U.S. EDITION
BEYOND THE ORDINARY
LONDON
CALLING THEOPHILUS LONDON
and the making of a modern music career $4.50 DECEMBER 2014
DAVE GROHL On the trouble with pop music these days
FREE FALLING Cheating death at the end of a rope
19
WORLD CLASS WATCHES
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H O R AC E D O D G E
JOHN DODGE
Yes, that’s a jump built at eleven thousand feet on Highland Ridge with the Maroon Bells towering from above. Because sometimes the only way to push your body is to challenge what’s never been done.
Watch what happens on Highland Ridge and get the best deals for your next trip at aspensnowmass.com/mindbodyspirit
A: T O RI N YATER-WAL L ACE P : ERI K S EO
MAKERS OF THE ORIGINAL SWISS ARMY KNIFE I WWW.VICTORINOX.COM
THE WORLD OF RED BULL
58
ROPE-JUMPING
Look ma, no bungee! Thrill-seekers attempt a stomach-churning free fall into the world record books.
LEANN MUELLER (COVER), FRED MARIE
SOUND SELECTOR Throughout November, Red Bull Sound Select, an artist development and music discovery platform, will be throwing one long rager in L.A. Every night, lesser-known artists will be paired with headliners like Chance the Rapper and Bad Religion. The pairings serve two purposes: to bring in a crowd and to introduce that crowd to young talent that deserves to be talked about. But there’s a greater thing going on here, and that’s the idea of mentorship in a changing industry. We selected our cover star Theophilus London based on the unique way he’s making it in music. And we asked another big name, Dave Grohl, to talk about his place in the shifting landscape. We hope you enjoy. And check out redbullsoundselect.com for tickets and info. THE RED BULLETIN
“Music is just a short expression of my life.” THEOPHILUS LONDON, PAGE 52
07
DECEMBER 2014
AT A GLANCE BULLEVARD 12 BEST OF 2014 Before boldly bouncing into 2015, a final, fond look back.
FEATURES
24
24 Dave Grohl
Iconic, enigmatic and just plain cool.
32 Photos of the Year
With plenty of pics to pick from, we ferret out the year’s finest.
DAVE GROHL
Them’s Fighter words: The feisty Foo man holds forth.
46 Colin Jackson
This record-breaking hurdler wants you for the Wings of Life World Run.
48 Johnnyrandom 50 Rashida Jones
The Parks and Rec thesp goes behind the lens in search of ... more power!
52 Theophilus London
76
68
ZOMBIE KIDS
DANNY MACASKILL
Europe’s hottest EDM duo plays nightly, tours relentlessly and doesn’t kick in ’til 3:30 a.m. No wonder they’re zombies.
It may not be Dylan going electric at Newport, but when the famed cyclist plugs in, it’s kind of a big deal.
50 32 THE YEAR’S HOTTEST SHOTS
100 hours of video uploaded to YouTube per minute, most not worth a look vs. our 12 stunning stills that definitely are. 08
RASHIDA JONES
To smart, funny and sexy you can add savvy to Jones’ list of traits as the actor takes on the role of producer.
The Renaissance man of rap puts style under substance.
58 Rope-Jumping
Death-defying daredevils team up for a white-knuckle plunge.
ACTION! 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 76 82 84 86 88 98
PRO TOOLS Cyclist MacAskill plugs in TRAINING Diver Duque’s a leg man TRAVEL Warrior gaming in New York MY CITY Frozen Toronto is hot! CLUB Cape Town gathers at Assembly MUSIC Flying Lotus’s jazz inspirations GAMES Duty calls, we answer NIGHTLIFE Attack of the Zombie Kids SOUND SELECT Exploring Supercave ENTERTAINMENT Huisman goes Wild SAVE THE DATE Stuff to see and do WATCHES SPECIAL Perfect timing MAGIC MOMENT Over the edge to win
THE RED BULLETIN
DAVID CLERIHEW, YUKY LUTZ, BLACK&RAD, BALAZS GARDI/RED BULL CONTENT POOL, DAVID SLIJPER/TRUNK ARCHIVE
He makes music from bicycle parts; we take his work for a spin.
Survival of the fittest.
Brave the elements with the rugged all-terrain, all-weather iBN6 Bluetooth stereo speaker. Mother Nature has finally met her match.
ihome.com iHome is a registered trademark of SDI Technologies, Inc. Bluetooth is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG, Inc. All other marks are trademarks of their respective owners. Proudly Designed and Engineered in the USA.
CONTRIBUTORS WHO’S ON BOARD THIS ISSUE “The Foo Fighters live like Led Zeppelin back in the day.” Marcel Anders, writer, “If the Number One Song Is About Your Butt, There’s a Problem,” page 24
MARCEL ANDERS
YUKY LUTZ
FRED MARIE
Three interviews a week in hotels from London to Los Angeles is the life of this German music journalist, who has profiled the likes of Pink Floyd, U2 and Keith Richards. For The Red Bulletin he met Dave Grohl at London’s Berkeley Hotel. “The Foo Fighters live like Zeppelin back in the day,” he says. “They rented an entire floor. Beefy bodyguards and stressed label managers were outside the interview suite. Grohl, on the other hand, is the exact opposite: The most down-to-earth guy ever.”
“It was impossible not to get great shots that night,” says the Spanish photographer of his mission to document the electronic dance scene at Barcelona’s Razzmatazz nightclub. We commissioned Lutz to follow Spain’s biggest DJ duo, The Zombie Kids, as they played a two-and-a-halfhour set in front of a home crowd. His insider knowledge made him the perfect man for the job. “I had many legendary nights there when I was a teenager,” says Lutz. “I know it like the back of my hand.” See the results on page 76.
We commissioned the French photo-journalist to follow a team of top-class BASEjumpers and climbers as they attempted to set a new freefall rope-jumping record above a gorge in Spain. “It’s lucky I’ve worked high up before,” he says, “because I was about 150 feet above the ground with nothing but air under me.” Rope-jumping is very dangerous: Its inventor died pursuing it. Marie wasn’t scared, but he admits, “there were a lot of extreme emotions.” Find out if a world record was set on page 58.
AROUND THE WORLD
The Red Bulletin is published in 11 countries. On the cover of the latest U.K. edition is Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl.
THE MAKING OF ...
This month’s cover photo by LeAnn Mueller LeAnn Mueller flew in from her BBQ truck in Austin (the family side business) to shoot Theophilus London in a studio in South Central Los Angeles. “I really love his music, and listening to it during the shoot was fantastic,” she says. “My favorite setup was at the end of the day, when he brought out his gold-sequined gloves that he has had for years.”
10
London and Mueller after wrapping.
Go for liftoff: Stylish Theophilus London gets airborne over Los Angeles during The Red Bulletin cover shoot.
THE RED BULLETIN
Photography Rock Climbing Backpacking Live Music
Be known for what you love Get started at Klout.com
B U L L E VA R D
BEST OF 2014 THE YEAR I’LL NEVER FORGET
3,700 mil
es
Victoria
Halifax
THE YEAR OF MY DREAMS
THE YEAR TO BE FORGOTTEN
Canadian researchers wanted to see what would happen if they put a robot on the streets ...
Y E P, T H I S T H I N G H E R E
OUR MAN OF THE YEAR hitchBOT made his way across Canada, and in doing so he proved the smartness of technology and the kindness of humans. Last summer, an immobile robot traveled 3,700 miles across the world’s fourthlargest country. Friendly drivers picked him up along the way. Made and monitored by scientists and roboticists at Canadian universities, hitchBOT made it from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Victoria, British Columbia, in 21 days. The robot could speak and hear, thanks to mics and sensors. His journey was a victory for artificial intelligence and the decency of normal folk.
12
“Would you like to have a conversation?” hitchBOT was the perfect passenger, but could also keep quiet if required.
... and they got their answer: He wasn’t stolen or destroyed. People gave him a lift and talked to him. hitchbot.me
THE RED BULLETIN
BEST OF 2014
GADGETS OF THE YEAR Sometimes, it was the simplest new technology that took our breath away.
OPEN SPACE ARTS SOCIETY, NORBERT GUTHIER(2), ONTARIO, REUTERS, CORBIS(5), WWW.OMONE.COM, PRESS@USB.ORG, JAMES K LOWE, PICTUREDESK.COM, GEPA PICTURES/RED BULL CONTENT POOL
Her 2014 Bangerz Tour logged 80 dates on four continents. The estimated final gross was north of $100 million.
Levitating Sound Om/One is the Death Star of Bluetooth speakers. Purely awesome.
d la L it s a n h L a g A r me 015.
ck
The Hook-up In USB 3.1, a connector to join all your devices— and an excuse to buy new ones.
G l d w it h h e sa m e i n 2 N I R B A pop wor s, of the
le s he red t ore, and e u q con ct m s has . So expe u r y ng yC Mile of clothi
White Lines At the World Cup, referees used vanishing foam spray to mark the spot for free kicks.
BEST OF 2014
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
THE RED BULLETIN
JUNE
Conchita Wurst Austrian drag queen wins Eurovision.
HEROES, MONTH BY MONTH Good people who did great work this year.
MAY
Lorde “Royals” wins a Song of the Year Grammy —a pop princess rightly crowned.
Wes Anderson Hilarity from cinema’s most stylish director at The Grand Budapest Hotel.
HIMYM After nine years, the final season was well written and heartwarming.
Juno Scientists finally understand this protein that helps sperm find the egg.
Nico Rosberg The F1 driver wins the rebooted Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg.
13
BEST OF 2014
Y E L L O W S I LV E R A N N I V E R S A R Y
HAPPY BIRTH-D’OH! The Simpsons hits 25 on December 17, just after the 559th episode broadcast. To celebrate, golden bon mots from silver-tongued Homer.
The three sentences that will get you through life. Number one: “Cover for me.” Number two: “Oh, good idea, boss.” NUMBER 3: “IT WAS LIKE THAT WHEN I GOT HERE.”
Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. THE LESSON IS, NEVER TRY.
Every time I learn something new,
BUT MARGE, WE ALREADY OWN A BOOK.
IT PUSHES SOME OLD STUFF OUT OF MY BRAIN.
What’s the point of going out? We’re just gonna wind up back here anyway.
It takes two to lie. One to lie and one to listen.
I WISH GOD WERE STILL ALIVE TO SEE THIS. BEST OF 2014
JULY
Please don’t eat me! I have a wife and kids. Eat them!
ALL OF LIFE’S PROBLEMS.
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
Apple Watch The timepiece that can do everything, apart from delete U2 from your iTunes.
Monty Python Britain’s greatest comedy team (with one American) reassemble 25 years after their previous live shows for one final comeback tour. Tickets sell out in 43 seconds.
14
Maryam Mirzakhani The first woman ever to win the Fields Medal, the top honor in mathematics.
DECEMBER Orion Mars, here we come: First test launch set for NASA’s new manned spacecraft.
Constantine From Hellblazer comics via Keanu’s 2005 film, a hellishly good TV show.
Foo Fighters Grohl’s gang release their eighth album, the rockin’ Sonic Highways. THE RED BULLETIN
PICTUREDESK.COM(2), CORBIS(2), APPLE, WARNER BROS., SONY MUSIC, NASA
Oh my God, space aliens!
To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to,
BEST OF 2014
N O , T H I S I S A B S O L U T E LY N O T A H O R O S C O P E
YOUR FUTURE, TODAY Choose who you are, then we’ll tell you how you’ll be in 2015.
S K AT E R
GO - K A R T E R
WINDSURFER
B I G WAV E R
FREEDIVER
SKYDIVER
X- F I G H T E R
FREERUNNER
MTB-ER
F1 DRIVER A I R R AC E R
KITESURFER
TOM MACKINGER
HOW IT WORKS: Select your action type from the wheel of fortune, then match it to the predictions below. We guarantee we can see into the future as well as anyone on Earth.
• FIRE • WAT E R • AIR • EARTH
• WINDSURFER •
• SKYDIVER •
• A I R R AC E R •
• F1 DRIVER •
• X- F I G H T E R •
• GO - K A R T E R •
“Go with the flow” is your mantra for the New Year and beyond. If you’re patient and don’t force the issues, things will work out by themselves.
A new encounter will bring chaos and opportunity to your life. If you fear the new, the fear will kill you.
Flying high in 2015, you will be presented with many new opportunities. Bear in mind that it’s important to always travel light.
A dream start to the year will continue in the same hectic vein. But just because you’re out in front doesn’t mean you have to keep going faster.
Life is one huge crossroad. Which way do you go? It doesn’t matter, just don’t stay rooted to the spot.
You are the luckiest devil of next year. Whatever you put your hand to will work out. But just remember this: Keep your foot off the brakes.
• KITESURFER •
No time to be bored in 2015 with new doors opening for you, especially in your romantic life. But know this: Nothing in love comes for free.
• S K AT E R • Keep cool! It will awaken a sense of trust and security in others. Never forget to look out for your friends. THE RED BULLETIN
• FREERUNNER • You’re always on the move, chasing your dreams. Just how it should be. Don’t forget to watch your step, though, or you’ll end up flat on your face.
• MTB-ER • Your passion will impress the people around you—one in particular. And then you’ll need a mountain bike made for two.
You’ll meet an old friend who’ll set your life on a different path. Ask yourself if it’s what you really want.
• FREEDIVER •
• B I G WAV E R • You will receive a piece of news that you have long been waiting for right at the start of the new year.
15
BEST OF 2014
NFL ESP: Coleman reads lips—as well as the moves of opposing defenses.
NEW SOUNDS OF 2014 Our picks for the year’s best music.
SCHOOLBOY Q On the same label as Kendrick Lamar, the rapper’s Oxymoron was incredible.
Ns O I T A hawk
NSSeattle Siesatory. E S L L of the r in h
BicA i n ne ma n T Cole r Bowl w O k F O k Derr f Supe
FKA TWIGS Her mundanely titled LP1 is anything but. A trippy R&B high point from the underground.
ac ea Fullb he first d t is
SAM SMITH Having guested on other artists’ songs, Smith achieved global acclaim with his own first album.
EAR
DO IT HIS WAY Frank Sinatra would have turned 100 in 2015. He may be gone, but his lines are eternal.
“For what is a man, what has he got? If not himself, then he has naught.”
16
“I’m for whatever gets you through the night—prayer, tranquilizers or Jack Daniel’s.”
“Then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like ‘I love you.’ ”
LADY GAGA A duet album with Tony Bennett is not the sort of “different” we want from the Queen of New.
THE RED BULLETIN
GETTY IMAGES(2), UNIVERSAL MUSIC(2), INEZ VINOODH
F
THE Y F O P O L
BEST OF 2014
THE BEST QUIZ OF THE YEAR
KAINRATH
Q1: ARE YOU ALWAYS RIGHT?
How our resident artist saw the year and how he loves the future.
Yes No Don’t know That’s the only one we’re asking. Below, you put the questions to our answers.
2014
LEONARDO DICAPRIO! Who wants to save the world but is too busy squiring models?
Who failed to win an Oscar again?
10ts
Poin
Who dies in quite a lot of his films?
5 ts
Poin
0s
Point
A SMARTWATCH 0 ts
What’s the year’s most overhyped invention?
Poin
What tells the time more precisely than a wristwatch?
What amazing new gadget lit up our future?
5s
Point
10s
Point
2015
GERMANY Who won the World Cup?
10ts
Poin
Who should not have won the World Cup?
5ints
Po
Angela Merkel?
0s
Point
CORRECT! Was 2014 a good year for music?
10 ints
Po
Was 2014 a bad year for music?
Was 2014 an OK year for music?
5ints
Po
0s
Point
CAN TALK
GETTY IMAGES(2), SONY(3)
DIETMAR KAINRATH
BREAKING BAD What’s the best TV series ever?
10ts
Poin
Which TV series bagged a ton of awards?
5ints
Po
What’s that boring guy-makesmeth show?
0ints
Po
“ If there were fewer days, we could celebrate New Year more often.”
HERE’S HOW YOU DID… 0-15 Points Wonderful! You’ve been paying attention, haven’t you? Not bad at all. At least you have an opinion. Been spending a bit too much time with Angry Birds, have we? THE RED BULLETIN
20-30 Points Wonderful! You’ve been paying attention, haven’t you? Not bad at all. At least you have an opinion. Been spending a bit too much time with Angry Birds, have we?
35-50 Points Wonderful! You’ve been paying attention, haven’t you? Not bad at all. At least you have an opinion. Been spending a bit too much time with Angry Birds, have we?
17
BEST OF 2014
KAPOW! NOW
A NEW NEW BREED OF HEROES The explosion of superhero movies has sent a shockwave all the way back to their source material: Comic books in 2014 took a surprising turn for the better.
X-MAN OF 2015? His comic book uniform of yellow-and-black latex suit is a thing of the past. Next season’s adamantiumclawed mutant will be wearing the plaid shirt and three-quarter-length Fairtrade jeans of the neo-hipster. He also rejects violence: The only thing Wolverine will use his claws for is keeping his beard nice.
Captain America Yes, we can! The shield has been passed to a black man in the 21st century: Sam Wilson was formerly the Falcon.
Thor
CORBIS(2), WALT DISNEY
HERI IRAWAN
The God of Thunder is now a goddess. War declared: feminists vs. nay-saying nerds online.
Rocket Raccoon Solo comic capers due to Guardians of The Galaxy film. Not a typical talking-animal strip.
18
THE RED BULLETIN
WHERE WILL YOU BE WHEN LIFE HAPPENS?
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BEST OF 2014
THE RED BULLETIN REMIX
THEN AND NOW
SAMPLE LYRICS
What didn’t we like this year? What makes up for it next year?
GIVE ME
PEACE
MAR
HAPPY
HAPPY
HAPPY
APR
Bruce Springsteen, High Hopes All-new take on former live favorite has spot-on New Year sentiments.
GOOD LOVER
JUN
Pharrell Williams, Happy Hit top of U.S. charts this month; world clapped along, as seen on YouTube.
Kid Cudi, Satellite Flight Rap hat-tip to lunar-cy also contains genius line “Come get in my space whip!” MAY
LOVE,
NO MONEY, NO FAMILY. Iggy Azalea, Work Retort to Pharrell—why we can’t be happy all the time—as reality rap report.
THE
ON-
LY
TIME WE
REAL-
LY TALK
Tiësto, Wasted You can only connect with the Dutch DJ while disrobing pre-sex. Who knew?
GOOD LOVER,
WAL- KING ALONG
2
SN’T 0 1 4 WA
COOL …
ecause Neymar got b injured and Brazil’s fairy-tale World Cup home win didn’t come true. because Russell Crowe’s Noah didn’t float our boat. because the selfie epidemic took over. because a bad hazelnut harvest threatened Nutella production. because that Back to the Future hoverboard video was a fake.
La Roux, Paradise is You Opens nice like this, but it’s Music to Blame Your Other Half for Your Misery By.
YOU A- LIVE
AUG
ON A SANDY BEACH
MOON
Lily Allen, L8 CMMR Such a man exists, she sings, but ladies can’t have him cos he’s her husband. JUL
GIVE ME
TAKE FLIGHT TO THE
FEB
JAN
Linking lines from music that mattered in the months of 2014 to create the true song of the year.
HUNT YOU DOWN EAT
SEX, SEX, SEX
STANDING ON
THE
ILL R 2015 W
OK GO, The Writing’s on the Wall A refrain in a cheery ditty about one final roll in the hay before breaking up.
EDGE OF
A
RE-
LUVO-
TION
Nickelback, Edge of a Revolution Who really needs Twitter when Canadian rock monsters can take the world’s pulse?
DEC
NOV
Lenny Kravitz, Sex Would you believe it? This line is about hunting and eating like animals!
VER
LAST CHRIST-
MAS
Wham!, Last Christmas And the one before that, and every one from now until the end of Christmas.
20 BEFORE 15: YOUR ULTIMATE MUSIC CALENDAR From December 1 to 20 there’ll be a free daily download of a new song by one of 2014’s top acts. Open a calendar window each day to get a festive treat. Identities are secret; here are three clues. redbull. com/20before15
20
?
?
?
He unleashed a global YouTube dance craze.
This DJ is both producer and pal to Kanye West.
Two Mexicans who built a global supergroup.
ULE ...
ecause Europe’s beer b capital, Pilsen in the Czech Republic, will be European Capital of Culture. Cheers! because Winds of Winter, sixth book in the Game of Thrones–inspiring A Song of Ice and Fire series, is coming out. ecause the next film b from Quentin Tarantino, The Hateful Eight, is due.
THE RED BULLETIN
KOBAL COLLECTION, GETTY IMAGES(2), CARTER NEWS, CORBIS(2)
IT SEEMS LIKE FORE-
OCT
SEP
Maroon 5, Animals But isn’t frontman Adam Levine a vegan? Oh, this is sexy talk, is it? Fair enough.
/redbulletin
Visual Storytelling Beyond the ordinary
Ellinor Olovsdotter has the flu. The rising star known as Elliphant often gets sick when she visits LA, she explains, raspy-voiced and half naked, completely unself-conscious about her
THE CAPTAIN OF ADVENTURE ALL-ROUND ACTION HERO WILL GADD IS A LIVING LEGEND IN THE TRUEST SENSE.
„MEINE EINZIGE ANGST IST DIE ANGST SELBST“
„MEINE EINZIGE ANGST IST DIE ANGST SELBST“
SIMPLY THE BEST
body. The globe-trotting former model from the wrong side of the tracks is part of a Nordic new wave of fierce dance-pop divas, alongside fellow Swedes Icona Pop, Robyn, Lykke
Experience the new
redbulletin.com
“ If the number one song is
about your
butt, that’s a problem”
After th ree decades of rock ’n’ rol l, DAVE GROH L j ust won’t q u it. H e’s ma ki n g movies a n d TV, col la borati n g with m usic leg en ds and interviewing United States presidents—and always pushing buttons. “I’m sure that by some other people’s standards what I d o i s g a r b a g e ,” h e s a y s . “ B u t s c r e w t h e m .” WO R DS: MARC EL AN D ERS 24
PH OTOG RAPHY: DAVI D C LER I H EW
Face time: Dave Grohl, photographed exclusively for The Red Bulletin in London.
ave Grohl became world famous in the 1990s as the drummer for Nirvana and has remained stellar ever since. He’s the lead singer of Foo Fighters (eight albums, 11 million copies sold, tons of awards and huge world tours) and has worked on musical projects with David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Nine Inch Nails and Queens of the Stone Age, among others. Last year he produced his first film, Sound City, a documentary about the titular Los Angeles music studio. Now he’s driving Sonic Highways, an ambitious project merging the latest Foo Fighters album, out in November, with an eight-part TV series in which Grohl shows the band recording the album in studios across America and interviews artists associated with those studios, including Dolly Parton, Joe Walsh, Chuck D, Willie Nelson and Rick Rubin. There’s also a sit-down with Barack Obama. When he met The Red Bulletin recently, the 45-year-old swapped the questioning in favor of giving answers. the red bulletin: How many security people were behind the camera when you interviewed the President of the United States of America? dave grohl: Here’s the thing: The White House is a really relaxed and comfortable place, because you can’t get in there unless they know that you’re cool. So once you’re in, you’re in and it’s relaxed and not creepy or scary. The president had some really great things to say about our country and about specific musicians. I wanted to talk to him about not only the history of music in America but America as a country where there’s the opportunity to do great things. I mean, I’m well aware that there are a lot of things going terribly wrong, but America still holds the freedom where you can be someone like Buddy Guy. 26
“LET’S BE H O N EST: IT NEVER HURT NOBODY TO PRACTICE YOUR INSTRUM ENT, TO DEVELOP AN EAR FOR RHYTHM AND M E L O D Y.”
Meet the band: Foo Fighters are (from left) Nate Mendel (bass), Chris Shiflett (guitar), Dave Grohl (guitar and vocals) Taylor Hawkins (drums), Pat Smear (guitar).
“People have forgotten
what
it’s like to
really rock out because they spend all day in front of a freakin’ computer.”
28
Guy carved out a career in music despite having no education and no money. Echoes of the Dave Grohl story? Buddy’s the greatest ever as far as I’m concerned. He made his first guitar from wires in his screen porch and wood. I’m a high school dropout from Springfield, Virginia. I never graduated school and I never had enough money for college. I worked manual jobs and played noisy punk rock music. Now I’m in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and I get to sit and talk to the president about music. I’m not saying what a great guy I am, but I want everyone to imagine that same opportunity is possible. So what does it take to make it big in America, if not the world? I believe that if you’re focused and driven and passionate enough about something that you can do it. Don’t screw everybody else’s expectation, just do it the way you do it. Why do it like somebody else? Has that actually worked for you? Sure. For example, I haven’t got a clue how to direct movies and TV, I just do it the way I see fit. That’s the same way I play the drums and write songs. I’m sure that by some other people’s standards, what I do is complete garbage, but screw them. It leads to great things. It’s the only way.
Did you pass that piece of advice on to President Obama? I think he’s got the worst job in the world. The day I interviewed him, he gave a press conference and announced he would be sending more troops to Iraq. Then he gave the Congressional Medal of Honor to a solider who was badly injured saving another soldier. He’s got the economy, he’s got international conflict and then he sits down with me to talk about Stevie Wonder and The Rolling Stones. So President Grohl is out of the question? [Laughs.] I could never get past the first step of becoming a politician. I’ve done so much stupid stuff in my life. Who would vote for me? But the glasses you’ve started wearing recently make you look very serious. Oh yeah, well—age. I am deaf, dumb and blind. So the White House is temporary but you were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year as part of Nirvana. Why did you have only female singers for your performance at the ceremony? Because Kurt [Cobain] was a feminist. And someone suggested Joan Jett. I mean, Joan Jett, she’s the first lady of rock ’n’ roll. She’s the one. Then it was like: “What about Kim Gordon?” She and Kurt were great friends, they loved each other and Sonic Youth were our heroes. “Yeah, let’s get Kim.” And you had Lorde from New Zealand. She was my idea. Her song “Royals” is its own little revolution in the sea of bullshit. Is that sea what you referred to recently as “stripper pop”? Pop music in America right now is so superficial. It’s fun to listen to, to turn up in your car when you’re in traffic, but there’s no substance at all. It’s devoid of any meaning. I’m not just saying that as a 45-year-old rock musician, I’m saying that as a human being. If the number one song is about your butt, that’s a problem. So when I heard “Royals” in the middle of all of these other songs, I thought, “Thank God! Someone’s singing something that actually has a little bit of something.” As an old-school rock band, do Foo Fighters struggle in a digitized world? Sad but true. People have forgotten what it’s like to really rock out because they spend all day in front of a freakin’ computer, which they hail as the new god. And they seriously think technology can make them rich, if they stumble on something new. But I’m telling you: Technology might make you rich, yet it will never make you happy.
THE RED BULLETIN
Professional rider on a closed course. Always wear proper safety equipment.
/KTMUSA /KTMUSA @KTMUSA
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Isn’t it easier to be happy if you’re rich? They’re two different things. Light years apart. Happiness or luck or a good feeling—whatever you want to call it—is based on interaction amongst humans, on making other people happy, giving them something dear to their heart. Music is a perfect medium for that. What could be more human than writing a song with bass, drums and guitars? That’s as feel-based as it gets. What do you do with all your money? It goes straight into my bank account, where it turns all moldy and smelly. No investments, nothing like that? I don’t waste my time thinking about how I could make more when I already got enough. I’m not a banker, I’m a musician. However, at the same time it buys me freedom, of course. It allows me to do what I want to do and not have to worry about anything at all. No houses, no big fat cars? I drive a family car—not a monster SUV but a family car that fits five people. I’ve got a house that is just big enough, too. My only status symbol would be 606, my studio in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. I’ve invested a fortune to make it look exactly like ABBA’s legendary Atlantis studio. I’m not kidding: That’s what I was after and it cost me a lot to have that dream come alive. Courtney Love wants to make a Nirvana biopic. Who should play Dave Grohl? I guess Robert Rodriguez would be my favorite, just because he’s so cool, but I just don’t think it’s going to happen. Is making music the analog way becoming a lost art? I hope I don’t sound like a boring old fart here, but let’s be honest: It never hurt nobody to practice your instrument, to develop an ear for rhythm and melody. So what do you think of EDM? What the heck are you talking about? Don’t speak in riddles, man! Electronic dance music. Skrillex, Deadmau5, etc. That’s what that is called? It’s simply not my kind of music. What’s more, it’s nothing new. Artists like Suicide or Atari Teenage Riot have been doing it for decades and are still doing it way better. What do your kids listen to? [Grohl has three daughters, aged 8, 5 and 3 months.] I’m damned lucky on that front. The worst thing they impose on me is Katy Perry’s latest album. Katy doesn’t make you happy? No, not at all. Her music is a real test in terms of loyalty toward your kids. But at 30
the same time I can still make them listen to good stuff. I got my eldest two, Harper and Violet, a turntable and The Beatles box set. So they listen to Magical Mystery Tour and the White Album. Give a 6-yearold a turntable and all of the Beatles records and I guarantee that within one hour they will be doing what you did when you were 6 years old, too. Records on the floor, dancing, singing—it’s great. What kind of relationship do you have with social networking? Honestly, I haven’t got a clue. I’m not on Facebook or on Instagram and it’s because I don’t care. If I want to talk to people, I just call them up or text them. Yet, for my 75-year-old mother, it makes perfect sense, simply because she doesn’t have too many people to talk to anymore, she hardly leaves the house and she is lonely. She’s like, “You’re living in the past, dear. Let me show you how to Twitter.” Maybe if I reach her age then I’ll launch my first personal website, by Dave Grohl, retired rock star.
“ KATY PER RY ’ S MUSIC IS A REAL T EST I N LOYA LT Y TOWARD YOUR KI D S . B UT AT TH E SAME TIME I CAN STILL MAKE THEM LISTEN TO GOOD S T U F F.”
The Foo Fighters do tweet @Foofighters
THE RED BULLETIN
WHAT SHOTS WE GOT BEST OF 2014
THUMBS UP FOR HANDS DOWN THE FINEST PHOTOS OF THE YEAR. 32
CLIVE MASON/GETTY IMAGES
ICE COLD Daniel Ricciardo accepted the Ice Bucket Challenge as part of the warm-up, so to speak, for an F1 Grand Prix at Spa on August 21. Three days later the Infiniti Red Bull Racing man won the Belgian race.
YES WE CAN
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE DUPASQUIER/RED BULL CONTENT POOL
Enduro racers collaborated on a bit of riverbed excavation work for the greater good at Red Bull Hare Scramble on June 1 in Erzberg, Austria.
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BEST OF 2014
the World Cup and becoming the tournament’s all-time leading scorer, with 16 goals. He flipped out, as usual, when he equaled the record with his 15th, against Ghana on June 21.
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EDDIE KEOGH/REUTERS
ONE LAST TURN Miroslav Klose called it a day with the German national team after winning
TIME TO CLIMB You have to be brave to compete in the Red Bull
ROMINA AMATO/RED BULL CONTENT POOL
Cliff Diving World Series. When it landed in the Azores, as it did on July 26 this year, you had to be a bit of a daredevil just to spectate.
BEST OF 2014
GET THE PUCK OUT Desperate goalmouth defense from the U.S. team during their 5-2 quarterfinal victory over the Czech Republic at the Winter Olympics in Sochi on February 19.
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AP PHOTO/MATT SLOCUM
BEST OF 2014
PARALLEL SPARKING
GETTY IMAGES, STEFANO RELLANDINI/REUTERS
Felipe Massa flips at the German Grand Prix, July 20. Clockwise from right: Alexander Gazsi and Nelli Zhiganshina of Germany heat up the ice at the Sochi Winter Olympics, February 16; Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks coach, takes a shower after winning the Super Bowl, February 2; Italy’s Christof Innerhofer heads to the podium for his Alpine skiing combined bronze in Sochi, February 14.
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DAVID GRAY/REUTERS, EDUARDO MUNOZ/REUTERS
BEST OF 2014
HIGH AND LOW Big air for Carlos Sainz during Stage 10 of the Dakar Rally on
MARCELO MARAGNI/RED BULL CONTENT POOL
January 15. The Spaniard was well placed going into the final third of the race, but a crash before the end of the stage dashed his hopes of a winning finish.
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BALAZS GARDI/RED BULL CONTENT POOL
RECONQUERING THE SKIES
Red Bull Air Race returned after a four-year break, with 12 pilots racing head-to-head at close to 250 mph for the World Championship title. U.K. airman Paul Bonhomme won the first race, at Abu Dhabi on March 1.
ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
BEST OF 2014
RAISE YOUR HANDS In 2013, Marc Marquez finished his debut year in MotoGP as world champion. In 2014, on June 1 at Mugello, the Spaniard took first place in the Gran Premio d’Italia. It was the sixth of his 10 consecutive victories in the opening races of the season.
COLIN JACKSON
“I’m always moving” For 11 years he was the world’s fastest man over the 110-meter hurdles. Now he’s the international sports director of the Wings for Life World Run and a poster boy for how staying active makes your life better.
the red bulletin: Can an athlete know he’s going to break the world record? colin jackson: Yes. You’re getting closer to it, and at the same time you’re aware that your training has gotten better. From the moment I could produce a 13-second run at the drop of a hat, it was only time until the record fell. How long did you have to wait? I realized at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 that I could run a world record. But it didn’t work out. That would have been a magic moment. But I did it at the World Championships in Stuttgart in ’93: 12.91 seconds. How did you feel that morning? I was nervous. I still hadn’t won a major title at that point. Linford Christie was my roommate. He had won gold the previous day and had just missed the world record by one hundredth of a second. Now it was my turn. There was huge pressure. What do world-class athletes talk about when they’re sharing a room? Hardly ever about sport. Cars. Their houses. And women, of course. Back in the 1990s, we still used to play cards. How did you become a sprint hurdler? I was a fast runner, I was a good high jumper and long jumper, I had good spatial awareness and I was agile. I wanted to be a decathlete, but I wasn’t tall enough. Are you one of those people who is good at every sport? Most are easy to learn. Skiing? Snowboarding? No problem. What are your personal bests in other disciplines? I’ve done 10.29 seconds for the 100 meters, 6.49 for the 60 meters, 2.03 meters [6.66 ft.] high jump and 7.96 meters [26.11 ft.] for the long jump. In some countries those would be 46
national records. What discipline are you most in awe of? High jump. The world record is 2.45 meters [8.03 ft.]. That’s a soccer-goal crossbar! Are you in the same shape as when you ran? [Jackson, 47, retired in 2003.] I weigh 22 pounds more now than I did then. But that’s not because I’ve gotten fat. It’s because top sportsmen and women are undernourished. A big engine and light chassis. And no dead weight.
“Top sports people are undernourished. A big engine, light chassis and no dead weight.” So why do sprinters have such powerful upper bodies? Because their arms propel their legs. When your upper body has explosive power, your legs automatically do, too. Sprinters always have their hands in their field of vision. Look out for it the next time you see a sprint on TV. What sport do you do now? I run. I hurdle if a gun is held to my head. I do a lot of mountain biking. I play tennis. Football. I ski. Snowboarding. There’s always something. I’m always on the move. Do you understand people who prefer sitting in front of their TVs to exercise? Exercise is the one thing in the world that only benefits you alone. Everyone in the world, regardless of how busy they are, can find an hour a day to do themselves some good. If you can’t manage to do
that, you’re the worse off for it. Do you use an exercise monitor? My father is 83, and he wears one on his arm and gets annoyed if he doesn’t meet his daily target. Whatever helps is good. I don’t need one, personally. Do you use a pulse monitor? No. For me, exercise is about feeling good and being in tune with your body. I don’t need to work out any more. I just can. How far do you run these days? I hated long-distance running when I was competing, but now 10 kilometers [about 6 miles] isn’t a problem. How far would you hope to get in next year’s Wings for Life World Run? I’d go about it scientifically. How long could I walk, how long could I go at half speed and how long would I have to run at full speed to do 15 kilometers? So 15km would be my target. That’s virtually a marathon for a sprinter. But as the race’s international sports director, you won’t be competing, you’ll be at Race Control. What exactly does your job entail? I want everyone to be disappointed! Not with the way things have been organized or the course itself: I want them to be dissatisfied with their performance. That will mean they’ll come back next year. Will the 48.83-mile record fall? Last year’s winner, Lemawork Ketema, is convinced that he’ll manage [60 miles], but only if absolutely everything comes together. The starting pistol for the 2015 Wings for Life World Run will be fired simultaneously in 35 locations in 33 countries around the world on May 3, 2015. Find the race near you and register now: wingsforlifeworldrun.com THE RED BULLETIN
DANIEL GRUND/RED BULL CONTENT POOL
Words: Werner Jessner
Honor roll All 110m hurdles: World Championships gold (1993, 1999); European Championships gold (1990, 1994, 1998, 2002); Olympic Games silver (1988); world record holder (12.91s, set in 1993, equaled by Liu Xiang of China in 2004 and beaten by the same athlete in 2006).
JOHNNYRANDOM
“Every bike sounds different” What’s your next move after making amazing music with bikes and bike parts? Teaching a blender to sing, of course. Words: AR Sánchez Photography: Rick Rodney
When you hear “Bespoken,” a track by Johnnyrandom, aka Flip Baber, a 40-year-old New Yorker now based in San Francisco, you hear a melodic, head-nodding piece of what seems like electronica. In reality, you might say it’s “biketronica”: Every element of the track is the sound of a bike part being played, struck or manipulated in some way. the red bulletin: Most people ride their bikes. Why do you make music with them? johnnyrandom: The idea first came to me when I was a child. I got a Huffy bike when I was 4 and began fiddling around with the spokes there and then. I wanted to know what I’d have to do to make them make music. Did you realize at the time that wasn’t what most kids felt about their bikes? Oh, you know, I was a bit of a loner. My favorite pastime was listening to things. You could say I discovered the world with my ears. It might not seem very exciting, but I’m really grateful for the fact that I was left to my own devices. It meant my curiosity was allowed to develop unhindered. We didn’t have a TV at home, which meant that there was time to read and to try out instruments or other things that I could make or compose music on. What makes a bike musical? Every bicycle has its own acoustic fingerprint. Road bikes have delicate mechanical parts, which are perfect 48
for percussive sounds. If you play the tread of a tire spinning at a constant speed with a [pick], it sounds like a distorted electric bass. You can play the gear cable with an electromagnetic EBow. Disc brakes make an incredible noise, like a Chinese gong: It can last for more than a minute. What’s the most surprising sound you’ve discovered? The most beautiful sound, and at the same time the one that’s most difficult to
“The most beautiful sound—and the one that is most difficult to create—comes from the spokes.” create, comes from the spokes. I have to tune all the spokes on a wheel to exactly the same tone for each note. You have to tune spokes right, and then they make a beautiful sound. Plus, the wheel has to have straight spokes. They can’t cross over. When I tried it first time, it took me an hour to play a single note. It would take me a week to play a complete octave. Can you play this music live? There’s no way it would work with other musicians. There would need to be too many of them, and it wouldn’t be possible
to be as precise as I’d need to be. In theory, I’d be able to perform “Bespoken” live if I had 20 bicycles and extremely high-tech robots that ran on tailor-made software, but I wouldn’t be able to afford it. Was “Bespoken” the first piece of music you wrote with bicycles? No. In 2006, I did a version of “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” from The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky that was used by the bike company Specialized in an electronic Christmas card. Do you ever use bikes for their intended purpose? I do. Cycling is the best way I have of clearing my mind. My favorite thing is to go mountain biking in the redwoods around the San Francisco Bay Area where I live. My favorite bike is a Specialized Stumpjumper FSR, which also provided me with some wonderful sounds for “Bespoken.” There are lots of songs about bicycles and cycling. Do you have a favorite? At the moment it’s “Bicycle” by St. Vincent, but I’m interested in the whole history of the bicycle in music, from Samuel Goss, who invented the musical bicycle in 1899, to Queen, Frank Zappa and Kraftwerk. Is it true that you’re trying to make music using kitchen utensils? My next release is called “Clarify,” and it deconstructs a complete kitchen but in a way that you wouldn’t expect. I might even have found a way of getting a waste disposal unit to make music. johnnyrandom.bandcamp.com THE RED BULLETIN
Chip tunes Johnnyrandom runs a sound design agency that has developed noise and music for the likes of Adidas and Google. One such commission was for Doritos: making the perfect tortilla-chip crunch. The accidental nickname “I was having problems with a synthesizer one time. So I started pressing keys at random and all of a sudden it started working again. My name reminds me that sometimes the best way of going about things is the least expected.�
RASHIDA JONES
“As an actress, you’re kind of on the bottom rung” After starring on NBC’s Parks and Recreation for five years, Rashida Jones seeks more creative control behind the camera.
The apple, they say, doesn’t fall far from the tree, and Rashida Jones has found herself well within the shade of her famous Hollywood parents. Her dad is legendary music producer Quincy Jones, who worked with the likes of Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson. Her mom is prolific actress Peggy Lipton, perhaps best known for her role in the ’70s TV hit The Mod Squad. So it should come as no surprise that Jones would discover her own fame and fortune in such shows as Boston Public, The Office and Parks and Recreation. What may be less expected is her desire to step out of the limelight, for now, at least, as co-executive producer of NBC’s A to Z, a new romantic comedy about an adorable couple’s inevitable slide toward failure. We sat down with Jones to discuss her move from acting in front of the camera to calling the shots behind it. the red bulletin: What’s it like wearing the producer hat? rashida jones: This has been such an incredible opportunity to executive produce at a network that I have long loved, worked with, respected and grew up on. Unfortunately, as an actress you are kind of at the bottom of the rung, in terms of what kind of creative leverage you have. And it’s great; you add a lot to what other people are doing or making. But ultimately, you are not really calling the shots as much. So is this move really about having more control of the projects you are involved with? Having a vision and having read a lot of scripts and acting in a lot of things, on some task level [the move to producing is 50
about] understanding what my taste is and being able to really execute that and make that a reality. I like the meeting of the minds. That is really nice—you get to see where people talk things through and make decisions. And what part of that is business and creative; how you find the marriage of the two things. I find that very interesting. And also, for [co-executive producer] Will McCormack and I, we wanted to start this company being advocates for writers. That was the most important thing for us. There are a lot of
“It’s important that I am really skilled before I present something to the world publicly.” people who focus on other elements of the show; for us, we want to make sure that each character’s voice is well executed and it feels authentic. Parks and Recreation was critically acclaimed, but it always seemed to be at risk for being canceled. You left before the show’s final season this year—was the uncertain outcome each season tough for you as an actor? We were on the bubble the whole time, as the television critics knew. But we were so much on the critics’ [radar] to push us through, and I really think that was the reason we stayed on the air for so long. And we all loved each other so much; none of our transitions [from the show to
other projects] were messy or dramatic. Even though we had this underlying current of fear that we were not going to be on the air, we really kind of stayed a family. People left and came and it all had the same level of grace to it. Even though you are segueing into producing, you’re still taking acting jobs, like a role on TBS’s Angie Tribeca, which is being produced by another actor-turned-behind-the-scenes-player, Steve Carell. We shot the pilot but not the episodes yet. Steve is a dreamy person. I always wanted to be able to do some really silly comedy, and that is what this series is! And he is very open to my creative input, which is great. Both of your parents are veterans of the entertainment industry—your father is legendary music producer Quincy Jones; your mother is actress Peggy Lipton. How did that influence your relationship to the business? I always think about music. I am very precious about my relationship with music, obviously, because my dad is a music master, so it’s important to me that I am really, really skilled before I do something professionally and present something to the world publicly. Then do you see yourself always being involved in entertainment, be it producing or acting? There is definitely a version of my life where I live in a different country or write a novel or a musical. Or I work for a nongovernmental organization or, I don’t know, go back to school. I like to be continually challenged—right now I very much am, and I don’t feel static. nbc.com
THE RED BULLETIN
DAVID SLIJPER/TRUNK ARCHIVE
Words: Susan Hornik
Rashida Jones Born: February 25, 1976 Los Angeles, California Birds, Brains and Beauty Named to People’s Most Beautiful 2014 list, the Harvard grad once learned to make bird calls for a role. Do we sense a pattern? On three different series— Freaks and Geeks, Stella and The Office—Jones has played three different characters, all named Karen.
THE TALENTED
MR.
Vo c a l s k i l l s , s u r e , b u t h o w a b o u t m a r ke t i n g s a v v y, b r a n d c o l l a b o r a t i o n s a n d a s p r i n k l i n g of Ye e z y ? Ahead of his second major album, THEOPHILUS LONDON is carving an unusual path to music stardom. WORDS: ANDREAS TZORTZIS 52
P H O T O G R A P H Y: L E A N N M U E L L E R
LONDON
Lean and six foot three, his presence is assured with height alone. But then t h e r e’s t h e b l a c k b l a z e r w i t h red and blue brushstrokes on it, given to him by designer Karl Lagerfeld, an ’80s burst of sartorial volume. Then t h e r e’s t h e v o i c e , a d a p t a b l e to both hip-hop flows and R&B hooks, and louder than expected.
T
On a rooftop in South Central L.A., London’s fashion bona fides pay dividends in front of the camera. He moved to L.A. from NYC in the past year because of the city’s potential for young artists.
heophilus London, brand first and musician first-anda-half, strides into a studio in South Central L.A. for a photo shoot. With him is a wardrobe that contains no more than six pieces. The brown Burberry coat looks well worn in, and there’s dirt around the collar of a white mandarin shirt. The black blazer has pinhole marks in the lapel. It was made by Halston and once owned by Andy Warhol. Lived in, authentic. This is what he wants to project. “All I have is my image” is something he says more than once. Well, image and, with the newly released Vibes!, a sophomore album that pushes his around-the-world party sound into deeper wells of musical influences. Over beats that recall Prince and electronic soul, he lays down rhymes and the occasional R&B song. Co-producer on it is 1970s Motown writer and artist Leon Ware. Executive producer is a certain Kanye West, who taught him about using space in songwriting and contributed a verse on the album’s most infectious track, “Can’t Stop.” That last fact won’t free the Brooklyn-raised musician from the shackles of cool-kid fandom established by his fashion bona fides and major-label debut, 2011’s Timez Are Weird These Days. But it might just thrust him further into the public consciousness. And that would be a good thing. Because Theophilus London is talented and restless—a Warholian collection of ideas and impulses and influences that go beyond music, or fashion, or even art. And the pathway he’s taken to success in a fractured music industry is instructive. 55
the red bulletin: You worked with brands like Bushmills whiskey and Cole Haan before you ever released an album. You said at one point you were a brand first. Why? theophilus london: What I was really trying to say was I understand the way an artist has to turn himself into a brand in the new consumerism world of the Internet. I knew I was going to use my real name, so I knew I had to make a brand out of that. I was one of the first artists, in 2009, to release music with a brand. I released my first single with Green Label Sound, a record label with Pepsi and Cornerstone Marketing. Is that selling out before you’ve even built a reputation? No, it’s getting music to further places. Technology goes to places music can’t go. If I’m anything, I’m an artist of progression. I’m not genre based. I’m an innovator, a creator. So whether it’s music, tech or lifestyle, I’m all of that. Music is just a short expression of my life. I’m 26. I’ve got so many ideas to express so much more. Why did you start making music? I thought, what’s the most attractive thing that can get ladies. When I rapped, people paid attention. By the way, shout out to Art Start [a youth arts nonprofit in New York City]. That program taught me to reach inside and grab my real inner self and talk about that. Don’t talk about the clothes and the money and the hos and all this shit that don’t matter. I’m not living that rap style. What am I living? [It] taught me how to rap about that. I wanted to be one of the greats, so I knew I had to study them, but not take what I heard. I’m not trying to do what the other guy does and be a second him. I got to be the first me. So what have you learned that you can pass on? Take your time, and practice. Know your art. When it’s time to perform, it should be like a second language to you because you practiced so much. I used to perform in my bedroom, thinking there’s 10,000 people on my bed. I studied every tape of James Brown. The performing arts are different. You have to be egotistical. It’s my purest form, like I’m naked. And that’s why I close my eyes all the time. I want to make people feel sadness, crying, laughter, love—all the emotions. You’ve planned this path. But what do you think of the people out there just recording something and putting it on YouTube? Before the kid even figures himself out he’s put out one video and it blows up, and it kills him. He starts becoming fake 56
His musical influences are many and run the spectrum from Morrissey to Prince to Michael Jackson. His gold gloves are an homage to the last one.
about it. My biggest concern was that I’d be fake to my audience. That’s why I dialed back and moved to Palm Springs [to record Vibes!]. You know, f*ck everyone—what was being talked about at the label and on the streets. I got to go away and be naked again. I got to be in the studio creating every day of my life. I’m happy now that I did something that can go into the culture and live, longer than a statue. Was there something that gave you that realization? I started looking at myself as a joke. And what people thought of me, I started to
think that I was actually like that. I was on airplane mode the whole two years of promoting that first album [Timez Are Weird These Days], and I’d rather kill myself than be on airplane mode with my music, something that’s supposed to be pure. I’m sharing something with the world, and trying to get better at it. So how have you done that with this new album? I wanted to get out of my rap persona and be more of my musician self. Why did I listen to James Brown every day and study him? To be a rapper? And this electronic dance music DJ makes my THE RED BULLETIN
“Emails with Kanye are one or two words, or like ‘Meet me in China’ in the subject, or ‘We’re going to an opera tonight, me, you and Kim.’ I can’t say no.”
beats, and all I have to do is close my eyes and make a rap? I wasn’t comfortable with that. That’s what my first album was. And it wasn’t honest. I can’t listen to some stuff on my last album, because it was pressured and pushed in places. I’m a control freak, and I wasn’t really in control. When I sleep and let the label do everything for me, I look like Taylor Swift. But when I wake up and do it, I look like Theophilus London. You’ve found some prominent support along the way. You met Kanye four years ago. How did it go from that to him executive producing your album?
I was a fanboy. I used to write for [fashion lifestyle site] Hypebeast, and as I was meeting him, I was typing a story on my phone about meeting Kanye. I was writing it like I’ll never see him again. I’d just met my idol: the most expressive, creative guy who inspired me to be me, and not some marketing idea. I think he lied to me and said, “I like your music,” but I think he did that just to make me feel comfortable. He mentored me this whole year. I had the funniest email chains with him. When he first told me he was going to work on my album, I was so excited … I wrote this long email to him and he’s like, “I don’t read long emails.” The funny thing is, I talked about the music, the artwork [on the album cover], about the naked girls I wanted in the video, and about the marketing plan—all in February 2013. And he’s like, “I can’t read this shit, but I’m happy you’re excited. Let’s start here.” [Laughs.] All my emails with him are like one word or two words or just like “Meet me in China” in the subject line, or “We’re going to an opera tonight, me, you and Kim,” and I can’t say no. First time we met in London to work, we went shopping all day and didn’t work. And the way that he shops is he has somebody follow him to every store and see what he liked and then they go back and buy it. Do you need input when you make music? Yeah. I’ve got seven people working in my brain right now, but I need to test shit out: What do you think? What does the punk girl think? What do these girls who know how to twerk think? But he cares, too. We had a 20-hour meeting over a few days about his new shoe for Adidas. His albums are so A-and-R’ed [vetted for success] before they’re A-and-R’ed. If I took any song that he made that’s in his garbage right now, I’d have a hit. Do you think you’ll get the same input and inspiration in L.A.? I think L.A., and California, is booming right now. There’s going to be a huge art revolution, and we’re going to have amazing kids doing stuff that’s sitting next to Picassos one day. And I want to be one of the cultural leaders of the movement; I want to push the kids and mentor, like how Kanye mentored me. At some point my generation is going to become corny and obsolete, and these young kids are going to have the answers. If we nurture them we can have a prospering culture like the renaissance of the 1920s. My job as somebody on the inside is to help people on the outside. Tweet him @theophilusL
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THIS IS
NOT BUNGEE At a gorge in Spain, a team of extreme-sports experts
HURL THEMSELVES INTO THE ABYSS, attached to a climbing rope, in the hunt for a free-fall world record. WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY: FRE D MARIE
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After months of preparation, Alexey Bokoch of Ukraine takes a giant leap toward action sports’ new benchmark.
The inventor of
ROPE-JUMPING
I Hooks are drilled into the rock face to secure the rope structure in the gorge.
n early May, 17 men and one woman— expert climbers, engineers, BASEjumpers and parachutists—come together at the highest point of an overhanging rock face some 1,500 feet above the Noguera River in the Mont-rebei Gorge, which separates the provinces of Aragon and Catalonia in northern Spain. They seem to be making the world’s biggest swing. They build two giant slides out of climbing ropes and string them across the gorge, which is nearly a thousand feet wide. To those, they attach a light, elastic rope 980 feet long. They have
died attem pting the recor d. Ropes are pulled from one side of the gorge to the other via kayaks.
calculated that, attached to the dynamic rope and a braking system of anchors and pulleys, a jumper would be able to pull off a record free fall of 1,082 feet, lasting about 12 seconds (also a record). This hybrid of bungee-jumping and BASEjumping is called rope-jumping (also known as free falling) and is the bestkept secret in extreme sports. Rope-jumping is a relatively new discipline. Legendary American climber Dan Osman is considered its inventor. Osman, one of the world’s best free climbers in the 1980s and 1990s, was the first to purposely jump with a climbing rope, which he did from ever greater heights. On November 23, 1998, while trying to take his own free-fall record to 1,100 feet at Yosemite National Park in California, the rope came apart, for reasons not fully understood to this day. Osman fell to his death at the age of 35. More than 15 years after Osman’s catastrophic attempt, three teams have come together to attempt to break the world record in Spain: Pyrénaline from France, High Jump from Spain and Rock&Rope from Ukraine. (Between 1998 and this attempt, the largest recorded rope jump was 1,017 feet, in Norway last year, by Dream Jump, a Polish team.) As with many unprecedented feats of the adrenaline-pumping kind, the jump itself is not even the most difficult task involved. The preparatory work started months in advance, which, not surprisingly, included lengthy and somewhat unusual negotiations with local authorities. Actual work at the jump site lasts three weeks. It takes two and a half miles
SOME 2.5 MILES OF ROPE is neede d for the stru ctur e that sho uld mak e a world record possible.
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Sergey Khyzhniak from the Ukrainian Rock&Rope team tests the rope structure.
The 18-strong team takes three weeks to complete the rope structure.
THEN IT’S UP TO THE WEATH ER.
Mathieu Bes is chosen by lot to be the first to make the jump. “I visualize a clean jump. That helps me conquer my fears.”
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The French make up the largest contingent with 12 members in the team. One of them is Paul-Antoine Gauchon, an industrial climber by profession.
of climbing rope just to stretch the huge slides from one side of the gorge to the other; the ropes are taken to the edge of the canyon by one part of the group and lowered to another part of the team at the foot of the cliff so that they can then be transported across the river by kayak. “It’s the most complicated project we’ve ever worked on,” says Rock&Rope member Alexey Bokoch. Ukraine and Poland have the biggest rope-jumping communities, not least because both countries have a strong tradition of bungee-jumping. Rock&Rope is one of the most experienced and active teams. The Ukrainians have even initiated an International Rope-Jumping Association. After some research, the teams find out that late May is the ideal time, because of the relatively gentle winds. It’s the wind that creates the greatest risk for ropejumpers. Turbulence can throw a jumper against the rock face, a potentially lethal threat. Within the gorge, conditions are even more difficult, with air layers and currents moving in various directions piled on top of each other. “It’s like a cake made out of layers of wind,” says Bokoch. The big day is set for May 20. The changeable weather in the days and weeks running up to the attempt has stabilized somewhat and the winds have died down. Lots are drawn to 64
determine who will be the first to jump. The honor falls to Mathieu Bes of Pyrénaline. The Frenchman is to leap from about 1,300 feet above the river. The route he has chosen will give him about 850 feet of free fall. While Bes gathers his thoughts, his crew, posted at various heights around the gorge, gives the signal to jump. In honor of his teammates, he counts down in Ukrainian. “Try! Dva! Odyn! Bazo!” As he pushes himself off, he screams with delight, and the echo of his yelling in the gorge mixes with the cheers of his teammates at the top and bottom of the cliff. This first jump goes smoothly, and everyone is relieved and pumped. The most important element is assuring sufficient distance from the rock face. Bes has no problem, but the same
In the narrow gorge, con ditio ns are
MORE DIFFICULT. “It’s like a cake mad e of laye rs of win d.”
Rope-jumpers need a strong takeoff to propel them a lifesaving distance away from the rock face. But even then, any gust of wind could spell danger.
can’t be said for Ivan Kharkhan, one of the next to jump. After about 260 feet in free fall, he goes into a tailspin and gets closer and closer to the rock face. It is only thanks to his very good takeoff that he is able to avoid getting into an extremely dangerous situation. There are no screams echoing when he comes to a halt at the end of the rope. “If you don’t manage to push yourself far forward enough when you take off, you’ll smash into the rock face,” says Bes. “I internalize my trajectory and think about how clean and controlled
“TRY! DVA! ODYN! BAZO!” Frenchman Mathieu Bes counts down in the Ukrai nian of his teammates before free falling.
the jump will be. You forget your fear when you know what to expect.” The actual record attempt is reserved for Bokoch. The Ukrainian is the most experienced rope-jumper present. The stats from his leap are impressive. After exiting at 3,097 feet above sea level, he falls 1,086 feet before hitting the rope brakes, reaching a max speed of 82 mph. The total distance Bokoch plummets is 1,394 feet, more than a 13-story building, and lasts 12.32 seconds. The old record isn’t just beaten. It’s destroyed. pyrenaline.fr, rocknrope.com.ua
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Where to go and what to do
Wristy business: The world’s most technologically advanced watches, page 88
AC T I O N ! T R A V E L / G E A R / T R A I N I N G / N I G H T L I F E / M U S I C / P A R T I E S / C I T I E S / C L U B S / E V E N T S
Power ranger
CYCLIST DANNY MACASKILL LOVES HIS ELECTRIC MOTORBIKE.
MARCO CAMPELLI
PRO TOOLS, page 68
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ACTION!
PRO TOOLS
MAC’S MUSTS ESSENTIALS ON AND OFF THE BIKE
Rear brake This is where the clutch would be on bikes that run on gas.
Battery Weighs about 60 lbs., provides power for up to two hours. Takes a minute to change.
SENNHEISER HEADPHONES
No exhaust So it’s environmentally friendly, quiet and you won’t burn yourself.
“These are old— they don’t make this model anymore—but they never break. We’ve grown together over the years.” sennheiser.com
Engine Generates up to 22 hp at 4,400 rpm, plenty of power for off-roading.
RUMBLE ROLLER “Uncomfortable but wonderful for massaging your connective tissue. I discovered it for recovery but it also helps after a long day on the bike.”
Charging unit Just plug it in—80 minutes for a full charge, 50 for half.
rumbleroller.com
More power to him K TM FREERIDE E STREET TRIALS CYCLIST AND YOUTUBE LEGEND DANNY MACASKILL IS IN LOVE WITH HIS ELECTRIC MOTORBIKE. Switched on: Danny MacAskill’s electro phase.
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“The KTM Freeride E makes the transition to motorbikes for me as a cyclist easy,” says Danny MacAskill, 28. “It has no gears, no clutch, no hot exhaust, and the handlebar has two brake levers, like on a bicycle. I could ride up walls on it within a couple of days! It needs to be set up perfectly for tricks that I can
do with my eyes closed on my regular bike, but I have used my Freeride E to freeride trails that I then tackle with my mountain bike. As for whether I’ll ever do a video with one of these … I’ve already played with the idea, but I need to practice a bit more first.” ktmfreeride-e.com
FIVE TEN FREERIDER “This shoe has the perfect grip for all conditions, including Scottish rain. And it must be good: It’s named after me!” fiveten.com
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ACTION!
TRAINING
Fly boy: No diver cuts through the air as elegantly as Orlando Duque.
Double figures: Duque is a 10time cliff diving world champion.
It’s all in the legs
DEAN TREML/RED BULL CONTENT POOL, CAMILO ROZO/RED BULL CONTENT POOL, THERA-BAND®
HERI IRAWAN
CLIFF DIVING WORLD-LEADING PLUNGEMAN ORLANDO DUQUE ON HOW TO HONE A DIVER’S PHYSIQUE. “The most important thing in our sport is the leg muscles,” says Orlando Duque, the 40-year-old Colombian who is the greatest cliff diver of his generation. “First for takeoff, and then for landing, because we land in the water feet first. When you dive from a height of 88 feet at around 53 mph, you have to press your legs together with all your might. So it’s really important for me to do special exercises. One-legged squats are routine.” As well as the squats, Duque’s workouts include “a regular mix of cardio, weights, diving and mental training. I vary my endurance training—running, cycling, swimming, rowing, stand-up paddling— but luckily Hawaii, the place which I’ve chosen to make home, is ideal for that.”
D O I T L I K E D U Q U E: P R OT ECT YO U R ES S EN T I A L S
redbullcliffdiving.com
BAN D PRACTICE
“The last thing you want is for your legs to come apart as you hit the water at 53 mph,” Duque explains, “which is why it’s most important for you to work on your leg muscles.”
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ORLANDO’S FLEXIBLE WORKOUT FRIEND “I travel a lot, but I don’t have the space for heavy workout equipment. My alternative, which I’m never without, is elastic TheraBands. They’re light, don’t take up much space or cost a lot of money. You can use them for resistance training or to warm up. I always do biceps curls and shoulder presses: three sets of 10-15 reps each.”
THE RED BULLETIN
In your regular standing pose, hook your right ankle into an elastic TheraBand or expander with one end fixed.
Raise and lower your right leg slowly and evenly. Change legs after three sets of 12 to 15 reps.
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ACTION!
TRAVEL
Get real: Try a scary shoot-’emup in an old New York factory.
GET O UT TA TOWN MORE TO DO OUTSIDE NYC
FLY A two-hour drive from NYC, at the foot of the Shawangunk Mountains in Ellenville, sits the Mountain Wings Flight Park, dubbed the hang-gliding capital of the Northeast.
The great escape
mtnwings.com
WAR GAMES IF WATCHING OTHERS DO BATTLE DOESN’T SATISFY YOUR ADRENALINE CRAVING, GET UP OFF THE COUCH AND GET DOWN AND DIRTY WITH ARMIES AND ZOMBIES THAT ARE ALL TOO REAL.
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FISH Travel by train to Montauk for a shark-fishing trip in the North Atlantic. Sail out on one of Captain John Krol’s two charter boats, start spreading the chum and wait. movin-oncharters.com
Shoot on sight: Get outfitted and then corner your friends.
ADVICE FROM THE INSIDE A BUZZ, LITERALLY Participants in IES’s law enforcement and military training scenarios wear the “shockbelt” system, which sends an electric current through them when hit. “Our insurance has given us a preliminary thumbs-up to use it recreationally,” says founder Peter Fermoselle. “It’s a real game changer.”
ziplinenewyork.com
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NICK AMIES
FLOAT Drive out from the Big Apple to the Appalachians and strap yourself to the highest, longest, fastest zipline in North America.
GETTY IMAGES(2)
You may be hot stuff when you’re sitting on the sofa, console controller in hand, battling through computerized combat scenarios or fighting off the pixelated zombie apocalypse. But how will you cope when you’re forced out of your comfort zone and into a real-world war zone? Strap on a replica, laser-targeted M4 assault rifle or holster a modified Glock pistol and find out at the Indoor Extreme Sports nonlethal combat facility in Queens, New York. IES takes authentic training scenarios used by the U.S. Army and law enforcement agencies and combines them with the most intense laser-tag experiences you can imagine to bring shoot-’em-up gaming to life. “Our advanced M4 military platform is as real as it gets,” says IES founder Peter Fermoselle. “It’s light years ahead of the training system the U.S. military currently employs.” Two main war games are offered within the 38,000-square-foot former cheese factory that houses IES’s various battlegrounds. “Your every sense is at its limit in there,” says A 90-minute Adam Green, a survivor of a close session costs encounter of the undead kind. $20-$40 per “The adrenaline really pumps player depending through you and pushes you right on scenario and to the edge. I was very scared, you day of the week. bet. They come at you from indoorextreme sports.com everywhere.”
ACTION!
MY CITY
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WINTER SPORT ACTION IN AND AROUND TORONTO
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An hour out of the city is the solid Tiffany Falls. You learn the ropes, literally, then hack up the frozen blue ice using crampons and an ice pick. Breathtaking. ontariooutdoor.com
Keys ’N Krates (l-r): David Matisse, Adam Tune and Jr. Flo.
TOP FIVE BEST OF TORONTO
place to drink wine with your friends outdoors. The cops never bother you. Everyone sits and watches the white squirrels that live here peacefully and aren’t scared of people at all.”
SKI-DOO RIDING
CORBIS, RW PHOTOGRAPHIC INC, DALE TIDY/RED BULL CONTENT POOL, GETTY IMAGES(3)
Everything for everybody TORONTO LAID-BACK COPS, WHITE SQUIRRELS AND SECRET SUPERSTAR DJS: WHAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT CANADA’S MUST-SEE METROPOLIS. “The best thing about our city is its variety,” says Jr. Flo, turntablist for Keys ’N Krates, a Toronto trio who are currently one of Canada’s most successful electronic bands. “There are so many people from so many different backgrounds living here. Any one of them will praise Toronto, without being prompted, as the best, safest, most tolerant and most livable city in the world.” “The music scene here is vibrant,” adds keyboard/ synth man David Matisse. “Acts like The Weeknd or Drake once made free mixtapes, put them online and got a huge international fanbase. Now fresh Torontobased acts are making noise online before they even play a show in Toronto.” Next time you’re in Canada’s biggest city—a 90-minute flight from New York City— go with the group’s suggestions and have a fine time. keysnkrates.com
THE RED BULLETIN
1 KENSINGTON MARKET • Kensington Ave. “This place is run-down but legendary. A multicultural area full of Indian shops, Rastafarian cafés and hippies having a smoke. Each week there’s the Pedestrian Sunday street festival.”
2 PIZZERIA LIBRETTO • 221 Ossington Ave. “You can get good pizza all over Toronto, but what chef Rocco conjures up here is unmatched. You have to have their sausage pizza with caramelized onions.” 3 TRINITY BELLWOODS PARK • 155 Crawford St. “An oasis right in the heart of the downtown hubbub and a chill
4 COSMOS WEST RECORDS • 652 Queen St. “An extremely overpriced record store. You pay double what an LP is worth. So why do people go? Because no other shop in the world has such an extraordinary selection of rare treasures.”
5 THE HOXTON • 69 Bathurst St. “An insider tip for anyone who wants to hear live house music. Acts that are just about to make it big play here. You should never miss the afterparty, and their ‘surprise guests’ often turn out to be superstars.”
The forests around Toronto are paradise in winter for those who do Ski-Doo. Newbies can learn quickly; seasoned vets will carve the snow at 60 mph. backcountrytours.ca
DOG SLEDDING Take the reins of a team of 4 to 6 huskies and travel in style the old-fashioned Canadian way. Half-day and full-day adventures are available. trythat.ca
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ACTION!
CLUB
Size matters: The Assembly can pull big crowds.
YEAR OF DANCE IN 2014, GENRES GOT REDEFINED AND NEW BEATS EMERGED
GQOM This is the new house style of the Durban townships: darkly hypnotic tribal music with a broken, syncopated beat. Our tip: the DJ mixes from Jumping Back Slash.
Godfather sound C APE TOWN BANDS AND FANS ALIKE DIG THE UNPRETENTIOUS VIBE AT THE ASSEMBLY.
THE ASSEMBLY 61 Harrington St. District Six, Cape Town theassembly.co.za
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BATIDA
INSIDER INFO ALAIN FERRIER, 33, CO-OWNS BEANSTALK, WHICH PRODUCES THE CAPE TOWN WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL.
In Lisbon, DJs like Marfox combine musical styles from Portugal’s former colonies with hard beats. The result: vibrant house music that makes you sweat even sitting down.
THE BEST PLACE IN TOWN FOR ROMANCE IS … Asoka on Kloof Street; still has swagger. ARTISTS EVERY CAPETONIAN SHOULD KNOW … John Wizards, Toby 2 Shoes, Maoriginal, Jacobsnake and Regan. AFTER HOURS I VISIT … Bullion Bar, below ground level on Burg Street. IF YOU’RE REALLY HUNGOVER TRY … Sucking on a Bloody Mary, followed by breakfast, at Lazari off Buitenkant Street.
JERSEY CLUB DJ Sliink and his crew in New Jersey make hyperactive dance from offbeat sources like jingles, R&B scraps and thumping kick drums, often found in Vine clips. Contagious.
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JULIAN GRAHAM(5)
When The Assembly opened in 2007, it succeeded because the owners had done their homework, consulting with local Cape Town artists until they understood the need for a venue that could accommodate crowds of 700 or more, which the most popular acts were pulling in. “This opened up new opportunities for exposing Capetonians to top acts,” says co-owner Duncan Ringrose. “Before The Assembly, you had to choose between big events featuring international acts or nothing at all.” Situated in an old warehouse on Harrington Street in the city’s Fringe district, The Assembly has for the last seven years been the city’s premier live-performance venue, with a lineup that takes in everything from stand-up comedy to indie rock, from The Bloody Beetroots to The Gaslamp Killer. The performers have applauded the club’s “plug in and play” professionalism, and brands have responded by tailoring their events to fit The Assembly’s style.
ACTION!
MUSIC
MUSIC APPS 2.0 Flying Lotus’s second album, Los Angeles, is a masterpiece of crackly jazz samples, nervy computergame sounds and stuttering hip-hop beats from a drum machine smoking a joint. Released in 2008, it shook up electronic music. Hordes of young musicians copied his psychedelic style, while stars like Thom Yorke of Radiohead, Snoop Dogg and Herbie Hancock outed themselves as fans. The latter two appear on his sixth and latest album, You’re Dead!, a bleak, conceptual project about death featuring electronic fusion jazz from the future. The 31-year-old Californian, whose passport shows to be Steven Ellison, told The Red Bulletin about the jazz albums that get him jazzed.
Flower power: Flying Lotus
“I want outrageous ideas” PLAYLIST HIP-HOP’S FIRST GLIMMERS, BIG BRASS AND A VIEW WITH A ’SHROOM: FLYING LOTUS’S TOP FIVE JAZZ ALBUMS.
1 Weather Report
2 Miles Davis
3 Alice Coltrane
“I discovered this album 10 years ago, not long before I started putting out records. I’ve probably listened to it a million times since then because it features one of my favorite tracks of all time, ‘Manolete.’ It’s so funky and cool—just such a vibe, man. And the beat feels so hip-hop, years before hip-hop had even arrived.”
“Miles played the trumpet like a guy who didn’t like to smile. He had this sort of, ‘Nah, f*ck you all.’ This album in particular captures the essence of that moody loner vibe. He has the sound of the observer; I love that about it. It’s one of the first jazz albums to feature the Rhodes electric piano, which is one of my favorite instruments.”
“This album, by my greataunt, is very influential to what I do. It came out not long after her husband John Coltrane died. I was exposed to her music at a very young age, but the first moment I really felt I understood it was when I tried mushrooms for the first time. I was like, ‘Wow, she saw that stuff already.’ She knows what’s behind the curtain.”
4 Soft Machine
5 Charles Mingus
“Strictly speaking this isn’t jazz, it’s progressive rock, but I’ve got to include it because it’s one of my favorite albums of all time. It’s a straight listen; everything blends and ties together, which is exactly what I wanted to achieve with You’re Dead! The ideas are outrageous. The lyrics are wacky, but musically it’s just so amazing.”
“It feels like a stage play because Mingus’s sound is so theatrical; there’s so much drama. I love that in jazz solos. Once the instrumentalist gets going, my thoughts begin to drift. I think about life and death. And then I come back and I’m like, ‘Damn!’ That’s what they’re trying to do. They’re trying to take you places.”
Sweetnighter
Volume 2
WINDISHAGENCY.COM
flying-lotus.com
THE RED BULLETIN
In a Silent Way
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
MUSICIANS WHO AUGMENT OUR REALITY WITH CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY
RADIOHEAD: POLYFAUNA A recent update, after its debut in February, adds new sounds and visuals unconnected to the original content based on a track from 2011 album The King of Limbs.
Lord of Lords
BERNHOFT: ISLANDER The Norwegian soul poet turns the listener into a producer. His app lets you remix, restructure or add new effects to songs in a virtual recording studio.
H I G H EN D , M I G HTY UPGRADE YOUR POCKET PLAYER
SONY NWZ-A17 Thirty-five years after Sony launched its game-changing Walkman comes its latest portable music machine: the world’s smallest and lightest hi-res audio player, with 64GB of memory and a MicroSD slot for more tunes. If you’re mourning the classic iPod, get this instead. sony.com
BJÖRK: BIOPHILIA Yes, you may know that the “world’s first app album” came out in 2010, but did you know that it has been adopted into the school curriculum in Iceland and Scandinavia?
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ACTION!
GAMES
TEAM P L AY E R DON’T BE ALONE: THREE INDIE GAMES WITH CO-OP MODE
FOUL PLAY British chap Baron Dashforth and protégé Scampwick pummel monsters before an audience. An interactive stage play and fight game in one, for PC, Xbox 360 and PS4.
Heed the call C ALL OF DUTY THE KING OF FIRST-PERSON SHOOTERS IS BACK—AND HEADING INTO THE FUTURE.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, for PC, Xbox and PlayStation callofduty.com
The year is 2054. Humanity holds its breath as a mysterious terror organization blows up nuclear power plants all around the world. Governments are ineffective, so private military firms step into the breach to fight the terrorists with all the firepower 40 years’ time has to offer. Into the middle of this epic battle is where you, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare warrior, enter. For some, this isn’t just another first-person shooter: It is the definitive first-person shooter. For others, it’s the prime example of a blockbuster in
Terrorists against private armies: the future according to Call of Duty.
which not much, bar the packaging, changes (Advanced Warfare is the game’s 11th version). But one thing is clear: Call of Duty is insanely popular, with sales of more than 100 million copies. This success story began back in 2003, when Call of Duty—played out in a World War II environment—made its debut. The annual follow-ups have been set in various other times, including the Cold War and the present day. The series broke new ground by making war games feel somehow more authentic, from the shockwaves caused by explosions to the recoil of weapons. That feeling lingers in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, even though your arsenal includes combat drones, smart grenades and superpower-endowing exoskeletons. Hmmm, maybe it’s not so futuristic after all.
BATTLEBLOCK THEATER Together, the two of you have to negotiate more than 80 levels of traps, platforms, enemies and sight gags. For PC and Xbox 360.
CALL OF DUTY BY THE NUMBERS
100
5
billion vehicles destroyed
billion hours played
That’s more than the populations of Germany, Austria and Greece combined.
Five times more than all the vehicles currently registered on Earth.
About 2.85 million years longer than man’s entire evolutionary history.
million players around the world
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32.2
quadrillion shots fired In other words (or figures), that is 32,200,000, 000,000,000 shots.
THE RED BULLETIN
VALVE, ESL
GUACAMELEE The Super Turbo Championship edition of a game featuring fighting, figuring-out and fun, with a Mexican wrestling theme. Grapple with it on PC, PlayStation and Xbox.
N I G H T L I F E
House punks: The Zombie Kids— Cumhur Jay (left) and Edgar Candel Kerri—backstage at Razzmatazz in Barcelona.
FIRE
S TA R T
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Fro m behi nd thei r co nfetti st rew n DJ dec ks, T he Zo m bi e K i ds set B a rcel o na’s ni ghtl ife a bl a ze. And af ter they ’ve bur ned it a l l down , they ’re co m i ng fo r yo ur ho m etown c l ub next . WORDS: ANDREAS ROTTENSCHLAGER PHOTOGRAPHY: YUKY LUTZ
ERS
N I G H T L I F E
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nyone who wants to know how the music world works should check out how The Zombie Kids produced their first hit. The video for their song “Face,” which was first uploaded to YouTube in May 2011, opens with shots of a line of girls, and then a band with a synth player prominent. A catchy, repetitive beat, possibly a sample, keeps time. Then the focus shifts to the vocalist, a black man with a shaved head and silver teeth. He’s shirtless with a leather jacket on that has big black feathers adorning the back; from the front, they look like a pair of wings. At this point, you’re intrigued. The music kicks in after 16 seconds, and by second 19, you’re thinking this sounds a lot like a hit. The Zombie Kids provide the musical foundation: Cumhur Jay, known as Jay, on synthesizer and Edgar Candel Kerri on bass. There are then various shots of beautiful young people. The women are dancing; the shirtless, tattooed men are shadow boxing. The video tells you much of what you need to know about the band’s taste. “We shot it in Jay’s living room,” says Edgar. And who is that flamboyant vocalist? “He’s called Aqeel, and he was a total unknown in 2011. We liked the clothes he was wearing, so we got him behind the mic.” “Face” made The Zombie Kids stars, 78
got them a record deal with Universal, an advertising deal with Mexico’s largest brewery and an MTV Europe award. If you want to book the duo, be prepared to provide two five-star hotel rooms and vegetarian menus. They won’t fly discount airlines. “We followed an old punk adage,” says Edgar, explaining their success. “Just do everything yourself.”
B AC K F RO M T H E D E A D
It is a hot August evening in Barcelona. Edgar and Jay are lolling around on the couch in Edgar’s loft apartment with its white walls, high ceilings and huge flat-screen TV. The Zombie Kids are just a little bit tired. They’ve basically spent the last three years touring. They’ve played festivals in Abu Dhabi and shot
“You n g p e o p l e n ow l i ste n to a crazy mi x of h ou se, ro c k an d ra p. We make mu si c for th e S p otif y g e n e rati o n . ”
Far-flung fan: Pallis Lyons (above, hands aloft) traveled 10,000 miles to see The Zombie Kids. Left: There’s a lot of love in the crowd at Razzmatazz.
Boys night out: Zombie Kids at play. Facing page, above: Edgar shares champagne with revelers.
music videos in Guatemala. They’ve done 26 club concerts in the last 30 days alone. But they’re also a little bit tense. Tonight they’re playing Razzmatazz, a popular Barcelona venue. “A home game,” says Edgar. The 35-year-old has eyebrows groomed so they point up in the middle and is wearing a pair of surf shorts. His body is covered in tattoos, including the letters P-U-N–K on the knuckles of his right hand. He played guitar in a hardcore band as a kid. He has toured Europe in ramshackle old buses. Jay, 34, has a full black beard and is wearing a baseball cap backwards. He studied economics in London but almost bankrupted himself spending all his money on records. Jay is the band’s sound nerd. Like Edgar, he also has tattoos on his arms and legs, but he wears long-sleeved shirts when he’s negotiating contracts—when, he says, “a discreet look helps.” Edgar and Jay are known for the flamboyant excesses of their live shows. They spray a lot of champagne into the crowd and dress up their singers in weird costumes. In Madrid, they threw 6,000 U.S. dollar bills into the crowd. “They didn’t believe it was real money,” says Jay. “They just carried on dancing.” 80
Night moves: At 4 a.m., people aren’t just dancing in front of the stage (below right)— they’re dancing on it, too (below).
N I G H T L I F E Hot (pants) in here: There’s no dress code at Razzmatazz, but short shorts go a long way.
week. People are used to top-level acts. The crowd is critical. You’ve got to whip them up at the high point of the night, between 3 and 4 in the morning.”
FIRE
Their music is a rebellion against genre barriers. “We produce music for the Spotify generation,” explains Edgar. “Young people now listen to a crazy mix of house, rock and rap. We’re DJs who mix our musical styles. Or we bring old styles back to life. Like zombies coming back from the dead.” On the pair’s albums you will find wild party anthems like “Spanish Sauce Mafia” and hard-hitting rap numbers like “Broke.” In their videos you’ll see hipsters in pink leggings and rappers with dreads and pit bulls.
B AC K S TAG E
“You ’ve g ot to w h ip u p th e crowd at th e h i g h p oi nt of th e n i g ht, b et we e n 3 an d 4 i n th e mo r n i n g . ”
It’s 1 a.m. Edgar and Jay are in a taxi heading for Razzmatazz, in Barcelona’s former industrial area, Poblenou, which is dominated by brick buildings and covered in graffiti. The club, which opened in 1986, is housed in a former cotton mill. Backstage it smells like a basement party room. There are tiled walls, a worn-out red sofa and cans of beer in a battered fridge. “There’s no better springboard to an international career than Barcelona,” explains Jay, not least because of the agenda-setting electronic music festivals Sonar and Primavera, which bring highprofile names to the city every year. A large number of them also play at Razzmatazz. “A-Track, Fatboy Slim and Diplo will all play here on a good
At 2:30 a.m., Jay puts a 32GB memory stick into the DJ decks on the stage. On it are 929 songs, more than enough ammunition for a two-and-a-half-hour set; Edgar and Jay create playlists on the fly. At the edge of the stage, roadies are bringing up equipment: confetti cannons, smoke machines, two bottles of Moët. The lights go out. The first song comes thumping out of the speakers—a DJ Assault cover amplified with 13,000 watts. It’s called “Suck My Motherf*cking Dick.” About 2,000 people, almost all under 30, move closer to the decks. Next, Edgar and Jay do a remix of “Billie Jean,” treating Michael Jackson’s vocal as beats—slowing it down, doubling the speed. The Zombie Kids are getting the place warmed up. For the all-important 3 to 4 a.m. hour, they change the tempo. At 3 a.m. on the dot, they raise the bpm from 100 to 128. It’s party time. The crowd is a maelstrom of arms and smartphones raised aloft. Edgar stands at the turntables with his legs apart, a gunslinger ready for a duel. The highlight of the night comes at 3:30. Jay and Edgar play another one of their songs featuring Aqeel, called “Fire.” The crowd sings along to the chorus: “Got me burning inside like fire.” The confetti machines spew out gold glitter. Edgar sprays champagne into the crowd. The DJs and the audience are one. Young women are dancing on the stage. Yet the most awestruck fan in the place doesn’t cast a sideways glance. Curly-haired 30-year-old Pallis Lyons has traveled from Sydney, Australia, to see The Zombie Kids. Jay got him a backstage pass. Lyons is next to the decks, taking photos on his phone. “The Zombies wanted to play Australia,” he roars,“but it didn’t work out. So I thought, ‘F*ck it. I’ll go to them.’ ” A second shower of glitter rains down. The fun goes on till 5 a.m. Fifteen minutes later, Edgar and Jay are sitting backstage. The Barcelona show was a home victory. Jay says you can only make it big if you do a lot of gigs. Edgar says sometimes he doesn’t know which city he’s woken up in, but he manages a laugh as he says goodbye. The Zombie Kids will play 200 club gigs in all in 2014. In eight hours’ time, they’ll be on a plane heading for Madrid. thezombiekids.es
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ACTION!
SOUND SELECT
30 D AY S IN L.A.
L.A. finds its way into the music of James Supercave.
HIGHLIGHTS IN THE MONTH-LONG MUSIC TAKEOVER REDBULL SOUNDSELECT.COM
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NOVEMBER
DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979 THE REGENT
KCRW PRESENTS JAMES SUPERCAVE
“First off, James Supercave is a band, not a man. It’s a band that has always been shrouded in mystery, so little is known about the L.A. quintet. They have an artful, Jason Bentley, groovy sound KCRW’s music director with falsetto vocals from Joaquin Pastor that have been compared to David Bowie. They have a well-known manager who, when asked what he had planned for 2014, slipped me some demos at the end of 2013. They released an EP on Hit City U.S.A. earlier this year, followed by a residency at L.A. music hub The Echo, and reportedly have an LP on the way. Our favorite song, ‘Burn,’ hasn’t even had an official release yet, so you have a lot to look forward to.” KCRW is a curator for Red Bull Sound Select, an artist development platform. redbullsoundselect.com
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“KUBRICK IS MY JESUS” JAMES SUPERCAVE THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE BAND. the red bulletin: How did you meet and start writing? joaquin: Pat [Logothetti] and I met at UCLA. We used to dip out of class and find empty piano rooms and waste time. It was that kind of purity, before you have any idea what you’re doing or what it’s for. No songs, no band, just intrinsic. I met Andy [Villalobos] through friends at a party and made a plan to listen to some records. That turned into song-swapping and it became obvious that it was gonna work. We rolled as a three-piece for a while, playing with a beat machine, but eventually we found our crew through friends. You did a residency at The Echo, released your first EP and toured with Warpaint. Pretty strong out of the gate. What do you make of your early success?
pat: We’re always looking at getting better, musically and otherwise. I think our early wins could be attributed to people who see that in us and are curious enough to help out. Folks at The Echo, KCRW, the Warpaint girls ... the list goes on. Where do you turn to when you’re in need of inspiration? joaquin: I love L.A. It’s not the sunsets or palm trees, but there is something about this city that finds its way into the music. Kubrick is my Jesus. I can always watch a Kubrick flick and get my mind blown. His conceptual clarity and endless patience while staying in tune with an emotional truth he’s trying to capture is awe inspiring. L.A. artists you’re listening to? pat: Lots! Jonti, Warpaint, Jon Wayne, Autolux, Kendrick. You’ve been touring. You’re back in L.A. for just a night. Where do you go? pat: Church & State is crazy good. The veggie options are slim, but dear lord, it’s worth it.
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NOVEMBER
KURT VILE THE CHURCH ON YORK What’s better than seeing the War on Drugs songman go solo in a church? World peace, but that’s not likely. Still, you can hope and pray and play all in one night.
29 NOVEMBER
CHET FAKER MACK SENNETT STUDIOS MJ’s “Remember the Time” video was filmed here, where the buzziest of acts perform. The Aussie’s electronica-meetsR&B crooning has many fans.
THE RED BULLETIN
JAMES LOZEAU/RED BULL CONTENT POOL, MARK LEIBOWITZ
KCRW The L.A. radio powerhouse has nurtured acts like Beck and Coldplay. Are these guys next?
What’s new? A new L.A. concert venue, and a brand-new album from DFA 1979, the Canadian punk duo’s first in more than a decade. A damn good old time.
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L IGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! HOLY BLOCKBUSTERS (AND BOMBS)!
Q & A
MICHIEL HUISMAN
How will Ridley Scott’s lavish Exodus: Gods and Kings rate among biblical big-screeners?
After prominent roles on TV’s Treme, Nashville and Orphan Black, Michiel Huisman signed on as a regular in the megahit series Game of Thrones. This month he’s romancing Reese Witherspoon in Wild, based on writer Cheryl Strayed’s memoir of her 1,100-mile hike of self-discovery.
King David
(1985) Richard Gere as Goliath slayer David Box office: $5 million
The Last Temptation of Christ
Words: Geoff Berkshire
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(1988) David Bowie as Jesus’ judge, Pontius Pilate Box office: $8 million
The Passion of the Christ
(2004) Jim Caviezel as friendly carpenter Jesus Christ Box office: $611 million
Noah
(2014) Russell Crowe as ark builder Noah Box office: $359 million
Wild sex scenes with Witherspoon? “You just have to jump in and see how it goes.” about Jonathan again?” But he was cool. We were all joking. Can you imagine yourself doing something like Cheryl’s epic hike? Yes, but I was thinking slackpacking—it would be four days with my wife. We could have our backpacks sent to the next hotel. [Laughs.] But I would also like to try it a little more seriously. Watching the movie, you think, “I want to go for a long walk!” Do you get recognized from Game of Thrones?
Last year it was funny to be on three different shows. People would come up to me and I’d assess them and think, “OK, they watch Game of Thrones,” and they’d say, “I love you on Nashville!” But now that I’ve fully joined Game of Thrones, I won’t be doing any other TV. So no more Orphan Black? Well, we’re working with the producers to see if it’s possible to create a better exit. It’s safe to say you may see Cal again.
Exodus: Gods and Kings
(opens December 12) Christian Bale as Red Sea parter Moses Box office: TBD
CORBIS, 20TH CENTURY FOX
the red bulletin: You have some very intimate moments with Reese in Wild. How did you approach that? michiel huisman: You have to jump in and see how it goes. [Sex] was an important element of Jonathan, my character in the story. [Cheryl] is on a trail and she meets a lot of people, but at the point she meets [Jonathan], something is slowly starting to shift. Before when she was with a guy, it had this self-destructive element to it. And here it felt like the start of more of a positive experience, having fun with a guy. She literally walks into my life and walks out the next day. Did you meet Cheryl and talk about her experiences? I had dinner with Cheryl, her husband and [Wild director] Jean-Marc Vallée. We were able to ask her questions about Jonathan. A lot we already knew from the book, but whatever we didn’t know we got from Cheryl whenever her husband went to the bathroom. We’d ask, “How was it really?” And then every time her husband came back, it was like, “You’re talking
www.foxsearchlight.com/wild Wild opens December 5
THE RED BULLETIN
SEQUEL TO THE #1 RATED SHOOTER OF 2012 Based on Metacritic as of 12/18/2012
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ON CURRENT AND NEXT-GEN PLATFORMS
Traveling to the towering Himalayas to spread your mother’s ashes across her native land, you find yourself caught up in a civil war to overthrow the oppressive regime of a ruthless dictator. Explore and survive this unfamiliar land, where unpredictable danger lurks around every corner.
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Blood Intense Violence Nudity Sexual Themes Strong Language Use of Drugs
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Explore the open world of Kyrat with a friend
Customize your approach for a new experience every time
IN STOR ES 11.18.2014 farcrygame.com
© 2014 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Far Cry, Ubisoft, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries. Based on Crytek’s original Far Cry directed by Cevat Yerli. Powered by Crytek’s technology “CryEngine.”
ACTION!
SAVE THE DATE Marie-France Roy goes green to save the white.
Nov. 1–9, 2014
The Little Things Pro snowboarder Marie-France Roy loves riding slopes the world over; she just doesn’t love some of what that does to the environment. So she made a movie about offsetting those ills called The Little Things, and it’s a finalist at the prestigious Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival. See it there, or save the fossil fuel and buy it on iTunes (proceeds benefit the David Suzuki Foundation and Protect Our Winters). Then hit the slopes just a little bit wiser. thelittlethingsmovie.net
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Dec. 4–7, 2014
Tampa Am Skateboard Every pro was once an am, and chances are they rode in this granddaddy event where the hungriest young skaters rip on the road to hoped-for stardom; names like Felipe Gustavo, who barely made it into the 2007 event, only to shred the competition, and Ryan Decenzo, who prevailed in ’08. What future king will be crowned this year? skateparkoftampa.com
THE RED BULLETIN
Nov. 7–16, 2014
DON’T MISS
Art of Can Reduce, reuse, recycle: We all know the mantra; some just take it to a creative level. And we’re not talking about dad’s crocheted Budweiser-can hat. For “Red Bull Art of Can,” aspiring metallurgists repurposed the signature vessel with jaw-dropping results. A panel of art experts chose 30 finalist works, on view in Chicago’s Pioneer Court Plaza.
MORE DATES FOR THE DIARY
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redbullartofcan.com
NOVEMBER
MUSIC
Dec. 26–27, 2014
Lights All Night It’s the after-Christmas weekend. You’re up to your ears in egg nog and Aunt Edna. And that can only mean one thing: It’s time to let loose, blow off some steam and dance ’til you drop, and this is the place to do it. Two carol-free days of mind-blowing light displays and the sonic wizardry of Skrillex, Zedd, Armin Van Buren, Disclosure and dozens more. And tens of thousands of your closest, sweatiest friends. Who aren’t Aunt Edna.
Do the math: Shady Records + 15 years + 15 releases = Shady XV, a two-CD celebratory compilation of greatest hits and new songs by Eminem, Bad Meets Evil, D-12 and Slaughterhouse. shadyrecords.com
lightsallnight.com
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Dec. 12–14, 2014
DECEMBER
ERIN HOGUE, MIKE BLABAC/RED BULL CONTENT POOL, LIGHTS ALL NIGHT, TONY AVRICKA
Sandstone Ice Festival
TV Epic badass biker series Sons of Anarchy wraps its seventh and final blood-soaked season. Who, if anyone, will be left standing? It ain’t called anarchy for nothing.
In tiny Sandstone, Minnesota, when life hands them sub-zero temps, they make ice. Huge walls of it, farmed with sprinklers in a quarry. And then they throw a party and scale it. Events include climbing clinics, winter camping classes, the Great Swap & Swing (chill, people, it’s just a climbing-gear exchange); skijoring (skiing while pulled by dogs or horses), pulking (a gear sled, pulled by you) and a chili cook-off. Because it can’t all be about freezing your ass off.
fxnetworks.com
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sandstoneicefest.com
DECEMBER
Nov. 16, 2014
Dec. 5–7, 2014
Nov. 22–Dec. 6, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Ford EcoBoost 400
World Cup Downhill
Target Maui Women’s Pro
Phish New Year’s Eve Concert
The final race in the Sprint Cup Series takes place at Homestead-Miami Speedway, a 267-lap, 400-mile spin around the track to name the ultimate speed demon in NASCAR’s top division. Last year, it was Jimmie Johnson. This year? Anyone’s guess. homesteadmiamispeedway. com
Vail Beaver Creek’s treacherous Birds of Prey course, the only U.S. stop on the men’s World Cup tour, has created legends and ended careers. Nerve-rattling speeds exceed 80 mph, but admission tops out at precisely $0, making it the ultimate win-win. alpine.usskiteam.com/events
Five-time ASP women’s world champion Stephanie Gilmore returns to Honolua Bay to defend her title as the women’s pro surf tour wraps up the season. A gorgeous bay with a wave that favors power surfing and, oh yeah, did we mention beautiful athletes? What’s not to like? aspworldtour.com
Trey Anastasio and company’s four-year streak of Madison Square Garden New Year’s Eve shows may have been busted by Diplo and Skrillex, but they just moved the party south to Miami’s American Airlines Arena. It’s a four-night stand, for the diehards among you. phish.com/newyearsrun2014
THE RED BULLETIN
FILM The Interview’s
celebrity journos Seth Rogen and James Franco are recruited by the CIA to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. No word on plans for Dennis Rodman ... theinterviewmovie. tumblr.com
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We do: From the ultra-luxe to rough and rugged, from heritage to most-modern, a celebration of magnificent watches for all wrists and pockets.
EXCUSE ME, HAVE YOU GOT THE TIME? 88
FUNCTION Cutting-edge technology at your fingertips. (The length of your hand away from your fingertips)
Suunto AMBIT3 suunto.com So good it’s like having a coach on hand: You won’t want to let it down by not recording and comparing your times with others. Comes with GPS and pulse monitor and talks to your iPhone via the Movescount app.
Apple WATCH apple.com Long-awaited answer to all of mankind’s ills, or a cool apps-lite watch that is less functional than your smartphone? This is how Apple sees the future, and it’s been solid crystal-ballwise recently. By far the most stylish smartwatch on the market.
Garmin FORERUNNER 610 garmin.com Robust touchscreen outdoorsman’s tool that logs distance, pace, GPS position, heart rate and calories burned during exercise. Especially good for running and cycling. In workout mode, the watch becomes a digital rival to challenge and spur you on. Samsung GEAR 2 samsung.com The bridge between you and your Samsung smartphone or tablet. The integrated camera means you can take photos straight from the wrist. Back at home, it doubles as the remote control for a Samsung TV.
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FLAIR These five timepieces are first and foremost bold and beautiful waterproof watches. Extra features are not bells and whistles but integral to their timeless appeal.
Longines HERITAGE 1973 longines.com This Swiss watchmaker can look back on nearly 200 years of rich history. Chronographs— featuring sub-dials such as stopwatches— have long been its specialty. The Heritage 1973 pays tribute to a much-loved heritage model that had a manual winder.
Tudor HERITAGE BLACKBAY tudorwatch.com Manages the rare and difficult trick of looking and feeling both modern and vintage at the same time, which means it goes with any look you care to finish it with. This blue-bezeled model, new for 2014, is much sought after. Oris BIG CROWN PROPILOT ALTIMETER oris.ch Superb automatic mechanical timepiece with a barometer/ altimeter. You make a statement wearing this, and that statement is “I know great watches.” And not just for pilots: Any hill, mountain or air sportsman can benefit from knowing altitude.
TAG Heuer CARRERA CALIBRE 7 TWIN-TIME tagheuer.com The third hand, with the red tip, shows the world traveler a second time zone, to go with the “normal” time, on the 24-hour display around the edge of the dial. So you always know when you are, along with where you are, while you’re on a journey.
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Seiko ASTRON seikowatches.com Thanks to built-in GPS, the Astron always knows where you are. There’s no need for you to tinker with time as you trot the globe’s zones because it does it automatically. Another bonus: solar cells on the dial that recharge the battery.
FORTUNE A quintet of quality: the most coveted and upscale watches. That these are the ultimate expression of style and status is not in doubt.
Rolex GMT-MASTER II rolex.com Still one of the world’s most desired watches, 60 years after its debut. The original red-andblue coloring, which led it to be nicknamed the “Pepsi watch,” was in fact done to match Pan Am Airways’ livery.
Panerai LUMINOR 1950 3 DAYS GMT panerai.com Designed in Italy and made in Switzerland; the “extended” portion of the case on the right-hand side protects the crown. Less eye-catching but equally welcome is the power-remaining indicator on the back.
Breitling CHRONOMAT 44 AIRBORNE breitling.com One of these first appeared 30 years ago, as the official watch for the Frecce Tricolori, the Italian Air Force display team. This anniversary model is black with silver sub-dials or silver with black sub-dials.
Omega SEAMASTER 300 MASTER omegawatches.com A rebirth for the legendary Seamaster 300 of the 1950s: almost the same look as the original, but all the benefits of modern watchmaking methods. This is vintage without the uncertainty, and will be as stylish in the 2050s.
Hublot BIG BANG FERRARI TITANIUM CARBON hublot.com Hublot is horology’s master of exclusivity, which is why its partnership with the Ferrari Formula One team works so well. This watch’s carbon/titanium mix and the faint red on the dial are welcome references to the form and function of F1 cars.
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WHAT TO DRINK WHEN YOU DRINK
BE READY FOR TOMORROW NO STIMULANTS
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FUN We may be at the less luxurious end of the watch spectrum, but these pieces are as eye-catching as their upscale counterparts.
Victorinox I.N.O.X. victorinox.com A sports watch that can survive 90 minutes in a washing machine and being driven over twice by a tank. For your most extreme situations, you can attach a supplied silicone “jacket” to further protect the case.
Swatch COLOR-KILT swatch.com This standout of Swatch’s 2014 autumn-winter collection is the kind of bold statement piece that has won millions of fans for Swatch over the past 31 years. It’s unclear if the Scottish referendum led to increased sales.
Casio EDIFICE casio.com As worn by Infiniti Red Bull Racing driver Daniel Ricciardo. Radio signals from six atomic clocks worldwide make this planet Earth’s most accurate watch. The lap times and stopwatch data can be transmitted directly to a smartphone.
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Nite ICON nitewatches.com British-designed, Swissmade watches supplied to special forces; their glow in the dark comes from an isotope of hydrogen in tiny glass tubes—green brightest, then blue, then orange. The nocturnal watch company celebrated its 10th birthday this year.
Fossil SPROCKET fossil.com There’s something hypnotic about watching the cogs and gears turn on this. We stare at it and find ourselves contemplating the mechanisms of our own minds: We think, therefore ... And a moment’s brain training is welcome any time.
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THE RED BULLETIN
Epic moments from the world’s best clubs and festivals: Strobelight Anthems on rbmaradio.com
MAGIC MOMENT
Virgin, Utah September 28, 2014
“ I just find the steepest line.”
CHRISTIAN PONDELLA/RED BULL CONTENT POOL
Dropping from cliffs 75 feet high. Jumping crevasses 65 feet deep. At Red Bull Rampage, even the ballsiest bikers pause for thought. This year, Andreu Lacondeguy from Barcelona won on the near-vertical course, a sweet victory after placing fourth three times. His winning formula: big airtime, no nerves and, as shown by the above backflip at a training session, plenty of practice. redbullrampage.com
Spanish freeride mountain biker Andreu Lacondeguy undersells the reason for his winning ways.
THE NEXT ISSUE OF THE RED BULLETIN IS OUT ON DECEMBER 9 98
THE RED BULLETIN
11g Protein
15g Protein with 1/ 2 cup skim milk
9g Fiber 4g total fat per serving
NON-GMO Project Verified
TM
®, TM, © 2014 Kashi Company
THE OWNERS HAVE SPOKEN.
The Mazda6, Awarded the “Highest Ranked Vehicle Appeal among Midsize Cars.”-2014 J.D. Power Since its introduction, the redesigned Mazda6 has received high praise across the industry. None more important than J.D. Power’s “Highest Ranked Vehicle Appeal among Midsize Cars”* award. Unlike with other awards, actual owners ranked the Mazda6 highest in this category. With a cutting-edge, KODO-inspired design, thoughtful safety features, Mazda’s exclusive SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY combining efficiency with performance, and up to a best-in-class, ®
EPA-estimated 40 highway MPG† it’s easy to see how the owners came to their decision.
MazdaUSA.com
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*The Mazda6 received the highest numerical score among midsize cars in the proprietary J.D. Power 2014 Automotive Performance Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study.SM Study based on 86,118 total responses from new-vehicle owners of 239 models and measures opinions after 90 days of ownership. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of owners surveyed in February-May 2014. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com. †Based on EPA estimates for 2015 Mazda6 Grand Touring models with Technology Package 28 city/40 highway MPG. Actual results will vary. SOURCE: Preliminary 2015 Fuel Economy Guide, September 4, 2014 (fueleconomy.gov).