rockstar Games: the original trilogy, Halo Wars, is a stable but Table Tennis

unspectacular RTS game. The developers said from the outset they would aim to make the game as accessible as possible to the 360 control pad. It is perhaps this that has caused the sacrifice of much of the depth that is found Halo Wars in other RTS games both One of Xbox’s flagship past and present; howgaming franchises; the ever, it does work. The FPS shooter trilogy game is easy to pick up sold over 24.8million and play, the graphics are copies worldwide. The decent and the cut-scenes foray into the world of are well integrated and real-time-strategy gaming executed. In the long-term may seem strange, but in it will only be hardcore fact, the first installation Halo fans, the ones that Halo:Combat Involved don’t see it as sarilegious was originally intended at least, that will be left to be an RTS. Set before playing this game. You can grab this for about a fiver, and if you and a friend can master the complexities, it is great fun. There are exhibition and tournament single player modes and Xbox-live online play.

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games@thesupersuper.com

1/4/09 23:24:19

SUPERART

With Nicky Carvell

Nicky: Hi Spartacus! I really enjoyed your recent 'Ladies Nights' - I thought it was particularly amusing how the men had to be made up as women to gain entry; what was the idea behind that? Spartacus: The 'Make up table' was a compromise. The head's of department feared a revolution similar to 1968 would result from a "Ladies Only Door Policy'. It is interesting in itself that men are raised to think they can have access everywhere. Telling a bloke he has no access seems to encourage his drive to gain entry. Where as if a woman is told she is not welcome she will turn away and find an alternative. N: Before becoming involved with Art, you studied Anthropology - how does this now inform your work? I've noticed a lot of animals in it! S: I was introduced to the Jean Rouch film, The Mad Priests (1954) when I was 19, studying Anthropology at UCL. I remember taking the message of the film literally: that cathartic release can be gained through 'Do It Youself', invented rituals that parody our pompous customs and laws. As for the animals .... they make special journeys to visit me... by public transport, they have impeccable taste in clothing and accessories. N: Your film piece in this year's Tate Triennial entitled 'Hermito's Children' reverts between humorous narrative and poetic surreal scenes, at some times not making

INTERVIEW IMAGE(S)

Spartacus (Centre)

Spartacus Chetwynd

Embodying her formidable name, Spartacus Chetwynd is a hugely exciting figure in current Performance Art. Having recently experienced the multilayered, all inclusive spectacle of one of her Helmut Newton Ladies Nights at the Royal Academy, I excitedly caught up with her to find out more about what lay behind the bizarre costumes and audacity that ensued… much sense - what does this dynamic entail for you? S: I am a big fan of nonsense and the Marx Brothers. The main aim of 'Hermitos Children' was to act out a narrative in front of the live events, so that the documentation would be held together by another layer, a story. The Helmut Newton Ladies Night is a backdrop for a club scene in 'Hermitos Children'. Yoyo's restaurant is a backdrop for another scene. As if in the layers of proscenium theatre or of the plains of depth in painting, the foreground has the action of the actors and the backdrop is 'real' live action rather than a set or composed environment. N: Do you have any future projects on the horizon at all? S: We are going to run a Cultural Centre from our home in New Cross. It's to be called The South London Cultural Centre. (Intrigue from the suburbs, in contact with the upper escellons through websites and youtube). It's what everyone is doing - moving to the affordable, domestic environment as a new platform. There's a wave of reversion, away from the global mega-buck art industry...ripples from the ricochet of recession . Also I hope I'll continue the experiment: to document events with a narrative. Hermitos Children Episode II will emerge - It's about catting. N: And any advice for younger artists just starting out? S: I have worked to 2 year plans, never looking further ahead, as if you're going to die after the 2nd year! It helps to 'not care' so much... Otherwise planning to be 'uninfluenced' and 'free' can become too formal, bogged down and professionalized.

LOOK OUT FOR 1. Plastic Culture, The Harris Museum, Preston. 28 March - 30 May I am so lucky to be in this show and MEGA excited about it! Including artists such as Cindy Sherman, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and my absolute hero ANDY WARHOL, this exhibition looks at the impact of Pop Art and it’s enduring legacy in the USA, UK and it’s emergence as the Superflat movement in Japan. Taking into account the impact of new technologies in art, it endeavours to prove that Pop Art was and still is not a straightforward celebration of consumerism; more lies behind these bold, graphic surfaces than first apparent. harrismuseum.org.uk 2. Pierre Bismuth, Following the right hand of… Team Gallery New York. 2 April - 2 May These images may at first appear to have been riotously defaced, but the process behind them is conversely intimate. Bismuth projects classic films onto Plexiglass and trails the passage of lead actresses’ hand with a black marker. I particularly like the way in which this challenges the authenticity of gesture in painting. The resultant works hold the matter of fact edge of graffiti in their indelible actuality. teamgallery.com

3. Rodchenko & Popova; Defining Constructivism. Tate Modern. 12 February - 17 May Forwarding society through technology in the early 1900’s, the Russian Constructivists envisaged a brave new world which has again become encouragingly relevant in our unstable times. Beginning with abstract paintings, the show intensifies in it’s dynamism towards Rodchenko’s stunning photographs of architecture - transforming the everyday into the sublime. His photomontages further signal the instigation of their heroic forward vision. tate.org.uk 4. Djordje Ozbolt, Herald Street Gallery, 21 March - 3 May A former student of the super cool Royal Academy Schools (!) Ozbolt’s paintings picture scenes of sculptures through to exploding guts, often running into the absurd. With titles such as “A saint Killing a Giraffe”, showing exactly that, the overblown ridiculousness of events described are concentrated by the small scale of the work. heraldst.com 5. Cindy Sherman - Spreuth Magers Berlin, 16 April - 30 June, Spreuth Magers London April 16 - May 27. Ever had a haircut that changed your life? Cindy’s had loads and through her ever altering appearances, viewing her photos confronts our self conscious as well as outward perceptions. Photographing herself in different guises for over 30 years and continually morphing into the unrecognisable, it is at times astounding as to how different she appears; this is identity mirrored back in our voyeuristic faces. spruethmagers.com spruethmagers.com Plastic Culture ,Richard Kirwan, New Juice (2004) 59 x 44 cm, screen print. Courtesy of the Artist. Pierre Bismuth, Courtesy of Team Gallery, New York Rodchenko & Popova , Lyubov Popova , Painterly Architectonic 1918, Slobodskoye Museum and Exhibition Center Djordje Ozbolt,Courtesy of Herald St, London Cindy Sherman at Monika Spreuth

www.helmutnewtonladiesnight.com www.audio-theory.com

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1/4/09 23:26:17

Victorian

VOGUE

“You got two black eyes, I got one!” the tramp shouted at me at Hackney Central, Special Brew in hand. After the initial indignation I did actually find this amusing, especially as he had evidently been in a real fight, whereas I’d spent ages getting my eyes to look suitably distressed that morning. This did get me thinking though; much like our Stefan, my eyeliner is emphatically black; the colour Kandinsky defined as “Absolute discord, devoid of possibilities for the future (death).” But why do I feel the need to appear as if I had been punched when I can‘t stand confrontation? This paradox reveals something of our modern condition; of the simulacrum indeed being more real than true instanceeverything is illusion. About a year ago I noticed that a lot of art being produced was concerned with the Gothic, and this Dark Wave continues to lap onto our shores of awareness. However is this enduring fascination true terror or a more theatrical take on the aesthetics of the macabre? Having been arduously making slime in my studio for the past week, I

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was in need of some visual input so I thought I’d pop next door to the Haunch of Venison’s new show ‘Mythologies’ for an art gander. As I entered the grand entrance hall and encountered Jennifer Wenn Ma’s stone palm veiled by blasts of fog whilst a miniature warrior was projected into the haze, I had a feeling that this show was not going to be “in yer face!”, but more of an introverted, thoughtful affair; speculative rather than a spectacle. With huge philosophical quotes emblazoned on the wall, this show pertains to reach beyond the surface of the everyday and deal with existential issues. Described as a ‘cabinet of curiosities‘, it’s promise is to appeal to the more inquisitive of natures. But this wasn’t actual Victoriana in all it‘s ridiculousness (those guys made kittens tea parties with real kittens for god’s sake!) but more of a nod to the formalities and style of the movement-we are way too ironically self aware now days to even reach the levels of absurdity from those centuries past. Upon entering the darkened gallery

upstairs, and seeing Jochem Hendricks’ piece ‘Siblings’ my initial reaction was “Aw nooo! Not more bloody taxidemy!” Dislocating myself from my cynical ‘art world’ self, however I had to admit that this work did actually reach behind my pretensions. These were hunting dogs, but adversely to the Kate Bush song, they were hounds of hate; their jaws being dreadfully locked around two poor poodles. This narrative twist, commenting the eternal taboo of cannibalism, extended out to Darwin’s the survival of the fittest, but is that where it tailed off? The spot lit animals’ faces were pained, but artificially so; was I getting swept away with the feigned romance of it all? Guy Tillem’s photographs of the Mai-Mai tribe adorned with magical charms and foliage was far more convincing because of the straight documentation of these guys conviction- glaring from their costumes constructed from foliage, (one was also wearing a really cool frog T shirt!) you could tell they meant it, rather than mimicking it. Living up to my Libran tendencies, I

believe that to everything there is an opposite reaction, for every positive, a negative force ensues. Perhaps this is what all of this darkness is about; a reaction to the consumer crazy over production of recent times, the current demand seems to be for a return to the intimacy of the personal rather than the outward excess of Pop. This then indicates where we are headed next - after all this dour pondering, Crystal Carvell predicts a resurgance of colour, action and fun in Art - a positive reaction to the financial downturn. Luminescence will follow the dark ages and I can’t wait for the Art Party to get going! Mythologies runs at the Haunch Of Venison Gallery until the 25th April. Haunchofvenison.com

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Does the recent trend for all things ‘goth’ stem from a reaction to the consumerist ‘pop’ excess of recent times and man’s desire for a return to intimacy once again?

1/4/09 23:26:53

cosmo_gfw:cosmo_GFW

23/3/09

15:08

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Advertisement Feature

GRADUATE FASHION

WEEK

...CREATING THE FUTURE June 7-11 2009 Earls Court 2 London

Join the fashion elite and spot the latest trends at this year’s Graduate Fashion Week. With 18 years spent at the forefront of promoting creativity, Graduate Fashion Week offers fashion addicts a unique opportunity to look into fashion’s future, dedicating its opening Sunday June 7th, to the fantastic fashion loving British Public. Supported again by title sponsor River Island and great British Fashion Houses Pringle and Mulberry, Graduate Fashion Week boasts an alumni that includes Burberry’s Creative Director, Christopher Bailey, Stella McCartney and PPQ’s Amy Molyneaux, with other emerging talent going on to take some of the most influential jobs in the industry, working behind the scenes at international power houses such as Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren and Chloe. Last year Claudia Schiffer joined the prestigious River Island Gold Award judging panel at the Gala event, following in the footsteps of Lanvin’s Artistic Director Alber Elbaz, Yves Saint Laurent’s Creative Director, Stefano Pilati and Victoria Beckham, helping to decide which student would receive the £20,000 prize money. “The UK has such a unique energy, it’s such a melting pot of new ideas, with an influence that is so far reaching, I am never surprised to hear so many English accents in design studios all over the world.” Claudia Schiffer Original design has also grown in importance on the high street and title sponsor River Island has been well placed to snap up some of the best talent from previous events.

“At River Island we are committed to supporting creative new fashion designers and are proud to say that our current creative team is now full of talent sourced at this exciting event, some of whom are responsible for creating a number of our best selling lines this season.” Richard Bradbury CBE CEO River Island For those interested in studying for a career in fashion, The Graduate Fashion Week Education Day will be opening its doors again on the 11th June. “We were absolutely delighted with the response to our first Education Day with over 3000 students visiting from all over the country. They were able to meet with over 50 universities and find out about the various career options available to them in the fashion industry. The feedback was incredibly positive and we shall look forward to welcoming students again on June 11”. Terry Mansfield CBE Chairman GFW This year, visitors will have the opportunity to explore the world of online fashion with one of the industry’s best loved bloggers, Susie Lau of Style Bubble who will be working from a special office throughout the event. And if you are interested in a complete new-look, the hairstyles, brought to life by Herman Ho from Headmasters, directing the L’Oréal Professionnel Portfolio hair team, are sure to blow you away.

For the first time in the history of Graduate Fashion Week we are selling a limited number of tickets for the Gala Show, Awards and After Show Party on June 10th. If you want to rub shoulders with the VIP’s, models and Industry members who attend this usually “invitation only” event then buy your tickets now!

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Printed Bag & Scarf designed by Jessica Au, River Island Gold Award Winner 2008. Bag - £14.99 Scarf - £12.99

TICKETS FOR THE EDUCATION DAY JUNE 11 If you are a school you can download the booking form on the Education Day page of the GFW website. Individual tickets for the day can also be bought online by going to the Education Day page.

Product available in selected stores nationwide from May 1st

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1/4/09 00:06:26

SUPERmusik! LOST IN SPACE ! p U g n i o G UNDERAGE CLUBS

I dunno about you but I can’t help but feel that right now we’re all a bit ‘lost in space’ as far as music goes right now…

No, I’m not talking anti-gravity nightclubs (yet) or going out to dressed as astronauts (although I haven’t ruled that out either). What I am talking about is the rising trend in bands/producers dropping the BPM’s a notch or two to allow dancing throngs to find their groove in the natural space that exists between the beats.

Funky might have stolen the mantle from Dubstep as the hype new genre getting press at the moment, but the spaced out ‘n’ sparse stylings of the latter continue to reverberate in other genres, while also inspiring new ones which are daring us to redefine the way we dance. If you’re not convinced then you clearly haven’t checked out the swagger-step (so called because the tempo and rhythmic feel of the music can be readily defined by drowsily repeating the immortal line ‘no one on the blocks got swagger like us’ from MIA’s Paper Planes) of groups like New York’s Salem. Check out their track ‘Red Lights’ - it’s a record that ticks all the boxes for what you might want for an optimum dancefloor experience: Blissed out melodies, coo-ing vocal lines, psychedelic synth chords etc etc, but rhythmically there’s nothing but cavernous space filling the gaping holes left between bass drum and hand claps. It sounds like it shouldn’t work but trust us, there’s nothing we’ve heard here at SuperSuper towers that has compelled us more to ditch our drinks and make for the dancefloor!!!

Festivals, clubs, the Camden Crawl, whatever next..pubs?

‘SHONE’

Need we say more? Probably, but Flo Rida undoubtably says it better!

BALEARIC

Summer’s here :) and everyone’s getting down to slowed down disco and pop gems of a bygone age. Cafe del Mar anyone?!

“CONTACT MY AGENT” Is it just us or does it seem that everyone nowadays has an agent? Best go get ourselves one then!

DIRT

Check out the video for Salem’s most euphoric yet downright scary moment. Why’s there a naked woman in the road?

Another shift that seems to be going on right now is bands getting down with textured ambience and fuzz instead of melody. In Indie, bands like Wavves and Pens are embracing this early nineties shoe gaze (‘Nu Gaze’ anyone?) vibe and running with it big style. The sound is the equivalent of amping up the background hum of your fave pop song being played outside your window, then running it through a fuzz pedal - It’s the perfect soundtrack for these hazy, uncertain times!

WE NEED ANOTHER HERO :(

Meanwhile on the pirates there are even stranger things going on. After 15+ years of constant splintering and forming of new styles, DJ’s on the UK Underground scene are making a drastic about turn and suddenly ditching genres and categories wholesale, preferring instead to unite around the 140 bpm mark (thanks in no small part to the tempo shifting properties of CDJ decks) and mashing together a bit of Grime, Funky, and Dubstep and whatever else to form their sets. These days it’s nothing to hear the likes of Kode9 and Spyro (onetime Dubstep and Grime purists respectively) standardly dropping a little bit of all of the above into their mixes (check Spyro’s new Rinse CD out for proof) while producers like Bristol’s Joker are putting out exciting and adventurous records that refuse to fit into any genre template (and are all the better for it). The potential unity and strength in numbers is a big look for all, and is probably the most exciting development to happen in ‘urban’ genres since kids first started fitting radio rigs on towerblock roof tops. Big things a gwaanin y’all. Till the next time, Billy iDle x x

Whether it be your Dad spinning UB40 classics down at the local Labour club to your 14yr old brother ‘fidgiting’ in his bedroom – everyones a dj now. Official.

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Tina takes a bow and the world is minus our very own private dancer.

Mummy wow, i’m a dj now!!!

JACKO’S BACKO

Selling out the 02 in a matter of hours – the ‘King of Pop’ takes to his throne once more.

DUBSTEP = POP

Chart friendly remixes. ‘Dstep’ is now mass?

1/4/09 23:37:06

www.myspace.com/jjhhmm

So who are...

“

We are completely ambivalent towards sexual scenes

MUSIC16 without reviews linked.indd 2

1/4/09 23:46:54

Salem the sound of the end to how it was

SUPERSUPER: I first came across your band when a friend posted your video to the song “Dirt” which I thought was amazing. It’s really creepy and feels like quite an aggressive statement. Was it inspired by various horror films and if so which ones, and/or by real life? S: No, it wasn't really inspired by any horror film. We had this idea that if you were to die from exhaust asphyxiation the girl on the car would come upon you. SS: Are you interested in the topic of sexual repression at all or was it more of an aesthetic choice? S: No, none of us are sexually repressed, and it's not something we think about that often. SS: What kind of things turn you on and what motivates you to write songs? S: Mysteries that have not been solved, tire fires and river snakes. SS: I think what’s interesting about your sound is that it’s quite hard to trace where it’s located exactly musically or geographically. What I mean is it’s original. What would you say are some of your main influences? S: We influence each other more than anything else. We are also all very connected to nature. SS: In some of the songs like "skullcrush” I hear an underlying sense of violence, or maybe it’s just generally sexual. What is your opinion about violence and S&M sex or do you think it’s a bit of a cliche?

S: We like sex that is aggressive and violent, more like S&S (Sado-sadism) than S&M. We don't use safety words. Skullcrush is a cover of a song by our friend Paul Kopkau. SS: What about the Salem witch trials? How do you feel about witches? S: All of us are witches. SS: What instruments do you use and do you all play/program and sing, or who does what? S: Everything we do is collective. Usually Jack will make a beat and then John and I will do the keyboards and singing. But we all work very closely together even when we are apart. In the past there was no rehearsal, we would just record. SS: Would you say that you all have a very specific vision and if so is this also politically motivated in the widest sense of the word? S: No. SS: Are you interested in the occult? If so which writers/schools of occultism? S: We are, but we would rather not talk about it. SS: You haven’t done any live shows yet have you? What are your plans for the live show, can you reveal what it’s gonna be like? S: We are playing a few small shows in the states. In May we are going to Rome for a festival. We have a lot of plans as far as the performance is concerned, but it will depend on our resources. We will play for anyone who has an empty pool.

SS: Will you be touring the UK? S: Hopefully, we haven't sorted out all the details as of yet. SS: One of my favorite songs of yours is ‘Tent’. I was really intrigued by the lyrics. Can you reveal what the song is about? S: The song Tent is about being with someone but not being with them at all. It is sexual in the sense that you can be in the same bed with someone but feel so far away from them. SS: How do you feel about people reading things into your lyrics, especially ‘Tent’. Do you care? Do you think your lyrics can rope you into a specific sexual identity or scene? S: We are completely ambivalent towards sexual scenes, we don't care as we are not allied with anything. It is good when people listen to our music enough to form thier own ideas about it. SS: How do you feel about being fetishized? S: We like getting people off. SS: What is the reason behind keeping the band’s image quite mysterious? Are you using this as a marketing tool or because you hate the way bands are being marketed? S: We aren't trying to be mysterious. We aint playin. SS: Do drugs/drug experiences influence your music? S: Our experiences always influence our music and overall sound. We don't have anything to say on the subject of drugs.

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thesupersuper.com

Photography by Zulma Gonzales

Mystery and intrigue. The two words most commonly flirted around by those lucky few who have had the delight of listening to Salem. Trawling through blogs, following their droning, down tempo pop down unforgiving routes. Horror walks arm in arm with Euphoria. Their sound epitomises a true underground, a lonely underground inhabited only by oneself, yet through this shared isolation the idea of unity prevails. A freind of Salems is probably a friend of yours. Hailing from Americas midwest, their debut EP ‘Yes we smoke crack’ sold out on presales alone. More rumbling thunder than any form of wave, Salem are driving the bandwagon that soon we’ll all be jumping on. Susanne Oberbeck aka No Bra finds out more.

1/4/09 23:47:35

wes “I’d like to own a

with

THE HOMOSEXUALS The Mayfair Set

Inspired by the electronic music of the Middle East (check out the amazing sounds of Syrian, Omar Soleyman), Californian Danny Preston purchased an oriental style keyboard from a Lebanese website and started jamming with his wife, Tiffany. The result was Rainbow Arabia, an infectious hybrid of bass heavy dance punk and Middle Eastern polyrhythms. While the Middle Eastern instrumentalism made them unique, I asked Danny if they were scared of being labelled as merely pastiche. “We don’t feel there is any danger of that because in fact, it is a mixture of all types of music. Middle Eastern is the obvious one, but we are influenced by so many types of music. There is some reggae & dub, goth, industrial, electronic styles, tropical, 80’s pop, hip hop, post punk. We can go on and on. We try to take these influences and create our own style among them.” The duo don’t always have to look East for creative stimulation though, “there seems to be a lot going on in L.A. right now. There’s tons of great individualistic music rising up, as well as great art and photography.” Rainbow Arabia are clearly also inspired by Super Super’s electro grime hero Pictureplane, “We looooove Pictureplane. Last year, we listened to his record on tour about 50 times. It was perfect music to listen to while seeing the countryside. We would love to have him to remix us and play with us on our next Euro tour”. Rainbow Arabia are touring the UK during May and Danny promised to “give you a fun, high energy show. We play everything live. The better the sound system, the better the show...our music is meant to be enjoyable and danceable, yet interesting”. Look out for SUPERSUPER down the front honking on a massive cherry flavoured hookah. Puff puff give! S.S

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RDS

ACEPHALE RECO

Ultimately his sound is pop music, but not in the cheesy, formulaic verse sense, but in the sense its diverse and catchy, its appeal is not selective and nor is its audience and his music has the ability to confirm our freedom. SUPERSUPER met up with Kwes SUPERSUPER: Your single covers are like visualisations of the music, how did you develop or create this stunning array of shades, what inspired you to use those tones?

SAMPS Potatoe pushing pet project?

Ahh, the much maligned potato. First people start cutting the humble potato out of their diet due to the carbs, then he’s omitted from the five-a-day veg campaign and now sweet potato is turning up everywhere and getting all the cool party invites. Well, wipe that juicy white tear from your eye señor spud, I have some good news for you! You’re name-dropped in the awesome new track, ‘Mashed Skins’ by L.A. based rap house trio, Samps. Finally some cred. Samps is made up of Cole MGN (guitarist of awesome group Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti), Harley B (aka Doktorberis) and Jason Whitemare. The project was started merely to indulge their passion for sampling and dumb fun. Jason described their process and sound as “really A.D.D. and unfocused, yet still highly rewarding...sometimes!” But such is the quality of these tracks; demands are growing for them to make this more than just a pet project. Go check out their epileptic beats!

Words by Vasilisa Forbes

Canada’s coolest label gives 10

Kingdom feat Shyvonne - Mindreader Aeroplane - Disco Balearica DJ Mix Cold Cave - Heaven's Gate Phoenix - Fences Saint Etienne - Girl VII Secret Service - Flash In The Night Everything But The Girl - On My Mind Cymbals Eat Guitars - Cold Spring OJ Da Juiceman - Make Da Trap Say Ay! Canyons - Bus Ride To The Zoo

myspace.com/thesamps

I’d always thought conspiracy theories were just a religion for atheists; a way to explain the world’s randomness to the gullible. To The Mayfair Set, a bicoastal collaboration of Brooklyn’s Blank Dogs and LA’s Dum Dum Girls, the theories are pure entertainment, “I’m an avid conspiracy theory junkie, but I don’t believe any of it. I also love documentaries that freak me out”. Hence why they’re named after a documentary series about an unscrupulous and sinister group of capitalists in 1960s London. Their individual bands alone are worthy of your attention, but we’ve fallen in love with The Mayfair Set’s tracks which combine Blank Dogs’ dark baritone with DDG’s bright, shimmering melodies to striking effect; a sound they coined “sad prom music”. If you don’t like ‘em, you’re clearly all plotting against me behind my back. S.S

RAINBOW ARABIA

Indie / Folk / Geetar

As well as having one of the best names ever, The Homosexuals were the original pre- cursors to the post punk genre. Formed in 1972, The Homosexuals - led by Bruno Wizard, distanced themselves from the stardust, moogs and prog/glam tendencies, The Homosexuals leant towards the more experimental side of the musical spectrum but without forsaking the idea of pop or melody. Releasing very little apart from a few obscure 7” it wasn’t until 1984 that they released their debut full length LP ‘The Homosexuals Record’! Their legacy reminds us of the intelligent, DIY aesthetic that the Punk Rock vision originally promised but became overshadowed by the simplistic nihilism it became. Recently reformed and touring they’re as vital as they never were before - although Irans president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad might think differently! D.S

greenhouse so I can cultivate my own tea

“

NEW SOUND/OLD VALUES

KWES:My friend Sinem Erkas actually used different combinations of coloured acetate and got a light to shine through them to a blank white wall in order to create a “souped-up” impression of the synaesthetic experiences I had from making the particular tracks (Hearts in Home/Tissues). There aren’t really any inspirations to make those “colour tones” they are just bi-products of music-colour synaesthesia. The artwork itself I suppose is inspired by the synaesthetic experiences I had. SS: Has music ever been associated with an experience to you? K: Music for me is pretty much ever present, so experiences are countless. SS:Have you ever had a journey that has stayed in your memory? K:Probably listening to Mary Jane Girls for the first time at about the age of 6. SS: Where do you get the main inspiration for your beautiful, abstract sound? K: There is so much inspiration around, but I suppose one that comes to mind instantly are everyday, industrial sounds, rhythms from train tracks, birdsong etc. Micro tonality and sounds not being completely “in tune”(within western 12 tone) within each other inspire me a lot also. Good old, really well written songs inspire me greatly. SS:Have you ever had any experiences that have transcribed into your music? K: All the music I’ve made are transcriptions of experiences I’ve had. SS:Are there any dreams you want to achieve, in your lifetime or beyond? K: Just to continue enjoying what I do for me and for other people really, also i’d like to own a greenhouse so I can cultivate my own tea from scratch. SS: And are you spiritual? Because to me your music is cosmic and magical. K: Yep, I believe in the sonic :) Hearts in Home/Tissues out now on Salvia/XL recordings

1/4/09 23:52:58

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DUBLEMMA

COLDWAVE

next wave?

LDWAVE

Pop / Dubstep / Misc

Coldwave is a term which usually refers to a group of post-punk bands in France from ‘80-’86. But the word means more than that, a gateway if you like, from the generally acceptable and popular post punk of Joy Division to the sinister and menacing sound of Industrial. So how is this relevant to the hear and why are we talking about it now? A new breed is rising. Bands who wear black. Leather jackets just as battered as their distorted synths. Whatever you wanna call these ‘scenes’ - they mean business. The splinttering off of ‘Darkwave’ bands into this ‘Neu-Industrial’ contaminated land include razorcheekboned duo No Kisses who have a particularly heavy coldwave influence. If their combat boots don’t convince you, then just have a listen to one of their songs, aptly titled ‘How Cold (R U). Joining them are most of the DiscError catalogue; Ulterior, Micron 63, Relics and German duo Schwefelgelb who sound like the unlikely pairing of Grauzone and Justice. Coldwave is a jumping off point for this new genre formed in that sketchy middle found lurking between rock and indie. Robert Fenner, who ran The Liberty Snake, a Coldwave clubnight in London and now fronts Neu-Industrial band NO KISSES informed us that “French coldwave has this certain aura about it. A slight melancholia with a sense of boredom and waiting. Almost like being trapped in limbo. Sitting around parking lots as a gay teenager in Overland Park, Kansas was a lot like being trapped in limbo. That’s why it’s special to me, anyway.” There is a lot of diversity to Coldwave but the main components are the cold, ominous vocals, prominent synths and a dark, melancholy feeling. It is perhaps best characterized by KAS Product, who’s slick look was as intimidating as the intense vocals and pounding beats. Mona Soyoc, an American born jazz singer teamed up with french psychiatric ward employee Spatsz to create an electro punk sound which is even now exciting

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words by Alyssa Thralls

and unusual. More Coldwave superstars include the fascinating circus of Clair Obscur. Sounding one minute like an operatic predecessor of Sigur Ros, the next minute a freaked out Can. Excés Nocturne, have alternating male/female French vocals and constantly changing dreary synths, making an unsettling otherworldly sound. Dreamy french trio Asylum Party are associated with Coldwave, although their sounding like a french parallel to The Chameleons has them often referred to as “Nouvelle Vague”, the French New Wave. Also echoing post punk pioneers was Siglo XX who were more than a little reminiscent of Joy Division and other gloomy English bands. Due to it’s distinctive style the term Coldwave can encompass nonFrench bands who had the Coldwave attitude if not geography. Germany’s all-girl sharp-eyeliner and leather jacketed Malaria! who included an early member of Einstürzende Neubauten and plough the same frightening-but-you-can-dance-to-it musical ground as KAS Product. Switzerland’s Grauzone are truly a forgotten gem of the era, heavy Swiss-German vocals, shattering glass noises, and surprisingly catchy melodies make them well worth looking into. A number of Coldwave-styled clubnights have sprung up in the UK over the years, from manchesters Barbed Wire Kisses to Londons Brave Exhibitions and Decasia Records club night. The latter is run by Dee Sekar of An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump and serves up a ‘finger buffet’ of coldwave, post-punk and grunge treats. It seems like its gonna a rather chilly summer.

It’s official – After writing ‘who here likes dubstep?!’ on his Twitter page, Snoop Dogg has teamed up with Chase & Status to make his very own version of the Eastern Jam riddem. ‘I Became a Snoop Dogg Millionaire’ features Tanvi Shah who sang on the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack. Croydon’s finest Plastician has made it his No. 1 tune in his SUPERSUPER Top 10 chart. I wonder how long it will be before 50 Cent hops on a Joker beat? Exciting times are ahead! In other news, Kode 9 (who is to dubstep what Aslan is to Narnia) is touring stateside with Flying Lotus, a fellow Hyperdub comrade. I hope they’ve braced themselves for some apocalyptic UK funky. Recently some drama popped off in the media labelled ‘wonky’ contingency when an online article randomly linked

CASPA top 10 (March/ april09)

1. Depeche Mode - Wrong - Caspa Remix - Mute/EMI 2. The Others - King Pin Dub Police Dubplate 3. D1 - Brandy & Redbull - Dub Police Dubplate 4. Caspa - Riot Powder Sub Soldiers/ Fabric 5. Emalkay - When I look at You - Dub Police Dubplate 6. Sub Scape - Nothings Wrong - Dub Police Dubplate 7. Caspa - Marmite - Sub Soldiers/ Fabric 8. LD - The King Of Kong Dubplate 9. Trolly Snatcher - The Future - Dub Police Dubplate 10. La Roux - In For The Kill - Skream Remix Polydor

some artists’ production (such as our very own Zomby) to ketamine usage. Zomby responded to this accusation on his blog by saying: “I have seen a crusty white dude with dreadlocks rolling around in his own puke ‘going off on K’ in Brixton not long back ..dunno how inspirational an event [that is] for a artist however”. Caspa’s album has just dropped to mixed reviews. It’s not really my thing although ‘Back to ‘93’ has a softer approach than we’ve seen and is worth a listen. Where are all the female producers then? Surely dubstep isn’t one big sausage fest. Well it definitely isn’t! And to prove it, Mary Anne Hobbs is hosting a special all female show on BBC Radio 1 on the 14th March, 2-4am. Lock in to hear showcases from Subeena and Ikonika amongst others.

CASPA’S DEBUT

Caspa (top dog at Dub Police and regular collaborator with Rusko) releases his debut album this month entitled Everybody’s Talking, Nobody’s Listening. The debut boasts 12 tracks of champion Dubstep sounds and sub heavy romper stompers, whilst also tying in some of Dubstep’s closely knit background influences like the 2-step sounding tracks Back in ’93 and Victoria’s Secret (racy lingerie pun intended?). The latter is a chilled yet still rather upbeat track in collaboration with classically trained D1 (don’t ask me how chilled and upbeat works together but it may just be the new Dubstep tune to make babies to). Another tune with a similar vibe is the dubby, half step feel of Lon-Don City which features a slightly vocoder skewed vocal by Uncle Sam that sounds like it would be the quintessential tune to play if sweaty Dubstep raves did a ‘last dance’. I’m feeling it. Marmite, Riot Powder and Terminator are the classic sound of mucky and mean Dubstep, be it in a sketchy club or dingy weedsmoke choked basement of a house party....whereas Rat-A-Tat and The Takeover (which both feature Dynamite MC) may be the sound of Dubstep to come...playing sub heavy bass smashers to packed out dance floors in super clubs, big up MC’s spitting over the set or mad catchy vocals or samples from hype rappers/singers that make even the most sober person in the crowd flip out, praise Jah and throw Red Stripe all over themselves - a matter of things which are being seen already in the tunes and remixes by Rusko! So what’s to say Caspa can’t do it as well? I give this album a nice 4/5. Caspa could have filled it with ‘known’ bangers (e.g. the remix of TC’s Where’s My Money, Cockney Thug remix etc) but there’s quite a few original tunes on there that haven’t been heard before. So cop it....but if you want to fuel your Caspa cravings further catch the Dub Police Rinse FM show every Wednesday 11 till 1. Past episodes can be downloaded from the Rinse blog or bagged for free on iTunes through the podcast feature. Heads up and ears out for Skream and N-Type’s shows also....hell yeahhhh

1/4/09 23:55:47

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1/4/09 00:09:26

Jazmin sullivan

Next Big Thing

OTE

SUPERSUPER: So Jazmin, Is this your first time in London?

SS:What did you use to break the window?

JAZMIN: No, it’s like my third or fourth time. I came here when I was younger - I had performances at the Jazz café a of couple times and did Giles Peterson's show.

J: A hammer! You guys are crazy. I never tell anybody all this information.

SS: After you were dropped, how did it feel having someone else singing and performing your songs?

SS: What car was it? J: It was a really nice car… when I think about it, I was in a dark emotional place and I wrote it as a dark and depressing song. But I see people and they’re (excited) like ‘yeah I’ll bust the windows out your car.’ And I think about it and I’m like ‘well no, I was actually crying and upset at the time.’

J: I was like ‘yeah that was my song’, but at the same time I preferred the song to be sung than just be sitting in the trash. So I’m glad I wrote ‘Say I’. I also co-wrote Jennifer Hudson and Fantasia’s SS: One of my favourite lyrics of yours duet (‘I’m His Only Woman’) with Missy. is on ‘Call Me Guilty’. You said “…is it worth it, should I take a shot to change my life, take a glock and end his life.” I SS: One of the things I love about was like woah! you (no homo) is that you say a lot of things that I think women want to say J: That song was not personal at all. I’ve but often don’t… not been affected by domestic violence. But it would have been exactly what J: I feel like that’s the reason why would have happened if anybody tried to women and people like the album - and hit me… If it just happens the one time like me - cause I say what they want to people think ‘okay I can just let it go it hear. Women love the song ‘Bust Your was only once’. But that song shows you, Windows’ cause it’s a trip down memory don’t let it go. It could get really bad so lane. They have either done or it or you don’t even want to let it get to wanted to at some point. that point. SS: But you actually bust the windows SS: You have a gift for telling stories, out of some ones car didn’t you? you have that Lauryn Hill thing going on, agree? J: Yeah I did. What you have to do is do it, not think about it – If you think about J: Yeah I think that’s one of the things it then you won’t do it, you just have to that make me different. I think it’s my do it immediately.

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ability to paint a picture and when I sing you can see it cause my lyrics are not that difficult.

SS: How much of this is your real hair then? J: Very little lol.

SS: ‘Lions, Tigers and Bears’ reminds me musically of a Disney song. If you were in a Disney film which character would you be?

SS: If you could have any celebrity’s hair whose would it be and why?

J: Pochahontis. Its the hair, she’s very free. I do what I feel so I am like that. And the song is musical like that, especially at the end of the song. Salaam Remi got in a live orchestra. SS: He did a lot of Amy Winehouse’s production didn't he. Are you into her? J: I’ve haven’t heard much of Amy Winehouse but from the songs I have heard I know I really like her. But I’m not going to go down the same path she did. It is sad but she’s not over. Whitney’s coming back this year too - some artists go through some things and some times they do turn it around. SS: You haven’t really collaborated with anyone yet, who’s top of your list? J: I’m totally in love with Kanye’s stuff at the moment. I would love to meet him, hopefully I’ll get to at the Grammy’s. I’d also like to work with The Neptunes, Andre 3000, Mary J Blige and Beyonce, even though she doesn’t really collaborate much. SS: Out of interest, what’s the worst hair cut you’ve ever had? J: I’ve never had a haircut ever, I get a trim, but my hair is really unhealthy because my hair is weave. The worse hair cut that I have is the one I have right now cause I have a mullet. Look at it!

“

J: You never see anybody’s real hair. You thought this was mine but its not! Rihanna’s hair is nice. But it would have to be Beyonce’s. How much bigger can her hair get? I feel as though maybe she should get a grown up hair-do now. SS: Do you have any favourite fashion designers? J: I’m not really into clothes like that but I like shoes. Heels. These boots I’m wearing today are from Rapour. SS: When I put heels on I look like a transvestite and walk like Tina Turner… J: I think every woman should wear heels. All the time. They can dress up your outfit, so if you have jeans and a t-shirt on then it still looks good. SS: Have you heard of funky house cause over here there’s load of these dance remixes of your tracks? J: Really? No, I didn’t know. It’s flattering to me. I’m glad they like it and they want to be a part of it, like 50 wants to do something with ‘Need You Bad. and T.I did a remix too. SS: What do you want to do while you’re still in London?

“

Interview by Chantelle Fiddy

This Philadelphia-Born songstress may only be 21, but like Alicia Keys she was dropped before her debut even landed. Christina Milian’s track ‘Say I’, which she co-wrote with Missy Elliott would have been her debut single. But shit happens. And she’s here now. Having scored a number 1 in the states with ‘Need U Bad’, five Grammy nominations and a new boyfriend in tow, the days of smashing an exlovers car windows with a hammer look set to be over…

J: I really want to go vintage shopping hehe! The debut album Fearless is out now www.jazminesullivanmusic.com

Women love ‘Bust Your Windows’ cos it’s a trip down memory lane.They’ve either done it, or wanted to at some point

1/4/09 23:51:54

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FRIENDLY FIRES THE DEBUT ALBUM INCLUDES ‘SKELETON BOY’, 'PARIS' AND 'JUMP IN THE POOL'

RECORDINGS

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We’re not into the gothic We like pop music. Big songs, big sounds. Music your actually forced

to listen to and can’t help but take it in. We want people to sing a long and I want my lyrics to grab people by the balls. I want people to enjoy it, to enjoy the lyrics. Everyone needs an idiot, I’m an international loser. I wanna be the biggest international loser in the world. I want people to think ‘that guys a wanker’ but like what we write. We’re aiming for the top. We want everyone to love our songs We want the kid in the day glo to like us, we want the bloke who works in the factory in Wigan to like us. There’s no line with us. We are like travelling social workers and musics a platform to help people, I’m not saying we’ve been through more or less than anyone but if someone can find solace in anything to do with us then it’s a good thing. If music doesn’t work out for me - I wanna be a social worker. There’s a hell of a lot more to life We recognize that we’re just a fucking band. We just want to be real. If one person is helped by anything we say, we’ve achieved everything we’ve wanted to say from the start. We’re honest We just wanna be honest and see what happens. Kristian and James - Siren Sirens www.myspace.com/sirensirens

TOBY THE TRANCE TROWLS hidden gems

I dont know about you but it seems like trance has become a dirty word nowadays.I tell thee i aint got a clue what all this stepping n fidgeting is about, to me it all sounds a bit ‘special’ if you know what i mean. One day...the summer of 1999 it were. Me n the lads were on site doing a big job in Warrington, some fancy extension/conservetory for a woman named Sandra. All of a sudden i remember this song coming on radio like n it just touched me inside. I know im only a bit of wood with some metal plonked on end like, but for a breif moment, it felt like i had a soul. That song was Kiss (When the sun dont shine) by the Vengaboys. From then on it was Venga all the way for me. I packed my bags, said goodbye to my uncle john from Jamaica, climbed aboard the Vengabus and went to Ibiza, and the rest is history. BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM

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PLasticians top 10 (March/ april09)

vocals and end-of-the-world guitars) should come as little surprise. Manchester bands Egyptian Hip Hop, Sir Yes Sir and Citizens filled up the bill and showed that, if there isn’t more to your musical life than the 3 or so bands based in the East London area that are any actually any good, then there certainly should be. The inventiveness of Egyptian Hip Hop’s playful synth pop and Citizens Tropical No Wave was a lot and would easily put most the bands clogging up the capital right now to shame. The night was rounded off with the bass heavy sounds of local DJ’s from Monday Murkage and New Ears who mashed up Dubstep, Grime, and Krautrock with early nineties pop/dance and disco to keep feet fixed on the dance floor. Swear down, you’d be well advised to make like Mark E. Smith and ‘Hit the North’ next time these guys and girls throw a party! newearsmanchester.blogspot.com

Plastician...

Which DJ/producer has his own record label, plays regular shows on Rinse FM and makes music that (in his own words) sounds like a cat 1. Snoop Dogg & Chase reciting the entire works of Shostakovich whilst & Status - Snoop Dogg eating a corn beef and tomato sandwich on a Millionaire P&O ferry to Calais? Begins with a P, ends 2. Joker & Ginz - Purple with an N. At only 24 years young, Dubstep/ grime crossover DJ and producer Plastician City has made some pretty big waves in the 3. Crissy Criss - Kick underground music scene. He released his Snare debut album ‘Beg To Differ’ on his own imprint 4. La Roux - In For The Terrorhythm Recordings, repped Manchester Kill [Skream Remix] Dubstep label Contagious, had significant 5. Jakes - Rock Tha Bells presence on pirate radio giant Rinse FM and has done major production for the big boys of 6. 12th Planet - Sixty grime including Skepta, JME, Lethal B, Wiley Eight and the Tempa T (the angry one who’s always 7. Tempa T - Next Hype pulling out lengs everywhere and knocking [Plastician Remix] people on the floor). Plastician’s also mixed 8. Joker & Ginz - Re Up one of Rinse FM’s compilation CD’s, one of 9. Maniac - Wreckage the most noticed compilations in the world of UK grime, Dubstep and funky. Don’t get it 10. Bar 9 - Triple Drop twisted... Plastician hasn’t always had it so www.myspace.com/plas- breezy. There was bare drama– in the form of legal tussles in his days as Plasticman, when tician some far out techno producing DQ threw a Catch Plastician on hissyfit claiming he’d already shotgunned the Rinse.fm name ‘Plastikman’. In his own time, Plastician also does crazy crazy things like dressing up as a Wall Street broker and doing back flips into swimming pools. Check him out. www. myspace.com/plastician.

Words by Natalie Esquire

HOW IT ALL BEGAN Me and Mr x, we wrote some songs, and I knew James (bassist) from out and about so we decided to get a band together. Me and James are probably the only constant members of Siren Sirens, but I think we’ve really found it with our guitarist and drummer. WE’RE FROM We’re from Essex - but I’m a complete an utter drifter - I don’t have an affinity with any place, I wanna find happiness somewhere, then I’ll lay my hat. OUR music is deceiving It has happy vibes, the lyrics are downbeat, cynical even. The music is completely bittersweet. Its very bittersweet. We take inspiration from Oasis and the Beatles, you know, big songs, big choruses. We like pop music really, we like the sounds of the 60’s and the 90‘s. We love 60’s pop music Its melodic, music these days lacks that. But 90’s song writing vibes are the best. That’s where we get a lot of our inspiration from, we try and put our own stamp on it, a modern, contemporary twist. WE’RE CALLED SIRENS becaUSe I always really liked the imagery of the words together. They sound like theyre said and conjure up images of somethings happening - you know what i mean? We’ve got around 4 albums worth of songs already We could release the definitive ‘best of siren sirens’ as the first album!

With the weekend of 21st March to spare SuperSuper took the opportunity to jet from their Whitechapel HQ to head ‘oop north’ to the ‘New Ears Presents…’ mini festival in Manchester! For those that dun kno the dun kno (or at least didn’t purchase the last months SuperSuper) New Ears is the hottest music blog on the scene at the moment, supporting and nurturing local talent while also covering the best stuff from the wider world, taking in everything from Indie to Electro to Grime to Dubstep to UK Funky and early nineties piano house along the way. ‘New Ears Presents…’ was the blogs first attempt to put their money where the mouth is and transfer their rhetoric and taste from the online domain to the real world. Luckily for SuperSuper the two and a half hour journey up on the Virgin express wasn’t a waste: the event turned out to be a resounding success despite one of the nights bands, May 68, having to cancel due to someone stealing their equipment from their car! Stars of last issues music section, O. Children, headlined the event with their brooding pop noir, singer Tobias throwing some nifty dance moves into the mix with a performance that effortlessly captured the imagination of the assembled throng. Tracks like ‘Fault Lines’ ‘Radio Waves’ and ‘Dead Disco Dancer’ are all anthems in waiting but, since they were allegedly penned by the ghost writer of 2 of Girls Alouds biggest hits (one of the band has a neat sideline in song writing) I guess that O. Children’s knack for accomplished pop (buried beneath booming baritone

wh o

Having only been together since September last year, SIRENS SIRENS have already played a string of the UK’s most influential venues whlst only having one song on their myspace. Their upbeat, catchy pop comes as a relief in these uncertain times. Are we ready for Siren Sirens???

New Ears Presents... Saki Bar, Manchester

sirens sirens

Gig Review

1/4/09 23:56:55

www.myspace.com/chockablock

ChockABlock – Club Route, Northampton

Photography by Tim & Barry

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Kicking off in Northampton in 2007, ChockABlock has gone on to firmly establish itself as one of the UK’s premier clubs for underground UK music. Hosting pretty much everyone who’s anyone – from Skepta and Newham Generals to Burgaboy and Marcus Nasty – it’s the perfect club to hear the very latest in Grime/Funky/ Bassline & more. Having already hosted a string of successful nights in London, 2009 sees ChockABlock setting their sights further afield, onwards & upwards, so watch out!

1/4/09 00:34:43

Team Get Loco is a team of producers, dj’s and mc’s within the Bassline scene who are making a big impact, I caught up with one of the C.E.O’s MNT to see why this team is getting everybody so loco!?! Team Get Loco, what is it about? T.G.L is jus a big movement of DJ’s, Producer’s, MC’s and Singers from all over the Midlands and up north that I believe are doing the damn thing in the Bassline scene. Where just on working together really just to push and promote each other the best way we can whether it be by doing collaborations or jus getting each other bookings to basically help benefit our careers Your Team Get Loco team is growing rapidly, who is actually a part of it for people that don’t know? The members are MNT,TOTAL, PANTHA, WARBUS TOURBUS (SG,JALLA,BIGGOS,) PIDDY PY, 24K, BASSBOY, JSA, RECNEPS, NATZ, PHE PHE, LEM, KAYLEE plus more so as u can see the movement big rite now What is about Bassline that caught you ears? What got me in to Bassline was the energy behind it, its feel good music, you just want to rave and and have a good time whenever u hear it MC’s over Bassline, are they needed or not, MNT you should answer this one? Mc’s over Bassline yeah I do believe it’s needed. The mc’s bring a little more excitement and hype into the scene which I do think is good but on the other note there is a lot of dead mc’s trying to jump on the bandwagon, it’s best they low’ it, if you aren’t T.G.L, B.O.D.R , Bully Boys or Revelations then your not really cutting it trust me LOL! Where do you see Bassline going in the future, do you think it needs attention of record labels or has it become a culture now like Grime so it sustains itself? Bassline should go far I think, a lot of the other genres r taking us seriously now, I wont say we don’t need labels because obviously if there down then that’s a bonus but I believe we can stand on r own and move the scene forward. What projects do you have coming up? Look out for mine and SG’s joint mix tape cumin out early summer; hopefully couple videos should be done this year also and also look out the ‘Get Loco’ and ‘Hmmm Yess’ t-shirts on road now.

MUSIC16 without reviews linked.indd 12

jp’s traxx of the month!

ADOTR - Game Over T2 - Come Over (Cheeksta Remix) A Milli (Bassline) - Swifta Beater Keyshia Cole - You Complete Me Anything by Mobstarz Ruff Sqwad + Plus Guests - I Wanna Let You Know Tinchy Stryder & N-Dubz Number 1

NICE N NICHE!!! We caught up with young promoter Nick Andrews, who has taken over club land with his nights Nice & Niche and Nice & Funky. With night spanning from London to Wales we had to talk to this guy...

Napa and I came back with a phone like the yellow pages with everyone in the scenes numbers. The Swindon rave gave me a platform to start with the raves properly. I have done many raves since, and even though I am from London I’m not scared of doing a rave in a random place. For What made you get into holding example Newport, Wales, Swindon, club nights? Manchester, Essex, London, LeicesAfter going to Napa 2007 I heard ter, The 02. I’m always up for doing Bassline / Niche for the 1st time raves. I Have 6 Raves in April I don’t and was already in love. As soon even know how I am going to do it. as I got back I started to download What plans do you have for your and research it on the internet. By December I finally found a courage now recognizable nights in the to put on a night near my university future? My aim is to bring back the old skool in Eastbourne (not very glamorous days of raving. I used to go to raves lol), anyways I named it nice and at Eros and Scala. See 2000 people niche and done the t shirts thing, mixed races white black Asian all which definitely helped the brand. At the time when I started the night dancing, blowing horns and whistles there wasn’t many student promoters etc. Going to them raves gave me the dream about one day doing my in the scene. own. Although I have had hits and How did your first event go? This night was done with a minimal misses I’m addicted to it, I make one bit of money I end up putting 3 raves line up, but the atmosphere there on. My dream is to fill a big club was something different, and we had sold over 100 t shirts before the like Oceana with an all star line up, night. The nights built from there and loads of girls there and no trouble. I’m not in this game just for the slowly built the line ups etc. Then I Went to Napa with Marcus Nasty and money I want some personal worked at Abyss selling tickets. I got achievement at the end of the day a little name out there and following, when I look back and think ‘yeah I and was promoting my own reunion was alright innit’. which was in Swindon called UK www.myspace.com/niceandniche Link UP (again one of the 1st link up raves). Good networking was done in

Monsta 21, who are you, what are you about? I was born and raised and currently live in Birmingham. 21’s the Team. The name Monsta came about from an early age (young Monsta) given to me by the older lot at the time. It’s what people knew me as. I’ve always been known as someone who will go the distance by any means necessary to get money, now I take that on board, and I’m going the distance in this music business, for the long run. The work ethics embedded in me. I’m about family, only got a few friends and they are family to me. I’d rather be broke together than rich alone. When did you get into rapping I’ve listened to rap since like I was 11yrs old. I remember I use to memorise and even write down the rappers lyrics and show off cos’ I new the whole song haha. It was when I started hitting the streets going threw my tribulations that I started putting pen to pad. About fours years now Ive been spittin’ Why did you choose Hip Hop instead of Grime or Bassline to MC on? Grime and Bassline is all good I can bubble to it, However Hip Hop music is serious. I spit a hot 16 you’re going to listen and take note of what I said and zone out. Hip Hop is my life the way I live my culture. I grew up listening to my mum pumping r’n’b and Soul on Sunday mornings haha. What’s the next best thing... so I leave the Bassline to my B.O.D.R friends that way we got everything covered Being from Birmingham have you found it hard to get your music heard or has YouTube, mixtapas, MySpace helped you a lot? Not at all, because I travel so people see me in person, hear me on MySpace and various mix tapes with other artist’s up and down the country, London, Wales, up north and Birmingham. Promotion helps in everyway possible. To me your like Brums answer to Giggs, someone who talks the truth about life on the roads, would you agree? I’d agree I’m the answer for Brum and the main candidate for the streets. I’m real. I’d spit about the way I made ends meet last week, or about a relationship, or taking my son for a walk in the park. I won’t leave a stone uncovered. Do you look to break into the U.S Hip Hop market at anytime soon or could you be satisfied with the UK? Even though I plan ahead, I take things day by day nothing happens over night and I’m not promised tomorrow that’s in Gods hands. Right now I got all this weight on my back from carrying Brum on my shoulders. I’d be satisfied with the UK, once they all got my back we could smash the US market never mind breaking it. There isn’t enough support over here for us UK acts, were getting the love, but need the support. What plans do you have for the future for yourself and your camp? The Teams got the 21 Vol.1 mix tape out now my mix tape ‘on da grind’ out May 1st. Can get them in most stores or on my. My official album out next year in all stores. Look out for r’n’b video’s ft B.O.D.R, Young mizzle’s mix tape out this year. I hope to pave the way for the younger’s coming up, getting money is the motto.

Grime/Bassline/Hip Hop

–with Joseph ‘JP’ Patterson

GOIN LOCO

monsta 21?

All words by

Slick Don Bassline Award winner Slick Don has been doing the rounds in the Bassline scene with his skippy flow and catchy slogans he has made a name for himself amongst

the best. “I’m hoping to carry on perusing in the direction I am going because at the moment it feels like things can’t get any better haha. So yeah I’m hoping to carry on the way I’m going, keeping the levels high and I just want to get the most out of this thing as I can, because I LOVE music with a passion. I’m not just hoping to better myself; I’m hoping to better the whole music scene as a unit. I want to open doors for other people and besides that I’m working on my album, so that will be out sometime this year, so be sure to look out for it, maybe you’ll see me @ the mobo’s very soon! Haha’’... www.myspace.com/ slickdonakaslickz

GIGGS

scene and establish myself in the Funky House circuit. I also want to push further south now, before I think lacked confidence which I feel has slowed down my progress but now I am actively seeking bookings from all promoters, I’m not limiting myself. In the long term, I have plans to fund my own label and push out bangers consistently as I have found that within both scenes there is limited unity and not many releases on the over ground. Every day I hear talented individuals with no direction, my aim is to change this and although I’m not in the perfect position now, this time next year I hope to be”. www.myspace.com/1stregulazmusic

Brums answer to...

DJ JSA One of the new members of Team Get Loco comes in the form of Sheffield DJ JSA. With his monthly mixes he is becoming a hit with fans across the country, “This year has started well for me I’ve got plenty of work at the moment but still looking to get on some more of the big events and maybe play out in Napa or Malia in the summer. By next year I will have hopefully established myself as 1 of the big names in the scene, and then I’m going to concentrate on making beats and see what happens from there”. www.myspace.com/jsabassline DJ ACE Birmingham’s DJ ACE is not only one of the upcoming DJ’s that is making an impact, he has also held club nights and is looking to take Bassline to the masses. “For the year coming my main aim is to gain more recognition within the Bassline

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UP N COMING

2/4/09 00:01:26

Photography by RoryDCS @ London Fashion Week party

All words by

I I

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3/4/09 08:16:08

Pick of the Month DAN DEACON Bromst CARPARK

If you like electronica and have any pride in yourself or shred of decency, you will know that 2007’s ‘Spiderman of the Wings’ was a thrilling rush of synthesizers and heavily pitched vocals which deserved acclaim well beyond what it received. Double D Dan Deacon is back more refined, more amplified and with real instruments. ‘Bromst’ will at one moment have you enveloped in a dreamy calm and then the next, rapidly climbing and reaching wonderful crescendos which bounce around your skull brain akin to a runaway sonic tennis ball. Like looking after the hyperactive kid from up the road, this album will leave you breathless, but far more rewarded. 1000 out of 1000 :)

STARKEY Gutter Music Remixes Keysound Recordings

VA SC-FI-LO-FI Vol 3 Soma

Philly born and raised street bass producer Starkey finally releases the much anticipated re-smacks of one of our favourite tracks off Ephemeral Exhibits. Starkey’s American take on Grime can only be described as sick to the power rad: listening to the V.I.P version takes you on an E-numbers odyssey induced by sippin’ on Kool-Aid whilst munchin’ on Jolly Ranchers, Tootsie Rolls and a hand full of jelly beans. Sweet! ED

Its the age old indie way - by making something as lo-fi as possible it somehow makes you much cooler and also allows the stuff to be revisited 20years later - just like some obscure post punk single. - adding a 1000 pounds to your cool status. This Album doesnt fail to impress and it seems that shoegazing is once again cool showcasing both young upsatrts and old classics. Standout tracks are Ultra Vivid Scenes ‘Mercy Seat’ and Dinosaur Jr’s ‘Freak Scene’. Expect lush guitars and melodies hidden behind a wall of fuzz. FT

bangers R MASHED Plate 6 Nuff Wish Reworks Bangers R Mashed

JOSH WELLER Push EP Yodel Music

jack penate Tonights Today XL

LA ROUX In For The Kill Polydor

Bangers r Mashed return again just in time for the sunshine. Four mashed up tracks over two sides of vinyl, theres something for everyone here. First up is Afromans stoner anthem ‘I got high’ mixed with the reggae perfection of The Upsetters ‘Return of the Django’. Next Ashanti’s ‘Oh baby’ is spliced together with one of King Tubbys dirtiest dubs. Standout track for me though has got to be the brilliant ‘Crazy Balhead’. Neil Youngs melencholic soul tinged ‘Something for the weekend’ gets mixed with Beenie Mans version of ‘Crazy Balhead’ - proving to us that everything that goes up must eventially come down. What a closer. Bangers R Mashed have done it again. An absolutly brillian 12” with rather tasty artwork aswell. This has inspired me to start my own food inspired label, hmmmmm Toad N Hole maybe. DS

Push is the eagerly anticipated debut EP from the wonderful Josh Weller. This guy certainly knows how to write a catchy melody and each song sounds like a different tale of circus life told by the disenchanted ring master. On the title track Push his voice drips effortlessly with contempt as he sings of a girl who everyone tells is “so good looking”. It is indie pop at its best and the rest of the EP does not disappoint either.“She can’t quit smoking” is a insightfully funny take on the lengths people will go to be cool and “Monster”and “Tough Luck In Love”are both songs that should make Mr Weller’s indie peers quake in their skinny jeans. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, it will have you dancing around your bedroom in no time! SB

This is quite an interesting offering from young Jacky P. It’s a good song to dance to after a glass of Sailor Jerry rum as it has a funky groove to it – possibly a nod to the current UK craze amongst rave goers. Is that a cow bell I can hear?! The main message of the song is ‘today’s the night and tonight’s the day’. Not sure what that means, but he feels pretty strongly about it. The video is worth a look if you’re looking for a distraction from your homework – filmed in black and white in true credit crunch style: but it has some manic dancers who look like they’ve been to a 1980’s modern jazz workout. ED

SUMMER ANTHEM ALERT...and its not the A-side, that while still very good, gets completely overshadowed by Skreams dubstep rework. Its all making sense finally. Dubstep is about to cross over into pop territory and we’ve got a feeling it could be this song that does it. If youve ever sat in a room with a load of 15yr old kids getting off on the dark euphoria this track exudes while various substances are being passed round - and im not talking about haribo either, then you’ll know what i mean. This is and will be absolutely massive. The next generation are just about to arrive. DS

JUDGE A CD

BY ITS COVER Apparently you should nver judge a book by its cover...but no one ever mentioned cd’s :)

‘Mum its making me eyes go funny like’

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DISCO 3000 That’s The Kind Of Love I’ve Got For You 12” Fat Mute Records We’ve yet to see anyone blowing up stacks of disco records at football stadiums or any ‘Death to Disco’ placards as of yet, so it seems like the disco revival will continue well into the summer - and we just found the anthem. Erol Alken produced ‘ Thats The Kind of Love I’ve got for you’ extends, cuts and loops the 1978 Dusty Springfield rarity and moulds this into the ultimate dsco gem of the year. If this doesnt get you strutting around n swinging those hips in gay abandon then you’ve probably got a problem. DS

HATCHAM SOCIAL You Dig The Tunnel, I’ll Hide The Soul Fierce Panda

So called ‘indiepopstarlets’ hatcham social bring it up a notch with their debut album. Playfully, hinting towards the darker side with their title they keep up the much loved spring-in-ya-step feel to the tinkely tunes and guitar riffs, you’ll hear some familiar beauts like ‘So So happy making’ and ‘Penelope under my hat’ on the album, but the new songs come from a whole new breeze, reaching out into depths unbeknown to us mortals, hatcham absorbed our brains and took us into a field of fawns, with a touch of Echo and the Bunnymen, they recall a bygone age of brilliant music. VF

CRAZY GANG We Are The Crazy Gang Bubble UK

To be honest with you, when Gary Glitter chanted the imortal words ‘You wanna be in my gang’ i didnt really want to...there was something just a little creepy about Gary and his Glitter band. However, if the crazy critters sung the same lyrics, i’d be signing up for their gang quicker than you can say ‘Discomatic Radio’ (One of the standout song on the album). Straddling the line between experimental italo disco and period specific Italianb Funk - this album is amazing. Overlooked on its release, the album become somewhat of a rarity, however with this reissue we can make sure that everyone has a slice of crazy gang inside them...and dont worry kids, Garys got nothing to do with it! DS

BLACK LIPS 200 Million Thousand LP Vice Records

Rockstars they are. Are hot mix of genres within their songs, garage beats with a clearly 60’s influence, a real messy bluesy vibe in a majority of songs, then suddenly in ‘Stranger’ it goes all punk on ya like, with all that “1, 2, 3, 4, drumsdrumsdrums” who know…punk stuff, giving that all very american, but very catchy and relaxed rockin album. The lyrics are bold and brass, no faffin around, solid stuff, solid riffs, and a solid effort. Black lips have got it going on. VF

WAVVES Wavvves LP Fat Possom

Wavves is the one-man noise-pop project of Californian Nathan Williams. Since he started assaulting and pleasing ear drums in equal measure with his ultra lo-fi home recorded tracks last year, much in the way of hype has built up to this, his debut LP proper. Unlike many bloggers’ wetdreams, this release is worthy of the hype. However, it does come with a warning: this album is rather like an abusive relationship. ‘Wavvves’ hooks you in with a love of its pop melodies while smashing you violently around the face with a punishingly noisy shoe. SS

MONSTA AND MR KEY Space Raiders Subtrakt Records

Guess what?! I used to share a house with Mr Key – aka Luke- the sick MC on this track. Monsta is the man behind all those badman illustrations you might have seen of Dubstep, Grime and Funky artists on Myspace – and he’s also a dab hand at making tunes too. Props to naming a tune after those 10p bag of crisps classics. In the days where an apple can cost 3 Euros: the 10p Space Raiders will see us through the dark times ahead. This tune sounds pretty dark and eerie you know; a next level slow rollin’ hiphop-come-dubstep banger guaranteed to go off in the club. ED

2/4/09 00:07:29

The Empror of Electroclash is back. Its been a long time coming and since their last outing the world has changed and likes of Nag Nag Nag are long gone. Its a pivotal moment for the band - but somehow theyve pulled it off. Everyone likes a bit of Electroclash on a Sunday afternoon while tucking into a Sunday Lunch. DS

taggy matcher Next Episode/Episodic Dub 12” Stix France

Ever imagined Snoop Dogg wearing a string vest with a leather waistcoat praising Jah? Taggy Matcher’s dubby refix of Next Episode almost takes you there. It kinda sounds like the perfect backdrop to pseudo crusties ‘rolling a fat doobie’ in their dirty squat (that’s about ten minutes down the road from their parent’s mansion with BONUS indoor swimming pool). All in all, good concept and song but is undoubtedly gonna be the essential trustafarian anthem of summer 09. NE

MISS kITTEN and the hacker Two Nobodys Bizzness

The second in line to the Electroclash throne, Miss Kitten returns aswell this month! Whats going on! With to be honest a really decent album. Opener ‘The Womb’ is a brilliant intro and sets the pace for the whole album with flirts between the dark and seedy electro underwold and shiny poop noir of the future. Theres even a cover of the Elvis classic ‘Suspicious Minds’. DS

THE HORRORS Primary Colours XL

What a suprise this was. It seems that Farris and co have ditched their trademark dark surf rock and taken influence from German Krautrcock pioneers such as Neu and Faust. Throw in a bit of Coldwave and a smidgen of Nick Cave and there you have it - the horrors second album. It looks like theyve managed to avoid the ‘difficult’ second album syndrome to provide us with one of the standout albums of what looks to be a very dark summer! LT

Health Health//Disco LP Love Pump United

top billin Sexy Time EP Top Billin Germany If you’re a fan of thugged out music that ain’t too thugged out or cheesy melodramatic rap made good then you’ll be big into the nicely named Sexy Time EP. It’s a nice wee blend of Baltimore Club and juke with a nice fat injection of hip house and horns. Track names like ‘Fuck n Tell’ and ‘Smell Yo Dick’ just can’t be ignored....sex sells, ESPECIALLY the freaky kind. Baltimore Club is great...may well be dead this time next year...but just great. This EP is definitely on my wish list and comes highly recommended! NE

TELEVISED CRIMEWAVE Listen and Repeat Pure Groove

Before The Horrors, before S.C.U.M and O Children, there was one band with tight pants, striped shirts, and angular post punk guitars - Black Wire. Sadly dissolved, they’ve split into two bands, Lord Auch and Televised Crimewave, the latter releasing debut single “Listen and Repeat” this week. Early demos held promise, but this is anything but groundbreaking. Sluggish and boring with Bunnymen-by-way-of-Editors guitars. Thankfully they’re saved by sharp b-side, ‘Objects Of Desire’ with it’s pulsating bass pushing along like some kind of darkwave disco. AT

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For those of you who missed this remix spectacular the first time round – it is being re-released for your listening pleasure. It features a number of next level collabs such as the Curses! mix – aka Drop the Lime’s alias - who brought us the earth shattering ‘Hungry for Love’ a fair few months ago. It also features tracks from Acid Girls and CFCF: which sound like what we’ve grown to love – dramatic computer game music of epic synthy proportions!! Re-sequenced over four sides of vinyl: it also includes an exclusive vinyl only remix by Math Head (aka Passions). ED

DAF Das beste von DAF Mute

This pair of Germans had a massive influence on electronic music back in the early 80’s, and subsequently gave the techno pioneers the courage to strip back their music and think about the atmosphere that this can create. The sheer physicality of of their pulsating synth sound is highlighted on such tracks as ‘Sex Under Wasser’ and the classic ‘Der Mussolini’ . This best of compilation is a must hae for any fan of post punk and early pioneering electronic dance music. Faux Fascism is where its all at boys n girls. KW

SUPER-cuts

What we’re listening to

Wild Palms - Over Time Takes me right back to the 1978. Sounds a bit like DNA. Nice distorted guitars and punchy bass. HI TEK 3 - SPIN THAT WHEEL (FEAT YA KID K) Originally coming as a free vinyl on a packet of Frosties in 1990; Dance-hip-pop gem from the people behind Technotronic. FUTURE DISCO COMPILATION A simply supurb slice of disco heaven. PhosphorescenT - AT DEATH A PROCLOMATION Short but sweet at 1min 52 seconds. A militristc droning love story to melt anyones heart.

chart

PAR TV - WESTWOOD AT SUPERSUPER HQ And it wasn’t just him - Temps and JME came along too. Anything By Bryan Ferry or Roxy Music Watch the Dad like Bryan Ferry croon his way through some modern classics. An inspiration to SUPERSUPER and too us all. A TRIBUTE TO FLOWER A touching memorial to Meerkat Manors leader, Flower. We’ll never forget you. LEN - IF YOU STEAL MY SUNSHINE Its only just come out so please dont let it go away yet. A forgotten classic from 1999 to remind us of the better days before the banks buggerd us up! GOLEDEN SILVERS Golden Silvers new 60’s inspired single.

OCELOT

Words by Liz Stott

TRANSATLANTIC TRANCE TROUBADOURS SUPERSUPER caught up with half US/UK DJ duo Ocelot just before they played Miami to see what all the fuss was about – and if a long distance relationship really can work! How did you both meet? Jimmy would come to Austin, Tx with some friends in the winter to ride bmx bikes. About 8 years ago we met through some friends they had met while riding. At the time I was in a hardcore band called The Rise. As we became friends it became obvious to us that Jimmy needed to be in that band. We did that for a few years but jimmy and i always did more electronic stuff on the side sending files through ichat while we were apart and tried to get together a couple months a year to work in the same room and play a couple shows. After The Rise had run its course and split up we kept doing remixes and making demos. Eventually we got some attention and now I’ve moved to the UK and we are giving it a shot at full time.

would carve out some time to work in the same room which yields a totally different dynamic and really helps bring the songs to a better place. Now though we have a studio in Leeds but still work in a similar fashion. Jimmy has a more pro tools based station on one side of the room and i have a logic pro station on the other and we still send files to each other but usually on a usb drive which is much faster. The main advantage though is being able to sit behind one another and tell them in real time that what they are doing is terrible instead of having to wait until the next day to receive a rough mp3 via ichat. The level of actual collaboration and writing is a lot better now.

You have just played at SXSW in Austin Texas, how was that? It’s a great excuse for me to visit my old hometown. I love Austin and was sad to leave but It’s amazing to have a festival there that brings me back. Also, in our line of work most of our friends are people scattered all over the world so sxsw and wmc in miami is like summer camp for dj’s. you get to see everyone that you How would you describe your sound? talk to online all year and meet new dj’s/ We like a lot of stuff and i think it shows. It’s producers that youve been playing out and hardest for us to focus and be disciplined hearing about too. I used to look at it to be enough to maintain an identity. I think amazing shows and what should i be getting where we have settled is definitely in the accomplished but now i just go in with the House scene. We like to try and make it a idea that its gonna be good little bit techy and a little bit pop. The most times hanging out. important part for us is that the songs have You remixed Robyn’s ‘Be Mine’ track, some soul and provoke how did that come about? some emotion. Its We stalked her and in the end giving us a usually moreabout a remix was easier than getting a restraining feeling than a sound. order. Cory is from Austin and James is from Leeds, how often do you get to play together live? I moved to Leeds about 7 months ago so we play a lot more now. When i lived in Austin we were only able to play together a couple times a year. You remixed ‘Human’ by The Killers, that must have been quite hard to remix into a dance anthem? Do you like to challenge yourself tocreate something that people wouldn’t expect to hear? Definitely. When we get a remix like that the first thing we do is find out who else is doing it so we dont repeat what everyone else is doing too much. At first we heard rumors that MSTRKRFT were doing that single but later found out they were not and that it was more traditional trance producers. That meant we could afford to get a little dirtier with it without treading familiar ground.

I saw photos on your Myspace page of your CD’s being handed out in Iran, how and when did that happen? We dropped them in by air with UN aid workers. Better than a chocolate bars or leaflets. If you could remix any current artists’ song, what would it be and why? I think we’d like to remix ourselves - I think we would like what we do. Where do you think has been your best live show and why? Lately it was probably at Chibuku in Liverpool on Valentines Day with Felx Da Housecat. It was just all around great and the room was up for it. Im pretty sure we are starting residency there off he back of that show

Finally what do you guys next have in store? What are your future projects? How long does it take to put a track The 12” for Our Time is our main priority together? How does it work are you - its our first single. It’s gonna be finished constantly sending ideas to each other soon and should be released at the start of over the internet or do you get together summer. We are finishing the album all of in the same room? April and it should be released sometime Both. Most of the demos we wrote for the in September. We’re gonna be touring and album were when we lived apart so playing loads of shows and festivals in the it was all massive files getting sent back and coming months so its all looking quite busy! forth for a few years. When we were able to get in the same place like We’d like to remix ourselves for South By Southwest or something we

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Out ’n’ about on the London club scene

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3/4/09 08:01:15

welcome to

namazonia

Don’t be afraid! Challenge the system! Fight the power! Break the old rules to create the new ones of tomorrow..

What happens if you challenge the age old idiom ‘don’t put all your eggs in one basket?’ Will the universe explode?! Will all your teeth fall out at once and choke you to death?! What is there to actually be afraid of? I wasn’t sure but that’s what I wanted to discover, as soon as I was told that you shouldn’t ever do it. So at the tender age of 5, I asked my poor bemused primary school teacher somewhat optimistically after reading a fairytale about a renegade easter bunny who (shock! horror!) dared to fill his basket with ALL his eggs rather than leaving some at home and was therefore eaten by a dragon. “Please Miss why is it wrong to carry all your eggs in one basket?” No answer. Years later I discovered that the egg cliché was first coined by a gentleman named Sancho Panza around the 16th century which struck me as a very long time be following the same dusty ol’ rules. Surely baskets are much sturdier these days, especially now that we have Samsonite? Now I carry a basket of eggs everywhere I go. I’m still not sure if the cliché is true but if I know one thing, it’s the same thing I knew when I was 5. I will never be afraid of any dragon. As far as I’m concerned rules and regulations are just a list of stuff that at some point in history somebody made up, and centuries later everybody still follows until somebody bothers to question them and rewrite the rule book, at which point the entire process starts again. No doubt some rules are pretty airtight and will stay standing until the end of time but there are

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alee

many more which were born to be smashed to bits by the likes of you and me. There is no greater example of people following rules than all this malarkey with the recession – the rules are being re-writtten as we speak. Quite simply the old ones didn’t work – or rather they were a lazy quick fix solution which is never the right answer to anything. The greedy-guts reign has made society in general so skewed towards a materialistic viewpoint, that things have just got to change now because it is now thankfully proven to not work. Once upon a time the notion of printing more money because we’ve ‘run out’ would have been seen as childishly ridiculous but last month the financial crisis had become so severe that’s just what happened. The rules had to be ripped up, because the truth is there are no rules on earth that can’t be challenged and ultimately changed for the greater good. It takes real balls to create a shock to the system, like The Sex Pistols’ enigmatic punk rock front man Johnny Rotten who consciously took a nihilistic stance when the cultural climate at the time was the complete opposite. He saw that things needed to change and therefore used the negative cliché to create positive change. The outcome would change the cultural climate forever. Punk rock itself broke so many rules in fashion, music and art – they dressed wrong, sang wrong, talked wrong and walked wrong in order to reveal hypocrisy, push change and provide young people with freedom they didn’t even know existed. Living legends like Patti Smith and Iggy Pop suffered greatly for what they achieved – ridiculed for years for their odd androgynous looks or their strange singing, before anyone even cared about them. That’s why I find it comparatively ridiculous to see so many people following rules about something as piss easy to challenge as fashion, and missing out on enjoying themselves in the process. Look at all these silly slebs with their forced smiles and perfectly styled outfits. However ‘in’ they look – so what!, they clearly don’t have the slightest hint of knowledge about the origins of what they are wearing (other than they got given it for free!), why they are wearing it or rather why IT is wearing them, for fear of being dismissed a style amateur and shoved in the horror section of a sleb rag with lots of arrows pointing to their ‘unbearable elbow’. But is that really so bad? I mean getting slagged off for your supposedly disgusting dress sense is hardly going to kill you, and as long as you are happy with your look then who cares? Hell, if you’re lucky it might even help you grow a backbone! A few years ago I once had the honour of being featured in The Daily Mirror’s fashion freaks/faux pas section during London Fashion Week, to which I was absolutely overjoyed. As with many of my page mates who all looked unusual but utterly fabulous, I am pleased that we stand out, at least as individuals with minds of our own, and not as sheep following the pack with the same perfectly bland money-driven fashion sense. And I have to say also that a few years down the line a lot of the mainstream slebs now dress in more expensive versions of exactly how we dressed 5 years ago and are praised for their outlandishness… But that, my friends, is how change begins and that we have been effective in instigating change I am forever grateful for. Fashion can be a wonderful place as an inspirational wonderland but not when it is constantly being dictated at people, then it is just becomes plain old facism. Nobody has the right to tell other people what they should wear or how they should be and if they do they should absolutely be challenged or rebelled against. We are all individuals and the day there becomes a formula to follow is the day we should all revolt! I wonder what would happen if I kidnapped ‘Stylists inc.’ and shipped them all to a desert island for a much needed rest. What would the sleb pack do then? Would they dare challenge the public perception and dress themselves? Would they even know how to choose a dress on their own anymore? So what happens if you challenge the modern cliché that you need a stylist to be a successful superstar? Or that a black man would never become President of the United States? Without anyone to challenge conventional wisdom and the precious so-called rulebook about either, neither are likely to ever happen. So do yourselves a favour and get out there and start challenging everything you see in front of you because you’ll be surprised about how much of it has already become as outdated as a 16th century cliché about a basket of eggs.

3/4/09 08:47:04