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Punk/Visual/Gothic JOHN GALLIANO – EXCLUSiVE !!
SUPER SUPER £3
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Readers of SUPERSUPER – you are the chosen ones!
Hello lol. It’s been a right old busy time since the last issue – some days I had to get up before midday!! At one point I was even forced to ‘appear offline’ on msn, so I could actually do some ruddy work! Some of the tele-watching crowd might have noticed our very own SUPER wonder woman NAMALEE was on Channel 4 as part of the ‘Bright Young Wonder’ series! It was a very proud moment for all. They filmed a little bit at the office too – regretfully I didn’t make the programme because I was in the bookies putting a bet on the horses. This issue will change your life. We’ve got a handle on everything, from the darkwave movement, a disturbing tale of real life, & Pharrell talks to Namalee about the ‘real’meaning behind his ‘Ice Cream’ creations. One of my best friends from university superglued himself to Gordon Brown recently, and we have the exclusive scoop for your reading pleasure! We also have Dan Szor’s original and ground-breaking guide to ‘stop & search’ – illustrated by Kiki Hitomi of badman electro-punk/future-dubstep duo Dokkebi Q. SUPERSUPER’s Rebecca Pearson chats to Emma Bell in the run up to her magical showcase at London Fashion week, and we have a sneaky look in to the diary of SUPER talented hairdresser Charlie Le Mindu! It has been a long journey of discovery, tears, joy and, erm.. ‘fidgit house.’ – No one, not even the visiting Honey Monster (yes, he rolled by the office) could predict the can of worms surrounding that simple subgenre. Let’s just say - be careful who you say ‘fidgit’ to yeah?? It’s like when Harry Potter goes round saying “VOLDEMORT KILLED MY PARENTS!” and Hagrid says “LOWER YOUR VOICE HARRY!” We only ask that you EMBRACE this issue with both hands and LOVE IT as much as WE LOVE GOK WAN. Adieu! Xx xx emma
SUPERSUPER 2nd Floor, 182 Commercial Road London E1 2JY United Kingdom
SUPERCONTRIBUTORS NAIDA
Editorial: +44 (0) 203 002 7923 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 Printing by St. Ives www.st-ives.com SuperSuper Magazine is published 6 times a year by SuperSuper Ltd. Registered Company No 6035756
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THE WIG WEARING WONDER NAIDA TORPEDOED HERSELF STRAIGHT INTO THE HEART OF SUPERSUPER LAND WHEN SHE SPILT A FULL PINT OF CIDER OVER HER LAPTOP WHEN WE WENT TO INTERVIEW S.C.U.M AT THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT – YOU CAN’T MAKE MORE OF AN IMPACT THAN THAT CAN YOU NOW. SHE’S BIG, SHE’S BAD, AND WE’VE GOT AN INKLING THAT SHE MAY BE QUITE MAD. ALSO... FIND OUT WHY SHE LET TRASH FASHION SHAVE HER HAIR IN THIS ISSUE’S MUSIC SECTION (P146).
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SUPERCONTRIBUTORS FELICITY
‘BOTTLE OF ROSÉ’ SHOUTED BURNLEY LASS FLICK AS SHE STRUTTED TOWARDS MARBLE ARCH. NO ONE KNOWS WHY SHE SHOUTED THIS, AND I DOUBT WE EVER WILL, BUT IT ALL SEEMED QUITE APPROPRIATE AT THE TIME! WE FIRST MET FLICK IN BARCELONA WHEN SHE CAME TO HELP US OUT AT BREAD AND BUTTER, AND SHE’S BEEN HELPING US OUT EVER SINCE. YOU MAY SEE HER LURKING AROUND AT PUNK ON TUESDAY NIGHT OR OCCASIONALLY HELPING OUT BASSO AND BROOKE.
SUPER SUPER FOUNDERS SuperSteve & Namalee EDITOR Emma Dilemma emma@thesupersuper.com ART DIRECTOR Dan Szor dan@thesupersuper.com CREATIVE & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR SuperSteve steve@thesupersuper.com FASHION DIRECTOR Namalee namalee@thesupersuper.com FASHION EDITOR Thomas Sels thomas@thesupersuper.com FASHION CO-ORDINATOR Niyi Crown fashion@thesupersuper.com FASHION ASSISTANT Dominik E Riddler fashion@thesupersuper.com FASHION FUN EDITOR Philip Normal philip@thesupersuper.com ASSISTANT TO THE FASHION DIRECTOR Hannah Balogun hannah@thesupersuper.com FASHION EDITORS AT LARGE Basso and Brooke MUSIC DIRECTOR Niyi niyi@thesupersuper.com MUSIC EDITOR Buster Bennett music@thesupersuper.com CONTRIBUTING MUSIC EDITORS Joseph ‘JP’ Patterson, Jared ADHDJs, Billy Idle MUSIC ASSISTANT Naida music@thesupersuper.com SENIOR ART EDITOR Gio Black Peter gio@thesupersuper.com DESIGNER Stephen Williams design@thesupersuper.com DESIGN ASSISTANCE Chris Pollard BEAUTY DIRECTOR Georgina Graham georgina@thesupersuper.com BEAUTY EDITOR Addam Ciccione addam@thesupersuper.com SCREEN EDITOR Shirani shirani@thesupersuper.com CLUBS EDITOR JP jp@thesupersuper.com TECH EDITOR George Cook tech@thesupersuper.com INTERNS Felcity, Caroline PUBLISHING DIRECTOR LUC LE CORRE luc@thesupersuper.com +44 (0) 203 004 9770
CONTRIBUTORS Billa, Alexis, Rebecca Pearson, Tim&Barry, Slinky Sunbéam, Neil Bennett, Daniel Stacey, Rebecca & Mike, Jamie E-17, Rat Scabies, Mark Moore, Alice Costelloe, KYM, Little Richard, Kayti Peschke, Megumi Matsuno, Kuni, Prof Julian Roberts, Tobias Jones, Motohiko Hasui, K-Tron, Dejan, The 3rd Earl of Kent, Jobot, Amarpaul Kalirai, Ai, Chantelle Fiddy, Akio, Robin Bharaj, Dexplicit, Jayga, One Time, Della, Karen Potter aka Handsome Dan, Natalie ‘Esqueezy’ Esquire, Kiki Hitomi, Neon Skullz, Katy Fancyfox, Sofi Donuts, Dan Glass, Nicky Carvell, Pochomkin, Charlie Le Mindu, Jack De Havas, An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump, Televised Crimewave, Hayley Betts, Factory Floor, Nasplasha, Davey Tyler, Dean Varoj, Sophia Melot,
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12 DARK WAVE nu rave > nu grave > dark wave : ) 86 PHARRELL + BILLIONAIRE BOYS CLUB namalee meets the world’s coolest man 80 EMMA BELL rising fashion supersuperstar! 60 S.C.U.M dark wave’s poster boys speak out 99 MICHAELPYBUS.CO.UK post pop art on the up’n’up init ; )
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trancehall! + panama hats! + bags 4 life! + placards in clubs! + writing on yrself!
SUPERFEATURES SUPER 46 WHY i SUPERGLUED MYSELF TO GORDON BROWN Dan Glass explains himself 54 MY PLASTIC SURGEON BOYFRIEND WENT TOO FAR BUT I STILL LOVE HIM! Real Life Story! 84 THE SUPERSUPER GUIDE TO STOP’N’SEARCH Dress like a wierdo and stay safe! 50 WHY ALL THE HATE? This month’s Emmaz Dilemmaz 94 SLINKY SUNBEAM’S WONDERFUL WORLD! Oh and it is indeed! – with added fun pics!!
FASHION pochomkin’s dark style Vs namalee’s rainbow revolution! / thomas sels in split screen! / niyi crown’s fabulous man! SCREEN shirani goes viral!!! MUSIC buster bennett global gathering! CLUBS billa, jp & the ravin kru!! NAMAZONIA namalee defines maxi-maximalism!!! 08
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SuperSuper 3/4 Shoe DPS.indd 1
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FIRST WE HAD NU RAVE THEN NU GRAVE – NOW GET READY FOR THE...
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TELEVISED CRIMEWAVE
STATEMENT: ‘Bugger off mum, you had your Winter of Discontent, now it’s time for mine’ TREND INFO: At this time three years ago, New Orleans was feeling the effects of Hurricane Katrina, mass flooding, panic and even reports of cannibalism in the Superbowl – well brace yourself world, I think it’s time we all got our rubber dinghies out. A tsunami is on its way as the new Darkwave gathers pace and is about to hit our shores imminently. You’ve got three choices. 1. Get your surfboard out and ride it, acknowledging it’s there and taking it on board. 2. Build your own ark. 3. Drown. SUPERSUPER’s just popped down to Fat Willy’s Surfshop and is raring to go. What is this Darkwave? I hear you ask. Well, it’s probably the most exciting thing to happen musically for a while now. Young kids more eager to reference Suicide, PiL and DNA than Doherty, Stills and Nash. These bands have dropped the ‘the’ and embraced the ‘us’. They’re doing their own thing and don’t give a shit about anything else or what you think for that matter – this is ‘no rave’ – this is DARKWAVE. Deciding not to opt for the easy option of referencing the now obligatory jingly jangly sound of meeting a girl down at Tesco, and finding out she moves in her own way, these bands, artists, kids are delving into the record collections of their mums and dads and the odd cool uncle to source out sounds that ain’t been referenced for a while – & then turning them into their own thing and making them relevant to today’s social and economic climate. Myspace is their conscription, as leading Darkwave band Factory Floor point out: ‘it’s become the modern equivalent to the fanzine; a sort of digital fly-posting, an effective way of presenting ideas with immediacy of the results’. Factory Floor (who sound like early Joy Division being dragged through 20 years of dance music then forgetting it all) see their sound as not being a deliberate effort. Like many of the bands surfing this wave, they aren’t afraid to experiment – they see experiment as the key to moving forward.
FACTORY FLOOR
KASMS
They know that if everything remains static, like it seems to be at the moment, then we wouldn’t be able to progress. Johnny Rotten once sang ‘no future’, but this generation wants one, and this lot want make sure we get one – even if it does mean baptizing us with their wave and cleansing us of past Indie sins. HOW TO WORK THE LOOK: Well, we’d be pretty thick if we thought that Darkwave was gonna be all about fluoro tee’s, chants of ‘ACIEEEED’ and gurning faces. Darkwave’s a more melancholic affair, but it still knows how to have fun. This look is the offspring of The Horrors, but without going all Mary Shelley about it. Having big hair is obviously a good way to get noticed, but this lot have learnt that it can get unmanageable – having bits of last nights doner meat dinner tangled up within your barnet ain’t gonna get you any girls or boys really is it (unless they’re one of those people who really like doner meat). So now it’s all about having hair like you had when you were 5, when you were fresh faced and just about to get corrupted by education. Black is the colour of choice to really pull off this trend, but why not try adding some swathes of grey and purple. ‘Dapper not slapper’ is the key term in pulling off the Darkwave look. LIFESPAN: Til the good times (economic, social, etc ad nauseam) return. Unlike the people running the country, we can safely predict this will be in 3 years, 4 months and 21 days time.
myspace.com/anexperimentonabirdintheairpump myspace.com/televised crimewave myspace.com/factoryfloor myspace.com/kasms myspace.com/scum
Words by Dan Szor and Billy Idle
wave DARK “ I think
everyone is having a lot more fun than their attire would suggest... we’re all smiling on the inside – honestly!
AN EXPERIMENT ON A BIRD IN THE AIR PUMP
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STATEMENT: “Say it with a sign!” TREND INFO: London’s Westminster Council has banned the use of the infamous ‘Golf Sale’ style placards on Oxford Street, but is the end nigh for ‘The End Is Nigh’ signs? It’s certainly a sign of the times that we are indeed One Nation Under CCTV, but freedom of speech still exists and people are using it. And suddenly we’ve been seeing signs pop up in a very different location – clubs! Club signs may have been in evidence in ol’ skool rave clubs of yesteryear (and those, like Bangface, still keepin the spirit alive) but now they’re in evidence across the social spectrum – from apocalypse themed Nuke Em All to socialite dress-up haven Decadence, Dance & the Divine. In the past month we have seen ‘To the Bastille!’ ‘We buy Gold’ and ‘Jesus will return in the form of Allah’. It seems some people reference and reproduce slogans from life, like the ‘Jesus/Allah’ one (which apparently was referenced from a street sticker seen in London’s East End). When asked about the reasoning behind the sign the bearer told us that, he saw the sticker and thought the saying was so preposterous that he just had to share it. Perhaps this is the next stage of club mash-up culture: taking lyrics, poetry and commentary onto the dancefloor, adding it the melting pot and contextualising what’s going on. Jesse Charlebois and Philip Lavigne, promoters of Decadence, Dance & the Divine say they use signs to push an idea, or a theme. They reference pop culture and encourage people to join in by
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handing them out, lyrics from bygone Indie anthems and dancefloor classics become crosses to bear, held high over the heads of the dancefloor, perhaps acknowledging their influence and importance in public life. Aforementioned ‘Neu Rave’ club Bangface even put up signs on their website for punters to download, print out & bring to the club. HOW TO WORK THE LOOK: At the end of the day (which is usually when we go to clubs) signs are all about communication. So work out what you want to say, be it uber-meaningful or the last word in frivolity, ‘acquire’ a For Sale sign (don’t worry, no-one’s gonna actually buy the house anyway) and get yrself down to your local disco and wave-itlike-ya-just-don’t-care! LIFESPAN: Depends. Barack Obama and his supporters are huge fans of signage, so if he gets in then it might just go mainstream!
SUPER S
SUPER TRENDZ FORGET SMALL DOGS, SLEB BOY/ GIRLFRIENDS OR THE LATEST IT BAG, THE HIPPEST NEW NIGHTTIME ACCESSORY IS A PLACARD!
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STATEMENT: Grime goes gringo! TREND INFO: The mobster look is back like it never went away! We’ve still got love for the New Era classic look, but any attempt to push boundaries has to be commended. For too long has the wooly hat monopolised the mind of the hat lover in the winter months. Why not leave the shape of your head to others’ imagination by opting for a more structured, brimmed alternative? The Panama’s exotic roots stem back to its Ecuadorian origin, although the woven straw hat takes its name from its place of export, waaay back in the 19th Century, when the beanie hat was merely a twinkle in its great great grandmother’s eye. Traditionally this hat appeared with lightweight suits or silk in warm environments, the top hat being its winter cousin. (See Sir Winston Churchill, who wore both, though regrettably not at the same time). The Panama hat is a suitable alternative to the impracticalities of a bowler hat by the poolside, or a Russian hat on a Caribbean cruise. Bassline don DJ Q has released an image of himself on MySpace wearing his fresh with tags, exclaiming ‘you’re not ready for that hat rudeboy!!!!!’ Responses to the hat totty include ‘Nar uve killed it wiv da hat!’ and ‘yes q, rockin sum miami vice shit brap’. Another on-looker
comments ‘COUNTRY STYLE!’ Clearly the mixed reception means the hat’s use can today be interpreted in numerous ways. As seen above, Skepta wears his to the pub, with a white suit and a Rolex, so it’s probably best to stick to light colours and fabrics such as linen, with a tailored feel. The big P’s also been seen on Skitz Beatz.. who rocks his in the old school mobster style. The hat’s versatility was echoed in a conversation overheard on the tube as a newly appointed Park Keeper expressed the desire to purchase a steel reinforced Panama; clearly Park-keeping has become an extreme sport since the days I drove a lawn-mower whilst feeding the pigeons. HOW TO WORK THE LOOK: Why not try with some tweed and a pocket watch, or a suit jacket with rolled up sleeves (shoulder pads optional) and a mullet wig. Either way, the Panama hat prepares you for anything (except adverse weather conditions/flash mob water fight). LIFESPAN: Alas, as much as the Panama provides style and functionality, the Autumn/Winter season is upon us, and the straw hat does not perform at its best in rain and/or snow. I suggest popping into Debenhams or any other Panama stockist to enquire about the foldaway option which can be quickly and conveniently – and impressively – rolled up and stowed away in the event of freak weather conditions.
! Words by Katy Fancyfox
– Skepta showin how to rock the big P !
PH. THOMAS KLEMENTSSON HOT SHOT
! VAGABOND STORE: 55 NEAL STREET, COVENT GARDEN, LONDON. WWW.VAGABOND.COM
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STATEMENT: Trance, inna de dancehall.. Come Mr DJ, song pon de replay!! TREND INFO: PULLL UPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!! Wind ya waist! Wind ya waist! Now wave ur hands in the air, like you just don’t care! Dance like it’s a year 9 disco! Here at SUPERSUPER we pride ourselves at unearthing the best ideas for genre mash-ups in the world. In all honesty we never thought we’d find something of equal (if not more) greatness to Victorian Grime (fan count ever rising). But it seems some bloody geniuses known as Jokers of the Scene have exceeded our wildest expectations with their concoction... TRANCEHALL! YESSSS! Much in the same way as Ronseal Quick Drying Woodstain is famous for doing – this genre does EXACTLY what it says on the tin. Imagine the synths of yer youth (before the onslaught of the generic indie whitewash) and think back to the glory days of kappa popping tracksuits, Hubba Bubba chewing gum, and when the only thing you had to worry about was how to get out of PE. Trancehall is the soundtrack to your mind – it sounds like Toca’s Miracle clashed with Beenie Man, Planet Perfecto’s ‘Bullet in the Gun’ having a barny with Sean Paul’s ‘Get Busy’. The unlikely juxtaposition proves there to be more weight behind the clever rhyming of Trance with Dance. It switches up its classic 4/4 kick drums with a riddim you can pon di river to, long time. Check out the South Rakkas Crew ‘Mad Again’ remixes EP which dropped earlier this year. As well as the Jokers of the Scene Trancehall re-smack it also features remixes from Drop the Lime, Boy 8-bit and Fake Blood. What we love about this creation is that it is unashamedly combining the ridiculous – it’s not just any synthy lead, it’s the most trance-like sound ever... and conjures up images of those trance raves you might have been dragged along to in Fresher’s Week with a friend at some point... you might be familiar with the broad spectrum of people it attracts: old men with their shirts off, old men in white shirts, hippies, scallies, and Europeans to name a few. You can imagine Judge Jules talking over the top of it like ‘Yeaaah, large up to Tony on the M6, he’s off to Ministry with the lads, it’s gonna be a heavy one. Keep your shoutouts coming in, on the text... 81199” i.e. it is the complete opposite of chin-stroking/ shuffling/self indulging ‘I’m gonna stand still cos I’m too cool to shake a leg......Oooh look there’s a photographer!!’ wank. It is yet another fine attempt at getting the yoof out dancing pon di floor and forgetting their troubles. LIFESPAN: We want to hear more. If you are fluent in some music software then get going! Myspaz us yer creations and we’ll give an update on the movement in the next issue. Row da boat now! myspace.com/sceneofthejoker
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Words by Emma Dilemma
TRANCEHALL!
STATEMENT: “Don’t just write your phone number on me – I want a whole explanation of the Da Vinci code as well!” TREND INFO: Messy makeup is soooooo last season – we ain’t living in the stone age no more – we’re a lot smarter than a smudge. Trends are moving so fast nowadays that we’ve fast forwarded to the renaissance – it’s all gone quite literary – literally! In an age where we can change our appearance/ gender/team we support in the blink of an eye or the click of a mouse, we don’t want to commit to anything anymore – so the idea of getting a tattoo is out of the question. Nowadays, we can pledge our allegiances with the aid of a trusty marker pen, go out, come home, have a shower, and then go out the next day with a whole new set of values written across our arms, legs, face, and for the most daring of us, our torso’s. HOW TO WORK THE LOOK: Where does one start? We’ve got to take in font, italics, punctuation and grammar just to name a few. If you wanna keep it simple why not experiment with full stops and quotation marks, then slowly move up to small words, then sentences, then maybe have the whole Old Testament written on your back – you could even make a call to your local monastery and get a monk to write it for you with a quill. You can do anything from a scribble to a sonnet – your body is your oyster! If you’re stuck why not look towards Late of the Pier or Keith Haring for inspiration? Choice of writing tool is an important factor too. Thick markers are great but are a bugger to get off, whilst felt tips can add a bit of colour and class. Try to avoid pencils and crayons as these don’t particularly work – also you don’t wanna get lead poisoning. Also anything that says ‘permanent’ on it ain’t worth using – remember – it’s all about change. LIFESPAN: This look has the potential to be massive. With outdoor advertising being banned in Mexico City and with other cities tipped to follow suit, then maybe businesses will turn to us and use our bodies as advertising space – Keep it up and you could become the next Saatchi & Saatchi!
write
Photography by Billa Words by Dan Szor
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SEARCH & ENJOY!
THE NET: IT’S ALOT, IT’S LOADS, IT’S PLENTY. SO WHERE SHOULD YOU START?!
STATEMENT: In the words of Nas: “WE ARE THE MEDIA!” TREND INFO: Ok, so we’re sick of hearing about how the internet is going to distract us all into oblivion. Apparently, we can’t send an email without checking Myspace, we cant even make a cup of tea without putting a bet on at Paddy Power. And... Boo hoo!! There’s so much information we’re all going to drown in it like Jack on the Titanic, and sink down to the bottom of the sea of words like a metaphorical frozen corpse. Then some old fat American would make a film about our poor existence, our quest to start a new life on the back of a winning ticket in a poker game. Moving swiftly on, if we had a penny for every time a teacher said “guys... don’t quote Wikipedia” ...seriously... why not?? Because you based your lesson plan on it? Let’s face it, we’re all online now: try applying for a job that doesn’t involve computers – even gardeners send their weeds to a recycle bin. Some people are rather tired of using technology, mentioning no names *cough cough* 50 cent, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, stand up! But in their song, AYOO TECHNOLOGY, they’re moaning because they’re sick of talking on Skype to women instead of taking one out on a date, to the zoo for example. Thanks to the internet, lax privacy policies for social networking sites mean that people we will never meet will have access to a load of pixels which make up information on our lives, all stored on computers in a vault protected by goblins/civil servants. We are heading to the sort of dystopia that 70s sci-fi series only dreamed of. Although, quite frankly, there doesn’t seem much point in worrying about how much Richard Branson will pay to find out what films we’ve watched or what our most played tune on iTunes is. Something far more important worth considering is what this access to information means to us – on a grass roots level, peer to peer, with the help of a trusty laptop. Refreshingly, the influence of the established media order seems to be dwindling. Of course, there will always be a place for iconic establishments such as the BBC, but emerging alongside them is a new
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generation of bloggers, forum contributors, zine creators and writers who are making themselves heard more and more each day. We can tailor our media to suit us exactly – if we want to know the latest grime discussion we can check Blackdown’s blog, rather than reading an article in a tabloid written by an old-aged sensationalist voyeur claiming that grime is solely responsible for all aggression in our society. If we want to find out what fidgit house is, we can Myspace someone at the heart of it and find out for ourselves. Gone are the days of the middle man, the Lex Luthor type villain is dead. There is still media ownership per se, a la Rupert Murdoch, who owns everything apart from my new trainers, it would seem. But the two-tiered society is changing for the better – as Nas states in his new music video “Sly Fox” – “WE ARE THE MEDIA”. This doesn’t mean ‘we’ as in SuperSuper, (although we are too...lol): this means all of us, individually, connected through a networked society. The internet was originally invented to bring us all together, and thanks to social networking websites, it is a reality. There are more chances to actively seek information then there is to receive it, and power is knowledge! If anyone can prove how to utilise the net to great advantage, its JME, who didn’t even need to market his album because of the wide support he’d created on Myspace. HOW TO WORK THE LOOK/GET ON BOARD: Don’t just receive information, actively seek it and contribute your own! Whether you want to promote yourself or your interests, there’s numerous ways to find info and get your message across to the globe. Research and read blogs which are similar to what you want to discuss, and link them on your own blog. Building up a network of pages means that more people are likely to be found clicking on yours. There are various addons available which tell you how many people are reading it and from which part of the country/world, which can let you know how far your words are reaching out. Rick Ross famously ‘hustles’ every day... so follow his lead and hustle for info... bring the truth to the YOUTH, from the YOOF DEM!
Classics. With a twist.
www.golaclassics.com
Photography by Billa Words by Emma Dilemma
STATEMENT: “The world may be falling apart but so is my bag!” TREND INFO: Long has the fashion world been ruled by expensive bags whether it be Louis Vuitton, Chloe, Chanel... However, like us you may have noticed the amount of cheap ‘bags for life’ floating around, their silent beguiling stare guilt-tripping us into parting with a pound. Do they do exactly as they say on the tin though?! Ironically, just as in the British Criminal Justice System, ‘life don’t mean life,’ and you may end up giving it some emergency Blue Peter surgery. There are a number of different designs on the market, from a canvas effect, if you secretly want to be a farmer, through to Lidl’s nu-age space shiny silver version as pictured here. The cheap bags are ideal to carry around everything you could ever need, like gold bullion, yer PE kit, a copy of SuperSuper, and some antiseptic hand wipes. This trend champions practicality over style, although the style element is undeniable. It looks cool to give a shit. HOW TO WORK THE LOOK: Firstly, give yourself a pat on the back for helping to save the planet yo! Big up, respect, it’s a vibe. The main objective of rocking this bag is to make it look good, so if you find that it begins to look old and haggard like a weather beaten face, don’t despair! – it’s all part of the ageing process. Go back to your children’s TV roots and invest in some safety pins, sticky back plastic, pritt stick and toilet rolls and see what you can come up with. Don’t be ashamed of your bag! There’s nothing worse than seeing someone on the tube with a Tesco’s carrier bag turned inside out – what on earth?! Take your pick of any of the big brands repping long life hard in the game, Tescos, Sainsbury’s, Marks and Spencers, Aldi – we don’t discriminate. LIFESPAN: Everyone needs a bag, don’t they? Unless you don’t have any possessions? Still, if this applies to you, and you own nothing, you may need a bag anyway in case you are looking to acquire some useful stuff, like a loaf of bread or a can of strong ale. SS wants to see more long life bags on the streets, in the clubs.. and in high street near you!!
are registered trademarks of Boxfresh International Limited.
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STATEMENT: “I’ve got the key – but it ain’t no secret!” TREND INFO: People have been rocking the whole key round the neck look for a while now, but never has the look been as purposeful as in recent months. Not only is this look practical for those of us wearing leggings so tight that we do not have a place to put our keys (without us looking like we have a severe case of hemorrhoids) but it also looks rather snazzy too. In clubland, keys have become a vital part in opening up new doors; doors to alternative lands; where people look more like Jim Carey in ‘The Mask’ than your average punter down at the local Wetherspoons pub on a Saturday night. HOW TO WORK THE LOOK: Look towards Disney’s Robin Hood for tips – the Sheriff of Nottingham sported a dashing, yet rather clunky set of keys round his neck. Having more than one key might also imply that you own a prison – and thus keep crooks and general shifty looking vagabonds at bay. The basic way to work the look is to simply have a pair of keys
dangling from a chain – yet there are endless possibilities. Why not experiment with different types of rope (they have a lovely selection down at Homebase and B&Q), shoelaces, electrical cord – whatever you like. However, we do advise you not to experiment with barbed wire or cheese wire – you don’t wanna litteraly seperate your head from your body. The style of the key is also imperative. We’ve experimented with plastic keys, allen keys, massive keys, keys to nowhere and even keys to other people’s houses who have now subsequently had to change their locks (Sorry!). For the less adventurous of you why not try those small keys you get when you win a padlock in a Christmas cracker. LIFESPAN: Well we’ve all heard that it’s gonna be a dark, dark winter, so it’s gonna be around for a while. Basically it’s just practical, and as you know, dads are always moaning how kids nowadays have no common sense – let’s prove them wrong.
Photography by Dean Varoj Words by Dan Szor
y e k e h t t o g ve
– THE RETURN OF THE KEYCHAIN...
!
NIYI
London 1 8 You’re looking at the 59FIFTY,® one of many unique designs that is handcrafted to fit your life. Each cap has its own story and thanks to fans around the world, each story has a name. Register online at neweracap.com and you could see your own face in a New Era ad.
Photography by Billa Words by Rebecca Pearson
SUPER TRENDZ
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it’s . . .
mYsPaCe !
Photography by Dean Varoj Words by Emma Dilemma
STATEMENT: Can’t touch this!!! TREND INFO: VIP areas are so overrated. Apart from perhaps some free champers here and there, you actually get cut off from where all the action is happening on the dancefloor. So how can one maintain optimum levels of diva-dom whilst slumming it with the sweaty plebs?! Well. Cast your mind back to Karate Kid 1, where Daniel-San goes to the Halloween party as a shower. Once he was in his little cubicle, complete with waterproof curtain, he had created private space on the dancefloor. That’s what this trend is all about – making your own space for you and your friends, helping avoid other people’s dreads dripping sweat on you, or undesirables pinching your bee-hind. This trend doesn’t just have to say ‘diva’....maybe you resent living in a Big Brother society where every move is watched by a CCTV operator eating donuts, or even worse – Noel Edmonds waiting round the corner with a GOTCHA and mobile gunge-tank. I tell you – him and
his House Party and his chum Jeremy with his Beadle’s About (RIP) mean that I can never be truly comfortable dancing in my room anymore. Whether it’s wearing your oversize hood up pon road or cocooning yrself in your own sonic world with some fat headphones, this trend can free us of such constraints!! HOW TO WORK THE LOOK: Building your own shower cubicle will need a certain level of craftsmanship, and not everyone can enlist the services of a sage Chinese karate expert and mentor like Daniel San. Maybe take your duvet cover to the club and dance for the whole night in your own little dream-world (a tad sweaty at times), or attach a curtain rail – with curtains round your head and that of a friends to create an intimate and quite literal tete-a-tete. You can take this trend in literally any direction you want! Best to try and limit your width (getting through the doors) and (sensible hat on) those with a weak bladder might want to consider ease-of-access. LIFESPAN: Keep it going until you miss the intimacy of social and/or physical contact. Your moves may be somewhat limited, and there’s chafing potential with the more structural outfits. But on the other hand, what a strong look! I don’t see this one ever dying.
Words by Emma Dilemma
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BACK OF ME TEE! STATEMENT: Oi oi! watch my back mate?! TREND INFO: The back of a t-shirt is the most openly neglected part of an outfit. Why not have something on the front and back of yer garms. How many times have you looked at a stranger’s top (maybe to avoid eye contact, or maybe you were just being nosey) and thought “what the hell does that say?!” Only for them to carry on walking past, leaving you none the wiser, and a bit ruddy annoyed. Better still, SS thinks a single word on the front and back can speak volumes – especially if you are bringing together an iconic partnership such as Sanjay and Gita of Eastenders fame, Howard and Vince, or Elton and David. You may have seen the surplus of ‘DESIGN YOUR OWN T-SHIRT!!!!’ adverts on Myspace as of late. One that comes to mind is a man with a generic face wearing a t-shirt saying ‘Tonight I am Single’ or a girl wearing an equally ‘fetching’ t-shirt saying ‘Friendly When Drunk’. Maybe they’ve subconsciously influenced us to doing just that (ie making our own t-shirts), just like when thousands of cats made their owners buy them Whiskers after a target-advertising campaign aimed at felines in the 1990s was hugely successful. Although logo tees and slogan tees are normally aimed at men with no idea, there’s been a few sparks of interesting phrases lately. The monkey on the PG Tips advert sported a T Shirt saying “I FACEBOOKED YOUR MUM” whilst young Northern gents at Bassline raves wear things such as ‘I MAY LOOK HARD BUT I’M REALLY A BIG SOFTIE’ proving that the message really is ‘LOVE!’ in 2008! HOW TO WORK THE LOOK: Get creative innit. You need to think of something which can be linked to make sense, such as ‘Sanjay’ and ‘Gita’ – possibly the most famous duo of 1990s soap operas. Bodger and Badger – iconic childhood heroes – need we say more?! Alternatively you could go for ‘Biff and Chip’, two simple words yet a lot of history – who could forget those days of learning how to read?! Something more abstract would also be quite cleverrrr – what about ‘Rum’ and ‘Bass’?? – DEEP. Don’t discriminate against those peeps who are staring at the back of your head. They need sumptin to read too! LIFESPAN: Can’t say this trend will ever go ‘out of date’ because – we don’t want to get all philosophical – but a trend is a trend as long as it is a trend in your eyes. You have the power to make it last as long as you want it to. It’s in your hands!
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Walter Van Beirendonck
WINTER 2008–9 COLLECTION AVAILABLE NOW!
‘SKIN KING’
www.waltervanbeirendonck.com
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I wanted to wait until we perfectly captured the essence of the Galliano Girl – only then did I think it was ready to launch
SS: SO JOHN IT’S BEEN 25 YEARS SINCE YOUR DEBUT and you’ve been at the forefront of fashion ever since. How come it took you so long to come up with a fragrance?! JG: I know – it’s about time!!! I have wanted there to be a Galliano fragrance for as long as I can remember. I think scent is such an important part of defining and explaining who we are and the muse that inspires us. Scent is the final dimension you need to bring your muse fully to life. I wanted to wait until we perfectly captured her essence – only then did I think it was ready to launch. The moment I smelt this scent I knew the quest was over. We had found her. This scent is as unforgettable, and as unique, as the Galliano Girl. I really wanted to take my time and make sure that it had every essence of what I and my muse represent. When making a couture collection you have a lot of designs to be working with but with this fragrance we had over 360 tests, so you can imagine it was very important that we had the right scent, just as it is to have the right look with a garment. SS: Is there a woman today who you feel sums up the Galliano woman perfectly? JG: I wish there was. You see to me the Galliano woman is so elusive! She teases me and eludes me but I get glimpses of her that are so enticing I can never give up the quest. It’s a bit like a love affair, she’s a combination of so much of me, so many of the things that inspire me. She has elements of my travels, my heroines, my friends, as well as books, movies, all the things I love. She is a free spirit, independent, ambitious yet this strength doesn’t diminish he femininity and romantic character. The Galliano Girl does not comply to convention and this is just one of her many charms.
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What took John Galliano – arguably the finest British fashion talent ever – so long to launch his debut perfume? To find out, SUPERSUPER’s Beauty Editor Addam Ciccione jetted to JG HQ in Paris’s 20th Arrondissment for an audience with the great man himself...
SS: With so much to choose from, what was the inspiration for the fragrance? JG: So many things, so many ideas, there was so much I wanted this scent to say. When I was searching for her essence, I wanted to have the scents and sensations combine. I felt only that would do this spirit justice. I found it really hard to describe what I expected to smell but I knew it exactly in my mind. There is lavender, bergamot, amber, rose, violet, cedar... I can list the ingredients but I would rather you found them out, experienced the scent just as you will discover her character... Christine Nagel, who is the nose that blended the scent, really got under the skin of who the Galliano Girl truly is. SS: It’s a great bottle – what was your thinking behind it? JG: The bottle is very me – I think it’s a collectors item in its own right already! When thinking of the fragrance I very much thought of the woman as the scent and the bottle as the dress. The soft layers would shroud her and caress her body, whilst the mist of the scent would surround it, as if I were to drape her in it. The bottle is really special. It takes its influence from a nineteenth century style drape and the artist Boldini. I wanted the bottle to be as beautiful as one of our collections – it is a Galliano after all! SS: Where does your passion for collage come from? JG: I love so many elements but the rawness and directness of collage is really exciting to explore. Life itself is a patchwork, a collage of different moments
SS: What other mediums do you favour within your work? JG: I love illustration and if I hadn’t been a designer maybe I would have been an illustrator. My love of collage is merely another expression of this, another dimension perhaps. It’s very primitive and pure and I think that’s what makes these two very exciting mediums to work with.
and memories which you have to put together like a jigsaw and that’s why I love playing with this medium within my work. It’s very direct. Each rip, tear and cut is very deliberate, yet at the same time very crude, almost childlike in its boldness. Each collection I do will start with an inspiration, a moodboard of all the elements and flavours that will kick-start the designs. I like the play on layers, textures, colours, details and the techniques you can use with this artwork. It gives the viewer – as much as the person creating it – lots more challenges and asks more questions as they view it. The limitations and restrictions of collage contribute to the directness and excitement of the medium for me.
SS: Your shows are always mesmerising and tell fantastic stories. How do these elaborate stories come about? JG: Each collection, every idea, every season is a journey and an adventure – after all, each collection tells another story, another chapter. I am a hopeless romantic, a dreamer, and above all a storyteller – that’s how I follow and find my ideas. I allow myself to get lost in other worlds. Constantly taking the trail of clues left for me. You have to start by gathering all the material, colours and characters you think you are going to be influenced by and then edit the tale to match. You want to be able to clearly see all the principal characters and paths that they have to take. To me it’s all about working out the beginning, the middle and the end. I love to follow the muse on her journey each season, with my main aim being to ensure that she lives happily ever after in the end!... ‘LE PARFUM NO1 DE JOHN GALLIANO’ Eau de Parfum: 40ml (£42), 60ml (£56), 90ml (£70) Perfumed Body Lotion 200ml (£27) Bath Shower Cream 200ml (£24) Body Scrub 150ml (£28) Exclusively at Harrods from 28th September
Shirt and jeans by Levi’s RED, boots by All Saints Photography by Dean Varoj Words by Dan Szor
SUPERLOVES!
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TAKING INSPIRATION FROM THE ORIGINAL DENIM workwear of old, the new Levi’s RED collection continues to push the boundaries of denim design, yet always with a nod to its history. For Autumn 2008, Levi’s RED honours the time, commitment and craftsmanship that went into making a pair of the original denim jeans, brought to life in the collection’s raw, unfinished feel that is best seen in cotton stitching that is left loose and unrefined, adding to the classic feel. The collection consists of six unisex denim styles. Highlights include the ‘Original Loose’ which features watch & tool pockets and braces, allowing the wearer to shape their own look and fit, either belted high on the waist or worn low on the the hips. The distinctive ‘Diamond’ fit – our particular fave! – is an extreme tapered style, loose around the thighs yet tight from the calf to the ankle. Tops include a selection of cotton tees, with visible stitching details and appliqué pockets, a matching box shape cardigan and checked shirts for guys and girls, finished in muted blues and greens. Fluoro tridents optional! Levi’s RED is available from Cinch & Oki-ni.com
W I T H O U T
B A C K B O N E S ::SALES::
joseph@withoutbackbones.com www.withoutbackbones.com
MEET THE NU FACE OF PUMA’S RUDOLF DASSLER COLLECTION – IRINA LAZAREANU
NOWADAYS a model can’t just be a pretty face. Gone are the days when models just stood in front of a camera and responded to ‘cheese’ with a sultry pout and pose to amatch. Nowadays it’s all about having that l’il something extra – whether it’s being in a band, owning a chip shop or it could even be that you have six legs and one arm. Not being one to miss out on this, PUMA got in touch with Irina Lazareanu to become the face of their Rudolf Dassler collection. SUPERSUPER caught up with the Romanian born Canadian model in Barcelona over the summer – and we definitely noticed she had a certain X factor – she even started an impromptu rap in the middle of the interview. The Rudolf Dassler collection by PUMA is a modern Sport-Fashion collection that combines vintage silhouettes with a street edge – something that Irina embraces wholeheartedly, with her slick stylistic edge and bohemian street urchin characteristics.
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! Words by Dan Szor
U GLO GRRL
puma.com
HENRIK VIBSKOV for
Quinny
Words by Dan Szor
!
SUPERLOVES!
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MULTI-TALENTED St Martin’s graduate, artist, filmmaker, musician and all round multitasker Henrik Vibskov has teamed up with Dutch pram and pushchair innovators Quinny to produce a strictly limited edition collection for autumn/winter. Dominated by his trademark colourful and eclectic prints, Vibskov takes us on a fairytale adventure through enchanted forests filled with odd and musical characters. Apparently the collection is made solely for babies and their parents, but we here at SUPERSUPER (not ones to shy away from anything childlike) love the collection so much that we believe that everyone should inject a bit of Danish magic and eccentricity into their lives this autumn. The collection is available from October from selected retailers worldwide, including Colette in Paris, Seven in New York, SPRMRKT in Amsterdam and the Henrik Vibskov multi-brand stores in Copenhagen and Stockholm. Prices range from £15 for the fetchingly titled ‘nose rag’ to £125 for one of the fabulous Ponchos – snap em up quick!!
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SEEKING OUT SUPER SHINY SILVER FOILED permission from the Andy Warhol Foundation in NYC, Pepe have come up with one of the most inspirational and memorable collaborations this year. Using the work and lifestyle of probably the most world renowned artists of the 20th century, Andy Warhol, Pepe have managed to create two astounding collections of over 250 pieces. The first collection entitled ‘POP’ focuses on some of Andy’s most recognizable artworks and pays homage to his ‘American dream’ influenced art, such as the Campbells Soup Cans and the celebrated
Marilyn Monroe silk screen prints. Expect flowery prints, vibrant colours and iconic graphics – and if you’re a fan of tomato soup then your in for a right old treat! The second collection is based on the legend himself and the people around him. Entitled ‘Factory’ after warhols infamous studio and hangout, this collection takes inspiration from the much darker, cooler and underground side of Warholian life – an era summed up by the likes of the Velvet underground, Candy Darling and Edie Sedgwick. Expect darker, moodier, rebellious cuts and prints with this collection
– it wasn’t all peace love and flower power at the tail end of the 60s – and that’s what makes these collections so unique – theres a little something in it for everyone to have their 15 minutes of fame. Both collections feature a wide spectrum of clothing and accessories from silk screened dresses (the same technique Andy used for some of his most famous pieces) to enamel cufflinks and printed canvas bags. Don’t miss out on your very own slice of Warholian cool – snap up a few pieces now! We cant see these hanging around on the shelves for long at all...we’re guessing 15minutes maximum!
ALL CLOTHES: ANDY WARHOL BY PEPE JEANS LONDON PHOTOGRAPHY: CHARLOTTE HADDEN MODEL: ANNA @ FIRST MODEL MANAGEMENT MAKE-UP: ADDAM CICCIONE ARTWORK: CHRIS POLLARD WORDS: DAN SZOR
SUPERLOVES!
Job N
97 Charlotte Street, London, W1T 4QA t: +44 (0)20 7907 1422 f: +44 (0)20 7907 1423 e: info@splash-london.com www.splash-london.com
importbrandinfo@anheuser-busch.com Please drink responsibly.
Job No: 21722
Client: Partners DBMA
Campaign: Estrella
Proof No: 01
Publication: Super Super Mag
Insertion Date: 01/08/2008
LEE Quality t-shirt, quality graphic! Available at lee. com £50
NOBODY JEANS With each t-shirt sold you could provide 2 people with hygienic water for 20 YEARS! Well worth it. Available at nobodywasthirsty. org £21
HENRIK VIBSKOV @ COPENHAGEN FASHION WEEK Henrik’s latest collection was shown at Copenhagen and what a treat it was! Visit henrikvibskov.com to view more of his fantastic work!
LULU GUINNESS Super-sized coin purse alert! – black polyester clutch £195 luluguinness. com
ONITSUKA TIGER Make like a tiger and pounce on these kicks while you still got the chance! onitsukatiger. co.uk £70
K-SWISS The Bristel High is another wicked old-skool style shoe, fast cementing their title as Lords of footwear! We salute you, K-Swiss. k-swiss.com £70
BORA AKSU Bora Aksu’s Militant Gothiness hits the runway!
CARAT* One of our fave jewellery companies, they’re all about the design and the lost art of fashion jewellery. Available at carat. cc £120
YMC A special tee treat for Halloween! £45 youmustcreate. com
RANKIN X COCA COLA Coca-Cola team up with world renowned photographer Rankin to create an iconic bottle of the stuff we love. Designed in aid of the 2012 Olympics, it’s yet another creative colab for CC after recent Manolo Blahnik and Matthew Williamson designs. Available at Selfridges £1.99
MATT & NAT The next generation of paper bags, this smart hold-all by Matt & Nat, a vegan-friendly brand. Available at mattandnat.com £145
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COMME DES GARÇONS Classic Comme fragrance in limited edition bottle.. oh so fly! Available at Dover Street Market £52
WRANGLER Allow your legs to breath again with these fantastic white flares! Team with boob-tube and platforms for ultimate Spice Girl look. Info: 0845 6008383 £75
JC/DC Rain can only be enjoyed whilst wearing this artistic trench. jc-decastelbajac.com £830
TOMMY HILFIGER Preppy Hilfiger chic with a dark twist
Like a virgin, worn for the very first time! Go Mad-ge! myspace.com/ grimtuesday4lifendeath £25
ASPINAL Stash those speakers somewhere safe and stylish, in this classic leather iPod case. Available at aspinaloflondon. com £75
ZOO YORK Are you fed up of your trousers falling down? Save the embarrassment with this handy invention; a belt! Available at zooyork. com £24.99
TOM FORD Tom Ford’s new fragrance, White Patchouli is light with fresh notes of Bergamot, white Peony and Coriander accents. Available from October, info: 0870 034 2566
Compiled by Thomas Sels, Niyi Crown and Dominik E Riddler Artwork by Chris Pollard
SUPERLOVES!
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05-10 DECEMBER 2008 NEC BIRMINGHAM BOOK NOW 0844 579 3178 CLOTHESSHOWLIVE.COM FASHION //CELEBRITIES //BEAUTY //SHOPPING //MUSIC //CATWALK SHOWS //STYLE TIPS
GROUND ZERO Ground Zero’s luminescentcoloured crusader
SUPERLOVES!
GOLA This Redford Neon bag is the height of postmodern chic – Classic design with futuristic fluoro finish! £14.99 golaclassics. com
MULBERRY The ultimate in luxury luggage has yet again given us a snippet of heaven in the shape of this red Snakeskin clutch. Available at Mullberry, £595
Timex 80 Timeless watches in a rainbow coloured selection. Available at www.oki-ni.com £45
JC/DC This jumper should every mans best friend. jc-de-castelbajac. com £160
LEE Check will become a major playa in the print world over these next few months! Standard! Available at lee. com £110
Feel like a pig in filth in this bacon print tee. For more info check: grisewoodillustration. com
VANS x DAVE THE CHIMP World renowned street artist Dave the Chimp teams up with Vans to create this vibrant shoe. Available at Size £60. davethechimp. com
V&A Fashion Vs Sport: Timely show exploring the relationship between contemporary fashion and Sportswear brands, feat. work by Stella McCartney, Bernard Wilhelm and more. Until 4th Jan 2009. vam.ac.uk TIMO MANHATTAN Sustainable, ecofriendly and practical, this ultra-slim tri-fold wallet allows you to pull out the Amex platinum a lot easier than usual! asos.com £35
LEVI’S RED Jeans that are especially designed for cowboys, YEE HA! Available at okini.com, £210
COLETTE x GAP NEW YORK GAP have commissioned Colette to create a onemonth installation in its brand spanking new rotating concept store. Expect colabs and products from Swarovski and Comme des Garçons. Until Oct 5th colettexgap. com
LAZY OAF Happy? Sad? Happy or sad you can show the world your feelings with this reversible jumper. Available at lazyoaf. co.uk, £45 ZAHA HADID X MELISSA SHOES After a successful project with none other than Chanel, Zaha Hadid’s architectural dreams return in this extraordinary pair of shoes. As well as being superstylish, they’re (suprisingly?!) comfortable. Available at Dover Street Market, £200
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A.R.C x LACOSTE A.R.C (Alife Rivington Club) have clashed with Lacoste to create a truly inspiring diffusion line. These trainers are the 80s classic Arduer shoe with A.R.C branding and mesh side panelling. Lacoste kill it again! Available at Dover Street Market. Trainers £70, polo shirts £125
Compiled by Thomas Sels, Niyi Crown and Dominik E Riddler Artwork by Chris Pollard
ANTONI AND ALISON Antoni and Alison do make us smile and now even at 7.30 in the morning whilst sipping our morning brew. Available at antoniandalison. com £9-£24
HI-TEC Retro shoes that keep in with the modern day, Hi-Tec are here forever! YAY! riverisland.com £39.99
SWEAR Classic S***R shoe in classic green leather! £40 swear-london. com
ELVISJESUS Shine & smile – Happy Days! elvisjesus. co.uk
SWATCH Big tings ’08 for all things check – so thank heavens for Swatch giving us this arm-candy. Available at swatch.co.uk £80
HACIENDA X KICKERS The 2nd colab series from Kickers is the ‘Sound of Style’, reflecting the brand’s 40 yr link with different music scenes. As well as the Haç there are colabs with Cheap Monday, Simon Foxton, The Buzzcocks and many more. Available at kickers.co.uk £80
PUMA Cammo zip jacket. Blend into your urban surroundings in this Rudolf Dassler for PUMA zip up. puma.com £90
FRANKLIN & MARSHALL Cold winter months? Get comfort from this super-long hoody! £66 franklinandmarshall. com BETSEY JOHNSON Slim bangle watch with bow detailing, flips open to reveal watch face and mirror! betseyjohnson.com £75
GRAVIS Grab-this bag! Ultra-lightweight, hidden shoe compartment, hidden backstraps and also comes in black! It’s the James Bond of bags. Available at gravisfootwear. com £35
SWATCH Time may be ticking away, but let it tick away in style with this piece of geometric hardware! swatch.com £35
LAZY OAF A cheeky poca-locket to hide your pennies in. Available at lazyoaf.co.uk, £10
PAUL FRANK Out with yer old undies and rock some monkeys instead! £19.99 (pair) paulfrank.com
VITAMIN WATER Quench your thirst for success and get healthy at the same time – ‘multiv’ and ‘spark’ being our faves. PLAIN AND SIP! Available at Selfridges £1.39-£1.99
Compiled by Thomas Sels, Niyi Crown and Dominik E Riddler Artwork by Chris Pollard
ONITSUKA TIGER Perfect for leisure, running or kicking ass Kill Bill style! £60 onitsukatiger. co.uk
MARTIN MARGIELA Smart little key fob courtesy of one of the design world’s greats. Prices from £89. Available at okini.com
MY MONOPOLY Peckham is the new Mayfair! – create your very own monopoly board. mymonopoly. com, £79.99
KEEP Keep on dreaming about these wicked shoes! £75 Available goodhood. co.uk
BECKS Having had big name artists design labels in the past (Hirst, Gilbert & George), long-time art supporters Becks go two steps further by featuring 4 emerging artists and by releasing them on a mass scale (27 million bottles!) for the first time. becks.co.uk/canvas
NIKE Hyper-jump your way from A to B in the strongest and lightest shoe Nike has ever produced. Using brand nu patented flywire technology for strength and agility. (Basketball skillz not included). Available at Nike Town, £85
SUPERLOVES!
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HRS “sugarbear tries his very best to look threatening.. really comes off”
“complex technology, such as straws, are hard to get your head around..”
“as close as the ladies ever seem to want to get..”
“ too much cake makes you fat”
“If you’re too cheap to buy a tee write it on your knuckles...”
“fuck knows! bass makes your face look funny?!”
“tomb crew don’t count their age the usual way..”
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Captions by Tomb Crew Intro words by Buster Bennett
with .
..
“next time order me the size up..”
ombcrew
myspace.com/t
“sometimes you’ve got to be inventive to get us all in the booth”
“hear no evil, speak no evil, seem a bit mental??”
“‘cool’ poses never work... but we still try”
“we really just have no other clothes”
The best crew is a TOMB CREW!! Nah mate, it’s not about nu-grave doom and gloom, and they aren’t a band, they are alot, a lot about BASS. Dirty, >F<>(A)<>T<, filthy, finger-licking, kicks like a mule, shit the bed BASS. The kind of bass that would make my grannies stair lift get up and dance all dutty two step while doing the Argos sweep vogue-skank style. These guys have a whole spectrum of 2 Step Garage, Dubstep, Grime, Bmore, Jungle and House to play with and they employ every little glitch and drop with robotic precision, all topped up with some serious MCing (oh but ps – They don’t do Bassline). Tomb Crew are Nick, Jamie, and George who are the main DJs along with Daniel aka BB Manik who MCs. Then on special occasions that call for extra crowd defence Tomfoolery and Softee join Nick, Jamie and George to help split some hench dance floors. If you’re running a club you’re going to need to get a bigger DJ booth, and perhaps think about investing in some kind of steel roll cage and some Polyfiller. Tomb Crew shake the house! Expect the speakers to be sweating, and the crowd to be rolling...Tomb Crew are in town! 45
why i superglued myself to gordon brown
I’D BEEN CAMPAIGNING against the growth of airport expansion for two years, working within the community in Scotland as part of an activist network called ‘Plane Stupid’. We’ve been carrying out non-violent direct action fighting for social change and justice for quite a while now; just recently a group of students known as ‘The Westminster 5’ made the headlines by climbing on to the roof of Parliament in an anti-airport protest. They’re currently waiting to defend themselves in court, on the grounds that their actions were taken in order to prevent a greater crime – the damage which will be inflicted on the world as a result of climate change. As part of an awards scheme I found out I’d won an award for my campaigning efforts within Plane Stupid, and I was going to collect it from the Prime Minister Gordon Brown in Downing Street. When I found out that Gordon was the Patron of the Awards Scheme, I thought – this is it! – This can’t go down without a fight! It didn’t take long to decide what to do – with the team of ‘Plane Stupid’ backing me up, I knew what I had to do. I practiced a lot before hand to make sure I’d get it right, I didn’t want it to hurt me on the day & I wanted to know what I was letting myself in for. Also, I didn’t wanna superglue myself to the Prime Minister’s hand as it was intended to be non violent, so I went for the polyester suit instead, so it wouldn’t be considered violent action. On the way to Downing Street I was quite nervous, I had all these hidden devices on me, like the tube of superglue fitted in to my pants, and my mobile phone was set up to record the event so we could put it on the website immediately. It felt like I was in a spy movie, like James Bond or something, being undercover was really exciting.
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Potentially the whole thing could have gone wrong if they’d have detected anything, which would have been disastrous. I was absolutely loving it when I got through the security check without a fuss. I was wearing some lucky pants that my mate gave me saying ‘Save The Planet’ on when I went in to Downing Street, which I think made the difference! I hid the super glue in my boxers and cut a hole in my pocket so I could squeeze the glue easily on to my hand, and stick my hand to the Prime Minister’s sleeve. It was funny because Just before I collected my award, the PM made a speech about how it’s good when people challenge the government, I said to him... ‘You’re going to eat your words later...!!’ When the moment came, I smeared the superglue all over my hand and placed it on the PM’s sleeve and said to him “By the way Prime Minister, I’ve just superglued myself to your arm. Don’t panic. This is a peaceful protest in line with Plane’s Stupid’s uncompromising commitment to nonviolent direct action. We just wanted five minutes of your time because, Prime Minster, you cannot shake off climate change just like you can shake off my arm”. He was chuckling about it. It took him a few tugs to get rid of my hand though. And it really hurt! I was still picking superglue off my leg days later too! We can’t deny that if we don’t try and combat climate change then no one else will. A noticeable period of quiet on in Britain has lulled the government into discounting civil society as a potential political and social force. We want, and should have, the freedom to determine our own future. We don’t want to clear up the past generations mess- we have to turn round to our parents and ask why they left this mess for us – just as we will unfortunately have to for our kids and explain what a lion looked like, how thick
the Amazon was and what fresh air smelt like. We have this small window of opportunity to do something- it’s without a doubt the defining issue of our generation. We are the last generation to be able to do anything about it! We can’t wait for politicians to catch up. If they want to jump on the bandwagon, then that’s great. Plane Stupid took the campaign from the ‘Westminster 5’ on the top of Parliament, to inside of Downing St to show the Government what’s what.. they’ve got to stand up for the views of the British people. Every morning since sticking myself to him I have woken up and asked myself whether I should write the journal or obstruct the machinery which is causing environmental destruction and mental imbalances. The world is drowning in a sea of words, and I don’t want to add to the deluge. I don’t feel comfortable carrying on as normal in this competitive, ill society. Almost everyday I notice signs that more and more people are longing for our species to cease its self-destructive war with earth and each other. Despite the hype around the brave new ‘globalised’ world that is supposed to bring all manner of blessings for our generation and the next, an unsettling stench is seeping out through the cracks and those walls in the information super-highway. Beneath the shiny surface of our super techno digitalised, globalised, genetically engineered wonder societies, our planet and our humanity is decaying. I don’t want to ever look into the bright, clear eyes of a child and try to explain why the whales are being killed and the forests burnt. Never ever. I don’t want to have to swallow my words and explain why playing naked in the sun is dangerous and some streams are poisonous, or why some frogs now have five legs. The destruction of the weather is the greatest crime ever committed – because it is the theft of the future.
“
“
Dan Glass tells us why it’s important to stick (sorry) up for what you believe in
!
///////////////
!! YOUR CHANCE TO PLAY IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE OF THOUSANDS !!
OCTOBER 5TH will see London’s streets awash with musical talent and sporting prowess with the arrival of Sony Ericsson Run To The Beat, London’s first half marathon set to music. The course will feature live music selected to boost performance at 16 key stations along the way. WE ARE SEARCHING FOR A BAND TO PLAY ON THE MAIN STAGE. The Main Stage will be at the Start & Finish line, on the concourse outside the O2 Arena in front of all the audience, press and 12,000 runners. TO ENTER send your music, or a link to your music (eg MySpace page, website, etc) to: music@thesupersuper.com or myspace.com/thesupersuper
The winner will be chosen by SUPERSUPER, Sony Ericsson and Dr Costas Karageoghis (the man from Brunel University responsible for the ‘science’ behind the music). The winning band will also win a super snazzy new Sony Ericsson Walkman® W760 handset, which you can see more of on p137.
EVENT OCTOB DATE: ER 5TH 2008
www.runtothebeat.com
CALLING ALL BANDS
ENTRY DEADLINE: TUESDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER 2008
get
my
NaSpLaShA! starring . . .
myspace.com/therealnasplasha
N LADIES OYS W ,B GENTS EET THE ,M Z L A... N GRR SPLASH DON A N Y L E V O L N LO OUND ’R L IR FI IT G OST O AND H , N TOW LUB NIYI C LIST HEART G FASH STY ASPIRIN ME!! SUPRE
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“This red dress and the belt were my mums – my attic is a treasure chest! Navy blazer was a present from someone I used to work with, too cute. I bought these anchor earrings at the Angel market in London for just £1.50, the shoes are by Zara woman and they cost £35.”
“The shirt is from H&M, it cost me around £12,the skirt is from Zara and it cost £19, the frilly socks are a fiver from Camden town and my shoes were half price by Grass Roots wich cost me just £20 – yahh!”
“Bought this wig online for £40 as a joke because everyone else said I couldn’t do the blonde thing, they luv it now! My fave food sweater is by Emma Bell, the short-alls are from American Apparel. I bought the gold shoes in Spain, they’re by Agatha Ruiz de la Prada and they cost 60 Euros. My headband is by Tommy Hilfiger and cost me just £5 on sale, and I got the ice cream bubble necklace in a goody bag in my corner shop for £1.99 :D”
LOOK “Super cute Jacket is by Emma Bell – it brightens out any outfit! I love this skirt by Nolita Pocket Girls – I bought it in the kids section at Sub Couture in Notting Hill – it’s for a 14 yr old, LOVE IT!! Bargain!!! Sprkly pumps cost me just 2 squid at Peacocks and the teddy (my Y BY H P bestest friend in the A R G PHOTO LIRAI A K world) I bought for just L U A AMARP 50p at a car boot sale in north London.”
“I got the black mac at Zara Girls – it’s actually part of me now. These American Apparel leggings burnt a hole in my purse but u gotta love em coz they brighten up any dull day. Trainers are Rebook they were given to me as a gift, best pair of shoes I own as they are both comfy and stylish!”
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z z a a m mm aazz eem m m m m e ddiille
“
about the BiGTiME questions e th s se es dr ad d E . SUPERSUPER’s ners beatboxing . . io ns pe d an ss la K eene meaning of life, Myl
I DON’T THINK I KNOW ANYONE IN THE WORLD WHOM I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THEY SAY... I don’t just mean people I’m friends with – like my mum, my cat, or Gerry from Gerry and the Pacemakers; I’m also talking about authors and famous people. I dabble with Sartre, Camus, and J.K Rowling, and always seem to find points of disagreement. Sometimes I wonder if existentialists would cheer up if they had a Dip Dab or a fizzy drink with a curly straw in. Although, more recently, I have been awake night after night, staring in to the dark abyss with nought but the sound of a lonesome seagull for company, wondering why the fuck JK Rowling didn’t kill off Harry Potter in the end, or at least break his leg? Ron could have filmed it & put it on Youtube. I’ve misled you somewhat I feel. Everything you’ve just read was a lie, an untruth I tells ya! I wasn’t being honest when I said I don’t know anyone in the world whom I completely agree with everything they say. There is one man, one man alone; who I like to think would love me if he knew me, cos we’re so similar.
? P Diddy.
What a ledge though, seriously! I know what you’re thinking – but don’t think that. (I am also in love with Howard Moon). P Diddy once famously got dissed by another great man of our time, Afroman [he of “and then I got high” fame]: “Puff Daddy, enough already! Now it’s P Diddy – still sounds shitty. How can your group be called ‘Da Band’? Nobody plays an instrument, mayne!”
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?!!
WHY THE HATE
Oh my days. Recently, when I was doing my daily internet search for Sean Coombs (aka Diddy) news, facts, and trivia, I came across a Youtube video in which Sean warns
us that the popular sport of ‘hatin’’ has reached Level Orange, after being down 50% around the world. Like many, I have had first hand experience of this unfortunate behavioural defect. The last thing my teacher said about me in a report was “Emma is not the most ablest of students” (lets ignore their grammatical error) – and the last thing he said to my face was “I’m going to leave the room now because I can see you’re getting angry.” (It was actually the last thing he ever said... I’m writing this on the back of a turnip truck in Memphis... !!!) Even though scientists believe we’ve had at least one sunny day this year, hatin’ has increased globally by 200%. I can see how that would happen, with the current economic climate. Obviously I’m in no position to comment on the economic situation. I’m no good with money, I once stole £1 from mum’s purse to play the fruit machines on Brighton Pier – it was last Tuesday actually. But if I hear ‘feeling the pinch’ on the BBC one more fucking time, I’m going to sue George Alagiah for sexual harassment. Hop off my lap George, I’m not Father Christmas. It would seem the ‘no money’ situation is having more effect than you might initially think. I don’t consider myself to be a ‘hater,’ but things are starting to get to me. Only yesterday I was shopping for my weekly shop of porridge oats, Special Brew and strawberry laces, when I noticed the old bird in front of me was dining on Cadbury’s Milk Tray, smoked salmon, hot cross buns, and 5 bottles of Hennessy. Before I could stop myself I said “You do realise you’ve got a wrinkly neck” – though it fell on deaf ears, quite literally. It didn’t help matters that I got frisked by the security guard on the way out, who found the pomegranate and Reggae Reggae sauce under my top hat. I tried to bribe him with some reduced sweet chilli kebabs and a can of Tizer but he wasn’t having any of it, and taped me to the wall until the RSPCA arrived.
?
Of course there’s not just offline hate, erm – I mean – REAL LIFE hate, there’s also dissin on the internet, although my momma taught me better than that (or Destiny’s Child, one of the two). Big up the ‘I have a lot of opinions but nothing to give’ mandem... fix up! I have learned the hard way that you can never explain why you’ve deleted someone from Myspace – you will always look like an absolute nob in the end. This is where it links in to the credit crunch – people sittin around talkin’ bout people – it’s what happens when you’re broke. It’s easy to get sucked in too, especially if you have no money to go out on a Saturday night and end up staying in watching Last Choir Standing, wondering if you ever needed to hear a group of pensioners beat-boxing “Cry Me a River” (actually I’ve set that particular version as my ringtone). And in addition to that, you find yourself shouting at the TV “I bet that Myleene Klass wears Kappa trainers and shops at Aldi, wot a waaaasteman.”
Have you ever noticed how easy it is to ruin someone’s day? For instance; an old man with a chipped tooth goes in to Co-op and ask a member of staff for 10 Marlboro Lights, and they come back with 20, which annoys him, so he says (in a Geordie accent) “I asked you for 10 cigs... what are you, a fucking idiot like?!” It might not seem like that much of a big deal at the time, but ruining that shop assistant’s day will have a knock on effect: They might go home and call the police cos their neighbour’s dog is barking too loud, which might make the owner so vexed that they knock someone out in a row over a parking space when out shopping for a new sofa.
““
?
The only way we can reduce the 200% increase in hatin’ is to follow the advice of P Diddy... and defeat those people out there, hatin’ on playas... goin down for the count and prayin for a downfall. Don’t let them bring you down with them! Stop hatin’!!!!!!
W
Ganji 188 Camden High Street NW1 8QP T: 0207 485 1229 F: 0207 482 6770
?!! ?
WWW.PUNKREPUBLIC.CO.UK
“
CLM: Hiya Girls, I’m Charlie Le Mindu, remember? The World: “OF COURSE WE DO” CLM: “THANKS” I hate MONDAYS, they are the worst days ever! But this one was real special... I was actually happy to wake up at 5am to go to work at a shoot for NYLON MAG. So I took the train from London’s Tottenham Court Road Station and met some really slow walking people in the underground. Two hours later, I finally arrive in Oxford Circus Station. “WOUHOUUUUUU!” It’s so windy on the stairs of the underground! I arrive at the model shoot 2 hours late, but I had the time to speak with the big busted stylist Alexis Knox. She told me she wanted early 90s style so guess what I did? CRIMPINGGGGGG!! YEAH WE LOVE CRIMPING BIG BIG BIG... The shoot went really well, finally a good thing had happened on this Monday... I then take a little break to go and have some lunch, then go home to do some clients’ hair. And guess who came in? Anna.F – Editor of the Russian Vogue website. I put a bit of bleach, a bit of silver, a big quiff and it’s done. And some vodka... Ok I’m gonna tell you a secret how to do a massive quiff: 1. Take a square section on top of your head. 2. In this square do 3 identical rectangles. 3. Back-comb extremely the first two sections of your hair without touching the third rectangle. 4. Taking the back-combed part: Spray it with strong hold hairspray. Twist the end and roll it into the shape you want near your forehead. Take 1 pin (1 is normally enough because off the strong backcombing) to keep the rolls in a nice shape, and secure it. 5. Use your straighteners if your hair is curly, and straighten the 3rd rectangular section of hair which is now going to cover the roll. 6. After straightening it, spray the roll. It’s going to be used as glue for the straight part which you’re gonna wrap it around so it’s nice n slick. 7. Pin the third part in the roll and spray on a tiny bit of shiny spray. 8. Finished! You have an amazing QUIFF which in France we call a “BANANA”. You can back-comb the rest of you hair crazy to complete the model look for going out.
Then Finally I found something to write about! bbbbbbbbBbBbBBWWWwwwwaaaAAAaaaAAa.
The day after, I woke up with my face stuck on the computer from the puke. I head back to London to my studio in Shoreditch to work on my new wigs for a show I’ll be doing. I finish two of the wigs and try them on and look like a Mongoloid – it’s fine, they look great anyway. Back to the flat, and I make up my crazy colour: Sunshine Gold No.43. I take some sleeping pills and go to sleep to count the sheep... sheep sheep sheep sheep sheep sheep... Soon it will be Fashion Week, so I decide to make some cabbage soup so I look like a model. And today I have a meeting with Emma Bell to speak about the show. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! I’m scared. I already know that the hair she wants is going to be amazing to do. Ahhhhhh! There is so much colout in the hair I don’t know what to think – I’m lost in all those extentions... there are 20 models and I’m the only hairdresser and everything had to be done in 4 hours... quick quick... the meeting finishes and I am really happy about it. I come home and eat a bit of Cabbage soup, mmmmm, it’s realllllly goooooooood. And I go to my next meeting with Marroussia, whose label is Andrea Crews, to speak about her show. Topman.... Ahhhhhhhhh there’s so many men I don’t know what to think! Tonight I have to do haircuts at Collapsing New People. I arrive, and everyone is wearing black. Ohhh well, people who don’t have enough taste are going from new rave to grave; a mais putain! I start to do the haircut of a guy who is from Prickcentertown. And then he vomited on my hair cape... I was well pissed off but I continued the whole night with the same cape. Nobody realized, apart from there was a little stain I tried to wash off but it didn’t come off. I got home at around 3 or 4am and decided to cut a new wig for my lover forever Jamiethedoudou. Ohhh OH ! Too drunk so I cut the wig too much it looks like a f**king Plonkon again. I think that week was too mental, so I decided to finish it with a bowl of cabbage soup. As you can see... it’s really intense being a hairdresser! xxx Charlie L M
What time is it now? O noo already 2 pm... and I need go to the airport. That is what I’m really excited about!! I’m taking a plane to Zimbabwe to do the hair of a few of my friends, who are performing in a charity concert. “BUY 1 LITER OF EVIAN AND AFRICAN KIDS GETS 10 LITERS OF WATER”. And at 12pm I have to go on stage to perform with Peaches who wants me to bleach her hair for when she DJs. How exciting! 30000 people will be front of me, I might S%£* myself. But I do it, and I start to bleach her hair and 45 minutes later. I’m thinking: “hahahahahahah where and how am I gonna rinse her hair?? She still has to finish DJing and her hair is gonna fall off!” But SuperSuperCharlie always has a solution: So I took a bucket with a Champagne bottle and asked her to put on a really long track. Then I washed her hair in one minute and dried it. AMAZING! SHE IS A MODEL... SHE LOOKED AMAZING. I don’t think people understood how she managed to start her DJ set with black hair, and finish it as a blonde. When the festival is finished, I went back to the hotel. On the way I was thinking what I was gonna write for my blog, which was quite difficult after so much beer. (www.charlielemindu.com).
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PS. – Cabbage Soup Recipe ! * 6 large green onions * 2 green peppers * 1 or 2 cans of tomatoes (diced or whole) * 3 Carrots * 1 Container mushrooms (10 oz. or so) * 1 bunch of celery
charlielemindu.com
with
HAIRDRESSER
“
Confessions of a...
* Half a head of cabbage * 1 package Lipton soup mix * 1 or 2 cubes of bouillon (optional) * 1 48oz can V8 juice (optional) * Season to taste with salt, pepper, parsley, curry, garlic powder, etc. Just mix everything and go on www.cabbage-soup-diet.com. Do it and smell it – it’s amazing!
! ! ! Y R O T S E F I L REAL
MY FAMILY SAY I’M UNHOLY, BUT YOU CAN’T PUT A PRICE ON TRUE LOVE
lips crudely stapled on the knee, a car battery dangling from the guts. I decided it was time to tell my parents and took a taxi to Newham to visit my dad at the bacon factory. Inside, the air was heavy with the smell of pig fat and disdain. When my dad finally saw me he just stared blankly, as David Gray’s Babylon seeped from an old transistor radio. “Daddy, it’s me,” I remember calling out, but to no response. I turned round and ran, past the greasy leering faces and out of the factory. Later, I found comfort in Dean’s words. He had such sweet little nicknames for me, like his “tiny chimera” or “Mrs Insideout”. Consoled, I felt ready to take on the world. Nowadays I do get loads of attention – people staring at me in the streets, that kind of thing. I think basically people are just afraid of what they don’t understand. Sometimes they will shout things out like: “I can see your lungs” or “you’re leaking bile”. I remember one old guy renounced the Holy Trinity after knocking into me in the Camberwell Happy Shopper, which, despite the inevitable leakages, I felt was an overreaction. I know Dean has other “pieces” as he calls us and sometimes when I’m all clogged-up I do think about, you know, ending it all. But then I remember how caring he can be when he’s sober and how great the sex is. Yours, Sandy x
Illustration by Dan Szor
the courage to ask him out. Later that night we got back to my flat and Dean began to gently caress my face. He told me I was a precious flower bud and that he was the sun, before disappearing to the toilet for several minutes. I set my Febreze plugin to ‘Cleansing Rain’, dimmed the lights and waited for him to return. The sex was fantastic and Dean treated me like an absolute goddess. After my first operation, Dean still wasn’t pleased. He decided to make my shoulder look like Johnny Borrell and wanted to place several major organs facing outwards. Dean certainly took care of me, whispering beautiful things as I recovered from the anaesthetic such as “getting there” and “definitely an improvement”. Sure enough the job offers started to pour in from all sorts of lads’ mags: Scrote, Tish, Geeza and Flaps all wanted to splash my charms across their centrefolds. It was every girl’s dream, and what’s more, Dean just couldn’t keep his hands off me. It was like going out with a 14 year-old or something – he was absolutely insatiable. Sometimes it did cause problems with the dressings and the healing process in general; I remember on one occasion it got quite bad. Dean just smiled at me. “You’re a bloody mess,” he joked, removing the wrapper from a Milky Way he had stashed in his jacket pocket. Yet more procedures followed: a cluster of eyes in the armpit, chapped
“
“
AFTER KEITH DUMPED ME I used to just sit around watching Cash in the Attic, spooning tub after tub of ice cream into my hopeless throat. I was so unhappy with the way my body looked. It seemed like my dream of being a model would never come true. “Get yourself together!” my mate Kathy would say, helpfully tilting the sofa until I fell to the floor in a ball of realisation. I needed to do something, but in truth my ankles were all wrong and I had a back like a bad cathedral. I’d never even thought about getting any plastic surgery till I saw a billboard in town with my mate Beth on it. It was an advert selling clocks to wives and Beth looked dead glam. I called her up that instant, and after the usual half hour of veiled criticism, we got round to chatting on her new look, which she explained was the work of a certain miracle doctor. Dr Grampton (or Dean as I would come to know him as) was not what you might call imposing. He couldn’t have been more then five feet tall and his limbs were all bunched up, as if trying to escape the world. I noticed his unusual facial spasm straight away, like a lizard snatching flies under strobe lighting – I didn’t care though, he had gentle eyes and a gruff, kindly laugh reminiscent of Garry Bushell. We decided that I should have a total skin peel and some of the excess flesh taken out of my leg to let the femur breathe. At the end of the consultation I plucked up 54
by Sandra Shaw
SUPERBRAND!
! c i t s a t n i r p
WITH A GREAT HERITAGE, TOP NOTCH DESIGNER COLABORATIONS AND NOW THEIR NEWLY LAUNCHED APPAREL LINE EASTPAK ARE GETTING EVER BIGGER IN THE GAME!
EASTPAK EASTPAK RULE the bag world – standard! They started in 1960, making bags for the US armed forces, Eastpak’s pioneering production methods, such as using cordura (a highly durable fabric) set them apart from the rest of the ‘back pack’ and made them the toughest bags around. 1976 was the pivotal year when they combined this toughness with their now seminal use of bright colours and striking prints – Eastpak had now positioned itself as a force to be reckoned with and had become one with the masses. Now what one wore on their back became just as important as what one wore on their front. Playgrounds and offices around the world have now become open catwalks to the Eastpak ethos. All moving at a different pace, yet all moving under the same love for this most iconic of brands. The key to its success being the fact that the almost infinite amount of different designs allows the wearer to find a style that suits their personality and ultimately, their individuality. In recent years the brand has seen itself embark on a series of pioneering collaborations, thus taking the classic Eastpak look to the forefront of 21st century design, with the most notable
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Photography by Sonia Melot Styling by Dan Szor and Niyi Crown Make-up by Addam Ciccione Models James One Time and Jess All clothes by Eastpak
Words by Dominik E Riddler
of these being their collaboration with the most forward thinking menswear designer around - Raf Simons. Raf has taken the idea of what a backpack is and should be and totally remodelled it, injecting the classic design with a range of new colours, prints and silhouettes thus creating a range of bags that are not only innovative, sturdy and functional but are chic, stylish and some of the most must-have bags around. This season also marks the first in an exciting collaborative collection with power print duo Eley Kishimoto. Swirling hounds tooth patterns, contrasting colours and strong graphical shapes create bags, which, not only speak for themselves, but also for the people lucky enough to be wearing them. Now, with their reputation in ‘Bag Babylon’ firmly placed, Eastpak are branching out into creating their own line of distinctive apparel. Hoodies, coats and trousers effortlessly fuse together the ideas of style, durability and functionality, whilst their new range of t-shirts come embezzled with the same striking prints as the bags themselves with geometric shapes and enigmatic colours being the order of the day. With their latest designs and ever forward thinking, Eastpak are well on their way to creating the premier urban camouflage of the future, with the only difference being that with this camouflage you wont blend in with your surroundings, you’ll defiantly stand out a mile. ‘Built to resist’– I bet you wont be able to!
ELEY KISHIMOTO EASTPAK SS09
EAS
TPA
KR A SS0 F SIM O 9
NS
eastpak.com
D
ADDE INT P R P S HAND PAK’R £35
EASTPAK
RAF SIM ONS SS09
S
ON
M SI
S
F RA 09 K A SS TP
EA
DE
LE
GA T PR E IN INT NO £35 MAD
IN K’R £35 A D P INT DE PR D PA MAD NO
E QU ASTP ILT AK ED R N AF PA YLO SIM K’R N P ON £9 AD S DE 0 D
EAS
TPA AW K RAF 08 C SIM POL RINKL ONS YES E TER D
M IN EDIU 90 M R £ E INT NSF TRA MAD PR NO
ELEY K ISHIMO TO EASTP AK SS0 9
R DE T UL RIN HO S P ’ S ND NE A O H N HE I ‘T AG B
ELEY KI EAST SHIMOTO PAK S S09
OTO SHIM 09 I K Y ELE TPAK SS EAS
E AW AST 08 PA W KR O A BA OL S F S G HO IMO £7 0 ULD NS ER
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MEET DARKWAVE’S POSTER BOYS AKA THE BAND WHO SAY . . .
S.C.U we are
.U.M
“I think when you see a band like us play it’s like a wave coming forward at you. Darkwave’s a good term” –Tom
Tom
–Vocals/Sampler 62
Photography by David Richardson
S.C.U.M ARE THE BOYS THAT GOT AWAY. These five magpie-like heroes spread their wings and flew the broken home/nest that Indie and alternativism had become. They and other like-minded souls flew straight from the playgrounds and colleges of Britain into their own worlds. Worlds that exist within ours, and yet chug along to a different pace. Worlds that sound different, that look different; worlds where conformity does not a have a place – unless conforming to the new world order. These five young men are on the brink of greatness, yet still hold the vitality of youth and naivety. Champions of the underage scene, and leaders of the new Darkwave means they’re ideally placed to surface from their underground hideouts and take over the known world – thus enchanting others to do the same. Tom, their Richard Hell-like singer, floats along at his own pace, constantly in a state of thought, with a spark in his eye hinting he could flip at any second. Huw and Rory provide the rhythm. A dark rhythmic sound that conjures up visions of a Victorian steam train plowing through the industrial estates of backwater modern Britain. Sam and Bradley are the icing on the cake, puncturing the overall sound with stabs of apocalyptic synths and layers of inversed ambience. They sound like no one else. They are making music that a still infantile 21st century is yet to hear – blessing its ears with a sound that echoes the entrapment of modern day life. It’s as though they forced the entire history of twentieth century music to strip naked at gunpoint and then forced it to degrade itself in front of millions on a Big Brother-like reality TV show. If David Lynch made a Disney film, then S.C.U.M would provide the soundtrack. These are the children of Myspace, the first generation to utilise it as a tool of recruitment. They and the music they make are honest and progressive. They don’t care about the past, but they know what happened. They stand firmly facing the future, albeit maybe with their heads and minds twisted slightly to the left in order not to face the inevitable. What is the inevitable? We may ask. We don’t know, they don’t know – but it certainly looks as though there’s gonna be a lot more S.C.U.M around...
SUPERSUPER’s Dan Szor caught up with singer Tom and bassist Huw to talk ideology, the value of modern day education and all things that might be deemed as S.C.U.M SUPERSUPER: So how did S.C.U.M come about? How long have you been playing together? Tom: About a year. Huw joined in March and it’s all blossomed since then really. I guess it was just that I knew a few people who were interested in doing something that was outside of what everyone else was doing music wise at that point – basically we were all people with interesting record collections and a little bit of musical ability. SS: So how old are you guys? T: We’re both 18, Sam’s 16, Rory’s 17 and Brad’s 19. SS: So what would you say your inspiration was? That whole early 80s downtown NY No Wave scene springs to mind. T: Yeah, we’ve had a lot of no wave comparisons – that and post punk really. Huw: We’ve been listening to a lot of Liquid Liquid recently. SS: They’re quite rhythmic aren’t they – would you say that rhythm is quite a big thing for you lot? H: Well for me it is, playing bass and stuff. T: Rhythm and ambiance. SS: Your sound reminds me of Suicide and Alan Vega. T: Yeah we’re really into Suicide SS: Have you heard their song Frankie Teardrop. It’s probably one of the scariest songs ever recorded where he goes on about how he’s gonna kill his family over this rhythmic droning noise. H: Yeah I’ve heard that. T: I like Alan Vega when he thinks he’s Elvis. SS: Do you like Joy Division? T: Yeah, when I first delved into music I listened to stuff like that H: It’s the rawness of Joy Division that really inspires me, more so than their overall sound. T: I liked their Northern view of things, they were actually living what they sounded like. They were a product of what it was socially in The North. I think it’s a shame at the moment that there’s not much stuff coming out of The North. SS: Yeah I know what you mean as that’s where I’m from. T: Where abouts are you from? SS: Well originally I’m from Stoke on Trent, but I went to uni in Manchester. I had this romanticised vision of it, and basically thought I was gonna be walking round like Ian Curtis in this post industrial landscape, but when I got there everyone was still banging on about Oasis and Ian bloody Brown. Have you heard that band, The Courteeners? T: Lest we forget. SS: Do you think a lot of people just stop at Joy Division and think that they’re the be all and end all? T: Yeah, it’s ridiculous. There was so much more going on, like Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire. SS: That was the whole Sheffield side of the Pennines wasn’t it. The Manchester lot who were a lot more guitary whilst the Sheffield side were a lot more into building their own synths and the likes. Have you heard the Human League’s early music? T: Oh yeah, of course! The samples and Bsides and stuff? I really liked that – Being
Huw –Bass Guitar & Pedal
Ruaridh –Drums
Boiled is amazing. SS: That period was a really exciting think time for music and art. Would you say that these are exciting times today? T: Generally, it’s fucking awful. H: It’s awful, but it was kind of good that the guitary bands sort of came back, although now I think there’s too many of them really. They’re completely dominating the charts at the moment. SS: It’s like every ounce of supposed ‘Indie’ has been squashed out of everything. T: It’s just been so over used to the point where it’s sort of irrelevant now. Indie was an abbreviation of the word independent, but there’s nothing independent about it. SS: Even independent record labels are just subsidiaries of the larger ones. T: Yeah and that makes it difficult for us as well because it means that we have to work for the bigger labels who are more interested in sales than art. SS: So are you signed yet? T: Er...no...well... not yet ..(smiles)..but having said that, the label we might get involved with, I feel, will be the right label for us. H: Yeah definitely. T: It’s the sort of label that focuses on careers, and loads of the bands on there are bands that I love. SS: You’ve got the TingTings getting to number one these days – do you think
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there’s a place for you up there? T: I don’t know, we’ll see what happens. SS: Who are the other bands in this scene – actually, what is this scene – has it got a name yet? T: I think that generally, it’s the role of the media to give it a name you know? SS: Would you say it’s Goth? H: I don’t know. It’s always classed as Goth due to the way we sort of dress in black and stuff T: I think maybe SuperSuper should key the term? SS: Mmmm is that a challenge... I’m thinking Dark-wave T: Well I think when you see a band like us play; it’s like a wave coming forward to you. Dark-wave’s a good term. SS: I’ve not seen you play yet, when are you playing next? T: Offset festival. I think that’s gonna be quite good as well. SS: We were talking about Offset festival the other day, I think it’s gonna be the kind of event where everything comes together... there’s loads of good bands that are playing. H: Yeah I know... Gang of Four and Wire. T: Yeah it does seem to be dominated by the scene that’s yet to be named. SS: Would you say that this whole dark/ goth thing is a backlash against Nu Rave or whatever that was deemed to be? T: I don’t know... Nu Rave, sort of... you could liken Nu Rave to Punk in the respect
that it’s one of the few youth cultures/fashions which was initially a few people who were wearing stuff which was quite avant garde and considered, and then you had lots of other people trying to do it really cheaply and badly, then it basically became about wearing the worst stuff that you can find. SS: On a stylistic level I guess it seems that what you and some other bands right now are doing is like a backlash against it, because of how you dress. It’s quite monochromatic and more sculptured as opposed to messy with loads of bits hanging off you. But is the ideology behind it any different? T: Perhaps because what’s on the surface is less distracting, what is created can speak for itself. It also seems that the most unlikely of fashions does seep through to the high street. I certainly didn’t expect to be going to all the major high street shops and seeing them full of Nu Rave-inspired clothes! At the source of it though I have the ultimate respect for anybody trying to create something new. H: Yeah, it happened at a time when everything was so bland and boring, and then suddenly everything seemed to come to life in full colour mode. SS: Before Nu Rave, colour hadn’t really happened for a while. People can get quite ashamed of colour. Would you
say that people take you more seriously because you’re not wearing loads of colour? T: Perhaps, I haven’t really though about that. H: I went to see the Klaxons play a small gig in Southend where I’m from, and what they were wearing was the most extreme end of nu rave. T: Actually one similarity that we have to them are definitely our escapist lyrics. SS: Is escapism a big part of what you do? T: For me as a writer, definitely. At the moment I just don’t want to embrace anything. SS: Why don’t you want to embrace anything? T: Ummm, it’s just a sort of a social thing I guess. Culture, economy. Everything is just at a complete state of disillusion for people of our age, so I guess that escapism is just a product of that. I definitely wouldn’t want to be part of what’s going on in the ‘Hollyoaks’ sense of the word – which IS apparently what we’re supposed to conform to. SS: What do you think about our society being described as two tiered – with one tier being those who actively seek information and ones who get it fed it. T: Yes absolutely, and I think we aspire to seek rather than be spoon fed. H: I love to seek out new music rather than listening solely to what is made easily available
to me. I enjoy listening to records that the everyday person would not listen to. Finding it... seeking it. SS: As a band, when people come to see you, how do you stop your music from being the end product of their musical discovery? How do you ensure you’re not the last link on the chain? H: It was really interesting to play the Underage Festival, and see young people really enjoy us. It was great. It would be really nice to think they’d follow it up and seek our influences. T: I think that’s possibly the ideal really isn’t it? To musically create something that’s moving forward, and for people to see that and trace back. SS: Would you rather be influential or make millions of pounds? H: Well, it’d be nice to earn a living, to write music as a job. T: Doing anything creative as a job is ideal. SS: It’s weird you say that because we were talking earlier about how hard it is to make a living by being creative. Do you think that the current state of the country hinders creativity? T: I think when it comes to being creative you have to pitch your battle against everyone else’s. SS: Do your parents have normal jobs? T: Well my mum’s an artist, so I’ve really seen doing things creatively in a different light. To see someone put so much into something and then have it shunned. SS: My parents went to uni, then ended up in jobs that weren’t originally what they’d set out to do – I don’t wanna end like that, and I doubt a load of other kids do too. T: Yeah that seems to happen a lot nowadays. Everyone’s got a degree just for degree’s sake. I’ve spoken to people who graduate and then are really lost because they don’t know what to do. It’s like you’re given money for three years to have a purpose, then at the end that purpose is taken away. Surely the purpose should be the end product. SS: Does that mean there’s no point in going to uni if you’re already doing what you want to be doing? H: Well I did a specialist music course at college, and feel I could go to work in my area, or I could go to uni for another three years. It would be fun I guess. T: Creativity and education are different things altogether. I’ve found that what you want to do creatively isn’t always compatible with the marking system. You have to apply to certain rules to get a grade. SS: Yeah, I ended up getting a D in A level art. T: Haha no way, that’s what I got! SS: Haha, now I can finally come clean about my D! I’ve been so ashamed all these years! Yeah but then I went on to get a distinction at foundation and a first at uni. T: Is foundation any better? SS: Yeah definitely, it’s so much better. T: Oh that’s cool. I was worried because with A Levels you have things like artist research, which is basically ‘find an artist you like and copy them.’ That’s the last fucking thing I wanna do. I’d rather have my own ideas, you know? SS: There seem to be hoops you need to jump through at certain levels of academia
l e u m Sa –Ivory
y e l d a r B “ Everything is just at a complete state of disillusion for people of our age, so I guess that escapism is just a product of this ” –Tom
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Opening image: all clothes by All Saints All other images: clothes band’s own Grooming by Addam Ciccione With thanks to Felicity, Sean McLusky, Naida, Richard and Richard @ Just FX
–Machines
where if you can crack the formula, you can do well. But that’s not a really appropriate way of measuring artistic ability or creativity. T: That’s probably the same as the music industry. It seems there’s definitely a certain formula. SS: Would you say that you’re a product of bands like The Horrors? Did you see them and think “I wanna be like that”? T: Actually, the first band I ever added on Myspace were The Horrors! H: It’s inevitable that there’ll be comparisons. I suppose it is hard to get away from. Mainly because of the way we dress. SS: You’re from Southend – isn’t Coffin Joe from Southend? H: Yeah he’s from Southend, we all used to hang out at the Junk Club SS: Would you say that as a band you can learn from them? T: I think it all depends on who you get signed by. They signed to a major label. SS: Then the NME got involved.... T: When it comes to record deals there are two paths to take...hopefully we’ll take the path that’s more album orientated, rather than hit single. More orientated in producing a body of work. SS: Do you think the old notion of ‘fame for fame’s sake’ is growing old now? Are young people slowly becoming less throwaway in their approach to fame? T: Perhaps. There’ll always be people like that though. SS: So what sort of music did your mum and dad listen to? Did it influence you? T: When I was a kid, I remember we had this head teacher who was really into 70s music, and we had this 70s day – I was only in year one I think. My year were meant to be Punks and I remember they played The Stranglers and we were made to do this terrible dance. So I ripped up a t-shirt and spiked up my hair, but in the end I wasn’t selected to do the dance on stage. After that all I listened to was Punk, just to prove to myself that I was more Punk than everybody else. So yeah, from then on I just used to dance around to my dad’s records and jump around with my willy out!... that was basically my first experience with music. [Tom to Huw] What was your first musical influence? I’ve never asked you that! H: I don’t know...when I was a kid my mum was all into jazz and soul, Stevie Wonder and stuff. My dad’s music was a bit more obscure. My brother really was my main influence. He’d discover new records then lock me in his room and make me listen to them. T: Haha, that’s a good method. Me and my sister used to be in competition. She was really into The Smiths and I was really into the Pistols and The Clash, and we’d compete to see who could play it louder, or who know the most obscure facts about the band, and who could read the most books about them. When I was thirteen it was the first time I listened to Public Image Ltd, but then I sort of thought ‘what more can you do after that?’ so I started getting into Joy Division. I used to buy all my albums from Music Zone... all the CDs were like £5! SS: Everyone just downloads stuff now, although it’s not the same cos you don’t get to hold the artwork in your hands. T: Yeah you lose something with downloads. When I was younger I used to really like getting the album home and looking through all the artwork. SS: Do you aspire to giving that experience? Combining music with the visual? T: Oh yeah definitely. H: Yeah it’s more about the whole experience with us. T: Yeah, we want our shows to be more about the whole experience, including projections and lighting. Gestures you make while performing and how you hold yourself. SS: So is it all quite studied? T: I think initially it was just experimentation, but now we’re starting to nurture it more. SS: So who are your peers within this scene? T: Factory Floor are really good recorded. I like how they use their drums. There’s also a band called An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump. They’re great to watch live. We’re all mates and by sticking together do something massive – we’re gonna change the world...
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THE ONLY PLACE TO FIND THE WIDEST AND MOST DIVERSE SCOPE OF TALENT FOR ALL YOUR CAMPAIGNS, EDITORIALS, CATALOGUES AND OTHER VISUAL PRODUCTIONS.
Michael Thompson
Nadav Kander
Camilla Åkrans
AN EVENT SPECIALLY CONCEIVED FOR THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY, CONNECTIONS GATHERS MORE THAN 2,500 DECISION-MAKERS UNDER ONE ROOF.
Forget the faceless disco organisers of yesteryear & meet the new generation of underground celebrities whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve gone from selfpromotion to club promoter in a few (million) clicks . . .
Words by Buster Bennett
WE ARE ALL PROMOTERS NOW
Don P from AS IT IS TV Photographed by Tim & Barry
!
FLIP OPEN YOUR LAPTOP AND GET CLICKING...
YOU ARE THE NEW GENERATION OF PROMOTERS! CHOOSE YOUR MASH-UP, CREATE YOUR WONDERLAND, AND PAVE THE WAY TO THE FUTURE ! ! !
ON THESE PAGES we explore the new wave of DIY promoters – those who’ve torn up the rule book, kablapsed the format and pushed clubbing into the art gallery. With the fall of the super-club and rise of the niche event, the days of faceless corporate promoting is coming to an end. A new breed of celebrity selfpromoters are stepping up and putting their names and wallets where their mouth is. They inspire a new sense of creative accountability within the industry and that effect is pumping out some serious talent! It seems the Internet has once again dragged us from the Stone Age – the age where to be a promoter you had to stand outside a club handing out flyers one by one in the pissing rain at 3am while crapulous clubbers stampede over your feet. Hail the age of spam! One click of a finger and you can reach a million eyes, without even spending a penny on printing. This one simple fact has revolutionised clubbing. With fewer hurdles to jump and examples a plenty, it’s child’s play to launch and promote a new night. However, be warned, it takes a lot more to make it a success. Fonteyn from DAN BEAUMO NT ‘Nuke Them All’ says... (DISCO BLOO DBATH) “You really have to know what your club stands for. Anyone can start a night playing whatever’s currently cool and they might get a couple of months out of it, but people will start seeing through it and quickly move on. Promoters expect their first night to be massive, and when it isn’t they give up, but if you really mean it you have to stick with it and people will come. Oh, and having some talent doesn’t hurt either!” So whilst there’s a fair amount of trial and error in club promoting, if you don’t really have any idea or concept to promote then you’re probably better off waiting until you have. Inspiration for running a night can come from anywhere, but in most cases conceptled clubs are formed to defy a current trend. Clown, promoter of ‘Klown Klub’, says he wanted to start a club that would bring back dress-up culture post nu
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Photography by Andrew Burford Words by Buster Bennett
rave, but in an entirely new experimental form, focusing more on art and performance than music. Clubs are often counter-cultural and reactionary – if there is something big going on then often the antidote is created. Take Nu Rave clubbing for example; after the initial wave of day-glo expressionism some people wanted to be different, so the obvious step was to wear black. Mika Doll promoter of Black Balloon says... “Growing up in Essex, and frequenting The Junk Club, with the likes of The Horrors, my personal style has always been chic, mod and 20s. I didn’t fit into the whole Nu Rave scene so I started my own, which I like to call ‘grave’.” Dress-up clubs are traditionally a London affair, but increasingly overt-style has been spreading to the other big cities like Bristol and Manchester. Often these satellite scenes duplicate and translate what happens in London, but in Liverpool an entirely new scene has arisen independently from London. The ‘Dogshow’ brothers who run a new club called The Kazimier, say... “We don’t spend a lot of time in London, and although we’re aware of what’s going on, we are doing our own thing. The Kazimier is like a coop, we are a modern gypsy culture, we help each other out and we pool our resources to create The Kazimier events. The music is all about dance, we like finding obscure folk and gypsy music, some of it has amazing pounding beats!” The Kazimier is based in a squat-club, and this is what makes it so special. Sam from Dogshow says: “We always looked for a warehouse – for something we could make our own. A normal promoter is bound by the laws and rules of the venues – it really limits what they can do. For us, on the other hand, we can literally get a hack-saw out and dismantle whole areas of our venue, and, of course, it’s free!” Venues, and their availability, really do control clubland. From the free raves of the second summer of love to the prohibition of America circa 1920-1933, one thing we know is that if the law, councils and the police clamp down on clubland, it doesn’t die, it just goes underground. Legal or illegal, clubs are becoming more and more common. And when there is an abundance of something, it’s often the case that they start specialising at what they do. From drag-king nights like ‘Club Wotever’ to game-show themed nights like ‘Shinky Shonky’ and ‘Supermodel Gameshow’, we’re seeing more and more unique club night formats. Clubbing isn’t all about dancing anymore; clubs are playgrounds in which to entertain. They can be catwalks, galleries, cinemas and even soap boxes! They are fast becoming the one stop shop for culture, acting as a showcase and stage for new designers, artists and musicians in the making. If you like your culture raw and untamed, bypass the art gallery and head for the dancefloor. Icons have been born in the glitterglow of mother mirror-ball and she’s churning out more stars than ever before, the likes of The Cocknbullkid, Santogold and Dizzie Rascal all found their feet on the underground, and have since gone on to revitalise their respective industries, breaking the mould and setting a
clear example for others to follow. Often the promoters themselves, the organisers of the underground who help launch these careers get overlooked, but the tide appears to be turning, the boundaries have blurred and mash-up has created new /multislash/ titans that are grabbing headlines faster than contestants in The Crystal Maze. As you will see in these next few pages, promoters are king of the /slash/slash/slash approach to careers. They’ve taken their own path, and learnt along the way, often multitalented/multi-slashed, relentless organisers, true bastions of culture, investing and creating work for a myriad of creative producers, supporting movements and even revolutions! But, this isn’t an impenetrable clique, there is nothing separating you from them. We display these promoters as examples and inspiration, we are all promoters now, and it’s time for YOU to step up! First start by choosing your mash-up; careers aren’t one dimensional anymore, there’s a whole sweet shop out there, and you can pick and mix what’s right for you. The //slashes are limitless, you could be a DJ/VJ/fashiondesigner/politician or perhaps a hair-stylist/ journalist/MC/plumber! Why stick to one thing? Sure, be good at the things you do, and don’t water yourself down, but like music, when you mash-up different genres you often invent a whole new sound. In this case, invent your new career! You’re the boss. Gaffer-tape your path together, blu-tack your dreams in reality and build an office from cardboard! And when you’re done, stick a Bluetooth dongle up your arse and broadcast to the world. Our generation has the tools to conquer the world with our laptops, and in my books that calls for a party, so why not mash-up everything and start your own club? And I quote Mr. Willy Wonka... “We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams”
A
D DA FAR DON P & IS TV) (AS IT
AS IT IS TV: Big raves all over the UK & worldwide – Bassline tour to Gambia in November! SOUND: Bassline / Funky House / R&B / Ragga / Old Skool Garage WHAT’S IT ABOUT?: Bringing people together to create new friendships with like-minded people. WHY IS AS IT IS TV THE BEST PLACE TO MEET NEW FRIENDS?!: It’s safe and secure!
(
RED LUCIE AGULL) AL SE (ILLEG
(Dan, opposite) DISCO BLOODBATH: Various basements around East London! SOUND: Ecstasy Disco, Spaced out Italo proto house, strung out pop noir & hi-nrg sleaze! WHAT’S IT ABOUT?: Music for dancing irrespective of genre HOW COME DISCO IS ‘BACK’?!: People want drama! A break from pavlovian rave noise! Our crowd are hungry for new sounds regardless of genre or era. It’s all disco to me!
(ILL NADO O EGA L SE NE AGU LL
)
ILLEGAL SEAGULL: One-offs around Bristol SOUND: Carnival-punk / wizardjungle / skate-wave / horror-hop / fun-core / no-rave / free-garage / vagigrave /queer-billy / flux-metal / ship-rock / graven-face / prism-goth / deaf-funk / dark-jam / classic-psycho WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?: FUN!!! – and a little bit of frolicking. WHY IS IT CALLED ILLEGAL SEAGULL?: It came to Nadoone on a flaming pie, and remained dormant until Lucie Red suggested (forced) her to resurrect it!! There’s now a band in Michigan called illegal seagulls – we think they are ok... (copycats!)
SCOTTEE (i-SSUE)
(CA L
KLING TRON ALL TRIB
ES)
JACK ADA MS (MUMDANC E)
CALLING ALL TRIBES: The Ghetto, Soho, London Every Wed SOUND: Non genre specific. From J-pop to art-rock – if we like it, it’s in! WHAT’S IT ABOUT?: Artistic expression, musical experimentation and pure dada fun WHAT DOES YOUR CLUB LOOK LIKE?: It’s bright, disturbing, energetic and out of control!
MUMDANCE: Old Blue Last, Shoreditch, London, every 2nd Friday SOUND: All genres mash-up. WHAT’S IT ABOUT?: Fusing and recontextualising a wide variety of talent from different musical styles from around the world. Always free. HOW DO PEOPLE DANCE IN YOUR CLUB?: Usually badly! A lot of the kids around the East End dress well but none of them have rhythm!
i-SSUE: London & Paris SOUND: Mainly performance and art based WHAT’S IT ABOUT?: Showcasing nu performance art WHY DO YOU WEAR WHAT YOU WEAR?: I like showing off and also attempting to make the silliest clothes in the world
BUSTER BENNETT (CALLING ALL TRIBES)
FONTEYN (NUKE THEM ALL)
DEAN GOLDEN (SUPERMODEL GAMESHOW)
SUPERMODEL GAMESHOW Electricity Showrooms, LDN. SOUND: Electro-pop death! WHAT’S IT ABOUT?: A degrading gameshow with lots of mess and prizes, mashing up filth with the squeaky clean. WHAT’S YOUR IDEAL GUEST LIST?: Myra Hindley, Columbia & Magenta (Rocky Horror), Klaus Nomi, Divine, Patsy Stone, Viv Westwood, Gary Glitter, The New York Dolls, Bette Davis & Micky Mouse.
JAMES BENENSON, MARK HUDSON, JAMES RAMPANI (URBAN NERDS)
CALLING ALL TRIBES: Every Wed at The Ghetto, London SOUND: CAT is right here right now. IN YR FACE! WHAT’S IT ABOUT?: Calling All Tribes is the place to be seen. It’s about mixing genres and creating new ones. WHAT’S YOUR TRIBE?: Visionaries who don’t just dream it but be it!
NUKE THEM ALL: We lurk where rats rule! SOUND: Post-rave, post everything – radioactive future music. WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?: We’re the club at the end of the world HOW WILL THE WORLD COME TO AN END?: By being turned into Luxury Flats!
URBAN NERDS: 93 Feet East, East London SOUND: Dubstep / grime / hiphop / reggae / DnB / Bassline / funk / soul / + all the best! WHAT’S IT ABOUT?: Good music, great sound and an unrivalled party atmosphere – something for everyone. WHAT MAKES AN URBAN NERD?: The T-shirt!
JAMIE (DONUTS)
KYLIE & LOUISE (AKA PURE FILTH)
DONUTS: The Tube, Bristol, 2nd Friday of the month SOUND: Dubstep, bassline, electro, garage, jungle... whatever gets played, you know there’s gonna be a lot of bass involved WHAT’S IT ABOUT?: It’s just like the shop Dunkin Donuts. It’s about bringing new stuff to Bristol but also about supporting the locals as well. The bottom line of it is – get the crowd hyped. DUNKIN DONUTS OR KRISPY KREME?: Nah man, DILLA donuts all the way!
PURE FILTH PRESENT GASH: The Macbeth, Hoxton Street. London. SOUND: Grimey hip hop, garage, dirty electro, hardcore. WHAT’S IT ABOUT?: Fresh Prince of Bel Air meets Offspring’s ‘Slam’ WHO’S MORE HARDCORE, BOY PROMOTERS OR GIRL PROMOTERS?: Girls! Because we do everything the boys can do, but in six inch heels!
HANNAH DAVIDS (CHOCKABLOCK & MINDIE)
CHOCKABLOCK: Monthly Fridays, Egg, Kings Cross, London. MINDIE: 93 Ft East, East London. WHAT’S IT ABOUT?: Mindie is about bringing up’n’coming artists of all genres to perform on one stage – proactively reaching out! WHO’S GOING TO BE BIG THAT’S PLAYED YOUR CLUB?: The Laurel Collective – Mindie’s darlings, who’ve recently signed to Double 6!
SNAP CRACKLE & POP: Various London venues SOUND: Bands’ Alternative / indie/electro, DJ’s – house music in all its forms and sub genres WHAT’S IT ABOUT?: Good music, good people, no gimmicks – independently run. WHO’S THE BEST ACT YOU’VE BOOKED?: Crookers! At our first birthday!
WARBOY (BETWEEN THE CRACKS) BETWEEN THE CRACKS: Warehouse in Shoreditch, London SOUND: Dirty dance music WHAT’S IT ABOUT?: To dance your tits off to new sounds – it’s 2008 so it’s time for something new! WHAT’S THE MOST INSANE CLUBBING MOMENT YOU’VE HAD?: One time at All You Can Eat (Warboy’s previous club) we had The Paint Girls in to get people painting on huge canvases. Instead everybody started taking their clothes off and smearing paint all over their bodies. It was very messy but very sexy.
HARRY, MED, JAKE, BARRY, STUART (SNAP CRACKLE & POP)
HANNAH HOLLAND (TRAILER TRASH)
MAMA SHAMONE (TRAILER TRASH)
TRAILER TRASH: Fridays, On The Rox, London BASTARD BATTY BASS: First Thurs of the month, The Star of Bethnal Green, London WHAT’S IT ABOUT?: A spectrum of bass music with live performances and dirty electro disco. WHAT’S THE WILDEST THING THAT’S GONE DOWN AT TRAILER TRASH?: Hosting our 1st birthday in a 500 year old medieval prison! WHO’S THE BEST MC OF ALL TIME?: Ivory
CLOWN (KLOWN KLUB)
DAVID LEWIS (MONDAY MURKAGE)
JOHN & ON (EGG)
MONDAY MURKAGE: Mondays, Manchester SOUND: Fidget House / Acid House / Baltimore / Electro / Bassline / Dubstep / UK G / Bashment / Hip-Hop / Jungle WHAT’S IT ABOUT?: Murkage Cartel play the latest riddims from artists such as A1 Bassline, The Wideboys, Heavy Feet, Cotti & Bubbz and classics like Monsta Boy ‘I’m Sorry’, Robins S ‘Show Me Love’ and DMX ‘We Right Here’. It’s also mandatory for the last song of each night to be a slow jam. HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE PROMO GAME?: I started it off a year ago as a platform to promote a garage single I had out with Sunship called Hands On Her. It’s a rave where you will hear the most hype tunes, but there’s also bare hot girls: Monday Murkage is that point where scene meets total baitness!
KLOWN KLUB: At a Sweatbox near you! SOUND: Clown-step WHAT’S IT ABOUT?: A club for modern clowns. WHAT IS YOUR DOOR POLICY?: Klowns only.
ALWAYZ FRYDAZE / SICK OF NATURE / MAGIC CIRCLE: Every Friday at Egg, London SOUND: Electro-tech / grime / maxi-minimal / bassline / bmore WHAT’S IT ABOUT?: Bringing East London to Kings Cross Playing underground, ground-breaking electronic music. WHAT ARE THE PITFALLS OF WORKING WITH A BIG VENUE?: Being everywhere at once!
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* iHEARTNiYi: Tuesdays at Punk, Soho, London. SOUND: Pub-step, belly breaks, trancehall + honky house WHAT’S IT ABOUT?: Making people break their backs on the dancefloor at 170+bpm HIGHLIGHT OF THE CLUB SO FAR?: Dexplicit & Partyshank bringing the house down – oh, and when Frodo from Lord of the Rings turned up.
ANDY CZEZOWSKI Such credentials as bookkeeping for Vivienne Westwood and managing Adam Ant for a week surely aided Andy Czezowski’s running of legendary Punk nights at The Roxy. It stirred up so much controversy during it’s 100 night stint that it was turned over by an armed gang who knocked on the door claiming to be the Vice Squad but proceeded to lock Andy in a cupboard and ravage the Roxy.
PHILIP SALON Permanently swathed head-to-toe in Vivienne Westwood, Philip Salon embodied the indulgent New Romantic spirit of the Mud Club. Boy George said of Philip, with whom he worked closely at Mud, “underneath that Rottweiler there’s a really sweet human being”.
CHOCKABLOCK: Monthly Fridays at Egg, London. SOUND: Grime and bassline to rave and jungle WHAT’S IT ABOUT?: One of the only nights totally dedicated to promoting the UK underground scene WHERE DID YOU BEGIN?: In Northampton back in April 2007 and it’s been getting bigger and better ever since!
MICHAEL ALIG Michael Alig’s immortalisation on celluloid in Party Monster, when he was played by Macaulay Culkin is all the more poignant since the original New York Club Kid was destroyed by the hedonistic scene he created when a drug-related altercation led to Michael murdering a fellow promoter. Thankfully, they have Myspazz in the slammer and Michael’s ‘online now’ icon flashes like a beacon of hope for club kids everywhere.
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TOP 10 TIPS 4 GETTIN’ STARTED
GIRLCORE: Catch, Kingsland Road, last Thursday of every month. SOUND: Mashup WHAT’S IT ABOUT?: Vaginas are the answer! WHAT MAKES SOMEONE GIRLCORE?: Fearlessness, fierceness, a strong liver and great tits!
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CHRIS SULLIVAN Back in the days before WAG meant orange gold diggers in Juicy Couture tracksuits, it was the coolest club night in 80’s Soho. Tequila swilling, monocle wearing New Edwardians were encouraged by former fashion student and self-proclaimed ‘ring-master’ Chris Sullivan to “leave Wag Club with hangovers and blisters on the feet”.
JP (CHOCKABLOCK) NIYI, JAMES, JAYGA, NASPLASHA, OLLIE, DAVEY (iHEARTNiYi) GIRLCORE (JUST SOME OF THE CREW!)
TOP PROMOTERS OF YESTERYEAR
GIRLCORE ARE: Isa GT Naomi// Karley Sciortino Laetitia Descouens Lolo Chambovet Marisa Brickman Julia Corsaro Naz Foroodian Carmelita Moralas Maria Gomez Ruth Bartlet Becky Mills Tara Grant Kirsten Campbell
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EMBRACE FACEBOOK / MYSPACE / ET AL! LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION (ask yer fave venue about cheap deals) GET A BADMAN ILLUSTRATOR TO DO YOUR FLYER MAKE FRIENDS WITH A PHOTOGRAPHER (nothing gets the word around like decent pics!) MAKE FRIENDS WITH OTHER PROMOTERS (and take their advice!) DON’T GET INVOLVED IN ILLEGAL POSTER WARS (find out what your council’s rules are) TIMING IS ESSENTIAL (you don’t want to clash with an established night or put it on when everyone’s left town) FLYER YOUR ‘RIVALS’ NIGHTS DON’T SPEND TOO MUCH $ AT THE START (and see what you can get done for free!) HAVE AN UTTERLY SUPERB IDEA / TASTE IN MUSIC / SOCIAL CIRCLE / DJ & BAND FRIENDS / CREATIVE & BLAGGING ABILITY
DiY.TV HAVING FIRMLY ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES AS BiG IN THE PHOTOGRAPHY GAME WITH WORK FOR THE V&A, JCDC AND DIZZEE RASCAL TO NAME BUT A FEW, UK DUO TIM & BARRY HAVE SHIFTED THEIR FOCUS & JUST DO IT APPROACH TO WEB TV, PLACING THEMSELVES AT THE FOREFRONT OF A MEDIA REVOLUTION THAT IS EXCITING, FRIGHTENING AND COMING TO A SCREEN NEAR YOU NOW... LIVE!!
/DONTWAT
All images Tim & Barry Interview SuperSteve
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SUPERSUPER: So Tim & Barry, we’ll get into the whole future of media thing and your web TV bizniz in a second, but first, for those that don’t know can you chat a little about how you got into the whole game, how T&B came about in the very beginning. For a start there’s two of you, it only takes one to press a button on a camera so what’s with that – is one of you waste?! TIM & BARRY: We met at college – London College of Printing – doing photography. We became friends & decided to live together in the second year. In the third year we started assisting other photographers, like Jason Evans (who was a guest lecturer) and Mark LeBon. We’d seen how other people worked, not Mark and Jason, but some other people. We’d felt the whole ‘I’m the photographer bow down to my ego’ atmosphere on photo shoots, and we knew we didn’t want to do that. So we realised if we worked together we could take some of that away. The early idea was; if there were two of us we could diffuse some of the ego. And have a bit of a joke...
ATCHTHAT
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we just want to say fuck em because they got too greedy, too lazy, all the shit they’re in now, serves them right. But on the other hand you have to seperate the companies themselves and their shareholder-driven decisions from some of the individuals who work for them – to be fair there are a lot of good people in the music industry as well, who are smart and really into it for all the right reasons. On the whole the internet’s opened up opportunities for interesting programmes – just for more interesting things to be made. That’s the exciting thing about it; it’s given the power back to the consumer, and the industries are struggling to keep up. It’s a scary time and an exciting time. You can put £5 in to something and make millions, or spend millions and make nothing with Myspace, YouTube etc. It’s also quite a generation specific thing. I don’t think older generations were quite as adaptable to not being restricted by tradition, or notions of tradition.
SS: Ok, your photography career’s going along nicely, you’re doing what you want, shooting the people you want, getting good commissions, big magazines, gallery shows, you’ve got the grime scene on lock – so what switched you onto the whole moving image, online thing? T&B: It was actually while we were in Canada, we met this guy called Jim who’s been into computers since the 80s and does the servers for the UN. He’s really successful and a bit of a patron of the arts in Vancouver – he had this enormous building with these great, huge spaces he lets out to artists. He let us have a studio there, and it was him that turned us on to the whole emerging social networking thing, showed us some basic HTML coding, how we could upload our work etc. It was also a very practical thing – Jim was like, did you know your friend JME has a Myspace? It meant we could keep in touch with people. Before that, Tim was the kind of person that could only really just about open emails. He found computers laborious and clunky – and to be fair, before that time, with technology as it was, it wasn’t so much of a viable option. SS: So once you’d had your web epiphany, how did you use it?! T&B: Barry’s always been interested in video and we’d talked about it on and off, but now we’d discovered YouTube we realised we had a platform to do what we wanted to do. Being so involved in the music scene also made it a really natural step – doh! we can add sound to our pictures! – so we got back to the UK and started asking ourselves what we wanted to do in terms of music videos. We looked at different influences, programmes that we saw growing up, Rapido, The Word, even kids TV shows. Re-runs of The Tube as well, and Dance Energy. MTV as well, of course, although that’s pretty
dead now – it’s all about selling and commodity and less about the artist, plus they seem to show less and less actual music videos anyway. SS: Bearing in mind you weren’t trained editors, which is a whole other craft, how did you work it in the beginning? T&B: In the beginning it would take us a week to do it ourselves. When you haven’t got money, there’s just no point paying someone to do something you probably don’t want them to do in the first place. These days, if you have access to a computer, you’ve got access to information about music making and editing equipment. Gimp. org is good, and YouTube tutorials are there for everything. And anyway, you don’t necessarily need to know everything – just what you need to know to achieve the thing you’re trying to do. For us, if it sounds good, looks good, feels good, why does it have to conform to the mainstream notion of the most advanced technological invention? Newness doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better. We can listen to what the experts say but we don’t have to do it... we just do what we think is good. Our thing is to always see if it works for ourselves. That’s the essence of Tim and Barry TV. SS: What factors were/are most important to you in the videos? T&B: The main thing was to put the emphasis back on the sound. Making the person sound good and getting the artist involved in the creative process. It’s 100% live, no miming and generally people love it, because they don’t have to pretend to do what they’re doing for a day, they actually get to do what they do. And it’s important for us that they enjoy it. That’s not to say there’s no room to evolve. We did make those decisions about it being live from the beginning though.
SS: What would be the 3 point Tim and Barry ‘just do it’ plan? T&B: 1. Decide what it is you wanna do. For me, you never know what you wanna do until you start doing it. SO START DOING IT. 2. Find other people who are doing what you wanna do, to advise you how to get the things you need. Get the expert’s advice. 3. DON’T LISTEN TO THEM LOL. No, listen to them to a certain degree, but not if they’re telling you to buy the most expensive piece of equipment. Find people that can help you get something that’s the equivalent of what the experts advice, for free or relatively cheaply. Get all the stuff in place... don’t worry about what you should have, but get the creative process going. Learn your craft first. SS: Are you concerned with control, or is the aim simply to get your work out as far and wide as possible? T&B: When we first started our logo took up about 50% of what we put out there, to be like ‘here we are!!’
It gave us an identity. Our stuff is so multifaceted, there’s no singular style so the logo brought it all together and unified it. I think with modern technology, there’s more opportunity to gauge your success, your market. The internet tells you how many views or hits you’ve got. You can figure out your market. It helps you make judgements, technology gives you an awareness for what’s going on around you. Knowing what you wanna do as well.. deciding whether you just wanna make money or just wanna be creative... there are different routes. If you wanna do both, you’ve gotta find balance. SS: Where’s your balance? T&B: We’re definitely driven by a need to pay the bills, but there’s something in that being a creative thing. Now’s a really good time for creative people to have a good idea of how the economy works. You need to be very lucky for something to come from it, and if you’re purely motivated by business, it’s also quite a tricky time, because if you’re just making business decisions, what you think is going to be your meal ticket can just disappear overnight. With the internet at the moment no-one really knows what’s going on, business logic is one thing but you just have to trust your instincts. SS: What do you think of the whole ‘cat on a skateboard falling of a roof’ T&B: It’ll die down. SS: Really? Won’t it just be a new cat on a jet packed skateboard? T&B: The initial sort of buzz will die down. The thing is, our videos can’t always be ‘exciting’ in that way because they’re not planned. The basis of ours is spontaneity. We quite like the idea of leaving it loose, and letting what happens happen. It’s something we wanna tailor to a certain degree, but trying to predict or follow a formula gives it a shelf life. If we show up, and someone’s brushing their teeth, we’ll shoot that. But we won’t plan beforehand for them to be brushing their teeth. It’s more like tailored documentary. We’re playing with what’s available to us, but not dictating it. For us it’s about finding the balance and not forcing anything. SS: Obviously speed is crucial online. If you’ve a choice between putting something rough up today or more artsy in a week, which do you choose? T&B: The artsy stuff we’re not so bothered about. It’s more about the editing and cutting. We’re actually gonna start doing more stuff that’s simpler and quicker. Who it is matters as well though. We want to do both. SS: Ok, last question: How do you describe the editorial policy of Tim & Barry TV? Is it something specific, like ‘grime TV’, or is it just ‘whatever Tim & Barry like’?! T&B: Obviously grime has been central to it – although the bassline videos have been getting the biggest hits lately – but really the content range is broadening; you can see John Smith doing an intricate finger-picking to Queens Of The Stone Age on there as well, for example. Of course our taste plays a role, but ultimately we’d like to think it comes down to showing work that has artistic integrity. Someone said to us the other day that ‘if someone makes it on to Tim and Barry TV then they’ve made it’ which is also great to hear, of course!
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SUPERSUPER: What kind of work were you doing back then? TIM & BARRY: Landscapes through bus windows, where it looked like there was a soft focus swirl where actually people had left greasy hair stains on the window. Sort of making something beautiful out of something that people think is nasty... SS: Were you well up on the tech side of things from the off? T&B: Yes but mainly out of practical and financial necessity. Our approach is to look at what resources we’ve got, work out what it is we really want to do, and then decide how we can achieve it. We’ve learnt to be strict and spend as little as possible. For us, going digital was integral to that. Digital actually emulates the idea of the whole ‘get up and go’ approach. So we made the decision early on to stretch ourselves and buy a snappy snap type 8 megapixel camera, which was the best one available to us at the time. A lot of people back then refused to allow digital, so we’d print up the shots ourselves, take them in, then tell them afterwards that they were actually digital. From then on they kind of warmed up to the idea. SS: Aside from the high profile commissions, you’re best known for all the work you’ve done on the grime scene. How did you link in to all that to begin with? T&B: Tim was DJing at this club every Friday and Twin B was a regular, turned out he was a DJ, he became a regular guest (he was underage at the time and we had to sneak him past the bouncers) and then when he wanted to put out a mixtape he asked if we could do some pictures for it. This was 2002 and the idea was to have UK grime artists spit over US beats cos although grime was getting some acclaim, there was a lot of talk that the MCing was rubbish – and we didn’t agree, we kind of wanted to put them up there on a platform. There was D Double, Jammer, Wiley – as a producer then, not an MC – and word started getting around, other artists asking ‘who did that?’ So we did the photography for magazines relating to the mixtape. Then we started pitching to magazines about Dizzee and they were like ‘who’s he?’. Then that blew up and we thought, fuck this, why should we wait for them to catch up, so we just started shooting whoever we thought was promising and it went from there... SS: Ok, so fast forward – what does internet TV mean to you? T&B: YouTube! It means a lot of different stuff to us, it’s a hard question to answer being quite involved in it. On a larger scale there’s a whole discussion about servers, browsers etc becoming more like politicians, y’know, with all sorts of companies from Google down realising that they have an interest in how things get to the person, controlling what gets to them and how it’s passed around. They’ve realised that they can make more money off something if they police the internet, and I’m very wary of that. SS: Do you watch normal TV?? T&B: We don’t have a TV. To be honest we just kind of lost interest in what was on TV a while back – it’s all reality shows, celebrity chefs and how much you can sell your bric-a-brac for. It’s similar in a way to our experiences with the music industry. On the one hand
YOUTUBE.COM/TIMANDBARRYTV
TIMANDBARRYTV 100% live no miming no concept just good music
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Photographer Mario Mendez Stylist Alexis Knox All clothes Emma Bell
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BELLA DONNA
EMMA BELL IS A FASHION DESIGNER ON A MISSION. SINCE SHOWING AT THE SUPERSUPER SHOW AT LONDON FASHION WEEK IN FEB SHE’S BEEN ALL OVER MYSPACE, HAD HER STUFF FEATURED ON SKINS, COLLABORATED WITH HIP LABEL IRREGULAR CHOICE & NOW SELLS ALL OVER THE WORLD. SUPERSUPERMODEL REBECCA PEARSON CAUGHT UP WITH HER ON THE EVE OF HER DEBUT SOLO SHOW AT LFW TO TALK STYLE, INTEGRITY AND ER, TURNIPS!
SUPERSUPER: Emma Bell! Your clothes are the stuff of dreams. How would you describe them to someone with a blindfold on?! EMMA BELL: Sparkle-a-rama! Magnificently GOURMET, a million dancing rainbows in a dirty social club with a couple of yodelling guys with porn-tashes sporting Lederhosen! SS: What inspires your designs? EB: My life as a whole, whether it be hauling my backpack off on some action packed travel; weird and wonderful people that I see on the street – for example there was a man with a ginger perm and a waistcoat covered in badges that used to work in the Co-op opposite my house!; whatever book I’m reading at the time; special postcards; photographs....my scrapbooks and journals....
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super hot match for my work and it was great to show with SuperSuper alongside other designers that push the boundaries and shun the ordinary! SS: The models you used for the show all looked quite androgynous – in a glittery glamrock sort of way – was that a conscious choice? EB: Yep, very much so! I have always been a womenswear designer, but I like the idea that my clothing has that air of ambiguity. It’s always my intention that it doesn’t matter if your male, female or a porpoise, you can rock a bit of the Emma Bell! SS: And what do you say to the whole ‘size zero’ debate? EB: To be honest I don’t really buy into it. I’d much rather indulge in a bit of Jeremy Kyle! I understand and appreciate that it’s considered important that people can act as human coat hangers. However, I place much more value on personality & self-assurance when it comes to both models and people. SS: You’re quite industrious, selling your clothes at Shrinking Violet in Bristol, Irregular Choice and loads more. Have they approached you or have you had to make the hard sell? It must be great to be getting recognition... EB: Yeah, taking on the salesman role was a whole new ball game for me! I think it’s so important to make sure that my clothing is only stocked in the perfect places for me. It’s really exciting to have my work sold internationally!!! SS: And Shrinking Violet is an amazing store! EB: Queenie who owns it is lovely and she has a real vision, so it’s always great to have people who are so passionate involved! SS: Where else have your designs featured and who would be your dream celeb to dress? EB: I’ve been featured in quite a lot of mags now and my clothes have also been spotted gracing the dancefloors on Jodie Harsh as well as on Josie Long on Channel 4’s SKINS. I would love to dress Dolly Parton or Jimmy Saville! SS: You’ve manage to reconcile artistic and commercial success. What advice would you give to any fledgling designers out there? EB: I think it’s incredibly important to always maintain an awareness of commercial value as I believe that this is as important as gaining press attention and creating something that looks amazing. Whilst it’s great to totally UNLEASH and create something that is aesthetically divine, you also have to ensure that your work is accessable to some extent. If people want to get slinky in your stuff then they have to be able to get their hands on the goods, or it becomes frustrating. At the same time, special oneoff pieces that will never be reproduced help maintain your artistic integrity. I’d say to any
designer, if you’re not prepared to be burning the midnight oil on the sewing machine till your fingers bleed and your head feels as if it’s been kicked a million times, then move on, you’re in the wrong profession! SS: I’m a massive fan of the colours and textures you use – which are your favourite to work with? EB: Oooh thanks! I love a good rainbow! Right now, a nice bit of quilting is really floating my boat. I love anything that sparkles to the max... Pink is my favourite colour, so I often have to reign myself in or my collections would looking like Barbie’s wardrobe, which wouldn’t be a bad thing in my opinion, but I wouldn’t like to impose my self-indulgence on people! SS: The designs are quite brave in a way, because they’re unashamedly bright, colourful, feminine and fun. Have you gotten any stick for that? EB: I figure you either love or hate my work – total Marmite syndrome. My work is all about being expressive and having a sense of humour... there’s always going to be someone who can’t crack a smile over it! SS: The next LFW fast approaches – where will you be showing and what’ve you got in the pipeline? EB: Yes it’s approaching so fast! Eeeeeekk!! At the moment I’m averaging about 2 hours kip a night, suffering chest pains and my fingers are covered in pin holes... but it’s all good! I’m showing at Vauxhall Fashion Scout, I can‘t wait! I keep getting waves of hysteria!!! YES PLEASE to SS09!! WOOOOO!!! SS: Can you see yourself ever departing from your fun and colourful designs? EB: No, I would rather die! Unless my spirit gets mystically crushed then I don’t ever want to discard my signature aesthetic or my work just wouldn’t be me!
Colour images Emma Bell S/S 08 Catwalk photography by Ian Gillett
SS: Do you have a muse? EB: I do not have one entity or person in particular. All of my ideas and inspirations kind of fuse together to create an objective instead, and also as my creativity and focus progresses this objective tends to change and develop... there are always going to be people who make me tick and really influence me but I tend to always alternatively allow the bigger picture to act as my muse. SS: What sort of people/animal/vegetable/ mineral do you imagine wears your clothes? EB: Oooh well I can see, in my crystal ball, Pat Butcher sporting the ‘Bingo Caller’ jacket because she’s amazing and she wears a similar make-up combo to myself. In the vegetable world... most definitely a turnip, just because I like the word – well more preferably TURNIPSSS with emphasis on the ‘S’ – although I don’t actually like eating them. I recently read a phantasmagorical Russian Fairytale called ‘The Stolen Turnips’ which was slightly bizarre – that’s why I envisage a turnip wearing my clothes! SS: How long have you been designing and making clothes? EB: I used to play dress up at my Grandma’s house. She had a big juicy plethora of super hot evening gowns and costume jewellery! That was also where I first dabbled with a sewing machine! SS: Did you have any offers to go and work for a fashion house when you graduated from the Uni of Westminster? EB: There were a couple of great opportunities as well as a few strange ones upon graduating but it’s so important for me to be sure that what I am doing is the right thing for me. I would rather choose to work somewhere totally random (like Mothercare, which yes, I have done!) on minimum wage than somewhere that’s a total mismatch for me as a designer. After graduating I continued to work on various independent design projects before hopping on board with footwear company Irregular Choice for two seasons to work on a clothing sub-label called ‘Emma Bell for Irregular Choice’. SS: You showed at The SuperSuper Show at LFW in Feb. Does the ethos and aesthetic of SS connect with your designs? EB: Yes of course! I think it’s great for a magazine to steer away from the generic ‘rules’ and do something that totally stands for itself! I always trot down to the shops to get a copy, even over Christmas when I was up North – it’s a
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Colour images Emma Bell S/S 08 Catwalk photography by Ian Gillett
& STOP SEARCH: Since the dawn of time, monsters haven’t really had equal opportunities. Often the scapegoat for many of the world’s problems, they’re more likely to be shot/blown up/nuked on the spot than to be politely asked to step to one side. However if you’re sporting a Chanel necklace you won’t get stopped – you’re rich.
Nuns have a ‘habit’ of getting into trouble with the law – we’ve all seen Sister Act 1 and 2 enough to know even Divine Intervention can’t stop you from being stopped and searched. Sister Mary Clarence, you’ve got a lot to answer for.
a SUPERSUPER guide to er, ‘street survival’ by dan szor illustration by kiki hitomi myspace.com/kikihitomi
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Usually the city worker is a vision of pristine pinstripe beauty – rather like a freshly pressed banknote. However in light of recent economic woe, these dapper dudes have begun to feel the heat. Sweating profusely and worrying about not receiving a bonus whilst loitering around within the city’s ‘Ring of Steel’ is definitely not a good idea.
Nowadays everyone’s a potential criminal, but this guy’s the real deal. Opting for the classical ‘crook’ look but glamming it up with a pair of ‘muscle pants’, a money bag t-shirt and a rather delightful veil/ stocking masterpiece, this guy’s gonna get stopped – even if it’s just for crimes against fashion.
Living an alternative existence is bound to get you noticed, and let’s face it, that’s why we do it. Emos, Screamos and Finding Nemo’s all had a brush with the law at some point. Avoiding six packs of White Lightening and the local park will help your cause, however, as will keeping your hood only halfway up – thus disassociating you from the proper ‘hoodies’.
Supposedly the colour of your skin should have no influence on whether or not you get stopped and searched, but we all know that it does. Maybe we should all paint our faces green and purple – then there’d be no excuse as we’d all look the same. Wearing balaclavas and working the ‘inverted minstrel look’ however, are not very sensible options.
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“OPEN YOUR MOUTH, OPEN YOUR MOUTH!” as six burly hands grabbed the hands and neck of me and my friend and pushed us into the window of a packed handbag shop on a bustling Charring Cross Road. For about 7 seconds I hadn’t got a clue what was going on – was I being mugged, was I being accosted by a crack team of guerrilla dentists, or was I just another victim in the Metropolitan Police Force’s ever increasing stop and search policy? It soon dawned on me that it was the latter. “Name?” – Dan Szor, “Age?” – 22, “Ethnicity?” – White British (I wish I could say Black African), “Where are you from?” – Stoke on Trent. “You’re a bit far from home aren’t you?” Replied the plain clothed officer in his pony t-shirt, combat trousers and Reebok classics as he slowly and satisfactorily rolled on a pair of purple rubber gloves. What the fuck? Two thirds of the people who reside in London aren’t actually from there. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve got nothing wrong with helping out the local bill in order to stop crime, but come on, this was the 3rd time in the space of a week that this had happened. I’m begging to question my whole existence. What’s wrong with my face? – I don’t look that bad do I? Although I must admit though that occasionally I do look a bit ‘ragga’ as I swan through Whitechapel stinking of Strongbow Super and sporting last night’s attire. Anyways, what I wanna know is why there is a staggering increase in the number of people being stopped and searched? Did someone switch the usual police training videos of the Police Academy series with copies of Judge Dread and Robocop? What do you have to look like in order to decrease your chances of being stopped? My nana’s never being stopped, so why do I? The only thing I’ve ever dealt is Pokémon cards on the school playground back in ‘98, and as for terrorism – you’re more likely to see me blowing up an inflatable beach ball than a national monument. After countless phone calls to The Metropolitan Police trying to get an interview and information, I was told that what I was doing was illegal, so I’ve had to go it alone and produce my very own guide on how to dress in order not to be stopped and searched.
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why me?!
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PHARRELL
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PHARRELL WILLIAMS IS A CULTURAL ICON OF OUR TIMES. NOT ONLY HAS HE SHAPED THE CONTEMPORARY MUSICAL LANDSCAPE WITH HIS GRAMMYWINNING SOLO, NERD AND COLLABORATIVE WORK – BRITNEY/ JAY Z/MADONNA/BEYONCE TO NAME BUT A FEW – HE IS ALSO A STYLE ICON (ESQUIRE’S ‘BEST DRESSED MAN IN THE WORLD’ 2005) AND FOUNDER OF SUPERCOOL CLOTHING LABELS BILLIONAIRE BOYS CLUB AND ICE CREAM. ALL THAT ASIDE – IF ONE MAN WERE TO REPRESENT SUPERSUPER’S RELENTLESSY OPTIMISTIC & PLAYFUL SPIRIT, IT WOULD BE HIM. SO, UNSURPRISINGLY, I JUMPED AT THE CHANCE TO HANG OUT AND TALK BRAIN STYLE, SPACE TRAVEL AND THE FABULOUS NEW BBC & ICE CREAM COLLECTIONS WITH THE MAN HIMSELF . . .
Photography by Kayti Peschke All Pharrell image artwork by Mille-o mang-o cyber-o
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NAMALEE
NAMALEE: Hey Pharrell... It’s lovely to meet you! PHARRELL: Likewise. You look dope... colours! colours! N: Thank you! Your new BBC collection looks amaaazing... It’s based on a ‘space beach’ right? P: Yeah... If there’s something that you can’t do in the real world then you should imagine it. I welcomed ‘space beach’ into the art of the mind. I imagined if the moon had water and waves... and the collection just flowed like that. When I was a kid I was blown away by rockets, stars, planets, robots... N: You’re obsessed! Are you ever gonna get over that space thing?! P: Naaaaah!!! Hahahaha! N: So are you gonna take a trip to space in one of these new Virgin space buses that are launching soon? P: No way – I’m a walking accident... And, well, I’m afraid of heights! N: You’re joking, right? You promo space like it’s one of your brands! – “Girl you don’t know what you mean to me / You are my everything / You are my alien from S-p-a-c-e”... you gotta go!
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P: I’m telling the truth – I’m scared of heights! And I guess I’ve always been into the idea of space and what it represents more than anything... N: You could still build a Billionaire Boys Club rocket though, even if you can’t fly in it... P: Yeahhh, that would be cool... N: Ok, so I think it’s fair to say that money is a major factor in life today, but apart from that, what do you think is the most important thing in life? P: Education. It’s is the greatest wealth one could ever accumulate. Education is something that could never be affected by inflation or recession. N: What do you think about people who take the ‘Billionaire’ bit the wrong way and think that to be hip and cool like you they’ve got to drive around in a pimped out SUV, sipping on Cristal with a load of ‘bitches’ in the back? P: Well that’s the thing – if they knew me, and knew what I was trying to do, they’d realise I’m making fun of all that. That’s why there’s a diamond and dollar in the logo. A stone represents wisdom. Cash is supposed to be cream, which is supposed to run the world – but I’m saying that the real true wealth is meant to be up here in your brain. That’s why there’s a dream and a brain for N.E.R.D’s art work. That’s what we’re making fun of – that’s why I did ice cream, ‘ice’ as in the stone’s wisdom, ‘cream’ as in ‘cash’. I wanted to put that on the kids feet. N: Menswear is all about attention to detail, right? You’ve got some really great detail action in these clothes. Those Vulcan fingered gloves for a start – Amaaaazing! P: Yeh, yeh Sure – it’s all about the details and I’ve put hidden messages in everything... N: Your latest album is called ‘Seeing Sounds’ isn’t it? Hmmmmm... P: You’re not a fan huh?!? N: No, I am! I was just pondering exactly what you mean by that title? P: It’s like when your mind’s eye wanted to see the music the way you see it... yeh?! How do you ‘see’ music? That’s what we want to convey. It’s about ‘your’ experience, not mine... It’s like if you create your own ipod list in your own way it would be different to someone elses – even if we liked the same songs... you would program it differently to me, right? N: Yes but how much of that would be my true individuality speaking and how much would be because I was doing it the way I thought I should because subconsciously I’d seen someone else do it? P: Would you be wearing a SpongeBob necklace if Stephen Hillberg didn’t create
the character of SpongeBob? N: No, because it wouldn’t exist. P: Yeah, so you saw it... you liked it... you bought into it. You didn’t invent it but you made it your own... so it’s a little bit of both, right. It’s what you take from it – someone else influences you and then you take it and then you do it your way. So instead of just watching the cartoon you choose to wear it, yeah? Me too though – I had a SpongeBob necklace. N: Awwww – I know, I’ve seen it. It’s cute : ) P: It’s not ‘awwwwww...’ You’re not supposed to say ‘that’s cute’ you’re supposed to say ‘that’s cool!’ N: It’s cute, I’ve seen it! ; ) P: It’s not ‘aww’ tho, it’s cool!! I also have a whole bunch of paintings of SpongeBob. SpongeBob is great! N: ‘Originality’ in a post-modern world where cynics say that everything has been done before and everyone knows about everything so you can’t do anything truly ‘new’ – Discuss... P: It’s important to establish the fact that it’s totally give and take with anything like that – it’s not just like, you know, ‘ooooh this person is the original’ and this person started that single-handedly. We are all a mixture. There’s nothing new under the sun. There’s definitely different variations, but there’s nothing that’s actually brand new – at the end of the day nothing is reference free. N: Can you talk a little about toys and stuff, cartoons... We know you’re a fan... P: I like The Smurfs, SpongeBob and Family Guy. I like characters that are kind of innocent and dumb. I like Patrick Starfish from SpongeBob best. He’s my favourite and he’s the reason why I watch it. I like it when Squidward gets angry. Stewie from Family Guy is cool too. N: SpongeBob is great because he’s a domestic kitchen sponge with a face who wears trousers and hangs out with a fat starfish who wears Bermudas. That’s so dada. He’s modern art! P: Yeah. Totally. N: Do cartoons influence your music? P: Well I haven’t done an animated video yet... N: What British music do you like at the moment? P: I’m loving all the British soul music, like Amy Winehouse. I’m not sure if y’all call it soul, but for me its like 60s soul. And there’s some white dude with a beard who wears a white suit and he kinda sings like Stevie Wonder. In the video he’s like in an ally and he wears a three piece suit and he’s stepping on neon squares that light up like in Billie
Jean – he’s wearing sunglasses. Do you know who I mean? N: No. P: Maybe it’s old and they just play it on TV. I thought it was a black dude and then when I looked at the screen I saw that it was a white boy and I was like wooooow!! I love that – I love the mixing and melting together of things you wouldn’t originally assume belong together. A bit like how you are dressed. N: Our thing is kind of about D.I.Y mashing together of loads of stuff... maximaximalism is my term for it. P: That’s what we try to do with N.E.R.D. That’s what we work at, just mix a mixture together... not for the sake of mixing but for the sake of the way it sounds and not being limited. N: Yeah N.E.R.D have always done mash-up in a big way – you’re mash up leaders. Do you believe in ‘genres’? P: I don’t, but everybody else can if they want to. N: Haha. Does it annoy you when people try and put you in a box? P: Naaaaaaah. They’re talking about you, right, and it’s good they’re talking about you. If they don’t talk about you’re probably not as interesting as you thought you were anyway. I mean everybody else can use boxes and genres. I don’t care. As long as I like what I’m doing, that’s what’s important to me... N: What are the BBC rules for colour? P: There are no rules for that! N: Have ever got shit for wearing colours? P: Yeeeeeeh...of course. At the end of the day you were probably a weirdo at high school too, right? N: Yeah it’s hard being a weirdo! P: But what’s hard about it? Hard is being an amputee. Hard is going to war when you are afraid. Hard is starving. Hard is ignorance. What we do is a pleasure and a privilege. N: You are spot on Mr Williams sir. How do you think people will dress in 2050? P: It’ll be smart clothing – there’ll be a lot of nano technology. I’m hoping that we’ll be the first to do it with BBC. Watch the BBC line – Season 8 is INCREDIBLE! Season 9 is gonna have some really really unreal shit. You guys are gonna be like how the FUCK did he connect with these people?!! And how did he get this to ACTUALLY happen!! But don’t think when you see it I’m ever going to the moon coz I’m not going to the moon – OK! N: But Pharrell!!! You’ve gotta go to the moon in a Billionaire Boys Club rocket!! P: I’m not going to the moon ever. Definitely not! 89
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Pharrell wears jacket, hat, tee and jeans by Billionaire Boys Club Trainers by Ice Cream Sunglasses by Ray Ban
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hard is
going to war when you are afraid. Hard is starving. Hard is ignorance. What we do is a pleasure and a privilege
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bbcicecream.com
All clothes by Billionaire Boys Club Trainers by Ice Cream Photographed by Kayti Peschke Styled by Niyi Crown Assisted by Hannah Balogun Worn by Raphael
Slinky Sunbéam’s WONDERING what adventures that lovable scamp/man-about-town/ The More Assured bassist Mr Slinky Sunbeam has been up to lately?? Then READ ON to find out!!!
Last night I drank a bottle of gin and lost my diary. I got arrested for being drunk and disorganised. The police man said, “Get in the back of the van.” So I got in and there was a freezer full of ice cream and a man selling Flakes. He said, “Not that van.”
I’ve been reading a book called ‘The Short History of Glue’. I can’t put it down. All I have with me is that novel and this notebook. I don’t know where I am. A cat just appeared at the window trying to give me a clue but he can’t speak because he’s a cat. He can’t articulate properly. He has no lips. Ah wait. He’s just laid an egg through the bars. Either that or he’s a hen. Yes, she’s a hen. What am I supposed to do with this egg? And then the hen was gone. “Crack it,” came a whisper from the corner of the room, making me jump. I had thought I was all alone. A tall man whose ears and eyes didn’t quite match stepped out of the shadows. Another prisoner, so it seemed. “Hi, my name’s Jack,” he whimpered by way of introduction. “I had a dream once: to fly for British Airways.” “What happened?” “Well... It’s not easy getting a job as a pilot if your name’s Jack, because you walk into the cockpit, the co-pilot says, ‘Hi Jack!’ and then everyone screams.” I empathized and then cracked the egg as instructed. Yes! Inside was a little scrap of paper. Wow! It’s a clue. I quickly worked out that the people who arrested me last night weren’t actually the police. I’m really going to need your help this month. (That’s you the reader. Not Jack. I don’t trust him. He stinks of Swarfeega and yaffles when he eats. By the way... your hair looks lovely today.)
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I couldn’t decipher it at first... and then I held it up to Jack’s perfectly spherical, shiny head. In the mirrored reflection I could read exactly what was spelled out... I collapsed in pain and angst. “Why is this happening to me? Who is doing this?” I mewled uncontrollably. I loved Fleecy the fluffy rodent. I really, really did. I tried to be strong, but a single tear escaped my hardened clench and rolled down my face. If I was holding a cup of tea then it would have rolled into that too. The tear landed where my tea hand goes.
“I’m so sorry,” said Jack whilst grasping a clutch bag. He had a strong German accent which sounded like a typewriter eating tinfoil. “Here take this.” He undid his small womanly knapsack and out popped a Chihuahua. I personally think this particular breed of dog is a waste of money. To me it looks like a dog that is still really far away. I politely retracted from taking the gift. Jack didn’t seem particularly elated by my withdrawal and suddenly stood up. Vexed and aggrieved he snarled, “Hey. How do you keep an idiot in suspense?” “Umm. I dunno?” “I’ll tell you later,” he said as he unlocked the door and walked out; slamming it sealed shut behind him. And underneath where he sat was our second clue. He had been keeping it incubated:
I followed the instructions and stared at the partition. There was a sign that read ‘Always practice safe eating. Use condiments.’ Underneath that was a plate which contained a packet of Haribo and a blob of Reggae Reggae Sauce in a Petri dish. I held them aloft as if they were mythical bearers of freedom. I slowly put them together, expecting a secret door to magically open on impact. The same way it works for Lara Croft when she solves a puzzle by slotting a dazzling tiger’s eye and a ruby cobweb together. It worked for Angelina Jolie, it can work for me... Oh yes! It can work for me. Oh yes it can... It didn’t. So I kicked in the front door Croydon style. The cold air hit me in the face. It was night time; chilly and wispy. I was unsure if I was even in England anymore. Barren, sandy land lay all around me. A metrosexual gentleman strolled into my eye line wearing an Afghan bonnet, and we started to chat. He had lost his left arm and leg in a bizarre gardening accident, but don’t worry; he’s all right now... The annoying thing is, his girlfriend’s a palmist and she really wants to know what happens next. I asked the one armed man where I was and he gave me a dirty look. I said, “Thanks, but I’ve already got one.” I spotted a McDonalds, which didn’t really help narrow down my location. I strode in. On ordering my cuisine the cashier said, “Do you want to eat it here or take it away?” I said, “I want to eat it here,” and then I ate my entire meal sitting on the till. Once that was finished I really fancied a pastry so I nipped next door to the bakery. I
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l u f r e d n o W galloped up to the female chef, “Can I have a quickie please?” The man next to me said, “It’s pronounced quiche.” Then I asked her for a double entendre and she gave me one. Her name is Tallulah Winfield. She was born and bred in a bakery, and raised in an oven. She says that milk baths will make you beautiful. Last night she left a note out for her milkman asking for 25 gallons of milk. When the milkman read the note he thought there must have been a mistake so he knocked on her door. Tallulah answered and the milkman said, “I found a note to leave you 25 gallons of milk. Did you mean 2.5 gallons?” Tallulah replied, “No, I want 25 gallons. I’m going to fill my bathtub with milk.” “Pasteurized?” asked the milkman, “No,” said Tallulah, “Just up to my shoulders.” Still getting no answers from anyone in town or where I was, I thought I would try out the local haunts. The first and only pub I went to was called ‘The Cock and Robe’. I don’t really want to talk about what happened in there, but basically I’ve learned never to accept a drink from a urologist again. And that’s when I came across my third clue. A beautiful bird appeared. At first I thought it was a robin, but it turned out to be a pigeon with a knife wound. He cooed into my eye. I took out the parchment wrapped round his talon:
I took this ancient scroll with me and arrived back at Tallulah’s shop. “Hey. I wanna ring doughnut.” “Go on then,” she said, “There’s a phone in the corner.” As I lifted the receiver a potato sack suddenly came over my head. A £50 note slipped out of my pocket and drifted down the street. The bag was quickly and tightly tied beneath my soles. I was tipped onto my side, and dragged down the street kicking and screaming. Half an hour later I was thrust out of the sack and onto a Chinese rug in the middle of nowhere. Then the minacious capturer looked down menacingly at me and began to speak.
d l r o W
“Slinky little boy. I trust you now wish to leave. You have not proved yourself to be noble or righteous, but I am willing to give you one last chance. One last shout in your plight for freedom... In front of you are three doors. If you go in and out of each then you have proved yourself fit to leave my kingdom. Behind the first one are 50 cans of White Lightning. Drink all of those. Behind door two is an extremely indignant gorilla with toothache. Perform root canal treatment on his molars and then extract the relevant tooth. Behind door three is the most beautiful Swedish woman you have ever seen. You have to make love to her all night until sunrise. How do you feel about the task ahead?” “Concerned.” “Let’s go.” And off we went... Hahaha hahahaha hahaha Right now Slinky is taking part in my unholy task. I have hijacked his pen and paper, and will be keeping minutes. It was me setting all the clues. And here is where it all ends. He will never come out alive. Door Number One: (Drink Challenge) 12:08: Slinky just swaggered in thinking he was Steve McQueen during the 70s. What a cretin. 12:21: Slinky has been in there for a while. I can hear him hurling and sobbing heavily. He is not leaving until it is all done. Hahaha 12:26: Slinky just sidled out like a blind person who refuses to have any help then threw up while he was walking and didn’t even notice. Now he is asleep. 01:01: Slinky is laughing. 01:02: Slinky is laughing. 01:32: Slinky is laughing. 01:33: Slinky has wet himself. Door Number Two: (Gorilla Dentistry) 01:36: Slinky crawls in towards the door and licks his lips; still inhumanly inebriated. He turns round to say something, but throws up and then falls asleep. 02:45: Slinky wakes up. 0246: Slinky is laughing. 02:47: I am angry. 02:48: Slinky is laughing. 02:49: I am angry. 03:02: Slinky is laughing. 03:04: I am angry. 03:06: Slinky has wet himself.
03:08: Slinky drinks a pint of tap water and then stops breathing. 03:09: His heart starts again, but he thinks everyone is his friend. 03:10: We finally manage to get him into the room. He’s ready to perform the extraction. 03:12: It sounds like they are having a chat. 04:01: They have been in there for almost an hour and the gorilla has done nothing but scream and holler; a looped gargle of terror. Hahaha. Is this the end for our hero? I think so. There will be absolutely nothing left of him. 05:02: Another hour has passed and the gorilla is still screaming his lungs out. HAHAHAHAHAHA. 05:03: The door opens. I am about to see a corpse... But, to my surprise Slinky is standing there unscathed! What?! 05:05: Slinky slurs, “So Where’s the Swedish girl that needs her tooth examined?” 05:05: I am angry. 05:06: Slinky is laughing. And on that bombshell I bid you adieu. So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen goodbye. Slinky is no fit state to sign off this month. If idiots could fly his house would be an airport. Lots of hate JACK XXX (Begrudging thanks to Michael “the girl” Pearlman)
ghetto
DROP THE
LiME
ALEX aka BOK BOK
FiD G ET JESSE ROSE
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Emma: Help! What is ghetto house? and how is it different from fidget house? Alex: Ghetto House comes from Chicago, it evolved from jackin’ Chicago house and got faster and ruder. In the mean time (and not really connected to the ghetto stuff) European fidget producers and San Francisco house guys have started borrowing samples from booty and crunk to make their beats sound more ghetto. Emma: You recently started Night Slugs at the legendary Redstar, (famous for its Redstar Sessions back in the day, run by Letty Fox and Tom Unlikely). Was there a ‘gap in the market’ for dutty house in LDN? Alex: We started Night Slugs to showcase a new movement! (it’s not actually at the Redstar anymore, we’re wandering between venues at the moment). The combination of gutter house, grimey 4x4, heavy bass and all these new emerging styles hadn’t really been brought together in a London club before so we decided we’d be the first to do it. Emma: What producers should we be researching if we’re just getting familiar with the movement?! Alex: The producers I’d recommend checking out for the new shit are Starkey, L-Vis 1990, Zomby, Boy 8 Bit, Drop The Lime and the rest of the Trouble & Bass camp. If you want ghetto house then you have to check the kings: DJ Deeon, Dj Funk, Jammin Gerald, Gantman, Paul Johnson, DJ Slugo, the whole Dancemania label. The list goes on! Emma: You produce gutter tunes yerself.. who are your major influences? Alex: My top influences when it comes to production are the really early 8bar grime beats that DJs like Slimzee used to play. Emma: What tune do you rinse most in your sets? Alex: I think my most rinsed tune this year is L-Vis’s Change The Game (does what it says on the tin), but I’ve got a new favourite every week. Anything new by Starkey, Drop The Lime, Screama, Piddy Py, Burga Boy will usually be at the top of my selection. Emma: I was chatting to Drop the Lime in relation to this article and he said “people are tired of using their brains in a club and want to dance”. Your thoughts?! Alex: LOL @ that DTL quote! Biggup Luca. Club music is about energy, momentum, emotion and hype. Inteligence, logic, reason are all beside the point! Beats can be clever but they need to be effective first and foremost. Emma: What’s next for you and (other half of this badman DJ duo) Manara?! Alex: Night Slugs will return once we’ve found a new home for it. We’ll be playing out around London and elsewhere, as usual. Watch out for new riddims and mixtapes dropping. Also if all goes to plan this autumn we should be bringing the sound to a club near you.
E: Yo! What genres do you draw on when building a tune? DTL: Soul, Doowop, Chicago House, Old School Jungle and Garage. E: What made you decide to make tunes under your alias, Curses! ?? DTL: I looked into the eyes of the devil and she cried. E: When did you first start producing beats, or did DJing come first? DTL: I was in bands since 14 and producing since 16. I started DJng around the same time I got my first drum machine which was 16 E: What advice would you give new producers? DTL: Don’t try to sound like what’s popular, just to make whatever feels natural.. and leave space for the sounds. Allow the tune to breathe. E: There’s been a bit of a tradition of chin stroking and head nodding in certain genres over the past few years. Do you think the popularity of this section of house is a reaction to this? DTL: People are tired of using their brains in a club and want to dance E: What’s your favourite tune to play out at the moment? DTL: Lil Louis Video Clash E: Have you got any colabs lined up, or new releases?! DTL: Machines Don’t Care just dropped with me, Sinden, Hervé, Toddla T, Fake Blood, Detboi, Trevor Loveys and Affie Yusef. New Curses! Ep is dropping on Institubes this month.. I’m currently working on my next DTL full length, single comes out in October E: What producers do you rate highly at the moment? DTL: I really enjoy what Toddla T, Buraka Som Sistema and Mikix the Cat are doing at the moment, and what a guy named Kanji Kinetic is doing as well...
E: You made up the term fidgit, and now it’s beginning to stick.. good work!! What does it mean? JR: It was & is still meant as a joke, when we made up the term (Switch & myself), it was a time when house music was quite serious & a bit boring... now I think it’s gone a little too far the other way and I’m digging the deeper, groovier shit... E: Why is it different to other subgenres of house? JR: It’s mix of all genres from dub to jungle, hip-hop to disco with a fat b-line underneath it all. E: What can someone expect from going to see one of ur sets? JR: Respect what you don’t expect! E: Where can we buy your tunes? JR: Hopefully at a record shop! If not, on most download sites, or you can type my name in google and find some cheap ass mp3 for free... :)
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‘ HOUSE
Words by Emma Dilemma Illustrations by Neon Skullz
myspace.com/neonskullz
UNLIKE YE OLDE BRICKS’N’MORTAR, THERE’S ONE KIND OF HOUSING MARKET THAT’S DEFINITELY ON THE UP RIGHT NOW – THE 4x4, BASS-DRIVEN KIND. THE EASY BIT IS REALISING IT’S ALL ABOUT HAVING SOME FUN ON THE DANCEFLOOR – THE HARDER PART IS KEEPING TRACK OF ALL THE VARIOUS STRANDS, LIKE TELLING YOUR WONK FROM YER WOBBLE, FOR EXAMPLE...
HOUSE MUSIC HAS BEEN DOING THE ROUNDS since before most of us were born (shout out to everyone who feels old now). Its omnipresence almost simultaneously makes the term impossible to define, but, the movement is moving! It’s always been known for its happy/progressive/all inclusive vibe, so shake off your ‘face down on the floor in Wetherspoons’ stereotype now! You cheeky monkey you! In true mashup stylie it has recently developed in lots of different directions taking influences from Old School Jungle, Garage, Dubstep, Baile Funk, and Hyphy (think E-40.. lol), to name a few. Leading the way in the cut up / mash up house scene are two protégés known as Sinden and (amongst other names) Hervé, who we featured on the cover of the last issue of this very magazine, whose music can only be described as party music for the slash/slash/slash generation. Unrelated to what they’re doing, a few bright young things have come up with some nu classifications of house such as fidget/ fidgit, ghetto, wobble and wonk.
?
!
iS BACK
but wot u call it?
What the hell are all dem subgenres tho? I’ve heard people saying them innit... For the people who like categories, in a ruddy sentence, characteristics of ghetto and wonk are sometimes cut up crazy MC shouting with mashed up rave samples also cut up and distorted, or wobbly basslines like in dubstep with sine-wave LFOs on the filters... ;). Also, there is a more commercial subset of electrohouse that people call Fidget often (Twocker/Will Bailey & Calvertron, Mickey Slim etc..). To some that’s not quite fidget as it does sound similar but hasn’t got any of the jack to it, its very straight sounding. Which isn’t a bad thing, it’s just different, and it definitely appeals to the more commercial crowd. Fidget house can be seen as separate from wonk and ghetto house. It crosses old US jacking house (ala Dj Sneak and friends) with electro house to create something new and fresh, like the early Switch/Solidgroove, Jesse Rose, (who started the term as a joke.. that went too far some say) Speakerjunk and people like The Bulgarian, Santiago & Bushido, Lee Mortimer, Oliver $ and Crookers. It is house because it has the soul
and groove element, even if it’s dirty and nasty.
Although ACTUALLY, SS thinks attempts at categorising these new experimentations is somewhat irrelevant, when essentially the most important thing is a wave of imaginative producers are reacquainting millions of us with our old friend House who is –quite frankly- is a lot dirtier than we remembered! The recent surge in popularity of 4 x 4 frolicking might have something to do with how fun it is to dance to. Not a diss to the ‘head nodders’ amongst us – there’s definitely a time and a place for that – although it seems more prominent in ‘scenes’ built by the heads for the heads such as Drum ‘n’ Bass and Dubstep. Nu styles of cut up bassy gutter house cater to those amongst us who need to be constantly entertained on the dancefloor, and what to hear a bit of everything, all at once! In any case all these “branches” or sub-genres all fit in with each other and each DJ can pick how much of what sound they wanna put into their set, and that is a really good and healthy thing. Bottom line, its all dirty dance music.
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michaelpybus.co.uk
**
SUPER ART
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michael pybus
Michael Pybus – recent Royal College graduate – is an artistic polymath mining the current ‘post-pop’ zeitgeist. We sent his mate and last issue’s featured artist, Nicky Carvell to find out where he’s coming from and – most importantly – where his work taking him next...
:) NICKY: Hiya! So what are you up to at the moment? MICHAEL: I was just in a show at the Jerwood Space and now I’m doing this project with a guy called CS Lee who’s a director. He started off when he was 17 and did couture dresses that Meryl Streep wore to the Oscars. He’s putting this book together called ‘Spectacle’, so that should be exciting – it’s coming out at the Frieze Art Fair. N: What do you think to of the art and fashion crossover that seems to be happening a lot more again right now? Do you see it as an encouraging thing? M: Yeah I think it’s good. You’re moving away from having all these stale categories. I think these days ideas can be a lot more fluid and there’s not so much snobbery between mediums. Because my practice is really collage-based I think it really suits me; I can use everything. N: Your work at Goldsmiths was really 2D and superflat but in your recent show at the Royal College it is as though something has exploded in an aftermath scene in a movie. Why do you think that’s happened? M: At Goldsmiths I was more on guard because I wasn’t doing this whole hip video/performance thing, which in hindsight was good for me. But I was so defensive about my place as a painter that it was maybe a bit stale. There was a hierarchy in my practice, where all the drawings in my space were works in progress. N: So it was all geared towards a finished product whilst the rest was hidden away? M: Yeah, after I graduated my BA I had a couple of years out and it just loosens you up and you start thinking for yourself. You spend a lot of time on your own and you get quite selfish with your work and it’s quite nice that feeling. You
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begin to realise that any action you do could be the work, and a sketch or a little drawing is just as important as a large painting. The big thing was just accepting works on paper as proper works – I could undo everything else. When I came to the Royal College I tried to experiment, just vomiting everything out; every surface, every material, every colour. N: Would you say this was more reflective of your life in a way, more honest? M: I think it’s definitely more honest. What I’ve learnt is that after putting all that stuff out there, my task then was to then carefully edit that. So it’s not about just picking the best finished work, it’s about grouping the most successful things so they have a new discourse with each other. So now everything I do has the possibility of being a work, but isn’t necessarily a work. N: Are you involved in the club scene at all? Because that embodies that whole experiential thing of your life flowing into your art and the exchange between them. M: I’m totally not! N: You should come out with me! M: I wouldn’t last a night with you! But what it does take from that is an attitude of immediacy, although it’s not really part of it. N: Maybe you need that distance to look at what going on and to reflect upon it. M: Yeah all the music I listen to is that type of electro stuff so that culture is there, but it’s just that the primary experience of it isn’t. N: I suppose that’s similar to your use of the models in your work as well. Are you going more into the photograph being your actual work now, rather than your painting? M: I’ve always wanted to have photos in my practice, whether
found photos or snapshots. But I’ve never shown a photo which was specifically set up and taken. What I like is that the work exists within this other place – I don’t think I’ll ever be a pure photographer, but I think that photography’s going to play a lot more in my practice because it’s about a surface and the transformation and eveningout of it. N: Yeah because I’m really into that – I love having my photo taken in front of my work! I think there’s something about the flatness and things merging into each other like camouflage that’s intriguing. Do you think this is saying something about society at the moment? Like the social implications of everything being flattened out and homogenised? M: I think it’s good in the sense that it references the way in which most people experience mass culture. Like going to see Art – loads of people would see it in a magazine or book as opposed to going to a gallery. I think it’s playing with the fact that we see more and more on flat screens and experience more through images. N: I really love your mask paintings; they remind me of Basquiat – could you say something about this referencing of primitivism? M: That one totally happened
by mistake. I started oil painting which I’d never done before and I had this canvas which had two diamonds on it. I liked it but it wasn’t doing much so I kept it hanging around. One day I was so sick of looking at it that I painted two eyeballs on it and started evolving that motif. I think that started the interest for me in primitive art, but actually in the sense of the modernists – I like the way they isolated it. Also a mask for me is a surface which hides something else. N: I remember your interim show, and you saying it was like the morning after a party. Do you still have that attitude? M: I think the feeling I have is that it’s not the moment something happens, it’s the moment after it. The moment when it actually occurs is when I’m in the studio doing it – the work isn’t pretending to be an apocalypse itself, it’s afterwards when you have that longing to go back but you can’t. N: So is it the sadness of nostalgia? Because I suppose photography does that, as an invisible barrier which you can never get past... M: Yeah that definitely interests me about photography. N: Do you still start with photographs and then develop from them or are you starting more with the paint now? M: The language has taken on its own life now. My work uses all sorts of surfaces and colours and I think this references the overwhelming choice we have today. It’s got a lot broader since I stopped these hierarchies – it can bounce off itself. I think with the older paintings, they’re just so tied-up and you can explain them and they’re done. Now I’m interested in loose ends. N: What other artists are you
excited about at the moment? M: Do you know Anselm Reyle? N: He does creased up metal... M: YEAH! That work is so sexy, I love it. There’s also I piece I saw by Mark Handforth – it’s the most naffest thing of bent pipe with candles burning on it but I think it’s beautiful! N: Did he do a motorbike with the same thing? M: You’ve seen it in real life? I’d love to see it! N: I was walking along Regent’s Canal today and I found some half burnt candles in a circle on some steps, it was like a weird ritual had been going on, it goes back to that idea of something sinister taking place beforehand. M: Yeah I like the way that something happens then dies and burns away. I think a lot is coming out of America that’s really exciting. N: East or West coast? M: It’s a bit of a mix actually. I really love the attitude that comes out of New York – it’s still a bit gritty, it’s dirty isn’t it? The show I’m most looking forward to in London is Banks Violette at Maureen Paley next month. N: I wonder if he’ll do a performance like the one with the smashed coffin and black metal band when nobody was allowed in? M: His last show in New York he had all these sculptures with burning flames coming out of them and mirrored ceilings. N: He was a pioneer of this thing that’s interesting a lot of young artists at the moment. Notions of occultism, Goth, metal – it’s happening in fashion now as well. M: Totally it’s all about the whole monochrome aesthetic of shiny blacks, whites and silvers, so I’m really looking forward to see what he does...
Michael Pybus works. This page: Untitled, 2007. Opposite above: Scarlett Yellow Purple Pink, 2005. General Anxiety (Smile), 2007.
** SUPER ART **
Michael Pybus is in a group show at Alexandre Pollazzon Gallery, London 13 Sept–11 Oct. alex-pollazzon.com Michael’s work is also included in the first edition of Spectacle, a new culture book series by CS Leigh, launching at Frieze Art Fair 16-19 Oct.
Michael Pybus works, Clockwise from top left: Man with Pink Splash, 2006. Help Save planet earth, 2007. Fight Decay, 2006. I’m glad you didn’t die. 2007.
–Michael Pybus, Artist
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When I went to the Royal College I tried to experiment – just vomiting everything out; every surface, every material, every colour
dear stefan
AMY’S GUITAR SHALOM STEFAN, HOW’S IT HANGING? I just thought I’d write in with a little query that’s been bugging me for a while now. Why the devil does Amy Whinehouse have a guitar with her when she plays live, as she doesn’t actually do anything with it. It’s been the question on everyone’s lips this summer – and with you being quite a bit of a player on the celebrity circuit I was wondering if you had any inside knowledge? Barry from Bognor SHALOM TO YOU BARRY [bows head and makes the sign of the cross 40 times]. Yes this does seem to be a bit of a hot topic at the moment – what’s the point in holding an instrument if you can’t play it – it all seems a bit silly to me. I mean, you don’t see me walking round with a saxophone do you – although in all fairness i’d love to. I bumped into Miss Whinehouse a few weeks ago at Bungalow 8, but she wasn’t in a very talkative mood, although she did seem to be cracking jokes with Jodie Harsh over a bottle of gin. I say leave the woman alone. If she wants to hold a guitar let her, she could hold a flipping deckchair and a cardboard cutout of Mr T for all I care, just as long as she keeps serenading us with that sweet, sweet voice of hers. FREE BLAKE! ASHLEY FEELING THE PINCH HOLLER STEFFS I’ve noticed recently that even our British soap stars are starting to feel the pinch when it comes to the economy. I tuned into Coronation Street the other night, as I do every time it graces my screen, only to see Ashley the local butcher not being able to invest in a batch of pork pies due to financial concerns. Elesewhere in the street a new block of flats has been built in order to house the street’s rising levels of young and upwardly mobile characters – in my eyes this was not the safest of decisions. Leather Trevor in Torquay HELLO TREVOR Why do they call you leather? I’m hoping it’s either because a) You have very leathery skin due to the amount of time you spend on the sunbeds down at your local tanning ‘saloon’, or b) Because you have a large brown leather settee in your front room. Basically Trev (can I call you that?), you’ve written
in to tell me some facts, you haven’t actually asked me a question, which I deem quite odd. I presume you’re trying to inform me that not only is the economic downturn affecting you personally, but it’s also affecting the fictional characters that our nation has grown to love so much. Trevor… may I ask you a personal question? You’re not one of those people who celebrates Christmas every day of the year are you? God help us when you find out that the cast of Hollyoaks are considerably older in real life than they are in the show… oops, I shouldn’t have disclaimed that, should I?! Trevor, an ambulance is on its way. WHERE’S SINBAD DEAR SIR/MADAM I write to you regarding the whereabouts of Sinbad the Super Sloth. We here at the Immigration Department have become concerned about his whereabouts as he did not turn up to a meeting he was supposed to attend regarding an extension to his visa. Any information as to his whereabouts would be grateful, as he now faces deportion. Kind regards, Mr A Dalakun UK Department of Immigration GOOD AFTERNOON MR DALAKUN I’m sorry to hear the news about Sinbad. The last time I saw him was at a party I was attending for the launch of Jason Donovan’s biography. He was clutching a stack of Jason’s records with his clawlike hands which I believe he intended to get signed. Now, come to think of it though, he did look rather unkempt and withdrawn, and maybe they weren’t records but actually all his worldly possessions – and he did mumble something about Thailand and a certain Paul Francis Gadd. Any information received as to his whereabouts I will forward onto you personally. MYSPACE V FACEBOOK DEAR STEFAN Which is better – MySpace or Facebook? You see, all my friends keep telling me I should make the switch to Facebook as it’s basically what all the cool kids at school are on. I’m a firm believer in MySpace myself. Not only does it allow me to personalise my page with things I think are pretty, it also allows me to play my favourite tunes (my profile tune at the moment is Akon’s Lonely as I’ve just split up with my boyfriend Darren – but I’m sure we’ll get back together tomorrow). What’s your verdict Stefan? I don’t wanna do it but I’m starting to feel pressured into making the big social networking switch. Tracy xxx LOLZ
HEY TRACY How’s it hanging? Don’t get upset about Darren, I’m sure he ain’t worth it… and if you ever need a date to senior prom, then just give me a bell – just send three smiley faces in a text message and you can reach me – but please don’t ring after 10pm as Mama Stefan gets mad. It’s a big decision isn’t it, and one that I had to make too rather recently – and Tracy, I succumbed to the pressure. I now use both, but that doesn’t mean you should succumb too. Apparently though, officially Facebook overtook MySpace as the world’s preferred social networking site a few weeks back, so if you don’t wanna feel left out of the loop, then maybe you should consider making the switch too. A LEVELS GETTING EASIER RIGHT STEFAN! I’m sooooooooooooooooooo pissed off. I’ve just finished my A levels right, and I did really well. I was predicted two Cs and a B, right, but in the end right, I worked really hard and exceeded my target grades and got two As and a C in Home Economics (the teacher didn’t like me anyway). I were right chuffed, and me nan even bought me a chocolate log to celebrate. Now in the papers though, they’re all saying that A levels are the easiest they’ve ever been, and that they’re a piece of cake compared to when my mum n dad did them. I don’t think it’s fair at all. I worked my potatoes off to achieve those grades. Is there any justice in the world? – apart from the band Justice who I’m gonna rave it up to this weekend when they play the Academy. Sandra from Slough WELL SANDRA... I never did A levels so I can’t really comment on the situation. I went straight from school into working down the mines – I tell you now, it was hard work, my face turned from being bright yellow to looking like a total eclipse after a few hours down there. At first they used me as the canary-like figure that detected gas, but I worked my way up the ranks and I was soon pulling the carts full of the coal with the other 11 year-old boys. I can hear where you’re coming from though. It doesn’t seem fair that your generation takes the blame for everything getting easier. Maybe it’s just a load of old people getting bitter about the blessings of youth. Don’t get down about it, I’m sure you worked hard, and at least your nan is proud of you. I remember once, when we were doing an exam, the cast of Riverdance marched into the gym where we were sitting it and proceeded to make such a noise on the wooden floor that the exam had to be cancelled.
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SUPER FASHION
Nylon jacket, shorts, leggings and thermals by American Apparel Smiley jumper by JC de Castelbajac Swim cap, scarf worn as kneeband by Beyond Retro Hooded scarf by Ksubi Socks Stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own
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Sequinned Top by Ashish Long Sleeve T-shirt by Havana Silk-ridged muse long dress by Les Prairies de Paris Belt by Beyond Retro Fluffy scarf and puff scarf by Modernist Jersey scarf and leggings by American Apparel Bangle by Eley Kishimoto Smiley bag by JC de Castelbajac Boots by Dr Martens
Fashion & Art Direction: POCHOMKIN using MAC Assistance: AKI ASAHARA
Models: ALEX JERNY, KATTY UKHANOVA at Premier
Sweat top and necklace by Chronicles Of Never T-shirt by Ksubi Headband by Little Silpa
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T-shirt by Ground Zero
Namalee (l) wears: Top by Fred Butler Swimsuit by Gsus Trainers by Reebok David (r) wears: Shirt and trousers by Jayden Rva James Mask Stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own
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* Sequinned top by KTZ Skirt by Noki
CHOICE Fashion Direction Namalee Photography Fabrizio Rainone
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Jacket (customised by stylist) by Levi’s Jeans by Levi’s Watches by Swatch Trainers Model’s own
Mac by Emma Bell Bracelet by Butler and Wilson Boots by Irregular Choice
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Arm cuffs by Manish Arora Jeans by Levi’s 501 Mask by Noki Hat Stylist’s own Belt Model’s own
Hair & Make-up Addam Ciccione using MAC, Models Namalee at Profile, David Serpell at Select Fashion Assistance Hanna Balogun, Niyi Crown, Dominic E Riddler and Flick, Photography Assistant Kevin Moran
Shirt by Jayden Rva James Mask (on head) and neck tie Stylist’s own
Fashion Assistance Hanna Balogun, Niyi Crown, Dominic E Riddler and Flick, Photography Assistant Kevin Moran
Jacket by Fornarina Knickers by Gsus Shoes by Terry De Havilland Tights and bra Modelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own
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Waistcoat by Avs Shalom Gur Scarf by John Galliano Kids Shorts by Wrangler Platforms by Christian Lacroix pour La Redoute Socks by Barbour
SPLIT All images: Hair by KUNI using Bumble & Bumble Make-up by MEGUMI MATSUNO using Bobbi Brown
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Jumperdress by YMC Shoes by Y3
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2 shoots 1 story
Fashion Direction Thomas Sels Tolula (this page) at Profile Photographed by BABETTE PAUTHIER Erika S (opposite page) at Profile Photographed by BERND OTT ott-photography.com
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Shirt, scarf and handbags by Liberty of London Skirt by Maharishi Scarf worn as a skirt by Antoni & Alison Shoes by Heatherette for Irregular Choice
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Jumper by Martin Margiela Rucksacks by Stella McCartney for LeSportsac
Cardigan (worn over shoulder) by Desigual Skirt by C.P. Company Socks by Avs Shalom Gur Shoes by Izzy Lane
Top, long johns and skirt by Y3
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Umbrella and poncho by Henrik Vibskov for Quinny Shorts by Thomas Sels
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Dress by Avs Shalom Gur Platforms by Christian Lacroix pour La Redoute Socks by Barbour
Top by Philip Normal Trousers by All Saints Shoes by Y3
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Dress by Issey Miyake Rucksack by LeSportsac Trainers by Converse
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Jacket by Steve J & Yoni P Crewneck by Martin Margiela Skirt by Thomas Sels Shoes by Izzy Lane
Cardigan, top and trousers by Cooperative Design Trainers by Converse
Clutch Bag by Mulberry Shoes by Hudson Fur snood by Mulberry Trousers by Bolongaro Trevor Velvet jacket by Jaeger Watch by Toy Watch
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DiStUrBaN Styling by NIYI CROWN Photography by AKIO Grooming by ADDAM CICCIONE using Korres For Men Styling assistance by DOMINIK E RIDDLER Photography assistance by YAS Model ZACH BURNS at Evolution Management
Jacket by Michalsky Shirt by Hugo Boss Jeans by Intoxica Bag by MCM Brooch by Butler&Wilson Shoes by Puma Scarf by Yes No Maybe Ring by Thomas Sabo Necklace by Thomas Sabo
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Helmet by Denis Simachev for Swarovski Runway Rocks Shirt by Rui Leonardes Boiler suit by G-Star Raw Tie by Liberty of London Watch by Toy Watch Shoes by Hugo Boss Bag by MCM
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Cardigan by Basso & Brooke Jumper by Core Trousers by Bolongaro Trevor Shoes by Lacoste Bag by Mulberry Gloves by Mulberry Watch by Toy Watch
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Jacket by Silver Spoon Attire Jeans by Intoxica Shoes by Hudson Gloves by Hugo Boss Sunglasses by Colab Necklace by Thomas Sabo
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SUPERBEAUTY
Reserve the Luxury Suite. New Eye Shadow Suite th Pearlglide Eye Liners provide all the accoutrements: luminescence, iridescence, phosphorescence, ood design.
Compiled by Addam Ciccione
CLINIQUE High impact red lip colour with spf15, £12.00
AGENT PROVOCATEUR Diamond Dust Real diamonds have been infused into this award winning scent, which leaves the skin appearing luminous with a dazzling diamond glow. 50ml £52
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Poudre d’Amour A precous dusting powder which adds a soft and velvety fragranced touch of glamour to the body. 50g £35
PENHALIGONS Elixir. A new fragrance from the prestigious British perfumer. It’s an opulent, daring and mystical fragrance that’ll make you stand out from the rest. 50ml £50, 100ml £70 LAB SERIES Skin care for men. Mild foaming face wash, 100ml £15
MAC Suite Array. Check in for bewitching bedroom eyes, day and night. Eye Shadow suite. Small pan: Black with silver pearl, Small pan: mid-tine grey silver pearl. Small pan: Bluish green with gold pearl, Big pan: Mint with silver pearl. £11.00 MAC Sheer Minerals Mineralize Skinfinish. 19th Century Romanticism through the eyes of 1930s Hollywood. Rose bronze with gold bronze veining. £16.50
LAURA MERCIER The Black Tie Collection Ranging from £16-£30
MAC Cult of Cherry. Zoom lash is a rich dark blue when wet that dries as if you should be wearing your lashes in a Warhol documentary. It’s a must have! £10.00
KINGS & QUEENS Shower gel £5, Body Butter £8
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ANTIPODES Hosanna Intensely hydrating organic serum made with the most potent antioxidants: grape seed vinanza gold, black fern, French rose and cardamom. 25ml £24.95
ANTHONY LOGISTICS Action Award winner cool and light rescue eye stick for men £25.00
REN Clean bio active skincare. Glycolactic skin renewal peel mask, £28
MAC Overrich. This oxidized, richmetal hue says structure & elongated eyes – think Miss Selfridge in the 80s. Deep burgundy with red and brown pearl (frost). £15.00 DANIEL SANDLER Water colour for cheeks, lips and eyes – a perfect tool for the fresh faced girl in a selection of colours. £11.00
CLINIQUE Lip/eye liner, £12
REN A great high glide cooling shave cream, £16
LOLITA LEMPICKA Au Masculin 50ml £40
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THIS MONTH! REBECCA ON LIFE IN VENICE, RIDING SWANS AND PULLING SEX FACES!
HELLO! Firstly I would like to apologise because if my last column was a bit random it was cos my brain was all fried from doing my dissertation. Anyway, I am now a graduate, Rebecca Pearson BSc!! Graduation at Bristol was pretty groovy….very old school….there were guys in velvet Medieval hats and even a chap with a sword!! Felt like I was at Hogwarts (if only). It was an eventful few weeks in Bristol, not to mention the exams! I went back to London for a weekend to do a shoot for Zandra Rhodes. Oh my goodness, what a legend. It was in her house, which is bright orange from the outside, and rainbow coloured inside, with countless pictures and sculptures (mostly of herself). It was a 60s shoot, and there was another model, who was 14. Way to make me feel ancient! She was a beanpole and very beautiful but I have to say, if there was much going on between the ears, she didn’t show it much. I’m sorry that sounds horrible but she barely said a word!! But I’m sure when I was 14, I would’ve been a bit shy. The problem was, however, that they wanted us to be a bit mad, dancing and acting. This is a dilemma I have encountered numerous times, because, while I, with 7 years posing experience under my belt, have litte-to-no qualms when they say “ride the glittery swan making sex faces!” the other girl gets away with just looking normal – so while I am doing what they asked, I also look like a complete tit, while the other model looks like…well, a nice-looking model. Anyway there’s pics and a video online where you can see my swanriding in action.
will cheer you up,” which he did, and then Namalee rang and really cheered me up too, saying it just means I have loads of other opportunities. It’s not as though modelling was my life. In fact the best (though not necessarily paid) jobs I’ve done have been ones I got myself – like Super Super, Diane Scheunemann’s book and Zandra Rhodes! So, it’s very sad, and feels a bit tragic at this very point in time to be an ex-model with a sociology degree and a few weeks work experience at Oxfam Books (when I panicked when anyone came near a till, anyway!) but this is the magazine of OPTIMISM and sitting at home snivelling, eating hobknobs, watching the Channel 5 afternoon movie will only get me so far! So I’m off to the Bronze club, night of Golden Silvers, where Man Like Me will DJ and lots of friends will perk me up! Oh my god I wrote that ages ago I’m so over it now!! The Bronze Club was fun, I helped out Gabriel on the door, it was the place to be!! And I am now at a new agency – they’re called First, they are about a tenth of the size of Select and they’re soooo good! It’s run by an ex-Select booker, Sassy, who I was really close to – I arranged to meet her, to ask if she thought there was still life in the old dog, because I knew she’d be honest. The first time I ever met Sassy was when I was 18 at a charity catwalk show, and I was incredibly, horribly, drunk – falling asleep on the pavement and crying because I was convinced my dad would come out and pick me up. She had to ring my parents using the old chestnut “she’s not drunk – she’s just very tired and emotional.” She put me in a cab, who, when he asked where I lived, I sobbed…”WITH MY MUM AND DAD.” Alas the “tired and emotional,” didn’t really work when mum opened the cab door and I rolled out onto the grass verge, asleep in feotus position, with my mini skirt round my stomach. Anyhoo, I digress! Basically I am at a super new agency (how’s this for a good agency – the day I joined, they gave me a free ticket to see Bon Jovi!) and I’m going to the gym loads to get in shape after all that ice cream eating and TV watching at uni. Quite honestly I have been over the statistics that my model card says I am for years now so goodbye chocolate (yeah right!)! I’ve done a few shoots already - for Company, where they wanted all my silly faces (I have really found a niche!), the Per Una website (leg modelling in granny-wear) but best of all – Cosmo Bride – in VENICE!!! It’s sooo beautiful there, and I had a fab time wearing wedding dresses and pretending to marry the male model, Diego. I’ve also been spending a lot of time with my NBF, Philip Normal. His clothes are the best and he’s as outrageous and lovely in real life as you’d expect! He’s given me a few freebies and I also bought an incredible leotard there – if you ignore the camel toe, it’s super.
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Well Super Supers…..I got dropped by Select, my agency, today. It was kind of humiliating and shocking…I rang up all excited and cheerful, and got my booker Ben, who told me they’d decided that they’ve done all they will with my career and they no longer wanted to represent me. I’m not going to bitch and moan, because that’s the nature of the industry and I never saw it as anything different. It was just upsetting because I sort of saw myself leaving uni, doing bits and bobs to support myself financially so that I could do fun, free things like Super Super, and leaving Select myself when it felt like time. It was also sad because I’ve been at Select since I was 18 (and modelling since I was 16) and I’ve always been very loyal and fond of them, so to be told over the phone in 30 seconds that I’m dropped was sad. BUUUUT my mum was there with a big hug, and said “ring David Serpell he
om/velocit myspace.c
Also, Golden Silvers came up to Bristol with David (Shirani’s boyf!) for a shoot, and they took Gwil’s flatmate Gabriel who is a playwrite and actor. I’m aware when sometimes I say these things, they can sound quite glamorous – “such-and-such band came up for a shoot and we partied” etc – well the reality is after the gig David, Gabriel and me went to Asda to buy pastries and booze (basics vodka with “Charge”) for us all, and then spent the rest of the night looking for somewhere to go out!
ygirl1985
Anyways, enough about me. I hope all you Super Superers are happy and well, love Rebecca xxx
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DONUTS Hello all, most people know me as Sofi Donuts. I am the Mum to my own independent clothing store ‘Donuts’ in Bristol & I promote a night (also called Donuts) to run alongside it, BASS BASS BASS! You can find me at sofidonuts. blogspot.com & you can find my store here donutsthestore.co.uk.
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Not meaning to pick a favourite brand in Donuts, but, I have to admit it, there is one above all the others that has a big place in my heart. That brand would be CTRL from Helsinki, Finland. The brand was born just over 10 years ago & since then has released 13 clothing lines, a lot of Skateboards & collaborated with Rockers NYC & Vice Magazine. I managed to get a few words off Timothy Khun of CTRL & here’s what he had to say....
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Find CTRL here - www.ctrlclothing.com
use ’s that SOFI: Hello Timo! How do you feel photo ve no r u o y to be such a big part of Donuts & us at ha s, ! Send L or th being one of our fave brands? ITION CONTRO can be sign T E P r M e o It d O L r. a C R e m v TIMO: I feel good and vibrant! It rd CT have atsoe . The the wo in them wh ething you d e makes me feel alive, my pops was d l clu m contro uations, so e word is in e Donuts & a sailor man and he got to know all gs, sit g where th lished on th ail.com to ta these people all around the world, so m thin pub uts@g or any pic will be I guess I’m sailing as well, meeting ofidon t! s g to in n il ir Sh win ma and staying in touch with people site. E ra & T CTRL TRL New E around all of the seven seas. C win a SOFI: You’ve conquered many countries around the world, how do you aim to conquer the UK? TIMO: I think that we are fairly unknown in a way over there. The collection. We don’t wanna take shit market over there is quite alive with all too seriously in a way of being many domestic brands. We can like we can’t laugh about ourselves... also do it through our tolerance for SOFI: To quote you “Ctrl has alcohol, and that’s a good connection no intentions on staying as “an with the U.K heads right there. And exclusive, small, cool brand” Gavin Watson of course... Monty - instead CTRL wants to be a HUGE Python and the Queen are soon COOL BRAND”. Lol. wearing our stuff as well. TIMO: We’re always amazed when SOFI: One of the reasons I love we see totally different kinds of CTRL so much is because you don’t people wearing our stuff and seeing seem to make stuff that you know is that it works, both visually and popular right now, you seem to make message wise. We’re like, ‘’Hell what you feel like. yeah! That’s dope!”... I mean he’s TIMO: Maybe it’s because we happy wearing it and we’re happy reside in Helsinki, which hasn’t our stuff is elevating in to new got all that Milano, Paris vibe to crowds and it’s not seen as a sell it. Sometimes when we go out for out. Like if you think about music. travels and get some free trade The idea behind it is for people to show beers and are inspired… It hear the music you do. If you love cumulates from a far flung slightly the tune, the people behind the tune drunk hilarious joke, next thing you should love you back and be happy know, it’s a print or an item in the about it. That’s how we feel!
55 DSL www.55dsl.com ADDICT www.addict.co.uk ADIDAS www.adidas.com AITOR THROUP www.aitorthroup.com ALEX MATTSSON www.myspace.com/vonfistlip ALTAMONT APPAREL www.afour.co.uk AMERICAN APPAREL www.americanapparel.net ANOTHER LABEL ANOTHER BOY www.blyszak.com ANTONI&ALISON www.antoniandalison.co.uk ASISH Selfridges +44(0)800123400 ASPINAL OF LONDON www.aspinaloflondon.com ARMAND BASI www.armandbasi.com AVSH ALOM GUR www.avshalomgur.com BARRY M www.barrym.co.uk BASSO & BROOKE www.harrods.com BENCH www.bench.co.uk BENIFIT www.benifitcosmetics.co.uk BETHAN WOOD www.woodlondon.co.uk BEYOND THE VALLEY www.beyondthevalley.com BILLIONAIRE BOYS CLUB the hideout +44(0)2074374929 BOOTS www.boots.com BOLONGARO TREVOR www.bolongarotrevor.com B-RUDE www.b-rude.com BURBERRY +44(0)2079680000 www.burberry.com BUTLER & WILSON www.butlerandwilson.com BROWNS brownsfashion.co.uk CALVIN KLEIN www.calvinklein.com CALVIN KLEIN UNDERWEAR www.cku.com CAMILLA STAERK www.camillastaerk.co.uk CARAT www.carat.cc CASSETTE PLAYA Kokon To Zai +44(0)2074341316 www.cassetteplaya.com COLAB www.colab.com.au CONVERSE www.converse.com COOPERATIVE DESIGNS www.cooperative-designs.com CORE SPIRIT www.worshipcore.com DICKIES www.dickies.co.uk DIESEL www.diesel.com DIOR www.dior.com DOVER STREET MARKET +44(0)2075180680 www.doverstreetmarket.com DR MARTENS www.drmarten.com EASTPAK www.eastpak.co.uk ECKO RED www.ecko.com ELEY KISHIMOTO www.eleykishimoto.com EMERICA www.afour.co.uk EMMA BELL www.irregularchoicestore.com EROTOKRITOS www.erotokritos.com ETNIES www.etnies.com FARAH www.faraheurope.com FELDER FELDER www.felderfelder.com FENCHURCH www.fenchurch.com FIREBOX www.firebox.com FIRETRAP www.firetrap.com FORNARINA www.fornarina.com FRED BUTLER STYLE www.fredbutlerstyle.com FRED PERRY www.fredperry.com FREEDOM @ TOPSHOP www.topshop.co.uk FRENCH CONNECTION www.fcuk.com GARETH PUGH +44(0)2077292770 www.garethpugh.net GOLA www.golaclassics.com G-STAR www.g-star.com GSUS www.g-sus.com H&M www.hm.com HORACE www.kokontozai.com HOUSE OF HOLLAND www.houseofholland.co.uk HOXTON BOUTIQUE www.hoxtonboutique.co.uk HUDSON www.hudsonshoes.com HUGO BOSS www.hugoboss.com ICE CREAM the hideout +44(0)2074374929 ILLUSTRATED PEOPLE www.illustratedpeople.com INTOXICA www.intoxica.eu IRREGULAR CHOICE www.irregularchoice.co.uk JAIDEN RVA JAMES www.myspace.com/jaiden_rva_james JEAN CHARLES DE CASTELBEJAC www.jc-de-castelbajac.com JAEGER www.jaeger.co.uk J.LINDEBERG +44(0)2078415890 www.jlindeberg.com KATHARINE HAMNETT www.katharinehamnett.com KAREN WALKER www.karenwalker.com KENZO www.kenzo.com KESHWEAR www.myspace.com/that_girl_kesshia KICKERS www.kickers.co.uk KILLAH www.killah.it KIND www.kind.com KLING BY KLING www.iwantkling.se KOMAKINO www.komakinodesign.com K-SWISS www.kswiss.com KTZ www.kokontozai.co.uk LACOSTE www.lacoste.com LADY LUCK RULES OK? www.ladyluckrulesok.com
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LAZY OAF www.lazyoaf.co.uk LEVI’S www.levi.com LEVI’S VINTAGE www.levi.com LEVI’S RED www.oki-ni.com LIBERTY of LONDON www.liberty.co.uk LIK + NEON www.likneon.com LINDA FARROW VINTAGE www.lindafarrowvintage.com LULU GUINESS +44(0)2078234828 www.luluguiness.com MAC www.maccosmetics.com MAHARISHI www.emarahishi.com MAKIN JAN MA www.makinjanma.com MANISH ARORA www.manisharora.ws MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA www.martinmargiela.com MARC WALLACE www.marcwallace.co.uk MASSIMO DUTTI +44(0)2078511280 www.massimodutti.com MATT & NAT www.mattandnat.com MCM www.mcmworldwide.com MICHALSKY www.michalsky.com MISSONI +44(0)2076299161 www.missoni.com MISS SIXTY www.misssixty.com MOSCHINO www.moschino.com MULBERRY www.mulberry.com NAILS INC. +44(0)2075292340 www.nailsinc.com NEW ERA www.neweracap.com NOKI www.kokontozai.com NIKE www.nike.com PAULE KA www.pauleka.com PEOPLES MARKET www.asos.com PENFIELD www.penfieldusa.com PEPE www.pepejeans.com PHILIP NORMAL www.philipnormal.com PISTOL PANTIES +44(0)2077295286 www.pistolpanties.com PRIMARK www.primark.co.uk PUMA www.puma.com RAF by RAF SIMONS selfridges RANDOM BANGLE russelljbarratt2@hotmail.com RAY BAN www.ray-ban.com RELIGION www.religionclothing.co.uk REEBOK www.reebok.com RIMMEL LONDON www.rimmellondon.com ROBERTO CAVALLI +44(0)2078231879 www. robertocavalli.com RUI LEONARDES www.ruileonardes.com SILVER SPOON ATTIRE www.silverspoonattire.com SIV STOKLDAL www.sivstoldal.com SONY www.sony.co.uk SMIFFY’S www.smiffys.com STELLA MCARTNEY www.stellamcartney.com STEPHEN JONES www.stephenjonesmillinery.com STORM WATCHES www.stormwatches.com SUPERDRUG www.superdrug.com SWAROVSKI www.swarovski.com SWATCH www.swatch.com TARINA TARANTINO www.tarinatarantino.com TATTY DEVINE www.tattydevine.com T-BOOK www.t-book.com TERRY de HAVILLAND www.terrydehavilland.com TIMOTHY JAMES ANDREWS www.timothyjamesandrews.com THIERRY MUGLER www.thierrymugler.com THOMAS BURBERRY www.thomasburberry.com THOMAS SABO www.thomassabo.com THOMAS SELS www.thomassels.be TOM BINNS www.tombinnsdesign.com TOPSHOP www.topshop.com TO-ORIST www.to-orist.com TOY WATCH www.toywatchusa.com TWEEZERMAN www.tweezerman.com TWO SEE www.twoseelife.com UMBRO Selfridges +44 08708377377 UNDERGROUND ENGLAND www.underground-england.co.uk UNIQLO +44(0)2072907701 URBAN OUTFITTERS www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk VANS www.vans.co.uk VERSACE www.viviennewestwood.com VIVIENNE WESTWOOD www.viviennewestwood.com WRANGLER www.wrangler.com Y-3 www.adidas.com/y-3 YES NO MAYBE www.yesnomaybe.co.uk YMC www.youmustcreate.com YVES SAINT LAURENT www.ysl.com ZANDRA RHODES www.zandrarhodes.com ZONE 7 www.myspace.com/zone7/vintage
Welcome Screen Fiends!!! So my screen dreams finally came true when I got to see the new Batman movie and…. woo hoo it was everything I could have dreamed of and more!!! And yes, the hype is totally worth it, Heath Ledgers Joker is unlike any other, truly amazing! Unfortunately this bat shaped taste of the superhero life has not satisfied my need for catsuits and masks, I am once again waiting for the release of another superhero movie. This time it’s the film adaptation of the best graphic novel in history “Watchmen” written by Alan Moore who incidentally inspired the afore mentioned “Dark Knight”, wrote “V for Vendetta” and is also the owner of the best beard I have ever seen. If you have not had the good sense to get hold of a copy of this masterpiece yet you are a damn fool!!! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of the geek chic graphic novel enthusiasts but “Watchmen” is soooo much more than a cartoon. The story is political, philosophical and incredibly thought provoking. Yes the heroes are trying to save the world but the majority of them are real people who chose to be superheroes and they certainly ain’t all good! The characters are multi faceted and very complex, my favorite is “Rorschach” a trilby and flasher mac wearing loner who in real life is the crazy man on the street declaring “the end is nigh” through the medium of the sandwich board. My love for this book got me thinking though…. are films better in our heads? I love this book sooo much, how can the silver screen capture the images I create in my mind, perfectly customized to my own tastes to represent “Dr Manhattan” (he’s blue and see through and awesome!) sitting on Mars or “The Comedian” (he’s not funny) being thrown out of a skyscraper. So many times you read a book then watch the film and even if the film is good it’s never as good but how can it be? I remember watching “American Psycho” and whilst I enjoyed it I was nowhere near as frightened as I was when I read Brett Easton Ellis’ book. Clearly my mind is sicker than the film companies allow!!! I’m looking forward to a future where a filmmaking machine is attached to our brains and as we read our ideas are automatically burned onto DVD, they have apparently invented computers that are thought activated so who knows what the future holds! I only wish they were ready at the Apple store now! Guess I’ll have to make do waiting til June 2009 to find out what Zach Snyder’s version of “Watchmen” looks like.
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Imagine my excitement at meeting the man behind the fabulously macabre name of “Johny Morgue” (it comes from Flemish Monks apparently), I was half expecting a Darth Vader style black cloaked demon to appear in the doorways of SUPERSUPER on that sunny Thursday morning but “phew” luckily for me a much friendlier man arrived, pink shirt not resembling a cloak of any kind. Mr Morgue is a video director, one of the rarities who still enjoys taking the time to work with graphics and animation. A running theme to Johny’s work is bright bold graphics and colorful block shapes, “My background is graphic design, I originally worked as a graphic designer for Flynn Productions and began treating the videos and it kind of progressed from there. I never intended to do music videos! There’s not really that many people doing animation in videos anymore because of the time it takes”. Johny has worked with a wide variety of artists from Booty Luv to opera babe Katherine Jenkins to the club-tastic Trash Fashion, “I enjoy working with underground bands and having a slightly DIY approach to the whole thing, that’s how it was with Trash Fashion I’d seen them at Hoxton Bar and Grill and thought they would be fun to work with. It’s so much easier when you work with people that are natural performers. We set up a collective called “Youth Club” which basically allowed us to bring new talent through, directors, runners, people we’d worked with before that wanted to direct so we did the Trash Fashion
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TOP RETRO TIP! ARIZONA DREAM First off if you don’t like fantastical, surreal, dream like films you should stop reading now (though if that does describe you I have a feeling you should put this whole magazine down!!!) because “Arizona Dream” is the epitome of weird, confusing, imaginative brilliance. One of the characters is a flying halibut; I think I’ve made my point. With an amazing cast of Johnny (my 1st crush ever) Depp, Vincent (sweet as marshmallow) Gallo, and Faye (err?) Dunaway, “Arizona Dream” follows “Axel” (Depp) as he leaves his fishing job in New York to attend his Uncle “Leo’s (who looks exactly like my Uncle Ronald) wedding in Arizona. Here he meets an older women “Elaine” (Dunaway) whose dream in life is to fly, with whom he begins a love affair. Living with “Elaine” and her stepdaughter “Grace” we watch as the characters tackle life, death and working out if it’s all really worth it? This film takes a beautiful, harsh, funny look at people’s dreams, lives and loves. It is neither drama, rom-com nor anything else; it just “is”… much like life, and its brilliant.
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Johny Morgue
“Rave Dave” video and various other projects such as Armand Van Halen “Touch your toes” through that. I guess I have worked with quite a variety of artists, mainly cos I like to keep busy! I constantly have lots of ideas so I tend to log them down until the right artist comes along. Its always nice to meet the band first but you rarely get the chance.” So what’s next in the video world of Johny Morgue? “I feel like I need to take it to the next level now as there’s only so much you can do with the style I use at the moment, I want to incorporate more 3D and motion tracking. Super Super itself has quite a few artists that I wouldn’t mind working with, I’m also quite interested in that guy Afrikan Boy.” Johny Morgue, Super Super, and Afrikan Boy now that’s a video I’d like to see!!!!
SOMERS TOWN
Winner of the Michael Powell Award at the Edinburgh festival and directed by BAFTA award winner Shane Meadows (This is England), Somers Town is a beautifully shot portrayal of two teenage boys who form an unlikely friendship in central London. Tomo played by the hilarious Thomas Turgoose (This is England) has run away from the Midlands and by chance meets the wonderfully awkward Polish immigrant Marek (Piotr Jagiello). The two boys then embark on adventures galore including working for their crazy neighbor next door, falling in love with the hot waitress who works in the “caf” and stealing clothes from the launderette which results in the funniest drag scene I have seen in yonks! Anyone who has attempted the hard tasks of growing up, making friends or making a floral dress look good when you’re a teenage boy will relate to this touching film. Somers Town is out now.
BEN X
Ben X captures the gritty reality of a bullied teenager suffering from autism set against the virtual reality of computer gaming. This Belgian film directed by Nic Balthazar is at times harrowing to watch. Based on the true story of a teen suicide in Ghent Ben X follows the life of Ben (Greg Timmermans) a boy whose real life is too much to take that his only escape is online. Moving, disturbing and at times very uncomfortable to watch you will be nonetheless gripped to the screen willing Ben to find a way out of his cruel world. A film to make you think, go see this then go make the world better. Ben X is out now.
SATANIC SLUTS (DVD)
The nice folk at Salvation films were kind enough to put me on to their latest DVD “Satanic Sluts. The Black Order Cometh.” The Satanic Sluts are like an even more hardcore version of the “Suicide Girls”!!! For all you Goth lovers out there this is definitely one for you, the DVD features a series of different scenes all performed by the lovely satanic ladies such as “Tiara Tart, Poisoned Venus and Dominick Destruction” to name but a few. Plus there are plenty of good outfit ideas for your next night out! “Satanic Sluts. The Black Order Cometh” is out now.
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George Cook
tech@thesupersuper.com
SONY ERICSSON WALKMAN W760 sonyericsson.com/uk For the atheletes amongst u, this handset features stacks of training applications, including a built-in pedometer and GPS support allowing you to record time, distance and speed every time you train. It also houses the latest music technology with one click access to your music player & storage for up to 1,800 songs with the 2GB Memory Stick Micro (M2TM) supplied. Innovative applications such as SensMeTM help you pick the music and tracks that match yr mood and Shake Control enables you to navigate through your playlist, shuffle and skip tracks or even adjust the volume with just a shake of the phone. A 3.2 megapixel camera completes the package.
RAINBOW IN MY ROOM £24.95 firebox.com Sometimes life needs a bit of brightening up and when the sun meets the rain we expect a little rainbow.
500 XL £29.95 gadgets.co.uk Sometimes it’s good to purchase over sized things. It’s one of those rare opportunities to see how life would have been if you were born a giant. Probably the most recognizable headphone style ever has now been superized to give you and your computer matching accessories.
PINNACLE VIDEO TRANSFER £99.95 firebox.com This little box of genius juice is like a nice cool carton of happy! Plug one side of it in to your TV, DVD or Video Camera and the other into your iPod, PSP, Hard Drive or any other USB Storage Device and record away. It’s really that simple. Loves it.
THE G99I £ = what’s your budget? eBay.co.uk Glory! This should have happened a long long time ago. Someone took cute and smacked it hard against functional, the G99i has been born! This phone doesn’t do anything unusual. It has mp3 and mp4 playback, 1.3 Megapixel Camera and an FM Radio, but it does look like a massive vinyl pendant, and that is wicked. We’ve also heard a rumor that it can be purchased with 8gb internal memory. Only problem here is, it’s a bit hard to come across, although we just see that as another selling point!
ASUS EEEBOX £199 Pcworld.co.uk This environmentally friendly mini-pc comes in a variation of colours to suit your style. It’s tiny in every respect with it’s 80gb hard drive and 1gb memory, although you can always boost that with external devices, especially when the whole thing is barely costing you £200.00. It has 4 USB ports, WI-FI and it runs Windows XP, which is fantastic as Microsoft still haven’t apologized to me for that whole Vista fiasco. It’s a really lovely little machine with a price that is totally appropriate. Your not making any mistakes by investing in the EEEBOX.
SONY ERICSSON W980 £399.99 or Free on Contract sonyericsson.com/uk You don’t even need to turn this phone on to know how much you want it. A 3.2 Megapixel Camera and 8GB of internal memory are just an introduction to the wonders inside this glorious little device. It has a motion sensor for gameplay and links directly to your blog so you can snap and upload all in one click. Sony Ericsson have done it again.
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CHOCO CLOCK £19.95 firebox.com “What is this you put before me?!” Embrace your inner Diva! You say you want a chocolate, on the hour, every hour! SO SHALL IT BE! This baby pink cuckoostyle clock worships you so much that it offers up a precious little piece chocolate every 60 minutes. Although if you can’t stand to wait for the big hand to move all the way round, just press the cheat button in the back for access to the goodies on demand!! WORK! LIVESCRIBE From £82 amazon.com This nifty little super computer is hiding amongst us as a trim yet weighty writing device. The built-in memory (up to 2GB) is used for recording audio and handwriting capture resulting in a synchronized replay for when you’re reviewing your notes later. Basically this pen is made for those of us who have to endure endless ramblings when we actually need time to break down what the person is saying. These recordings can later be replayed by double clicking on the phrase of the note you made, you can then save, search or send! You can also draw a keyboard and play yourself a little tune or write any word and the pen will translate it to a language of your choice! Literally, there aren’t enough words to emphasize the genius of this gizmo!
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SUPERSUPERGEEK
I LOVE DATA, WHICH MAKES SENSE BECAUSE I AM A SUPERSUPER GEEK. Now I’m not talking about Data from The Goonies, although I clearly love him also, watching The Goonies at Christmas (you can guarantee its will be on at Christmas forever) is the highlight of the geek calendar. Of course, I am talking about real data, as in pictures, words, numbers and now increasingly videos. We now live in a world were data rules. As children of the information age, no fact, stat or meaning is any further than a few clicks away, data truly is all around us. This is with many thanks to the likes of ‘Google’, whose mission is ‘to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful’. Over tea and cake, one afternoon, SuperSuper Stephen and I once discussed the possibility that Google could be wrong. Imagine that! The world would be completely fucked and everything we thought we knew was in fact absolutely wrong… Best perhaps not to think about it. Take the holy grail of information - Wikipedia. It’s just perfect for those times when you just can’t be arsed with that boring history essay and you need to learn about some king from a million years ago. What makes Wikipee really interesting is the fact that its creation and growth is based on the knowledge and wisdom of the people using it – ‘the wisdom of crowds’ as it is known. Imagine if somehow every single person in the world could plug their brain to the net and upload their personal knowledge straight on to Wikipedia. We’d solve the biggest mysteries in life. Like is Father Christmas real? or do cheese strings actually contain any cheese? - hummmmm the great mysteries! But of course Wikipedia is just the tip of the digital iceberg lettuce when it comes to the amount of information available to us today in the grand universe of data. If you think about all of the things we do online and increasingly offline via our mobile device, it leaves a stream of data in its wake; where everything these days is tagged - meta tags, geotags, RFID tags, metags, thistag, thattag and so on. Take all those videos on YouTube. We have all meta-tagged the videos of our most fun nights out raving at some bassline/garage/house/electro/tropical warehouse party, with the words that best summed up that night; maybe the location, the DJs playing or the people you were with. If you then search for other ‘bassline/garage/house/electro/ tropical’ tagged videos on YouTube you could perhaps use these to get a real feel for that music scene, meet likeminded people, do some trend spotting – find out the latest chooons. Also, in a rapidly changing world, everything has some sort of chip or sensor that allows it to be somehow be networked or used for measuring something. My dad, rather embarrassingly, has this toothbrush with a chip in that measures the way he is cleaning his teeth. The data is wirelessly transmitted to a digital display so he can ‘optimise his cleaning technique’. It’s like having his very own digital hygienist to whiten his smile on a daily basis. And I wonder why I am a geek!! But, they often say that knowing too much is not always a good thing. And with so much information available and much more to come, it’s beginning to become really hard to get to the real core of things that are out there. Often we miss the interesting bits. Therefore the biggest mission out there, right now, is all about finding new and interesting ways of representing or
visualising information? It’s what experts from the world of technology, media and design are calling ‘The Art of Data’. Expert, Ed Cotton (http://www.influxinsights.com/) put it best - ‘In a data-driven world, infographs are the new art’. Now don’t get all frightened by the thought of data and charts, this ain’t a maths lesson. We’re not talking about steak pie charts or bar charts made in power’less’point or ex’hell’ - quite possibly the worst ever computer programs ever made - its about representing information through ways which are a little more emotionally stimulating. Take a look at one of my favourite examples of ‘Data Art’ - ‘WeFeelFine’ (wefeelfine.org). Every few minutes it collects random bits of data from blogs across the WWW by looking for occurrences when someone has used the phrases ‘I feel’ and ‘I am feeling’. It collects the sentence with details on the author. It then displays these ‘feelings’ in a cloud of different coloured particles. Each colour represents the mood of the feeling, where the brighter the colour the happier the feeling. Displayed, these particles drift and aggregate to form a universe of feelings. Should you click on a particle you can read the context of the ‘feeling’ and get details on the author then click through to the site it was aggregated from. Not only is it highly visual, WeFeelFine adds the element of complete surprise to finding emotions, as it updates itself with new feelings every few minutes – unlike putting ‘I feel’ into Google, which nine times out of ten, will come up with the same list of sites over and over again. Similarly, 10x10 (http://tenbyten.org) collects words and images every hour from news sources all over the world and arranges them into a 10x10 grid. Created so that the news stories are visually represented, the viewer instinctively responds to patterns – where repeated images seem more important etc. Then there is Geotagging our images. To Geotag an image you include GPS coordinates or place names of where the image was taken. This allows us to build a visual representation of a location or a journey on some sort of map. Have a look at Yahoo Tag Maps (http://tagmaps. research.yahoo.com). It allows you to select a place on a map and then links all of the images people tagged on Flikr. It’s like a live digital postcard you can send to everybody. I’m not trying to make all you SuperSuper readers become wiz-bang computer programmers, although I reckon some of you maybe pretty good at it. It’s about inspiring you to think of data as starting point for great ideas. Say your working on a new bassline track; collect some data on sounds as a starting point maybe measure a night out through sounds. Perhaps if you’re designing a new capsule collection, you could Geotag a journey around Southend of pictures of your favourite colours or shapes along the way to form the design of the collection. So the lesson is ‘we should all love data’, it will open a world of new ideas. We’ll all soon add scientist / mathematician / geek / computer programmer to our slashes. Neil Bennett www.slashslash.co.uk Trends Researcher / Planner / Creative / Geek / Blogger Tell us how data inspires you email neil@slashslash.co.uk (Inspiration taken from Protein Event & Contagious Magazine)
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SUPERMUSiK! !
another ace ! We’ve got in a g re a re e h ter le! But befo B-b-b-b-bus orldwide sty w ing :) th a e y r m o fo on ar s music secti y need to cle ll a re I , lf e rs ou you gorge y up...
the letter from !! music ED
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Nu Rave was the biggest jack in history. SUPERSUPER were the ones who first coined the term ‘Nu Rave’ and rightly so, SUPERSUPER had the authority to do so because it was at the epicentre of the movement, it was the nerve centre of a cultural think tank which had a virtual dream and took the first steps to establish it in reality. But nu rave’s Achilles heel was that it was too visible! It had so much energy and vibrancy that it stuck out like a neon mushroom cloud in a sky of dismal grey. As soon as it popped it’s head over the horizon, the buzzards started circling. Media big wigs everywhere stretched out their sweaty bingo wings and descended into a feeding frenzy like a flock of tramp pigeons on some old KFC. They hijacked the name and tried to pass it off for something it wasn’t, turned it into a brand and stamped it all over their own crap to try and convince the general public they had come up with something new. Culture vultures The NME (yes unfortunately people do buy it and take it for gospel) released a nu rave compilation CD, featuring the likes of The Gossip, I mean how are The Gossip nu rave? There is nothing mash-up about them, they are just plain and simple regular ready salted low fat indie. It’s time to clarify what new rave really was. (NME journo’s take note) New rave was a movement, a new wave in optimism, freedom and creativity: a multicoloured generation who suddenly came to the realization that they had the tools to do anything and everything at once. It truly was the third summer of love, brought about by the Internet and the resurgence of dance music. After a decade of listening to slit your wrist emo-indie, people just wanted to happyslap Radiohead and dance again! The term ‘rave’ didn’t so much refer to the music but more to the second summer of love and the feeling of euphoria and optimism it represented. It wasn’t about bands sampling old rave tracks- that was just one tiny pixel of it- it was about everything mashed-up and thrown at you like a huge cream pie in the face. I mean if the Internet were a shell, and you held that shell to your ear; what you would hear would be nu rave! So how The NME hosted a ‘New Rave Revolution’ tour without understanding this is beyond ridiculous! The lesson that has to be learnt is that ideas are like kids, you have to have to look after them until they are old enough to look after themselves. If you have something special, something revolutionary then nurture it to maturity before you bestow it to the world! And please what ever you do, don’t read the NME.
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SATURDAY OCTOBER 18TH BAR MUSIC HALL CURTAIN ROAD SHOREDITCH LONDON
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IN MCR!! PART 2 COURTESY OF
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New York and LA are like chalk and cheese. Distanced by a ‘desert of un-cool’ about 2500 miles wide, they’re like lost twins separated a birth. One’s grown up in the SunnyD-sunshine state and the other in the grime and grit of down-town reality. Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger from the 80’s film “Twins” spring to mind. So one’s ‘Let’s all go listen to whales and build an orphanage from lentils’ and the other’s all ‘Whoop! Whoop! It’s the sound of the police, Whoop! Whoop!’ Well at least that’s what the movies tell us right? Buster B straps on his NY starter hat and reps for ‘The City that Never Sleeps,’ while Just William throws up his dubs for The West as we meet three SUPERSUPER groups from each coast to find out more.
www.myspace.com/limitlesspassion
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In New York Ben from dance cross over group Passions explains “New York is gigantic. In Brooklyn alone there are over 2 million people who live here. You have northern areas and neighbourhoods like Williamsburg, Greenpoint and Bushwick which are probably the most similar to East London. I guess most musical and artistic types live in Williamsburg” so we googled Williamsburg to find out more, and Wikipedia bully rammed us with a load of not-a lot-of-fun.org. Apparently living in Williamsburg was super cool once upon a time, but as with East London the rents have risen and the gentrification is pushing the broke creative’s further out. Ben from Passions moved to an illegal loft in Bushwick sandwiched between two factory floors, “probably taking five years of my life” from all the fumes, he says! (So not exactly health conscious lentil bashing behaviour there) Well don’t worry Ben; we at SUPERSUPER think that we will be growing our own replacement organs on our windowsills sooner or later.
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Last but not least our third pick from NY is guitar band A Place to Bury Strangers who are opening for Nine Inch Nails and have recently gigged in the UK. They tell us “Brooklyn is exploding right now because working musicians can’t afford to live in Manhattan anymore, and musicians from all over the country are gravitating toward New York City in general.” So it’s probably best to say that NY has more in Common with London that it does with LA in that sense. The band thinks that people-wise, Brooklyn has more in common with Leeds or Manchester. They say “There’s definitely more grit going on” when comparing Brooklyn to the softer LA, and grit is the perfect word to sum up APTS’s sound. It is heavily influenced by the likes of MBV and The Cure. They employ spine tingling echoes and annihilating ear melting guitar clashes with lyrics like “Fix the gash in your head” and “I’ll just have to wait till you turn around and kick your head in.” No hint of Tofu here...
www.myspace.com/aplacetoburystrangers
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Our freshest hotly tipped find is Bad Brilliance, the balloon headed logo/brand/mascot (who looks like the love child of Jack Pumpkinhead from The Return of Oz and Ronald McDonald) who was born on a napkin and makes electronic dance music. He tells us the two main party crowds in NYC can be broken down into two groups: the Party-harder’s and the Sweeny’s- the hardcore and the socialites to you and me. Trouble & Bass lead the way for hedonistic balloon-heads, along with Andrew WK and his night “Santo’s Party House.” On the more glamorous note, you’ve got the scenester parties of Larry Tee, frequented by the likes of Amada Lapore and The Ruff Club run by Sophia Lamar and Spencer Product. Here’s when it gets all a bit incestuous, Ben from Passions moonlights as Math Head of Trouble & Bass and also runs other parties at The Trophy Bar, that Bad Brilliance describes as being a small goth-edge kind of scene that’s “always good for some gloom and doom in your tomb” dare I say it...Nu Grave? Either way Ben is clearly Mr. Pie-Fingers.
A Place To Bury Strangers’ top 5 things to experience In NYC. -Outer Space Parties -Kaleidoscope Field -Hunting -Brooklyn Museum -Hot Dog at Coney Island
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Here at SUPERSUPER we can’t ignore it any longer, someone simply HAS to say something about The Smell. No, not THAT kind of smell - we’re talking LA’s hippest all ages-avant-garde-DIY-art-music-vegan venue, (let’s not rule out the possibility of lentils just yet then!) which is situated amongst the cities uber-hip Gallery Row area. Right now the LA scene IS ‘The Smell’ scene, or at least the one that’s actually worth talking about. ‘The scene owns us - when I say L.A. Scene I’m ONLY talking about “The Smell” scene”, explains John from our first featured band HEALTH. “It’s totally insular - we don’t pay any attention to the indie bands in Silverlake, or shitassfuckcrapshit in Hollywood or whatever other shit is going on”. HEALTH sculpt what-the-fuck amazing music out of dissonant guitars and keyboards, industrial rhythms and androgynous vocal FX. If half an hour of drone noise with 4 hyperactive LA natives doesn’t sound like a dangerously sexy proposition, then you clearly didn’t catch them during June’s all-too-brief UK tour – make a space in your musical diary to check ‘em out ASAP!
ABE VIGO
DA When listening to the music of our second top tip from LA, Abe Vigoda, the first question you’ll be asking yourself is ‘how come no one thought of mixing punk with tropical rhythms and surf guitars already?’ But then again maybe that’s just the genius of Abe Vigoda - their intuitive knack of mixing the unlikely and unexpected to create something amazing! Like many of the bands that have risen through the ranks of The Smell, Abe Vigoda are keen to remember where they come from, and put something back into the scene that gave them a platform in the first place “Yeah, I would do the door every once in a while and I help Jim Smith (the guy who runs The Smell) out when I’m there. It’s totally important to me to keep The Smell as a place that I feel I’m responsible for” explains guitarist Juan. “It’s rad to have a spot that- no matter what- I know I can book a really fun show and help out a touring band”. Oh yeah, and think Brooklyn has the monopoly on inter-band incest? Think again – Dean Spunt of fellow Smell-dwellers No Age produced Abe Vigoda’s latest record and even released it on his own PPM label!
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Face it; America hasn’t produced a half decent punk band since The Ramones. Turns out that for all the Mohawks, dodgy Ska-Punk and ham fisted Hardcore posturing of the past 3 decades, Uncle Sam has simply just been trying waaaaaaay too hard. No Age dismiss these 30 years of rather unsightly musical history simply by running a guitar and mic’ed up drum kit through a beaten up four track and kicking out the jams to the cue of “Duuude, press record...” Oh yeah and it turns out they’re Vegans too, so, er, anyone for lentils?! The guitaring half of the band Randy Randall describes LA as “a big weird place where you can either be seen or hideaway,” but doesn’t see No Age as either rebelling against, or going with the flow of the cities dominant culture. ‘I wouldn’t say we were trying to be reactionary, as a band we just try to do our own thing – whatever makes us happy or excited or laugh or whatever. We’re quite insular in that way, we only really pay attention to our own small community’. SUPERSUPER thinks that’s fair enough Randy, with a scene like that why bother looking anywhere else!
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EAST So who, what and why? I formed Passions in the summer of ‘06. I was really excited and inspired by the new wave of dance music coming out, and I decided to make something like that. I do all the song writing, production and arrangement, but anyone who helps me out - playing a synth-line on a track or dancing onstage at my shows or whatever is a member of the group. At first I think Passions was all about making music I could just play for anyone and get them to dance and lose control - influences like The Cars and punk bands like the Subhumans were really important to me. I think that was accomplished with Emergency. Now a lot of my influences are early post-punk, goth and industrial stuff like Joy Division, Bauhaus, Death In June, Nine Inch Nails and Ministry. I want Passions to be about a certain sound that I really don’t hear anymore - a kind of desperation, hopelessness and anger. I still want people to go crazy when they hear Passions, but I want it to strike a certain emotional chord, have some sort of substance to it. I’m kind of sick of hearing myself talk about it all actually. If I accomplish what I’m trying to do, I suppose you’ll know. I think it’s time for music to get dark again. What are your live gigs like and have you done many in the UK? Right now the live show is just myself, a laptop, keyboard, mic and controller. I try to completely lose myself as much as possible; ripping my clothes off, climbing the walls, screaming and going as mental as possible. When I can I try to have dancers
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a lot of wonder and beauty here that I tend to find at night - silent industrial areas with empty haunted warehouses, Coney Island at three in the morning when everyone has gone. It’s almost overwhelming to look at an apartment building and try to imagine all the lives that have been lived, all the happiness and horror that has accumulated in dirty corners and and back alleys. So Ben you double up as Math Head! It’s a totally different sound; do you have lots of different styles? I do a lot of dubstep, bassline and electro as Math Head, but I also put out an EP as ‘Campos Verdes’ a few years ago that was just me on guitar, effects, and a bunch of random old records I sampled. It’s probably the work I’m most proud of, but it’s pretty difficult to get a hold of, as it was put out as a limited 3” CD by a label called Foxglove in the states. I guess most people who make music just focus on one style and keep doing it - but it’s impossible for me to do that, there’s so many ideas I have and sounds I want to mess with, and I get bored way too easily. What’s the future for Passions? I just finished two Math Head EPs, “Turn the music up” which is out now and Stab City which should be coming out in a few months.
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One thing I’ve noticed is while LA seems to have a certain scene, it doesn’t necessarily come with a definable sound - all the bands seem really diverse. Is there a common thread that ties you all together?? JOHN: There is no set “L.A. Sound” but I feel there is a common aesthetic thread and cultural values all the bands share. The L.A scene is incredibly varied; there are a lot more artists in the scene covering a range of different genres that have gotten no press attention yet. All of the currently internationally known L.A. bands all fit into the “rock” subgenre of the scene. These shows are often a mix of several genres and styles - electronic, free noise whatever, but all fit in to certain aesthetic values that all the bands share in some way or another. Despite the eclecticism, it’s very clear when a certain band doesn’t make sense at The Smell.
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My dick touched the dreaded eggplant.
Do you have any particularly amusing anecdotes with regards to your experiences gigging in LA? JOHN: One time taking a shit, my dick touched the dreaded “eggplant” thing at the front of the Smell toilet bowl. If you see The Smell toilet you will know what I mean, and you will pity me.
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and hype people as well. I really want to have four girls dressed as Charlotte Rampling in ‘The Night Porter’ marching and berating the crowd onstage. For future shows I’m planning on having a drum machine, bass, keys and guitar and bringing out some of the people who work with me to play. I want something that is both spectacle and personal. I think a successful show is one where I’m bleeding, hyperventilating, in tears and drenched in sweat by the end of the night. I want the audience to feel how much the music means to me. I’ve played a bunch in the UK - my last show in Manchester almost ended when the bouncers ripped me off the stage because I was about to pull the water pipes apart. What’s the scene like over there? It’s hard for me to judge - most of the time I’m holed up in a basement in Brooklyn writing music. I don’t think I’ve ever felt like I was part of any scene or anything. Usually I feel like I’m on the outside looking in and by the time I feel like I’m part of something I’m usually bored and afraid of being defined by it. What’s great about NY? New York is kind of like a disease in a way. It’s really in my blood at this point... It may be killing me but I love it at the same time. There’s
Have you at all been influenced or inspired musically by the venue and scene which you have grown out of? JOHN: No. Our sound has always been very different from the other bands in the scene. I think the venue has subconsciously influenced the sound of all the bands though. It’s a very ominous setting that gives a lot of weight to whatever is performed there and in the minds of the performers. Give us the heads up on the scene politics in LA, how easy is it to break in as an upcoming band? JOHN: The scene is very small and everyone is friends with each other and knows each other. It’s
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Akiko Matsuura, from Pre and Comanechi, and I are working on a few songs together. She’s amazing, as are the bands she’s in. I’m also in the planning stages of some things with Casey Spooner from Fischerspooner. In the midst of all that is constant writing and working on the Passions album, and I just started up a new goth / industrial party with my friend Star Eyes (who did vocals on emergency, and is a member of Trouble & Bass) and My Pal The Crook (who runs Mishka, one of the best clothing labels in nyc) called Manic.
hard to enter, and seems very unfriendly at first. But it is incredibly supportive and friendly and enthusiastic. We entered the scene as outsiders and didn’t know anybody, after about six months of playing shows, we had met almost everybody. How is your more recent material developing, have you been creatively influenced by the popularity of the more definable ‘dancey’ HEALTH // DISCO stuff at all? JOHN: Yes, but not by the popularity. Dance music has always been an influence but with //DISCO it’s really hearing lots of awesome ideas done with our recorded vocals etc. P.S. We are not going to turn into a dance band. //DISCO is really about making that “definable” dance music as something different to be appreciated on its own, but still related to HEALTH. That’s why we brand everything, so they have name and occupy a different space in your brain. (i.e. //NOISE //DISCO //FASHION) . YR QUESTIONS ARE SO FUCKING DEEP SUPERSUPER!!!
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WHOLE SICK TOP (Kool Kids Club / Southend-on-Sea UK)
1– Ashton Shuffle - For Everyone (Stupid Fresh Remix) 2 – Math Head - Turn The Music (AC Slater Remix) 3– AC Slater - Jack Got Jacked (Jack Beats Remix) 4 – Clark Able - Back in the Bronx 5 – Leon Jean Marie - Bring it On (Rusko Remix) www.myspace.com/wholesick www.myspace.com/thekoolkidsklubuk
Esqueezy - Monday Murkage chart: 1 – Michael Jackson - Dirty Diana (Dexplicit Remix) 2 – EPMD - Run It (Sinden Remix) 3 – Mavado & Busy Signal Badman Place (C-Code & Mago Remix) 4 – Wideboys - Dis Station (Rules The Nation) 5 – Ghislain Poirier feat MC Zulu Go Ballistic (Toddla T & Duckbeats Remix) 6 – Tittsworth - Tear The Club Up 2008 7 – The Count & Sinden feat Rye Rye - Hardcore Girls 8 – Busta Rhymes - Don’t Touch Me (Bird Peterson Remix) 9 – Jordin Sparks feat Chris Brown No Air (Doug Grayson Cruel Intentions Remix) 10 – Mic Terror - Hiooooooo www.myspace.com/ mondaymurkage
Dean Golden (I Scream Sundays LDN UK) 1 – NutDisco - Prztz vs. Missy (Donna Summer re-edit) 2 – The geeks were right The Faint (boys noize/ dim) 3 – Wild Strawberries- Pneu 4 – Heartbeat - Late of the pier 5 – Stuck on Repeat - Little Boots www.myspace.com/ macbethsundays
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ERASURE – OH L’AMOUR: The ultimate heartbreak yet ‘I’m alright’ song. Erasure had it all. Synthtastic pop melodies, Abba like melodies and even a pair of red chaps. The perfect tune for a lonely Saturday night in the office whilst on deadline. According to rumours, our very own Super Stefan owned every Erasure album on cassette back in the 80’s – now that’s dedication.
TVYKS (Reply! - Prague, CZ) 1 – Mr. Oizo - Bruce Willis Is Dead /ed banger/ 2 – The Kills - Cheap and Cheerful (Fake Blood remix) /domino/ 3 – The Uniques - Get Your Points (Reply! remix) /white/ 4 – Wiley - Summertime (Crookers remix) /east west/ 5 – Daniel Haaksman feat. MC Jennifer - Who’s Afraid Of Rio? /man/ www.tvyks.com
Handsome Dan - Let your backbone slip &Too Many Creeps (every monday @ Saki Bar, Manchester) 1 – Danzig - Mother 2 – Kiss - Love Gun 3 – Gary Glitter - I’m The Leader of The Gang (I AM) 4 – Jayne Country - Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl? 5 – The Birthday Party Zoo Music Girl 6 – Alien Sex Fiend Nightmare Zone 7 – The Damed - New Ros 8 – Bikini Kill - Rah Rah Replica 9 – Bauhaus - Third Uncle 10 – Divine - You Think You’re A Man www.myspace.com/ letyourbackboneslip
Holestar (Shoot / LDN UK) 1 – The Kills - Cheap and Cheerful (SebastiAn Remix) 2 – MGMT - Kids (Soulwax Nite Version) 3 – Lil Bro Peep - Rude 4 – Das Pop - Underground (Van She Dub) 5 – Guns N Roses - Welcome the the Jungle www.myspace.com/holestar
NEW EARS (THE WORLD) 1 – O Children - Radio Waves (Demo) 2 – Copycats - Sun’s Son 3 – Factory Floor - Francis Francis 4 – Pens - Freddy 5 – Abe Vigoda - Bare Face 6 – SCUM - Visions Arise 7 – Gentle Friendly - 5 Girl Night 8 – The Fall - Hit The North www.newearsmanchester.blogspot. com
YO MAJESTY - CLUB ACTION (ALBUM VERSION): The Baltimore remix has been doin the round for a while now and was a massive dancefloor hit – anything that samples Enya’s Sail Away was destined for success. With the imminent release of the album though, the album version takes on a darker, more Salt N Pepa vibe.
TERRY BUSH - MAYBE TOMORROW:
“There’s a voice that keeps on calling me, down the road is where I’ll always be, every stop I make, I’ll make a new friend, can’t stay for long, just turn around and I’m gone again” – with lyrics that seem to sum up a few peoples lives in SUPERSUPER land, this has been a massive SUPER STEREO smash of recent. Also, it was the theme tune to a programme called ‘The Littlest Hobo’ which was about a stray German Sheppard who saved peoples lives – how SUPERSUPER is that?!
AMANDA LEAR - ALPHABET : 70’s disco siren Amanda Lear summed up the voice of the disco generation with this ode to a better world – “This is my alphabet, because time goes on, and things are changing in my world, here is a new alphabet for the children of my generation” – Wow. “A is for Anything” she declared – a two fingered salute to those fools who blew up a load of rare (and now probably very collectable) disco records at a baseball ground in Chicago back in 1979! What’s wrong with a bit of disco? DJ SEDUCTION VS CLSM - (TAKES ME) HIGHER - HAPPY HARDCORE MIX: THE ULTIMATE. Close your eyes, hands
in the air, images of Manumission back in the day. The world moves as one, we are God’s chosen people - WE ARE UNIFIED. What more can one say – just take a listen!
WILL TO POWER - BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY/FREEBIRD MEDLEY: A power
balled that harmoniously fuses reggae with the country sound of Lynard Skynard – well I never! They spawned a new genre without even knowing it, and if this song was a person they’d be a Reggabilly Buffallo Cowboy. In all honesty though, this song is just a power ballad and the man has a nice moustache and rides a Harley Davidson.
SILVER POZZOLI - AROUND MY DREAM: Never, I repeat, Never, look for the video for this on Youtube – it will ruin every dream you’ve ever had. Alls I’m saying is a brown mac, clapping, massive stage, Italy and empty stadium. Listen to the song though, it’s amazing.
PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED - PUBLIC IMAGE: Johnny Rotton’s post Pistols project PIL’s
(How many P’s) anthem to celebrity culture and the media. It’s over 20 years old, but its so so relevant. Plus cover band S.C.U.M really like it.
V.I.M - MAGGIES LAST PARTY: “This- Mr President- is a remarkable record” states good old good old Margret Thatcher at the start of the record. Taking it back to the old skool, this record is a ‘mid tempo’ (I never thought I’d ever say that about anything) anti establishment rant that has never seemed more relevant.
SuperLychee
In today’s fast moving music scene it is often hard to come up with a style that is totally original. Artist collaborations are one way of finding a new vibe and out of this has come some amazing sounds: Simian and justice, Neon Neon and Har Mar Superstar and of course Sonny and Cher. And Super Lychee and Evianne are the hottest new collaboration in town. Super Lychee=Vaslisa a fresh faced model (Check out SUPERSUPER issue 12!) has been rocking her music for some time now and has worked with some out there people. She has made music with Spoek of Sweat. X a South African duo who’s music is described as afro-electro, ghetto tech and who are (in) famous for talking a lot about ‘pussy’ and loving dayglo; she’s also been a backing vocalist for band Frank Musik. But Vas felt is was time to do her own thing and step to the front of the stage.
Words by Ruth Sullivan
www.myspace.com/superlychee www.thelycheeside.blogspot.com
Vas ‘when I was a backing singer I had no say in the music, and I wanted to have control over that so when Evianne contacted me it was the perfect opportunity’ So why Super Lychee? Vas ‘ well I was walking down Brick Lane one day and this shop was selling these huge fruit things that looked like massive Lychee’s and I shouted out Super Lychee and my friend said you’re so super lychee! lol, that was a crap story wasn’t it? ‘ Evianne’s music is hip hop based and has an electro sound pulling in an element of funk. He has performed at major places including performing at the ‘Love Music Hate Rascim’ festival. So why did you get in contact with Vas? ‘I wanted to start something, a new band, and I heard of Vas and knew she was really good.’ The guys explained to me this a totally fresh thing they are trying out. Vas ‘we are still really in the experimental stages of the process so nothing is set in stone this all a really new thing’ The band (which also includes drummer Kenny and bass player Coby) recently played at hot new night Calling All Tribes at The Ghetto. Despite only being together a matter of months, being a drum kit down and missing a laptop, they still wowed the crowd. Evianne still totally hyped said ‘It was crazy people were coming up to me after saying it was great. chee’s Madness!’ Super Ly nd line ba te a So it’s hard to imagine how gangsta this collaboration ultim e: will be in a few more months time with more practice up would b ar - guit x ri d n and with the right equipment. Buster B and K-Tron, e H ocals co-promoters of Calling All Tribes have certainly Bowie- V ts o seeked out the next big thing. The Ro r& e m m Dru vis on And I know what you all are thinking yes they both Miles Da like Lychee’s. trumpet.
Words by Joseph Patterson – www.josephjppatterson.blogspot.com
GLAMOUR FOR BETTER
GFB otherwise known as Glamour For Better consists of members Charlie Butterfield (Vocals), Ryan Seymour (Guitar), Dan June (Bass) and JJ ‘Swarm’ Henry (Drums) from sunny Reading. Their sound is somewhat of a mash up between indie, pop, grime and electro. A plethora of ‘scene’ bloggers and writers are now calling them the new Hadouken. Having had a stamp of approval from the NME and featuring on talent spotting music show Sound on BBC2 GFB has seen a rise in their fan base so much so their latest video Ryan vs. Roundabout hit the number one spot on MTV2. I love a bit of mash up so I caught up with the guys for a quick chat in their personalised mercs. How did you all meet? We all went to school together and have been best friends ever since, we then met JJ ‘Swarm’ Henry at his studio after we started rehearsing there and the rest as they say is history. Where did the name Glamour For Better come from? Glamour For Better was just one of the many names that we came up with and it was the one we picked, unfortunately there is no exciting story behind it. What do call yourselves in terms of genre, I would say Indie-PopGrime-Electro, close? You’ve probably hit the nail on the head. Who are your main musical influences? Our main influence is the late and great Test Icicles, they are the band that really got us started. Other smaller influences would have to be bands like Bloc Party. We all have our own individual influences which is perhaps why our music is different and why each song is quite different. You have been called the ‘New Hadouken’ by bloggers what are your thoughts on that? Well...we like what Hadouken do, they have found a sound that works for them and have stuck with it. We have met them and
played with them, we enjoy their music and they are amazing live. They are really nice guys but the constant comparison slightly baffles us. We realise that we have a song ‘Shape cutting catalyst’ that is Hadoukenesque? But apart from that we feel our music is very different. Do you intend to stay fairly underground and independent or would you be looking to sign to a major anytime soon? We love being independent and having the freedom to do as we wish musically etc. We have achieved an amazing amount also but perhaps to move to the next level and beyond we would need the backing, guidance and expertise of a major label. What type of crowd do you attract at shows? The best crowds, they are always so energetic, we have great fans. You’ve been touring with Partyshank, what do you think of them? We love Partyshank, we think if our memories serve us correctly that we approached them to do this joint tour so that must say something. We are big fans and honoured to be touring with them and also that they remixed one of our tracks. They are also amazing guys, which is lucky as we have to spend two weeks on a bus with them. Being young men how will/do you deal with the groupies? (Laughs)That is a loaded question. What are your plans for the future is there going to be another album? Our debut album came out late last year and entered in at 18 in the iTunes album charts. Our second album is underway and will hopefully be ready early next year.
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Behind the heavy brown door of the Big Chill lay rows of heavy oak coffee tables and swanky sofas. The bar’s about double my height, and on tip toes, I only just manage to catch the eye of the barman. “Have you seen some colourful guys? “I ask, rummaging through my bag to find issue five of SUPERSUPER: the last time we had a major chat with the guys from Trash Fashion. Just then, sporting some wicked hair and a notable lack of colourful clothing, the guys arrive. “Awight guys!” I ask, grabbing cheek kisses all round (one from each person in case you were wondering, none of this two-cheek, three-cheek malarkey.) Prior to our meeting I’d been listening to their new album demo for a couple of days, trying to figure them out. On the one hand, their sound; sprinkled with quotable quotes and movement inducing vibes, is a refreshing reminder that although life is tough, everyone is entitled to a bit of fun. On the other though, it’s a reminder that although life should be fun, there are serious issues that shouldn’t stray too far from one’s consciousness. (Do you see what I did there?!?) ...and it went a little something like this.
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ac
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www. TF- Hey, how are you? N- Okay. Kind of tired though. Enough about me though, how was the photo shoot? TF-Yeah it was cool...The weather wasn’t great but we got some good shots, it was cool. N- Cool! I see you have a new member..hi Jimbo Ready! Jimbo Ready- Hey. N- So where did you come from? Jimbo Ready- Err, just answered an ad on myspace, auditioned and here I am! N- Wicked! Well I’ve been doing some research on you guys.. TF- Oh dear/Oh no... N- Lol! You were quoted as saying that the result of the debut album “Nights of Error” is the “second wave of Trash Fashion. How would you describe this sound to a deaf person? Jet Storm- A dead person?!? N- A deaf person... or a dead person. Just someone who can’t hear. Mason Storm- Have they always been deaf? N- No, they’ve become deaf somewhere in-between your first EP and now. Ben- Some of it’s different. Obviously the stuff that’s on the EP before is on there but it’s changed... N- How has it changed? Tom- I think we’ve just got a more dancey element back and
obviously K-Bomb has left so we’ve kinda gone away from the more screamo kind of thing. Da beatz R a bit more PROnounced n dat. It’s back to kind of where we were originally but after having travelled and picked up stuff along the way. N- When you say originally, is that before Nu Rave then? Tom- Well yeah, I mean, we’ve been going for something like four and a half years so...’Rave Dave’ was around a long time before that. N- Speaking of Nu Rave.... back in issue five of SuperSuper you said “If you can wake up in the morning and aren’t afraid of saying ‘I know I’m an idiot’ then you’re Nu Rave.” SO if you’ve now moved away from that, does that mean you now wake up in the morning and don’t think you’re an idiot? Jet Storm- ooh that’s a good question... I think these three look in the mirror and look like idiots, especially this one (points at Jimbo Ready) HaHa! Mason Storm- It’s like everything else really, like fashion for example. You won’t always be wearing exactly the same outfit. The ideology behind it is the same, it’s just the surface that changes. Tom- The whole thing with that was, if you’re walking down the street and someone looks at you like you’re an idiot, there’s not
really much point rising to it, because it might be a good thing rather than a bad thing. N- Is TrashFashion a command, like “oi, you! - Fashion must be trashed!! Rip it up and spit on it!” or is it a comment? Jet Storm- Yeah well that was what it was originally meant to be, but then because of ‘trailer trash,’ people thought we were talking about caps and trailer parks which we weren’t. It was basically screw the notion of what fashion should be. N-What would you say to a young person that wasn’t really sure what to do with their lives or where their place in society was? Jimbo Ready- Join a band. BamBam- Don’t join a band. N- Which one eh? What if someone’s reading this, hanging on to your every word like NOO tell me, which one do I do?? Jet Storm- Well the music industry right now is in a weird place, so if you’re starting out right now it’s quite difficult. The beauty of the internet though is that if it’s not just about the money, but about an outlet of creativity, people have the resources to get their stuff out there. N- About the net, I’ve been snooping around YouTube checking out your videos...what’s with the wolfman? He’s always lurking about somewhere. I love
ion
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N-Close your eyes. (They all close their eyes and I lay a marker pen and beard trimmer on the table.) How many fingers am I holding up? Jet Storm- 12 Mason Storm-6 BamBam-1 Jimbo Ready- 2 Jet Storm- 9 Jimbo Ready-7 Mason Storm- 4 BamBam- Zero N-YEEEES! Okay you win. Hold this. (I hand over the beard trimmer and yank my wig off.) TF- WOAH!! Wicked!! N-As the winner you’ve won the right to brand me with TrashFashion. GO! (Various glare-and-stares from the patrons of the Big Chill, but I don’t give a shizzle. They don’t get it...but as Jet Storm said, that probably isn’t a bad thing.)
wolves. Do you think he’ll marry me? (One word guys. Oz. Ya get me?) Jet Storm- He’s everyone and no-one... N-LOL Tom- How long is a piece of...I dunno...He came about from one of our original logos that was a caricature of our dog’s face. It’s basically like our dog is with us in the videos because he bit the bullet. (RIP Sniff) N- Lets talk about the single... It’s coming out at the end of September. Why did you go for ‘Night of error?’ Jet Storm- Umm... it was one of the last tracks we’d written on the album and we just wanted to start with something fresh. We wanted to give people a sound that they wouldn’t have necessarily predicted N-Do you wanna play a game? TF- Err...
words by Naida
CHARLI XCX
There’s something about Charli. “Originality is rare, so if you find it, I suppose you should embrace it,” says CHARLI XCX, an admirable statement from someone so young. On the cusp of adulthood, at only sixteen years of age Charlie is more than aware of her situation and is looking both ways with clarity and honesty. Charli is freakin’ cool, she has a delicate humbleness reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn splashed with colour, attitude and enough energy to run a power station. On the crest of the ‘girls who make grime’ wave, CHARLI XCX is certainly a leader and not a follower, telling it like she sees it, minus shizzle, pretention and self alleviation. “My first album, I made when I was 14, (ER REWIND<< 14! WTF! AMAZING!) was completely different, it was more acoustic. You have to develop your sound though, because it demonstrates growth. If you never evolved, you’re closing yourself off.”
CHARLI’s TOP 5 traxx of the moment 1. Revl9n- SebastiAn 2. Kids on K- The Coolness 3. Gangsters- The Specials 4. Drill it- Papa Vito (Lillica Libertine remixx) 5. Stellar HeartsAtlanticists
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kaar Franchesc www.myspac
words by Naida
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SS: So Jack (Mumdance,) how long have you been DJ’ing for? How did it come about? JACK (Mumdance) I went through a phase of DJ’ing when I was 13, playing Speed Garage. But until a year ago I was just a promoter and bedroom producer. Then I started doing the parties for Vice and eventually started doing my own party at The Old Blue Last in Shoreditch called Mumdance... it went so well that it’s kind of all I do now, just DJ and make tunes! SS: And LadyPat when did you start VJ’ing and how long has VJ’ing actually been around for? LADYPAT: Well when I first became aware of VJ’ing in 2002 I thought I could do better myself, famous last words. I started doing various stuff online, like flash websites for the club NagNagNag and preparing live visuals for Adam Sky with help from Microchunk (A London based collective of VJ’s.) By the time I had done a couple of gigs with Adam Sky I knew the rudiments of making visuals live and got a resident slot with another club called Cock Live. SS: So LadyPat have you ever thought of being a DJ/VJ? LADYPAT: Yes but it would be more of a short audiovisual set that people would watch than a two hour danceathon.
dypat
com/la yspace.
m future and So in our quest to spur on the we have ow orr nurture the talents of tom Mumdance DJ PER hooked up with SUPERSU talk to t yPa and intercontinental VJ Lad , VJ’s & s DJ’ about the mergence of the pens hap at wh and wearing wedding dresses gigs! live at les fi ng when you select the wro
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SS: Jack have you ever had a VJ at any of your nights? JACK: When I was younger I put on a dnb night, a kid I knew tried to put visuals on the club projectors through his laptop, he went on the wrong file and some savage porn got beamed out all over the club! The entire bar staff started kicking off. It was a total nightmare! LADYPAT: For once people looked at the screens! SS: Jack you DJ from a laptop right? Would it be farfetched to see you VJ at the same time as DJ in the future? JACK: It’s definitely an interesting concept, but not one I see myself doing as I’m generally rubbish and have enough trouble DJ’ing. And I’m always drunk! A DJ/VJ duo would be a great idea. Is there a higher start up fee for a VJ? LADYPAT: Not really, most people have a laptop and you can download the cracks and learn everything you need to know from forums. But saying that, I meet so many VJ’s who collect all the kit in the world but really any old Argos DVD player and shitty lappy will do it nowadays. JACK: It’s like when producers get all chin stroky and start collecting vintage synths. So what kind of music are you into LadyPat? LADYPAT: Well for gigs I
like acts like Dolby Anol, Alex Metric and Boys Noise, I like high octane stuff rather than the hoary house stuff. There’s defiantly a generational gap. SS: Are you getting on a bit now then Pat? LADYPAT: Yeah I’m a GJ! (Geriatric Jockey) but I align with the younger producers, speaking of which who are you working with at the moment? JACK: I’ve been pretty lucky recently. I just finished a remix of Santogold’s Creator, where we used Jammer / Tempa T / Badness / Chronik / Rage & Slikman to do vocals. That’s coming out on the new Diplo vs Santogold mixtape called “Top Ranking”. I’ve also just remixed Radioclit’s next single Secousse. I’m currently working on a remix for a guy called El Guincho & a Remix for Evil 9. Then it’s original material.... I don’t wanna be “the remix guy”. Pat, your style reminds me of like old Amiga demos (in a good way), did you to get them when you were younger? Like Budbrain and stuff... LADYPAT: I was a total 8-bit arcade boy! I didn’t get a PC until 2001 and never had a gaming unit either. It would be like heroin... I knew I’d like it too much! In the metaphorical sense! JACK: Ha-ha they get like that,
” LA
DYPAT
the old computers. I haven’t left mine for about a month. My life is just staring at a computer, but now at weekends I get to stare at it in front of a crowd of people. LADYPAT: Ha-ha so true! JACK: And check my e-mails in public! LADYPAT: Ssshhh! SS: I bet you can get away with all sorts! But there is a downside, what happens when your laptop crashes? JACK: Once I put a chat on, video chat and I got my mate up and he was laughing but it came out through the PA. LADYPAT: Luvs that! I just surf Gaydar, which magazine is this again? JACK: Having your lappy crash is a nice one, but it’s the least of my worries! Once I got really hammered while playing at Heaven, and when I finished my set I fell down the stairs on the stage in front of everyone! (SUPERSUPER would like to point out Heaven is a 3000 capacity club!) SS: Lolz you fell from Heaven! LADYPAT: Oh I love you for that! In Ibiza a load of minglanders crashed the VJ booth and demanded their pictures taken with me. They always think you’re the DJ! During the electroclash era, I used to go out in a burnt wedding dress so however fucked I got I
would always look in character! SS: Have you ever dressed up DJ Jack? JACK: I haven’t really dressed up to DJ before. I let the music speak for itself man! I would like to get some logo tee’s but everyone is on that vibe now. SS: Yeah it’s proper rinsed mate, drip dried! JACK: I’m just getting used to being on stage to be honest, I’m kind of shy. Sure in a year or so when my ego and alcoholism kicks in I’ll be all over the shop. So LadyPat do you alter your visuals depending on what DJ / genre gig your doing? LADYPAT: Yea definitely, I always do research before the gig and hunt down associated imagery then mix it into the content. I can’t think of anything worse than not doing it that way! I was listening to your music earlier Jack and imagining visuals... JACK: Ha-ha, what got conjured up? LADYPAT: It would have to be everything at once, but really super tight and layered. It would be a lot of work and cost thousands... JACK: Ha-ha why thanks, I thought you were going to say something like a monkey on an organ grinder! I reckon Jeremy Kyle on loop would make great visuals for my music!
SUPER REVIEWZ
NIYI I Love You All / Poached Eggs Holloway Hit Factory Released September 15th on Holloway Hit Factory
PICK OF DA MONTH
THE Zeitgeist is STILL here! Niyi loves us all and he’s still flying the flag of optimism higher than ever. Niyi wears his heart on his sleeve, or should it be on his necklace, along with his KFC family bucket neck-breaker or perhaps the juice carton. I’m not sure what necklace he favours nowadays, there’s been many along the way since he stumbled out the emergency exit of Central St. Martins, and clawed his way to the top of London cool. There’s not much to write in a review of Niyi’s work, it’s truly incomparable to anything that has come before it, but somehow at the same time, it’s everything! This is probably however the most biased review ever; I mean, I’ve known Niyi since the days when the plastic wrap stiletto combo was the hottest night bus outfit to be seen in, aka, t-i-m-e. And since then we’ve been in constant competition in who’s going to get KoKon Tu Zai’s new outfits first. Niyi’s winning, but I won’t hold that against him. Like his clothes, his songs are epic and if his songs were pictures they would be likened to the space telescope Hubble’s “Deep Field” photograph which pretty much opened up a whole new universe for the human race. Well Niyi has don’t just that, but with sound. He’s broken down the barriers, the genres, the structure, the attitudes and the tempos. So insert a big ribbon and Niyi holding a huge pair of scissors, because a new universe in music is now officially open for business!
HANNAH HOLLAND & MAMA “Shake it Up” Single out on Batty Bass Records 20th September We’ve been waiting for this for so long! Finally Batty Bass promoters, Hannah Holland and Mama Shamone have got together to release a single. The single ‘Shake it Up’ will be released on their own record label ‘Batty Bass Records,’ one which we say you should keep your eye on! If it’s anything like the club it’s going to be setting dance floor trends a year ahead of anyone else. Surprisingly the single is quite minimal; it’s got a dark and grimey flavour with Mama’s vocals and lyrics creating a sinister atmosphere, perfect for sweatbox clubs like Trailer Trash. ‘Shake it up’ sounds like a new sound in the making! L-VIS 1990 Debut EP Out now on ‘Tres Cool Colours’ available on I-tunes. Hyper Bass, is the term L-Vis 1990 has been throwing down to describe his sound. It’s a lot about bass, and a sprinkling of fidget. Mental, short and snappy bass lines build up to release crescendos of blips, skippy hi-hats, clap’s, and you guessed it, more bass. The first track “Change the Game” -Starkey Remix, employs some heavy sub and is by far the best track on the EP laying down a sound which would sit well next to Fake Blood or Zombie Disco Squad’s current work. ‘Black Snax’ the last track on the EP is a welcome break with some wicked vocal loops dropping beats which would get anyone’s hands in the air. A must for good DJ bags. PARTYSHANK ‘Virgin/Kids of the future’ To be released November 2008 “Da-Ding!” Anyone whose face and digits were glued to a chunky grey Gameboy for the duration of the nineties will probably get the same familiar tingle in their belly that I did at the start of ‘Virgin.’ Very much like a virgin touched for the very first time by the magic that was old skool Nintendo, Partyshanks’ offering is a thump in the face to the dull and mediocre, fusing a light-hearted backbone of skippy electro- eclecticness with a fierce and un-ignorable beat. If the high pitched bippyness isn’t your thing, I wouldn’t worry coz it’s probably too high for your ear frequency to hear anyway. I defy you; however, to not shake your rump and feet to the anthemic momentum of Christian Shanks’ vocals and their fluid post-house beat. Make way for the ‘Kids of the future’ peeps, coz whether you like it or not, nobody’s going to put these babies in the corner.
DAS WANDERLUST ‘Puzzle/Tape Project #1’ Released 6th of October on ‘Don’t Tell Clare Records.’ ‘Wrong Pop’. That’s how Das Wanderlust describe their sound. It’s funny, there’re loads of nu-pop/ wonky-pop/wrong-pop-esque terms flying around MySpace at the moment. For Instance, Frankmusik is playing all the time at Wonky Pop, a night where you might also catch the likes of The Cocknbullkid, and I think that wonky pop aptly describes some of their songs. They are pop-like in that they appeal en masse. But Das Wanderlust doesn’t. They are totally niche, their press release goes on about ‘Riot Grrrl’ but that also seems a bit off the mark because we couldn’t imagine stage diving along to these tunes. So I’ve come to the conclusion that all we need to do is cross off the ‘pop’ bit and just keep the ‘wrong’ bit. To sum up, imagine ‘The Sound of Music’ with guitars, that’s what ‘wrong’ sounds like. I’m just waiting for wrongbass to make an appearance. KANO ‘140 Grime Street’ Released 29th of September on BPM Kano takes us back to the gritty roots of the grime scene, delivering a direct and edgy insight into his own personal experiences of what the scene represents. The album bangs HARD from start to finish, absent are the delicate RnB crossovers that may have earned him chart success in the past, I’m proud to say this one’s purely for the streets! Boasting a flawless lyrical onslaught Kano spits with the hunger and urgency of a new MC fresh on the scene, echoing the energy that established him as one of standout lyricists of N.A.S.T.Y crew. The album also sees Kano collaborate with a host of grime heavyweights including Wiley, Skepta and long time affiliate Ghetto. A raw hard-hitting gritty sound ‘140 Grime Street’ packs quite a punch and does not
disappoint.
HEARTBREAK ‘Lies’ To be released 22nd of September on Lex Recordings
GOLDIE LOCKS ‘KIDS’ Out now on Locked ON/TuneCore
Heartbreak are an Anglo Italian duo comprised of Sebastian Muravchik on vocals and Ali Renault on the keyboard so like eating a full English breakfast in a Ferrari they have it all. Their debut album lies in a power pop electro heaven, they’ve taken inspiration from the 80’s but brought it up to date for the music buffs of the millennium. Sebastian’s has a range of vocals that are very distinctive and sexy to! I know not many of you tres cool people out there would like to admit this but everyone enjoys a song you can sing along to, and this album has that, especially my favourite ‘Robots got the Feeling.’ The album is fun but underneath that you can see these two really know how to make a tune.
“Kids” is the latest offering from Goldielocks – and it’s taken from the film Adulthood. Hailing from Croydon, at first you might think she was just another London accent female spitting about kids in hoodies over a generic beat, but you’d be wrong! She makes her own beats, and this fruity loops creation is DEFINITELY as good as the next. This latest pop fantastic record hits a little deeper, with lyrics such as “You’ve got the money to follow Bush but you don’t want to spend it on our youth”. Deep!
Words:Just William.
myspace.com/pictureplane
With a Myspace ‘sounds like’ list made up of Youtube video’s for Madonna’s ‘Holiday’, 10 minutes of pirate radio footage from a bootlegged grime DVD and a clip of Einstrundze Neubauten’s ‘Autobahn’ I had an inkling that Denver’s Pictureplane (aka Travis Egedy) might just be of interest to you readers out there. A further inspection of his awesome artwork, blogs (on topics ranging from the revolutionary possibility of pop to his cultural ‘Creep’ manifesto) AND amazing 808-ravestep-pop meant it was a SuperSuper no-brainer! His name’s currently on the tips of tastemaker tongues thanks to his remix of HEALTH’s (see East vs. West article elsewhere in the issue) ‘Lost Time’ on their //DISCO album. We caught up with Travis to find out wagwaan in the world of Pictureplane! Hey Travis, how would you describe the Pictureplane agenda, musically, spiritually, artistically or otherwise? I wouldn’t call it an agenda - that makes me sound like some sort of extraterrestrial conspiracy! BUT, there are some conceptual goals behind what Pictureplane is about. It is really just about positivity and possibility. The possibility of another world and reality through sound, one that is truly REAL, not illusionary like the one we currently occupy. I guess in the performance aspect it is about capturing space and the experience of those temporary moments of pure sonic bliss. Imagine a world where everything was made out of love?! Ha it’s cheesy, but I’m a believer! You recently remixed a HEALTH track for their // DISCO album. How did that come about? HEALTH have played at the warehouse in Denver I live in, Rhinoceropolis, 3 times now. We have had amazing times playing together; the vibes were always very good. I think that Denver reminds them of their home scene in LA, but way cooler. :) I saw that they were doing a remix album, and I asked if I could do one. They said yes - it all stemmed from there. There are some secret talks of some HEALTH/Pictureplane things in the future. Do you follow the UK music scene at all? I have been obsessed with the history of UK club music and the contemporary scene for a couple years now. It is so absolutely different than anything in America. I’m real big on Grime, Dubstep and Bassline at the moment. I love Jungle and Drum and Bass from the 90’s. Early 90’s pop
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Travis’ artwork!!
gabriel’s corner
I’m a bit of a black sheep in this magazine, as I don’t live in any Huge City, I just live commuting distance from London, to be precise: the Bright Lights of Basingstoke. You could put my age (just 17, happy birthday 2 me) or location to why unfortunately i’m NOT about to obsess over the latest Celtic Bassline Mash Up and am instead obsessed with.... er, Pussycat Doll’s nu song, When I Grow Up. But seriously, it’s hardcore, plus not so much about objectifying women, etc. – more ‘wow fame is like sooooo not what I wished for, freaaaky’ than ‘HAY SLEEP WITH ME, I’M FITTER THAN UR GIRLFRAAND!!!’ After this shocking revelation (although not that shocking when you consider my most played on iTunes is Take A Bow by Rihanna) you would think maybe I’d try and reaffirm my masculinity by listening to, idk, Bob Dylan. However Bob Dylan is too depressing – why listen to that tripe when you could be listening to ALANIS MORISSETTE!!!!!! People say many things about Alanis, but one thing u CANNOT deny is the woman knows how to be cheerful. Recently I’ve been a bit blue – and once I’ve managed to turn off Whitney Houston I always slap on a bit of Alanis to heal the pain.
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music for clubs, early acid house, oh man. Also been getting into the new ‘Funky’ House over there... is that even what you call it? Those new wonky Scottish producers, Hudson Mohawke and RUSTIE are blowing my mind right now. Is there such thing as a typical show for you? Lately a typical summer Pictureplane show is a dark and sweaty pulse throb of an experience. Lots of glitter, rainbow blankets and fabrics being tossed around. Dance anarchy! I poked holes in some glow sticks one time, tied them to a string and waved them around so the glow juice speckled and splattered all over everyone in the crowd and the entire room, then flicked off the lights and played in outer space. It was beautiful. Everyone smelled like chemicals! What do you think is the perfect pop song and why? Anything off of Madonna’s first record. Specifically, ‘Holiday’ and ‘Lucky Star’. Pop perfection is about a warm tingling sensation!
Even her angsty songs have a ‘FUCK YOU! I AM INCREDIBLE!’ vibe. Life is for the brave, and whilst all the ‘crazy’ local gigs I’ve been to gave me nothing more than a good night’s sleep, Epic Pop Anthems give me so much courage I’m practically Braveheart. I seriously think way way way too many people don’t appreciate the full magical spectrum of musical magic – I literally do NOT understand how someone can enjoy purely JAZZ or purely ROCK when the world is made up of so many types of music!!! Don’t let the media or your idea of what makes a ‘cool’ profile song stop you from luvvin Alanis!! And likewise don’t let a diet of 50 Cent and Girls Aloud hold u back from sampling the delicious delights of the underground side of things!!! If you are the poetic sort, imagine it as a variety box of choccy – would you really stick to the caramel you’ve been eating since u were 7 when the fudge stick could taste SO SO delicious?? Would you??? You never know – whilst i have discovered how much I love and adore Alanis (we’re on first name terms), you may discover you secretly LURVE Shakira/UB40/Korn/N*Sync! Or preferably all four! UNTIL NEXT TIME <3
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Top Retro Tip
GRACE JONES
Pictureplane
Grace Jones –: (When you say ‘Grace Jones’, you always have to leave a long pause before you continue the sentence.) Grace Jones – Like earth, wind, fire and water, Jones is an elemental force! She’s like a tribal warrior-god of sound and sex, she lurks backstage like a lioness stalking its prey; ready to strike and rip your sorry-ass carcass to shreds with only her bare teeth and razor sharp cheek bones. If Jones were a cartoon she would be Cruella de Ville, only waaay sexier and with far fiercer outfits. Jones first appeared on the media radar back in 1977 with the launch of her uber-gay disco records, her SUPER-model status, and with a little help from her best buddy Andy Warhol. Warhol was transfixed by Jones. Like Edie Sedgwick she became one of his muses, and he constantly photographed and documented her life right up until his own death in 1987. So, Warhol popped his clogs, but if Jones’ recent show at The South Bank Centre is anything to go by she’s well and truly back on the map! Jones has a new album launching soon called ‘Hurricane’ with an incredible new single called ‘Corporate Cannibal’ in which Jones cements her ownership of a style she beget, and has dominated since her albums ‘Nightclubbing’, ‘Warm Leatherette’ and ‘Slave to the Rhythm.’ But if her iconic embodiment and personification of the 20th century isn’t enough for you, she also works some supersuper looks! She may be 60 years old now, but slap on a couple of cheek implants, have her slither into a new leotard, and she’s back- possibly with more force than ever. Men tremble in her very presence! Grace Jones – kick’s ass! YouTube ‘Grace Jones’ now!
lil’ LABEL
We’ve got another corker for y’all! Formed in 2008 by Simon Hassett, A New Hope Records dredge the blogs and comb the internet for ‘needle in the haystack’ producers, so you don’t have too. Like magpies collecting shiny objects they have rounded up some the hottest producers on the planet! A Recent signing, being our own favourite Warboy! Their roster certainly packs a punch with the likes of A.C. Slater and 2 Bit thugs also hustling it alongside B.Rich and Oh Snapp!! A New Hope Records are setting a new bench mark within dance music, they want to get their artists the recognition they deserve, and steer the dance music towards more creative ends. They are currently working with producers from a new genre of house, well recognized as ‘wobble house’ but they do also occasionally dabble in dub-step, electro house and electronica. When you hear a record from this label, you’ll know it because the hairs on the back of your neck will stand up and you’ll quickly become just a wobbly puddle of sweat on the dance floor!
myspace.com/anewhoperecords
Where’s My Ravin Kru? BALLER$ SOCIAL CLUB (THE GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, & THE IVY, GLASGOW)
Self described as playing eclectic ‘electronica, hyphy, hip hop, nu beat, club and dubbed-out wamp,’ The Ballers Social Club is one of the most forward thinking nights in the UK! ‘Glasgea’ is a hub of groundbreaking musical talent- evident in this club night’s bookings including locals Hudson Mohawke & Rustie, plus Mofomatronix, Eclair FIFI, Darkstar and Lukid. Don’t miss their first birthday party at The Ivy on the 12- 13th Sept billing PPP, Andrew Meza, The Bug & Memory9 plus more. This club night moves serious units.. get yoself down there!! DOPE. www.myspace. com/ballerssocialclub
NIGHT SLUGS (PLAN B, BRICKY, LDN)
In March 2008 DJs Bok Bok and L-Vis 1990 teamed up to bring the world Night Slugs. Drawing on various styles of banging and bass-heavy party musics, their policy of ‘4x4 / heavy bass / gutter house’ encompasses bassline, grime, garage, ghetto house and many other showa party musics of the world, all presented in an upfront UK soundsystem format. Night Slugs is also a place where brand new heavy bass dubplates can be heard and is a night that is helping define this emerging sound. The emphasis is on energy and innovation. Night Slugs originally found its home at the Redstar, Camberwell where residents Bok Bok, Manara & L-Vis 1990 were joined by guests such as Dexplicit, Kingdom (NYC), Tomb Crew, DJ Rekless, DJ Guy and Oneman. While looking for a new home, Night Slugs is doing a one-off takeover of the D.O.T.S. night at Plan B, Brixton on the 12th of September, to celebrate Bok Bok’s birthday. www.myspace. com/nightslugs for more info.
DUBPRESSURE (THE VOLKS, BRIGHTON)
Dubpressure has been applauded 3rd Best dubstep night in the UK by DJ Magazine. It was founded by Letitia Fox and Tom Unlikely, who also run Platform 1 (which is having a break at the moment) at Corsica Studios.
Donuts @ The Tube, Bristol - T2 / Spiney / Joker + More
D.O.T.S (DRUMZ OF THE SOUTH) (PLAN B, BRICKY)
with . . .
JP
It has proved to be so popular that it has developed in to other nights known as Roots of Dubpressure (playing jungle, 2-step, breaks, grime, plus more) and Superdubpressure (at the Concorde). It has been a major stepping stone for some of the scene’s biggest talents. Past guests include Plastician, Oneman, Darkstar, Headhunter & Cyrus to name a few, with residents Unlikely, Kion and Dom. Keeping it fresh 2 nights every month. (Fridays). Next Dubpressure September 19 with Heny G, Zomby and Sukh Knight. Next Superdubpressure will be Oct 10th with Mala, Sticky, SLT Mob & Chef b2b LD. Check http://www. myspace.com/dubpressure for updated information.
Conceived in 2004 as a blog by photographer Georgina Cook, D.O.T.S was reborn last year in the basement of Plan B as an exploration into the history of the LDN underground where amongst others, Skream played his now infamous funk & disco set, Benga dusted off his 8-bar dubs and Kode 9 laid down some ‘squelch.’ Expect to hear: garage, dubstep, jungle, house, dub, hardcore, the unexpected & everything in between. D.O.T.S’ Blog states that ‘music is a journey, and life is something that happens along the way’. One of the pioneers of experimental music, this south London night’s past guests include Kutz, Tes La Rok, Cotti, Clouds, N-Type, Markleman, Hatcha and Skream. The next D.O.T.S event will be in Norfolk – the Antic Banquet Festival (12th – 14th September) with Hijak, Unlikely, and Dokkebi Q plus more. Set on an organic beef farm 10 miles from Norwich, Norfolk, there are only 500 tickets available and there are not many left!!! Tickets are only £62 from www. anticbanquet.com/tickets.php www.drumzofthesouth.com
MORE DATES FOR YOUR DIARY! Friday 5th September Wobbla @ Club Zenn, Stoke on Trent - Skepta / Burgaboy / Murks / TRC / Subzero / TS7 Saturday 6th September Bigger Than Barry @ Rainbow, Birmingham - Tapedeck / Rattus Rattus / Obvious w/Taharka + More Friday 12th Septmeber Night Slugs /Bok Bok’s Birthday @ Plan B,Bixton Silverlink / Tootsi / Ed n Dom / Bok Bok & Manara / L-vis 1990
Saturday 13th Septmeber House Nation Meets Back 2 Napa @ Route 69, Northampton - Giggs / DJ Cameo / DJ Q / Marcus Nasty / Asher + More Shoreditch Shuffle @ Many venues w/ Many acts / email press@whosjack.co.uk for more details Friday 19th Septmeber ChockABlock & Maharishi Present... @ Egg Nightclub,Kings Cross/Ldn - Tempa T / Griminal / MNT / Trilla / Bomma B / Spyro + More Club Neon @ Sub, Croydon - Frankmusik / Lsdj / Kontact / Probert + More Saturday 20th September Mindie @ Koko, Camden - Stealth Disco / Rattus Rattus / Ordio Kid / Lil Jon / 32 Double DJ’s + More Bad Sneakers / Heads Up / Welcome to Dance Club @ Faversham, Leeds - Mr Flash / Youth Attack / Ocelot / Heads Up + More Saturday 27th September No Pain In Pop @ Various London Venues - Benga / Afrikan Boy / thecocknbullkid / Bass Clef / Loefah / Oneman /Tomb Crew email: info@nailthecross. com for more info. Sidewinder @ Carling Academy, Bristol - Skepta / Ghetto / Tempa T / Mz.Bratt / Dot Rotten / Jamie Duggan / Spyro + Many More Friday October 4th Square Roots @ Amersham Arms, New Cross - Sketpa / Plastician / Blaise Belville / Reecha + More
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MY MOTTO FOR DRESSING/ LIFE/ ART/ HAPPINESS IS ‘MAXIMAXIMALISM’: Have your cake and eat it/ eat your cake and scoff 5 more/ eat your cake and throw up and then wear the sick as a carrot-embellished liquid cape... etc. That’s SICK right?! Haha! In case you hadn’t noticed I am a self-confessed, self-inflicted ‘maximaximilist’. By ‘maximaximal’ I mean to encounter me in my 10-15 necklaces/ 5 different kinds of eyeball-blistering prints/ 20 shades of rainbow/ ‘too much’ stuff piled on like an A.D.D info overload – it can be a bit of a headfuck for people who aren’t used to ‘retinal rape’ as SUPERSUPER has lovingly been described by one poor eyeshocked soul. My style of advanced brashness with its deliciously vicious attack of sexy ultraclash and limited edition shimmery transmissions sprinkled with hundreds and thousands of mixed semiotics screams so loud that nothing I’m wearing makes any sense whhhhhaaatsssoeveeerr. And yet, somewhat strangely, it makes
.com/nam alee
so much sense doesn’t it?!… Yesssss... you one-print walloonies! You’d better get used to it... Woooohooooo!!! Wahahahaha!! I think it’s clear for everyone to see that ‘minimalmism’ as the definitive dictator of ‘cool style’ has slipped up on its own lower cap and is truly on its way out of the carpetless building... Bye bye wooden floorboards. We won’t miss how cold you make our bums feel when we sat on you, and we won’t miss how we slip up on your shininess, causing a dull plank-y thud as we crash to the floor and smash our head open all in the sweet name of ‘tasteful’ Scandinavian-inspired design. Yipppeeeee!!! SUPERSUPER says bring back massive hideous friendly furry carpets!!!! : ) The ‘uglier’ the better. And big heavy fleece curtains would be great too. Modernist purism doesn’t sit very well in a climate that is cold enough thankyouvery much – I’m talking weather/ social/ the lot. Hey ho!! Let’s make a fabulously disgusting mess and revel in the pure joy it. Being MAXIMAXIMAL is way more emotional and FUN – dressing in a million things is as enjoyable and frenzied as an insect orgy in a bottle of Lucozade. Maximaximal style also puts the power back into the hands of the individual because by juxtaposing several items together the statement becomes about your individuality and personal CHOICE rather than a singular head-to-toe branded look. We love brands but only when we can wear them how WE want to wear them, not how we’re told/supposed to wear them! For example wearing mismatched rival trainer brands on each foot ie Adidas and Nike – the overall effect is sophisticatedly imperfect, humourous, personal and warm. Even more seriously MAXIMAXIMILISM is a gigantic mirror held up to today’s MAXI-multicultural ethnically diverse society – the massive global mash-up that is right here RIGHT NOW. Listen to maximaximal queen M.I.A’s music and then tell me where she is coming from...? The answer is EVERYWHERE. No-one is coming from one place anymore. We live in the age of cyberspace and the global network and being maximaximal reflects this. Multiple layers of clashy colour reflect this overtly like a traffic light in a rainbow factory. To people who thought ‘colour’ was merely a whimsical seasonal trend born of ‘new rave’, I have this to say: I don’t think I will ever ‘get over’ bright colours, simply because they are in my blood and my mixed heritage culture. This is not an issue simply about cyclical fashion trends, it’s about reflecting reality – identity, roots and acknowledging a thoroughly multicultural modern Britain. Back in the day my mum wore a sari to pick me up from school – a bright purple and gold sari with shitloads of chains and gold jewellery because that’s how they dress in the places like Sri Lanka and India to reflect their version of ‘good taste’, which is different to the western version of ‘good taste’. It’s always pissed me off that many wonderful aesthetic qualities from my mum’s culture are interpreted in Western culture as ‘bad taste’ – a questionable theory because who has the right to decide what ‘bad taste’ is anyway? Likewise many of the garish colours associated with countries that have more sunshine and less money, are also often dismissed as being ‘loud and brash’. Basically I don’t reckon that Mies van der Rohe and my mum would have that much in common in terms of preferred plant pots – what with him being a lover of clean lines and airy spaces and her being a fan of massive neon gems and plastic flora, but today we are living in planet mash-up so quite frankly my mum’s taste is more relevant. I live in a city where we have the largest multicultural population in Europe and I reckon the maximaximalism aesthetic is an honest reflection of what the world around us looks and feels like – cluttered/ noisy/ overloaded with glittery debris, Junior Spesh chicken boxes littering the ground, computer games, adverts and brands, pollution, rubbish, retrospective eras all hurtling through cyperspace at a billion trillion blaggerbytes per second. You get me, right…? We’re not watching it at the movies anymore, we’re actually living on planet Mad Max-imilisim ourselves. And to the people who still don’t understand the way that SUPERSUPER looks or the way that I dress – dear friends open your eyes and look at the world around you and tell me what you REALLY see and not what you THINK you see!
Namalee photographed with Basso & Brooke
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U WANNA KNOW WHAT MAXIMAXIMILISM IS?!
myspace
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! NAMAZONIA
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