GREYONESOCIALONLINE.COM L2 R2 Wing Greenbelt 5, Makati City
is tuning in Mar c h 20 1 6
6 MASTHEAD 8 CONTRIBUTORS 10 STATUS MESSAGE
26
FEATURES MUSE
50 BROOKLYN’S
STATUSPHERE 13 THREADS 16 SETTING 17 BRICK & MORTAR 18 SCREEN 19 BEATS
By Janroe Cabiles
MAESTRO
54 TEENAGE
PACK: SONIC BOOM
Play at full blast.
BEAUTY 22 FACE 23 23
By Celene Sakurako
PAINT: Royal view
Have a regal dose of cosmetics.
VANITIES: ELECTRIC DREAMS
56 RIPPLES
Your future is sealed with a kiss.
BEAUTY BITE: LASH WISHES
STREET STYLE GO SEE
VISION BOARD
58
26 LIGHT
By Celene Sakurako
58 LIFE
& DUSK
By Alejandro Cabezut
32 SPELLBOUND
By Pola Beronilla
60 THE
SHOPPING GUIDE FIELD DAY
Be festival-ready with these staples.
42 GEAR
FACTOR
Rucksacks
43 STAND
POINT
Tube Socks
44 CROWNING
GLORY
Printed Caps
45 FLEX
APPEAL
46 TALL
TALES
Hooded Vest
Platform Sandals
47 OVERALL
CHAMPION
Jumper Dresses
48 DAILY
STRIP
Fringe Bags
49 PRIMARY
COLLAR
Funnel Neck Tops
EXTRA MILE
An amalgamation of reverberations and personalities, Manila five-piece indie outfit MilesExperience—shortened as MSex—is just about to fly off through their soothing acoustics and plummeting drums thumps.
By Diane Russo
41 SWAG:
IN THE PAST LANE
Reckoned as the “modern day Ella Fitzgerald,” LA -based singer/songwriter Dana Williams offers a timeless piece of pop for everyone without having to pander to a particular trend—she’s a classic waiting to happen.
Join team cozy and everything will feel like a walk in the park.
Dress the part and the entire universe will be under your spell.
OF A NEW WAVE
Swimming against the current and crossing shores from Kobe city to the rest of the world is indie pop quartet The fin. with their distinct “cloudiness in transparency” sound as heard in their new EP Through The Deep.
FASHION 24
DAZE
Sitting in his bedroom underwear-clad, LA trio Slow Hollows’ frontman Austin Feinstein opens up about the about reality of the music scene he’s in and how his band has cracked the code to staying above it all.
GADGETS 20 TECH
FINEST
A bare-faced beauty, save for some black eyeliner and trademark freckles on her cheek, model Ceilidh Joy knows how to snap and chat as the finest NYC cool kid around.
By Dannise Galon
MASTERMIND
62
WATCHING THE THRONE
Holding her rightful place behind the throne, Kiwi choreographer Parris Goebel talks about what started it all, what keeps her going, and what more is coming. By Celene Sakurako
64 IN
THE MOMENT
Taking a gray moment and coloring still life with the chaos of trouble, Shae DeTar does her fair share of photography, but morphs the female body with her painted hands. By Janroe Cabiles
is tuning in 66 HIP
m ar c h 2 0 1 6
82
POP HOORAY
Tracing Snoop Dogg, Tupac, Gucci Mane, and the rest of the greats on Post-its, artist Marlon Sassy a.k.a. Gangster Doodles owes it to his shitty job for his claim to blame.
By Janroe Cabiles
68 CHROMASCAPE
CITY
Casting creamy tones to her colorful sets, Jacqueline Harriet has solidified her aesthetic from the Myspace era to the likes of NYLON, Refinery29, Urban Outfitters, etc.
68
By Celene Sakurako
MORE
By Janroe Cabiles
89 DIRECTORY
HEAVY HITTER
70
THE EVOLUTIONISTS
Fronted by Syd tha Kyd and Matt Martians, LA’s soulful sextet The Internet have evolved far beyond their humble beginnings as two teenagers connecting over the love of good music. Naturally maturing into what they are now, the band keeps their egos in check as they trot the world with their Grammynominated third album Ego Death.
STATUS INVADES 90 PAPER DOLL
SEX, DRUGS, AND POP MUSIC
Despite wearing ill-assorted suits and not carrying a PG-13 warning tag, The 1975 have attracted a voracious fanbase in the same manner a prototypical boy band would. Shimmering and twinkling like your favorite John Hughes prom scene, the indie rockers lock in the sex, drugs, and rock & roll sentiment in their sophomore release.
Basking in paper dreams since she was a kid, Arianna Cowper shows what it’s like to keep a smile in the tough modeling industry.
By Pola Beronilla
76
90
OUT OF THE BLUE
When Brooklyn dream-rockers DIIV released Oshin in 2012, frontman Zachary Cole Smith and co. found themselves drowning in a pool of tabloid drama despite the positive reviews that followed their debut release. Now plunging into a new current with their latest record Is the Is Are, the four-piece outfit offers a full-length sonic recovery. By Pola Beronilla
about the cover Rugged and dapper, yet so unaware of it, Manchester indie lads The 1975 are pop music’s finest. Flirting with the trappings of an ‘80s funk in their sophomore record, Jenn Five frames in the four lads from Manchester.
statusmagonline.com
Blogsphere
the pulse of hip at your fingertips
go see
we’re all models off duty. smize!
FEATURES
there’s more to what’s in print
NightVision
who’s spotted partying where
Photo Diary confessional for lensmen
Digital Magazine DOWNLOADS STATUS in pixels, not paper
free mixtapes and wallpapers
is tuning in
March 2016 editor-in-chief
Rosario Herrera @RosarioHerrera
managing editor
Denise Mallabo @denisemallabo
art director
Nyael David @nyaels
features editor
Pola Beronilla @HiMyNameIsPola
graphic designers
Carlo Nuñez @oycaloy
Nadine Layon @nadinelayon
fashion assistant
Jill de Leon @orangetoenails
editorial assistants
Janroe Cabiles @janroetheboat
Celene Sakurako @deerwho
contributing writer contributing artists
interns
Swarley Stinson Mariko Arai, Robiat Balogun, Alejandro Cabezut, Zachary Chick, Mike Chua, Shanna Fisher, Grizelda Garza, Nancy Goold, Christina Guerra, Jacqueline Harriet, JL Javier, Sandy Kim, Angel Manilot, Adam Powell, Diane Russo, Mox Santos, Esteban Scott, Jason Wallace, Michiko Yoshida Joy Bernardo, Dannise Galon, Deux Lopez, Ryan Melgar, Camille Ortiz, Jeremy Sulit
What’s your STATUS? tell us. editorial editorial@statusmagonline.com advertising advertise@statusmagonline.com marketing marketing@statusmagonline.com general inquiries info@statusmagonline.com follow us facebook.com/statusmagazine twitter.com/statusmagazine instagram: statusmagazine STATUS is published by STATUS Media Group. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.
c ontributors esteban scott Straight outta Scottsdale, Arizona, 20-year old Esteban Scott has currently been roaming New York City with his camera in tow. “Being a minority growing up definitely had an effect on how I look at things, and my friends take really cool pictures, so that inspires me too.” Running the clothing brand Cliff USA, he shot Brooklyn’s finest muse (50) for his debut collection.
JL JAVIER
JACQUELINE HARRIET Graduating from NYU, NorCal-girlturned-NYC-native Jacqueline has been hitting it right with her specialization in colorful portraits, equipping both the cityscape and the patches of nature she can find out of it. Shooting for publications Teen Vogue, Refinery29, and the like, she shot Ceilidh Joy (50) for NYLON, cementing her spot as one of our Masterminds (64).
Closing in the gap between himself and long-time hero Bruce Weber, Manila-based photographer and graphic designer JL lends us a hand to snap local quintet MilesExperience (60). Inspired by his dog Jeffrey and paintings by Rembrandt, he has built his portfolio through portraits and shots of landscapes. Can’t get enough? Backtrack to past issues with Greyone Social’s 2015 lookbooks.
DIANE RUSSO Starting off as Cass Bird’s assistant, photographer Diane Russo is now closing in on some snaps of her own. Capturing frames for big names like Calvin Klein, Diane von Fürstenberg, and MCM as well as Teen Vogue and Vogue.com, this new kid on the block gives us a new perspective on elegance and leaves us Spellbound (32).
SHANNA FISHER Hailing from LA, photographer and animal lover Shanna is easily one of our favorites. A constant collaborator, the School of Visual Arts graduate is the mastermind behind our July 2015 cover: Sofia Richie, as well as our features with actor Jake McDorman and band KITTEN to name a few. Whipping out her camera once again, she captures singer/songwriter Dana Williams (58).
8 - statusmagonline.com
GRIZELDA GARZA
From runway looks and contemporarychic to streetwear and traditional styles, you name it, and Grizelda Garza can swing it. With experience in editorials, TV, and ad campaigns under her custom designer belt, the Texas Native has a lot more tricks under her sleeve, and she gives us a peek with one of this month’s editorials, Light & Dusk (26).
FASHION
facebook.com/starstyleph
Beauty
@starstyleph
www.starstyle.ph
Celebrity
@starstyleph
STATU S MESSAG E
IS TUNING IN T
he music scene nowadays is all about variety and evolution. Actually, it always had been that way, but more recently, musicians have been getting viral as fast as your broadband Internet speed. The ones that stuck out for STATUS not only gained critical acclaim on their debut record, but they also bounced back on their sophomore albums. Though there are an unlimited number of talented musicians out there, we curated our Music Issue with a roster of artists that you definitely should be tuning into—in case you weren’t yet. After hitting platinum on their debut album, The 1975 have officially earned their rock star status. Producing a sophomore record with their newfound fame might have put additional pressure on their shoulders, but they managed to deliver with I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It. Though the album title sounds a bit ludicrous and had second thoughts about it, they stuck to their guns and committed to it. In our interview, Matt Healy discusses about using the album to talk about the things that mattered to him most and how it ultimately helped him become more accepting of himself. We know life has its fair share of ups and downs, and when we see people overcome these hard times, it teaches us a vital life lesson about moving forward and not accepting defeat—and it looks like the Brooklyn boys of DIIV are doing just that. After a few struggles in their personal and professional lives, they have risen from their past controversies and are thriving with a new record, Is The Is Are. We caught up with vocalist Zachary Cole Smith as he dove deeper on their take about negativity and drama and what they hope their fans get out of their latest album. On the other hand, six-member group The Internet has been on the upswing since they came together. Originally started as online project, the band formed by Odd Future alums Syd tha Kyd and Matt Martians has gained so much momentum that the band became famous in their own right. In the middle of their world tour for Ego Death, they share with us their perspective about how social media has had an effect on this generation and how it inspired the name of their Grammy-nominated record. We are now in a new age where listeners have developed an ear for cross-genre music. Even with the different beats and sounds, at the end of the day, we all just want to better ourselves, better our lives, and leave our mark on the world. The 1975(70)
Editor-in-chief
GREYONESOCIALONLINE.COM L2 R2 Wing Greenbelt 5, Makati City
THREADS / setting / BRICK AND MORTAR / BEATS / SCREEN march 2016
ART FORM
G
oing back to artistic pursuits, ETUDES STUDIO makes a big splash with oversized pieces in bold hues of blue and orange contrasted with black and white. Featuring geometric prints that resemble architectural landscapes on layers of lived-in textured pieces, the Paris and New Yorkbased collective gives menswear a new meaning to laid-back elegance along with a taste of art in the form of clothes. etudes-studio.com
odd future
C
onceptual and visionary, VAVA’s Autum/Winter 2016 collection gives you a glimpse of the future with alternative eyewear. Focusing on avant-garde frames, geometric shapes, and sleek silhouettes, the brand looks into a variety of specs and sunglasses ahead of its time. Keep your eye on this line of endless possibilities. vavaeyewear.com
under construction
W
hen it comes to outerwear and LAMARQUE, the limit does not exist. Taking pride in making jackets, coats, vests, and cover-ups in a variety of distinctive ways, the Montreal-based brand keeps close attention to details like fringe, panels, bias cuts, and strategically placed hardware with pieces in leather, suede, and even plastic that have you covered all throughout the year. lamarquecollection.com statusmagonline.com - 13
THREADS
BRANDS TO KNOW
clean slate
M
ake a splash in clean cuts with BRIXTOL’s newest release. Playing around with crisp white pieces accentuated by a translucent raincoat for a refreshing, spotless new look with Wet, the swedish brand turns up the temperature and turns a few heads as you sport fashion in its purest form. brixtol.com
kid range
O
ut with the old, and in with the new, ‘cause now is the time to be YOUNG HUNGRY FREE as the Singaporebased label keeps things fresh with dresses, flared trousers, funnel neck tops, and overalls for a Parallel Playground of ready-to-wear pieces in cool neutrals. With cut-outs, piping, and clean cuts, their new collection is set to come into play in your everyday basics. younghungryfree.com
Y
ou don’t have to leave the city to get that bling with NIKAO. Aiming to allow women to stand out and make a statement with striking pieces, self-taught British jewelry designer LisaMarie Carter supports the high-end jewelry line’s inspiring vision with bold empowering statements like “YES,” “VICTORIOUS,” “FEARLESS,” and “DREAM.” nikaojewels.com
14 - statusmagonline.com
Words by Jill de Leon and Joy Bernardo
good as gold
THREADS
rapid movement
M
ake an active choice and run with PUBLISH. Constructed with water repellent and stain resistant twill, the streetwear brand’s newest line of women’s joggers in shades of blue, black, olive green, camel, and white, will definitely spark your inner tomboy. Why settle for your boyfriend’s jeans when you can have your own? thenines.ph
slick steps
S
tep into the future with these unconventional shoe choices by MIISTA and hit your stride as the footwear brand gives you a bounty of textures with suede, leather, perforated knits, and jersey. With soles ranging from blocked heels to espadrilles, as well as uppers with the quirkiest prints and the brightest of colors, you’re bound to make a statement every time you step in. miista.com
strap tease
G
et your head in the fashion game and sport these pieces from SAMPLE-CM. Inspired by athletic gear, Grand Bassin features halter tops, oversized tees, sweaters, tights, muscle shirts, and jackets adorned with bold-colored straps, metal rings, neoprene, and jersey to help stretch your wardrobe choices to new heights. sample-cm.com
statusmagonline.com - 15
SETTING
PLACES TO GO
S U I TE
HOTEL CYCLE, OCHINOMI R
ide your bike straight into the lobby of Hotel Cycle within reformed maritime warehouse Onomichi U2, where Onomichi city’s famous Shimanami Kaido cycling trail begins. Japan’s very first biker’s haven, this hotel encourages all their customers to take their bikes with them at all times and park it right into their rooms. Surrounded by the vast sea and trees, each room gives off an industrial feel with wooden furnishings, gray walls, and special ramps with hooks to place your bike on. Undoubtedly every biker’s dream lodge, the place is complete with a restaurant, bar, café, bakery, store, and bicycle shop. 5-11 Nishi Gosho-cho, Onomich U2 Onomichi, Hiroshima, Japan onomichi-u2.com/
grub
CAFÉ NAYA, Taguig O
ne of six establishments within lifestyle entertainment complex The Palace Manila in Uptown Bonifacio, Café Naya is a restaurant inspired by coastal cuisine from the Mediterranean, Northern Africa, and Europe. Transporting diners to the serene summery sea side with its greenery and simple wooden interior, the yellow glow of their lights and the laid-back atmosphere will have you dreaming of a well-deserved vacation by the sea. Serving dishes concocted by chef Mikko Reyes along with chef Erwan Heussaff and chef Kazumasa Yonemoto, the place offers a dining experience unique in its own.
PLATE
FUSION ALLUSION Get a taste of different worlds in one sitting as CAFE NAYA redefines fusion cuisine, taking hints, techniques, and spices from all over the globe and onto our plates.
16 - statusmagonline.com
TUNA CRUDO Tuna crudo coated in harissa aioli, topped with fried capers and sauce on ciabatta bread
UNI & RICOTTA Ricotta cheese and fresh uni on brioche, drizzled with honey soy and fried kale on top
BLUE MARLIN Grilled blue marlin on top grilled asparagus and chorizo, with cashew romesco sauce
24 HOUR SHORTRIBS Medium rare short ribs with chèvre mash, pistou butter, and jus served with vegetables
Words by Celene Sakurako and Janroe Cabiles
11th Ave. cor. 38th St. Uptown Bonifacio, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig naya.thepalacemanila.com
BRICK AND MORTAR
STORES TO SHOP
SECRET LOCATION, VANCOUVER 1 Water Street, Vancouver, Canada secretlocation.ca Dime to Drop: P2,351-P167,940 (CAD 70-CAD 5,000) Don’t leave the store without: Louis Leeman’s sneakers or a pop culture-inspired Sara Battaglia handbag
I
f you like to add some mystery to your everyday ensembles, then there’s a SECRET LOCATION in Canada waiting for you. A lifestyle boutique and restaurant, the concept store in Vancouver offers thought-provoking fashion and amazing food all in one place. Satisfy your cravings for lavish cuisine with dishes like butter poached lobster, twice-cooked foie gras, and cured artic char and caviar, all of which you can enjoy at their beautifully-lit Tasting Room, enveloped in cool hues of white, blue, and green. On the other hand, the boutique’s crisp white interiors, unpainted pillars, and wooden flooring are surrounded with marquee letters, colorful furniture, and glass jewelry cases for that perfect balance between rustic and quirky. Offering rare pieces from high-end brands like, Fleet Ilya, A-Lab Milano, Louis Leeman, and Vionnet, this is definitely a one-stop shop for your fashion and culinary dreams.
Words by Jill de Leon and Joy Bernardo
oi polloi A
dd some good old Manchester flair to your look with OI POLLOI. The menswear retailer founded by Steve Sanderson and Nigel Lawson caters to any guy who has a weakness for polished cuts and quiet detail. With cool brands like adidas, Homespun, M.H.L., Barbour, Patagonia, and LVC, you’re bound to fall in love or first site visit.
oipolloi.com
statusmagonline.com - 17
SCREEN
SCENES TO SEE
RE M OTE CO N TRO L T I C K ET
FLAKED (NETFLIX) Executive producer Mitch Hurwitz teams up with Will Arnett as the latter stars in the Netflix original as Chip, a sober self-help guru in Venice, California who finds himself in an awkward love triangle consisting of his best friend and his object of fascination. Struggling to stay on his high horse, he’s caught in his own web of half-truths.
JIMMY CARR: FUNNY BUSINESS (NETFLIX) A day after St. Patrick’s Day, Jimmy Carr officially becomes the first British comedian to make an original stand-up special for Netflix. Standing in front of a soldout audience, he takes a crack at his timeless dark, deadpan delivery and snarky one-liners while hecklebaiting the crowd to exercise his speedy comebacks at UK’s Hammersmith Apollo.
WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT Based on memoir The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the directors of Crazy Stupid Love put a comical twist on the tale of journalist Kim Barker, played by Tina Fey.
GET A JOB Miles Teller and Anna Kendrick pair up and tell it like it is in a Reality Bites-esque comedy as newly-grads Will Daris and Jillian Stewart in search of secure employment, but things go far from how they originally planned.
AVA’S POSSESSIONS In this indie pseudohorror comedy, newly-possessed and exorcised Ava (Louisa Krause) joins support group Spirit Possession Anonymous as she struggles to make peace with her real-life demon.
THE DIVERGENT SERIES: ALLEGIANT Veronica Roth’s trilogy reaches its conclusion, taking off after the residents of Chicago find out the truth; Tris and Four gather a group to explore what’s waiting outside.
KNIGHT OF CUPS Christian Bale plays a troubled Hollywood screenwriter in Terence Malick’s experimental drama split into nine chapters as he distracts himself with a series of affairs, searching for meaning.
BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE Director Zack Snyder makes history as the first to pit superhero favorites Kryptonian Superman and billionaire vigilante Batman against each other, with other DC characters joining in the ring.
POLLY NOR (Illustrator) pollynor.com
WILD TALES (2014) The film is a black comedy made up of six dark, deranged, and witty short films about our extreme human behavior. The last story killed me.
18 - statusmagonline.com
ROOM (2015) I watched this recently. It’s the saddest but most gripping film I’ve seen in ages. Amazing acting from Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay. I cried like a baby throughout.
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK (2013) Mainly because of Jennifer Lawrence. And because it’s a rom-com but it’s also actually a good film, which is pretty rare.
ORPHAN (2009) It has the most ridiculous storyline ever. I don’t know how it ever got made, but I’m glad it did.
OLDBOY (2003) I watched it so many times throughout my teens that I can now watch it without the subtitles on. Yup, I taught myself Korean by accident. I’m a genius!
Words by Janroe Cabiles
P L A Y BAC K
BEATS PL AYLIS T
DANA WILLIAMS
danawilliamsofficial.com
“The Stars Fell on Alabama” Ella Fitzgerald I’ve been listening to her since I can remember. I don’t think I can ever tire of her voice and presence.
“Hands to Myself” Selena Gomez It’s from her album Revival.
“Take Good Care of My Baby” Carole King I’m not only in love with her voice but also her songwriting abilities. She’s such a prolific songwriter.
“La Vie en Rose” Edith Piaf While I believe in true love and romance I also know that not everything lasts forever.
“You Give Me Something” Jamiroquai These…
“Touch” Omarion …songs…
“Too High” Stevie Wonder …make us…
“Otherside of the Game” Erykah Badu …happy.
MUSIC TO HEAR
Releases
After 15 years of absence in the scene, folk punkers VIOLENT FEMMES come out of hiding to prove that We Can Do Anything. Digging through a trove of old cassette demos and journals, Gordon Gano and the gang reunites take us on a trip down “Memory” lane with a new LP since 2000.
THE INTERNET Syd the Kyd (Vocals) and Matt Martians (Producer) internet-band.com
CURTISMITH
soundcloud.com/ curtismith
“Why iii Love The Moon” Phony Ppl It talks about putting all your efforts in one person, even if you’re not sure if it’ll be appreciated the way you want it to be. “Crew Love” feat. The Weeknd Drake I really enjoy that song because the verse is so short, but it still has a heavy impact on me.
“Poe Mans Dreams (His Vice)” feat. GLC Kendrick Lamar Off of Section.80, it’s one of my favorite songs of all time because of the imagery and beliefs he has in this song. Hell Song Down By The Law It’s quite inspirational; it’s about karma and all these things, but I do believe a lot can happen in the spiritual sense.
Third time’s the charm for Minneapolis-based synthpop experimentalists POLIÇA as the quartet join forces for their third album United Crushers. A follow-up to 2013’s Shulamith, their latest LP will explore new themes and a fresh perspective in tracks like “Summer Please” and “Lime Habit.”
Words by Swarley Stinson
MUSIC NEWS
With Death Cab For Cutie, Bon Iver, and San Cisco leading the lineup, better gear up your space suits as all troopers gather together for Wanderland Music & Arts Festival 2016 on March 5 at the Globe Circuit Events Ground in Makati City.
Mark your calendars ‘cause the MTV Woodie Awards is set to return this 2016 at SXSW in Austin, Texas. Tune in on March 16 as the awards show hands over large chunks of welldeserved wood to some of the most eclectic artists in music scene.
Head on over to New Orleans this March 11 to 12 for BUKU Music + Art Project 2016 and treat yourself to great New Orleans eats, custom-made art installations, and energetic performances Kid Cudi, Miike Snow, CHVRCHES, and many more!
Following the footsteps of Justin Timberlake and the like, former boy band member ZAYN MALIK goes over his head and walks towards a different direction with Mind Of Mine. After teasing us with some “Pillow Talk,” his solo debut will hit the shelves exactly a year after leaving One Direction.
statusmagonline.com - 19
T E C H PACK
SONIC BOOM
D O W N L OA D S
Sounds like a winner.
KORG MINILOGUE POLYPHONIC SYNTHESIZER • A next-generation 37 slim-key fully programmable polyphonic analog synthesizer • Features a board tape-style delay, multiple sound shaping and filter options, and an oscilloscope display • Finished with an aluminum top panel, chassis-mounted pots, rubber-coated knobs, and real wood back panel SRP: PHP 23,777.50
SHURE KSE1500 ELECTROSTATIC EARPHONE SYSTEM • The world’s first electrostatic Sound Isolating™ earphones, which produces incredible audio clarity • Complemented by a fatigue-snubbing earbud that’s capable of blocking out 37 dB of ambient noise • Powered by a heavyweight amplifier that boasts a 4-band parametric EQ to customize your sound precisely
FLOWSTATE By Overman, LLC Better get in the zone ‘cause this writing app will test your cultural ADD. Once it senses inactivity, your hard work will be gone in a blink.
SRP: PHP 142,540.97
BOOMBOTIX × ODB REX PORTABLE SPEAKER • A limited edition Bluetooth speaker in honor of the late great Ol’ Dirty Bastard • Features an all-over candy bar wrapper print and graphics inspired by the late rapper • Comes pre-loaded with an exclusive never before heard track produced by RZA “Obey Me” SRP: PHP 3,796.43t
MARSHALL LONDON SMARTPHONE
HEY! VINA By VINA Incorporated Here’s a Tinder-like app for ladies who want to make new platonic female friends. You know what they say; girls just want to have fun.
• The English company’s first smartphone purposely manufactured for music lovers • Equipped with the Cirrus Logic WM8281 audio hub that allows music to play at a higher resolution • Built with a scroll wheel that gives you quick access and tactile precisions to volume control SRP: PHP 34,384.94
URBANEARS PLATTAN ADV WIRELESS HEADPHONES • The brand’s first Bluetooth headphone, featuring a smooth built-in touch interface on the ear caps • Available in a range of colors in a suitably understated matte finish • Holds up to 14-hours solid of playtime before recharging SRP: PHP 4,707.94
statusmagonline.com - 20
PLAYGROUND By HLO S.A. Be your own DJ and swipe around the shapes to discover your path to musical expression. With this one, music is at your fingertips.
FASHION
facebook.com/starstyleph
Beauty
@starstyleph
www.starstyle.ph
Celebrity
@starstyleph
FAC E PA IN T
ROYAL VIEW
HOURGLASS Veil Mineral Primer P2,667.58
CLARINS “Joli Rouge” Lipstick in Lilac Pink P1,436.39
Make them bow down. CLINIQUE “Skinny” Stick in Skinny Jeans P846.45
SMASHBOX “Brow Tech” Shaping Powder in Taupe P1,282.49
ESTÉE LAUDER More Than Mascara P1,333.79
CARGO_HD “Picture Perfect” Pressed Powder P1,641.59 LANCÔME “Color Design” Lipcolor in Paris Please P1,179.89
TOM FORD “Noir” Cream & Powder Eye Color Duo in Night Sky P3,385.78
NARS “Spring Color” Blush in Impassioned P1,538.99 CLINIQUE Superfine Liner for Brows P767.84
22 - statusmagonline.com
SIGMA E21 Smudge Brush P718.20
Runway photo from Jonathan Saunders Spring/Summer 2016
GUERLAIN Kohl Contour Eye Pencil in Katy Navy P1,590.29
VAN I T IES n a il c a r e
Fear not, ‘cause CIATÉ KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR is here to the rescue. As it revitalizes your nails overnight with marula oil, it also helps with brightening and hydration.
ELECTRIC DREAMS Be ahead of the game and check out the MAC FUTURE FORWARD collection. Collaborating with four upcoming female personalities, the popular beauty brand aims to push breakthrough artists forward. With products that best highlight each artist’s beauty statement, get ready for the Tinashe “Times Nine” eyeshadow palette, Halsey gunmetal matte lipstick, DeJ Loaf rosy-nude lipglass, and Lion Babe metallic gold liquidlast liner individually coming out from March through April.
When it comes to your nails, sometimes, the thirst is real. Leave it to BUTTER LONDON “QUICKFIX” all caps with color’s non-greasy formula to help your digits absorb all the antioxidants they need.
Expert Advice
Words by Jill de Leon, Beauty Bite photos by Joy Bernardo
Before anything else, add a coat of DEBORAH NAIL PRIMER to your pamper routine. With collagen, calcium, and vitamin E, strengthen and extend your manicure so you can have good nails for days.
Finish off your makeup with some setting spray for a more natural glow and longer wear.
BEAUTY BITE
Lash Wishes
I
f you have any LASH WISHES, then you better make them count and check out this designer lash extension hub. Whether you want to look classy and glamourous or be a trendsetter with 3D lashes, feather extensions, or even Swarovski crystals in different shapes and sizes, your wish is their command. Drop by one of their branches and make a statement in the blink of an eye.
3/F Glorietta 1, Glorietta Complex, Makati City facebook.com/lash.wishes
statusmagonline.com - 23
G O S EE
Trade in your everyday pieces for a retro look that’ll give you a blast from the past. Photos courtesy of lookbook.nu
@sparksnstyle
@thestardustbohemian
@giomorimilano
@theblackeffect
@andreevigor
Blogger VERNON MITCHELL balances out a structured jacket with distressed jeans. @princevernon
@cannibalecore
24 - statusmagonline.com
@lefreakeschic
@chainloop
Photographer and blogger Francesca Felix adds an edge to her boho look with a fur coat. @frankvinyl
@bakkari8
@_helloshopping
@trdcuong
@kmeetsstyle
statusmagonline.com - 25
Photographed by Alejandro Cabezut Styled by Grizelda Garza
coat by Raplh Lauren top by Rebecca Taylor pants by Zara
scarf by Zara top by Phillip Lim pants by Maggy London
sweater by Banana Republic pants by Vince
sweater by Alice & Olivia pants by Stella McCartney shoes by Nine West
sweater by Max & Co pants by Rag & Bone
Hair and Makeup Jason Wallace Model Ashanti Hildreth of
The Campbell Agency
Photographed by Diane Russo Styled by Nancy Goold
jacket by Karen Walker T-shirt by Maryam Nassir Zedeh skirt by Nomia
blouse, belt, and skirt by Altuzarra
dress by Valentino boots by Martin Margiela
jacket by Nomia bodysuit by Maryam Nassir Zedeh shorts by Sophie Andes Gascon shoes by Martiniano
dress by Jason Wu shirt by Osklen boots by Sonia Rykiel
Hair Michiko Yoshida courtesy of Bumble & Bumble Makeup Mariko Arai Model Niina of IMG Models
GREYONESOCIALONLINE.COM L2 R2 Wing Greenbelt 5, Makati City
SWAG m a r ch
20 1 6
FIELD DAY
Be festival-ready with rucksacks, tube socks, printed caps, hooded vests, platform sandals, jumper dresses, fringe bags, and funnel neck tops. Product photography by Mike Chua hat by Topshop [TBA], jacket by Sfera [P4,649], top by Forever 21 [P1,015], skirt by River Island [P2,199], bag by Forever 21 [P1,420], shoes by Call It Spring [P1,990]
RUCKSACKS
gear factor Pack a punch.
Clockwise: Outdoor at Bratpack [P3,990] Penshoppe [P899] Outdoor at Bratpack [P3,190] Poler [P5,190]
T U B E S OC K S
STAND POINT Put your best foot forward.
Clockwise: Stance at Bratpack [P790] adidas [P990] 21 Men [P330] Stance at Bratpack [P790]
PRINTED CAPS
CROWNING GLORY Hats off to you.
From top to bottom: Vans [P1,298] 21 Men [P565] 10.Deep [P2,290] Poler at Bratpack [P1,690] Brixton at Bratpack [P1,790]
HOO D E D V E S T S
FLEX APPEAL
Take out the big guns.
From top to bottom: 21 Men [P805] Zalora [P899] Oxygen [P915]
P L A T F ORM S A N D A L S
TALL TALES
Ready for lift off.
From top to bottom: Charles & Keith [P2,299] Forever 21 [P1,850] Aldo [P1,995]
46 - statusmagonline.com
JUMPER DRESSES
overall champion Be a frock star.
From left to right: top by Dorothy Perkins [P1,195] jumper by Topshop [P2,695] top by Topshop [P595] jumper by Forever 21 [P1,015] top by Dorothy Perkins [P995] jumper by Penshoppe [P899]
statusmagonline.com - 47
FRINGE BAGS
DAILY STRIP
Aquire some fringe benefits.
Clockwise: Sfera [P2,199] Charles & Keith [P3,599] Forever 21 [P1,590]
48 - statusmagonline.com
F U N N E L N E C K TO P S
PRIMARY COLLAR Its a top culture reference.
Clockwise: Warehouse [TBA] Forever 21 [P755] Miss Selfridge [P1,995] Dorothy Perkins [P1,195]
statusmagonline.com - 49
M U S E
D With nothing but her signature eyeliner, jet-black straight and sassy haircut, and bubble gum in her mouth, NYC model cool kid CEILIDH JOY takes the stage, the screen, and the web. By Janroe Cabiles Photographed by Jacqueline Harriet and Esteban Scott
onning a bare face, save for her perfectly lined eyes, half-English, halfKorean Brooklyn baby Ceilidh Joy Garten embodies the female phenomenon that appears to only be seen online: the cool girl who gives no fucks, who can look to the camera in her underwear and a blanket and appear like a centerfold. From being a high schooler in band T-shirts with her scene clothes in her purple Jansport to becoming a certified paralegal, she moved to the city, found herself working at Opening Ceremony by spitting A$AP Rocky’s “Fashion Killa” lyrics at the interview, and gained a following. “[Modeling] kinda became its own thing,” she recalls. “I used to run a blog that got popular, deleted it, continued networking myself online, and got street casted while working for OC.” Working with Milk Studios, CREEPYYEHA, Pat Mcgrath, and Coca Cola, and has been featured by ASOS, V Files, Oyster, Nylon, Refinery29, Lula Magazine,
This is Junk, and Glossier, and being in The Weeknd’s music video of “In The Night” directed by Brthr, she’s grown into her own by just being in the industry. “[The best thing about modeling are] the creative people involved. Learning about hair and makeup, how to develop style, and how learning to be comfortable with my body. I don’t think I was ever looking to model; it just came and happened, and I’ve enjoyed my experiences.” Aside from modeling, she also enjoys writing and acting, citing the latter as her dream. “Acting is one of my main passions. I think with both acting and modeling, you’re trying to convey a certain emotion. I think they’re extremely similar, but might require different skills. Looks might not always be the most important thing in terms of the generally accepted standards of beauty within acting.”
I went to a reform high school without a drama program before I was enrolled. But it was one of my dreams, and I was the lead in the first two plays directed there. We were even allowed offcampus to act for locals in the area, which was usually a huge “no” for us as we were considered at-risk and were only allowed to stay on campus. That really inspired me, that I could touch total strangers. I had a monologue that made people cry and laugh and it was so rewarding. I felt so capable and confident. Nothing pleases me more than entertaining others in this way.
[My style is] fluid. I don’t stick to any particular style or look, but mostly, I like following girls’ street style. Five of my wardrobe staples include my Vivienne Westwood purse, my MadeMe NYC plaid skirt, my thrifted Louis Vuitton button-down top, and the Cav Empt sweater I got for my boyfriend but steal constantly anyway. Oh, and I love my Cherry Checkers Vans.
“[The best thing about
modeling are] the creative
people involved. Learning
about hair and makeup,
how to develop style, and
how to be comfortable
with my body.”
I have a neck tattoo of four eyes after a manga called Oyasami Punpun (Goodnight Punpun). I just really liked the book; it struck a big existential crisis in me. I also have a tattoo that says “fate” on my ribcage. I was 17; it’s stupid.
[A lot of] people probably don’t know that my favorite thing to do is get completely ready, then stay inside all day. I like Benefit Magic Ink Liquid Liner. I have no real beauty secret, but I have pretty good skin because I take birth control. But what I do suggest is toner for combination skin and maybe look into Neem, a blood cleanser.
@lilmixedhunny
M A E S T R O
teenage
Exhausting real feelings through dreamy drones, SLOW HOLLOWS‘ Austin Feinsteinexpels teenage ennui with deep lulls over the strumming and drumming of Dylan Thinnes and Nick Santana, respectively. By Celene Sakurako
I “
t’s difficult to leave LA once you’ve submerged yourself so deeply into it,” divulges Austin Feinstein, the 18-year old frontman of LA post-punk trio Slow Hollows. “The idea of playing all these somewhat historic LA venues is a dream at first, and it’s still a pleasure to play in them now, but I notice that bands are starting to limit themselves. It’s never a bad idea to look outside of the place you feel most comfortable in and start expanding.” Turning away from the creative rut that besieges him, Austin (vocals/guitar), along with band mates Dylan Thinnes (guitar) and Nick Santana (drums), has released two full-length albums since forming in 2013: I’m Just As Bad As You Are and Atelophobia, while Austin himself walked in Saint Laurent’s Spring/Summer 2016 Collection and appeared in Tyler, The Creator’s recent music video, “Perfect”. Sitting in his bedroom underwear-clad after a long day at school, Austin says, “I used to love sitting at home doing nothing, but I’m trying my
maestro best not to be that kind of person anymore. I want to do whatever I can to stay busy and not limit myself. I don’t want to be known for doing music only. Also, I’m worried about getting bored with doing just one thing.” Opting to sign with a local indie record label–DANGER COLLECTIVE RECORDS–that specializes in pressing music onto cassettes, the band made a dent in the underground LA scene when they released their most recent album strictly through online streaming on Bandcamp and in physical form on cassette and vinyl for limited numbers. With already a new project in mind just before the band’s official release party for their short film in place of their first music video for their second album, Austin dazes off into the future as he discloses, “We have a new project that will absolutely be out before the end of 2016. I’m not sure exactly what the entire thing will look like, but the music aspect has been completely written and is in the process of being recorded.” He goes on, “As horrible as it sounds, music is literally everything to me. I hate myself for saying it, but it’s true. Music is all I do with my time, and it’s all that I’m interested in”. What’s about Atelophobia about? It’s about a handful of things. The name is about the fear of not being good enough, whether it’s for a lover, in your life, your job, school, anything really. These songs all came to me at
separate times between January 2014 to March 2015. Every song means something to me, but I don’t want those feelings to be shared; the feelings the songs make you feel should be unique to the listener. What kind of growth do you see in yourself with this album? I’ve matured in my songwriting. I’ve always had the same writing process: I tend to obsess over an idea, and work on it until it’s a complete song. I try not to rush anything, because I don’t want to regret anything. Once it’s finished, I will play it to myself a couple times a day and make necessary changes; no song can be fully written and finished to someone’s full capabilities in a day or two. How do you feel about the overall outcome? My ultimate goal as an artist is to make a record that I can look back on in however many years and not want to change anything about it. Even with Atelophobia, I look back and wish I did certain things differently. With all these digital outlets, why did you guys decide on an analog release for ? Pressing albums on cassettes is something that re-emerged around 2012 in LA. While I personally don’t listen to anything on tape, having your own music on any type of physical format is rewarding, and people really are into it. Even if they don’t have a tape player, they will still buy them just to have them. What can you say about the digital age of music that you’re in? [The Internet] has increased the amount of artists, but I think it has left many record labels frantic, confused, and simply out of touch. In an age where labels don’t create images of “coolness,” they’re panicking and looking at what’s happening online while desperately trying to market to what’s cool, rather than actually marketing cool. What’s your advice to struggling artists? Do what feels right to you. Make something real. What’s the best and worst thing about what you do? It keeps me sane. It also makes me go crazy.
slowhollows.com @hollowsbandLA
“As horrible as it sounds, music is literally everything to me. I hate myself for saying it, but it’s true. Music is all I do with my time, and it’s all that I’m interested in”.
maestro
Making way for a new wave of indie pop rockers in Japan is Kobe fourpiece band THE FIN., who’s challenging the local scene with their distinct sound self-described as “cloudiness in transparency.” By Celene Sakurako
A
t first listen, you’d never guess that the dreamy croons, ethereal synths, and guitardriven melodies from indie pop rock quartet The fin. to come from the Land of the Rising Sun. Taking cues from bands abroad, childhood friends Yuto Uchino (vocals/synth), Ryosuke Odagaki (guitar), Takayasu Taguchi (bass), and Kaoru Nakazawa (drums) released their first single “Faded Light” three years ago on SoundCloud, followed by their first EP Glowing Red On The Shore and debut album Days With Uncertainty both in 2014. Originally formed in 2012 as a J-Rock cover band singing songs by
56 - statusmagonline.com
then-popular bands like Asian KungFu Generation, vocalist Yuto took a leap into making his own songs after seeing his friend’s band play and realizing that covering songs wasn’t enough to express himself. Gathering all his musical influences from Arctic Monkeys, Mew, and John Frusciante to SRFKR, Yuto did what came natural to him and wrote songs in English. “English isn’t my first language, but it’s my first music language. I’ve been listening to Western music since I was a kid, so writing in English is what makes sense for me,” he says. Greatly influenced by the scenic
mountains and waterfronts of his hometown Kobe city, Yuto makes music as if he’s painting a landscape. “I always layer sounds like drawing a scene, so our music has a role of scene description.” Engrossed by his own music, Yuto disregards the norm of the local music scene and continues to create what feels right to him. “I’m really into The fin. I’m kind of blind about myself.” Coming straight off from touring Asia, America, and Europe, as well as playing in notable festivals like Fuji Rock Festival and SXSW all throughout last year, Yuto prepares for another national tour in April for the band’s upcoming 6-track EP Through The Deep. With all songs written in his room in Tokyo amidst last year’s tour, the frontman
maestro
rehashes, “I wasn’t planning to make this EP. After releasing our first album, I felt so free and I was just making music with no concept or pressure and came up with these songs.” Picking his favorite song out of the EP as its title, he says, “I just want our fans to feel something from it, anything really. Every time I make a new song, it’s like the biggest time for me, and I just want our listeners to feel what I feel when I’ve created something.”
Having performed in front of an international audience and collaborated with artists overseas like Joe Lambert (the man behind the mastering of albums like Toro y Moi’s Anything In Return and Washed Out’s Within and Without) and noirwave artist Petite Noir, Yuto reflects on the complete 360° in attitudes of local audiences compared to the rest of the world. “First of all, many Japanese aren’t interested in music. Idols are incredibly popular
here, but music isn’t, especially Western music. People in Japan don’t seem to care about ‘art’ but more about ‘kawaii’. Many indie bands are coming out now, but there aren’t as much listeners. I feel like many of them are still listening to J-Rock or J-Pop,” he quips. When asked if he found difficulty in connecting with Japanese audiences with the type of music that he plays, he replies, “Yes, sometimes, but this is our sound. I used to sing in Japanese before and it didn’t feel right. Besides, I feel that most of our listeners can understand the lyrics if they read the lyric sheets.” He continues, “Our first time to play abroad was at SXSW, and it was so exciting and crazy. The audience in America is more energetic and powerful than in Japan. Japanese fans are shy; they’re polite and quiet. As you can imagine, it’s the opposite in America.” Taking it one day at a time to wherever the current takes them, The fin. may be riding a wave blown by the wind of their own instincts, but we’ve got a feeling these are just the ripples to a huge tidal wave coming.
thefin.jp @_thefin
“I just want our listeners to feel what I feel when I’ve created something.”
LIFE IN THE PA S T L A N E
maestro
top by H&M shorts by Faubourg Du Temple
Bewitched by sound of decades’ past, LA-based singer/songwriter DANA WILLIAMS is born a musician at the right place, at the right time. By Pola Beronilla Photographed by Shanna Fisher Styled by Robiat Balogun Hair and Makeup Christina Guerra of Celestine Agency
T
reading along the paths of folk, jazz, and soul, 26-year old Dana Williams offers a timeless piece of pop for everyone without having to pander to a particular trend. “I think one thing that sets me apart from the time we’re in is that there’s so much pressure and emphasis to follow what’s trending and popular,” says the up-and-coming artist. “I’m not worried about what’s trending or not; I just try to do what makes me happy and hope that kind of honesty affects people in a positive way. Music has always been a great way to unify people.” Reckoned as the “modern day Ella Fitzgerald,” she’s a classic waiting to happen. An offspring of the late David Williams, best known for collaborating with the likes of Madonna, Mariah Carey, Earth Wind & Fire, Whitney Houston, and Michael Jackson, Dana was predisposed for musical merit. “I was raised in a nomadic musical family. My dad was a guitar player and songwriter, so music has always played an
top SABO Skirt
58 - statusmagonline.com
maestro
“I’m not too worried about what’s trending or not; I just try to do what makes me happy and hope that kind of honesty affects people in a positive way”
top by Free People shorts by AZUL by Moussy
important role in my life. The fact that I moved a lot sort of meant that the main constant in my life, aside from my immediate family, was music,” she recollects. “I went to his shows and watched how the audience was touched; I was inspired by the way music touched him and the people around him. It really encouraged me to make music of my own.” Even though she recalls no particular moment that pulled her towards the limelight, Dana eventually sealed her fate. “I always knew I would be involved in music to some capacity. I’ve always written songs and loved to sing, but it wasn’t until after I graduated from college that I really started playing shows and performing my own music.” High and clear, with the occasional emotive crack, Dana’s sugar-sweet vocals flawlessly complements the delight brought by her nimble rhythms. “I’d say my voice is very melancholic, so even if I’m singing something that’s sort of happy or hopeful, it still has
a melancholic feel,” she shares. In 2014, the singer debuted her wistful soul with a 5-track EP entitled The Lonely One. “When I was writing The Lonely One, I had just lost my father and gone through a breakup, so I’d say that the music really reflected the sadness that I was experiencing. While I still struggle on a day-today basis with grief, I’ve had enough space from the situation to grow and evolve into a more optimistic person. You can’t change a situation, but you can change the way you react to it.” Recently releasing her second EP Let’s Fall last December, she thoroughly mends her broken heart to craft a record that bares her inherent romantic soul. “Let’s Fall is sort of a response to my first EP. I think I grew a lot as an artist, as well as a person [since then]. While it’s still melancholic, it’s a little bit more optimistic and romantic.” Aside from working on her original material, she’s also been
making buzz on the Internet. From Lana Del Rey and Lorde to Fetty Wap and Rihanna, she’s been collecting hits on her Youtube account for her soulful takes on pop music. “I recently discovered that Youtube is a great way to reach people and keep in touch with my followers, so I started putting up a cover every week on what I call Music Monday,” she quips. “I mostly just sing songs that I think I can put my own swing on. I like to flip the song and make them a little more soulful or jazzy. It’s important for me to choose a song that I can sing in my own way, so people can say, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that was a cover!’ I’ve had a lot of fun so far.” Currently taking her time to write a full LP, Dana tries not to put too much pressure on herself. “Right now, I’m just writing a lot and seeing what comes of it. One of the main lessons that my father taught me was not to care so much about what other people think of you; you can’t please everyone and you can make yourself crazy trying to,” she shares. “The end goal is to simply continue to make music and do what I love. As long as I have a career in music, I will be happy.”
danawilliamsofficial.com @IAmDanaWilliams
statusmagonline.com - 59
EXTRA
Stitched into a meld of diverse temperaments and sounds, Manila five-piece band MILESEXPERIENCE gently etches their names into the local music scene with hits striking gold of authenticity and expression. By Dannise Galon Photographed by JL Javier Styled by Celene Sakurako Special thanks to Desiderata Lounge
A
n amalgamation of reverberations and personalities, MilesExperience–shortened as MSex–started out as modest and as laid-back as they carry themselves: by skipping a morning class and developing the posse of Miles Bondoc (vocals/guitar), Justin Teano (guitar), Ian Diaz (bass), Guido Hizon (keyboards), and Timothy Odulio (drums) at their alma mater in University of Santo Tomas, where they majored in music. A beginning to a now-long-term friendship, the band’s name was initially MilesExperience69, which was later altered into its latest form. “That’s MilesExperience with no space and the word ‘sex’ in the middle. We removed the ‘69’ to make it more simple since it sounds too much like a username,” says Miles. When asked about the genre of their band, they all held to the same thought: Fusion. Ian adds, “We’re each other’s influences. A fusion of different genres–that’s what we’re trying to instill.” MSex’s sound is a deep dive of hazy, heartstrings-tugging, arch expression of love, art, and life. With tunes that ring out different shades of artistry in each other, their harmonious stimuli involve rock, jazz, blues, classical, and hip-hop music. Their psychedelic experimentations spectacle in their recently released music video, “Silakbo,” along with their first ever MV released last August 2015, “Love Supreme,” equally resonating vibes from musical influences such as Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney, Eraserheads, Rico Blanco, and As Tall As Lions, to name a few. Epitomizing
60 - statusmagonline.com
Tops by Oxygen and Penshoppe (on Miles)
“We’re each other’s influences. A fusion of different genres–that’s what we’re trying to instill.”
maestro
their own brand of eccentric and offthe-grid customs, the quintet boosts themselves from the clutch of new native music acts, evidently placing them on the heyday of their career at the moment. Standing out in this generation’s musical influx with the oscillations the digital age has brought upon, they sink into a flow of adept and misty abstract, delivered in a dazed voice–all the while dismantling terrains and paving their perpetual lane. While they all agree that the Internet’s façade-altering nature has also taken effect on numerous means towards the face of music, MSex establishes that it has made lots of things better, especially for the exuberating pool of great artists in the local music scene including themselves. “It’s actually better that they’re more exposed than the
last decades. The competition is less now because we help and uplift each other,” Ian quips. Pointing out the shift in attitude of local bands, Timothy reflects on the downside. “There’s a lot of not-so-good music that people get exposed to; they’re fed with it. They feel like it’s good music, but it’s really not,” shares the drummer. “The Internet has changed music through various ways of productions.” While they make their way towards the mainstream music scene, the band rejoices on the fact that their music is able to help people of need, whilst they compel glory in playing them, saying, “Every event we had is memorable. Every gig has a unique spirit, a purpose.” Their debut record is set to be released on April 30 in B-side at The Collective, featuring classical
strings acts and performances from their close-knit collective of musicians. With the name of the album still in the works, their 12-track LP will include a mix of both Filipino and English songs. For the love of music, thriving passion, and artistry, MilesExperience’s cohorts are bound to keep their breaths in check, for the band is just about to fly off through their soothing acoustics and plummeting drums thumps in no time.
facebook.com/milesexperience @MilesExperience
Jackets by Topman, pants by Penshoppe and Zalora (on Ian), Graphic black tee by Oxygen (on Justin), Graphic white tee by Oxygen (on Tim)
statusmagonline.com - 61
M A S T E R M I N D
watching the throne Raising her crown up high is New Zealandnative dancer PARRIS GOEBEL, who’s taken the music scene by storm through her Polyswagger. By Celene Sakurako
Y
“Sorry” featuring Justin Bieber
62 - statusmagonline.com
ou may have just discovered her through the outbreak of Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” dance video, but 24-year old Kiwi choreography queen Parris Goebel’s journey started way before you’d even imagine. Hailing from the city of Auckland, pushed by her father and manager Brett Goebel, Parris left high school at 15 to pursue dance full-time. “I formed ReQuest when I started dance because there were no girl crews at the time. The local hip-hop scene then wasn’t very big and was mainly dominated by male crews,” she shares. Now, internationally recognized for her work with the girls of ReQuest, as well as famed for being the boss bitch to dance empire The Royal Family and Auckland dance studio The Palace Dance Studio, the New Zealand-native has rightfully earned her seat at the throne. Winning the first of her championships in 2009 for the HHI World Hip Hop Dance Championships with ReQuest at the age of 17, everything just started rollin’ from there. Leading all seven of her dance crews: Misfits, Sorority, Duchesses, In-Laws, Kings, ReQuest, and Bubble gum, Parris’ signature Polyswagg style, which blends Polynesian culture and female empowerment together, has gotten artists like J.Lo, Nicki Minaj, Janet Jackson, Beyoncé, and now, Rihanna all calling out for her. Fresh from hopping off a plane after performing with Korean megastar CL at the Mnet Asian Music Awards, Parris brushes all the pressure off and says, “I work fast, so it’s really just looking at what needs to be accomplished, then bringing it to life.” Stating confidence and perseverance as the key to her success, she’s also challenged herself to a new project of making her own music this year, a passion she’s always wanted to pursue. Due for release by summer, we anticipate a seven-track multi-genre dance music EP from the two-time World of Dance Industry Awards’ Female Choreographer of the Year.
MASTERMIND
How would you describe your dance style? My dance style is ever-changing. Where do you draw inspiration from? I wake up and do what I love each day. [I’m inspired by] my daily life and the different paths I travel; I’m inspired by various choreographers that I meet around the world. Do you have a different process when it comes to making choreography for different outlets? What I do is I interpret songs that I choreograph to and what the artist is telling through the music, which I then express through dance. The process is the same no matter what I’m working on. You just need to be confident in your ideas, and then make it happen. What’s a good choreographer for you? A good choreographer is someone who is a good teacher, is passionate about what they do, and most importantly, puts in the work. What’s an advice you’ve gotten that you want to pay forward to others? Believe in yourself and be confident. Nothing can replace hard work; surround yourself with supportive people and dream big.
What do you have to say to all the haters out there? What you see is what you get. What do you think about the current hip-hop scene and the role of females? Females are doing great things, and the more everyone works together, the more great things will happen. What’s been your favorite project so far? I have too many to list them all, but the most recent thing of creating 13 videos for Justin Bieber was a great experience. Also, it’s fantastic to see dancers from my studio being booked for major artists. What’s your ultimate goal? To keep changing the game.
parrisgoebel.com @ParrisGoebel
“A good choreographer is someone who is a good teacher, is passionate about what they do, and most importantly, puts in the work.”
Coloring still life with the chaos of trouble, SHAE DETAR paints over other worlds in her photographs with a remix of intuition guiding her hands. By Janroe Cabiles
I
n the pigmented world that Shae DeTar paints, she injects droplets and layers of color onto scenes belonging to the wild, all channeled by the power of emotion. Aside from Landing her work on the pages of Dazed, i-D, Juxtapoz, Interview, Refinery29, Vogue, Nylon, Lomography, AnOther Magazine, and The New Yorker, her meticulous yet surreal form mixed media involving photographs of women with painterly detailed backgrounds led her to work with clients like Free People, Def Jam, Alice and Olivia, as well as musicians Kacy Hill, CHVRCHES, and Halsey, despite having only picked up a camera a few years ago. “When I was around 31 or 32, my dog Crumbles died and I was devastated, so much that I decided to change my life, and my husband suggested I try photography,” she recalls.
64 - statusmagonline.com
“I don’t really consider myself a photographer, though. I’m somewhere between that and a painter. Photography is just a tool for me, just a layer; while I’ve taken time to learn the technical aspects, they don’t interest me. I don’t care what camera I use, what matters to me is how it makes me feel.” With her background of acting and modeling, the beauty of cinematography opened up to her in a way that inspired her to snap surreal photos of beings in nature with either her Mamiya RZ67 or Canon 5D Mark 2, taking the ordinary out of reality by adding elements of fantasy through color. “[My art is] colorful, otherworldly, dreamy, playful, surreal escapism. Nature is really trippy, and I’m attracted
to that. I’m in awe of it all; the colors, patterns, shapes, and landscapes move me, therefore, I use them to make whatever I feel at any given moment.” With that and her love for the consciousness in the era of the renaissance, she takes note from her influences Van Gogh, Dali, Matisse, Schiele, Manet, and Klimt, often choosing the body of a woman as her subject, with goddesslike figures out of a dream. Staying on course with color as her weapon, she continues to paint the skin and leaves her images to escape the normal photo.
MASTERMIND
One of your first experiments with mixed media was with a self-portrait. How did this evolve? In truth, I shot self-portraits for an entire year because I didn’t want to waste anyone’s time. I had no idea what I was doing with lighting or f-stops, so I would test it all out. That way, if it looked terrible, I had only wasted my own time. After a year, I decided to face my fear and photograph other people, which wasn’t scary at all after I did it a few times. It was fun to experiment twitch paint again, as I had done for the most of my life, painting on magazine photos when I was younger. Tell us of your creative process. It’s super simple; it’s just experimentation. I just mess with my photo images until it’s something I personally like. I don’t usually set out to do anything specific; I live in the moment. I start with small prints, 8.5x11” to 17x22” and I make a few copies so that I am never afraid of messing up, because I have to be completely free to experiment. If I am too precious with the print and afraid to mess it up, it kills the possibility of magic happening. How has social media helped your pursuit? It’s definitely helped get my work to people all over the world. Editors find me a lot on Instagram. My first job was to shoot and paint a Billboard for Aritzia, which was huge and up on Broadway in Soho for a year; I booked that through someone finding me on Instagram. I don’t have an agent, so people just contact me. When it comes to collaborations with clients, how does the dynamic work in terms of creative freedom? When I do jobs for brands or magazines, I don’t usually get to do what I want. They give you a bunch of restrictions; they don’t usually trust that you know best and then they expect magic. But that’s just commercial work, everyone has to deal with that. If you take those jobs, you have to expect it.
shaedetar.com @shaedetar
“Photography is just a tool for me, just a layer. I don’t care what camera I use, what matters to me is how it makes me feel.”
CHROMASCAPE CITY Landscapes, buildings, towers, and bridges are never dull in color, as photographer JACQUELINE HARRIET captures faces and spaces, bright and natural in urban core. By Janroe Cabiles
C
asting light into a chromatic frame, Jacqueline grips her six-year old Canon AE-1 and dips her subject in the rays of the sun, naturally hitting their skin with a backdrop of everything in the city. Using this dichotomy of setting, she’s worked with Teen Vogue, Refinery29, NYLON, Harper’s Bazaar, Diane Von Furstenberg, and Clinique, while being featured on Urban Outfitters, Haunt Magazine, Ballad Of Magazine, and Rangefinder Magazine. Shifting from her homes in NYC and California, she steps up to the challenge of using both town, flora and fauna. “It’s always an interesting challenge trying to capture the environment in a new way that doesn’t make the image too much about the city itself,” she says. “I love using what’s available to me to fill a frame, and nature is free. It can look just as extravagant as a fancy indoor location, often even more breathtaking. I feel most energized when I’m out exploring and seeing new colors and landscapes, so being able to put a subject in these scenes feels like a complete experience of nature’s beauty, combining it with the artifice of fashion.”
66 - statusmagonline.com
Her journey with the lens started early, as she admits to beginning photography during the Myspace age. “I picked up a camera and started taking photos of myself and friends. It was sort of a way of representing ourselves in ways we felt like we weren’t seen at school. From then on, it was always photography. By the age of 16, I had a few local clients, friends, and their families who would hire me, so I ended up making a large bet on photography early on.” Developing and defining her aesthetic, she’s solidified her visual language of creamy and colorful tones, a harmonious relationship between her subject and location, interesting lighting patterns, and cool textures for contrast. “I definitely gravitate towards a certain type of subject: often, young women with very defined styles or features, whether it’s based on their haircut or the way they dress. But as a photographer, I can virtually shoot anyone and find something uniquely special about them in front of my camera.” With her style set for execution, she meets her muses halfway for the process. “I’ve been told I’m pretty approachable, perhaps because of my height or the fact that I look quite young. Unless I’m on a time crunch, I don’t necessarily take my camera out immediately to snap pictures. I like to grab lunch or hang out with
MASTERMIND
“You learn so much about people’s interests and insecurities just by listening instead of jumping in headfirst, and I think that makes the portrait feel a lot more honest and earned.” my subjects before we start making images, expresses the photographer. You learn so much about people’s interests and insecurities just by listening instead of jumping in headfirst, and I think that makes the portrait feel a lot more honest and earned.” When asked what still excites her, despite her already hefty roster of work, she answers, “Meeting people who change my perspective. I think it can be a little easier shooting models and actors, since they’re used to conforming to different versions of themselves, whereas musicians have defined styles. It’s so interesting making a portrait that feels true to the style of a musician’s work’ she shares. “I had to photograph Snoop Dogg once, and it was at a private home in Hollywood Hills. I’m from Northern California, but at the time, I hadn’t spent much time in Los Angeles, so it was a real taste of Hollywood.” Continuing her ambition of photography and film that heavily influence her aesthetic, she looks forward to starting more long-term photo projects, working more in filmmaking, and evolving in general. Shelling out advice for young photographers out there, she says, “Shoot for fun, for work, just always shoot. Put your work out there, seek out mentors, and offer your assistance when possible.”
jacquelineharriet.com @jacqharriet
statusmagonline.com - 67
mastermind
HIP POP HIP HOOR AY HOORAY From tracing and shading sweet nothings at his old office job, Marlon Sassy a.k.a. Gangster Doodles quit this skit and paved his own path to celebrating hip-hop on Post-it notes.
40oz Bounce
By Janroe Cabiles
G
iving credit where credit is due, Canadian self-taught artist Marlon Sassy says, “I owe everything to my shitty job as an office manager. My days consisted of me fucking around and acting like I was busy, when in reality, I watched YouTube videos, drew little pictures on Post-its, and basically slacked off 80% of the day.” Listening to hip-hop music during lunch break, he drew Snoop Dogg’s Tha Doggfather album art one day, and it all started. “Something clicked in my head, and things just progressed from there.” Inspired by all things related to pop culture, his viral doodles of artists Snoop, Nas, Gucci Mane, Yung Lean, Kendrick Lamar, Lauryn Hill, Kanye, Questlove, Jay Z, Lil’ Kim, Beyoncé, and Tupac (which coincidentally landed on Shia LaBeouf’s knee as fresh ink) made him drop the act and pursue something he never imagined. “To be honest, I never thought being an artist was a real job while growing up,” he recalls. “It was just something I did for fun. My upbringing was very blue-collar, so the idea of being anything than that was extremely foreign. But when I hit a creative wall, I had to switch it up.” Taking queues from where his interests lay, he sculpted his pen name G.Doodles when his genre of choice seemed inevitable. “Kanye was right when he said hip-hop is the new rock & roll. Everything in our culture is based around or inspired by hiphop, and myself being a huge fan, it just made sense. These are larger-than-life characters that translate extremely well to Post-it note-sized doodles.” Describing his own aesthetic as fun,
68 - statusmagonline.com
Beyonce “Formation”
David Bowie
mastermind
“Kanye was right when he said hip-hop is the new rock & roll. Everything in our culture is based around or inspired by hiphop, and myself being a huge fan, it just made sense.” 64 & chill
Kanye 2020
Too $hort
Lauryn Hill
colorful, simple yet complex, he navigated his own way through several adjustments to get his act together. “At first, I did all my doodles at work. They took me five to ten minutes to finish, so they were really rough and dirty. My initial idea was to post a new photo everyday; in the first week, I did 80 doodles, posting two or three at a time. For over two years, I was able to keep that pace. Then, I gradually started to spend more time drawing, making the transition to only drawing after work. I built up a nice following through Tumblr and Instagram, and decided that if I wanted to take things to the next level, I’d have to quit my job and focus on making art.” Switching it up with a more refined attack to his superstar doodles, he branches out into more detail and more products. “All my pictures are based on reference material, so I’m always looking for interesting photos. Without the Internet, I’d be screwed. Each day, I’ll randomly pick something I want to draw, then I get to work”, The artist shares.” I roughly sketch out the composition, then I refine all the details and add color. After, I scan it into Photoshop and redraw all the lines to keep everything looking sharp. Four to six hours later, it goes online.” With all his images uploaded, he’s found another platform to spread his masterpieces: selling prints, tees, hats, and pins with his designs. “That’s me trying to find ways to make money and support myself,” he admits. “I’ve been very fortunate to have amazing fans that are into what I do.” Looking out to see what’s next, he says, “My style is pretty consistent, but I’m still trying to experiment to push myself and keep things interesting. I want to expand into new things when I feel like I’ve perfected what I’m doing, so at this point I have no idea [what’s next], but I’m open to anything.”
tumblr.gangsterdoodles.com @gangsterdoodles
Congrats U Played Urself
Gucci Arrested
statusmagonline.com - 69
H E A V Y H I T T E R
70 - statusmagonline.com
When THE 1975 first lit their self-titled debut in 2013, the undergroundschoolboy-punks-turned-indie-rockers exposed the cracks between indie and mainstream music, easily becoming England’s newest hitmakers. Taunting the cynics with an unapologetically glossy sophomore record, they’ve got the indulgence of a quintessential rock & roll band—and they’re fully aware of it. By Pola Beronilla Photos courtesy of Universal Music Philippines Individual portraits by Adam Powell
Heavy Hitter
yet so unaware of it, we engage in the musings of frontman Matt Healy, fresh from the nicotine of his cigarette stick. “I’m like most people; I’m a very sexual person. What I don’t want to ever do is appear to be earnest, or false, or like I’m lying,” he says in a crispy accent, relating to the dedicated legion of Band Aids they’ve unconsciously built. “I think our relationship with our fans is very intense—it’s almost telepathic,” he pauses. “I understand our relationship, but I also know that there’s a lot of sexual chemistry between us and our fans, and there’s a big element of it that a lot of those girls want to sleep with me. I’m not gonna go out on stage and pretend that that isn’t the case.” Together with Adam Hann (guitar, keyboards), Ross MacDonald (bass), and George Daniel (drums), The 1975 locks in the sex, drugs, and rock & roll sentiment in their sophomore release, I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It. Following up a platinum-selling debut could only go two ways: you’ll either end up with a hit or a miss. With an album title as genuinely ludicrous as such, Matt shakes off the anxiety. “During the early days of making the record, things existed in our minds in the second album that didn’t exist in our first album because we’re now a band that people know—now that I know so much about what people think about me, I started being scared of thinking if that was gonna change the way that I write,” he recalls. “But very early on in the conversation, I said, ‘Fuck it! We’re gonna call the album this.’ I knew it was ridiculous, but I thought that the most important thing was making a bold decision. If we do that now, then there would be no rules; we could do whatever we wanted. If it’s already called that, it’s already fucking ridiculous, so let’s just do whatever we want.” Perilously dipped in a new wave gleam, ILIWYSFYASBYSUOI weaves 17 tracks of tonal shifts and atmospheric synths around the fluid sighs of Matt’s vocals. Shimmering and twinkling like your favorite John Hughes prom scene, their sophomore record goes beyond
72 - statusmagonline.com
Heavy Hitter
statusmagonline.com - 73
statusmagonline.com - 75
Heavy Hitter
flirting with the trappings of an ‘80s funk. “I wanted to talk about all of the things that truly matter to me the most, ‘cause I use our music as a way to get things out,” shares the vocalist. “I’ve found that my feelings with religion, sexuality, drugs, my family, and my mental health are the things that are most present in my life; I think the most obvious thing from this record is that there’s this obvious desire to better myself from the first album; it’s kind of replaced with a sense of understanding that wasn’t there on the first record—I’m a lot more accepting of who I am now.” Despite wearing ill-assorted suits and not carrying a PG-13 warning tag, they’ve attracted a voracious social media fanbase in the same manner a prototypical boy band would. They are, after all, a pop act. Though the unwritten principle of earning respect for pop stars is only when they stop appealing to a teenage demographic, The 1975 fires the canon. In ILIWYSFYASBYSUOI’s carrier single released last October entitled “Love Me,” Matt Healy and co. poke fun at the superficiality of fame and embrace their fans instead, giving them the benefit that they’re in on the joke. “We address our fans through our music; we give them references and Easter eggs through our music and through our visuals. And it cultivates this amazing relationship,” he adds. “I hope that everyone feels like we’re all in the same gang—like I’m talking directly to them. That’s how I used to relate to music and I used to love it; it used to be so important to me. ‘Cause when you shine light on yourself, you shine light on other people as well.” It’s exactly this rapport that boosted their mercurial rise from the streets of Manchester. “Being relatable is the thing that I have; that’s why people like our band and our lyrics because people think that I’m just a normal person. [It’s all about] whether it’s a genuine form or expression; whether you believe it or not. What annoys me is that having a good voice and being a face isn’t good enough, and there are lots of people who get regarded as artists who are just that— and that’s always been the case,” debates the frontman. “There have always been pretty people who got up on stage and sang other people’s songs. I’ve only started being in a popular band, and I’ve never known how annoying it fucking is. It’s annoying to be associated with people that you have no respect for. I don’t have a good voice, but I’ve got my voice, and it works for my band.” Love them—or hate them—if that’s what you want to do, but The 1975 are pop music’s finest.
the1975.com @the1975
76 - statusmagonline.com
Following the success of their 2012 debut Oshin, Brooklyn dreamrockers DIIV sank down in despair despite their critical hit. Now out with a new record and a fresh perspective, frontman Zachary Cole Smith and co. swim against the tide to keep their heads above water. By Pola Beronilla Interview by Celene Sakurako Photographed by Zachary Chick and Sandy Kim Special thanks to Laneway Festival Singapore
statusmagonline.com - 79
Heavy Hitter
“I think people just love to fixate on negative shit, which is kind of why I tried to make a record that was so honest because I wanted people to see that I’m an actual person and not just some commodity to be shit-talked about and be pushed aside,” shares DIIV lead vocalist/guitarist Zachary Cole Smith about the tabloid drama that has been shadowing his indie rock band. Taking textures from a punk-type krautrock and a sonic blueprint from dream pop and shoegaze, Cole together with guitarist Andrew Bailey, bassist Devin Ruben Perez, keyboardist Colin Caulfield, and then-drummer Colby Hewitt divulged their propulsive rock music to the scene with their 2012 debut Oshin. Despite its generally positive reviews, DIIV found themselves in deep water. This makes you ask: what came first, the music or the misery?
80 - statusmagonline.com
In 2013, Cole and his girlfriend Sky Ferreira were arrested for possession of heroin and ecstasy while Andrew entered rehab due to alcoholism. Come 2014, Devin was caught in a big fuss after posting sexist comments on chat room site 4chan, and then eventually saw Colby Hewitt departing from the band in 2015, reportedly due to his own drug issues. These were controversies that the band couldn’t ignore, but amidst the mess, new music sprout. With the recent addition of drummer Ben Newman, DIIV plunged into a new current with their sophomore release Is the Is Are. Interlocking guitar melodies saturated in self-indulgence, the quintet offers a fulllength sonic recovery. “For anyone who’s going through any type of problem i n their lives, maybe this can help,” Cole expresses. “Hopefully, it can help people understand me and my situation, and they can relate it to their own lives.” How do you feel about all the negative media that’s been surrounding the band? Has it affected you guys in any way? Cole: Yeah, obviously it upsets me a lot, you know? But I think people love negativity and drama, especially when it comes to artists. When people say negative stuff about you, you can kind of see them talking about themselves and their own insecurities and problems.
Heavy Hitter
“People love negativity and drama, especially when it comes to artists. When people say negative stuff about you, you can kind of see them talking about themselves and their own insecurities and problems.” You recently got a new drummer; how has the band changed with its new member? C: Well, he’s not really new. He was supposed to be the drummer from the beginning, but he had to go to college. I think in some ways, it’s like the live shows changed, ‘cause he’s got a different style than Colby does, but you know, in other ways, he was kind of the drummer that I wanted from the beginning, anyway. You discussed about trying to make real honest music. Can you tell us about your recent album, Is The Is Are? What’s it about? C: It was kind of an attempt to address a lot of the mythology around the band. I guess everybody knows about the backstory behind the record, so it’s like an effort to engage with that and discuss some of that stuff. Kind of creating a new entry in the relationship between drugs and rock & roll, but to have it less of a glamourous kind of thing, and more of a cautionary tale. What are the musical influences in it? C: I was influenced a lot by Sonic Youth’s Bad Moon Rising. I think it still sounds like DIIV, but it’s different from our first record. I tried to make it a little bit more accessible than our first record–like you can understand the lyrics; I focused more on the lyrics.
Heavy Hitter
“[The album’s about] kind of creating a new entry in the relationship between drugs and rock & roll, but to have it less of a glamourous kind of thing and more of a cautionary tale.” What do you hope for your fans get out of this record? C: That there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s meant to show a possibility of transcending your problems. I think it’s a record that can definitely connect to an emotional level in a big way. Also, we hope that it’s an enjoyable record to listen to; I just hope that people really like it. What’s the story behind the name of the album? C: For the album title, I wanted something that was kind of disorienting, something that gave listeners a sense of being misunderstood. I didn’t want to have the name of the record come from a song title or a lyric–I think that’s cheesy. I wanted something that came from the visual side of the record, so I had this artist that we worked with on the record to write a bunch of nonsense poems that I gave him, just like a framework to write in. He came up with this really cool poem, and we just took the last line from it and made it the album title. It was meant to feel homemade, kind of easy to criticize, to help with the general theme of the record, which is vulnerability and humanness; it was meant to feel flawed or imperfect, but also feel like something that’s profound in a way.
82 - statusmagonline.com
Do you think that you’ve found the light at the end of the tunnel? C: I don’t know. I mean, not yet, but I feel like I’m working on it, and I know that there is one. What can we expect from DIIV moving forward? C: I just want to keep making the best records I can, and whatever happens, happens.
diiv.net @DIIV
Six-piece LA soul outfit The Internet may have started out as an onlin it’s morphed into something bigger than themselves. Going beyond th ego in check as they tour the world with their Grammy-nominated late satisfied with our success, but the plan is to keep touring, keep
By Celene Special thanks to Lanew
ne project between two teenagers: Syd tha Kyd and Matt Martians, but he world of plays, double taps, likes, and hearts, the band keeps their est release Ego Death. In the words of vocalist Syd, “We may never be p making albums that are better than the last, and to stay true.�
e Sakurako way Festival Singapore
Heavy Hitter
after a well-deserved break from their ongoing international tour for their third album Ego Death are soul collective The Internet’s Matthew Martin a.k.a. Matt Martians (synths/drum machine) and Sydney Bennett a.k.a. Syd tha Kyd (lead vocals) in the latter’s LA pad. Once mere music enthusiasts who met through MySpace, the two Odd Future alums have grown into their own and made a name for themselves since their first release Purple Naked Ladies in 2011. With no initial plans on being artists themselves, they’ve naturally evolved to what they are now. Frontwoman Syd says, “After finishing our first album with just me and Matt, we didn’t plan on performing it, but eventually, we realized that we’d have to perform it if we wanted it to go anywhere. Just to see if it can go somewhere, I put together a band with people I knew growing up. Once we did that, we couldn’t go back.” Adding members Jameel Bruner (keys), Patrick Paige II (bass), Christopher Allan Smith (drums), and Steve Lacy (vocals/guitar), the sextet arrived with a thump by their sophomore album Feel Good in 2013, landing nominations for Best Urban Contemporary Album during the 58th Grammy Awards and Album of the Year for Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Awards, and a resounding ninth place on Rolling Stone’s “20 Best R&B Albums of 2015” with Ego Death. Boasting an album cover that explicitly shows all six members of the band, Syd reveals, “Putting everybody on the cover was a big deal. A lot of people don’t usually know that we’re actually a band and not just two people, so we wanted people to know. We just want everybody to get the recognition that they deserve; they’re a huge part of the picture, and they deserve to shine.” She continues, “We all pretty much made the songs together, like play the instruments at once in the same room. We made a lot of mixing and
86 - statusmagonline.com
matching within the band, and I just picked 12 of my favorite instrumentals and formed songs out of it.” Taking a more honest approach to songwriting for their latest album, Syd sings about the pinnacles and perils of modern love and fame, as she collaborates with Janelle Monáe, Vic Mensa, Kaytranada, Tyler, The Creator, and James Fauntleroy. “We weren’t trying to make anything conceptual, we just wanted to make an album with a dope compilation of songs; an album that you can listen to all the way through, where every song is just dope. I think we did that,” quips Syd. After completing the album, Matt titled the album Ego Death, a concept that chimes in on the artificial built of ego through the prevalent habits of society brought by the digital age. Syd says, “Matt came up with the title after we finished the whole album already, and it felt real to what we were all going through at the time. We thought it’d be a cool concept for people to sit and ponder on. It’s basically the concept of shedding your ego; being more honest with yourself and others, because I think there’s a lot of ego promoted by the society that we’re in right now with social media. I have nothing against social media–I use it, I love it–but I think it’s good to check your ego sometimes.” Matt adds, “We have six exchanging creative minds making one body of work; you have to drop your ego because you’re in a band. You can’t always get your way ‘cause you’re with people who have something to say, great ideas, so Ego Death also has to do with that; working with six guys, compromising creatively to make the best product possible.”
Heavy Hitter
Riding on the wave of success brought out by their album, the two remain humble as they talk about astounding response the record has been getting, most prominently for the Grammy nomination. “Man, it feels great! It wasn’t really anything that I expected. It just feels like a blessing, and I just want to make the most of it,” replies Syd “It kinda motivated me to keep going, kinda showed me that I’m on the right track, like I just gotta keep going in the right direction and keep getting better at what I do,” Matt echoes, “It’s definitely solidifying these ideas that I’ve had. When you’re making an album, you don’t know if it’s gonna work; you don’t know if people are gonna get what you’re trying to do. So for me, it’s cool because I feel like people finally get what we’re trying to do. I appreciate all the mentions and nominations, to be finally recognized for all the hard work.” Syd goes on, “Yeah, I think the nomination is enough, it’s like nice cool shit, you know what I mean? It’s just the beginning for us!” With solo projects within the band in the works for 2016, the two look forward to growing with each other. Matt says, “We’re just trying to top ourselves. We’re in a really good place right now, but you don’t have to be comfortable with it; you don’t have to dwell in that moment. If anything, you should work hard. The Internet started out with just six songs–we were in Syd’s room, what four, five years ago–six songs we had to put out there. Now, to see that snowball into this, I want to see what else we can do.”
internet-band.com @intanetz
statusmagonline.com - 89
DIRECTORY BRANDS 10.DEEP 10deep.com 3.1 PHILLIP LIM 31philliplim.com ALICE & OLIVIA aliceandolivia.com ALTUZARRA altuzarra.com BANANA REPUBLIC bananarepublic.com BRATPACK Greenbelt 5, Makati City BRIXTON brixton.com CARGO cargocosmetics.com CESA PH cesaph.com CHARLES & KEITH Greenbelt 5, Makati City CLARINS clarins.co.uk CLINIQUE clinique.com DIOR dior.com DOROTHY PERKINS Glorietta 3, Makati City ESTÉE LAUDER esteelauder.com FOREVER 21 SM Makati, Makati City GREYONE SOCIAL Greenbelt 5, Makati City GUERLAIN guerlain.com
HOURGLASS hourglasscosmetics.com JASON WU jasonwustudio.com KAREN WALKER karenwalker.com LANCÔME lancome.co.uk MAGGY LONDON maggielondon.com MARYAM NASSIR ZEDEH mnzstore.com MAX & CO. maxandco.com MISS SELFRIDGE Greenbelt 5, Makati City NARS narscosmetics.com NINE WEST ninewest.com NOMIA nomia-nyc.com OBEY obeyclothing.com OSKLEN osklen.com OXYGEN Market Market, Taguig PENSHOPPE Glorietta 1, Makati City POLER polerstuff.com RAG & BONE rag-bone.com RALPH LAUREN ralphlauren.com REBECCA TAYLOR rebeccataylor.com
RIVER ISLAND SM Aura, Taguig SFERA SM Makati, Makati City SIGMA sigmabeauty.com SMASHBOX smashbox.com SONIA RYKIEL soniarykiel.com SOPHIE ANDES GASCON sophie-andesgascon.com SPY OPTIC spyoptic.com STANCE stance.com STELLA MCCARTNEY stellamccartney.com TOM FORD tomford.com TOPMAN SM Aura, Taguig TOPSHOP SM Aura, Taguig VALENTINO valentino.com VANS Glorietta 3, Makati City VINCE vince.com WAREHOUSE SM Aura, Taguig ZALORA zalora.com.ph ZARA zara.com
ARTISTS Mariko Arai (Makeup) marikoarai.com Robiat Balogun (Stylist) robiatbalogun.com Alejandro Cabezut (Photographer) acabezutphoto.format.com Zachary Chick (Photographer) zacharychick.com Mike Chua (Photographer) instagram.com/lightjammer Shanna Fisher (Photographer) shannafisher.com Grizelda Garza (Stylist) instagram.com/stylebygrizelda Nancy Goold (Stylist) nancygoold.com Christina Guerra (Makeup & Hair) christinaguerra.com Jacqueline Harriet (Photography) jacquelineharriet.com JL Javier (Photographer) instagram.com/jljavier Angel Manilot (Makeup) facebook.com/theartofangel Adam Powell (Photographer) adam-powell.com Diane Russo (Photographer) dianerusso.com Mox Santos (Photographer) moxsantos.tumblr.com Esteban Scott (Photographer) instagram.com/poshshots Jason Wallace (Hair and Makeup) facebook.com/jwallacehairmua Michiko Yoshida (Hair) michikoyoshida.com
S TATU S I N VAD ES
paper doll
With her lips fixed into an eternal smile off the runway, model ARIANNA COWPER remains laid-back with her light laughter and long legs while making her paper dreams come true.
@yannacowper Portrait by Mox Santos Makeup by Angel Manhilot
92 - statusmagonline.com
MAC “TAUPE” LIPSTICK
I’m not into loud colors, so I stick to nude and brown shades. I bought this in Barcelona, and I like that this color can be for both day and night without making me look too made up.
COLORING BOOKS
I used to paint and draw a lot before, but I haven’t really been working on it. So these coloring books get my creative juices flowing. I find it very therapeutic.
BUMBLE & BUMBLE SEA SALT SPRAY
This keeps my hair from looking too lifeless, especially when it gets humid in the city.
DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF BY RICHARD CARLSON
I started reading this when I looked through my cousin’s bookshelf. I can say that it’s a big part of why my perspective changed a lot. Plus, it isn’t hard to grasp.
CHUCK TAYLORS
You can’t go wrong with a pair of white sneakers, and what’s more classic than white Chucks? They help complete a lot of my outfits.
BVLGARI PERFUME
PLANNER
My planner helps me get super organized. I write everything down in it.
I absolutely love this scent–it’s so fresh and clean. I bought it as a Christmas gift for myself last 2015.
PEARL EARRINGS
I rarely wear jewelry, but I love pearls. It’s the only jewelry I wear on a normal basis. They’re very classy
LUSH DRY SHAMPOO
It’s great for the middle of the day when I need to touch up my hair. It leaves my hair feeling fresh again.
statusmagonline.com - 93