DON’T TRUST
WOOD
Spring / Summer 2015 – Europe €7
A MAGAZINE BY WOOD
THE HYPE.
SPRING / SUMMER 2015 ‘CLASS OF NOW’ ISSUE #1
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WOODWOOD.dk
COLOPHON NTBT MAGAZINE is a bi-annual publication
curator & Editor in chief
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Sofia Giostrelli
ART DIRECTION Dirk Smit & Sofia Giostrelli
CONTRIBUTORS May Putman Cramer Jeanine Brito Sam Heichert Hayley Chato Yoeri Jonker Andrew Herzog
EDITOR’S LETTER CLASS OF NOW, IT’S TIME FOR RECESS
Dear reader,
Wood’s unofficial slogan. Our goal is to discuss the
We’re glad you started reading because we
healthy skepticism included. The “Class of Now” theme
have got something to say.
for this inaugurating issue challenges you to look at the Millennials generation’s take on the contemporary
Don’t believe the hype. It’s not to be trusted.
world. With an open-mind, our four chapters showcase
Today’s online media and its invented trends – the
movements, people, Wood Wood and experiences. From
‘selfie’ and ‘foodie’ mania to name a few – are often
graphic designers like Andrew Herzog who investigates
enough bought into without being questioned, their
the way Pinterest and blogs have an impact on design
credibility and origins overshadowed by the ‘hype’
culture in his images, to the exploration of the Health
status of said trend. But trust no hype, unless proven
Goth movement.
otherwise.
We then exhibit Wood Wood’s “Class of Now” Spring Summer 2015 collection which inspired the theme for
Exploring contemporary street culture, with a focus on
this very first issue. To round it off, we supply you with a
fashion, photography, music, digital art and design,
guide of events that we think are worth, dare we say, ‘the
Wood Wood brings you NTBT Magazine. NTBT is an
hype’. Welcome to our first edition.
acronym for Not To Be Trusted, also known as Wood
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current zeitgeist and question its (street) credibility –
CONTENTS hypes 8 – Norm to the core VS Normcore: The Paradox 12 – The #frow: A celebrity take-over 18 – When fashion meets Internet 22 – But is it art?
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26 – Hip hop and high art: Two peas in a pod?
wood wood 30 – ‘Class of Now’ Spring Summer 2015
TABLE creatives 38 –Muzak 40: Livin’ la vida locash 42 – This is ‘cool’ 44 – The transparency of retouching
the guide 56 – Denmark 60 – Germany 62 – Guest country: The Netherlands
special thanks
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50 – Foodies & Selfies: The hype put to a test
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NORM TO THE CORE VS NORMCORE: THE PARADOX intro Normcore’s persistency to endure resulted into making its way into 2015, along with its media invented lifestyle. In case you were unaware of its nature: picture dressing like a newly divorced dad – Normcore in a nutshell. But its aesthetically ‘anonymous’ intentions are clearly not so anonymous due to its
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popularity. We take a look at why it might just be a passing trend.
After ‘less is more’ and ‘more is more’, the fashion
it-word for the past year has been ‘normcore’ – a combination of ‘normal’ and ‘hardcore’. What this means is open to interpretation, having been defined as “a unisex fashion trend characterized by unpretentious, average, looking clothing” by Wiki. From a marketing perspective, New York Times writer Vanessa Freidman described it as clothes less “made for marketing than made for customers, the sort of clothes you might wear every day without thinking”. The many definitions and the constant labeling of the word have overshadowed the origins of this trend. What does it actually mean? Does it reflect a passing trend or a transformation to embrace a less materialistic lifestyle? words
According to an article on British Vogue’s website
Sofia Giostrelli
circa March 2014, ‘normcore’ started from a novel, ‘Pattern
illustrations
Recognition’ by science-fiction writer William Gibson.
Jeanine Brito
He was the first to paint a picture of what has now come to
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be the normcore aesthetic; A small boy’s black Fruit of the Loom T-shirt, a thin grey V-neck pullover purchased by the half-dozen from a supplier to the New England prep schools, and a new and oversized pair of black 501’s, every trademark carefully removed.” Thereafter, this exact picture is what inspired New York based trend agency K-Hole to include the term in their ‘Youth Mode’ report, “Normcore moves away from a coolness that relies on difference to a post-authenticity that opt into sameness.” In other words, the battle for showing
But, far before the term ‘normcore’ was even
your uniqueness became so exhausting that people chose to
created, the ‘anonymous’ look was represented in 90s mothers
stand out by blending in.
and dads, with their unlabeled grey sweaters, ‘high-waisted, make my butt look ten times longer’ jeans and New Balance
The term made its way into high fashion when
shoes. In case your parents are actually aliens and you have
Karl Lagerfeld decided to turn the Chanel catwalk into a
never witnessed this before, then think of comedian Jerry
supermarket in the Fall/Winter 2014-2015 show, and to
Seinfeld or the late Steve Jobs, with their wardrobes of classic
this day, it’s still haunting us. Quickly, all major high-fashion
Levi’s and black polo necks. Creating a term for an anonymous
labels adapted to the hype, adding distressed jogging pants
look and lifestyle that most probably intends to stay anonymous
and adapting ‘athleisurewear’ concepts to their aesthetics.
is what we would call a ‘classic fashion act.’
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One may argue that normcore is merely an
offspring of the popular Scandinavian minimalism trend. It might be about going back to basics, to the unlabeled, it might be about the gaining traction of uniforms in a uniform-less industry or it might simply be adding an ‘anonymous’ category to an – ironically – over labeled society. However, what society forgets is that fashion moves in cycles, what’s up today is down tomorrow and back up the day after in a different form – hence the passing of minimalism and the ‘birth’ of normcore. Vanessa Friedman put it this way “The fact is, fashion works according to Newton’s third law of motion: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. If a brand is known for concept and fantasy, it will feel “fresh” to go back to basics and simplicity (even if there is nothing fresh about basics, which are, by definition, perennial); if it swings from one extreme to another, consistency will seem radical.”
‘Normcore’ will, therefore, not go on forever. The
90s mom or dad look will, however, never cease to exist. Yet there’s something to say about normcore; it’s the symptom of something much bigger than an aesthetic, there’s a desire for society to change. Facebook has taken over our privacy, we don’t trust big corporations, big retailers, politicians and the list goes on. People want things they understand and know the value of, a sense of authenticity, but this is no new concept. Take the Punk movement of the 80s, for example; it was a counter-reaction against the Yuppies of Wall Street. Normcore might not be as large a movement, yet it can be a minor reaction against the over-labeled society we live in. So why put yet another label to a society that wants the complete opposite?
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“The ‘anonymous’ look was represented in 90s mothers and dads, with their unlabelled grey sweaters, ‘high-waisted, make my butt look ten times longer’ jeans and New Balance shoes.”
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words Sofia Giostrelli
images Getty Images
THE #FROW: A CELEBRITY TAKE-OVER intro Fashion’s focus on the catwalk has shifted to the front row. What once seated industry professionals now prioritizes Kim Kardashian and Kanye West We explore the shift and wonder what this could mean for fashion. Have celebrities like Kim Kardashian become more powerful than iconic fashion professionals like Anna Wintour?
In what universe could you imagine a reality TV
Due to the entanglement of the entertainment and
fashion industry nowadays, we forget that it wasn’t always this
in fashion? Had we told this to anyone in the fashion industry
way. The front row was merely a front seat to watch fashion
20 years ago, they would have chuckled in our face. But the
shows. Undoubtedly, it was the best seat there was, and
truth of the matter is, Anna Wintour and Kim Kardashian are
therefore somewhat of a status symbol, but this was because
totally shacking it up – in a totally fashion romantic way. All
it was a place where individuals could get an undisturbed
of these random yet extremely popular unions are happening
view of the clothes. The clothes; what fashion shows are about,
on the front row of fashion shows, becoming the focus of the
where they are presented for the first time, remember those?
action.
Don’t worry, you can just watch a YouTube video of the show to refresh your memory, though you’re probably more interested
The front row – or #frow, in case you wanted to
to know which celebrity is going to flood your social media
Tweet about it – is now a catwalk side gathering of celebrities
platforms at the next live stream. We’ll admit the suspense is
and fashion influencers, to see the show, but more importantly,
killing us.
to be seen. If you think about it, the frow can be described as a carefully curated real life painting. Take the last Fashion LA
Awards, where Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, Jeremy Scott, Katy Perry
influence and credibility, but rather to investigate why, exactly,
To clarify, our goal is not to dismiss the front row’s
and Kanye West balled up in coordinating outfits; all things
it has become such an important factor at fashion shows. Like
gold and fluffy – the Internet concluded it was an artistic
the fashion on the catwalk, the frow has a history of its own.
presentation.
Parisian couture houses used to stage salon-like shows for socialites and retailers in the first half of the 20th century.
It then evolved to a larger scale when department stores like Ehrich Brothers took it up a notch and recreated these shows for buyers and clients. The occasional actress would show up at shows in Paris, like Barbara Streisand and her off the hook leopard suit – which the world was probably not ready for yet – at a 1996 Chanel show.
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star to be sitting next to one of, if not the most powerful woman
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In the 70s and 80s, the front row was serious and
strictly professional, welcoming editors and buyers. With the climax of the supermodel era, the 90s began to see an invasion of celebrities like Madonna, whereas the 2000s became inundated with bloggers of all ages and styles, and today; the #frowsquad – new trending hashtag potential? – Kim, Kanye, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, and don’t forget baby North.
In an article on i-D x Vice, renowned photographer
of the A-list nightlife, Patrick McMullan discusses that “there was always an honored person in the front row, someone important to the designer, but it used to be the person’s mother or sister.” He goes on to explain that the idea of the fashion show began to change with Warhol and Halston in the 70s, because “the people at the show became more interesting.” Another factor that should not be left forgotten is that back then, another reason for the fashion show to be an industry event was its lack of technology. The only tool of recording was an old-school notebook. Vice President of Lord & Taylor, Stephanie Solomon explains, “that’s a lost art. There’s something rare about that skill, you’re really dissecting what you’re looking at, you’re not counting on the camera,
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your eyes never come off the runway.”
The style on the front row was much more modest,
there were rules to be followed at shows. A 1977 photograph of Grace Coddington – longtime Vogue creative director – at a Balmain show wearing a knee-length skirt demonstrates how blending in, in order to not distract one from the catwalk, was the norm. It was tasteful and unpretentious, black being part of the frow etiquette. But one of the reasons the front row became such a point of interest is because the media made it so. Patrick talks about starting out as a photographer in the 90s and going “into the audience to look around for people while the girls were getting dressed, but at the same time there was no vehicle for those photos to appear. I just had the time to kill.” Patrick started taking photos alongside French photographer Gauthier Gallet, who captured the industry during the 90s and 2000s through candid front-row photographs. Gauthier documented a decade’s worth of front row and backstage action, allowing everyone to access the world of high fashion. Gauthier showed people where to look besides the catwalk. It was during Patrick and Gauthier’s time that the celebrity mania blew up.
“#frowsquad”
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The early 2000s prominently introduced the front
row to bloggers like Bryanboy and Tavi Gevinson. They would change every show, new outfit on fleek and always dressed up, but always unexpected, attracting the attention of the mass.” Take the example of Tavi Gevinson’s massive hair bow at the Dior Couture show in 2010 which blocked the catwalk view for second row showgoers and caused quite the conundrum. But the point of the matter is that Tavi was clearly not trying to be modest or subduing her style in order to direct the focus on what was important, the introduction of a new collection. There was no intent of camouflage. This is when people and brands realized the power and ability of bloggers to move merchandise. When your social media network surpasses the 100K followers, designers’ eyes become dollar signs.
Gauthier photos often showed a sea of black with
the occasional leopard print form Paris Hilton. In the 90s, black was in, and despite the rise in celebrity spotting, the front row was not a stage in itself. Wearing the designer’s clothes has always been a tradition, but now it’s all a PR stunt. off the runway looks. Designers had come to the epiphany of taking advantage of their front row.
We can’t help but wonder what this means for the
future of fashion shows and the clothes featured. Possibly, the catwalk will become a stage for photographers to set up their camera in order to snap the best front row shot and new collections will be the accessory presented on the celebrities featured. The emphasis and purpose of presenting new collections has definitely become an ‘alternative’ and not the focus of the spotlight at fashion shows. On the other hand, considering the idea of fashion being an ever changing industry, within a couple of years the focus may well be redirected to its intended purpose: the clothes, banning all technology at fashion shows except for professional catwalk photographers, or just simply turning off the wifi and internet connection during the show. The consequences of either
What does this mean for the future of the front row? Are we
one of those scenarios are, however, similar; traditional
going to introduce front row drones? The celebrity take-over
fashionistas will have to adapt to the new presentation of
is not a take-over anymore, it’s been conquered, it’s a territory.
fashion collections, whereas the ‘media obsessed, living my
For all we know, there’s a big chance the front row will become
life through a camera lens’ Millennials will have to adjust to
the new catwalk, presenting a row of runway designs and
the going back to basics, ‘no technology’ policy and will just
ditching away the models altogether. One thing we know for
have to watch the damn show. It’s about changing with the
sure, whatever shifting power dynamics are out there, they are
times.
all going down in the #frow.
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Celebrities are paid to sit in the frow and wear top to bottom
“When your social media network surpasses the 100K followers, designers’ eyes become dollar signs.”
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WHEN FASHION MEETS INTERNET intro
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An exploration of the Health Goth movement.
words Sam Heichert
illustrations Jeanine Brito
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If Health Goth had a face, it would be hidden
beneath an Under Armour balaclava. Health Goth has been widely known as the hype beast trend displayed by designers such as Alexander Wang’s SS15 line for H&M, however in essence, it is a [sometimes] intangible combination of
aesthetics that originated in a Facebook group started by
Times trend piece on Health Goth, the creators told the very
three guys in Portland, Oregon. In 2013, Mike Grabarek,
real truth about the movement. In their words, “Health Goth,
Jeremy Scott (aka Magic Fades), and artist Chris Cantino
if you can even define something that changes regularly, is a
came together and created the group that would have an
hybrid of aesthetics we’re plugged into, including elements of
influential effect on the in-the-know 20- year-olds of the Y
biotechnology, sportswear, fetish culture, extreme cleanliness,
generation. This group called itself Health Goth, and was
dystopian advertisements, and rendered environments.” A
merely a place to share inspirational images pertaining to
myth brought to attention in the article is its false association
sports and the goth subculture. The Facebook group has
with poor representations like the workout regime that
now evolved into a communal space where synthetic fabrics
combines goths and gym rats in a cycling studio embellished
meet artificially rendered environments to create this darkly
with pentagrams and leather bondage décor. The boys tell the
futuristic movement/meme/culture that has continued to take
correct meaning of the term: “Health Goth is not a lifestyle,
over digital spaces as hashtags on Instagram and Tumblr.
it’s an exercise in aesthetics. Any publication trying to tell
In an article by Complex, critiquing the New York
you Health Goth is about working out has simply taken the two words at face value and opted for a less challenging, and extremely boring alternative.”
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Another interview in Complex discusses Health
Goth as a replacement of the 90s Street Goth. To begin with the name, they have said that it began as a joke poking fun at original goths, and then after much talk, realized that it had a certain cool-appeal to it when associated with what are now classic Health Goth visuals (think a pair of Nike Roches surrounded by blue flames). This humorous aspect can be seen on their Facebook. For example, an image of an empty Ziploc bag branded with the Nike logo, and in black marker reads “the soul of a health goth.” The image is captioned, “bag is empty.” Their hatred of mainstream exploitation can be seen as they publicly reject a social media image of an Urban Outfitters post of stereotypical health goth branding of toiletries, captioned “does it get more health goth than a black toothbrush?”. The creators make it clear that Health Goth is not
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for everyone. In order to truly embrace it, one must essentially live it in some aspect, whether it be an admiration of Health Goth imagery, or more physically through embracing aspects of it in one’s wardrobe.
“HEALTH GOTH IS NOT A LIFESTYLE, IT’S AN EXERCISE IN AESTHETICS.” In terms of its translation into fashion, Some brands that can be associated with Health Goth include Adidas, Nike, Under Armour, and Reebok. The colour scheme is almost strictly black and white (preferably used in a monochromatic nature), and will allow for some use of metallics (silver only) and reflective panelling. One could consider the purchase of their first pair of Adidas slides a precursor to joining the movement. First the slides, next a pair of Y-3s, and then before you know it you’re decked out in dystopian monochromatic black sportswear.
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words Yoeri Jonker
images Naturel
BUT IS IT ART ? intro For some, Naturel’s work is the embodiment and celebration of an intense, rich culture. Others scream “blasphemy!” at those who define his work as art. With the modern-day Internet of things, how do we define art? And where do its boundaries lie?
“It always felt like I was digitally painting in
Illustrator,” explains Lawrence Atoigue, better known by his artist name Naturel, about the process behind the creation of his work. The Maryland based graphic artist sparked a fire in the beginning of last year, instantly becoming a worldwide success with his triangular graphic prints and obscure urban references.
One of the reasons, perhaps that Naturel has
become so successful, is the limited nature of his work. Every artwork is printed 23 times - a nod to Michael Jordan, who at his time with the Chicago Bulls was known by his nickname ‘Number 23’ - and cold pressed on 320g paper. After an artwork becomes available on his website, Naturel posts the artwork on Instagram notifying his 86K followers, and within hours all 23 copies are sold.
This process can be one of the reasons why many
art fanatics curl their upper lip in disdain. Traditional art forms such as sculpturing and painting take a much heavier investment of time and energy from the artist. The thought of just creating something with Adobe Illustrator and printing it with your home printer, framing it and calling it art would naturally make the traditional art lover cringe. This, however, is where Naturel’s archival pigment prints are different.
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You see, digital press has been around since the
early 90s, and a method preferred by many museums. For instance, the biggest collections are held by the Metropolitan Museum and the MOMA in New York. The way archival pigment printing works is that artworks are printed on watercolor paper using pigment based inks. When stored in a museum quality frame, the artwork could last for 200 years without showing signs of decay. Do not think downloading an image from Google and printing it with your mother’s printer could do the same.
But this is still not enough of a valid argument to
define his work as art. To do so, one should dig deeper and perhaps look at why we consider painters such as da Vinci and Picasso true artists. Some consider technique an important factor; others say one can define art as a representation of the zeitgeist in society at that time. Then there are those who claim
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that art should have meaning.
In Naturel’s work we see a reflection of Hip Hop
culture and its current impact in the world from basketball to fashion, commenting on brand glorification to materialism and the effects on the urban society. What Lisa Gherardini was to da Vinci, and Marilyn Monroe was to Warhol, is what urban culture is to Naturel. Then there is the signature technique used to design the artworks. Naturel is known for making up his designs purely out of triangles, working with different hues and contrast to portray his subjects.
Another important aspect of what makes Naturel’s
technique appreciated by the owners of his work, and this is where we enter the terrain of graphic arts and design, is his use of color and proportion. Most of his paintings work with a base color accompanied by a range of accent hues that create the subjects. A good example of this was the special edition of “Picasso Biggie”, an ode to infamous rapper and hip hop culture influencer The Notorious B.I.G. where the original version of the artwork worked with a with red and brown hues, the sweater in a multicolor pattern, the special edition was completely black and white, with accents painted with gold leaf.
“one should dig deeper and perhaps look at why we consider painters such as da Vinci and Picasso true artists.”
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Going beyond technique and subject matter,
perhaps the most important aspect of deciding whether something is art is whether society accepts it as such. It has been two decades since we entered the digital age - where buying movies and music has become redundant by services such as Netflix and Spotify, and dating has evolved into swiping left and right on Tinder, and even the Metropolitan Museum of Art having 400.000 works from their collection available online. So why do art snobs still struggle with the digitalization of art? Isn’t it supposed to be all about interpretation and selfexpression anyways? We can argue that digital art is merely transferring one’s artistic skills onto a different platform, not tangible perhaps, but an iMac may as well be referred to as a modern day white canvas.
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HIP HOP AND HIGH ART TWO PEAS IN A POD? intro Wu-Tang Clan’s $5 million auction of their never released new record, One Upon a Time in Shaolin is suppose to prove that rap is worthy of respect and Kanye is comparing himself to Picasso, “or greater”, we can’t help but wonder:
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what happened to modesty?
‘Once Upon a Time in Shaolin’ is Wu-Tang Clan’s
latest album, which no one has even heard. If it were up to lead member RZA, it would never be heard. The sole existent recording of the 31 tracks album is locked away in a handcarved nickel and silver container inside a cedar box covered in black cow leather in Morocco, waiting to be sold by the auction house of Damien Hirst and David LaChapelle, Paddle8, for a minimum of $5 million. But there’s more, the rap group wants to wait 88 years before officially releasing the album, meaning that at least half of Wu-Tang’s fan base will have moved on to brighter things aka death by 2103.
Wu-Tang is buying into old ideas about excellence
being associated with price, exclusivity and connections. Even Wu-Tang member Method Man called the 88-year plan “stupid.” But band leader RZA’s comeback on Twitter words
“corporations can’t buy the album and mass produce it” seems
Sofia Giostrelli
to go against the previous statement of the album remaining
illustration
“unheard and never to be released.” Bottom line, the story is
Ruth Gwily
ever-changing, rightfully raising suspicions.
Be it a stunt or not, it’s definitely a statement. “In
an age where the work of musicians is increasingly perceived as being as accessible, affordable and expendable as a box of paperclips, acknowledgement of the profound artistry required to write a moving verse, produce a transformative album or navigate a formidable career, is often reduced to an unread liner note” states an online message from RZA and Paddle8 auction house co-founder Alexander Gilkes. It goes on to say that “such a scenario in the art world – if the only Picassos to be seen were postcards – is unimaginable.”
Perhaps the album is yet another musician, or
in this case rap group’s rebellion against the streaming era, because “it’s not about the money, it’s about respect.” But it could also be part of a different trend: hip hop’s infatuation with high art.
After releasing his ‘Magna Carta Holy Grail’
album, Jay Z performed his high-art referencing “Picasso Baby” at Pace Gallery for six hours with the assistance of the performance artist Maria Abramovich in New York last year. Kanye West’s arrogant-but-not-completely-false self comparisons to masters of the canvas are just an example of the way hip hop is trying to make its way into high art.
“Musicians get just as rich as major painters when their products become more accessible, not scarce.”
Hip Hop and Rap is the offspring of an economic
underclass and has often been antagonized by highbrow tastemakers as ‘basic’ or unmusical. After being around for over 30 years, it’s only right for the subculture to want the same respect as Western culture’s most acclaimed artists. That seems to be what Wu-Tang Clan is doing with their album. Earlier on this year, a 13-minute sampler of the album was played at MOMA, exclusively for selected journalists, art-world folks, music industry pros and radio-contest winners. On stage, a Paddle8 representative stated to the audience that the release of the album would be “anchored forever in the realms of fine art.”
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similar to Bjork’s rejection of putting her album on Spotify
“Wu-Tang should be the first ones to know that rap IS art.”
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That’s great, but out of all contemporary rap artists,
Wu-Tang should be the first ones to know that rap IS art; it’s a creative outlet that expresses truths and provokes aesthetic responses. The group’s post-modern mashups of comic book tropes, their kung-fu sounds and tales of urban struggle were the symbol of that exact idea. So what gives? A CD may cost less than an original painting, but they are not to be compared, painters when their products become more accessible, not scarce. Many Wu-Tang fans are outraged by the band, which once spoke for the streets and the people to now reserving their latest ‘piece of art’ for the rich.
Kanye may very well compare himself to a capital-A
artist – because don’t we all? – but he is taking the complete opposite route from Wu-Tang, or at least attempting to do so. During a talk at Oxford University earlier this year, he materialistic world as he talked about making couture clothes for the masses.
He stated, “there should never be a $5,000
sweater, you know what should cost $5,000? A car should be $5,000. And you know who should work on the car? The people that work on the $500,000 cars. All the best talent in the world needs to work for the people. And I am so fucking serious about this concept that I will stand in front of anyone and fight for it. Because I was 14 and middle class, I know what it felt like to not get what I have.” The talk is inspiring, but the reality of Kanye’s world does not match up. How does he explain the collection he ‘designed’ for adidas originals where prices go as far as $1,650 for a knitwear sweater? Kanye gets credit for trying to preach for the people, but actions speak louder than words and we just can’t help but smell the hypocrisy. With the technology of things, and the hacker era we live in, maybe the album will be leaked and accessible to all in no time, maybe it will forever remain locked in a box in Morocco, but despite Yeezy coming on too strong at times and his clear struggle with not sowing what he preaches – literally -, we can’t deny that he might be onto something.
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turned around the notion of rap’s notorious hunger for the
“Wu-Tang should be the first ones to know that rap IS art.”
they are two different items. Musicians get just as rich as major
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WOOD WOOD CLASS OF NOW SPRING SUMMER 2015 30
intro The Class of Now Spring Summer 2015 collection is inspired by academia, youth and sports culture. Based on a fictional boarding school, NBTB Magazine features the new collection.
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creatives
MUZAK 40: LIVIN’ LA VIDA LOCASH intro Based in Stockholm, Tobias Hansson aka Bonsai Rolex started out in his teenage years throwing parties under the name La Vida Locash. Over the past 15 years, Tobias has turned the La Vida Locash brand into a multifaceted media company practicing TV/ video production, music videos, music development and book publishing. NTBT wanted
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to pick his brain on how he got to where he is and his take on today’s music scene.
words Sofia Giostrelli
illustration Sofia Giostrelli
La Vida Locash has been defined a pop-cultural
movement in Stockholm. Why do you think this is? That’s because we did what we wanted to do and feared nothing from the start. We made music, we organized parties and events, we made books, we created our own clothing line, our own music videos and tv-shows. Just us, and the dream of creating ideas we believed in and help the people that had nowhere else to go.
So, how did you come up with the name
‘La Vida Locash’? Are you a Ricky Martin fan? – No shame in that. [laughs] No, not really. I was bored in Spanish class in high school and just randomly came up with the name. At first, I thought it was just funny, then I realized it described my way of life back then: I was prepared to live ‘la vida locash’ in terms of doing what I wanted to do. What about your artist name: Bonsai Rolex;
how did that happen? It’s so simple, it’s about two of my favourite things put together: Bonsai trees and Rolex watches.
You have made the 40th mix for Wood Wood’s
Muzak section. What made you want to do it? I have collaborated with Wood Wood before and they really supported my new book ‘Damn Son Where Did You Find This?’ all the way, so when the good folks of Wood Wood asked me to do it, it was an honour. Plus, the Muzak mix-series has been around for ages, so I was very glad to get to be a part of it.
BTW MUZAK is an online platform created by Wood Wood to feature new mixes created by some of our friends in the music industry. Bonsai Rolex was our 40th contributor.
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creatives
The mix contains a lot of various hiphop, pop
and underground tunes. Can this be a description of the type of artists you feature in your label? It’s basically the music I listen to. It features a lot of my friends’ demos that were sent to me. I think the mix is a perfect blend of what the record label released over the years and stands for.
Being a Scandi yourself, what is your take on
Scandinavian street culture? Do you find it very different from, say, US street culture? People in Sweden really love the US, so a lot of influence comes from there. I don’t really think we have that much of a street culture here anymore though. Although, we do have a lot of young kids doing amazing stuff on Youtube, Tumblr, etc.
How do you feel about hypes in music? Can
you ever pick out the ones that will actually turn into a movement and the ones that are temporary? This is a recurring discussion at the office; which new artists, sounds, trends will hit or inspire the mainstream? Which ones
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will remain underground? Being in the music industry for so long, we are able to see patterns. The most successful of the ‘hyped movements’ are those who understand their individual worth and value, who can take control over their narrative. This is because the path to success varies from one example to another. Sometimes you reach success by staying true to your initial aesthetics – by building a self-controlled movement on several different levels, making your own subculture – and sometimes you reach it by injecting the mainstream with wellpicked parts of what initially led to the hype. For example, underground music producers that get to work with mainstream artists. That also varies from time to time, sometimes the mainstream is ready for a certain trend and sometimes it’s too early and you have to strengthen your movement until the time is ‘ripe’. But the key is always hard and focused work, to see the hype as your ‘way in’, a key to a new level of opportunities, rather than your peak. You can never relax, you will only be ‘hot’ for so long and the world will keep looking for the next big thing, you know?
Since this issue goes along with the theme of
Wood Wood’s latest collection, ‘Class of Now’, how do you picture today’s music scene compared to when you started out 15 years ago? The good part is that people are now able to earn money for their work. There are platforms that actually work. The bad part is that people are less independent nowadays. Back then, we
started at the chaotic point when everything was upside down
nowadays and a lot of it is free in comparison to the
and kind of like the ‘Wild West.” We had to compete through
early 2000s, where we had to buy CDs or records. Do you
blogs and the Internet at the same level as old major labels that
think that music is losing its value or the quality of new
were still holding onto the old structure of the entertainment
records has changed because of the overflow of new tracks
business. It was really inspiring for me. Maybe we made less
released on a daily basis?
The music industry is almost all digital
money because Spotify, iTunes and Youtube were not around for us back then, but at the same time we would never have
Music will never loose its value. It’s just the platforms and
been able to reach out to as many people as we did if it wasn’t
formats that changed. Maybe it’s harder to stand out today,
for that kind of Internet era.
and you have to be more original and creative to make it, but I think that’s good though! Unfortunately, the new platforms created the same monopoly as before; with a few major
“Music will never loose its value. It’s just the platforms and formats that changed.”
artists will create their own platform on the Internet with no middlemen or big companies behind them.
Do you have any words of wisdom for the people
trying to make it in the creative industry? Be inspired by the people who did it before you! Ask people how they did it and be open minded. Ask yourself; do you want to create your own thing or do you want to work for somebody else? What is your goal? Believe in yourself but also question yourself! Be humble and don’t be afraid to fail, people are really afraid of that I think, but how can it be failure if you created something on your own with your own money, time and knowledge? Nah, that’s not failure. Failure is doing something in life that you don’t believe in, and because of other people’s opinions. You have to be prepared to put in all your hard work and maybe even sacrifice everything else in your life to create something on your own and make if your number one priority. To me, it’s all about being a free man, a self-made man, not having a boss who tells me what to do. That’s priceless. It doesn’t matter what I do as long as I’m a free man, not a slave to the system.
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companies dictating the rules. I hope that more and more
creatives 42
THIS IS ‘COOL’ intro Photographer, coder, graphic designer and generally all-rounded creative, Andrew Herzog wanted to explore the effect of Pinterest and other blogs on contemporary design culture. These images, made especially for NTBT Magazine demonstrate the idea of ‘cool.’ We couldn’t be more flattered.
words Sofia Giostrelli
images Andrew Herzog
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creatives 44
THE TRANSPARENCY OF RETOUCHING
intro Polish photographer and lecturer at the Polish National Film School, Pawel Fabjanski (35) created the series ‘Error’ to highlight the Photoshop movement and the transparent confusion between what is real and what is digital. We talked to Pawel about the retouching hype, hypothetical scenarios and his perspective on today’s photography industry.
Your series ‘Error’ is a very transparent and
unique take on the retouching phenomenon. What inspired you to create the series ‘Error’? The transparency in my ‘Error’ project is linked to the most used software for image manipulation – Adobe Photoshop. up with the real world. This kind of transparency – where the physical world is confused with the digital world – is something that I think describes modern society. We all live between two worlds: the one on our digital screens and the one behind our backs. Some of us have fallen so deep into digital space that they don’t see the difference between what is real and what is made of zeros and ones (just another numbered image).
There are a lot of counter-reactions to this
retouching movement (Example: not retouching photos in editorials). Your series indicates where the retouching would be done on the person but is already an edited image. Why did you decide to do that? In my case the idea was to show that we are always under the influence of ‘invisible forces’. We live like the models on the photos of the series: retouched but unconscious of the fact. I wanted to direct this series into a more philosophical route – I want to question the ability to decide for ourselves. The series words
is about the fact that we can’t run away from ‘higher forces’
Sofia Giostrelli
that direct our lives. I am not trying to touch on any religious
images
topics here, it’s more an approach to the theme of free will but
Pawel Fabjanski
then in a humorous way.
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The series uses some user interface elements and mixes them
creatives
“I would like to issue a rule which states that a photographer may not use their medium without the respect of quality.”
What is your opinion on this specific retouching
trend right now? I think that the trend is to reduce the retouching. Every new, technical tool in photographic history had an impact on artists and how they created their images, so ofcourse Photoshop had a strong influence on photography. It is also very common that new tools are used too extensively at the beginning and I think that photographers now realized that Photoshop is only a tool and it should be used as a secondary tool, so that it remains ‘invisible’ for the viewer.
Is there a specific angle that you always want to
showcase in your work? I try to cross the line between commercial and art photography, that’s why I use commercial language to tell my personal 46
stories. I am interested in all topics that talk about the way our life is influenced by fictional stories which were told us – advertising or social leadership, for example. My goal is to confront those topics in a more ironic and light manner, hence why I opt for a more commercial language to communicate that.
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Being a lecturer at the Polish National Film
School in Łódz, do you notices a difference in the ‘new’ generation of photographers in comparison to the ‘older’ generation? Absolutely. About 15 or 20 years ago the flow of images was
Obviously I’m not saying that it’s all going in the wrong
much less extensive than today. New photographers don’t
direction. Because of the ease in finding new, exciting pictures
really care about specific images, they focus more on the
all the time, people have also become more conscious about
general ‘flow’ of images. This is something that can push the
visual language and they sure it in a more sophisticated way.
creator back, making him or her anonymous. My students
The biggest problem currently is how to curate the work to
often know the images I show them but they can not name the
filter only the most valuable part of these images as we are
photographer. This is a huge shift in how people approach the
facing an overload of everything, not just photos but all aspects
visual world nowadays; it is not about the quality but about
of our lives.
quantity.
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creatives
Are there any specific movements that caught
your eye in photography today? Where do you think they come from? I am currently fascinated by all photographers who cross the line between documentary and staged photography. I think that the truth embedded in those images is what was and still is very important in photography. When I create a series like ‘Error’ I can feel that it lacks this kind of ‘realness’, that it could be perceived differently if it was directed more towards a documentary or reportage style.
If you were the King of photography, what
would you want to change in the photography industry nowadays? The most important thing to change for me is to go back to ‘quality’ times. I would like to issue a rule which states that a of quality – which is what often happens nowadays).
Are there any peculiar rituals that you
incorporate before or when you are doing a shoot? I only do staged images, so I do a lot of work to visualize my work prior to a shoot. I start with sketching my pictures, then I prepare moodboards and I try to decide about all elements that will be part of the shoot before I start working with models.
Cutting to the chase: hypes in photography;
how can we tell which one is worth trusting or not? To be honest, I am not sure if there have been any hypes or trends in photography that have survived the test of time. If photographers use a specific aesthetic then it’s almost always based on or connected to current trends and after a while you can tell that those aesthetics get old. The only way to stay fresh no matter how much time passes is to create classic pictures without following a specific style. However, this is very hard to do and I guess that somehow it’s also ‘boring’ for the fashion or commercial industry. I know photos that stay timeless but they are most art projects rather than fashion or commercial images.
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photographer may not use their medium without the respect
“The only way to stay fresh no matter how much time passes is to create classic pictures without following a specific style.”
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creatives
FOODIES & SELFIES: THE HYPE PUT TO A TEST intro ‘Foodies’ and ‘selfies’ are all the rave, but they seem to be taking a toll on everyone, claiming they are a piece of modern art. Dutch photographer Lonneke van der Palen (28) provides us with her two cents into this phenomenon.
In today’s world, the need to prove one’s existence
has become absurdly overpowering, while the exponential explosion of the number of practicing photographers has contributed to new forms of voyeurism. These two facts have recently merged, resulting in the ubiquitous ‘selfie’ or in nutritional trends, the ‘foodie’. Our interest lies in seeing and being seen. You know what they say; it didn’t happen, unless it was Facebook official.
Lonneke van der Palen has an interesting view on the
‘foodie’ anomaly. After graduating from the KABK in 2011, she found herself organizing various solo-exhibitions and a wide array of projects: from lookbook shoots to ad campaigns and set designs. “I can’t categorise myself, but I do have a distinct photography style,” she says. And boy is she right.
Her motivation starts with human beings and how
they manhandle cameras. “Everyone wants to capture every second of every day on film, which fascinates me and forms words
the basis of my work.” A classic example is PlayingFood; a
May Putman Cramer
series about food. “I don’t capture what the world shows me,
images Lonneke van der Palen
but instead I remake a surreal universe that is enriched by my own view of the world and love for aesthetics.”
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creatives
Lonneke developed this way of working in response
to her dissatisfaction with how things exist in their natural 52
habitat. By combining everyday objects and visual clichés she is able to challenge the viewer. “There are thousands of images out there, but I want to create intrigue. Make the viewer stop and stare for just a second longer.”
Lonneke van der Palen wants to challenge us and
we can’t blame her. If we stop and think for a minute, why does the food we consume always look perfectly presentable, how is every tomato beautifully round and bananas a rich yellow? “PlayingFood questions what is real, when we know that eighty percent of what we eat didn’t exist a hundred years ago.”
By creating thought-provoking images, “I want
to target the manipulation of our food.” Lonneke substitutes unexpected surrogates for real foods: lettuce made of green paper, a latte macchiato of wood and a piece of stone painted in flesh colours to resemble meat. “Just like manufacturers, I want to present food in an aesthetically pleasing manner, despite its reality.” These images are imprinted in our brains, forcing us to think twice about what is real instead of accepting what we are spoon-fed.
I don’t capture what the worldshows me, but instead I remake a surreal universe that is enriched by my own view of the world and love for aesthetics. 53
the guide 54
DON’T TRUST THE HYPE
THE GUIDE TRUST THE EXPERIENCE
intro We may question something we read on the Internet until we experience it on our own skin. Every issue, NTBT puts together a list of hand picked seasonal events we think are worth experiencing. These take place in our two flagship countries and one guest country. 55
This first issue’s guest country is the Netherlands: the rich Dutch culture combined with its colonial influences makes for a multifaceted creative hub full of cultural events. Their international mindset and appreciation for photography, music and contemporary art is something NTBT can relate to, putting it on the map in this inaugurating issue.
the guide
DENMARK June 3 – 7
Distortion Copenhagen
Picture Copenhagen; structured, refined yet
urban. Now, picture that filled with thousands of people roaming around the streets of this vibrant city. Distortion is the biggest street party in Denmark, spanning across four days, each day dedicated to a different neighbourhood of downtown Copenhagen. People take over the streets to enjoy the (hopefully) sunny weather, preferably with a beer in their hand, and music coming from every corner of the street. Since 1998, Distortion has pushed the limits of street culture and we are sure it won’t do anything less than that this time around. It’s like entering an outdoor summer rave as you step out your front door. Thumbs up.
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cphdistortion.dk
June 4 – 14
Copenhagen Photo Festival Copenhagen
Founded in 2010 to raise awareness of and focus
on photography, Copenhagen Photo Festival showcases Danish as well as international contemporary photography in urban spaces, art and cultural institutions, galleries and photo schools. Tapping into the meaning behind a photograph, raising theoretical discussions and presenting new works, you can expect to come across works of emerging as well as established photographers, proving that a picture can indeed tell a 1000 words.
copenhagenphotofestival.com
June 27 – July 4
roskilde festival Copenhagen
One of the largest North European culture and
music festivals since 1971, Roskilde is an 8 days festival that features some of the biggest forces in the music industry, both nationally and internationally, located just outside Copenhagen. Names like Kendirck Lamar (US), Pharrell Williams (US) and Disclosure (UK) are only a few of the artists that will perform this year. Next to music, Roskilde created a platform for urban artists to showcase their street art in their Graffiti and Art zone as well as a DIY zone where festivalgoers can make their own festival gear. We think’s that’s pretty dope.
roskilde-festival.dk 57
the guide
June 12 – 14
NorthSide Festival Aarhus
A versatile music festival and one of the biggest
in Denmark, NorthSide Festival’s lineup can range from pop artists to the most upcoming, experimental musicians in the music industry. Featuring Danish and international artists, this year the festival has scored some top names like Sam Smith (UK), FKA Twigs (UK) and one of the most important groups in hip hop culture, Wu-Tang Clan (US). To top it off, the festival recently won the “A Greener Festival” Award thanks to their environmentally aware and waste reducing
northside.dk
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methods. Scandinavian festival sustainability at its best.
July 30 – August 1
Danmarks Grimmeste Festival Aarhus
It’s small, it’s alternative and it’s grimy. GRIM
Fest, short for Danmarks Grimmeste Festival, is a three days event, all about creating an environment that goes against all that is mainstream in music. The festival features upcoming and known alternative Danish and International artists in all musical genres. Some big names at this year’s “backyard party” – as they like to call it – are TopGunn (DK), Flogging Molly (US) and Cold Specs (CA). The whole concept is “mi backyard, es su backyard” so we guess it’s BYOB.
grimfest.dk
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June 5 – July 5
Sculpture by the Sea Aarhus
Denmark’s biggest outdoor sculpture exhibition,
and a unique cultural outing on a hot Summer day. Lasting one month, Sculpture by the Sea features scenic coast line sculpture along the beach, waterfront and forest of Aarhus. This open air exhibition showcases Danish and International known sculpture artists, creating an adventurous stroll on the beach or in the woods. We didn’t even get to the best part yet: it’s free, it’s always open and there are free-guided tours of the artworks, GO!
sculpturebythesea.dk
the guide 60
GERMANY
July 10 – 12
splash! festival Ferropolis
What began in a powerhouse in Chemnitz in 1998 with a
couple of underground reggae and hip hop artists has now evolved into one of Europe’s largest hip hop music festivals, taking place in the open air of Ferropolis. Going from two stages to a three day festival with six stages and four party tents from 2006 on, Splash Festival has hosted some of the most influential artists in hip hop culture such as A Tribe Called Quest. This year they are doing it big, featuring some of Germany’s underground and established artists as well as international names. With the likes of A$AP Rocky (US), Pusha T (US), Dipset (US), ILOVEMAKONNEN (CA), Rae Sremmurd (US) and many more, we’re bound to turn up.
splash-festival.de
August 7 – 9
19th berlin international beer festival Berlin
We had to, we just had to include this in our guide.
Germans, expats, tourists and 2000 types of beer from 86 countries; it’s hard to resist. The festival offers 22 beer regions and 20 music scenes, ranging from hiphop to German folk music, all of that in a city as vibrant and cultural as Berlin. Located at Karl-Marx-Alle, the street turns into the longest beer garden and bar in the world – 2,2 kilometers of beer stands and music stages - for this three-day event. Additionally, Karl-Marx-Allee adds a certain charm to the festival with the socialist architecture found in the area and the rich history that Berlin, in general, always provides. Promoting alcohol might even Einstein drank a beer or two to get his creative juices
bierfestival-berlin.de
August 28 – 29
East Side Music Days Berlin
Whether you’re an aspiring musician or just want
to make noise, you are more than encouraged to participate to the East Side Music Days – initially entitled ‘First We Take The Streets’- a music festival taking place right on the streets of Berlin. This festival is as old school as it gets; the participants play eye to eye with spectators, without electricity or audio enhancement – you know, speakers. The event is free and for anyone, including music industry professionals and music lovers and takes place on the popular streets of Postbahnhof and Oberbaumbrücke. Bottom line, you may just witness the making of a brand new musical star, unless ofcourse, that will be you.
www.eastsidemusicdays.com
flowing. Just don’t drink all 2000.
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not be the most ethical of things to do, but we are pretty sure
the guide
THE NETHERLANDS guest country
August 21 – 23
LOWLANDS Biddinghuizen
A performing arts and music festival, A
Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise, or mostly known as Lowlands, is one of the biggest Summer festivals in Europe. Performers such as the iconic Queens of the Stone Age and Stromae were some of last year’s headliners. This year they maintain their high musical standards by including Limp Bizkit (US), Major Lazer (US/UK) and SBTRKT (UK) among other Dutch and international artists in their lineup. What’s more is that the festival is located near the biggest attraction park in the Netherlands, Walibi World and with a little extra budget, you can get unlimited access to the park during the festival. If that’s not a festival heaven bargain, we don’t know 62
what is.
lowlands.nl
September 18 – 20
unseen photo fair 2015 Amsterdam
Unseen is a unique international photography
showcasing undiscovered photography by emerging talent and unseen work by established photographers. Furthermore, the fair includes various sections, one selling art photography books and another entitled “The Unseen Collection” which allows photography lovers and collectors to buy never before displayed images from renowned photographers – bare in mind, the prices go up to €1000. Being a photography fair, it still prides itself to have a festival flair through their “extracurricular” events and by inviting more than fifty international galleries to participate.
unseenamsterdam.com
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August 8
Appelsap festival Amsterdam
THE biggest hip hop and R&B festival in The Netherlands
celebrates its 15 years of total urban swagger this year. Located in one of Amsterdam’s many parks, Flevopark the festival has hosted some of hip hop and R&B’s world elite such as Schoolboy Q (US), J.Dilla (US) and Clipse. This year’s international headliners are Skepta (UK) and the infamous hip hop group Mobb Deep (US), taking you straight to hip hop/R&B heaven.
appelsap.net
SPECIAL THANKS Andrew Herzog Jeanine Brito Yoeri Jonker May Putman Cramer Sharveen Koesal Charlotte Lokin Jo Watson Stephen Fetherston Kimberly Waldbillig Naturel Lonneke van der Palen Sam Heichert Pawel Fabjanski Tobias Hansson Dirk Smit Wood Wood
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